Aspects herein are directed to a strap system having an adjustable stretch that is suitable for upper body garments, lower body garment, and articles such as bags and articles of footwear. The strap system includes a pair of straps that are coupled together in a face sharing relationship by a coupling mechanism. One of the straps in the pair of straps has greater stretch properties than the other strap. A total stretch of the strap system is adjustable by moving the coupling mechanism along a length of the strap system.

Provided are, among other things, shoes having elastic tongue-securing straps. In one representative embodiment, a shoe includes: (a) a sole; (b) an upper, extending above the sole, that includes a front section, a left side, a right side, a rear section, and a tongue that originates from the front section and extends rearwardly between the left side and the right side; (c) a left elastic strap that extends from a left side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the left side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the left side of the upper; and (d) a right elastic strap that extends from a right side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the right side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the right side of the upper, with the left elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the left side of the tongue and the right elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the right side of the tongue.

Boot shafts can be designed for comfort by providing expansion in the shaft of a boot. Portions of a shaft can be replaced, augmented, or associated with a more deformable and elastically resilient material or materials. When effectively associated or integrated, the elastic material can allow for temporary expansion of the shaft to ease passage of the heel and foot through the shaft and into the shoe box. A long thin resilient feature can provide expansion and ease of passage of a foot down the boot shaft while also potentially minimizing conspicuous departure from conventional stylings. Such features can also be physically obscured with straps (which may rotate, for example). Such features may be curved or angled to visually in fit with and even be camouflaged by surrounding decorative ornamentation on the shaft of such a boot.

A device for holding backless footwear on a person's foot includes an elongated seamless elastic strap, the strap extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. First and second attachment mechanisms are disposed on the first and second ends of the strap, respectively. The strap can be attached to backless footwear having first and second portions on respective first and second lateral sides thereof by folding the first end of the strap around the first portion of the footwear and securing the first end to the strap between the first and second ends thereof by way of the first attachment mechanism, and by folding the second end of the strap around the second portion of the footwear and securing the second end to the strap between the first and second ends thereof by way of the second attachment mechanism.

An article of footwear has a sole including a toe portion and a heel portion, a toe bumper disposed on the toe portion, the toe bumper being configured to contact a ball, and a heel bumper disposed on the heel portion, the heel bumper being configured to contact the ball, wherein at least one of the toe bumper and the heel bumper has an asymmetric shape.

A rapid-entry shoe having an elastic element to enlarge a foot opening of the rapid-entry shoe and also having a stabilizer to prevent a rear portion of the rapid-entry shoe from collapsing downward.

An article of footwear includes a fitting system with an upper member that is supported by the upper and a strand guide that is supported by the sole structure. The strand guide is flexible and flexes in concert with the sole structure. The strand guide has a guide surface. The fitting system further includes a tensioning system with a flexible strand that is configured to bias the upper member toward the strand guide. The flexible strand has a first section coupled to the upper member and a second section extending through the sole structure. The second section abuts the guide surface. The second section is configured to slide across the guide surface as a result of flexure of the strand guide. The first section and the upper member are configured to move relative to the sole structure as a result of sliding of the second section across the guide surface.

A rapid-entry shoe having an elastic element to enlarge a foot opening of the rapid-entry shoe and also having a stabilizer to prevent a rear portion of the rapid-entry shoe from collapsing downward.

A rapid-entry shoe having a heel arm configured to transition between a collapsed configuration, for easy donning and doffing of the shoe, and an uncollapsed configuration, for securing a foot inside the shoe, the shoe having a resilient member configured to bias the heel arm toward the uncollapsed configuration.

An article of footwear has a sole including a toe portion and a heel portion, a toe bumper disposed on the toe portion, the toe bumper being configured to contact a ball, and a heel bumper disposed on the heel portion, the heel bumper being configured to contact the ball, wherein at least one of the toe bumper and the heel bumper has an asymmetric shape.