A skate boot of the type commonly used with a lower mounting frame for supporting one of an ice skating blade or rollers thereon, has a monocoque skate boot body. The monocoque skate boot body further supports i) a toe cap of dissimilar material thereon, ii) a tendon guard of dissimilar material fastened to a rear of the monocoque skate boot body, and iii) an anchor body of dissimilar material on the sole portion of the monocoque skate boot body for assisting securement of the lower mounting frame to the monocoque skate boot body.

A method of manufacturing a skate boot shell, including shaping tridimensional outer and inner sub-shells, and bonding the shaped sub-shells together through lamination. The lamination is performed after the sub-shells are shaped and includes applying heat to the sub-shells and/or pressure on one of the sub-shells toward the other against a mold surface. A skate with three sub-shells is also discussed.

A goalie skate for a hockey goalkeeper. The goalie skate may comprise a skate boot for receiving a foot of the hockey goalkeeper, a blade for contacting ice, and a blade holder between the skate boot and the blade. The skate boot comprises an outer shell comprising a synthetic material. The goalie skate may be cowlingless.

A method of making a skate boot upper, including integrally molding a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and at least part of a tendon guard, manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material, and assembling the upper by attaching edges of the quarters to the boot portion with the quarter overlapping the boot portion only along said edges. Also, a method of making a skate boot upper, including manufacturing a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and at least part of a tendon guard, manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material, and assembling the upper by attaching edges of the quarters to the boot portion through stitching, adhesive or lamination.

A skate boot having an outer shell and a toe cap. The outer shell has medial and lateral side portions having front medial and lateral end portions. The toe cap has rear medial and lateral extensions defining medial and lateral hollow spaces. The front medial and lateral side end portions of the outer shell are at least partially received in the medial and lateral hollow spaces of the toe cap for affixing the toe cap to the outer shell.

An article of footwear for use in ice skating comprising a boot shell structured to accommodate a wearer's foot and having a medial forefoot portion, a lateral forefoot portion, a medial quarter/midfoot portion, a lateral quarter/midfoot portion, a sole portion, a lateral ankle portion, a medial ankle portion, and a heel portion, the boot shell further including a cuff/tendon guard attached to the boot shell or to a flexible rail portion attached to the heel portion of the boot shell. An article of footwear for use in ice skating including a removable liner disposed in a boot shell and a plate reinforcement portion attached to the removable liner to provide lateral stiffness. An article of footwear for use in ice skating including at least one compressible structure disposed in a boot shell.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) or other footwear for a user. The skate or other footwear comprises a skate boot or other foot-receiving structure for receiving a foot of the user and possibly one or more other components, such as a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). In some cases, at least part of the skate boot or other foot-receiving structure and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate or other footwear to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured.

An ice skate boot as described herein can include a boot that is generally defined by an outer boot shell that includes a boot sole, a heal region, a toe box, and sidewalls between the toe box and the heal region. The sidewalls extend from the boot sole to a boot collar and tongue gap. Each of the sidewalls generally comprises an impact absorbing layer, a thermo-moldable layer and a foot contact layer, wherein the foot contact layer configured to interface a human foot. The impact absorbing layer is interposed between the outer boot shell and the thermo-moldable layer, the thermo-moldable layer is interposed between the impact absorbing layer and the foot contact layer. The thermo-moldable layer and the impact absorbing layer are incorporated in the heal region and extending at least to the toe box.

A skate boot is disclosed with a rigid boot shell having medial and lateral quarter portions defining a foot receiving cavity in between them having a volume for receiving at least a metatarsal region of a wearer's foot. A tongue extends between the medial and lateral quarter portions above the volume. A lacing system overlies the tongue and links the medial and lateral quarter portions. A foot wrapping member extends from the lateral quarter portion, the foot wrapping member movable relative to the rigid boot shell in a downward direction towards a sole portion of the rigid boot shell so as to vary the volume at least from a lateral side of the foot receiving cavity along the metatarsal region of the wearer's foot.

Footwear, such as a skate (e.g., a hockey skate), comprising a boot (e.g., a skate boot) or other foot-receiving structure configured to receive a user's foot, in which the boot or other foot-receiving structure is designed to enhance performance, including a range of motion of the user and energy transfer (e.g., to a skating surface while skating or otherwise moving on the skating surface), fit on the user's foot, and/or comfort of the user, such as by having articulated, thermoformable and/or removable parts that may have desired properties in selected regions.