A static dissipating or conductive article of footwear with an electrical flow path in the upper. The upper includes at least one conductive element extending along at least a portion of the inside of the upper in a position where it will directly contact the wearer's foot. The upper may include a plurality of conductive elements located in different regions. The conductive elements may be positioned in line with a lacing system so that tightening of the laces urges the conductive elements toward the wearer's foot. The conductive elements may be a ribbon or other strip of fabric that includes one or more conductive threads. The ribbon or fabric strip may be woven in and out of a lining material on the inside of the upper.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

Technologies for pedometric sensing in footwear include a step tracker compute device. The step tracker compute device is to receive acceleration data indicative of movement of a foot of a user, generate energy contour data indicative of energy levels over time, based on the received acceleration data, determine dynamic energy thresholds indicative of peaks in the energy contour data, and detect steps of the user based on the dynamic energy thresholds and the energy contour data to generate step data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Soles for articles of footwear including a mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh. The mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh can include one or more mechanically anisotropic regions with a first lattice shear modulus measured in a first direction and a second lattice shear modulus measured in a second direction opposite to or orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second lattice shear moduli are different to provide the three-dimensional mesh with mechanically anisotropic properties. The mechanically anisotropic three-dimensional mesh can be three-dimensionally printed.

A fall detection and alert system and associated methods are described. The system includes a right footwear item and a left footwear item, each of which includes foot pressure sensors, communications circuitry configured to transmit foot pressure signals from the pressure sensors to a mobile device, such as a smartphone, and a power source. The system also includes an application for the mobile device that causes the mobile device to receive transmitted foot pressure signals from the communications circuitry of the footwear, analyze the foot pressure signals to determine whether a wearer of the footwear items has fallen, display a warning if it is determined that the wearer of the footwear items has fallen, along with an option to cancel the warning, and send a signal to a caregiver if the warning has not been canceled within a predetermined period of time.

A golf shoe sole with a pattern configured for outward, one-way rotation includes a pattern with a rotation point pattern. The rotation point pattern includes a center point tread or center cone spike, whereby the golf shoe is configured to rotate about the center point tread of the rotational pattern. The pattern can also include more than one one-way rotation patterns. Each of the one-way rotation patterns include a plurality of one-way guide blades and more than one row of parallel outward one-way rotation guide blades. The pattern can also include one or more circle blades encircling the center cone spike. The one way guide blades contain a slide side that gradually protrudes from the sole on the outward side of the blade and has a tall barb to grip the ground on the inside or stop side of the sole. The heal middle part of the sole is populated with a cone spike or center point tread surrounded by circle blades roughly the same height and mostly square on the top or ground side of the blade. The middle to front part of the sole contains the one-way rotational blades that allow the sole to slide along the ground to one direction but the grip and be stable in all other directions.

A footwear for carrying a firearm includes an upper and a holster. The upper defines a cavity adapted to receive a foot. The holster is integrally formed with the upper. The holster is adapted to receive the firearm. The holster has a configuration specific to stabilizing the firearm within the holster and to the upper.

Systems, methods, and software products analyze foot strikes. A runner profile defining characteristics of a user and a shoe type of the shoes is received. Shoe characteristics are retrieved based upon the shoe type. A model of shoe wear is configured based upon both the runner profile and the shoe characteristics. Sensor data indicative of movement of a runner's foot is received from a foot strike monitor configured with the shoes and processed through the model to determine a user's expected lifetime for the shoes. The user's expected lifetime is indicated to the user.

An article of footwear with a ball contacting surface is disclosed. The ball contacting surface includes a raised peak member at the top and gripping members along a medial side. The ball contacting surface enhances the ability of a wearer to kick a ball with a low trajectory and to control the ball.

An article of footwear with a ball contacting surface is disclosed. The ball contacting surface includes a raised peak member at the top and gripping members along a medial side. The ball contacting surface enhances the ability of a wearer to kick a ball with a low trajectory and to control the ball.