A method of customizing a boot, for example a skate boot, includes generating a tridimensional digital representation of a wearer's foot using numerical data obtained by scanning the wearer's foot. A boot with a foot size corresponding generally to a foot length of the wearer's foot is selected. A core is also selected. The core, a medial side insert and a lateral side insert are inserted into an internal space of the boot such that the medial side insert and the lateral side insert straddle the core. The medial side insert and the lateral side insert are manufactured based on the tridimensional shape of the foot. At least a portion of the boot is then heated such that the boot is thermoformed to follow surfaces of the medial and lateral side inserts. The core, the medial side insert and the lateral side insert are then removed from the boot.

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 ski boot, comprising a ski boot shell and a ski boot sole, wherein the ski boot sole comprises a front end of the ski boot sole, a rear end of the ski boot sole, a lower side of the sole and a free upper side of the sole via which the ski boot sole protrudes forwards, backwards and/or laterally beyond the ski boot shell, wherein the lower side of the sole comprises a first bearing region for placing upright on a bearing plate of a ski binding, and a second bearing region for walking without skis, wherein a width of the ski boot sole in the second bearing region is larger than a width of the ski boot sole in the first bearing region.

A locking and unlocking device includes an actuation element and a lock and a rear deflector. The actuation element is mobile between a first position and a second position, controlling the position of the lock and the position of the rear deflector such that in the first position, the lock occupies a locking position to block an upper cuff in rotation relative to a shell base, and the rear deflector occupies a low position to close a cut-out at the rear of a shell base; and in the second position, the lock occupies an unlocking position to release the rotation of an upper cuff relative to a shell base, and the rear deflector occupies a high position to open up at least partly a cut-out at the rear of a shell base, in order to increase the amplitude of flexure of a lower leg in a sports boot.

A functional shoe includes a sole, a functional part to provide a specific function to the functional shoe, a fixing part provided to fix the functional part; and a coupling part provided to be coupled to the fixing part, and directly or indirectly coupled to the sole, at an opposite side to a side coupled to the fixing part. The fixing part includes a fixing body provided to be coupled to the functional part, and a leg member formed to extend from the fixing body in a reference direction which is a direction facing the sole from the fixing body. The coupling part includes an insertion slot provided inside the coupling part to be open in a direction opposite to the reference direction such that the leg member is inserted into the insertion slot.

The invention provides a shell including a left portion and a right portion which are able to switch between a translation open state in which they are separated from each other by a distance and a closed state in which they are closed with each other, wherein in the translation open state, the left portion and the right portion are able to pivot relative to each other, wherein the shell also includes a locking mechanism and a separation bias device, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to keep the shell in the closed state and is able to be released so as to allow the shell to be placed in the translation open state, and wherein the separation bias device is configured to bias the left portion and the right portion toward the translation open state.

A sports shoe includes a shell formed of a first shell portion and of a second shell portion, distinct from each other and adapted to be assembled together. The first shell portion includes a first peripheral rim edge and the second shell portion includes a second peripheral rim edge including, respectively, a first joining rim portion and a second joining rim portion adapted to be coupled together. Specifically, the first joining rim portion includes at least a joining channel adapted to cooperate with a corresponding at least a joining projection included in the second joining rim portion. The joining channel and the corresponding joining projection are fixable to each other by means of heat welding.

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 skate boot includes a boot shell having first and second opposite side portions cooperating to define a foot receiving opening therebetween. The first and second side portions have a facing portion extending from the foot receiving opening. A band having a first end portion is received in the boot shell and attached to the boot shell at or adjacent the second side portion. The band extends across an interior of the boot shell and is slidingly received through an opening defined in the first side portion so as to have a second end portion of the band extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion of the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace.

The invention provides a shell including a left portion and a right portion which are able to switch between a translation open state in which they are separated from each other by a distance and a closed state in which they are closed with each other, wherein in the translation open state, the left portion and the right portion are able to pivot relative to each other, wherein the shell also includes a locking mechanism and a separation bias device, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to keep the shell in the closed state and is able to be released so as to allow the shell to be placed in the translation open state, and wherein the separation bias device is configured to bias the left portion and the right portion toward the translation open state.