Safety footwear configured to provide protection to the instep region and/or metatarsals of a wearer. The footwear includes a metatarsal guard having a rigid central spine, multiple ridge elements that extend transversely to the spine across an instep of the footwear, and a cushion element joined with the central spine that extends outward under the multiple ridge elements. The ridge elements are raised to deflect impact forces imparted on the metatarsal guard and the cushion element provides enhanced cushioning to a foot of a wearer of the footwear. With these constructions, the footwear remains flexible enough to provide enhanced mobility to a wearer.

An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly configured to provide broad base structural support and stability to a wearer's foot to promote pain prevention in the wearer. The footwear can include a midsole including a stability bridge that enhances torsional rigidity in an arch region, a bifurcated rigid central shank disposed in the arch region under the stability bridge that is visible to a viewer of the footwear and an outsole disposed below the midsole and the bifurcated central shank. The outsole can include a ladder tread section, disposed below the bifurcated central shank, that less than 5 mm above a lowermost surface of the remainder of the outsole so that the outsole includes a substantially flat ground contacting surface to promote stability. The outsole also can include an upwardly curved rearmost heel strike tread, and heel and/or forefoot impact absorption comfort pods in associated midsole voids.

A microcellular shoe stiffener has at least one adhesive layer coextruded with and carried on a stiffener core. A liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, 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 with out significantly reducing stiffness and resiliency.

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.

When dancing en pointe, the wearer's weight is typically supported by their toes. Pointe shoes, including a shank and a toe box, are worn to support the wearer's toes. However, the wearer's weight is mainly supported by their toes when dancing en pointe. A pointe shoe (100) is provided including a two-part fastener (110, 210) for adhering the wearer's heel and/or arch region of their foot to the shank (130) of the pointe shoe. In this way, when dancing en pointe, at least some of the wearer's weight is transferred to the toe box via the two-part fastener and the shank, such that pressure on their toes (320) is reduced.

A footwear article is provided having an upper and a wear guard arranged across a vamp of the upper. In one embodiment, the wear guard is configured with a grid pattern of raised articulations extends entirely across a width of the vamp. In another embodiment, the footwear article also include a heel guard positioned above a heel region of the upper. In yet another embodiment, a tab may be coupled to the heel guard.

An article of footwear including an upper and a sole assembly configured to provide broad base structural support and stability to a wearer's foot to promote pain prevention in the wearer. The footwear can include a midsole including a stability bridge that enhances torsional rigidity in an arch region, a bifurcated rigid central shank disposed in the arch region under the stability bridge that is visible to a viewer of the footwear and an outsole disposed below the midsole and the bifurcated central shank. The outsole can include a ladder tread section, disposed below the bifurcated central shank, that less than 5 mm above a lowermost surface of the remainder of the outsole so that the outsole includes a substantially flat ground contacting surface to promote stability. The outsole also can include an upwardly curved rearmost heel strike tread, and heel and/or forefoot impact absorption comfort pods in associated midsole voids.

The present technology relates generally to a footwear assembly and method of manufacturing said footwear assembly. The footwear assembly includes an outsole and an upper connected to the outsole, where the upper includes a neoprene sock, a vulcanized rubber layer, and an injection molded layer. The neoprene sock is a full-foot neoprene sock having a foot portion that is configured to receive a wearer's foot. The vulcanized rubber layer fully covers a vamp portion, heel portion, toe portion, and ankle portion of the neoprene sock while only covering some of an underfoot portion. The injection molded layer is formed over a portion of the vulcanized rubber layer and completely covers the underfoot portion of the neoprene sock.

System and methods for managing compliance of a wearer of apparel are disclosed. One method includes receiving an identifier associated with a toe cap for footwear; receiving, via radio frequency, characteristic information associated with the toe cap for footwear; determining a compliance of the toe cap based at least on the identifier and the characteristic information; and providing a response to a wearer of the footwear based at least upon the determination of the compliance.

Footwear is provided including a protective toe element in the form of a rigid protective toe guard nested in a recess defined by a sole component so that the toe guard is of a low profile and has an at least partially closed bottom which cleanly transitions to an upper surface of the sole component. The footwear and its components provide impact and crushing force resistance, yet the footwear is low profiled and flexible enough to provide enhanced mobility and comfort to a wearer.