An article of footwear comprises an upper defining an interior void, a sole structure attached to the upper, a cable attached to the upper and moveable in a tightening direction to decrease a volume of the interior void of the upper and in a loosening direction to increase a volume of the interior void of the upper, and a locking device operable between a locked state to prevent movement of the cable and an unlocked state to permit movement of the cable, the locking having a housing attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving the cable therethrough. The housing includes a pulley rotatably disposed therein, whereby the pulley is engaged by the cable and configured cooperate with the housing to provide audible or tactile feedback when the pulley is rotated by cable.

Presented are intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with controller-automated features, methods for making/operating such footwear and apparel, and control systems for executing automated features of such footwear and apparel. A method for operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes receiving, e.g., via a controller through a wireless communications device from a GPS satellite service, location data of a user. The controller also receives, e.g., from a backend server-class computer or other remote computing node, location data for a target object or site, such as a virtual shoe hidden at a virtual spot. The controller retrieves or predicts path plan data including a derived route for traversing from the user's location to the target's location within a geographic area. The controller then transmits command signals to a navigation alert system mounted to the IES's shoe structure to output visual, audio, and/or tactile cues that guide the user along the derived route.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for convenient tightening and loosening of strings such as those found in shoelaces of footwear. The apparatus includes a rotating portion within a base portion. A cover portion, when operated in a first position, provides a ratchet movement that allows rotation in a tightening direction while preventing movement in a loosening direction. When the cover is moved to a second position, the ratchet mechanism disengages, and the strings can then be easily loosened.

A tensioning system for use with an article of footwear includes a pulley assembly. The pulley assembly may include a first disc and a second disc connected by a central shaft. A tensioning element can be engaged around the central shaft. A ring element can be used to prevent the tensioning element from disengaging the pulley when there is slack in the tensioning element. The pulley assembly can include a guide portion that guides a tensioning member so as to restrict the entry angle of segments of the tensioning member.

An article of footwear and related method includes a midsole, an upper secured with respect to the midsole, and a lace extending across the upper, the lace having a securing member, a first segment of the lace having a first apparent length and a second segment of the lace, separated from the first segment by the securing member, having a second apparent length. A motorized lacing system is configured to engage with the lace to increase and decrease tension on the lace. The motorized lacing system includes a motor and a spool, coupled to the motor, configured to spool and unspool the lace, the spool having a plurality of notches, each of the plurality of notches configured to seat the securing member, wherein the first apparent length and the second apparent length is adjustable based on which of the plurality of notches the securing member is seated in.

A reel based closure device includes a housing, a tension member, a spool that is rotatably positioned within the housing, and a tightening component that is positioned axially above the spool and that is operably coupled therewith so that an operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the housing to wind the tension member about the spool. The reel based closure device also includes a coupling component that is separate from the tension member and that frictionally engages with a distal end of the tension member so that the coupling component is removably fixed to the tension member. The spool component includes a coupling feature within which the coupling component is positioned to attach the tension member to the spool.

An article of footwear and related method includes a midsole, an upper secured with respect to the midsole and forming a throat, and a plurality of laces extending across the throat of the upper. A motorized lacing system is positioned within the midsole and is configured to engage with a primary lace to increase and decrease tension on the primary lace. The motorized lacing system includes a motor, a lace spool, operatively coupled to the motor, configured to spool and unspool the primary lace based, and an elongate spool, the primary lace coupled to the elongate spool, configured to spool and unspool the plurality of laces based on operation of the motor and via the primary lace, each of the plurality of laces spaced along the elongate spool from one another.

A latching system used for a rotary closure of a shoe.

A tensioning system for use with an article of footwear includes a pulley assembly. The pulley assembly may include a first disc and a second disc connected by a central shaft. A tensioning element can be engaged around the central shaft. A ring element can be used to prevent the tensioning element from disengaging the pulley when there is slack in the tensioning element. The pulley assembly can include a guide portion that guides a tensioning member so as to restrict the entry angle of segments of the tensioning member.

To enhance ease of assembly and durability, the present invention provides a wire tightening apparatus including: a bottom part provided with an accommodation groove at an upper surface portion thereof; a reel part rotatably inserted into the accommodation groove and allowing a wire to be selectively wound thereon during rotation; a housing part including a fixing barrier part, a lower end portion of which is fixed to the accommodation groove, an extension part extending inward in a radial direction along an inner circumference of the fixing barrier part to cover the reel part and provided with a hollow-type support tube part at a central portion thereof, and an elastic blade portion positioned at an upper portion of the extension part and provided with a ratchet coupling part at an end portion thereof; a vertically moving gear part provided with a ratchet gear protruding from an inner circumference thereof so that one-way rotation thereof is restricted by the ratchet coupling part; and a cover part coupled to an upper portion of the vertically moving gear part to move upward or downward and rotate in an integrated manner and provided, at a lower surface portion thereof, with a lifting protrusion guided along the support tube part to be coupled to an upper surface portion of the reel part when moving downward.