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 with various types of guide elements is disclosed. The article of footwear provides a set of tensile elements that can be moved through the guide elements to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The tensile elements may be routed through a guide element associated with the upper that can provide compressive strength and support.

A footwear assembly can comprise, an upper, a lace cable, a plurality of lace guides and a tensioner. The tensioner can comprise an elastic member extending between two lace guides of the plurality of lace guides, an elastic member extending between first and second portions of the upper, an elastic member extending between a portion of the upper and a lace guide of the plurality of lace guides, a heel channel connected to a heel portion of the upper and configured to facilitate access to an interior space, an elastic member coupled to the footwear assembly that functions to smooth out a torque versus lace displacement curve during tightening of the lace cable.

A footwear assembly can comprise, an upper, a lace cable, a plurality of lace guides and a tensioner. The tensioner can comprise a tensioning member secured to a side of the upper proximate a toe box and the lace cable, and a. floating overlay attached to a side of the upper proximate a toe box and the lace cable. The tensioning members can comprise an elastic member. The tensioning members can be configured to provide a stiff lockout zone and an elastic stretch zone.

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 tensioning system may be used with various sensors to determine how the motorized tensioning device should be controlled.

A cable lock adapted to temporarily maintain a static position along a cable strung through an article of footwear or apparel includes a housing and a compliant insert. The housing defines an aperture and is formed from a first material. The aperture extends through a thickness of the housing to provide access to the cable. The insert is provided at least partially within the aperture and defining an opening, the insert formed from a second material that is softer than the first material, the insert comprising a plurality of cable engaging features extending radially inward from a perimeter of the aperture, the plurality of cable engaging features being adapted to deflect away from a neutral, unstressed plane when a cable is drawn through the opening.

An article of footwear can include provisions for improving the operation and use of various systems associated with the article. An automated tensioning system can be configured to provide and perform a variety of functions associated with the fastening of the article of footwear. The automated tensioning system may tighten and loosen the article of footwear through the operation of a motor. The automated tensioning system may also be able to store and recall a preset tension level.

An article of footwear can include provisions for improving the operation and use of various systems associated with the article. An automated tensioning system can be configured to provide and perform a variety of functions associated with the fastening of the article of footwear. The automated tensioning system may tighten and loosen the article of footwear through the operation of a motor. The automated tensioning system may also be able to store and recall a preset tension level.

A rapid-entry shoe having a heel arm configured to transition between a collapsed configuration, for easy donning and doffing of the shoe, and an uncollapsed configuration, for securing a foot inside the shoe, the shoe having a resilient member configured to bias the heel arm toward the uncollapsed configuration.

The invention relates to an apparatus and methods for putting on and removing a footwear product. The apparatus for putting on and removing a footwear product includes a sole element, a top element, a pedal element, a fixing element, an elasticity element, an interconnection element. In the design of the footwear product, the sole element is connected with the top element and the pedal element, the top element and the pedal element are connected with the interconnection element, the elasticity element is connected with the top element and/or the pedal element, the fixing element is configured to engage with the matching part and fix the pedal element in the pressed position. If the sole element is curved, it is configured to fix the foot in the footwear product in the “closed” state of the footwear product, the interconnection element is connected with the top element, the pedal element, and the sole element, and the elasticity element is connected with the top element and/or the pedal element and/or the sole element. The sole element serves as a foot support, the top element is configured to cover and fix the foot in the footwear product in the “closed” state of the footwear product, the pedal element is configured to receive energy from the pressure of the foot and bring the footwear product to the “closed” state, the fixing element is configured to fix the footwear product in the “closed” state, the elasticity element exhibiting potential energy is configured to bring the footwear product to the “opened” state, the interconnection element is configured to transfer motion from one element to another. The technical result is a reduction in the time and effort consumed for putting on and removing the footwear product.