A tensile strand element for an article of footwear is disclosed. The tensile strand element includes one or more tensile strands secured at their endpoints between the sole and upper of an article of footwear, creating one or more looped portions. The unsecured looped portions may extend into the fastening region of the footwear and engage with a fastening system to tighten the footwear upper snugly against a wearer's foot to provide added support.

A footwear article is provided herein. The footwear article may include a sole coupled to a cord structure. The cord structure may include interconnected bights in a vamp cord and a rand cord forming a loop line extending along at least a portion of the footwear article.

A footwear article is provided herein. The footwear article may include a sole coupled to a cord structure. The cord structure may include interconnected bights in a vamp cord and a rand cord forming a loop line extending along at least a portion of the footwear article.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper provided above the sole to accommodate a foot, a tightening part that applies tightening force to the upper, and a force transmitter that transmits tightening force from the tightening part to a lower part of a midfoot portion of the upper.

An article of footwear with an insole, an adaptable heel configured to adjust between at least an open and a closed configuration, a retainer connected to the heel configured to hold the heel in one configuration, the retainer having a locked state and an unlocked state, a releaser connected to said retainer configured to place the retainer into the unlocked state. In some cases, the insole is configured to have a raised configuration and a lowered configuration, the raised configuration being linked by a linker to the heel and its open configuration and the lowered configuration being linked by the linker to the heel and its closed configuration. In some cases, the article of footwear has a tightener having a secure state and a loose state, and the heel's closed configuration linked to the tightener's secure state.

An article of footwear or an article of apparel can include provisions for facilitating the installation of a control device. The control device can include a panel comprising a plurality of buttons that can provide manual control to a user. The control device can be installed in a compartment within the article after initial manufacture of the article of footwear. In some cases, the control device can include a raised standoff assembly that can be configured to decrease inadvertent pressure being applied to the buttons.

An article of footwear or an article of apparel can include provisions for facilitating the installation of a control device. The control device can include a panel comprising a plurality of buttons that can provide manual control to a user. The control device can be installed in a compartment within the article after initial manufacture of the article of footwear. In some cases, the control device can include a raised standoff assembly that can be configured to decrease inadvertent pressure being applied to the buttons.

An article of footwear includes a textile component. The textile component of the upper includes a textile element and a tensile element. The tensile element defines a first segment disposed on a first side of the upper. The first segment of the tensile element is configured to attach the securement device to the textile element on the first side of the upper. The tensile element further includes a second segment that is disposed proximate the lower portion of the upper on the second side. The second segment is fixed relative to the lower portion of the upper on the second side. The tensile element further includes an intermediate segment that extends continuously from the first segment, across the heel region, to the second segment.

An article of footwear includes a textile component. The textile component of the upper includes a textile element and a tensile element. The tensile element defines a first segment disposed on a first side of the upper. The first segment of the tensile element is configured to attach the securement device to the textile element on the first side of the upper. The tensile element further includes a second segment that is disposed proximate the lower portion of the upper on the second side. The second segment is fixed relative to the lower portion of the upper on the second side. The tensile element further includes an intermediate segment that extends continuously from the first segment, across the heel region, to the second segment.

A lacing system for a boot is provided including a lace having a length of string, each string divided into a center region at a center point of the length of the string and a plurality of equal length regions. Each of the equal length regions is designated by a color, pattern or indicia. The center region has a length approximately equal to a distance between a bottom-most pair of left-side and right-side eyelets of the boot, the equal length regions each have a length equal to a diagonal distance between a left-side eyelet and a right-side eyelet at a single increment up the boot. End lengths of each lace are at the end of each lace which measure half the remainder of each lace remaining from the total length of the lace minus the summation of the center region plus the equal length regions. Each of the equal length regions has a different color, pattern or indicia from its immediately adjacent equal length region. Each of the end lengths has a different color, pattern or indicia from one of the equal length regions that is immediately adjacent to the end length. Methods of using the lacing system are also provided.