Sole structures, foot support systems, articles of footwear, and/or other foot-receiving devices include: (a) a first footwear component having a ground-facing surface, wherein a forefoot portion of the ground-facing surface includes arched medial and lateral surfaces and (b) a second footwear component having an upper-facing surface, wherein a forefoot portion of the upper-facing surface includes arched medial and lateral surfaces that face (and optionally contact) the respective arched medial and lateral surfaces of the first footwear component. The first and second footwear components are movably engaged together such that: (a) the arched medial surface of the first footwear component moves with respect to and along the arched medial surface of the second footwear component and (b) the arched lateral surface of the first footwear component moves with respect to and along the arched lateral surface of the second footwear component.

The present invention relates to a modular shoe (1700) in particular a sports shoe, with a sock like outer shoe (1750) and a frame (1710). The sock like outer shoe is provided for a releasable arrangement around the frame. The sock like outer shoe may comprise a plurality of profile elements (1765), wherein at least one of the profile elements extends from an outer side of the sock like outer shoe. A region of the at least one of the profile elements may be configured to releasably engage in a formfitting manner with a lower side of the frame of the modular shoe.

Various articles, such as footwear, apparel, athletic equipment, watchbands, and the like, and methods of forming those articles are presented. The articles are generally formed, in whole or in part, using rapid manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, stereolithography, solid deposition modeling, and the like. The use of rapid manufacturing allows for relatively economical and time efficient manufacture of customized articles. The articles may include one or more reinforcements configured to provide added durability to various regions of the articles. In addition, the articles may be formed from two or more materials in a single rapid manufacturing process. The rapid manufacturing additive fabrication technique may also include using of varying intensities of the laser to fuse material to form the articles.

A shoe sole including an outsole 2 and a midsole 1, wherein: the midsole 1 includes a lower midsole 4 of a lower layer formed by a foamed body of a resin, and an upper midsole 3 of an upper layer formed by a foamed body of a resin and arranged on the lower midsole 4; a lateral roll-up portion 42 for supporting a lateral side of a foot from a side of the foot is formed integrally with the lower midsole 4; a hardness of a lateral portion 40 of the lower midsole 4 including the lateral roll-up portion 42 is a first hardness; a hardness of a medial portion 41 of the lower midsole 4 is a second hardness lower than the first hardness; a hardness of a lateral portion 30 of the upper midsole 3 is a third hardness lower than the first hardness; and a part or a whole of the high-hardness lateral roll-up portion 42 is protruding in an upward direction past the upper midsole 3 on a lateral side of the upper midsole 3 so that the lateral side of the foot is supported by the lateral roll-up portion 42 from the side of the foot without being supported by the upper midsole 3 from the side of the foot.

A device fits over a shoe to prevent contaminants from the shoe from soiling a support surface such as the carpet or floor of a home. The shoe has a toe and a heel. The device includes a front section which is shaped and dimensioned to receive the toe of the shoe, and a rear section which is shaped and dimensioned to receive the heel of the shoe. A center section is used to removably connect the front section to the rear section. The center section is fabricated from a resilient material so that it can be expanded to receive the shoe, and then will resiliently contract to grip the shoe.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper and a strap. The upper is attached to the sole. The strap extends in a width direction of the shoe. The strap includes a proximal end fixed to the upper and a distal end located on an opposite side of the proximal end in the width direction of the shoe. One of the upper and the strap includes at least one first engaging portion, whereas the other of the upper and the strap includes at least one second engaging portion that is engaged with the at least one first engaging portion while extending in a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the shoe where the distal end is held against the upper.

An ankle foot orthopaedic apparatus (10) includes a sole (66), a control part (18), and a connection arrangement (16) for connecting the sole (66) to the control part (18) for controlling or guiding the orientation of the sole (66) in use. The sole (66) includes a sole connector part (20), which comprises part of the connection arrangement (16). The control part (18) includes a control part connector part (22), which comprises part of the connection arrangement (16). The connection arrangement (16) permits movement of the apparatus (10) between a connected condition, in which the sole (66) is connected to the control part (18), and a disconnected condition, in which the sole (66) is disconnected from the control part (18).

Describes are support elements for a sole of a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, a sole and a shoe with such a support element, as well as a method for the manufacture of a support element. As examples, the support element includes a first partial member formed of a first material, and a second partial member formed of a second material. The first partial member is mechanically joined to the second partial member in a connection region, wherein the connection region is configured to allow the first partial member to rotate or slide relative to the second partial member. The first partial member, the second partial member, and the connection region can be co-molded and joined together in a single fabricating step.

Footwear is provided which comprises: an outsole comprising multiple interlocking outsole portions; and means for urging at least a first one of the multiple outsole portions away from at least a second one of the multiple outsole portions, thereby expanding the outsole. The multiple interlocking outsole portions might include interlocking teeth. The means for urging might include at least one of an expandable footbed and an expansion screw.

A boot-binding system includes a sole plate, integrated into an inner boot, that mates to a second sole plate that may be integrated into the floor of a pressurized vehicle or integrated into an outer boot configuration also referred to as a surface boot, a spring loaded pin/bushing arrangement couples the sole plates, while a latching mechanism located on the surface boot sole plate captures the heel of the inner boot sole plate against a spring loaded heel plate integrated into the surface boot sole plate that presses upwards against the inner boot heel.