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 skate boot comprising an outer shell including medial and lateral side portions for facing the medial and lateral sides of the foot. Each of the medial and lateral side portions has an upper edge. The skate boot also comprises a lace member mounted to either of the upper edges of the medial and lateral side portions. The lace member has at least one opening for receiving an insert. The lace member has a first flexion mode when no insert is received in the at least one opening and a second flexion mode when the insert is received in the at least one opening. The second flexion mode is different from the first flexion mode.

A skate boot shell including a tridimensional outer sub-shell made of a first material, the outer sub-shell including a first sole portion connected to first heel, ankle and side portions; a tridimensional inner sub-shell received within and connected to the outer sub-shell, an outer surface of the inner sub-shell being complementary to an inner surface of the outer sub-shell, the inner sub-shell being made of a second material different from the first material; and a tridimensional reinforcement sub-shell made of a third material different from the first and second materials and bonded inside at least one of the inner and outer sub-shells.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a user (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the user and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot may be constructed by molding (e.g., injection molding) so as to have useful performance and/or characteristics (e.g., reduced weight; enhanced fit, comfort and range of motion; enhanced appearance; etc.) while being cost-effectively manufactured.

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.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate (or other footwear) to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.

A skate includes a boot having a toe portion with a toe portion connector on at least one of its inner and outer surfaces. A tongue is mountable within the boot of the skate. The tongue at its lower end has a pressing member with cooperating first and second segments. The tongue has a tongue connector on at least one of the first and second segments. At least one of the first and second segments is foldable to engage the first segment with the inner surface of the toe portion and the second segment with the outer surface of the toe portion, and to engage the tongue connector with the toe portion connector to removably connect the tongue to the toe portion.

A method of manufacturing a portion of a boot shell for an ice skate that includes preparing a monolithic, two-dimensional pattern of the boot shell; positioning the monolithic, two-dimensional pattern into a three-dimensional preform of the boot shell; installing the three-dimensional preform in a mold; and consolidating the three-dimensional preform in the mold to produce the portion of the boot shell. An article of footwear for use in ice skating comprising a boot shell structured and arranged to accommodate a wearer's foot and having a medial forefoot portion, a lateral forefoot portion, a sole portion, a lateral ankle portion, a medial ankle portion, and a heel portion, the boot shell further comprising (i) a first thermoformable material having a softening point between 40? C. and 100? C., and (ii) a plurality of fibers, at least one of adjacent to or integrated within the first thermoformable material.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate (or other footwear) to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.

A protective cover for an article of footwear can include a first portion covering the top and sides of the footwear and a second portion covering the back of the footwear. The first portion can include locations to receive at least part of a connecting mechanism, and the second portion of the cover can be connected to the first portion of the cover by the connecting mechanism.