As described above, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles having structural achromatic color, and methods of making articles having structural achromatic color. The present disclosure provides for articles that exhibit structural color upon exposure to white light (e.g., sunlight, artificial light, or a combination) that shifts based on the angle of observation and/or incident light. At least one shift in the structural color is between an achromatic structural color and a chromatic structural color. The shift occurs at different angles of observation and/or angle of incident light.

A system for customizing an article. The system includes a base and at least one attachment having a decorative element and flanges flanking the decorative element and forming an opening on each side of the decorative element. The base has a plurality of projecting elements projecting from a surface of the base and having a protrusion at an end thereof or a plurality of pincers defining an inlet and a cavity. Each of the protrusions or pincers can be deformed to fit through the openings on each side of one of the decorative elements after which the protrusions or pincers will return to a non-deformed shape and secure the attachment with decorative element in the article. Also a method for customizing an article with the attachments.

Footwear comprising a sole portion; an upper portion secured to the sole portion; and a top portion secured to the upper portion through the use of a magnet included with the top portion and a magnet included with the upper portion.

Fastening devices and systems and methods thereof. Fastening devices and systems and methods thereof can include a unitary or one-piece body having first and second ends configured and operative to be coupled together or to be coupled to their respective complement in another of said fastening devices. The first end can include a ring or annular portion and a projection that are sized and shaped to fit around an anchor and in an orifice, respectively, of the second end. Fastening devices and systems and methods thereof according to embodiments may be used with items, including footwear, apparel, luggage, a backpack, a bag, a purse, a boxing glove, a punching bag, football or lacrosse shoulder pads, or the like.

A method for printing a three-dimensional object includes printing a structural layer onto a three-dimensional object, printing a first color layer onto a first region of the structural layer, and printing a second color layer onto a second region of the structural layer. The first region includes a first structural thickness, and the second region includes a second structural thickness, which is different than the first structural thickness. The first color layer includes a first color and a first color thickness, and the first color thickness and the first structural thickness in combination form a target thickness. The second color layer includes a second color and a second color thickness, and the second color thickness and the second structural thickness in combination form the target thickness.

The present invention relates to a method for interconnecting components of a sporting good, in particular a sports shoe, and a sports shoe manufactured with such a method. The method may include (a.) forming a pattern element having at least one removable at least partially non-transparent or non-reflective portion, (b.) irradiating at least one of the first and the second component via the pattern element with heat radiation and (c.) interconnecting the irradiated first and second component.

The invention relates to a footwear item comprising a device for storing information or an object. The footwear item comprises a sole (1) including a front part (201) and a rear part (101), with a hole (2) being provided in the sole (1) that opens onto the front part (200) or the rear part (100) of the footwear item (0). The footwear item (0) also comprises: a casing (3, 4) inserted into the hole (2) in the sole (1), said casing (3, 4) comprising a duct (3) for storing information or an object, said duct (3) comprising an opening (153) and a closed part (353); a means for anchoring the duct (3) in the hole (2) in the sole (1), designed to secure the duct (3) to the sole (1), allowing same to be secured to one another permanently; and a cover (4) hermetically sealing the opening (153) in the duct (3) such that the casing (3, 4) is leak-tight.

An article of footwear can include a sole structure, an upper, and a printed layer. The upper can be coupled to the sole structure. The printed layer can be disposed on the upper and include a plurality of printed materials each having a different hardness than an adjacent printed material. The plurality of printed materials can be arranged on the upper such that a stiffness of the upper is gradated from a toe portion of the upper to a heel portion of the upper, and a stiffness of the heel portion is greater than a stiffness of the toe portion.

In one embodiment, a shoe includes a top portion configured to provide covering to a top of a user's foot, a sole portion coupled to the top portion, and one or more processors embedded within the sole portion. Communicatively coupled to the one or more processors are one or more memory modules, one or more user input devices, and a user output device. The user input device includes at least a microphone. Machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the shoe to: receive a command from a user with the one or more user input devices; process the command from the user; and output information with the user output device relevant to the command from the user.

A shoe friction control apparatus set that enables a user to specifically individually select a specific slide capability for one or more of their shoes from a plurality of different specific slide capacities. In various embodiments, the present disclosure enables a bowler to make a specific individual selection for the shoe on the bowler's slide foot. In various embodiments, the present disclosure enables a bowler to make this specific individual selection for the shoe on the bowler's other, non-slide, plant or kicker foot.