A lace includes recesses, concave portions or cavities, effective for abutting against eyelets or hooks found in skates and effective to lock the laces at a given position when the lace is inserted into the eyelets or hooks.

A lace includes recesses, concave portions or cavities, effective for abutting against eyelets or hooks found in skates and effective to lock the laces at a given position when the lace is inserted into the eyelets or hooks.

Described herein is a flexible but resilient material comprising a soft outside shell and an internal flexible but resilient support core, as well as a method for constructing such a flexible but resilient material that can have multiple applications, including being used to manufacture an improved wearable apparatus to help young children, individuals who are physically challenged, and/or who have a limiting physical disability.

An arrangement in accordance with the invention comprises a cable clamp and at least one cable. The cable clamp has at least two openings arranged next to one another through which the at least one cable on in each case one cable is guided with the formation of two cable portions passing through the openings. The openings each have a clamping slot in a mutually facing opening region, and the two cable portions are held directly outside adjacent to the openings by a loop of the at least one cable or of further cable by which loop the two cable portions are forceable into the clamping slot.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper coupled with the sole structure. The upper has a first side portion, a second side portion separated from the first side portion by a throat opening, and a closure for selectively coupling the first side portion to the second side portion. The closure includes a closure panel and a plurality of laces each extending between a respective first end and a respective second end. The first end of each of the plurality of laces is directly secured to the first side portion of the upper and the second end of each of the plurality of laces is directly secured to the unitary closure panel. A selective and reusable fastener is further provided to couple the closure panel to the second side panel of the upper.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper coupled with the sole structure. The upper has a first side portion, a second side portion separated from the first side portion by a throat opening, and a closure for selectively coupling the first side portion to the second side portion. The closure includes a closure panel and a plurality of laces each extending between a respective first end and a respective second end. The first end of each of the plurality of laces is directly secured to the first side portion of the upper and the second end of each of the plurality of laces is directly secured to the unitary closure panel. A selective and reusable fastener is further provided to couple the closure panel to the second side panel of the upper.

A shoelace system includes an elastic shoelace having a first end and a second end, and a T-bar attachment attached to the first end. The T-bar attachment is rotatable such that the T-bar attachment anchors the first end of the shoelace to an eyelet of a shoe when the elastic shoelace is pulled through that eyelet. The shoelace system further includes a fastening bracket having one or more openings. Each of the one or more openings has a plurality of inward-facing projections for receiving the second end of the elastic shoelace. The fastening bracket secures the second end of the shoelace in place after the second end is threaded through the one or more openings of the fastening bracket.

A shoelace system includes an elastic shoelace having a first end and a second end, and a T-bar attachment attached to the first end. The T-bar attachment is rotatable such that the T-bar attachment anchors the first end of the shoelace to an eyelet of a shoe when the elastic shoelace is pulled through that eyelet. The shoelace system further includes a fastening bracket having one or more openings. Each of the one or more openings has a plurality of inward-facing projections for receiving the second end of the elastic shoelace. The fastening bracket secures the second end of the shoelace in place after the second end is threaded through the one or more openings of the fastening bracket.

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 or magnetic sensor configured to sense changes in a body's proximity to the sensor in footwear. Characteristics of the sensed proximity can be used to update an automated footwear function, such as an automatic lacing function, or can be used to determine a step count, foot strike force, a rate of travel, or other information about a foot or about the footwear.

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 or magnetic sensor configured to sense changes in a body's proximity to the sensor in footwear. Characteristics of the sensed proximity can be used to update an automated footwear function, such as an automatic lacing function, or can be used to determine a step count, foot strike force, a rate of travel, or other information about a foot or about the footwear.