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 protector for protecting a skate (e.g., an ice skate) and a foot of a user (e.g., a hockey player) against impacts, such as from pucks (e.g., during shots, which can be powerful), to reduce risks of pain or injury from such impacts, in which the protector is fastenable to the skate, is configured to cover at least part of a skate boot of the skate, and may be designed to facilitate its use, including by facilitating the user donning (i.e., putting on) and doffing (i.e., removing) the skate (e.g., while the protector is fastened to the skate boot), and/or to look like the skate boot (e.g., so as to be relatively unnoticeable such that it can seem as if it is not there).

A figure skating boot has a monocoque structure formed of monocoque material including a sole portion to receive the foot thereon, inner and outer side wall portions, a heel cup portion about the heel, two ankle portions extending over the ankles, and front and rear mounting surfaces below the sole portion for connection to front and rear ends of a mounting frame, for example the mounting frame of a skate blade. A heel member is formed separately from the boot and is supported by the monocoque material to extend downwardly from the heel end of the sole portion so that the rear mounting surface is at the bottom of the heel member. Each ankle portion is joined to the respective side wall portion by a relief junction enabling the ankle portions of the monocoque structure to be flexed relative to the side wall portions of the monocoque structure.

Articles of sports equipment, such as striking implements (e.g., sticks) and wearable articles (e.g., skates, helmets) for playing hockey or other activities, in which at least one of the characteristics (e.g., stiffness) of the articles of sports equipment is adaptable and can be altered during use of the sports equipment, such as by comprising an alterable component coupled to a controller, by comprising an alterable component that is autonomously alterable, and/or by an alterable component that can be altered in response to a command of a remote device.

A skate including a tongue mounted to a boot of the skate. The tongue has an upper end and a lower end, and a medial edge and a lateral edge, and a longitudinal center axis of the tongue extends between the upper and lower ends and is spaced equidistantly between segments of the medial and lateral edges. The longitudinal center axis divides the tongue into a medial segment and a lateral segment. The medial and lateral segments are asymmetrical about the longitudinal center axis.

A weight for attachment to a piece of footwear includes a first weighted member having a plurality of holes arranged along a length of the weighted member and extending between a first face of the weighted member and a second face of the weighted member. A channel extends between a perimeter of one of the plurality of holes and a perimeter of the weighted member.

An athletic skate body has an integrated leather vamp main body, a heel accessory piece, multiple strengthening pieces, a tongue, a shoe lining, an inner board, and a sole. The integrated leather vamp main body has a seamless toe box surface portion and a first lateral surface portion and a second lateral surface portion extending rearward from two sides of the toe box surface portion. The first and the second lateral surface portions are sewed with a heel accessory piece and thus a heel portion is formed. With the seamless toe box surface portion, strength of a head portion of the athletic skate body is enhanced, and a vamp base can be cut into shape by automation equipment. Thus, with the plane and integral vamp base attached with multiple strengthening pieces precisely, the manpower is saved and the quality of the athletic skate body is improved.

A boot form for a hockey skate is made of multiple plastic materials having different hardness properties, or different flexural moduli, and is formed via an injection-molding process or another similar process. One or more of the plastic materials may be reinforced with fibers of glass, carbon, aramid, or another stiffening material to strengthen one or more regions of the boot form. For example, pellets of a first plastic material having a flexural modulus of approximately 190 MPa (e.g., a polyamide elastomer block amide) may be injected into a mold to form a softer upper region of the boot form. And pellets of a second plastic having a flexural modulus of approximately 20,000 MPa (e.g., a Nylon 12 with long glass fibers) may be injected into the mold to form a stiffer lower region of the boot form. Additional skate components may then be attached to the boot form.

Disclosed is a closure system used in combination in any of a variety of applications including clothing, for example as a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace extends through a series of guide members positioned along two opposing footwear closure portions. The lace and guides preferably have low friction surfaces to facilitate sliding of the lace along the guide members so that the lace evenly distributes tension across the footwear member. The tightening mechanism allows incremental adjustment of the tension of the lace. The closure system allows a user to quickly loosen the lace and inhibits unintentional and/or accidental loosing of the lace.

A skate including a tongue mounted to a boot of the skate. The tongue has an upper end and a lower end, and a medial edge and a lateral edge, and a longitudinal center axis of the tongue extends between the upper and lower ends and is spaced equidistantly between segments of the medial and lateral edges. The longitudinal center axis divides the tongue into a medial segment and a lateral segment. The medial and lateral segments are asymmetrical about the longitudinal center axis.