Ski boot comprising a rigid shell which is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user, and has a lower part structured to couple with a ski binding device; a rigid cuff which is shaped so as to surround the lower part of the leg of the user, and is pivotally jointed to the shell thus to be able to pivot about a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the boot, and shell closing means adapted to selectively tighten the shell on the foot of the user; the shell comprising a substantially basin-shaped casing which is superiorly provided with a main opening from which the leg of the user comes out, and with a longitudinal slit that branches from said main opening and extends along the casing towards the front tip of the shell; the shell closing means being placed at the longitudinal fissure.

An article of footwear with adjustable stiffness is provided. The article of footwear in the form of a snowboard boot is provided with adjustable tensioning systems that are disposed on either side of an inner liner of the snowboard boot. The adjustable tensioning system includes a comb body structure having flex portions made of a plurality of extending fingers with a flexibility that can be controlled by the adjustable tensioning system. Depending on the level of tension applied by the tensioning system, or lack thereof, a range of flex profiles having varying amounts of stiffness are available to the wearer to adjust the overall stiffness of the snowboard boot.

A method and corresponding arrangement for customization of footwear, more particularly sports footwear, comprising an element made of a thermoplastic material, are provided. The method includes heating the element made of thermoplastic material until its temperature rises above a predetermined threshold and locally applying, from the outside of the footwear, a traction force to the element made of thermoplastic material, the traction force being oriented towards the outside of the footwear, so as to locally deform the thermoplastic material to adapt it to the morphology of the particular user. Correspondingly, the system comprises heating means, intended to heat the element made of thermoplastic material, and shaping means, arranged outside the footwear and intended to locally engage the outer surface of the element made of thermoplastic material and to apply a traction force to the element made of thermoplastic material, the traction force being oriented towards the outside of the footwear.

An apparatus for automatically adjusting tension on retention member to hold multiple objects together. Examples include using retention apparatus to obtain optimal fit and use of a human wearable item such as article of footwear. Sensors may be used to sense changes in movement of the article of footwear, of the person wearing it, or of a third object such as a vehicle carrying the person. A retention member may surround at least a portion of the objects, and an actuator may be included that automatically rotates a rotating member such as a gear or pulley that may be coupled to the retention member. The rotating member may be configured to automatically adjust tension on the retention member many times per second based on control signals from control logic responsive to the sensors.

The invention relates to a device and to a method for producing a shell (2) of a ski boot (1) that in some areas is adapted to a foot, or a leg, of a user, comprising a lower and/or upper shell part (3, 3) made of a plastic material, and a heating element (10) for sectionally heating the lower and/or upper shell part (3, 3) above the softening temperature of the plastic material. The heating element (10) has an outer adhesion-promoting layer (11) for connecting the heating element (10) to one of the shell parts (3, 3) of the ski boot (1).

A skate boot includes a boot shell having first and second opposite side portions cooperating to define a foot receiving opening therebetween. The first and second side portions have a facing portion extending from the foot receiving opening. A band having a first end portion is received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through an opening defined in the first side portion so as to have a second end portion of the band extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion of the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace.

An apparatus for automatically adjusting tension on retention member to hold multiple objects together. Examples include using retention apparatus to obtain optimal fit and use of a human wearable item such as article of footwear. Sensors may be used to sense changes in movement of the article of footwear, of the person wearing it, or of a third object such as a vehicle carrying the person. A retention member may surround at least a portion of the objects, and an actuator may be included that automatically rotates a rotating member such as a gear or pulley that may be coupled to the retention member. The rotating member may be configured to automatically adjust tension on the retention member many times per second based on control signals from control logic responsive to the sensors.

A boot includes a boot shell having first and second side portions each including eyelets defined in an instep region thereof and a respective opening through at least one the first side portion in proximity of the eyelets. The boot also includes a band having a first end portion received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through the opening defined in the first side portion so as to have an opposed second end portion extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace. An opposed second band may be provided, with the bands crossing each other. The boot may be a skate boot. A method of manufacturing a boot is also discussed.

A boot includes a boot shell having first and second side portions each including eyelets defined in an instep region thereof and a respective opening through at least one the first side portion in proximity of the eyelets. The boot also includes a band having a first end portion received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through the opening defined in the first side portion so as to have an opposed second end portion extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace. An opposed second band may be provided, with the bands crossing each other. The boot may be a skate boot. A method of manufacturing a boot is also discussed.

An apparatus for automatically adjusting tension on retention member to hold multiple objects together. Examples include using retention apparatus to obtain optimal fit and use of a human wearable item such as article of footwear. Sensors may be used to sense changes in movement of the article of footwear, of the person wearing it, or of a third object such as a vehicle carrying the person. A retention member may surround at least a portion of the objects, and an actuator may be included that automatically rotates a rotating member such as a gear or pulley that may be coupled to the retention member. The rotating member may be configured to automatically adjust tension on the retention member many times per second based on control signals from control logic responsive to the sensors.