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.

A wader comprising a body portion and a bootie. The bootie is attached to the body portion. The bootie is comprised of a toe piece, an ankle piece, and a sole piece. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are adhered together to form the bootie. The toe piece has an outside surface, and the toe piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the outside surface. The ankle piece has an inside surface, and the ankle piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the inside surface. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are all comprised of a neoprene material. The raised neoprene area on the inside surface of the ankle piece is configured to wick moisture up and away from the foot of the wearer.

A disposable waterproof bootsock is worn over foot and sock to protect from exposure to liquids, dirt and other contaminants in an environment that can penetrate footwear or reach above the ankle. The bootsock is secured about the wearer's calf and ankle using fasteners that accommodate a range of calf and ankle sizes and allow adjustment to the wearer's desired fit while maintaining the bootsock in position upright. One or more sealed compartments are provided to hold essential supplies.

A footwear warming system and device includes a boot and a footwear warming device. The footwear warming device may include a cap and be generally shaped to fill a void inside the boot. Hot water, or other liquid, may be poured into the footwear warming device to warm a boot.

A system for analysis of user gait and to provide correction in form of haptic and visual feedback. This system comprises a motion and force sensors and a haptic actuator embedded in the user shoe insoles in communication with a smart-phone based analysis application, configured to calculate motion and orientation of the user feet in relation to the value, location and distribution of ground reaction forces measured by sensors located in the shoe insoles and after analysis of said forces and motion, to provide haptic feedback to the user foot instructing about the location (and timing) of pressure the user must apply to achieve an optimal gait.

The soft boot and liner include a moisture transfer system that includes an inner fabric layer carefully selected from technically advanced fabrics. A series of layers are provided outside the inner liner including foam material layers, spacer fabrics and breathable membranes, in various orders. Encapsulation technology and waterproofing are used as well. The outer fabric layer is also capable of working with the other layers to promote the transfer of moisture. Frothed foams and flocking with fibers are further characteristics of the present invention. The moisture transfer system is incorporated into a soft boot or skate or as a removable liner for a shell boot. Numerous other modifications and applications are disclosed.

A distributive foot sleeve for relieving pressure in the foot and ankle area of a user when inserted into footgear, such as a ski boot. One or more compartments in the foot sleeve are configured to distribute pressure from areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure during an activity, such as via a gel material in the one or more compartments. The gel material may be formulated to remain viscous at temperatures between about 10 to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit so as to maintain pressure distribution properties in a wide range of operating conditions for footwear.

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.

A wader comprising a body portion and a bootie. The bootie is attached to the body portion. The bootie is comprised of a toe piece, an ankle piece, and a sole piece. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are adhered together to form the bootie. The toe piece has an outside surface, and the toe piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the outside surface. The ankle piece has an inside surface, and the ankle piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the inside surface. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are all comprised of a neoprene material. The raised neoprene area on the inside surface of the ankle piece is configured to wick moisture up and away from the foot of the wearer.

A wader comprising a body portion and a bootie. The bootie is attached to the body portion. The bootie is comprised of a toe piece, an ankle piece, and a sole piece. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are adhered together to form the bootie. The toe piece has an outside surface, and the toe piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the outside surface. The ankle piece has an inside surface, and the ankle piece comprises a raised neoprene area on the inside surface. The toe piece, the ankle piece, and the sole piece are all comprised of a neoprene material. The raised neoprene area on the inside surface of the ankle piece is configured to wick moisture up and away from the foot of the wearer.