Patent ID: 7810258

Claim:
A telemark ski boot comprising: a shell configured to encase a foot and a portion of a lower leg, wherein the shell is configured to include an open configuration for inserting the foot and a closed configuration for supporting the foot with respect to the lower leg, wherein the shell includes a base configured to be disposed below the foot, a toe portion, and a rear portion; an articulation region disposed on the shell extending dorsally from a lateral portion of the base to a medial portion of the base at a lengthwise location corresponding to the metatarsal region of the foot, wherein the articulation region enables a rear portion of the shell to articulate vertically in the sagittal plane while a toe portion of the shell is fixed; and an articulation support system including at least one tensile rigid region extending transversely from the proximal to the distal side through the articulation region thereby impeding rotation of the rear portion about the toe portion in at least one rotational direction in the frontal plane, wherein the tensile rigid region is flexible in the sagittal plane, wherein the articulation support system further includes a cable extending transversely over the articulation region and coupled to the proximal and distal sides of the articulation region so as to form a diagonal tensile rigid region.