A footwear article having a cartridge enclosing a fluid, the cartridge including a cartridge inlet and a cartridge outlet, and a fluid circulation system for circulating the fluid into the cartridge inlet and out of the cartridge outlet. The fluid circulation system may include a pump having a pump inlet in fluid communication with the cartridge outlet and a pump outlet in fluid communication with the cartridge inlet. Preferably, the cartridge further encloses particulate matter suspendable in the fluid. The pump may be a bellows pump. The cartridge is preferably interchangeable and can be attached and detached from the footwear article.

An article of footwear has an upper and a compressible structure secured to the upper. The compressible structure can include one or more materials with physical properties that singly or in vertical aggregate, generally conform to those of a spring, following Hooke's Law, F=kx, whereby the ratio of k/k.sub.ideal approaches a value of 1.0, wherein the ideal k value is defined as k.sub.ideal=F.sub.impulsex.sub.s-max, for a compressible structure region located adjacent to the corresponding region of the foot that generates the force impulse.

Process for obtaining ecological footwear using recycled or waste organic materials for the production thereof, particularly materials such as sargassum, coffee waste, and agave bagasse and using solvent-free water-based adhesives, therefore friendly to atmosphere. The process includes assembling the footwear with woven fabrics and non-woven polyester fabrics obtained from fibers that are produced with bottle flakes and postindustrial recycled material of the same polymer, in addition to including the thread and laces made with filaments obtained from the same recycled nature, and incorporating the sole and details with a percentage of recycled polyester plastic bottles, sargassum, coffee waste, and pulverized agave gabazo used as an inert load, so the footwear presented has a recycled polyester content, Sargassum, coffee residues and agave gabazo between 5 and 90% in weigh.

Footwear includes memory foam in at least a non-load bearing portion of the footwear to provide three-dimensional contouring to a foot. The footwear includes a top portion, a bottom portion, a pair of sides connecting the top portion with the bottom portion, and an opening formed between the top portion and the pair of sides to receive a foot. At least one of the top portion and the pair of sides includes memory foam providing three-dimensional contouring.

The extendible shoe is a footwear item. The extendible shoe has an adjustable length. The span of the length of the extendible shoe in the anterior-posterior direction adjusts such that the length of the extendible shoe is adjustable. The extendible show comprises an extendible sole and an extendible upper. The extendible upper attaches to the extendible sole. The extendible sole extends in the anterior-posterior direction. The extendible upper extends in the anterior-posterior direction.

A slip resistant overshoe allowing expansion between a toe section and a heel section to allow a variety of shoe sizes and types to be inserted. The overshoe is formed from a sole having a flexible shank connected to an upper member. The upper member includes a front section and a rear section with opposing side sections therebetween. Each of the opposing side sections and flexible shank includes a corrugated shape to allow expansion of a distance between the front and rear section; a flatter surface resulting in greater slip resistance. Channels formed along a toe section and heel section expand and contract to expel debris providing an anti-clog function to maintain material slip resistance of the overshoe.

Footwear includes memory foam in at least a non-load bearing portion of the footwear to provide three-dimensional contouring to a foot. The footwear includes a top portion, a bottom portion, a pair of sides connecting the top portion with the bottom portion, and an opening formed between the top portion and the pair of sides to receive a foot. At least one of the top portion and the pair of sides includes memory foam providing three-dimensional contouring.

A shoe including a sole and an upper. The upper is coupled to the sole. The upper includes an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer layer has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface of the outer layer is in direct contact with the inner layer. The outer layer is a hot melt thermoplastic material, and the inner layer is a material different from that of the outer layer. At least a portion of the outer layer is adhered to the inner layer, and the inner layer including a portion not covered by the outer layer.

In one possible embodiment, the inventive subject matter is directed to a foot covering, comprising: a thin, flexible compartment for receiving a foot. The compartment has a forefoot section, a midfoot section, and a rearfoot section of selected rigidity. The compartment has a top surface for securing the foot and a ground-facing surface having a sole divided into at least two portions comprising (1) a forefoot portion and midfoot portion and/or (2) a midfoot portion and a rearfoot portion. At least one sole portion comprises a midfoot portion disposed between a forefoot portion and/or a rearfoot portion. In the foot covering, each pair of sole portions is divided along a flexural line running generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the foot. The sole portions and flexural line(s), in combination with the flexible compartment, have a material construction and are arranged so as to facilitate the close conforming of the foot covering to the foot of an intended user through plantar flexion to dorsiflexion.

A shoe for simulating exercising on natural granular material. The shoe includes a shoe upper, a shoe outsole and a flexible midsole guard element that forms a chamber between the shoe upper and the outsole. The shoe further includes at least one bladder located in the chamber and that is attached to the shoe upper. The bladder includes synthetic granular material having a simulation distribution of synthetic granular material for simulating exercising on natural granular material. The bladder is compressed by the shoe upper during exercise to displace the synthetic granular material wherein the bladder is subsequently expanded by upward movement of the shoe upper during exercise to redistribute the synthetic granular material and again form a simulation distribution of synthetic granular material.