Strap systems for securing feet into articles of footwear or other foot-receiving devices include one or more strap members formed or engaged together in a continuous path along an upper for an article of footwear or other foot-receiving device. One or more structures for applying a force to the strap member(s) is provided so as to shorten a length of the continuous path and thereby apply tension to the strap member(s). Such strap systems can be arranged so that the strap tightens during plantar flexion or dorsiflexion. Additional aspects of this invention relate to bootie members for supporting such strap systems, upper members or bootie members including such strap systems, and articles of footwear and other foot-receiving devices including such strap systems.

Strap systems for securing feet into articles of footwear or other foot-receiving devices include one or more strap members formed or engaged together in a continuous path along an upper for an article of footwear or other foot-receiving device. One or more structures for applying a force to the strap member(s) is provided so as to shorten a length of the continuous path and thereby apply tension to the strap member(s). Such strap systems can be arranged so that the strap tightens during plantar flexion or dorsiflexion. Additional aspects of this invention relate to bootie members for supporting such strap systems, upper members or bootie members including such strap systems, and articles of footwear and other foot-receiving devices including such strap systems.

Strap systems for securing feet into articles of footwear or other foot-receiving devices include one or more strap members formed or engaged together in a continuous path along an upper for an article of footwear or other foot-receiving device. One or more structures for applying a force to the strap member(s) is provided so as to shorten a length of the continuous path and thereby apply tension to the strap member(s). Such strap systems can be arranged so that the strap tightens during plantar flexion or dorsiflexion. Additional aspects of this invention relate to bootie members for supporting such strap systems, upper members or bootie members including such strap systems, and articles of footwear and other foot-receiving devices including such strap systems.

A liner for sports shoes includes a sole, an upper to which is associable at least one deformable hollow insert, adapted to custom fit the liner to a user's foot. Specifically, in the deformable hollow insert a plastically deformable filler material is injectable at room temperature in a reversible manner by applying an injection pressure of a device. Moreover, the plastically deformable filling material is suitable to be suctioned, at room temperature, with the device from the deformable hollow insert applying a suction pressure.

Provided is an insole design system that can determine design parameters in accordance with set rules and can explain the design parameters in an easy-to-understand manner. The present invention is provided with: a foot dimensions input unit (52) that receives input of the dimensions of the outer shape of a foot; a design parameter input unit (54) that, with respect to the shape of a specific portion of the surface of an insole, receives the input of design parameters determined with the position of a foot bone as a baseline; a bone position estimation unit (56) that, from the dimensions received by the foot dimensions input unit (52), estimates the position of the bone that is the baseline of the design parameters; and a data calculation unit (58) that calculates data for fabricating the shape of the surface of the insole from the design parameters received by the design parameter input unit (54) and the position of the bone estimated by the bone position estimation unit (56).

Provided is an insole design system that can determine design parameters in accordance with set rules and can explain the design parameters in an easy-to-understand manner. The present invention is provided with: a foot dimensions input unit (52) that receives input of the dimensions of the outer shape of a foot; a design parameter input unit (54) that, with respect to the shape of a specific portion of the surface of an insole, receives the input of design parameters determined with the position of a foot bone as a baseline; a bone position estimation unit (56) that, from the dimensions received by the foot dimensions input unit (52), estimates the position of the bone that is the baseline of the design parameters; and a data calculation unit (58) that calculates data for fabricating the shape of the surface of the insole from the design parameters received by the design parameter input unit (54) and the position of the bone estimated by the bone position estimation unit (56).

Orthotics and methods for forming orthotics are described. The orthotics can be designed with a patient-specific design and can include variation in hardness across the orthotic so as to satisfy clinical need. An orthotic can be a custom-designed orthotic formed according to an additive manufacturing process such as a 3-D printing methodology. Through utilization of on-site formation methods such as 3-D printing, an orthotic can be designed, formed and fit at the point of care in a much shorter time period than traditional orthotics. The orthotics can include a layer that includes a plurality of cells across the layer. The layer can exhibit variable hardness across the layer through variation in cell void volume and optionally material of formation across the layer.

Comfort element (1) for a sports shoe innerboot, comprising at least one thermoformable foam having at least two zones of different thickness and forming at least one face of the comfort element with zones (4 to 8) in relief, which is able to form at least part of a layer of the wall of a sports shoe innerboot, characterized in that the product of the thickness times the density of the comfort element (1) differs between these at least two zones of different thickness.

Comfort element (1) for a sports shoe innerboot, comprising at least one thermoformable foam having at least two zones of different thickness and forming at least one face of the comfort element with zones (4 to 8) in relief, which is able to form at least part of a layer of the wall of a sports shoe innerboot, characterized in that the product of the thickness times the density of the comfort element (1) differs between these at least two zones of different thickness.

An article of footwear has a sole with a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, and a heel portion. The sole has a ground-facing side and a foot-facing side opposite the ground-facing side. The article of footwear includes a support system that has one or more rods spaced from the sole and extending longitudinally from the forefoot portion to the heel portion on the foot-facing side. The rod is operatively connected to the sole at the forefoot portion and at the heel portion. A sling is suspended from the rod over the midfoot portion. The rod bends when the sole is flexed to thereby lift the sling away from the sole.