A footwear article includes (a) an upper having a tongue opening at a front thereof; (b) a gusseted tongue including a tongue panel positioned over the tongue opening and a pair of gussets attaching laterally opposite sides of the tongue panel to the upper; (c) a pair of tongue fasteners configured to selectively fasten and unfasten corresponding sides of the tongue panel to and from the upper; (d) a first lacing system on the upper and arranged for guiding lacing over the gusseted tongue and tongue fasteners when the sides of the tongue are fastened to the upper; and (e) a second lacing system on the tongue panel and arranged for guiding the lacing across the tongue panel clear of the tongue fasteners when the sides of the tongue panel are unfastened from the upper.

An article of footwear including a shell, a liner and laces. A shell upper extends from the shell sole and defines a shell opening. The liner can be received into the shell through the shell opening. A liner upper extends from the inner sole and defines a liner opening. A tongue includes a first portion connected to the liner proximate the liner opening, and a second portion that can extend through the shell opening. At least part of the second portion can be connected to the shell exterior surface proximate the shell opening while the liner is positioned within the shell. The laces are connected to the shell proximate the shell opening and extend across a portion of the shell opening. The laces contact the second portion of the tongue to press the second portion of the tongue against the shell exterior surface.

A self-lacing system includes an air bag assembly and a vacuum pump respectively attached on an upper portion and a sole portion of the shoe. The vacuum pump includes a first cover and a second cover. A chamber is formed between the first cover and the second cover when the second cover is located at the first position relative to the first cover. Volume of the chamber changes during movement of the second cover relative to the first cover. During the movement of the second cover relative to the first cover, the vacuum pump drives fluid inside the air bag assembly to flow into the chamber via a suction communication channel to collapse an air passage on the air bag assembly for shrinking and reshaping the air bag assembly, which drives the upper portion of the shoe to shrink and reshape for tightening the shoe.

A self-lacing system includes an air bag assembly and a vacuum pump respectively attached on an upper portion and a sole portion of the shoe. The vacuum pump includes a first cover and a second cover. A chamber is formed between the first cover and the second cover when the second cover is located at the first position relative to the first cover. Volume of the chamber changes during movement of the second cover relative to the first cover. During the movement of the second cover relative to the first cover, the vacuum pump drives fluid inside the air bag assembly to flow into the chamber via a suction communication channel to collapse an air passage on the air bag assembly for shrinking and reshaping the air bag assembly, which drives the upper portion of the shoe to shrink and reshape for tightening the shoe.

An article of footwear includes a fitting system with an upper member that is supported by the upper and a strand guide that is supported by the sole structure. The strand guide is flexible and flexes in concert with the sole structure. The strand guide has a guide surface. The fitting system further includes a tensioning system with a flexible strand that is configured to bias the upper member toward the strand guide. The flexible strand has a first section coupled to the upper member and a second section extending through the sole structure. The second section abuts the guide surface. The second section is configured to slide across the guide surface as a result of flexure of the strand guide. The first section and the upper member are configured to move relative to the sole structure as a result of sliding of the second section across the guide surface.

A shoe garment may have a generally tubular body and include a heel slot generally configured to receive heel, a bottom support slot configured to encircle a portion of the shoe and/or foot, and a top support slot configured to encircle approximately at or above the user's ankle. The shoe garment may be used to secure the shoe to the foot, improve fit, provide an alternate style option, and/or provided added support and/or warmth to the user.

A shoe garment may have a generally tubular body and include a heel slot generally configured to receive heel, a bottom support slot configured to encircle a portion of the shoe and/or foot, and a top support slot configured to encircle approximately at or above the user's ankle. The shoe garment may be used to secure the shoe to the foot, improve fit, provide an alternate style option, and/or provided added support and/or warmth to the user.

An article of footwear providing easy donning and doffing through a heel region. A heel cup is pivotably coupled with the footwear to articulate between an open configuration allowing easier access to a foot-receiving cavity and a closed configuration enclosing a heel region of the footwear. A tensioning strap extends from a first side of the footwear around the heel cup to an opposite second side of the footwear when the heel cup is in the closed configuration. The heel strap is effective to structurally secure the heel cup in the closed configuration. One or more tensioning strands may extend from the tensioning strap. The tensioning strands may be effective to convert force provided through the tensioning strap across a forefoot portion to generate a forefoot securing force through a lacing mechanism.

An article of footwear includes a fitting system with an upper member that is supported by the upper and a strand guide that is supported by the sole structure. The strand guide is flexible and flexes in concert with the sole structure. The strand guide has a guide surface. The fitting system further includes a tensioning system with a flexible strand that is configured to bias the upper member toward the strand guide. The flexible strand has a first section coupled to the upper member and a second section extending through the sole structure. The second section abuts the guide surface. The second section is configured to slide across the guide surface as a result of flexure of the strand guide. The first section and the upper member are configured to move relative to the sole structure as a result of sliding of the second section across the guide surface.

Provided are, among other things, shoes having elastic tongue-securing straps. In one representative embodiment, a shoe includes: (a) a sole; (b) an upper, extending above the sole, that includes a front section, a left side, a right side, a rear section, and a tongue that originates from the front section and extends rearwardly between the left side and the right side; (c) a left elastic strap that extends from a left side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the left side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the left side of the upper; and (d) a right elastic strap that extends from a right side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the right side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the right side of the upper, with the left elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the left side of the tongue and the right elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the right side of the tongue.