A shoe including: an upper configured to receive therein a foot of a wearer, the upper comprising a closure and a tongue configured to cover a top portion of the foot; at least one wire lace coupled to opposing edges of the closure and configured to pull the opposing edges of the closure closer together to tighten the closure around the foot, and configured to release and allow the opposing edges to move away from each other to loosen the closure around the foot; and at least one support wire coupled to the at least one wire lace, wherein the at least one support wire wraps around a lateral, bottom and medial side of the upper such that when the at least one wire lace tightens the closure around the foot, the at least one support wire tightens around the lateral, bottom and medial sides of the upper.

The disclosure relates to articles of footwear (100) and components thereof, including outsoles (112), which can be used in conditions normally conducive to the accumulation of soil on the outsoles (112). In particular, the disclosure relates to articles of footwear (100) and components thereof including an outsole (112) with a material (116) including a polymeric network formed of a plurality of polymer chains, where the material (116) defines external ground-facing surface or side of the outsole (112). The outsoles (112) can prevent or reduce the accumulation of soil on the footwear (100) during wear on unpaved surfaces such as sporting fields.

An article of footwear (100), apparel (500, 600), and/or sporting equipment (300, 400), and methods of manufacturing thereof, having a hydrogel present on at least a portion of an externally-facing side of the article. The hydrogel is effective in reducing soil accumulation on the article, and/or for reducing soil adhesion to the article.

Articles of footwear with localized traction regions. An article of footwear includes an upper with a shell and a sole assembly coupled to the upper. The sole assembly includes an outsole with a traction surface and a heel region from which a heel projects. The sole assembly and the upper collectively define a foot compartment. The traction surface includes a plurality of distinct localized traction regions, each of which has a traction coefficient that is different than that of at least one other localized traction region. The traction surface further defines and/or includes a stirrup glide surface. The stirrup glide surface is configured to permit the article of footwear to be selectively inserted into and removed from a stirrup of a saddle by sliding along a tread surface of the stirrup without obstruction by the stirrup.

A shoe system includes a sole and a shoe upper connected with the sole. A gap is disposed between a first upper portion and a second upper portion. The shoe system also includes a first permanent connector permanently connected to the first upper portion; a second permanent connector permanently connected to the second upper portion, and a removable and printable connector strap connectable with the shoe upper. First and second releasable connector portions of the removable and printable connector strap are releasably connectable with the first and second permanent connectors, respectively.

Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim at least partially defining an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component and an open space at least at a forefoot support area, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an upper-facing surface and an opposite ground-facing surface; and (b) a forefoot edge support extending along and defining at least a portion of a first forefoot edge of the ground-engaging component. A bottom surface of the forefoot edge support (which may engage the ground) slants in an outward and downward direction from a location adjacent the open space toward the first forefoot edge. In some shoe pairs, the forefoot edge supports may be provided on a lateral forefoot side edge of one shoe, e.g., the right shoe, and on a medial forefoot side edge of the other shoe, e.g., the left shoe. The ground-engaging component(s) further may have “directional traction” features designed to support plant and rotation of the different feet when running a curve (e.g., on a curved or banked track).

A running shoe includes an upper coupled to a sole structure. The sole structure includes a midsole and an outsole. The outsole wraps around a sole structure such that it contacts the midsole. The outer surface of the outsole includes a series of treads or traction elements extending along the bottom and sides of the outsole. With this configuration, when the sole structure contacts an uneven topography, the outsole conforms around the topography, stabilizing the footwear during use.

A track and field shoe can include an upper and a sole structure. The upper includes a medial side portion, a lateral side portion, and a toe box portion. The sole structure is attached to the upper and includes a spike plate. The spike plate has an anterior portion, a posterior portion, a plurality of spikes, and a plurality of rails. The spikes extend in an inferior direction from the anterior portion of the spike plate and are configured for engaging a track surface. The rails extend in a superior direction from the anterior portion of the spike plate and extend over an exterior surface of the toe box portion of the upper, and the rails comprise longitudinal axes that extend in a superior/inferior direction.

A footwear construction including a support cage that wraps an upper to provide an adaptive fit to accommodate a variety of foot shapes and to adapt to changes in foot shape during a gait cycle, while providing exceptional stability and support. The footwear can include an upper, a support cage and a sole assembly. The upper can be joined with the sole assembly and can include an exterior. The sole assembly can define a recess extending across a width of the sole assembly from a medial side to a lateral side. The support cage can be constructed from a semi-rigid but flexible polymeric material, disposed over the exterior of the upper and free floating relative to the exterior of the upper. The support cage can include a sole bridge that extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the footwear, through the recess defined by the sole assembly.

A method of forming a sole structure for an article of footwear. The method includes providing a midsole element formed of a first polymeric material. The method also includes depositing an outsole material including an uncured second polymeric material upon an exterior surface of the midsole element and molding the midsole element and the outsole material to impart an outsole profile to the outsole material and curing the outsole material on the exterior surface of the midsole element.