An article of footwear (10) that includes a liner (30), an upper (14), and an insert (50). The liner has an inward surface (31) that encloses an inner void (18) for accommodating a foot, and an outward surface (32) that defines a rear shaft portion (38), a heel portion (36), and a sole portion (35). The upper has a midsole portion (42), and surrounds the rear shaft portion, the sole portion, and the heel portion of the liner. The insert is formed as a single body of material with increased hardness and stiffness relative to the upper. This insert is arranged between the liner and the upper, and includes a protruding portion (54), a heel counter (56), and a shank (58). The protruding portion extends upwards from the heel counter and along the rear shaft portion, and provides a guiding trajectory for a heel during insertion into the inner void.

A footwear having a shock attenuating and cushioning sole is provided, including a base to which first and second wave elements are joined, each element including alternating crests and troughs. The crests are wide and can each form a ground contact surface, whereas the troughs can be narrower than the crests. Crests of one element are disposed adjacent the troughs of another element. The widths of the crests to those of the troughs can be in at least a 2:1 ratio. Forward and rearward ends of the elements are connected to the base, and the troughs intermittently join with the base to secure the elements between the ends and to impair lateral movement. Different groups of wave elements can be grouped together to form a forefoot section, a heel section and/or an arch section, with the sections separated from and compressible independent of the other sections.

Compression molded foam articles are provided having a closed cell foam structure comprising a plurality of cells having an anisotropic cell shape. The disclosed compression molded foam articles can be used as components or parts of a variety of articles, including articles of footwear and athletic equipment. Methods are disclosed for making the disclosed compression molded foam articles from a foamed preform having an elastomeric closed cell foam with substantially isotropic cell shape. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A footwear assembly having an upper that comprises a neoprene sock with a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion. The foot portion has heel, vamp and under-foot portions. The leg portion has front shin, side wall, and rear calf-side portions. The upper has a unitary, outer, injection molded layer molded directly onto the foot and shin portions of the neoprene sock, while the sidewall and rear calf-side portions remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer. The injection molded layer encases the foot portion of the neoprene sock. The injection molded layer on the shin portion defines a shin guard portion having a necked down area integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the vamp portion, wherein the shin guard extends upwardly from the necked-down portion in an outwardly diverging shape away from the vamp.

A footwear assembly having an upper that comprises a neoprene sock with a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion. The foot portion has heel, vamp and under-foot portions. The leg portion has front shin, side wall, and rear calf-side portions. The upper has a unitary, outer, injection molded layer molded directly onto the foot and shin portions of the neoprene sock, while the sidewall and rear calf-side portions remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer. The injection molded layer encases the foot portion of the neoprene sock. The injection molded layer on the shin portion defines a shin guard portion having a necked down area integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the vamp portion, wherein the shin guard extends upwardly from the necked-down portion in an outwardly diverging shape away from the vamp.

A die-casting forming mold for vulcanized rubber boots, comprising: a combined shaft mold provided with an inner cavity corresponding to a shaft of a rubber boot; a last mold 21 provided with partition elements, comprising a body substantially corresponding to the shaft of the rubber boot in shape, and two or more partition elements disposed on the body, the last mold 21 being adapted to be mounted in the inner cavity of the shaft mold to form a die-casting forming cavity between the wall of the inner cavity of the shaft mold and the outer surface of the last mold 21, and the die-casting forming cavity being divided into two or more portions by the last mold 21 and the shaft mold, wherein the last mold 21 further comprises: a longitudinally extending rubber injection channel extending longitudinally downward from the upper surface of the last mold 21, and a transversely extending rubber injection channel extending transversely from the longitudinally extending rubber injection channel to a rubber outlet in the surface of the last mold 21; and a rubber injection plate 5 adapted to be mounted to the top of the shaft mold to guide the injection of an unvulcanized mixed rubber material, the rubber injection plate 5 being provided with: a rubber injection hole 11 adapted to be connected to an external injection head to inject the unvulcanized mixed rubber material, and a rubber injection channel for communicating the rubber injection hole 11 with the longitudinally extending rubber injection channel.

A healthcare footwear article includes an upper shoe body and a sole member provided underneath the upper shoe body and is connected with the upper shoe body to form an integral body. The upper shoe body and the sole member is configured from a material consisting of approximately 70% to approximately 80% of silicon rubber by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 20% of negative ion powder by weight, approximately 2% to approximately 7% of antiwear agent by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 20% of titanium powder by weight, approximately 0.1% to approximately 1.5% of vulcanizing agent by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 10% of infrared ray powder by weight, and approximately 0.1% to approximately 8% of dye by weight.

A healthcare footwear article includes an upper shoe body and a sole member provided underneath the upper shoe body and is connected with the upper shoe body to form an integral body. The upper shoe body and the sole member is configured from a material consisting of approximately 70% to approximately 80% of silicon rubber by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 20% of negative ion powder by weight, approximately 2% to approximately 7% of antiwear agent by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 20% of titanium powder by weight, approximately 0.1% to approximately 1.5% of vulcanizing agent by weight, approximately 5% to approximately 10% of infrared ray powder by weight, and approximately 0.1% to approximately 8% of dye by weight.

A one-piece rubber boot shell is created by a process comprising the steps of disposing rubber pieces within a cavity of a molding machine, the molding machine having an upper mold, a lower mold, and a last suspended between the upper mold and the lower mold. The process includes closing the molding machine by moving at least one of the upper mold, the lower mold, and the last toward each other so that they are adjacent each other, heating the rubber pieces to flow within the cavity and around the last to form a one-piece rubber boot shell, and opening the molding machine by moving at least one of the upper mold, the lower mold, and the last away from each other so that they are spaced apart from each. The one-piece rubber boot shell is then removed from the last.

A one-piece rubber boot shell is created by a process comprising the steps of disposing rubber pieces within a cavity of a molding machine, the molding machine having an upper mold, a lower mold, and a last suspended between the upper mold and the lower mold. The process includes closing the molding machine by moving at least one of the upper mold, the lower mold, and the last toward each other so that they are adjacent each other, heating the rubber pieces to flow within the cavity and around the last to form a one-piece rubber boot shell, and opening the molding machine by moving at least one of the upper mold, the lower mold, and the last away from each other so that they are spaced apart from each. The one-piece rubber boot shell is then removed from the last.