US Patent 12102183 Skate boot with tendon guard

A tendon guard for a skate boot includes (a) a structural guard frame configured to protect an Achilles tendon of a wearer of the skate boot; and (b) a mount configured to join the guard frame to a shell of the skate boot. The mount includes a mount flex portion having sufficient flexibility to permit rearward movement of an upper portion of the frame in response to application of a rearward force on the upper portion by a lower leg of the wearer during plantarflexion. The mount flex portion has sufficient resiliency to urge the upper portion back toward a resting position when the rearward force is relieved.