An article of footwear includes a sole structure that has a front midsole component and a rear midsole component. A connecting member connects the front midsole component to the rear midsole component. The connecting member defines a groove at a lower side of the sole structure between the front midsole component and the rear midsole component. The front midsole component and the rear midsole component are pivotable relative to one another at the groove between a use position and an access position. Confronting surfaces of the connecting member at the groove are closer to one another in the access position than in the use position so that the groove is relatively open in the use position, and the groove is relatively closed in the access position.

An adjustable shoe includes an outsole having a middle portion hingedly attached to a forefoot portion and a heel portion. A segmented driveshaft spans from the forefoot portion of the outsole to the heel portion. Rotation of a front segment of the driveshaft causes the forefoot portion of the outsole to rotate about a hinge axis thereby adjusting a forefoot angle. A first motor is connected to the driveshaft and operable to rotate the driveshaft. A processor is in communication with the first motor and programmed to operate the first motor to provide adjustment to the shoe. A method of adjusting a shoe includes receiving a signal representing a measured force on a portion of an outsole of the shoe. If the measured force exceeds a pre-determined threshold, a motor is activated to change an angle of a forefoot portion of the outsole relative to a middle portion.

Functional shoes include a sole, a coupling member including a coupling body detachably coupled to the sole; an auxiliary lever coupled to the coupling body so as to be rotatable toward a bottom surface of the sole; and a fixing part protruding from the auxiliary lever toward the bottom surface of the sole and is detachably coupled to the sole, and at least one functional member provided integrally with the coupling body or detachably coupled to the coupling body to provide a predetermined function to the shoes. The fixing part moves between a coupling position in which the fixing part is coupled to the sole and a separation position in which the fixing part is separated from the sole, by a rotation of the auxiliary lever.

An item of footwear having an interchangeable sole system, midsoles for such an item of footwear, and related methods for making such midsoles, including a receptacle incorporated in the midsole wherein a portion of the receptacle is configured to complement an engageable element of a sole unit so that a bidirectional stop is provided that helps secure the sole unit to the midsole, and wherein a material property of the receptacle differs from a material property of the midsole so that the midsole provides cushioning to the item of footwear, and the receptacle allows for engagement and disengagement of the engageable element of the sole unit to the midsole without the need for an outsole frame.

Disclosed are insoles and footwear having embedded pods elevated above a top surface of the insole to provide pressure to certain areas of a user's foot and to help provide pressure and stimulation to fascia to help restore or relieve foot pain, plantar fasciitis, metatarsal pain, heel spurs, neuromas, pinched nerve and aching feet. The pods can be arranged according to anatomical structures of the foot (e.g., based on common locations of plantar fasciitis or sciatica conditions and/or symptoms) and/or according to a theory of reflexology or other therapeutic theory.

Multi-purpose footwear includes a show sole, a shoe tongue and a shoe vamp provided as a portion of a shoe upper and a paddle mounted to be displaceable to a plurality of alternative and predetermined positions with respect to the footwear.

The present disclosure relates to a leg protector. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, disclosed is a leg protector which can protect a wearer's foot and leg and is made of an elastic material, the leg protector comprising: a bottom plate part for supporting a wearer's foot; and a protection part connected to the upper side of the bottom plate part, extending upward therefrom, and formed to cover at least a part of the side and rear portions of the wearer's foot and leg, wherein the protection part includes, on both the left and right sides of the ankle portion thereof, an opening part through which regions corresponding to the wearer's malleoli are exposed to the outside.

Insole apparatus for use in footwear is provided, comprising a planar insole base positionable on top of a base interior surface of the footwear, and at least one attachment accessory removably attachable to the insole base by way of a plurality of attachment elements distributed on at least one of an upper surface of the insole base and a lower surface of the attachment accessory. The plurality of attachment elements define attachment points, which are arranged with a predefined consistent spacing to enable interchangeability of the attachment accessory with other attachment accessories having similarly arranged attachment points. The interchangeability and removability of attachment accessories allows for customization of the insole apparatus for a user's needs and size and shape of foot.

A transformable shoe is an apparatus that allows a user to customize the height of the shoe. The apparatus includes a shoe body, at least one interchangeable heel, and a lift-receiving bed. The shoe body surrounds and supports the foot against the ground. The interchangeable heel uplifts the shoe body above the ground. More specifically, the interchangeable heel uplifts a heel seat above the ground and defines an arch of the foot. The interchangeable heel may be a collapsible heel and solid wedge body. The height of the apparatus is dependent on the arrangement of the plurality of anthropomorphic members for the collapsible heel and the fixed height of the solid wedge body. The interchangeable heel includes a heel-bracing portion. The lift-receiving bed is integrated into a shank of the shoe body, and the heel-bracing portion is mounted adjacent to a heel seat of the shoe body.

A shoe capable of changing shoe types includes a shoe body, a shoe loading-plate disposed on one side of the shoe body, and having a front bracket and a rear bracket pivotally connected to the front bracket and having a pivoting base fixed on a side of the rear bracket opposite to the shoe body, a shoe heel pivotally connected to the pivoting base, a linking member pivotally connected to the front bracket and the shoe heel, and a shoe sole layer covering the shoe loading-plate and the linking member. The shoe sole layer is formed with an opening for receiving the shoe heel.