An automated tightening shoe, comprising: (a) a shoe having a sole and an upper connected to the sole, the upper including a toe, a heel, a medial side portion, and a lateral side portion; (b) a single shoe lace or cable connected to medial and lateral side portions of the upper for drawing the medial and lateral side portions around a foot placed inside the shoe; (c) a tightening mechanism secured to the shoe, the tightening mechanism including an axle having two ends, a cylindrical side surface, and a continuous passageway through the axle with two exit apertures along a side surface, an actuator wheel rigidly connected to the axle and extending outside the shoe; (d) the shoe lace or cable being passed through the continuous passageway and two exit apertures formed within the axle, through or along the medial and lateral side portions, and in engagement with a guide means of the automated tightening shoe, with the free ends (136a, 136b) of the shoe lace or cable secured together, so that the shoe lace or cable forms a continuous loop; (e) whereby rotation of the actuator wheel extending outside the shoe causes rotation of the axle of the tightening mechanism to draw the shoe lace or cable around the axle in a tightening direction to draw the medial and lateral side upper portions around the foot, securement means (374, 376) operatively connected to the tightening mechanism acting to impede counter-rotation of the axle to prevent the shoe lace or cable from loosening; and (f) release means operatively connected to the securement means for selective disengagement of the securement means to enable counter-rotation of the axle to allow the medial and lateral uppers to loosen. (a) a shoe having a sole and an upper connected to the sole, the upper including a toe, a heel, a medial side portion, and a lateral side portion; (b) a single shoe lace or cable connected to medial and lateral side portions of the upper for drawing the medial and lateral side portions around a foot placed inside the shoe; (c) a tightening mechanism secured to the shoe, the tightening mechanism including an axle having two ends, a cylindrical side surface, and a continuous passageway through the axle with two exit apertures along a side surface, an actuator wheel rigidly connected to the axle and extending outside the shoe; (d) the shoe lace or cable being passed through the continuous passageway and two exit apertures formed within the axle, through or along the medial and lateral side portions, and in engagement with a guide means of the automated tightening shoe, with the free ends (136a, 136b) of the shoe lace or cable secured together, so that the shoe lace or cable forms a continuous loop; (e) whereby rotation of the actuator wheel extending outside the shoe causes rotation of the axle of the tightening mechanism to draw the shoe lace or cable around the axle in a tightening direction to draw the medial and lateral side upper portions around the foot, securement means (374, 376) operatively connected to the tightening mechanism acting to impede counter-rotation of the axle to prevent the shoe lace or cable from loosening; and (f) release means operatively connected to the securement means for selective disengagement of the securement means to enable counter-rotation of the axle to allow the medial and lateral uppers to loosen.