A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

Footwear for covering a foot of a wearer includes an outsole configured for supporting the foot of the wearer, an upper secured to the outsole and configured for covering the foot of the wearer, an insole located above the outsole within the upper, and first and second laterally adjacent shanks located above the outsole and below the insole. The first and second shanks angle outward from near a lateral center of the heel portion of the outsole toward lateral and medial sides of the middle portion of the outsole so that front ends of the first and second shanks are located at a position to be under outer balls of the wearer's foot to provide balance and torsional stability for sides of the wearer's foot.

A footwear article is formed according to a process that includes the steps of: forming a sheet including a rubber outsole material; forming an outsole component by passing the sheet through an extruder or calendar machine; applying a vulcanizing accelerant to the outsole component by dipping the outsole component in a liquid bath; forming a plurality of rubber outsoles from the outsole component by cutting the outsole component into the plurality of rubber outsoles; incorporating each of the plurality of rubber outsoles into the footwear article; and vulcanizing the footwear article. The vulcanizing accelerant includes a dithiocarbamate compound. The footwear article includes the rubber outsole, an insole and an upper. The vulcanizing accelerant allows the step of vulcanizing the footwear article to be performed substantially faster as compared to conventional footwear vulcanization methods.

A footwear article is formed according to a process that includes the steps of: forming a sheet including a rubber outsole material; forming an outsole component by passing the sheet through an extruder or calendar machine; applying a vulcanizing accelerant to the outsole component by dipping the outsole component in a liquid bath; forming a plurality of rubber outsoles from the outsole component by cutting the outsole component into the plurality of rubber outsoles; incorporating each of the plurality of rubber outsoles into the footwear article; and vulcanizing the footwear article. The vulcanizing accelerant includes a dithiocarbamate compound. The footwear article includes the rubber outsole, an insole and an upper. The vulcanizing accelerant allows the step of vulcanizing the footwear article to be performed substantially faster as compared to conventional footwear vulcanization methods.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

A variety of devices for protecting a user's foot from injury are disclosed. In one instance, the device is an external metatarsal protection device for a shoe or boot, having a sole with a first surface for supporting a wearer's foot and a second surface for contacting a ground area, an upper affixed to the sole, and an integral toe cap. An interior surface of the upper and the first surface of the sole define a receptacle for receiving the wearer's foot. The external protection device is incorporated along an exterior surface of the upper and is positioned to protect at least a metatarsal region of the wearer's foot. In an instance, the external protection device has injection-molded first and second layers of material, with the cushioning elements formed on a surface of the first layer and a plurality of grooves defined on a surface of the second layer.