HK1176830A - Easy-to-wear lace up article of footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an easy-to-wear lace up article of footwear comprising a forefoot opening intended to be secured by a lacing system and a second opening at the rear heel part of the shoe which is secured by a rear tongue and a rear lacing system.

Description

Lace-up footwear convenient to wear

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a novel construction of a lace-up article of footwear that allows the article of footwear to be slipped onto a wearer's foot and securely retained on the foot without the need to tie a lace to the footwear. This provides the shoe with a unique and novel appearance of a lace-up shoe that does not require lacing when worn.

Background

US7552547 describes the construction of an oxford lace-up athletic casual shoe which allows the shoe to be slipped onto the foot of the wearer and to be retained on the foot without the need to lace up the shoe by providing an elastic strap laterally on the tongue.

However, if the structure can be used for a low upper shoe, it cannot be conveniently used for a high upper shoe.

Accordingly, there is a need for an article of footwear that resembles a belted shoe in appearance but is easy to wear.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention relates to an article of easy-to-wear footwear having a dual lacing system.

The article of footwear may have a low upper or a high upper, and may be more or less flexible or more or less rigid. However, the wearer's foot must be adequately retained.

Various systems, particularly laces or straps, are used to adequately retain the foot in the article of footwear. The shoelace is very desirable from an aesthetic point of view. However, lacing shoes with laces is cumbersome and sometimes difficult for children and teenagers, and takes time for everyone.

The present invention provides a new article of footwear that includes laces that do not require tying when a wearer's foot enters or exits.

The article of footwear according to the invention has a double lacing system, namely a first lacing system that connects the shanks together tightly in front of the foot as is conventional, and a second lacing system that is arranged at the rear of the article of footwear to facilitate the sliding of the foot into the article of footwear. The second lacing system enables the wearer to insert the foot into the article of footwear without difficulty, enables the foot to better fit within the footwear, and also provides the article of footwear with an improved aesthetic appearance.

An article of footwear according to the invention has a tongue at the rear of the footwear. The tongue is bonded to the sole and to the adjacent portion of the shank at a distance from the sole that corresponds approximately to the ankle when the wearer places a foot into the article of footwear to ensure that the foot is properly retained in the shoe.

The article of footwear according to the invention is provided with a double lacing system comprising laces sufficiently elastic to allow the foot of the wearer to enter and fasten the foot when it is placed in the article of footwear.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the placement of the lace apertures in the rear portion of the upper optimizes the opening of the ankle opening while satisfactorily retaining the wearer's foot.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which depict and show various embodiments of the invention.

Drawings

In the following description of the various embodiments, reference numerals are used in the figures to depict exemplary arrangements in which the invention may be implemented.

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an 3/4 rear view of the shoe according to FIG. 1;

fig. 3 shows a side view of the shoe according to fig. 1.

Detailed Description

The article of footwear according to the invention is a lace-up article of footwear with a new structure. This new construction of the article of footwear allows the footwear to be securely worn on the foot as will be described without the need for laces. The new structure is primarily manifested in the second tongue and lacing system, both of which are disposed in the rear portion of the article of footwear.

Since most of the structure of the article of footwear of the invention is the same as a conventional lace-up shoe, the general features of the structure will be described generally.

According to one embodiment of the invention, an article of footwear according to the invention includes a forefoot opening for being secured by a lacing system and a second opening at the heel of the footwear secured by a rear tongue and a rear lacing system. The presence of the rear tongue and rear lacing system allows for a more snug and easy entry foot without untying the laces.

The article of footwear according to the invention may be selected from the group of articles of footwear comprising: sports shoes, oxford sports shoes, activity footwear, sports casual shoes, including aerobics, baseball/softball, basketball, hybrid training, mountain climbing, running, tennis, hiking, golf, football, and volleyball. The shoe may be made of any material commonly used in articles of footwear, such as leather, canvas, chamois.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an article of footwear comprises:

a sole having a length extending from a heel end to a toe end and a width extending from a left side to a right side;

an upper secured to the sole except around the heel end;

a rear tongue secured to the sole around the heel end;

the upper, the back tongue and the sole enclose the inside of the shoe together;

the upper and the rear tongue form an ankle opening;

the upper having a forefoot opening to an interior of the footwear, the upper having left and right sides extending along opposite sides of the forefoot opening;

a plurality of lace holes which are arranged along a left side of the upper and along a right side of the upper and are used to set a lace;

the upper having left and right free rear edges spaced apart by a gap having a width approximately corresponding to the heel width and enclosing a rear tongue;

a plurality of lace apertures disposed along the left free rear edge of the upper and along the right free rear edge of the upper for disposing laces.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the rear lacing system includes an elastic lace. The elasticity of the lace allows the cuff to expand sufficiently to allow the foot to slide inside the shoe and to secure the foot inside the shoe after insertion. Preferably, the shoelace has an elasticity comparable to that of the strands of the elastic cord, which is made of 3 to 6 pieces of rubber inside a polyester envelope, and has a length of 22 to 32 inches. Examples of suitable laces are: marketed under the trade mark Lock Laces^TMOr xtelex^TMThe shoelace of (1). The article of footwear may be used in conjunction with a lacing system as described in US6,026,548, which is incorporated by reference.

The lacing system securing the forefoot opening may also include elastic laces. The elasticity may be similar to the elasticity of the rear lace.

In another embodiment according to the invention, a plurality of lace apertures for placing a lace are disposed along the left free rear edge of the upper and along the right free rear edge of the upper, the lace apertures being disposed in two distinct columns (ranges), a first column being closer to the free edge and the other column being further inboard.

Preferably, the first row follows the shape of the heel.

The lace apertures in the innermost column are preferably positioned at a height from the sole that corresponds with the ankle and/or ankle joint of the wearer when the article of footwear is worn.

The rear tongue may move independently of the upper, acting like a conventional tongue.

According to a particular embodiment, a rear tongue is fastened to the right and left free rear edges of the upper, from the sole up to a height corresponding to the wearer's ankle when the article of footwear is worn.

In one preferred embodiment of the article of footwear shown in the drawings, the article of footwear is a pair of athletic shoes. However, it will be appreciated that the invention may be applied to other types of laced footwear which are intended to be worn without the need for laces and without altering the appearance of the laced footwear.

In fig. 1 to 3, a shoe 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The shoe has a sole 2 made of an elastic material commonly used in the sole structure of sports shoes. The sole 2 may be configured as is typical with an outsole, a midsole and an insert. The shoe 1 has a length extending from a heel end 3 to a toe end 4 of the sole, and the shoe 1 has a width between a left side 5 and a right side 6 of the sole 2. The upper 7 of the shoe is fastened to the sole 2, extending upwardly therefrom, as is conventional. The upper 7 is made of a flexible material, such as leather or fabric. The upper 7 extends upwardly around the front of the upper surface of the sole of the shoe, from the right side of the heel (referred to as the upper right side 8) around the toe end of the sole (referred to as the upper 9) to the left side of the heel (referred to as the upper left side 10). Unlike conventional shoes, the upper does not pass around the heel end 3 of the sole 2. The upper 7 has upwardly a left free rear edge 11 and a right free rear edge 12 separated by a gap having a width corresponding to the width of the heel. The rear tongue 13 is glued to this part of the sole 2. The tongue 13 extends upwards with a width such that it extends on one side close to the right free rear edge 12 of the upper 7 and on the other side close to the left free rear edge 11 of the upper 7. The rear tongue 13 may move independently of the upper 7, acting like a conventional tongue.

The left upper portion 10, right upper portion 8, and rear tongue 13 extend upwardly from the sole 2, defining an ankle opening 14 to the interior of the shoe. The ankle opening 14 is also referred to as a collar.

The upper left side 10 extends upward from the sole left side to the upper left side edge 15. The upper right side 8 extends upwardly from the sole right side to an upper right side edge 16. As can be seen in the figures, the upper left side edge 15 and the upper right side edge 16 extend forward from opposite sides of the upper opening edge 38 toward the front toe end 4 of the sole. The lengths of the upper left side edge 15 and the upper right side edge 16 define a forefoot opening 17 in the upper 7 of the shoe that opens toward an interior 18 of the shoe.

The upper 7 of the shoe comprises an upper 9 arranged behind the toe end 4, and a tongue 19 extending rearwardly from the upper 9. The tongue 16 extends along the length of the upper left side 10 and the upper right side 8 to the distal end of the tongue 19. The tongue 19 has a width between left and right side edges 20, 21 of the tongue. The length and width of the tongue position the tongue side edges 20, 21 underneath the upper left side 10 and the upper right side 8 and extend the tongue over the forefoot opening 17 of the shoe 1.

A plurality of lace holes 22 are provided on the upper left side 10 and the upper right side 8. These lace apertures 22 are occupied by a portion of a lace 23 that closes the upper 7 of the shoe over the forefoot opening 17 of the shoe. These lace apertures 22 may be, for example, D-rings or quick lace hooks. However, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, lace apertures 22 are provided by a plurality of eyelets or locking loops on the left side 10 of the upper and the right side 8 of the upper. The eyelets provide the desired lace-up shoe appearance. The eyelet lace apertures 22 are arranged linearly along the upper left side edge 10 and along the upper right side edge 8. As seen in the figures, the lace apertures 22 extend substantially the entire length of the upper left side edge 10 and the upper right side edge 8 between the upper mouth edge and the upper toe end.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a plurality of lace openings 24, 25 are also provided on the left free rear edge 11 of the upper and the right free rear edge 12 of the upper. The plurality of lace passages 24, 25 are arranged in a double row. The first column is arranged beside the free end and the other column is more inside. The first row of openings 24 may follow the curve of the heel. The opening 25 arranged further inward is provided at the level of the ankle 25a of the wearer's foot and at the level of the ankle joint 25b of the wearer. These lace apertures 24, 25 are occupied by a portion of a lace 26 that closes the upper 7 around the heel, allowing the position of the foot in the shoe to be adjusted.

The presence of the rear tongue 13 enables the ankle opening 14 of the shoe 1 to be enlarged when the foot is inserted into the shoe. The wearer need only pull back on the rear tongue 13 proximate the distal end of the tongue to push the tongue as indicated by the arrows in fig. 1. The wearer then slides his foot along the rear tongue 13 into the shoe interior 18, which is located under the tongue 19. When the foot is inserted inside the shoe, the elastic lace 26 forces the rear tongue 13 against the wearer's ankle.

Of course, if elastic laces are also provided on the forefoot portion of the shoe, the tongue 19 is pushed upward when the wearer's foot is slid into the shoe, and due to the elastic laces 23, when the foot is fully inserted into the interior of the shoe, the tongue is pressed against the foot.

Accordingly, this novel construction of the article of footwear provides a lacing article of footwear that remains securely on the wearer's foot without the need for lacing, and also provides the comfort and desired appearance of the lacing article of footwear.

Although the footwear of the invention has been described above with reference to a particular embodiment, it should be understood that modifications and variations can be made to the footwear without departing from the scope of protection defined by the following claims.

Claims (10)

1. An easy-to-wear lace-up article of footwear (1) comprising a forefoot opening (17) that can be fastened by a lacing system (23) and a second opening at the rear heel portion of the shoe, said second opening being fastened by a rear tongue (13) and a rear lacing system (26).

2. Article of footwear (1) according to claim 1, selected from the group comprising: lace-up shoes, athletic shoes, oxford athletic shoes, activity footwear, athletic casual shoes, including aerobic dance, baseball/softball, basketball, hybrid training, mountain climbing, running, tennis, hiking, golf, football, and volleyball.

3. Article of footwear (1) according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

-a sole (2) having a length extending from a heel end (3) to a toe end (4) and a width extending from a left side (5) to a right side (6);

-an upper (7) fastened to the sole (2) except around the heel end (3);

-a rear tongue (13) fastened to the sole (2) around the heel end (3);

-the upper (7), the rear tongue (13) and the sole (2) together enclose an interior (18) of the shoe;

-the upper (7) and the rear tongue (13) forming an ankle opening (14);

-the upper (7) has a forefoot opening (17) to an interior (18) of the shoe (1), the upper (7) having a left side (10) and a right side (8) extending along both sides of the forefoot opening (17);

-a plurality of lace apertures (22) arranged along the left side (10) of the upper and along the right side (8) of the upper and intended for the arrangement of laces (23);

-said upper (7) has upwards a left free rear edge (11) and a right free rear edge (12) separated by a gap of width substantially corresponding to the width of the heel, and which encloses a rear tongue (13);

-a plurality of lace apertures (24, 25) provided along the left free rear edge (11) and the right free rear edge (12) of the upper and intended for the arrangement of laces (26).

4. An article of footwear (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that said rear tongue (3) is fastened to the right and left free rear edges (11, 12) of the upper, from the sole (2) up to a height corresponding to the ankle of the wearer when the article of footwear is worn.

5. Article of footwear (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said rear lacing system (26) comprises an elastic lace.

6. Article of footwear (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 5, characterized in that the lacing system (23) fastening the forefoot opening (17) comprises elastic laces.

7. An article of footwear (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the elasticity of the laces, measured by their Young's modulus, is comparable to the elasticity of the strands of bungee cords, made of 3 to 6 strips of rubber inside a polyester envelope, with a length of 22 to 32 inches.

8. Article of footwear (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that a plurality of lace apertures (24, 25) arranged along the left free rear edge (11) of the upper and along the right free rear edge (12) of the upper and intended for the arrangement of a lace (26) are arranged in two distinct rows, a first row being close to the free edge and the other row being more internal.

9. The article of footwear (1) according to claim 8, wherein the first row of lace apertures (24) follows the curve of the heel.

10. Article of footwear (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the lace apertures (25) in the innermost column are arranged at a height corresponding to the ankle and/or ankle joint of the wearer when putting on the article of footwear (1) starting from the sole.