One or more tuning elements may be associated with a receiver, such as a pocket or other channel, disposed on an item of footwear, such as a snowboarding boot. The receiver adjustably receives the tuning element. The adjustable arrangement of the tuning element and receiver allows the intended user of the item of footwear to tune the item for performance, comfort, cosmetic, or other characteristics. In certain embodiments, the tuning elements are removably associated with a boot to allow for flex control.

An interchangeable boot attachment is provided. An interchangeable boot attachment comprising a buckle strap affixed to a baseplate around a heel of the baseplate and an insert. The baseplate having an insert channel along a bottom of the baseplate that tapers from an opening at the heel towards a toe end of the baseplate. The insert having a tapered projection that tapers in an identical formation to the insert channel and is coupled to the insert channel during assembly such that a dovetail joint is formed between the opening, the insert channel and the tapered projection. The opening providing access to the insert channel for the insert. The buckle rotated and snapped to apply tension along the strap to secure the insert. The buckle decoupled and released from the strap to remove the strap from the opening to allow for removing the insert.

A base and method of using a base on a treadmill in which the base comprises three or more first ball bearing assemblies, each ball bearing assembly comprising a ball and a mounting assembly, the base also comprising one or more lower ball bearing assemblies, each lower ball bearing assembly comprising a lower ball and a lower mounting assembly, wherein each lower ball bearing assembly projects down from a plane defined by three or more of the ball bearing assemblies. A base may be attachable to or integrated into a piece of sports footwear or a board of a board sport. A user standing on footwear or a board with one or more bases may rock in one or more direction on the sports footwear to produce a leaning effect wherein one or more lower ball bearing assemblies and two or more ball bearing assemblies contact the ground.

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.

A snowboard accessory for engagement with a snowboard boot and a snowboard is described. The snowboard accessory includes a support pad including a top support pad surface and a bottom support pad surface. At least a portion of the support pad is magnetically active. The top support pad surface is configured for both magnetic and supporting engagement with at least a portion of a snowboard. An elongated anchoring strap extends laterally from the support pad and includes at least one strap end laterally spaced from the support pad. The elongate anchoring strap is removably attached to the bottom support pad surface. The at least one strap end is configured for securement to the snowboard boot.

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).

The present invention contemplates a binding system for a snowboards and the like. The system includes a soft-soled boot having a hardened exterior shell consisting of a toe portion and a heel portion, which are linked by at least one sidewall portion. The toe and heel portions include two toe and two heel pegs respectively. The boot includes an instep portion having instep cables for adjusting the boot to the wearer and the cables are adjusted by grommets and tightened in position by at least one resting bar. The binding has a base plate for connecting to the snowboard. The base plate further supports a pair of toe hooks adapted to engage the toe pegs and a pair of heel peg levers adapted to releasably engage the heel pegs of the boot. A grappling hook and ratchet mechanism grabs the resting bar on the 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.

According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of articles of footwear or foot-receiving devices having inner and outer tongues, such as double tongue snowboarding boots, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, an article of footwear or foot-receiving device (e.g., snowboarding boot, etc.) generally includes a housing member at least partially defining a chamber for receiving a foot. An inner tongue is coupled to the housing member. An outer tongue is coupled to at least one of the inner tongue and the housing member. Other aspects of the present disclosure relates to methods. An exemplary method of wearing an article of footwear generally includes tucking a portion of a wearer's pants leg generally between inner and outer tongues of the snowboarding boot. Another example method includes inserting a foot through an opening of a housing member of a foot-receiving device that also includes first and second tongues.

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.