A rapid-entry and rebounding fit shoe having one or both of a rapid-entry heel element and a rapid-entry tongue element and both snap back for fit. The rapid-entry shoe directs a user's foot into or otherwise accommodates a user's foot with respect to, a shoe opening, and thereafter secures a rear portion of rapid-entry shoe about a user's heel as well as forefoot.

The shoe for bicycle competition, with a first member having a convex portion projecting on the bottom with the mounting surface to which a cleat is mounted for position adjustment, covering the heel, the side, and the sole of the feet integrally, the cleat for fixing to a bicycle pedal detachable, and the second member covering the sole to close the opening located on the opposite side of the convex portion. The first member forms an undercut shape with its lateral width narrower upward for the heel of the foot only to move forward, and the third member and the first member share the overlapping portion at least on the side surface of the foot, and by tightening the third member, be integrated by deformation and friction to form a monocoque structure.

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.

An upper for an article of footwear includes a first upper panel, a second upper panel, and an extruded component. The extruded component is disposed along a border between the first upper panel and the second upper panel. The extruded component joins the first upper panel to the second upper panel.

Systems and processes for thermoforming an article are disclosed. The system can include a first heating station that can include a first heating zone and a second heating zone. The system can further include a first cooling station for reducing the temperature of the heated article to a range of about 50 C. to about 70 C. while exposing the article to atmospheric pressure. The system can also include a second cooling station that can expose an article to a pressure above atmospheric pressure.

A footwear article includes a footwear upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region and defining an ankle opening, the footwear upper including an ankle collar at the ankle opening. The footwear article has a sole structure secured to the footwear upper and underlying the foot-receiving cavity, the sole structure including a strobel and a midsole. The footwear article including a collar support disposed inward of an exterior layer of the footwear upper at the heel region, and extending from the sole structure to the ankle opening. The ankle collar is movable from a raised state positioned farther from the sole to a lowered state positioned closer to the sole during donning, and wherein the collar support has a shoehorn structure operable to move a portion of the ankle collar rearward in a longitudinal direction as the ankle collar moves from the raised state to the lowered state.

A footwear article includes a heel structure that returns an ankle collar from a second state that is conducive to donning up to a first state that secures the wearer's foot during wear. The footwear article includes an upper having a foot insertion opening. The foot-insertion opening defines a first circumference when the heel structure is in the first state, and wherein the heel structure expands the foot-insertion opening to a second circumference when the heel structure is in the second state, such that the second circumference is larger than the first circumference.

In general, certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide an augmented heel cup protective insert device for shoes. The insert device includes a posterior segment corresponding to the curvature of a heel of a shoe. The device also includes a medial wing, a medial parabolic formation that extends in a direction from top to bottom of the device, an inferior segment, and an angulated segment to meet the beginning of the edge of the heel on the medial side of the shoe.

A footwear assembly with an insole assembly having a heel insole board above a midsole and a bifit insole board, which has a heel portion that is stiffer than a forefoot portion. The bottom edge flanges of the upper wrap around the sides of the bifit insole board's heel portion and arch portion rearward of an attachment transition area. At least a portion of the flanges are adhered between the bifit insole board and the heel insole board. The upper's flanges are positioned adjacent to sides of the bifit insole board's forefoot portion and arch portion forward of the attachment transition area without wrapping under the bifit insole board. The upper's flanges are stitched to a top or edge of the bifit insole board's forefoot portion and arch portion forward of the attachment transition area.

An article of footwear having a heel region with a posterior end of the article of footwear, a mid-foot region, and a forefoot region with an anterior end of the article of footwear. The article of footwear also having a lateral side, and a medial side opposite the lateral side; an upper; a sole structure, the sole structure coupled to the upper, and wherein the sole structure has; a midsole having a first cushioning element extending from the posterior end to the anterior end. The article of footwear also having a heel clip disposed adjacent to the first cushioning element in the heel region.