Skate or other footwear

Abstract

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and 5 a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate (or other 0 footwear) to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.

1 . A last for molding a body of a skate boot of a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot being configured to receive a foot of a user, the last being configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, the last being reconfigurable to facilitate demolding of the body of the skate boot from the last such that the last is changeable between a molding configuration to mold the body of the skate boot on the last and a demolding configuration to demold the body of the skate boot from the last. 
     
     
         2 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last is contracted in its demolding configuration relative to its molding configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a plurality of undercuts. 
     
     
         4 . The last of  claim 3 , wherein respective ones of the undercuts are medial and lateral depressions of the ankle portion for receiving medial and lateral malleoli of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The last of  claim 3 , wherein a given one of the undercuts is a recess defined by curvature of the heel portion. 
     
     
         6 . The last of  claim 3 , wherein respective ones of the undercuts are recesses defined by curvature of the medial and lateral side portions. 
     
     
         7 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein a volume occupied by the last is reduced from its molding configuration to its demolding configuration such that the volume occupied by the last in its demolding configuration is smaller than the volume occupied by the last in its molding configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The last of  claim 7 , wherein the last comprises a cavity to receive a fluid to vary the volume occupied by the last by expanding and contracting the last. 
     
     
         9 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last comprises a cavity containing particles and configured to receive a fluid such that the particles vary a rigidity of the last in response to flow of the fluid relative to the cavity. 
     
     
         10 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last comprises a plurality of last members movable relative to one another to change between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein: respective ones of the last members are movable relative to one another while remaining connected to one another as the last changes between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration; and the last comprises a control system to control movement of the last members relative to one another. 
     
     
         12 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein adjacent ones of the last members are translatable relative to one to change the last between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein adjacent ones of the last members are rotatable relative to one to change the last between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein adjacent ones of the last members are translatable and rotatable relative to one to change the last between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. 
     
     
         15 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein the last members include at least three last members. 
     
     
         16 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein the last members include at least five last members. 
     
     
         17 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein a first one of the last members is a front central last member, a second one of the last members is a rear central last member, a third one of the last members is an intermediate central last member disposed between the front central last member and the rear central last member; a fourth one of the last members is a medial last member; and a fifth one of the last members is a lateral last member. 
     
     
         18 . The last of  claim 17 , wherein the last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a sole portion for facing a plantar surface of the user's foot. 
     
     
         19 . The last of  claim 17 , wherein the last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a toe portion for enclosing toes of the user's foot. 
     
     
         20 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a sole portion for facing a plantar surface of the user's foot. 
     
     
         21 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a toe portion for enclosing toes of the user's foot. 
     
     
         22 . The last of  claim 10 , wherein: the last comprises a base including respective ones of the last members; and a given one of the last members is a removable covering configured to enclose the base and removable from the base. 
     
     
         23 . The last of  claim 22 , wherein a thickness of the removable covering varies to define a plurality of undercuts of the body of the skate boot. 
     
     
         24 . The last of  claim 22 , wherein the removable covering is flexible. 
     
     
         25 . The last of  claim 24 , wherein the removable covering comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         26 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the last is configured to injection mold the body of the skate boot. 
     
     
         27 . The last of  claim 1 , wherein the body of the skate boot comprises a plurality of materials that are different and molded by flowing about the last. 
     
     
         28 . A skate boot comprising a body molded using the last of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         29 . A method of making a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot being configured to receive a foot of a user, the method comprising:
 providing a last changeable between a molding configuration and a demolding configuration;   molding a body of the skate boot on the last in the molding configuration such that the body of the skate boot comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user;   changing the last from the molding configuration to the demolding configuration to facilitate removal of the body of the skate boot from the last; and   demolding the body of the skate boot from the last in the demolding configuration.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A flexible female mold member for molding a body of a skate boot of a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot being configured to receive a foot of a user, the flexible female mold member being configured to be part of a female mold and disposed adjacent to a last for molding the body of the skate boot, the flexible female mold member comprising an inner surface preformed to define a cavity between the flexible female mold member and the last to receive polymeric material to mold at least a portion of the body of the skate boot such that the inner surface of the flexible female mold member creates an outer surface of the portion of the body of the skate boot. 
     
     
         33 .- 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method of making a skate boot of a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot being configured to receive a foot of a user, the method comprising:
 placing a sheet in a mold for molding a body of the skate boot; and   causing flow of material in the mold to mold at least a portion of the body of the skate boot, the sheet conforming to the portion of the body of the skate boot.   
     
     
         43 .- 56 . (canceled)