A system for conveying pasty material through a conduit has an eccentric screw pump having a stator, a rotor that rotates in the stator, a housing with an intake port, and an output port connected to the conduit. A drive rotates the rotor and thereby draws the pasty material in through the intake port and expels the drawn-in material as a compressed-material strand into the conduit. A valve supplies gas pulses to the conduit at time intervals for separating the compressed-material strand into material plugs of limited length traveling through the conduit.

A ventilated article of footwear, a boot or a shoe, has a disconnectable footwear portion partly detachably connected to the outer contour portion of the sole of the article of footwear. One or more connectors are secured on the top surface of the sole outer contour portion adjacent the disconnectable footwear portion and actionable to disconnect and reconnect the disconnectable footwear portion to the sole outer contour portion to permit the entrance of air between the sole outer contour portion and a lower edge of the disconnectable footwear portion to ventilate at least a portion of a users foot.

The present invention is a shoe/sandal system with interchangeable reversible decorative straps and ornaments enabling the upper aesthetic appearance to be changed on a plurality of heel styles. The reversible decorative straps and their attachment devices comprised of a rectangular hook and an elastic band of the same width go over the over the top of permanently affixed straps to ensure a consistent fit and protection to the soft tissues of the foot from hard or abrasive binding surfaces of interchangeable decorative materials and attachment devices. Because there are at least two permanently affixed straps on each shoe/sandal and the interchangeable straps are reversible, this system provides a wearer with a wide variety of customizable color, pattern, texture, and design mix-and-match options in changing the aesthetic appearance shoe/sandal.

An article of footwear comprises a sole structure, and an upper. The upper includes a front section and a rear section, both secured to the sole structure. The front section is fixed to the sole structure at least partially forward of the rear section and includes a medial portion and a lateral portion that together define a foot-receiving cavity over the sole structure, and a foot entry opening of the foot-receiving cavity. A zipper is secured to the medial portion and to the lateral portion. The zipper includes a slider movable between a zipped position and an unzipped position forward of the zipped position. An anchor is secured to one of the front section or the sole structure forward of the zipped position of the slider, and a cord is engaged with the zipper and with the rear section of the upper, and routed through the anchor.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper that is attached to the sole structure. The upper defines a cavity that is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The upper is at least partially defined by a textile. The textile includes a first area that is substantially smooth. The first area defines a reference boundary that conforms to the cavity. The textile includes a second area. The second area includes a plurality of projection structures that project away from the reference boundary and outwardly from the cavity at varying heights. The second area includes a plurality of recess structures that recess away from the reference boundary and inwardly toward the cavity. The plurality of projection structures and the plurality of recess structures are in an alternating arrangement across the textile.

A stalk sock can provide improved stealth by reducing foot impact noises and the like. The stalk sock can cover a foot, with or without a boot or other shoe, and can include a leg covering and a foot covering portion that extends from the leg covering. The stalk sock can be worn over a pant leg or it can be integrated with a pant leg.

A rapid-entry shoe includes an actuator arm, having a pivot point, and a closure system. Movement of the actuator arm from an uncollapsed position to a collapsed position opens the closure system and movement of the actuator arm from the collapsed position to the uncollapsed position closes the closure system, according to various embodiments.

A fastening element configured for attachment to a wearable clothing or accessory substrate whereby ornamental elements are configured for removable fastening thereto for changeable decorative appearance of the clothing or accessory wherein the fastening element is ornamental in appearance whereby it is aesthetically viewable with or without ornamental elements fastened thereto and whereby the fastener is able to be integrated with appearance of the ornamental element or completely hidden by the ornamental elements.

Disclosed is a shoe having a compressible lattice structure in a heel portion to facilitate rapid, easy donning and doffing of shoes. In example embodiments, the lattice structure includes a plurality of interconnected, overlapping, intersecting and/or woven ribs defining a plurality of apertures. The lattice structure has an open position in which the shoe opening is expanded to facilitate reception of a foot of an individual wearing the rapid-entry shoe, and a closed position in which the shoe opening is smaller to retain the foot within the rapid-entry shoe.

Disclosed is slip-on footwear with a concealable heel strap that is padded. Suitably, the padding of the padded heel strap is convertible into a pull-tab whenever the heel strap is concealed.