A foot presence sensor system for an active article of footwear can include a sensor housing configured to be disposed at or in an insole of the article, and a controller circuit, disposed within the sensor housing, configured to trigger one or more automated functions of the footwear based on a foot presence indication. In an example, the sensor system includes a capacitive sensor configured to sense changes in a capacitance signal in response to proximity of a body. A dielectric member can be provided between the capacitive sensor and the body to enhance an output signal from the sensor.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an opening for receiving a foot of a wearer and a sole structure affixed to an under side of the upper. The upper has a throat opening provided between a medial side of the upper and a lateral side, and further includes a forward portion for receiving a forefoot of the foot, a rearward portion for receiving a heel of the foot, and an intermediate portion between the forward portion and the rearward portion. The intermediate portion comprises a reactive material extending between the sole structure and the throat opening on both the medial side and on the lateral side of the upper. The reactive material has a negative Poisson's ratio and is bounded on either side by materials that have a positive Poisson's ratio.

An article of footwear includes an upper having a body with a first side and a second side, and a closure system for the upper. The closure system includes a first anchoring cable loop fixed at the first side, a flap, a flap cable loop, and a lace. The flap is fixed to the second side and extends across the body to a free end at the first side. The flap has an aperture extending through the flap. A flap cable loop extends from the free end. The flap cable loop is configured to extend from the free end through the first anchoring cable loop, and from the first anchoring cable loop back to the flap and through the aperture in the flap from an inner side to an outer side of the flap. A lace extends through the looped end of the flap cable at the outer side.

An article of footwear can include a tensioning system with a multilayered upper and a relatively narrow strobel. One layer of the upper can be attached to an outer periphery of the strobel. Another layer of the upper can be attached to a portion of the sole structure. In addition, a lacing region can be formed by folding a laminated structure including the second layer. A third layer of the upper can provide a bootie within the article of footwear configured to receive a foot.

An article of footwear can include a tensioning system with a multilayered upper and a relatively narrow strobel. One layer of the upper can be attached to an outer periphery of the strobel. Another layer of the upper can be attached to a portion of the sole structure. In addition, a lacing region can be formed by folding a laminated structure including the second layer. A third layer of the upper can provide a bootie within the article of footwear configured to receive a foot.

A tensioning system for articles of footwear and articles of apparel is disclosed. The tensioning system includes a tensioning member that is tightened or loosened using a motorized tensioning device for winding and unwinding the tensioning member on a spool. The motorized tensioning device includes a torque transmitting system that allows for incremental tightening incremental loosening and full loosening of the tensioning member.

A quick tightening system for a shoe comprises at least two shoelace segments, a pull-tab having a first side of a hook-and-loop fastener on a bottom surface of the pull-tab, and a second side of the hook-and-loop fastener. The at least two shoelace segments each includes an aglet at a distal end of the shoelace segment, each of the at least two shoelace segments coupled to the first side of the shoe at a proximal end of the shoelace segment and extending through the eyelets on the first side of the shoe. The pull-tab includes aglet channels. The aglet channels each is sized to removably receive at least a portion of one of the aglets into one of the aglet channel while each of the at least two shoelace segments extends from the aglet channels into the eyelets on the first side of the shoe. The second side of the hook-and-loop fastener is disposed on an outer surface of the second side of the shoe.

A lace routing pattern for a lacing system for an article of footwear is described. The lacing system is moved between opened and closed positions by applying tension to segments of a lace connected to a tensioning assembly of a tensioning system. Each of the lace segments are arranged to extend between opposite sides of a lacing area according to a different lace routing pattern. The lace routing patterns have equal total closure distances for each of the lace segments so that tension applied by the tensioning system will be uniformly distributed through the lacing system and the article of footwear.

The inventive subject matter shown and described is directed to an item of footwear with a tensioning system, comprising: a shell for enclosing a foot and at least a portion of a lower leg; a pair of opposing edges generally aligned along the top of foot portion of the shell and/or a front lower leg portion, the edges generally aligning with a longitudinal axis of the foot and/or lower leg, the opposing edges defining opposite sides of the shell.

Provided are, among other things, shoes having elastic tongue-securing straps. In one representative embodiment, a shoe includes: (a) a sole; (b) an upper, extending above the sole, that includes a front section, a left side, a right side, a rear section, and a tongue that originates from the front section and extends rearwardly between the left side and the right side; (c) a left elastic strap that extends from a left side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the left side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the left side of the upper; and (d) a right elastic strap that extends from a right side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the right side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the right side of the upper, with the left elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the left side of the tongue and the right elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the right side of the tongue.