A forced-air footwear is presented and comprises a foot supporting portion including a sole with cavities therein covered with a foot-contacting layer, and a channel communicating between the cavities and the interior of the footwear to allow air flow between the cavities and the interior of the footwear; a foot covering portion, the foot covering portion including a valve allowing air passage therethrough in a single direction, the cavities including a compressed configuration, when supporting a weight of a wearer, and an expanded configuration when not supporting the weight of a wearer, the passage between the compressed configuration and the expanded configuration forcing an air movement of the air contained in the cavities, the valve blocking the air movement in one direction, wherein the compression of the cavities and the blocking action of the air by the valve is forcing air through the footwear.

A ventilation apparatus including a pump, a switching unit, and a fluid diffuser is provided. The pump attached to the footwear pumps fluid into and exhausts fluid from a cavity of the footwear. The switching unit in communication with the pump selectively changes modes of operation of the pump. The fluid diffuser connected to the pump within the cavity of the footwear includes a feed pipe for transferring the fluid pumped from the pump to the cavity of the footwear during a pump mode of operation and to transfer the fluid in the cavity of the footwear to an ambient environment external to the footwear during an exhaust mode of operation, for ventilating the footwear. In one or more embodiments, the fluid diffuser includes a diffusing member with one or more openings and/or a fluid distribution channel member for transferring the fluid to and from the cavity of the footwear.

The ventilative sole structure includes a sole, a first one-way valve, and a second one-way valve. The sole's heel portion includes a hollow chamber inside and a bottom piece beneath the chamber. The first one-way valve is configured on a circumferential wall of the chamber. The second one-way valve is configured between a tread portion of the sole and the chamber. When a user wears a shoe with the ventilative sole structure, air enters the chamber through the first one-way valve when the user raises his/her feet, and air is released from the chamber through the second one-way valve towards the tread portion when the user treads on the ground and compresses the chamber, thereby enhancing ventilation and removing odor of the shoe.

A ventilation sole for footwear, the sole including: a communicating vent-hole through which the inside and outside of footwear communicate with each other to allow air to flow; and a valve selectively opening and closing the communicating vent-hole, wherein the valve includes: a housing module configured to have opposite ends being open such that a channel is provided therein to communicate with the communicating vent-hole; an open-close module configured with a first closing surface and a first through-hole; and a rotation module configured with a second closing surface and a second through-hole, and rotating to move a position of the second through-hole. Accordingly, a wearer can easily open and close the valve by rotating the rotation module according to the intention of the wearer, whereby air inside and outside the footwear can be circulated selectively and optimal foot conditions can be improved.

Disclosed are systems, methods, procedures and devices incorporating a variety of impact absorbing structures (IAS) and/or buckling structure arrays into shoes, sneakers and/or other footwear, which can greatly enhance wearer comfort, improve shoe durability, improve athletic performance, reduce cost of manufacture and/or minimize impact forces to the foot, legs and/or lower body. Included herein are various types of footwear, foot coverings, lower extremity garments and related orthopedic sleeves and/or orthotics.

A rain boot and uniform footwear with an intelligent temperature-controlling air extractor and water-proofing and air-venting functions, includes: a boot upper layer (10), a middle cushion layer (11) and a boot lower layer (12), wherein a miniature air extractor (13) is provided at a position below an instep of the boot bottom layer (12), a magnetic levitation power switch (14), a temperature sensor (15) and a control main board (16) are also provided in the boot bottom layer (12), the temperature sensor (15) being electrically connected to an input end of the control main board (16) and transmitting a temperature sensing signal of the foot to the control main board (16), and an output end of the control main board (16) being electrically connected to the miniature air extractor (13) via the magnetic levitation power switch (14).

A ventilated shoe, including a sole and an upper assembly associated therewith in an upward region, the upper assembly including: an external upper, with which an inner lining is associated which is constituted at least partly by a first element that defines at least one interspace that separates the foot of the user from the external upper and includes preferential passages for sweat that moves away from the foot of the user toward the upper external edge of the shoe; and a breathable insole, joined perimetrically at least to the inner lining.

Describes are support elements for a sole of a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, a sole and a shoe with such a support element, as well as a method for the manufacture of a support element. As examples, the support element includes a first partial member formed of a first material, and a second partial member formed of a second material. The first partial member is mechanically joined to the second partial member in a connection region, wherein the connection region is configured to allow the first partial member to rotate or slide relative to the second partial member. The first partial member, the second partial member, and the connection region can be co-molded and joined together in a single fabricating step.

A ventilation apparatus including a pump, a switching unit, and a fluid diffuser is provided. The pump attached to the footwear pumps fluid into and exhausts fluid from a cavity of the footwear. The switching unit in communication with the pump selectively changes modes of operation of the pump. The fluid diffuser connected to the pump within the cavity of the footwear includes a feed pipe for transferring the fluid pumped from the pump to the cavity of the footwear during a pump mode of operation and to transfer the fluid in the cavity of the footwear to an ambient environment external to the footwear during an exhaust mode of operation, for ventilating the footwear. In one or more embodiments, the fluid diffuser includes a diffusing member with one or more openings and/or a fluid distribution channel member for transferring the fluid to and from the cavity of the footwear.

A footwear having a housing seat for a foot and an active control system for actively controlling temperature and humidity inside the housing seat is provided. The active control system has an electronic control unit, a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor operatively connected to the electronic control unit for supplying the electronic control unit with a first electrical signal bearing information correlated to the temperature inside the housing seat and a second electrical signal bearing information correlated to the humidity inside the housing seat, respectively. The active control system has at least one temperature control element operatively connected to the electronic control unit and controllable for varying the temperature inside the housing seat, and at least one humidity control element that is operatively connected to the electronic control unit, controllable for varying the humidity inside the housing seat, and configured to vary the humidity by electrolysis.