A track and field shoe can include an upper, a sole structure, and a toe plate. The upper includes a medial side portion, a lateral side portion, and a toe box portion. The sole structure is attached to the upper and includes a spike plate. The spike plate has an anterior portion, a posterior portion, and a plurality of spikes. The spikes are configured for penetrating a track surface. The toe plate is attached to an anterior portion of the toe box portion of the upper. One or more portions of the toe plate are exposed from an exterior surface of the upper. The spikes are spaced apart from the toe plate such that the spikes disengage the track surface when the toe plate contacts the track surface.

A work shoe, in particular a safety shoe, includes at least one passive protection unit which is intended to passively protect a shoe wearer at least against mechanical and/or electrical loads, and includes at least one active protection unit which has at least one sensor unit which is intended to detect at least one characteristic variable at least in order to enable a protection function and/or a comfort function. The sensor unit is configured at least for detecting at least one person-related characteristic variable and/or at least one environmental characteristic variable.

Safety footwear, a metatarsal guard for safety footwear, and a method for manufacturing a metatarsal guard comprising: a guard body sized and shaped to cover at least partially a dorsal surface of a wearer's foot, the guard body including: a shielding layer made of a rigid material, the shielding layer further including a first bonding surface; an extension panel extending forwardly from the guard body, the extension panel including a second bonding surface, the extension panel being disposed against the shielding body such that the first and second bonding surfaces are superposed over each other, the extension panel being overmolded over the shielding layer such that the extension panel is bonded with the shielding layer along the superposed first and second bonding surfaces.

The present disclosure is directed to a toe box insert configured to provide support between a wearer's toes and the end of a footwear. An exemplary toe box insert comprises a compressible material. The compressible material can be characterized by a firmness, a flexibility, and a springback. The firmness can provide rigidity to the footwear even when a force is applied on the toe box insert by a wearer. The flexibility can cause the toe box insert to indent in response to a force applied on the toe box insert by the wearer. The springback can cause the toe box insert to return to an original shape after a force applied by a wearer ceases.

A shoe upper of a shoe includes first and second shoe upper sections together surrounding a foot, while covering a tiptoe and a heel of the foot, and a protector provided on part of an outer surface of the second shoe upper section and made of a single type of abrasion resistant resin material. The protector includes a tiptoe protector arranged to correspond to a tiptoe portion of the second shoe upper section, and a medial region protector provided on a medial region, of the second shoe upper section, extending from a backend of the tiptoe protector to a portion of the midfoot. The medial region protector has a deformable portion which has a mesh structure and is more deformable than the tiptoe protector, and a plurality of reinforcement ribs which divide the deformable portion into a plurality of regions.

An insert for a ballet pointe shoe includes an aft section positionable adjacent the heel of the shoe or between the heel and the box of the shoe, and a forward section positionable adjacent the platform and under the box. A distal end of the forward section is shaped in complement to the platform. The insert is formed of carbon fiber. The construction resists breaking down with use and can significantly reduce the cost of pointe shoes for ballet dancers while also decreasing the risk of injury.

The present invention is directed toward footwear including an upper connected to a sole structure. The upper includes two portions formed via compression molding in which textile layers are compressed to form a fabric laminate. One of the upper portions generally defines a seamless heel cup. The other upper portion generally defines a toe cage. The toe cage includes one or more integrated toe guides operable to position a toe of a wearer in a predetermined position within the cavity.

A medical shoe having an overmolding layer with a non-uniform density is provided. The medical shoe may include a midsole configured to support a foot, and a frame surrounding the midsole. The midsole may include a foot receiving portion forming a substantially planar surface for supporting the foot and a frame receiving portion opposite the foot receiving portion. The frame may include an overmolding layer extending from a side of the frame opposite the midsole so as to form a ground contacting surface. The overmolding layer may have a non-uniform density. The sole assembly may be secured to the frame by a self-locking fit between the sole assembly and the frame.

A medical shoe having a plurality of outsole projections is provided. The medical shoe may include a sole assembly configured to support a foot, and a frame surrounding the sole assembly. The sole assembly may include a midsole portion forming a substantially planar surface for supporting the foot and an outsole portion including the plurality of outsole projections extending from the midsole portion. The frame may include a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of outsole projections. The plurality of outsole projections may extend through the plurality of through holes so as to form a ground contacting surface. The plurality of outsole projections may also be provided in a symmetrical pattern. The sole assembly may be secured to the frame by a self-locking fit between the sole assembly and the frame.

An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper at least partially formed of a textile element. The textile element includes a yarn matrix having a plurality of interlocked strands oriented in predetermined directions. A structural element may be captured within the matrix at selected locations. In operation, the matrix is stitched onto a temporary substrate. The substrate is removed and the article coupled to a sole structure to form the article of footwear.