A fastening element for a shoe of a boot comprising a disk-shaped single or multi-part main part, comprising a base side for fastening to the shoe, a cover side lying opposite the base side, and two grooves molded into a casing between the base side and the cover side for receiving and guiding a respective end of a shoelace. The grooves have an entrance angle at which shoelaces are to enter into the fastening element when laced in the pulling direction and an exit angle at which shoelaces are to exit the fastening element when pulled in the pulling direction, and wherein the entrance angle is greater than or equal to the exit angle.

Sports shoe (4) having a strap (28) able to pass over the top of a foot or able to pass over an instep, and at least one securing means (30), the strap including a first free end (29A) connected to the at least one securing means (30) and a second free end (29B) connected to the at least one securing means (30), the at least one securing means (30) being able to collaborate with a binding device (3) attached to a sliding board (2) so as to transmit a force at least downwards onto the first free end (29A) and onto the second free end (29B) of the strap (28).

An article of footwear with adjustable stiffness is provided. The article of footwear in the form of a snowboard boot is provided with adjustable tensioning systems that are disposed on either side of an inner liner of the snowboard boot. The adjustable tensioning system includes a comb body structure having flex portions made of a plurality of extending fingers with a flexibility that can be controlled by the adjustable tensioning system. Depending on the level of tension applied by the tensioning system, or lack thereof, a range of flex profiles having varying amounts of stiffness are available to the wearer to adjust the overall stiffness of the snowboard boot.

An apparatus for automatically adjusting tension on retention member to hold multiple objects together. Examples include using retention apparatus to obtain optimal fit and use of a human wearable item such as article of footwear. Sensors may be used to sense changes in movement of the article of footwear, of the person wearing it, or of a third object such as a vehicle carrying the person. A retention member may surround at least a portion of the objects, and an actuator may be included that automatically rotates a rotating member such as a gear or pulley that may be coupled to the retention member. The rotating member may be configured to automatically adjust tension on the retention member many times per second based on control signals from control logic responsive to the sensors.

The fastening device (3) for fastening a boot (4) to a sliding board (2) includes a base (10) intended to be fastened to a sliding board and to surround, at least partially, a sole and lateral sides of a boot, at least one lever (201, 301) that can move relative to the base and can interact with a retention element (44A, 44B) connected to a boot, the lever (201, 301) being able to move between a first retention position (P1) and a second clamping position (P2), the lever being able to retain the boot in the base when it is in its first position, the lever being able to transmit a downward force on the retention element when it is in its second position.

The invention relates to a quick lacing system (10) for releasably fixing at least one shoelace (20) to a housing (30), which has a channel (40) for feeding through at least one shoelace (20), wherein the channel (40) is at least partly made of a movably mounted rocker (50) with a substantially concave interior (60), which is oriented in the direction of the channel (40), on a first side and at least partly of an eccentric jaw (70), which interacts with the rocker (50) at least in a closed position of the quick lacing system (10), on a second side substantially opposite the rocker. The invention also relates to a shoe equipped with such a quick lacing system (10).

An upper for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, includes at least one tape covering at least 50% of the upper. At least one tape portion includes a plurality of connected tapes. A further aspect relates to an upper for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, including at least one tape portion including a plurality of connected tapes. In some connected tapes, the tapes are zig-zag stitched to each other on their edges.

The inventive subject matter shown and described is directed to an item of footwear with a tensioning system, comprising: a shell for enclosing a foot and at least a portion of a lower leg; a pair of opposing edges generally aligned along the top of foot portion of the shell and/or a front lower leg portion, the edges generally aligning with a longitudinal axis of the foot and/or lower leg, the opposing edges defining opposite sides of the shell; a foot retraction system comprising a tension path and at least two anchor points disposed along the path on the opposite sides of the shell and supporting at least one tensionable cable section disposed along the path, at least one anchor point comprising a tensioning mechanism, the tensioning mechanism allowing for adjustable tensioning of the cable section, the anchor points being arranged on opposite sides of the shell that support the edges, at least one being on a lateral or medial side of a boot and not on the top of the foot and front of the lower leg, so that tensioning of the cable causes the opposing edges to converge together. The inventive subject matter is particularly suitable for use in boots for snow and skating sports or any other such sport where sliding movement of the foot or leg relative to the item of footwear is undesirable and where secure coupling of the item to the foot and leg facilitates transfer of power to a board, ski, skate blade, set of skate wheels, etc., that is coupled to the item.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding device that can correctly and separately rotate and drive two winding units by changing a rotation direction of a handle. The present invention is a winding device (10) including a first rotation shaft (11) that rotates and drives a first string winding unit (D1), a second rotation shaft (12) arranged coaxially with the first rotation shaft (11) to rotate and drive a second string winding unit (D2), a first gear (G1) coupled to the first rotation shaft (11), a second gear (G2) coupled to the second rotation shaft (12), a sliding gear member (40) arranged between the first and second gears (G1, G2) and including a third gear (G3) and a fourth gear (G4) respectively engaged with the first gear (G1) and the second gear (G2), a handle (50) including a gear accommodation portion (51) that accommodates the first to fourth gears (G1 to G4), an inclined groove (55) formed in an inner surface of the gear accommodation portion (51), and an engagement projection (45) that is formed on an outer surface of the sliding gear member (40), engages the inclined groove (55), and is slidable in the inclined groove (55).

An article of footwear with adjustable stiffness is provided. The article of footwear in the form of a snowboard boot is provided with adjustable tensioning systems that are disposed on either side of an inner liner of the snowboard boot. The adjustable tensioning system includes a comb body structure having flex portions made of a plurality of extending fingers with a flexibility that can be controlled by the adjustable tensioning system. Depending on the level of tension applied by the tensioning system, or lack thereof, a range of flex profiles having varying amounts of stiffness are available to the wearer to adjust the overall stiffness of the snowboard boot.