A skate boot shell including a tridimensional outer sub-shell made of a first material, the outer sub-shell including a first sole portion connected to first heel, ankle and side portions; a tridimensional inner sub-shell received within and connected to the outer sub-shell, an outer surface of the inner sub-shell being complementary to an inner surface of the outer sub-shell, the inner sub-shell being made of a second material different from the first material; and a tridimensional reinforcement sub-shell made of a third material different from the first and second materials and bonded inside at least one of the inner and outer sub-shells.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a user (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the user and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot may be constructed by molding (e.g., injection molding) so as to have useful performance and/or characteristics (e.g., reduced weight; enhanced fit, comfort and range of motion; enhanced appearance; etc.) while being cost-effectively manufactured.

A skate boot comprising an outer shell with a heel portion for receiving the heel of the foot; an ankle portion for receiving the ankle, the ankle portion comprising a rear portion for facing at least partially the lower part of the Achilles tendon; and medial and lateral side portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot respectively. The skate boot also comprises a tendon guard extending upwardly from the ankle portion of the outer shell for facing at least partially the upper part of the Achilles tendon, the tendon guard comprising a recess for receiving an insert. The tendon guard has a first flexion mode when no insert is received in the recess and a second flexion mode when the insert is received in the recess. The second flexion mode is different from the first flexion mode.

A skate boot comprising an outer shell with a heel portion for receiving the heel of the foot; an ankle portion for receiving the ankle, the ankle portion comprising a rear portion for facing at least partially the lower part of the Achilles tendon; and medial and lateral side portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot respectively. The skate boot also comprises a component extending upwardly from the ankle portion of the outer shell for facing at least partially the upper part of the Achilles tendon, the component comprising a recess for receiving an insert. The component has a first flexion mode when no insert is received in the recess and a second flexion mode when the insert is received in the recess. The second flexion mode is different from the first flexion mode.

A tendon guard for a skate boot includes (a) a structural guard frame configured to protect an Achilles tendon of a wearer of the skate boot; and (b) a mount configured to join the guard frame to a shell of the skate boot. The mount includes a mount flex portion having sufficient flexibility to permit rearward movement of an upper portion of the frame in response to application of a rearward force on the upper portion by a lower leg of the wearer during plantarflexion. The mount flex portion has sufficient resiliency to urge the upper portion back toward a resting position when the rearward force is relieved.

A skate assembly includes a shell structure and a removable tendon guard. The shell structure includes a heel portion, a lateral ankle portion, and a medial ankle portion. The heel portion is formed to cover a human heel. The lateral ankle portion is formed to extend beyond the heel portion. The medial ankle portion is formed to extend beyond the heel portion. The lateral ankle portion and the medial ankle portion are spaced apart to form a notch extending toward the heel portion. The removable tendon guard is removably attached between the lateral ankle portion and medial ankle portion to cover the notch.

A liner for a skate boot that includes an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface is configured to be mounted to a shell of the skate boot. The inner surface includes a first material and an overlay of a second material covering a part of the first material. The overlay and another part of the first material not covered by the second material are configured to be exposed to a foot when the foot is placed in the skate boot.

A method of manufacturing a skate boot shell, and more particularly a non-lasted 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 boot shell with multiple sub-shells is also discussed, including an outer sub-shell, and inner sub-shell and a reinforcement sub-shell.

An easy-wearing skate is provided, wherein the easy-wearing skate includes a boot having a chamber open upward, the boot further includes a fixed shell having a rear opening, and a movable shell rotatably connected to the fixed shell and configured to cover the rear opening, the movable shell is swingable away from the rear opening, a first tightening strap is connected to a side of the fixed shell, a locking device is connected to another side of the fixed shell, the first tightening strap is releasably locked by the locking device, and as the first tightening strap is released from the locking device, the movable shell can swing away relative to the fixed shell.

A boot form for a hockey skate is made of multiple plastic materials having different hardness properties, or different flexural moduli, and is formed via an injection-molding process or another similar process. One or more of the plastic materials may be reinforced with fibers of glass, carbon, aramid, or another stiffening material to strengthen one or more regions of the boot form. For example, pellets of a first plastic material having a flexural modulus of approximately 190 MPa (e.g., a polyamide elastomer block amide) may be injected into a mold to form a softer upper region of the boot form. And pellets of a second plastic having a flexural modulus of approximately 20,000 MPa (e.g., a Nylon 12 with long glass fibers) may be injected into the mold to form a stiffer lower region of the boot form. Additional skate components may then be attached to the boot form.