An orthopedic walking boot includes a housing configured to encompass at least a user's foot, a mechanically adjustable ramp insert including a ramp surface and disposed in the housing, an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust an elevation angle of the ramp surface, and a mechanically adjustable lift configured to cause the mechanically adjustable ramp insert to descend within the housing as the ramp surface is elevated such that vertical displacement of the user's foot caused by elevation of the ramp surface is substantially attenuated. Related methods are also provided.

An article of footwear includes a sole structure coupled with an upper that defines a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region. The sole structure includes a plurality of pods that each have a pod body formed from a foam material that optionally has a coating disposed on an outer surface of the pod body. The sole structure includes a chassis attached to a bottom surface of each of the plurality of pods. The chassis includes a plurality of ground contacting regions and an elongated fork structure. The elongated fork structure includes a chassis stem, a first chassis leg, and a second chassis leg that each extend from the chassis stem through the heel region, the midfoot region, and the forefoot region of the sole structure. A continuous elongated groove is positioned between and extends along substantially the entire length of the first and second chassis leg.

An article of footwear can include an upper and a sole structure. The upper defines at least a portion of a foot-receiving cavity. The sole structure is coupled to the upper and includes a midfoot support member. The midfoot support member includes a lateral flange, a medial flange, a superior deck plate, and an inferior deck plate. The superior deck plate and the inferior deck plate span from the lateral flange to the medial flange. The superior deck plate and the inferior deck plate are spaced apart in a superior/inferior direction and define an opening therebetween. The opening extends unobstructed from the lateral flange to the medial flange, and the lateral flange extends farther in a superior direction than the medial flange.

A method of manufacturing footwear and an article of footwear having a tapered heel in part defining an impact point associated with a padded impact zone which first strikes a surface upon a foot plant and a plate embedded within a sole of the article such that the plate supports the heel of the sole from flexing or collapsing. The impact point is part of an impact area (F) positioned adjacent an ankle pivot axis of the wearer's ankle, and in one aspect is positioned at or slightly posterior the ankle pivot axis. In one aspect the method includes configuring a sole of the footwear based on an ankle pivot characteristic or balance pivot characteristic of a wearer in a custom manufacture or based on the same of a typical or an ordinary wearer in a non-custom manufacture.

A footbed system (10) for footwear comprises an insole mechanism (14), a midsole mechanism (11), wherein the insole mechanism is positioned on the midsole mechanism, and the outsole mechanism (15) is positioned under the midsole mechanism. The insole mechanism comprises a footbed insole (1), a heel pad (2) and a forefoot pad (3). The footbed insole comprises a pad anatomically shaped to correspond to the sole of a human foot, wherein the heel pad is positioned in the hindfoot portion of the footbed insole, and the forefoot pad is positioned in the forefoot portion of the footbed insole. The outsole mechanism comprises an opening (15A) for exposing a natural gait line groove of the midsole mechanism.

The present invention discloses a weight-bearing structure of high-heel footwear that is coupled to an outsole of high-heeled footwear, or in which a sole cover part becomes an outsole of the high-heeled footwear to linearly contact the ground during a loading response. An embodiment of the present invention provides a weight-bearing structure of high-heeled footwear, including: a heel part linearly contacting the ground; a strut part extending from the heel part; and a sole cover part extending from the strut part.

An orthopedic walking boot includes a housing configured to encompass at least a user's foot, a mechanically adjustable ramp insert including a ramp surface and disposed in the housing, an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust an elevation angle of the ramp surface, and a mechanically adjustable lift configured to cause the mechanically adjustable ramp insert to descend within the housing as the ramp surface is elevated such that vertical displacement of the user's foot caused by elevation of the ramp surface is substantially attenuated. Related methods are also provided.

A material includes a support layer comprising a woven fiber layer less than 30 mils thick. The support layer includes an elongate strap support. The support layer has a ratio of elongation to tensile strength (lb/in-width) that is less than 0.9 in a first direction and greater than 0.9 in a perpendicular second direction. The material additionally includes an adhesive layer on said support layer for adhesive attachment of said support layer to the outer skin surface of a user and a removable cover layer on said adhesive layer. Methods of use of the material and elongate strap support(s) to a human body include providing anatomical support or therapeutic effects.

The present invention discloses a sole structure of a high-heeled shoe that may have a walking mechanism similar to movement of human walking when a pedestrian wears and walks in high-heeled shoes.

A sole structure of a high-heeled shoe of the present invention includes: a front portion supported on the ground; a bending portion that extends from the front portion to be positioned at a rear side of a metatarsophalangeal joint and is bent in an opposite direction to the ground; and a rear portion extending from the bending portion.

An improved article of footwear is disclosed herein. The article of footwear includes an upper and a harness. The upper has a midfoot region, a forefoot region, a medial side, a lateral side, and an opening configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The harness extends between the midfoot region and the forefoot region, and includes a panel, a cable, and a tightening mechanism. The tightening mechanism tensions the cable against the panel to apply a compressive force to the foot of a wearer to secure the foot of the wearer in the upper. Consequently, the internal harness prevents the foot of a wearer from shifting or translating in the upper, such as during athletic activity like cutting.