Patent ID: 7428789

Claim:
A sports boot for walking or cross-country skiing, with a flexible shaft receiving the foot, and a reinforcement surrounding the shaft on its external side by sections and connected with an outsole, wherein the shaft is formed by a cushioned inner boot consisting of foam plastic and a coat of fabric or another material compatible with the human skin; that the reinforcement is formed by a latticed or net-shaped support structure for the inner boot, and by flexible ribbon elements made of plastic or textiles with high tensile strength, said ribbon elements resting against external part sections of the inner boot, or surrounding the inner boot on its external side within part sections, the latticed or net-shaped support structure being variable by means of a lacing system with respect to its defining or receiving volume; and that a soft overstocking is formed, the latter enclosing the latticed or net-shaped support structure at least by sections, and is formed for sealing or shutting off the interior of the boot against external environmental influences; wherein the latticed or net-shaped support structure is comprised of at least one anchoring element formed on the inner side of the boot, at least one anchoring element is formed on the outer side of the boot, and at least one instep or foot pressure plate at least approximately bridges the lateral anchoring elements; at their ends facing away from the upper support surface of the outsole, the lateral anchoring elements are provided with reversing devices for a string- or lace-shaped pulling element of the lacing system, or form such reversing devices; at least one reversing device for a string- or lace-shaped pulling element for the lacing system is formed and arranged in each of the lateral edge sections of the instep or foot pressure plate associated with the anchoring elements; the lacing system connects the instep or foot pressure plate with at least one of the lateral anchoring elements via a string- or lace-shaped pulling element in a zigzag or undulated form; the latticed or net-shaped support structure is comprised of at least two components and expandable transversely to the longitudinal axis of the boot, and its delimiting or receiving volume is increasable, so that the inner boot can be lifted from the latticed or net-like support structure and removed therefrom as required; and the lateral anchoring elements are provided with adequate rigidity so as to project upwards in an unstressed condition substantially perpendicularly to a support surface for the inner boot.