A boot-type orthopedic or sports footwear usable for controlled walking with stiffening for the lower extremities of legs, comprises: a sole provided with a substantially vertical rear positioning element; a first pair of rear half-hulls, each of which is hinged onto the sole and which cover, when in the closed position, an ankle and part of the lower portion of a leg, i.e. the calcaneal-tibial-tarsal zone, of an individual who is wearing the footwear; a second pair of front half-hulls, each of which is hinged onto the sole and which cover, when in the closed position, at least an upper part of a foot of the individual who is wearing the footwear.

A locking and unlocking device includes an actuation element and a lock and a rear deflector. The actuation element is mobile between a first position and a second position, controlling the position of the lock and the position of the rear deflector such that in the first position, the lock occupies a locking position to block an upper cuff in rotation relative to a shell base, and the rear deflector occupies a low position to close a cut-out at the rear of a shell base; and in the second position, the lock occupies an unlocking position to release the rotation of an upper cuff relative to a shell base, and the rear deflector occupies a high position to open up at least partly a cut-out at the rear of a shell base, in order to increase the amplitude of flexure of a lower leg in a sports boot.

A method of customizing a boot, for example a skate boot, includes generating a tridimensional digital representation of a wearer's foot using numerical data obtained by scanning the wearer's foot. A boot with a foot size corresponding generally to a foot length of the wearer's foot is selected. A core is also selected. The core, a medial side insert and a lateral side insert are inserted into an internal space of the boot such that the medial side insert and the lateral side insert straddle the core. The medial side insert and the lateral side insert are manufactured based on the tridimensional shape of the foot. At least a portion of the boot is then heated such that the boot is thermoformed to follow surfaces of the medial and lateral side inserts. The core, the medial side insert and the lateral side insert are then removed from the boot.

A footwear warming system and device includes a boot and a footwear warming device. The footwear warming device may include a cap and be generally shaped to fill a void inside the boot. Hot water, or other liquid, may be poured into the footwear warming device to warm a boot.

Connecting device between a lower shell and a cuff of a ski boot, the ski boot comprising a lower shell, a cuff and a connecting device between the lower shell and the cuff, the connecting device comprising: a connecting ring configured to guide the cuff in rotation relative to the lower shell, a locking element that is movable between a first position and a second position, the locking element being able to prevent the connecting ring from rotating relative to the locking element when it is in its first position, a retaining element configured to retain the locking element in its first position.

A method of method of manufacturing customized inserts for a boot, such as a skate boot, that is at least partially thermoformable includes receiving numerical data corresponding to a tridimensional shape of a wearer’s foot, and manufacturing a medial side insert and a lateral side insert based on the tridimensional shape of the wearer’s foot. The medial side insert and the lateral side insert are shaped to be insertable into the boot with a core that is dimensioned to generally correspond to a foot size of the boot, with a medial internal surface of the medial side insert and a lateral internal surface of the lateral side insert abutting respective outer surfaces of the core.

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.

Provided herein are various embodiments for a boot for releasable engagement with a binding having a downwardly facing ledge and a toe strap. The boot preferably contains a sole, a toe portion, and a heel portion. The boot preferably also contains a heel retaining device extending rearwardly from the heel portion of the boot and having an upwardly facing engagement surface at the top of the device which engages with the downwardly facing ledge of the binding to prevent vertical movement of the boot relative to the binding while allowing forward horizontal movement of the boot relative to the binding.

Ski boot with rigid shell comprising a lower shell (30) and a cuff (20) articulated in rotation to the lower shell (30), characterized in that it comprises at least a connecting ring (10) connecting the cuff (20) to the lower shell (30), this connecting ring (10) comprising a locking surface (11) collaborating with an opening (31) in the lower shell (30) so as to prevent the connecting ring (10) from rotating relative to the lower shell (30), and a rotation surface (12) collaborating with an opening (24) in the cuff so as to guide the rotation of the cuff (20) relative to the lower shell (30) about this second surface.

This invention relates to sports footwear, in particular a ski or snowboard shoe or boot, including a shell provided at the top with a longitudinal opening, a flap or tongue extending longitudinally along the shell and connectable near the region of the tip. The flap or tongue is capable of covering the opening and is removably connectable to the shell to define a first configuration of the sports footwear, in which the flap or tongue is connected to the shell in order to limit or prevent, during use, the oscillation movement of the user's leg in relation to the foot, and a second configuration, in which the flap or tongue is removed from the shell to allow, during use, the free oscillation movement of the user's leg in relation to the foot.