The present invention relates to a convertible shoe, which is convertible between a high heel mode and a low heel mode, the convertible shoe comprising a front part, a first rear part having a heel, and a second rear part having a heel which is lower than the heel of the first rear part, wherein the first and second rear parts are exchangeable, allowing the shoe to be converted between the high heel mode and the low heel mode, wherein the convertible shoe comprises a coupling between the front part and the rear part which allows coupling and uncoupling of the front part and rear part and exchanging the rear part, wherein the coupling comprises a front coupling part provided at a rear end of the front part and a rear coupling part provided at a forward end of the rear part.

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

A sole structure may include chambers and a transfer channel containing an electrorheological fluid. Electrodes may be positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the electrorheological fluid in the transfer channel. The sole structure may further include a controller including a processor and memory. At least one of the processor and memory may store instructions executable by the processor to perform operations that include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-inhibiting levels at which flow of the electrorheological fluid the through the transfer channel is blocked, and that further include maintaining the voltage across the electrodes at one or more flow-enabling levels permitting flow of the electrorheological fluid through the transfer channel.

A convertible shoe may include a sole and a plurality of interchangeable heel portions, each selectively attachable to the sole. The heel portions may each include a mounting surface configured to interface with a heel receiver of the sole. The heel receiver may include a fixed hook and a movable hook, with the movable hook being operable by an actuator coupled to a bottom surface of the sole. In some examples, an upper is secured to the sole of the shoe by one or more clamping plates. In some examples, the sole of the shoe is configured to be biased into a default bend corresponding to a high-heeled state even when a low heel is attached to the heel receiver.

A rapid-entry shoe having an upper, a sole portion, and at least one pocket coupled to a rear portion of the upper and encapsulating a compressed medium that biases a topline of the shoe toward an uncollapsed configuration.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure, a footwear upper, and a closure system. The sole structure may have a front sole portion and a rear sole portion pivotable relative to the front sole portion between a use position and an access position. The footwear upper may be fixed to the front sole portion and to the rear sole portion. The closure system may comprise an adjustment cord and a cord lock. The adjustment cord may be operatively secured to the footwear upper at an anchor location. The cord lock may be secured to the footwear upper and may be configured so that the adjustment cord slides through the cord lock when under tension to tighten the footwear upper in the use position, and the adjustment cord is repositionable relative to the cord lock to lock to the cord lock and retain tension in the adjustment cord.

A skate includes an inverted groove-shaped base secured to a boot and including front and rear pins; an elongated frame including front and rear sets of a transverse inner groove and a transverse open groove communicating with the transverse inner groove, and a threaded hole on the transverse open groove of the front set wherein either pin is disposed in the transverse inner groove and the elongated frame abuts an underside of the base; and a locking device including a spring biased block member disposed in the transverse open groove of the front set and having two projections at two ends respectively, a screw driven through a positioning member into the threaded hole to fasten the positioning member in the transverse open groove of the front set so that the block member abuts the front pin to block same in an assembled state.

A bimodal shoe having a bimodal structure, the bimodal structure configured to selectively snap to at least one of a second position and a first position. The bimodal structure is a bendable structure that selectively snaps into the first position upon being subjected to a first bending force, and that selectively snaps into the second position upon being subjected to a second bending force, where the first bending force has an opposite direction to the second bending force. A downward force applied to a heel counter of the bimodal shoe while holding portions of the shoe forward from the bimodal structure stationary causes the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position.

A system and method for footwear with a handless entry construction. A heel band may be provided in the footwear that is sufficiently deformable and sufficiently resilient to handlessly a) facilitate insertion of a wearer's foot into the footwear and b) move upward relative to a ground surface to engage a heel of the wearer's foot in order to aid in securing the wearer's foot within the footwear.

The invention relates to a sole component for a shoe suitable for use with different heels. The sole component comprises a front, a middle and a rear sole portion and comprises a mechanism for adjusting the sole curvature in a transition region between the front and the middle sole portion. The mechanism comprises a rotatable supporting element which is provided in such a way that it may have a first angular position which causes a first sole curvature in the transition region and a second angular position which causes a second sole curvature in the transition region, wherein the first sole curvature is different from the second sole curvature.