A device for assisting with tightening footwear laces includes a frame configured to at least partially surround a portion of the footwear. The footwear has laces and sidewalls. The device also includes at least two compression pads coupled to the frame. The compression pads are positioned so as to contact a respective sidewall of the footwear. The compression pads have a distance between them that is adjustable so as to cause the compression pads to press the sidewalls of the footwear inwardly.

A shoe fastening system designed to engage the eyelet holes of a shoe, comprising, an anchor, wherein the anchor has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end has means to detachably engage with an eyelet of a shoe and the second end has a connection means, an attachment member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is designed to securely fit within the connection means of the anchor and the second has a closed loop, a strap, wherein the strap is sized to fit through the closed loop of the attachment member and is a predetermined length and width, and a locking mechanism fitted to receive the strap and engage the strap to keep the strap at a specific length.

The invention relates to a closure buckle for closing a ski boot, which buckle comprises a main lever (2) hinged to a base (1) and having a longitudinal notch (20) in which a tie rod (3) is mounted that is connected to a fastener hook and that has an end carrying an auxiliary lever (4), said buckle being characterized in that the main lever (2) is provided with a protective plate (21) laterally defining a housing (24) for receiving the auxiliary lever (4), and the invention also relates to a downhill ski boot equipped with such buckles.

Operating device (5) for a sports shoe/boot (1), including: a tightening device (6) intended to tighten the sports shoe/boot around a foot or lower leg of a user; a first lever (14) able to move between a first position and a second position, the first lever being able to actuate the tightening device; and a second lever (15) distinct from the first lever (14), the second lever (15) being able to move between a first position and a second position, the second lever being intended to actuate at least one accessory (10) of the sports shoe/boot, the first lever and the second lever being configured to rest one upon the other.

Adjustable and/or dual-suspension boot levers for hardshell boots, having upper parts and lower parts that rotate relative to one another, are disclosed. Adjustable boot levers disclosed herein are adjustable along a continuum or at one of a plurality of preset positions on a lever to provide a forward-lean angle customizable to a user's preferences. Dual-suspension boot levers provide fore-aft dampening and are also customizable by selection of appropriate elastic materials and properties for use in the forward-lean and backward-lean suspension devices. In some embodiments, adjustability and dual-suspension are combined in a boot lever design.

A cycling shoe has a sole and an upper attached to the sole. An adjustable closure panel extends across an opening in the upper. A lever assembly is exposed at an outer, rear surface of the upper, and is movable about a hinge between a first position and a second position. One or more passages extend through the cycling shoe to accommodate one or more cables to connect the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel. The lever assembly is configured such that moving the lever assembly between the first position and the second position causes the one or more cables, if connected between the lever assembly to the adjustable closure panel, to tighten or loosen the closure panel relative to the upper.

A closure device for a sports footwear s provided. The device facilitates insertion of the user's foot into the footwear and extraction of the same from the footwear. The closure device can switch from a closed position, in which the user's foot is immobilized within the footwear, to an open position in which the user's foot can be inserted into the footwear or extracted therefrom, and the device can be locked in a fixed position both when it is in its closed position and when it is in its open position. In particular, when it is in its open position, the closure device is locked in a position in which it does not hinder the operations of inserting the user's foot into the footwear and of extracting the user's foot from the footwear.

A sports boot having a rigid shell base designed to hold the foot of a user, the shell base including a sole and two lateral sides extending from the sole and defining an upper recess therebetween. The boot includes a mechanism for tightening the shell base around the foot of the user, the tightening mechanism including a filiform element for tightening the sides towards one another, the filiform element being tightened by pivoting a lever of the mechanism. The lever is provided to be pivoted in a notch of a rack designed to cover the two sides of the shell base in the tightened configuration and to bend the sides towards the sole under the pivoting action of the lever. The rack extends across the upper recess E2.

A locking device for sports footwear is adapted to lock two mutually hinged portions of sports footwear or to release them from each other. The locking device may be used in a ski boot for locking or releasing the shell and cuff relative to each other. The locking device comprises a male member and a female member, which members comprise respective engaging elements adapted to cooperate with each other, and actuating elements for moving the members from a configuration in which the male member is disengaged from the female member to a configuration in which the male member is engaged with the female member. The engaging elements of the male member and/or the engaging elements of the female member have a tapered or conical shape, whereby it is possible to make a coupling without clearance between the male member and the female member when the members are engaged.

A ski boot including a rigid foot-case that accommodates a user's foot, a rigid cuff, which is pivotally joined to the foot-case so as to be able to rotate about a reference axis substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the ski boot, and foot-case closing means which are adapted to selectively close/tighten the foot-case against the user's foot. The foot-case closing means includes an oblong, transversal locking band that extends transversally to the midplane of the ski boot and has a first end firmly fixed to a first lateral side of the foot-case, and a manually-operated coupling assembly, which is adapted to connect the second end of the transversal locking band selectively and alternatively to the foot-case or to the cuff, at a second lateral side of the foot-case opposite to said first lateral side.