A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a first plate and a second plate both extending longitudinally in a flexion region of the sole structure. The second plate is disposed above the first plate in the flexion region. The second plate has a fixed portion fixed to the first plate, and has a free portion. A coupler is operatively connected to one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate. The coupler is selectably movable transversely relative to the first plate and the second plate between a first position and a second position. The coupler is spaced apart from the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the first position, and operatively engages the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the second position.

A ski boot with removable and interchangeable soles. In one embodiment, the ski boot has a hull with a shaped plate, a sole adapted to be removed from the hull with the sole having a front portion and a back portion that are separated from each other and constrained to the hull via fixing screws. The removable and interchangeable soles allows the ski boot to be configured for specific skiing disciplines and is compatible with ski bindings provided with a plurality of pins integral with the ski that are fitted into corresponding shaped recesses of the hull. The shaped recesses are positioned on the sides of the plate, which is fixedly constrained to the ski boot.

A base is provided for a ski boot comprising a sole and an outsole element that is positioned in a predetermined position relative to a longitudinal axis (L). The outsole element is positioned on the sole by using two projections that are carried by one or other of the sole and the outsole element and that locate in holes or cavities defined by the other. Preferably, the projections are carried by the outsole element and locate in holes or cavities defined by the sole. The projections may be integrally formed with the outsole element or the sole. Alternatively, they may be formed by injected pins, rivets, fasteners, t-nuts, or screws.

A front insert for a ski mountaineering boot has first and second heads, positionable on lateral portions of a front part of the boot, a first housing in the first head, a second housing in the second head, and two contact elements with respective holes for coupling with respective hooking elements of a binding. The housings and respective ones of the contact elements are reciprocally conformed so as to enable the contact elements to displace from internal positions with respect to the housings, towards the outside, so that the contact elements orient with respect to the housings so that the holes can misalign from an alignment axis to maintain the contact with the hooking elements following a rotation of the ski boot with respect to the ski.

Ski boot sole (10), characterized in that it comprises: a plate (11) made of a composite material comprising reinforcing ribs (20); rear (30) and front (40) components extending under the plate (11) and forming gripping tread patterns (35, 45).

A front insert for a ski mountaineering boot has first and second heads, positionable on lateral portions of a front part of the boot, a first housing in the first head, a second housing in the second head, and two contact elements with respective holes for coupling with respective hooking elements of a binding. The housings and respective ones of the contact elements are reciprocally conformed so as to enable the contact elements to displace from internal positions with respect to the housings, towards the outside, so that the contact elements orient with respect to the housings so that the holes can misalign from an alignment axis to maintain the contact with the hooking elements following a rotation of the ski boot with respect to the ski.

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a first plate and a second plate both extending longitudinally in a flexion region of the sole structure. The second plate is disposed above the first plate in the flexion region. The second plate has a fixed portion fixed to the first plate, and has a free portion. A coupler is operatively connected to one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate. The coupler is selectably movable transversely relative to the first plate and the second plate between a first position and a second position. The coupler is spaced apart from the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the first position, and operatively engages the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the second position.

Sole (20) for a sports shoe, notably for a cross-country ski boot, comprising a first component (1) acting as a framework and at least one second component (21) assembled with the first component (1), characterized in that the second component (21) comprises an anterior part (32) extending substantially longitudinally in the anterior part of the sole (20).

A sole structure for an article of footwear comprises a first plate and a second plate both extending longitudinally in a flexion region of the sole structure. The second plate is disposed above the first plate in the flexion region. The second plate has a fixed portion fixed to the first plate, and has a free portion. A coupler is operatively connected to one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate. The coupler is selectably movable transversely relative to the first plate and the second plate between a first position and a second position. The coupler is spaced apart from the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the first position, and operatively engages the other one of the first plate and the free portion of the second plate in the second position.

A ski boot, comprising: a rigid ski boot shell; and a sole of the ski boot which comprises a free upper side, which protrudes forwards in the longitudinal direction of the boot and/or laterally beyond the ski boot shell, and a lower side, wherein the ski boot comprises a front attaching region which co-operates with a front part of a ski binding in order to secure the ski boot, and a front region of the ski boot stands upright on a planar base via the front attaching region, wherein the upper side of the sole exhibits a distance, orthogonally with respect to the base, of at least 25 mm at a front end of the sole of the ski boot, and the upper side of the sole has a distance from the lower side of the sole, measured perpendicular to the base, of 19 mm2 mm at a distance from the front end of the sole, measured in the longitudinal direction, of at least 28 mm, and wherein, with the ski boot standing upright on the base, the lower side of the sole has a distance from the base of at least 5 mm throughout, up to a distance of 40 mm10 mm from the front end of the sole, as measured in the longitudinal direction.