Article of footwear incorporating a heel strap system

Abstract

An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer. The footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The footwear also includes a heel strap having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of end areas and a central area. The end areas are secured to at least one of the upper and the sole structure, and the central area is unsecured to the upper and the sole structure. At least one of the upper and the sole structure defme a foot-supporting surface with a raised periphery in at least a heel region of the footwear, and the central area of the heel strap is a contoured area that lays adjacent the raised periphery in the heel region. The strap may be separated from the foot-supporting surface and placed around a heel of the foot.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a lateral side elevational view of a first article of footwear having a configuration of a sandal.

FIG. 2 is a medial side elevational view of the first article of footwear.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the first article of footwear.

FIGS. 4A-4D are cross-sectional views of the first article of footwear, as defined by section lines 4A-4D in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are lateral elevational views of the first article of footwear that depict the first article of footwear in a first configuration and a second configuration.

FIG. 6 is a lateral side elevational view of a strap of the first article of footwear.

FIG. 7 is a medial side elevational view of the strap.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the strap.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views of the strap, as defined by section lines 9A and 9B in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a lateral side elevational view of a second article of footwear having a configuration of a clog.

FIG. 11 is a medial side elevational view of the second article of footwear.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the second article of footwear.

FIGS. 13A-13D are cross-sectional views of the second article of footwear, as defined by section lines 13A-13D in FIG. 12.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are lateral elevational views of the second article of footwear that depict the second article of footwear in a first configuration and a second configuration.

Claims

1. An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the footwear comprising:: an upper;a sole structure secured to the upper; anda heel strap having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of end areas and a central area, the end areas being secured to at least one of the upper and the sole structure, andthe central area being unsecured to the upper and the sole structure,

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the footwear has an open heel configuration.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the footwear is a sandal.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the footwear is a clog.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the raised periphery is formed by each of the upper and the sole structure.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the raised periphery is a curved area of the foot-supporting surface, and the contoured portion of the heel strap is curved to contact the curved area of the foot-supporting surface.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes an outsole and a midsole, and the heel strap is secured to the midsole.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the central area of the strap includes a tab.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the sole structure defines a pair of incisions spaced inward from sides of the footwear, and the end areas are secured to the sole structure within the incisions.

10. An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the footwear comprising: a sole structure;an upper secured to the sole structure and located in at least a forefoot region of the footwear; anda strap having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of end areas and a central area,

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the footwear has an open heel configuration.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the footwear is a sandal.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the footwear is a clog.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the raised periphery is formed by each of the upper and the sole structure.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the raised periphery is formed by an upper surface of the sole structure.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the sole structure includes an outsole and a midsole, and the heel strap is secured to the midsole.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the midsole defines a pair of incisions spaced inward from sides of the footwear, and the end areas are secured to the midsole within the incisions.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the central area of the strap includes a tab.

19. An article of footwear for receiving a foot of a wearer, the footwear comprising: an upper located in at least one of a forefoot region and a midfoot region of the footwear, the upper being absent in at least a portion of a heel region of the footwear to define an open heel configuration for the footwear;a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure defining a pair of incisions spaced inward from sides of the sole structure;a foot-supporting surface formed by at least one of the upper and the sole structure, the foot-supporting surface having a raised periphery in at least the heel region; anda heel strap with a pair of end areas and a central area, the end area being located within the incisions and secured to the sole structure, the central area extending around the raised periphery of the sole structure in at least the heel region.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 19, wherein the central area of the heel strap is a contoured area that lays adjacent the raised periphery of the foot-supporting surface in the heel region.

21. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the raised periphery is a curved area of the foot-supporting surface, and the contoured area of the heel strap is curved to contact the curved area of the foot-supporting surface.

21. The article of footwear recited in claim 19, wherein the footwear is one of a sandal and a clog.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 19, wherein the central area of the strap includes a tab.

23. A method of assembling an article of footwear, the method comprising steps of: providing a combination of an upper and a sole structure that are secured together, the upper extending over at least a front portion of a foot, and the sole structure having sides and a heel portion;attaching two ends of a heel strap having a contoured and U-shaped configuration to the sides of the sole structure; andlocating a central area of the heel strap around a periphery of an upper surface of the sole structure in at least the heel portion of the footwear such that contours of the central area lay adjacent the periphery.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein the step of attaching includes defining incisions in the sole structure and placing the ends of the heel strap within the incisions.

25. The method recited in claim 23, further including a step of selecting an elastic material for the heel strap.

26. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear for receiving a foot, the method comprising steps of: securing an upper to a sole structure, the upper forming an open heel configuration for the footwear;attaching ends of a heel strap having a contoured and U-shaped configuration to a medial side and a lateral side of the sole structure such that the heel strap lies against an upper surface of the sole structure and extends around a periphery of the upper surface in a heel region of the footwear; andstructuring the strap to have a configuration that is separable from the upper surface of the sole structure and extendable around a heel of the foot.

27. The method recited in claim 26, wherein the step of attaching includes defining incisions in the sole structure and placing the ends of the heel strap within the incisions.

28. The method recited in claim 26, further including a step of selecting an elastic material for the heel strap.