Bodywear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user and attachable to footwear of the human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. In another aspect, footwear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. Such bodywear apparatus and footwear apparatus are configured to reduce the effort a user must exert and improve the user's performance during walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other activities. In an aspect, bodywear apparatus further includes a supplemental power device configured to further augment the user's abilities by activating during portions of the user's gait cycle.

Bodywear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user and attachable to footwear of the human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. In another aspect, footwear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. Such bodywear apparatus and footwear apparatus are configured to reduce the effort a user must exert and improve the user's performance during walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other activities. In an aspect, bodywear apparatus further comprises a supplemental power device configured to further augment the user's abilities by activating during portions of the user's gait cycle.

The invention provides an entirely new form of protective gear to protect baseball/softball player's feet, while batting. This foot guard slides over and wraps around the entire shoe, like a sleeve, creating the feeling that it is one with the shoe. The foot guard sleeve is comprised of a thin layer of Kevlar, or other aramid material, fastened to a thin layer of neoprene, all sewn into and enveloped by a negligibly thin outer mesh/spandex sleeve, and altogether measuring to in thickness. These thin, flexible, malleable, and lightweight materials allow for the full mobility and flexion of the player's foot, greatly reducing any hindrance caused by the gear, while still providing ample protection against serious injury caused by accidental/incidental impact resulting from foul balls hit directly from the bat to the foot. Two distinct versions would be available for spikes/cleats and tennis shoes, respectively.

The invention provides an entirely new form of protective gear to protect baseball/softball player's feet, while batting. This foot guard slides over and wraps around the entire shoe, like a sleeve, creating the feeling that it is one with the shoe. The foot guard sleeve is comprised of a thin layer of Kevlar, or other aramid material, fastened to a thin layer of neoprene, all sewn into and enveloped by a negligibly thin outer mesh/spandex sleeve, and altogether measuring to in thickness. These thin, flexible, malleable, and lightweight materials allow for the full mobility and flexion of the player's foot, greatly reducing any hindrance caused by the gear, while still providing ample protection against serious injury caused by accidental/incidental impact resulting from foul balls hit directly from the bat to the foot. Two distinct versions would be available for spikes/cleats and tennis shoes, respectively.

Bodywear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user and attachable to footwear of the human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. In another aspect, footwear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. Such bodywear apparatus and footwear apparatus are configured to reduce the effort a user must exert and improve the user's performance during walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other activities. In an aspect, bodywear apparatus further comprises a supplemental power device configured to further augment the user's abilities by activating during portions of the user's gait cycle.

Bodywear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user and attachable to footwear of the human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. In another aspect, footwear apparatus configured to be worn by a human user in order to augment the abilities of the lower limbs of the user is disclosed. Such bodywear apparatus and footwear apparatus are configured to reduce the effort a user must exert and improve the user's performance during walking, running, hiking, marching, and various other gaits as well as jumping, hopping, and other activities. In an aspect, bodywear apparatus further comprises a supplemental power device configured to further augment the user's abilities by activating during portions of the user's gait cycle.

An article of footwear has an auxetic sole structure formed from members surrounding apertures. The members may have a trapezoidal geometry. Adjoining members are hingedly connected, so that they can rotate with respect to each other in the plane of the sole structure. The rotation allows the auxetic sole structure to expand when tension is applied.

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. The articles of footwear have sole components that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of geometrical patterns. The geometrical patterns have hinged portions that rotate with respect to each other when the sole is under lateral or longitudinal tension, thus increasing the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of the sole. The sole component may include a pattern of recesses with varying depths, sizes, and shapes disposed along the inner surface as well as the outer surface of the sole component.