A shoe including: an upper, wherein an upper edge of a topline is defined by a medial line and a lateral line; and a counter, wherein an upper edge is defined, at a position downward of the upper edge of the topline, by first counter line on a medial side and a second counter line, which protrude downward, wherein: a medial height difference is defined by a difference in a height direction between a first point at a lowermost point on the medial line and a second point at a lowermost point on the first counter line; a lateral height difference is defined by a difference in the height direction between a third point at a lowermost point on the lateral line and a fourth point at a lowermost point on the second counter line; and the lateral height difference is greater than the medial height difference.

A shoe including: an upper, wherein an upper edge of a topline is defined by a medial line and a lateral line; and a counter, wherein an upper edge is defined, at a position downward of the upper edge of the topline, by first counter line on a medial side and a second counter line, which protrude downward, wherein: a medial height difference is defined by a difference in a height direction between a first point at a lowermost point on the medial line and a second point at a lowermost point on the first counter line; a lateral height difference is defined by a difference in the height direction between a third point at a lowermost point on the lateral line and a fourth point at a lowermost point on the second counter line; and the lateral height difference is greater than the medial height difference.

A bimodal heel counter apt for a rapid entry and release footwear devices, that includes a flexible hollow hemisphere portion, a heel tab, a secondary heel tab, a back sole base, an anchor system, and dependent fastening elements. The bimodal heel counter and dependent fastening systems are biased to one of two stable positions, which elastically morphs by stored potential energy with applied force from one position to the other, configured to collectively snap a footwear device between an open and closed position, for donning and doffing, or securing the foot as to enable active footwear use.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear comprises a control bar having a center segment, a first side arm extending from the center segment, and a second side arm spaced from the first side arm and extending from the center segment. The control bar may include a series of slats. A base supports the control bar and is connected to the first side arm and the second side arm. The control bar is biased to an unstressed position with the center segment a first distance from the base, and elastically bends under an applied force to a loaded position with the center segment a second distance from the base less than the first distance. The device stores potential energy that returns the control bar to the unloaded position upon removal of the applied load.

An article of footwear with a medial contact portion disposed on the medial side of the article is described. The medial contact portion includes a plurality of raised elements that extend outwards from the surface of the upper on the medial side. The raised elements are configured to contact a ball during passing or trapping to absorb and dampen forces associated with the impact of the ball with the article to provide cushioning. The sizing and spacing arrangement of the raised elements on the medial contact portion provide sufficient surface area to allow a portion of the surface of the upper to contact a ball. In one embodiment, the upper is made from a synthetic leather material that has substantially the same coefficient of friction under dry conditions and wet conditions.

A rapid-entry shoe having an upper, a sole portion, and at least one pocket coupled to a rear portion of the upper and encapsulating a compressed medium that biases a topline of the shoe toward an uncollapsed configuration.

A rapid-entry shoe having an upper, a sole portion, and at least one pocket coupled to a rear portion of the upper and encapsulating a compressed medium that biases a topline of the shoe toward an uncollapsed configuration.

A method is provided for making a microcellular shoe stiffener has first and second adhesive layers coextruded on opposite first and second surfaces of a stiffener core. The stiffener core may include a recycled polymeric material. Nitrogen in a supercritical fluid state is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener without significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.

An item of footwear comprises an upper adapted to receive a foot of the wearer and having a front-end portion. An outsole forms a bottom surface of the item of footwear, the outsole being single-piece monolithic and having a concave outsole shell receiving in its outsole concavity at least part of the front-end portion. A midsole being single-piece monolithic may be in direct-attach connection between the upper and the outsole, the midsole having a concave midsole shell between the concave outsole shell and the front-end portion, the concave midsole shell receiving in its midsole concavity at least part of the front-end portion. A shock-absorbing pad may be between the concave shell and the front-end portion of the upper, the shock-absorbing pad being made of a material attenuating an impact force by at least 60% in a flat surface impact test, single drop of a 8.5 kg mass, at 1.0 m/s velocity.