Sports shoe including an outer sole assembly that includes a damping layer extending over substantially the entire length of the outer sole assembly, as well as an upper fixed to the outer sole assembly. The upper includes an envelope configured to surround a portion of a wearer's foot, as well as a non-extensible flexible panel fixed to the envelope in the area of a portion of the lateral junction between the upper and the outer sole. The sports shoe further includes a reinforcement that is comprised of a rigid plastic material having a hardness greater than 40 shore D, the reinforcement including a lateral wing fixed to a portion of a lateral side of the damping layer and to an outer surface of the flexible panel.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a throat configured to receive a foot. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure coupled to the upper. The article of footwear further includes a panel having a first side coupled to the upper for movement between an open position and a closed position. The panel exposes a portion of the throat in the open position and covers the portion of the throat in the closed position. The article of footwear also includes a strap having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are disposed on a first side of the upper with a body portion of the strap disposed between the first end and the second end surrounding the upper.

The present shoe and therapy system pertains to a uniquely designed shoe that provides therapeutic benefits to wearers. It includes a fold-down heel portion that is designed to repeatedly fold and straighten such that a wearer may collapse the heel into the interior of the shoe and then wear the shoe while standing on the collapsed heel. The folded down fold-down heel includes a plurality of bumps or ridges positioned to provide acupressure therapy to the wearer when folded down, but the heel may alternately be folded up so that the shoe may be worn in the traditional manner.

An article of footwear has a sole structure including a heel cushioning unit. The heel cushioning unit has a top portion, a bottom portion, a body portion connecting the top portion to the bottom portion, medial support fins in a medial side recess at a medial side of the heel cushioning unit and lateral support fins in a lateral side recess at a lateral side of the heel cushioning unit. Both the medial support fins and the lateral support fins extend transversely outward from the body portion and extend from the top portion to the bottom portion. The heel cushioning unit defines a through hole extending from the medial side to the lateral side and disposed rearward of the medial support fins and the lateral support fins. The article of footwear has an outsole with arch portions defining stepped ridges extending lengthwise in a fore-aft direction of the sole structure.

Bladders for footwear uppers, footwear uppers including the bladders, articles of footwear including the bladders, and/or methods of making and using such bladders are described. At least one bladder chamber is provided in the instep and/or tongue area of the upper/article of footwear. In some examples, force applied to the instep based bladder chamber(s) moves fluid to one or more additional bladder chambers located in the arch and/or midfoot areas of the upper/article of footwear, and/or other areas of the wearer’s foot. This movement of fluid increases fluid pressure and/or volume in the arch, midfoot, and/or other areas of the wearer’s foot to provide additional support.

The present invention relates to a shoe, for example a sports shoe, such as a cycling shoe including a sole, an upper constrained to the sole and an insole inserted in the upper or constrained to the open bottom of the upper.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes a cradle having a base extending between the upper and the sole structure, a first sidewall extending from the base and along a first side of the upper, and a second sidewall extending from the base along a second side of the upper, each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall including a plurality of eyelets. The article of footwear further includes a cable operable to move the upper between a relaxed state and a tightened state. The cable including a first strand extending through at least one of the eyelets of the first sidewall and a second strand extending through at least one of the eyelets of the second sidewall.

Describes are support elements for a sole of a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, a sole and a shoe with such a support element, as well as a method for the manufacture of a support element. As examples, the support element includes a first partial member formed of a first material, and a second partial member formed of a second material. The first partial member is mechanically joined to the second partial member in a connection region, wherein the connection region is configured to allow the first partial member to rotate or slide relative to the second partial member. The first partial member, the second partial member, and the connection region can be co-molded and joined together in a single fabricating step.

Embodiments of footwear, in particular, a shoe, sandal or boot, that have the unexpected benefit of reducing the pressure on the plantar surface of the foot while also reducing metabolic demand of walking while also gait speed and improving walking, running, hiking, as well as jumping, hopping, and other motion involving the ankle, lower leg and Achilles tendon, through integration of force-carrying mechanisms within footwear that manage the forces and energy associated with such motion by productively harvesting and storing energy during dorsiflexion motion and releasing and returning energy during plantar flexion and limiting range of motion that conduce towards ankle inversion and eversion. Such footwear may comprise a yoke connected to footwear at a pivot region in parallel to the axis of rotation of the ankle and a tension spring region suspended between the yoke and the posterior portion of the footwear sidewalls or sole.

Embodiments of footwear, in particular, a shoe, sandal or boot, may reduce the effort and improve the performance of walking, running, hiking, as well as jumping, hopping, and other motion involving the ankle, lower leg and Achilles tendon, through integration of force-carrying mechanisms within footwear that manage the forces and energy associated with such motion by productively harvesting and storing energy during dorsiflexion motion and releasing and returning energy during plantar flexion and limiting range of motion that conduce towards ankle inversion and eversion. Such footwear may comprise a yoke connected to footwear at a pivot region in parallel to the axis of rotation of the ankle and a tension spring region suspended between the yoke and the heel counter.