Certain exemplary embodiments provide a tightening system for shoelaces. The tightening system contains a tightener inset in the body of a shoe, a hinge coupled to a tightener, an appendage coupled to the tightener via the hinge, in which the appendage can go in and out of the body of the shoe via the hinge so that it can be inset in the rear body of the shoe and not protruding when the user is not loosening or tightening the shoelaces, and the appendage can protrude from the shoe when not secured into place so that a user can use the appendage to engage with each of the pair of shoelaces; and responsive to an action of a user, cause each of the pair of shoelaces to be loosened and tightened.

A fastening device is provided. The fastening device includes a case, a spool, a knob and a locking unit. When the knob is rotated relative to the case in a fastening direction, the spool is not affected by the locking unit and is allowed to rotate in the fastening direction for fastening the lace. When the knob is rotated relative to the case in a loosening direction, the spool is allowed to freely rotate in the loosening direction to release the lace. As the knob is engaged with the housing via an engagement between the mounted portion and the engaged portion, the housing, the locking unit, the knob and the spool are combined and restricted.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure comprising a midsole, an upper attached to the sole structure, and an adaptive actuation system coupled to the upper. The adaptive actuation system includes a cable configured to compress a portion of the upper in response to movement of at least one of the sole structure or the upper by the user.

A fastening device includes a case, a spool and a knob. The case includes a housing and a base. The housing includes a receiving space and two side holes communicated with the receiving space. The base is detachably connected to the housing. The base includes a continuous wall, and the continuous wall surrounds a lower edge of the housing after the base is connected to the housing. The spool is received in the receiving space and configured for a lace passing through the side holes to be wound therearound. The knob is disposed on the case. Rotating the knob relative to the case in a fastening direction causes the spool to rotate in the fastening direction for fastening the lace.

Sport boots have an outer shell and an ankle compression system attached to and positioned within the outer shell to apply selective compressive force against an anterior ankle portion of a person's foot when wearing the boot. The ankle compression system includes an ankle compression member positioned forwardly adjacent to the anterior ankle portion and at least one medial positioning band having a lower terminal end immovably fixed to a medial edge portion of the strobel and having an opposite end operatively associated with the ankle compression member. An adjustment lace is connected to the ankle compression member and is operatively connected to a tightening member positioned on a lateral side of the outer shell so that operation of the tightening causes the adjustment lace to forcibly draw the ankle compression member toward and exert a selective compressive force against the anterior ankle portion of the person's foot.

Sport boots have an outer shell and an ankle compression system attached to and positioned within the outer shell to apply selective compressive force against an anterior ankle portion of a person's foot when wearing the boot. The ankle compression system includes an ankle compression member positioned forwardly adjacent to the anterior ankle portion and at least one medial positioning band having a lower terminal end immovably fixed to a medial edge portion of the strobel and having an opposite end operatively associated with the ankle compression member. An adjustment lace is connected to the ankle compression member and is operatively connected to a tightening member positioned on a lateral side of the outer shell so that operation of the tightening causes the adjustment lace to forcibly draw the ankle compression member toward and exert a selective compressive force against the anterior ankle portion of the person's foot.

Disclosed is a closure system used in combination in any of a variety of applications including clothing, for example as a footwear lacing system comprising a lace attached to a tightening mechanism. The lace extends through a series of guide members positioned along two opposing footwear closure portions. The lace and guides preferably have low friction surfaces to facilitate sliding of the lace along the guide members so that the lace evenly distributes tension across the footwear member. The tightening mechanism allows incremental adjustment of the tension of the lace. The closure system allows a user to quickly loosen the lace and inhibits unintentional and/or accidental loosing of the lace.

A lacing system for an article may include a tensioning mechanism, a plurality of guide members, and a lace that is operationally coupled with the tensioning mechanism and that is routed along a lace path of the article via the plurality of guide members. The lace is routed along the lace path so that a first portion of the lace is routed directly from the tensioning mechanism to a top end of the lace path and so that a second portion of the lace is routed directly from the tensioning mechanism to a position that is adjacent a bottom end of the lace path. Tensioning of the lace, via the tensioning mechanism, causes the top end of the lace path and the position adjacent the bottom end of the lace path to be initially tensioned.

A lace tensioning device includes a housing component having an interior region, a first aperture, and a second aperture, and a spool component that is rotatably positionable within the interior region of the housing component. The spool component has a central cylindrical member and a lumen that extends through the central cylindrical portion. The spool component is rotatable within the interior region of the housing component to align one end of the lumen with the first aperture and to align an opposite end of the lumen with the second aperture to enable a lace to be inserted through the first aperture, the lumen, and the second aperture so that opposing ends of the lace are positioned exterior to the housing component. A knot may then be tied in the lace and the lace retracted to couple the lace with the housing component and spool component.

An article of footwear includes an intermediate covering portion with an adjustable volume. The intermediate covering portion is closed around the instep of the foot. The article also includes a tensioning system that can be used to change the volume of the intermediate covering portion. The tensioning system includes a tension balancing member to balance loads across different portions of the intermediate covering portion.