A footwear with a fluid which flows through integral chambers and passageways within the sole in which additional traction elements may be selectively and forcedly deployed and retracted. Valves on the footwear in combination with a control system, control the flow of the fluid allowing the user to choose between a range of traction deployment options to suit the needs of the user.

The invention is that of a removable shoe sole and a cycling shoe comprising said removable shoe sole, wherein the removable shoe sole may be affixed to the bottom of the cycling shoe to enable the wearer to gain traction on surfaces such as muddy ground surfaces. The removable shoe sole may be unitary or modular in design and comprises traction means such as anterior, medial and posterior traction means for enabling a cyclist to quickly affix the removable shoe sold to the bottom of his or her cycling shoes and walk or run across ground surfaces having low traction. The traction means may comprise ridges and valleys or similar means for engaging low-traction ground surfaces. The removable shoe sole may be made of durable material and affixed to a cycling shoe using off-the-shelf fasteners such as will be familiar to one of ordinary skill in the art.

A shoe includes an outsole, a shank and a heel area defined in the underside thereof The shank is connected between the outsole and the heel area. The heel area is a recessed area. A replaceable heel has a connection portion on the top thereof so as to be detachably connected to the heel area. A heel lift is defined in the underside of the replaceable heel and includes multiple anti-slip members extending therefrom. The replaceable heel is easily detached from the shoe and a new one is attached to the heel area of the shoe.

A heel traction device for attachment to a heel of a shoe or a boot comprises a traction platform formed of a flexible rubber material. The traction platform has a first face for contacting a ground surface and a second face for attachment to the heel of the shoe or boot. The traction platform defines a plurality of openings formed therethrough for receiving a traction element in each of said openings. A support band is connected to the traction platform for securing the traction platform to the shoe or a boot. The support band has a rear portion for attachment to a rear portion of the shoe or the boot and two opposing side portions for attachment to side portions of the shoe or the boot. Each of the side portions define a slot formed therethrough for receiving a strap.

A heel traction device for attachment to a heel of a shoe or a boot comprises a traction platform formed of a flexible rubber material. The traction platform has a first face for contacting a ground surface and a second face for attachment to the heel of the shoe or boot. The traction platform defines a plurality of openings formed therethrough for receiving a traction element in each of said openings. A support band is connected to the traction platform for securing the traction platform to the shoe or a boot. The support band has a rear portion for attachment to a rear portion of the shoe or the boot and two opposing side portions for attachment to side portions of the shoe or the boot. Each of the side portions define a slot formed therethrough for receiving a strap.

A shielding cup is provided for use with a self-fusing member or collapsible heat-concentrating accessory. The shielding cup is attached to a shoe heel as a temporary fix for a worn heel tip. The cup can be attached to the heel by a self-fusing member that binds to itself. The cup can also be attached by using a heat source and collapsible heat-concentrating accessory to concentrate heat on the heat-shrink version of the shielding cup. The cup can also be press fit on to the heel tip without the use of a self-fusing member or collapsible heat-concentrating accessory. Embodiments of the cup that can be press fit on to the heel tip include a rigid portion adjacent the base of the cup that engages the heel tip and a flexible portion extending away from the base of the cup. The flexible portion can be achieved by tapering the sidewalls of the cup along a longitudinal axis of the cup. Some embodiments of the cup that can be press fit on to the heel tip include a widened base having an outer periphery that is larger than an inner periphery.

A hiking shoe includes multiple anti-slip blocks formed to the bottom face of the outsole of the hiking shoe. The outsole includes a front section and a rear section, a portion of the anti-slip blocks of the front section and the rear section each have a spike received therein. Each spike has an end face with grooves defined therein. When the hiking shoe is under a stationary mode, the spikes do not protrude beyond the anti-slip blocks. When the hiking shoe is operated under an action mode, the end face of each of the spikes protrudes beyond the distal end of the anti-slip block corresponding thereto so as to provide friction.

In an anti-slipping device for a shoe sole having an anti-slipping or anti-sliding component such as nails or spikes which are not secured to the sole but are secured on support elements which can be overturned to be hidden in slots made on the sole itself, each overturning support element is hinged at its ends on cubic blocks which are anchored to the sole due to a mushroom-shaped coupling element which is molded in once piece to the cubic block itself, made of the same thermo-polyurethane material as the support elements and which is snap-fitted in its seat arranged in the sole next to the slot where the overturning support element is accommodated after the overturning, without interfering with the integrity of the sole itself and thus allowing the replacement thereof without difficulty. Also included is a mechanism for avoiding the accidental loss of the support element when walking.

An article of footwear includes an upper having a tensioning element operable to move the upper between a tightened state and a loosened state. The tensioning element includes a first strand having (i) a first portion extending along a lateral side of an ankle opening of the upper to a first turn in the heel region, and (ii) a second portion extending from the first turn and along the lateral side of the ankle opening to a second end at an anterior end of the ankle opening. The tensioning element also includes a second strand having (i) a first portion extending along a medial side of the ankle opening to a second turn in the heel region, and (ii) a second portion extending from the second turn and along the medial side of the ankle opening to a fourth end at the anterior end of the ankle opening.

An article of footwear includes an upper having a tensioning element operable to move the upper between a tightened state and a loosened state. The tensioning element includes a first strand having (i) a first portion extending along a lateral side of an ankle opening of the upper to a first turn in the heel region, and (ii) a second portion extending from the first turn and along the lateral side of the ankle opening to a second end at an anterior end of the ankle opening. The tensioning element also includes a second strand having (i) a first portion extending along a medial side of the ankle opening to a second turn in the heel region, and (ii) a second portion extending from the second turn and along the medial side of the ankle opening to a fourth end at the anterior end of the ankle opening.