A binding apparatus for a snowboard is provided including a base plate having a pivot portion, an elongate arm member, and a cuff member for receiving a portion of a rider's boot or leg. The base plate may be affixed to the snowboard such that a boot may be coupled to a footbed thereof at an angle relative to the lateral axis of the snowboard. The elongate arm member is pivotably coupled to the pivot portion of the base plate at a first end portion thereof, and the cuff member is coupled to the elongate arm member. The elongate arm member is configured to pivotably rotate about an axis of rotation of the pivot portion such that the elongate arm member and cuff member coupled thereto are capable of moving fore and aft of a lateral axis of a snowboard.

A system, method, and apparatus for replicating the experience of snow skiing on dry land using a roller land ski with an ability to move and stop consistent with mechanics of an actual snow ski. Each land ski includes a rigid platform with a binding for engagement with a specialized boot, a pair of biased omnidirectional casters supporting said rigid platform, but mounted to a top surface of said platform, and a pair of trucks with a plurality of wheels along its curved axles. A pair of specialized boots constructed out of flexible lightweight material with a stiff support structure to fortify a user's foot and ankle from the forces created by the land ski are included in this system. The method includes calibration and selection of materials for both the board and boot in order to achieve the desired experience.

A method for waterproofing footwear (2), the footwear (2) including an upper assembly (4) having an outer construction (6) and a sole (8), includes providing a waterproof, breathable bootie (10) having a waterproof, breathable laminate construction, the waterproof, breathable laminate construction comprising a functional layer (54) and at least one textile layer (56, 58); inserting the waterproof, breathable bootie (10) into an inner space (12) of the outer construction (6) and the sole (8), when the outer construction (6) and the sole (8) are in an assembled state; and fixing the waterproof, breathable bootie (10) in position in the inner space (12) of the outer construction (6) and the sole (8).

Coupling assembly between a footwear and a sport equipment comprising at least one housing on the footwear near the sole suitable for receiving a first metallic element, a binding, on the sport equipment, provided with a seat for the insertion of the footwear, the binding being equipped with at least a second metallic element positioned in the seat, the first or the second metal element being an electromagnet, which when activated is magnetically bound to the other element.

A single-pull tightened snowshoe binding is provided, the binding comprising: a sole plate configured to be hingedly interconnected to a snowshoe; a toe cap interconnected with the sole plate with a first anterior strap and a second anterior strap, wherein the anterior straps are configured to wrap around the lateral aspects of a toe box of a shoe inserted within the snowshoe binding, and wherein the toe cap is configured to interface with a top aspect of the shoe; a first lateral strap extending outward from the sole plate, wherein the first lateral strap is configured to wrap upward along a lateral aspect of the shoe and extend toward a posterior aspect of the shoe; a second lateral strap extending outward from the sole plate, wherein the second lateral strap is configured to wrap upward along a lateral aspect of a shoe and extend toward the posterior aspect of the snowshoe binding; a first tightening strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first tightening strap interconnected to a posterior aspect of the toe cap, the first tightening strap slideably interconnected with the distal end of the first lateral strap, wherein the second end of the first tightening strap is configured to span around the posterior aspect of the shoe; a second tightening strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second tightening strap interconnected to a posterior aspect of the toe cap, the second tightening strap slideably interconnected with the distal end of the second lateral strap, wherein the second end of the second tightening strap is configured to span around the posterior aspect of the shoe; the second ends of the first and second tightening straps interconnected by a strap tightening mechanism; wherein tightening of the first and second tightening straps simultaneously retracts the toe cap toward the sole plate, retracts the first and second lateral straps upward along a lateral aspect of a shoe inserted in the binding, and biases the shoe toward the toe cap.

A combination of a ski boot and a strap where the strap extends from an attachment point on the lateral side of a hard outer shell of the boot and in use is tightened to hold the inner boot liner in relatively fixed proximity to the lateral side of the outer boot shell during skiing. The strap can extend around the inner boot liner, or be at least partially incorporated as a part of the inner boot liner. In either case, the strap is adjustable between the tightened position, and an open position.

A combination of a ski boot and a strap where the strap extends from an attachment point on the lateral side of a hard outer shell of the boot and in use is tightened to hold the inner boot liner in relatively fixed proximity to the lateral side of the outer boot shell during skiing. The strap can extend around the inner boot liner, or be at least partially incorporated as a part of the inner boot liner. In either case, the strap is adjustable between the tightened position, and an open position.

Some aspects include a ski binding system using controllable electromagnets, alone or in combination with permanent magnets, as means of attaching or releasing a ski boot to a ski during use. Some aspects include a ski binding system using a controllable solenoid. In some aspects, microprocessor-based control releases binding electronically based on input from sensors located in binding, ski and/or boot, as well as in other equipment or clothing connected to them or to skier, or binding releases when a mechanical threshold is overcome. In some aspects, sensor data are recorded for analysis of system performance and for adjustment and improvement of system parameters based on data analytics.

A ski boot composed of a lower part or foot portion and an upper part or leg portion, suitable to enclose the lower part of the skier's leg, wherein the leg portion is hinged to the foot portion so as to rotate with respect to the foot portion around hinges defining a rotation axis. The leg portion comprises a closing lever suitable to block and/or unblock selectively the rotation of the leg portion with respect to the foot portion, and operatively connected to a base and an arm engageable in abutment against a pin fixed to the foot portion. The closing lever in the open configuration mutually moves the base and the arm away from each other forcing the latter against the pin to prevent a rotation of the leg portion backwards. The boot comprises traction means which operatively connect the base, the arm, and a fastening on the foot portion, the arm being placed between the base and the fastening. Said traction means comprise a cable at least partially extensible.

Some aspects include a ski binding system using controllable electromagnets, alone or in combination with permanent magnets, as means of attaching or releasing a ski boot to a ski during use. Some aspects include a ski binding system using a controllable solenoid. In some aspects, microprocessor-based control releases binding electronically based on input from sensors located in binding, ski and/or boot, as well as in other equipment or clothing connected to them or to skier, or binding releases when a mechanical threshold is overcome. In some aspects, sensor data are recorded for analysis of system performance and for adjustment and improvement of system parameters based on data analytics.