A decoration for a shoe element and a method of decorating a shoe element includes the steps of cutting a substrate to correspond to the shape of the shoe element and applying decorative elements to the substrate. Openings are cut in a protective cover to align with areas where the decorative elements are applied to the substrate. The protective cover and the substrate are aligned, including aligning the openings in the protective cover with the decorative elements on the substrate. In the process, the substrate is coupled to the protective cover to form a one piece, and the one piece is coupled to the shoe element. The decoration, once installed on the shoe, includes the substrate under the protective cover with raised decorative elements appearing through the openings.

A smart shoe has a height-adjustable heel having a plurality of co-axially oriented, concentric cylindrical wall sections of progressively different diameters comprising a skeleton framework. The wall sections are extendable from a collapsible position wherein the wall sections substantially completely overlap in an axial direction to an extended position wherein the walls sections are extended in an axial direction. Heel height is determined by the number of uncollapsed wall sections. A controller element provides incremental heel height adjustments through the sequential collapse of one wall section at a time starting with the uppermost wall section. The smart shoe includes reversibly expandable components for automatically modifying its width, length, and arch support height to provide an optimal fit of both shoes comprising the pair of smart shoes at every selected heel height.

A smart shoe has a height-adjustable heel having a plurality of co-axially oriented, concentric cylindrical wall sections of progressively different diameters comprising a skeleton framework. The wall sections are extendable from a collapsible position wherein the wall sections substantially completely overlap in an axial direction to an extended position wherein the walls sections are extended in an axial direction. Heel height is determined by the number of uncollapsed wall sections. A controller element provides incremental heel height adjustments through the sequential collapse of one wall section at a time starting with the uppermost wall section. The smart shoe includes reversibly expandable components for automatically modifying its width, length, and arch support height to provide an optimal fit of both shoes comprising the pair of smart shoes at every selected heel height.

A separated prosthetic foot with a transverse arch belongs to the technical field of manufacturing of artificial limbs. The characteristics of the transverse arch of the human foot are combined into the previous transverse-straight carbon fiber foot design to improve the stiffness of the prosthetic foot and reduce the weight of the prosthetic foot. A forefoot part employs a separated curved plate design, and two simple curved plates with different curvatures are used for simulating a complex curved surface of the transverse arch of the human, such that the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the various parts of the sole are non-uniform in stiffness distribution: the outer side of the foot is a single-layer forefoot plate with a smaller curvature and minor stiffness; and the inner side of the foot is a double-layer stacked forefoot plate, and the lower layer plate has a large radius in curvature and stiffness.

A separated prosthetic foot with a transverse arch belongs to the technical field of manufacturing of artificial limbs. The characteristics of the transverse arch of the human foot are combined into the previous transverse-straight carbon fiber foot design to improve the stiffness of the prosthetic foot and reduce the weight of the prosthetic foot. A forefoot part employs a separated curved plate design, and two simple curved plates with different curvatures are used for simulating a complex curved surface of the transverse arch of the human, such that the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the various parts of the sole are non-uniform in stiffness distribution: the outer side of the foot is a single-layer forefoot plate with a smaller curvature and minor stiffness; and the inner side of the foot is a double-layer stacked forefoot plate, and the lower layer plate has a large radius in curvature and stiffness.

A high heel footwear including a heel tip assembly and a heel assembly. The heel tip assembly includes a top lift abutting against the heel, a rigid shaft member having a threaded portion, and a first wedge-lock feature configured to prevent the top lift from rotating. The heel assembly includes a threaded insert, a spring, a hollow insert, and a second wedge-lock feature. The threaded insert is received inside an opening formed in the heel to receive the threaded portion of the rigid shaft member. The spring is also received inside the opening and abuts against the threaded insert. The hollow insert abuts against the spring. The rigid shaft member passes through the threaded insert, the spring, and the hollow insert. The second wedge-lock feature locks with the first wedge-lock feature to retain the top lift on the end of the heel. A cutout feature in the heel tip cooperates with the shaft member to lock the two together and allow the heel tip to be replaced without removing the shaft member.

A high heel footwear including a heel tip assembly and a heel assembly. The heel tip assembly includes a top lift abutting against the heel, a rigid shaft member having a threaded portion, and a first wedge-lock feature configured to prevent the top lift from rotating. The heel assembly includes a threaded insert, a spring, a hollow insert, and a second wedge-lock feature. The threaded insert is received inside an opening formed in the heel to receive the threaded portion of the rigid shaft member. The spring is also received inside the opening and abuts against the threaded insert. The hollow insert abuts against the spring. The rigid shaft member passes through the threaded insert, the spring, and the hollow insert. The second wedge-lock feature locks with the first wedge-lock feature to retain the top lift on the end of the heel. A cutout feature in the heel tip cooperates with the shaft member to lock the two together and allow the heel tip to be replaced without removing the shaft member.

A rapid-entry shoe allows the shoe to be rapidly entered and readied for wearing by the user. The shoe may be any of a wide variety of shoe types, including shoes of a wide variety of styles and functions. The rapid entry features of the shoes utilize various movable elements that are attached to a sole portion or other portion of the shoe and allow movement of a portion of the shoe under pressure to allow rapid entry of the user's foot into the shoe. The moveable elements may include flexible elements, elements having constructed to have a memory of a native position, magnetic elements, and/or elastic elements

Footwear with a reflective strip low on the heel and visible through the outsole. The reflective strip is a strip of reflective material attached horizontally to the back and, optionally, the lateral side of the footbed heel cup, positioned low on the heel cup. Optionally, the reflective strip fits into a depression in the heel cup. The reflective strip is attached to the heel cup either permanently or removably. The outsole heel and lateral side has one or more window cutouts through which the reflective strip is visible. The reflective strip is visible through the heel counter because the heel counter is either transparent, with or without raised sections filling the outsole window cutouts or has a cutout with an optional sheet of transparent protective material outside of the heel counter.

Footwear with a reflective strip low on the heel and visible through the outsole. The reflective strip is a strip of reflective material attached horizontally to the back and, optionally, the lateral side of the footbed heel cup, positioned low on the heel cup. Optionally, the reflective strip fits into a depression in the heel cup. The reflective strip is attached to the heel cup either permanently or removably. The outsole heel and lateral side has one or more window cutouts through which the reflective strip is visible. The reflective strip is visible through the heel counter because the heel counter is either transparent, with or without raised sections filling the outsole window cutouts or has a cutout with an optional sheet of transparent protective material outside of the heel counter.