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 forefoot region of the plate than at a midfoot 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.

The footwear includes a base having a toe portion, a heel portion opposing the toe portion, a base left and right side, and a bottom surface to engage the ground when worn by a user. The footwear additionally includes a base top surface opposing the base bottom surface, a toe box permanently coupled to the toe portion of the base at the top surface, and a counter permanently coupled to the heel portion of the base at the top surface. The footwear further includes a left and right support structure permanently coupled to the top surface of the base between the toe box and the counter on each side of the base, and a detachable left and right panel configured to detachably connect to the respective left and right support structure.

A toe-cap molding machine has a body, a clamping device and a shoe-tree mount. The body has a base panel, a connecting mount, a clamping cylinder and a shoe-tree cylinder. The clamping device is detachably connected to the body and has two quick-release groups and a mold group. The quick-release groups are securely mounted on the assembling panel, and each has a quick-release mount, a clamping mount and a first spring. The quick-release mount has a releasing hole, a holding pin and a mounting recess. The clamping mount is pressably connected to the quick-release mount and has an engaging block, an elongated hole and an engaging head. The mold group is connected to the quick-release groups and the assembling panel and has two guiding shaft, a limiting panel, two second springs and a clamping mold. The shoe-tree mount is detachably connected to the shoe-tree cylinder below the clamping device.

A ballet pointe shoe has an upper which includes a tunnel having an open mouth by way of which a shank insert can be removably and replaceably installed in the tunnel. The tunnel may extend into at least a portion of the base of the toe box of the shoe. The mouth of the tunnel may be revealably concealed beneath an insole and may be accessed via the throat and foot compartment of the upper for installing, removing or replacing a shank insert without even partial deconstruction of the shoe. The shank insert may be one selected from a set of shank inserts which includes ones having different flexural rigidity profiles. An elastic loop may be routed-under a portion of the shank insert extending from the mouth of the tunnel or under a ledge which may be disposed beneath the insole and extends rearward of the mouth. In some embodiments a lower portion of said elastic loop may be releaseably captured between the ledge and a rear portion of said shank insert. In some embodiments a shank insert and/or the toe box may be thermally reshaped.

A protective shoe comprises an upper for receiving a shoe wearer's foot, a sole arrangement connected to the upper, and a toe cap (2), and also at least one connecting and indicating arrangement (26, 27), which, in the original, integral state, indicates an integrity of the protective shoe, and, when the protective shoe is at least partially dismantled, indicates the dismantling of the protective shoe.

A toe cap structured and arranged to accommodate toes and a portion of an instep of a wearer and to passively warm the toes and portion of the instep, the toe cap including a first portion having plural layers of a first material (e.g., Mylar, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET), and combinations thereof) and a second portion having plural layers of the first material and fixedly attached to the first portion, such that an opening for accommodating the wearer's toes and portion of the instep is formed. In some applications the toe cap may also include a second material that is encapsulated between the plural layers of the first portion and/or between the plural layers of the second portion.

A method is provided for making a microcellular shoe stiffener has first and second adhesive layers coextruded on opposite first and second surfaces of a stiffener core. The stiffener core may include a recycled polymeric material. Nitrogen in a supercritical fluid state is introduced into the extruder for the stiffener core to produce a closed cell foam with a gaseous component. The gas reduces the weight and cost of the stiffener without significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a knitted component. The knitted component may have a forefoot portion with a top layer and a bottom layer, where a void is formed between the top layer and the bottom layer, and where the top layer is secured to the bottom layer via at least one common knit structure. A heel area may extend from the bottom layer of the forefoot portion in a longitudinal direction and may be secured to the bottom layer of the forefoot portion via at least one common knit structure. At least one extension may extend from the heel area in a second direction, the second direction being different than the longitudinal direction.

A footwear article is provided comprising a wear guard, wherein the wear guard includes bellows. In at least one example, the bellows are spaced away from a toe of the footwear article. In one or more examples, the bellows extend along an edge of a lacing structure of the footwear article. Additionally or alternatively, the bellows may be positioned adjacent to a tongue of the footwear article.