A heel integration system for a shoe includes an insert configured to be disposed in the shoe and to receive an AFO brace. The insert has a heel portion and an ankle portion. The ankle portion has at least one recess formed on an interior surface thereof. The recess is configured to receive at least one projection of the AFO brace. Advantageously, the heel integration system allows wearers with AFO braces to utilize properly sized shoes. It should be appreciated that the insert provides a predetermined clearance within the shoe for the AFO brace. Additionally, the insert of the heel integration system may militate against damage to the interior of the shoe that may otherwise be caused by friction between the AFO brace and the shoe where the insert is not utilized.

A footwear article includes an asymmetric ankle collar that may expand in a manner that facilitates donning and doffing the footwear article, such as when the wearer slides his or her heel out of the footwear article. The footwear article may also include a collar elevator.

A disposable waterproof bootsock is worn over foot and sock to protect from exposure to liquids, dirt and other contaminants in an environment that can penetrate footwear or reach above the ankle. The bootsock is secured about the wearer's calf and ankle using fasteners that accommodate a range of calf and ankle sizes and allow adjustment to the wearer's desired fit while maintaining the bootsock in position upright. One or more sealed compartments are provided to hold essential supplies.

An article of footwear includes an upper and an adjustable lacing system. The adjustable lacing system includes a plurality of fastener engaging elements located at the medial and lateral sides of the upper, where at least one of the medial side and the lateral side includes sets of fastener engaging elements. Each set of fastener engaging elements is distanced from another set in a direction transverse a lengthwise direction of the upper, and the fastener engaging elements are configured to engage with and retain a fastener structure that extends between the medial and lateral sides of the upper such that the fastener structure can be selectively engaged with different sets of fastener engaging elements to adjust a fit of the upper around a width of the foot disposed within the cavity.

Provided is a joint protection device, including a joint protection body whose longitudinal and horizontal shapes match a shape of a joint, joint protection body being an integrally formed rigid hollow housing with an opened bottom and including a front supporting portion and side supporting portions respectively wrapping a front surface and side surfaces of joint to provide front and side support for joint; at least one notch being provided in a portion, close to a joint movement area, of joint protection body, and dividing joint protection body into a plurality of joint pieces; adjacent joint pieces being connected by two local junctions respectively provided at appropriate positions on two sides of joint protection body, and capable of rotating with local junctions as rotation fulcrums; and when joint pieces rotate around rotation fulcrums to a limiting position, adjacent joint pieces coming into contact with each other and stopping rotating.

A device configured to surround a portion of a foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of an article of footwear includes a control bar having a center segment, a medial side arm extending from the center segment, and a lateral side arm spaced from the medial side arm and extending from the center segment. The device may include an extension extending toward the control bar. At least a portion of the control bar may be elastically deformable under an applied force depressing the control bar toward the extension, and the extension may limit movement of the control bar. The control bar may be adapted to return to an unloaded position upon removal of the applied force.

A shoe includes a sole, an upper and a heel member. The upper is fixed to the sole and configured to cover a foot of a wearer, the upper including a wearing opening. The heel member is disposed on a heel side of the wearing opening of the upper. The heel member includes a guiding portion configured to guide a heel of the wearer toward the wearing opening and a holding portion configured to hold the guiding portion with respect to the upper at least in a vertical direction.

A footwear article includes an upper defining apertures spaced apart from one another in a first arrangement. A heel structure has a deformable element attached to a base. The deformable element has pegs spaced apart from one another in the first arrangement and extending through the apertures in the upper. A method of manufacturing a footwear article includes placing a deformable element between an inner layer and an outer layer of an upper and attaching the deformable element to a rigid base. The deformable element includes at least one peg extending outward toward the outer layer. The method includes inserting the peg through the outer layer so that the peg extends through the outer layer and is exposed at an exterior surface of the outer layer. After inserting the peg of the footwear element through the outer layer of the upper, the peg is secured at the exterior surface of the outer layer.

A shoe includes a sole and an upper. The upper has a knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine. The shoe further includes a lateral stiffening member coupled to the upper in a lateral vamp region a medial stiffening member coupled to the upper in a medial vamp region. The sole has a sole member and a molded chassis. The molded chassis has at least a midfoot region, the midfoot region extending upwardly above a portion of the upper. The lateral stiffening member is spaced from the molded chassis and the sole member and is operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region. The medial stiffening member is spaced from the molded chassis and the sole member and is operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region.

A footwear article is provided comprising an upper and a wear guard. In at least one example, the wear guard may include an overlay formed with bellows positioned along a lacing structure of the footwear article, wherein the wear guard is a different material than the upper of the footwear article.