An article of footwear includes an upper defining a throat configured to receive a foot. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure coupled to the upper. The article of footwear further includes a panel having a first side coupled to the upper for movement between an open position and a closed position. The panel exposes a portion of the throat in the open position and covers the portion of the throat in the closed position. The article of footwear also includes a strap having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are disposed on a first side of the upper with a body portion of the strap disposed between the first end and the second end surrounding the upper.

A rapid-entry shoe having an elastic element to enlarge a foot opening of the rapid-entry shoe and also having a stabilizer to prevent a rear portion of the rapid-entry shoe from collapsing downward.

A rapid-entry shoe having an elastic element to enlarge a foot opening of the rapid-entry shoe and also having a stabilizer to prevent a rear portion of the rapid-entry shoe from collapsing downward.

An article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including one or more elastic portions and one or more substantially inelastic portions. The footwear may further include a plurality of lace receiving members fixedly attached to an outer surface of the upper on the inelastic portions of the upper. Also, the footwear may include a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper. In addition, the footwear may include a motorized tensioning system including a motorized tightening device and a tensile member extending through the plurality of lace receiving members, the tightening device being configured to apply tension in the tensile member to adjust the size of an internal void defined by the article of footwear by drawing two or more of the plurality of lace receiving members closer to one another.

An article of footwear may have a first upper component and a second upper component. A first strap section extends between the first upper component and the second upper component and across an instep-containing portion of the first upper component. A second strap section extends between the first upper component and the second upper component and across the instep-containing portion of the first upper component. A sole structure is engaged with at least one of the first upper component or the second upper component. A lock is engaged with at least one of the first upper component, the second upper component, the first strap section, the second strap section, or the sole structure, The lock releasably holds at least one of the first strap section or the second strap section in a tightened condition.

Embodiments of footwear, in particular, a shoe, sandal or boot, that have the unexpected benefit of reducing the pressure on the plantar surface of the foot while also reducing metabolic demand of walking while also gait speed and improving walking, running, hiking, as well as jumping, hopping, and other motion involving the ankle, lower leg and Achilles tendon, through integration of force-carrying mechanisms within footwear that manage the forces and energy associated with such motion by productively harvesting and storing energy during dorsiflexion motion and releasing and returning energy during plantar flexion and limiting range of motion that conduce towards ankle inversion and eversion. Such footwear may comprise a yoke connected to footwear at a pivot region in parallel to the axis of rotation of the ankle and a tension spring region suspended between the yoke and the posterior portion of the footwear sidewalls or sole.

Footwear is disclosed herein that comprises a base with a cut-out and/or a fold pattern, either of which, when actuated, is useful to transform the footwear from a closed/relaxed configuration to an open/actuated configuration in which the rapid-entry shoe has an expanded shoe opening to facilitate reception of a foot of an individual wearing the rapid-entry shoe.

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.

A material that includes at least one layer made of an auxetic structure and articles of footwear having soles comprising the materials. When the material is under tension, it expands in both the direction under tension and in the direction orthogonal to the direction under tension. The articles of footwear have soles that have at least one layer made of a material that has a pattern of apertures to provide the auxetic structure. The apertures are surrounded by sole portions that can rotate or pivot to change the size of the apertures. An outer covering can be mated with an outsole structure formed by the auxetic structure. The outer covering includes features that mate with the apertures in the outsole structure. The outer covering is elastic and can stretch to accommodate expansion of the auxetic structure.

A rate dependent tether for securing a shoe to a user, and footwear incorporating the rate dependent tether. The rate dependent tether may include a tube filled with a shear-thickening material and at least one cable or ribbon. In conditions of normal, low, or no intense activity by the user, the rate dependent tether's deformation resistance is low allowing the rate dependent tether to be extended to allow insertion or removal of the foot. At active levels, for example, participating in sporting events or intense activities, the rate dependent tether's deformation resistance is high preventing the rate dependent tether from loosening and securing the shoe on the user. The rate dependent tether may be connected to a saddle. A rate dependent insole for footwear, a support impregnated with a shear-thickening fluid, a rate dependent footcone, and rate dependent bands are also described.