A rapid-entry and rebounding fit shoe having one or both of a rapid-entry heel element and a rapid-entry tongue element and both snap back for fit. The rapid-entry shoe directs a user's foot into or otherwise accommodates a user's foot with respect to, a shoe opening, and thereafter secures a rear portion of rapid-entry shoe about a user's heel as well as forefoot.

An article of footwear includes an upper, a sole attached to the upper, and an impact absorber attached to the upper at least along a midfoot region of the upper and capable of absorbing a portion of a lateral impact when the impact absorber is moved into contact with a top surface of the sole. The impact absorber is be integrally formed with the sole and has a width that varies along a length of the impact absorber. The width of the impact absorber decreases in a forefoot region and a heel region. The upper rolls to contact the top surface of the sole upon lateral impact. The sole and the upper may be attached asymmetrically.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole. The upper includes an attachment region and a bottom portion that is bounded by the attachment region. The sole defines a concave inner surface. The concave inner surface includes a peripheral surface region and a central surface region. The attachment region of the upper is attached to the peripheral surface region of the sole. The bottom portion is held in tension over the central surface region.

A wearable article such as an article of athletic gear (e.g., a skate, an article of protective athletic equipment such as a helmet, etc.) wearable by a user and comprising an expandable user-engaging structure that is configured to be expanded (e.g., by heat or another stimulus) after manufacturing of the wearable article to conform it to the user or otherwise improve a fit of the wearable article on the user.

The present invention teaches a method of making a custom article of footwear. Further, the article of footwear can include a knitted upper and means for cushioning. In addition, the components of the article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.

An improved article of footwear is disclosed herein. The upper of the footwear is disposed on the sole, where the upper is constructed from an inner textile layer, an outer textile layer, and a plurality of compressible segments disposed between the inner and outer textile layers. The upper may further contain numerous portions, or zones. Each zone may differ from the other zones of the upper by the number, shape, size, layout, and material of each compressible segment in that zone. The number, shape, size, layout, and material of the compressible segments in each zone gives each zone a specific degree of flexibility, support, and comfort.

A method of forming a traced element is disclosed. The method may include printing layers of a traced element and incorporating a textile strand in overlapping polymer layers of the traced element. In some embodiments, the traced element may be formed on a base layer. The traced element may be incorporated into an upper for an article of footwear.

Provided is a self-fitting and automatically adjustable footwear wherein the shoe upper and/or shoe tongue have or are attached to a shape memory material (‘SMM”). Upon stimulation, the SMM deforms and brings the footwear to self-assemble about a foot, which further brings two clasp members close to each other and facilitates the clasp thereof to form a self-assembled and closed footwear. The clasp members may be integrated with straps or shoelaces, and optionally SMM. The footwear may include a motor, a control unit, and sensors which enable a motor-actuated fine tensioning of the footwear. A push button to enable manual opening of the footwear may be affixed on the footwear or removably attached to multiple surfaces/locations. The entire assembly generates data transmittable to health care providers and other data trackers. The footwear may include a battery, which may be charged by placing the footwear on a charge dock station.

Provided herein is a riding boot having a shaft and an incorporated shin guard on an anterior side within a lining of the shaft, wherein the shin guard protects a user's shin when the boot is worn, and wherein the shin guard wraps around at least a portion of a left side and at least a portion of a right side of the user's shin.

An upper including: a plurality of panels provided in a medial side portion and/or a lateral side portion, the panels being separated from one another in a longitudinal direction of a foot, covering at least a portion of the side surface of the foot, and being pulled by a fastening member toward a center portion between the medial side and the lateral side of the foot; and a plurality of string-like non-stretchable string portions that are extending in the longitudinal direction, the string portions placed between a pair of the plurality of panels that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction.