A footwear assembly having an upper that comprises a neoprene sock with a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion. The foot portion has heel, vamp and under-foot portions. The leg portion has front shin, side wall, and rear calf-side portions. The upper has a unitary, outer, injection molded layer molded directly onto the foot and shin portions of the neoprene sock, while the sidewall and rear calf-side portions remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer. The injection molded layer encases the foot portion of the neoprene sock. The injection molded layer on the shin portion defines a shin guard portion having a necked down area integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the vamp portion, wherein the shin guard extends upwardly from the necked-down portion in an outwardly diverging shape away from the vamp.

A footwear system is disclosed, which includes a shell having an inner cavity and at least one recessed area offset from an inner surface of the shell, and a chassis having one or more components adapted to protect a user's foot from injury. In one embodiment, the chassis is insertable into the inner cavity of the shell, such that the one or more components of the chassis are securely retained (e.g., permanently affixed) within the at least one recessed area of the shell. Methods of forming the aforementioned footwear system using expandable materials are also disclosed.

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.

An item of footwear comprises an upper adapted to receive a foot of the wearer and having a front-end portion. An outsole forms a bottom surface of the item of footwear, the outsole being single-piece monolithic and having a concave outsole shell receiving in its outsole concavity at least part of the front-end portion. A midsole being single-piece monolithic may be in direct-attach connection between the upper and the outsole, the midsole having a concave midsole shell between the concave outsole shell and the front-end portion, the concave midsole shell receiving in its midsole concavity at least part of the front-end portion. A shock-absorbing pad may be between the concave shell and the front-end portion of the upper, the shock-absorbing pad being made of a material attenuating an impact force by at least 60% in a flat surface impact test, single drop of a 8.5 kg mass, at 1.0 m/s velocity.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper that is attached to the sole structure. The upper defines a cavity that is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The upper is at least partially defined by a textile. The textile includes a first area that is substantially smooth. The first area defines a reference boundary that conforms to the cavity. The textile includes a second area. The second area includes a plurality of projection structures that project away from the reference boundary and outwardly from the cavity at varying heights. The second area includes a plurality of recess structures that recess away from the reference boundary and inwardly toward the cavity. The plurality of projection structures and the plurality of recess structures are in an alternating arrangement across the textile.

The present invention relates to a light safety shoe (1), comprising:an upper (2); a sole (3) made by means of injection molding directly onto said upper (2); a safety toecap (4) placed at the toe of the shoe (1);a anti-puncture sheet (9) housed in said sole (3);a functional insert (7) placed within said sole (3), below said anti-puncture sheet (9). According to the invention, the light safety shoe (1) has, with reference to a European size 42, a weight lower or equal to 400 grams.

A ballet pointe shoe has an upper in which a shank insert and/or an elastic loop can removably and replaceably installed without even partial deconstruction of the ballet pointe shoe. Embodiments may have an upper including a tunnel which may extend beneath a toe box, the tunnel having a mouth which is accessible via the foot compartment and by way of which a shank insert can be installed, removed or replaced. In some embodiments an elastic loop may be routed under a portion of the shank insert extending from the mouth of the tunnel. In some embodiments the tunnel may penetrate a shank body under which an elastic loop may be routed. A shank insert and/or elastic loop may be selected from sets of ones having different characteristics. In some embodiments the toe box and shank body may be included in a monolithic foot supporting structure. In some embodiments a shank insert and/or toe box may be reshaped at any time.

A multi-purpose safety shoe, comprising an upper assembly provided, at the shoe toe, with a safety toe cap and a layered sole associated with the upper assembly. The layered sole comprises a lower layer adapted to come into contact with the ground, an intermediate layer associated with the upper assembly and the lower layer, respectively, and an upper layer. Below the upper layer and in the intermediate layer, exclusively at the rear zone of said multi-purpose safety shoe, is an antifatigue insert made of a material having a resilience greater than 25% and less than 35%. The intermediate layer is made of polyurethane having a resilience greater than 35% and less than 45%.

A skate includes a skate boot with two opposed boot side portions extending from heel and ankle portions to a forward edge of the boot side portions. A forward-most eyelet is the eyelet closest to the forward edge. A toe cap is connected to the skate boot at a front end, and the toe cap has toe cap side portions extending rearwardly to a rear edge of the toe cap disposed forward of the forward-most eyelet. A toe cap extension extends rearwardly from the rear edge of the toe cap and over a portion of the boot side portions defined rearward of the forward edge and below the forward-most eyelet. The toe cap extension engages the portion of the skate boot and allows movement of at least the skate boot rearward of the forward-most eyelet during formation of the skate boot or use thereof.

A method for forming a plate includes attaching a first strand portion to a flexible substrate to form a first layer on the substrate and positioning a second strand portion on the first layer to form a second layer on the first layer in a plurality of discrete regions on the substrate. The method also includes positioning a plurality of traction elements into corresponding cavities formed into a first mold surface and positioning the substrate on the first mold surface to change a shape of the substrate. At least one of heat and pressure is applied to the first strand portion, the second strand portion, the substrate, and the traction elements to conform the substrate to the shape of the first mold surface and form the traction elements into the substrate at each of the discrete regions. The method also includes incorporating the substrate into an article of footwear.