A closure system for a shoe includes a single shoelace which can be secured and tightened through the use of one hand. The shoe includes a button around which the shoelace is wrapped to facilitate easy removal of the shoe. In one embodiment one end of the shoelace is secured under the upper of the shoe near the toe and a second end of the shoelace is secured in a slider that is slidably mounted on the rear of the shoe to provide micro-adjustments of the tightness of the shoe. Alternatively, the shoe includes a strip of piping around the rear of the shoe and a slider in which the second end of the shoelace is secured slides along the piping when the user wants to make micro-adjustments. The adjustment of the tightness of the shoe can also be made by sliding a barrel that is located over the top of the tongue.

A closure system for a shoe includes a single shoelace which can be secured and tightened through the use of one hand. The shoe includes a button around which the shoelace is wrapped to facilitate easy removal of the shoe. In one embodiment one end of the shoelace is secured under the upper of the shoe near the toe and a second end of the shoelace is secured in a slider that is slidably mounted on the rear of the shoe to provide micro-adjustments of the tightness of the shoe. Alternatively, the shoe includes a strip of piping around the rear of the shoe and a slider in which the second end of the shoelace is secured slides along the piping when the user wants to make micro-adjustments. The adjustment of the tightness of the shoe can also be made by sliding a barrel that is located over the top of the tongue.

An elastic coreless rope belt is a tubular braided rope of no core with stretch elasticity. Wherein the center part of the elastic rope belt along its length keep the same hollow shape, and at the periphery of the rope, it is provided with protruded knot parts of plural middle segment. At the plural middle segment, the diameter of the protruded knot can be changed with the changing of the axial tension. Once the axial tension is relived, the diameter and the shape will return to the origin. Thereby, it is convenient to make position limited buckling and loosening to the object hole.

An elastic coreless rope belt is a tubular braided rope of no core with stretch elasticity. Wherein the center part of the elastic rope belt along its length keep the same hollow shape, and at the periphery of the rope, it is provided with protruded knot parts of plural middle segment. At the plural middle segment, the diameter of the protruded knot can be changed with the changing of the axial tension. Once the axial tension is relived, the diameter and the shape will return to the origin. Thereby, it is convenient to make position limited buckling and loosening to the object hole.

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.

An article of footwear may include a sole structure and an upper secured to the sole structure. The upper can include an inner knit component and an outer shroud formed at least in part of a knitted material. The outer shroud may extend over a throat region formed by the inner knit component and may include a plurality of protrusions extending outward from its outer surface. In some configurations, the upper comprises a single knitted component that forms the lateral side, medial side, and a throat region extending between them, where the throat region may be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the footwear. The inner knit component may include one or more tensile strands forming overlapping loops to receive a fastening element.

An apparatus, system, and method for locking laces are provided. The system includes a lace lock and a shoelace. The shoelace has toggles at respective first and second ends of the shoelace, which toggles are moveable from a first position to a second position. The lace lock has a unitary body that engages the toggles of the shoelaces in the second position to secure both ends of the shoelace in the unitary body in a fixed position between the opposing toggles without any portion of the shoelace hanging out of the unitary body.

An apparatus, system, and method for locking laces are provided. The system includes a lace lock and a shoelace. The shoelace has toggles at respective first and second ends of the shoelace, which toggles are moveable from a first position to a second position. The lace lock has a unitary body that engages the toggles of the shoelaces in the second position to secure both ends of the shoelace in the unitary body in a fixed position between the opposing toggles without any portion of the shoelace hanging out of the unitary body.

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.

Provided in the present disclosure is a magnetic shoe. The magnetic shoe includes an upper structure, a sole structure, and magnetic shock-absorbing structures, each of the magnetic shock-absorbing structures includes a first magnetic element and second magnetic elements, and the first magnetic elements and the second magnetic elements are all disposed in the sole structure; and a magnetic coupling direction of each of the first magnetic elements is a vertical direction, a magnetic coupling direction of each of the second magnetic elements is a first direction, and an acute angle is formed by the first direction and the vertical direction. By providing the magnetic shock-absorbing structures, the foot slides relative to the sole structure or the ankle is sprained can be avoided.