The invention is an article of footwear incorporating insulation material, such as a low bulk insulation material, to provide warmth in cold weather, yet with the style, agility, and breathability of a typical conventional shoe or boot. Additionally, in a further embodiment, the invention includes these features in a shoe or boot which is also waterproof and breathable. These aspects of the present invention are achieved through a placement, or mapping, of low bulk insulation to maximize the footwear article attributes of warmth, style, agility, and breathability.

A footwear article is provided comprising a wear guard coupled to a lining of the footwear article. In at least one example, the wear guard may include bellows. The wear guard may be coupled to the footwear article via one or more of stitching and an injected connection.

A walking boot and a boot frame. The boot frame can be formed to receive the walking boot. The walking boot can be secured within the boot frame via one or more buckles. The walking boot can have an externally mounted tongue that can be tensioned via the use of one or more laces and associated tensioning mechanisms. The tongue can be molded to conform to a user's foot and leg while the tensioning mechanisms secure the user's foot and leg within the walking boot. In some embodiments, the boot frame has an open heel to capture the walking boot. In some other embodiments, the boot frame has a rotatable heel configured to pivot away from the toe and receive a heel of the walking boot for easy coupling of the walking boot to the boot frame.

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.

Safety shoes with a ventilation structure are provided. The safety shoes include a toecap on a front inner part, a plurality of longitudinal ventilation holes formed at one side of the toecap, an outer skin with an opening which laterally extends to overlap and communicate with the ventilation hole, the outer skin joined with an outer surface of the toecap, and an inner skin formed of a waterproof and breathable function material and joined with the inside of the opening. Thus, user's feet may be maintained always agreeably.

A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear is disclosed. The method includes applying a first strand portion to a base layer including positioning adjacent segments of the first strand portion to form a first layer on the base layer. The adjacent segments of the first strand portion having a greater density across a width of the plate between a medial side and a lateral side at a midfoot region of the plate than at a forefoot region of the plate and at a heel region of the plate. The method also includes applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first strand portion and to the base layer to conform the first strand portion and the base layer to a predetermined shape.

A method is provided for making footwear utilizing a spray-on material. The method can include spraying a spray-on fabric onto surfaces of a three dimensional last. The last can be produced using additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, based on data corresponding to dimensions and contours of a consumer's foot, and/or preselected aesthetic footwear designs. The spray-on fabric is sprayed onto the surfaces of the last and allowed to cure to form a flexible, non-woven fabric upper. The upper can be removed from the last and turned inside out. With the upper turned inside out, a sole can be joined to the fabric upper to form the footwear.

An upper comprising a flexible layer configured to receive a foot, a bladder coupled to an outer surface of the flexible layer, and an inflation mechanism operatively coupled to the bladder for inflating the bladder such that the flexible layer is drawn toward the foot. The bladder extends from a lateral side in a heel region across a throat region to a medial side in the heel region. The bladder comprises a plurality of fluidly connected segments, each segment forming an angle with an adjacent segment.

A boot includes a boot shell having first and second side portions each including eyelets defined in an instep region thereof and a respective opening through at least one the first side portion in proximity of the eyelets. The boot also includes a band having a first end portion 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 the opening defined in the first side portion so as to have an opposed second end portion extending outside of the boot shell. The second end portion the band defines an aperture for receiving a lace. An opposed second band may be provided, with the bands crossing each other. The boot may be a skate boot. A method of manufacturing a boot is also discussed.

Safety shoes with a ventilation structure are provided. The safety shoes include a toecap on a front inner part, a plurality of longitudinal ventilation holes formed at one side of the toecap, an outer skin with an opening which laterally extends to overlap and communicate with the ventilation hole, the outer skin joined with an outer surface of the toecap, and an inner skin formed of a waterproof and breathable function material and joined with the inside of the opening. Thus, user's feet may be maintained always agreeably.