Patent Application
20070266594
The figures referred to above are not drawn necessarily to scale and should be understood to provide a representation of the invention, illustrative of the principles involved. Some features of the article of footwear depicted in the drawings have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate explanation and understanding. The same reference numbers are used in the drawings for similar or identical components and features shown in various alternative embodiments. Articles of footwear as disclosed herein would have configurations and components determined, in part, by the intended application and environment in which they are used.
The present invention may be embodied in various forms. A preferred embodiment of an article of footwear 10 is shown in
Unless otherwise stated, or otherwise clear from the context below, directional terms used herein, such as rearwardly, forwardly, inwardly, downwardly, upwardly, etc., refer to directions relative to footwear 10 itself. Footwear 10 is shown in
Naturally, forwardly is toward forefoot portion 16, that is, to the right as seen in
Footwear 10 includes an upper 22, and a sole assembly 24 secured to upper 22. Upper 22 includes a tongue opening 23, within which a tongue 25 is positioned. A lower edge 27 of tongue 25 is secured to upper 22 by stitching or other suitable fastening means. In certain embodiments, tongue 25 may be of unified, that is, one-piece construction with upper 22.
Upper 22 forms an interior void that comfortably receives a foot and secures the position of the foot relative to sole assembly 24. The configuration of upper 22, as depicted, is suitable for use during athletic activities that primarily involve running. Accordingly, upper 22 may have a lightweight, breathable construction that includes multiple layers of leather, textile, polymer, and foam elements adhesively bonded and stitched together. For example, upper 22 may have an exterior that includes leather elements and textile elements for resisting abrasion and providing breathability, respectively. The interior of upper 22 may have foam elements for enhancing the comfort of footwear 10, and the interior surface may include a moisture-wicking textile for removing excess moisture from the area immediately surrounding the foot.
Sole assembly 24 may be secured to upper 22 by an adhesive, or any other suitable fastening means. Sole assembly 24, which is generally disposed between the foot of the wearer and the ground, provides attenuation of ground reaction forces (i.e., imparting cushioning), traction, and may control foot motions, such as pronation. As with conventional articles of footwear, sole assembly 24 includes an insole (not shown) located within upper 12, a midsole 26, and an outsole 28. Midsole 26 is attached to upper 22 and functions as the primary shock-attenuating and energy-absorbing component of footwear 10. Suitable materials for outsole 28 include traditional rubber materials. Other suitable materials for outsole 28 will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure.
A saddle 30 is secured to footwear 10 and extends about upper 22. Saddle 30 has a first portion 32 on medial side 12 of upper 22, a second portion 34 on lateral side 14 of upper 22, and a heel strap 36 extending about heel portion 20 of upper 22 and connected at its first end to first portion 32 and at its second end to second portion 34. Although saddle 30 is described here as having three portions, it may be, as it is depicted in this embodiment, of unitary construction. A lower edge of first portion 32 and a lower edge of second portion 34 are secured to one or both of upper 22 and sole assembly 24 by adhesive, stitching or other suitable means.
Saddle 30 may be a sheet of any man-made or natural material including, for example, leather, or nylon.
In the illustrated embodiment, stitching 37 is provided along respective upper and lower edges of first portion 32, second portion 34, and heel strap 36 in order to reinforce saddle 30.
An upper edge 38 of first portion 32 is wrapped over a medial edge 40 of tongue opening 23 and an upper edge 42 of second portion 34 is wrapped over a lateral edge 44 of tongue opening 23 as best seen in
Apertures 48 are formed in first portion 32 and second portion 34. Apertures 48 are positioned such that when upper edge 38 is wrapped over medial edge 40 of tongue opening 23, apertures 48 are folded over onto themselves to define substantially U-shaped notches 50. Similarly, apertures 48 are positioned such that when upper edge 42 is wrapped over lateral edge 44 of tongue opening 23, apertures 48 are folded over onto themselves to define substantially U-shaped notches 50. The folded over portions of upper edges 38, 42 between notches 50 define eyelets 52, through which laces 54 are threaded. Stitching 56 may be provided about each aperture 48, thereby providing reinforcing for laces 54.
When a user tightens and ties laces 54, saddle 30, being secured at lower edges thereof to upper 12, serves to tighten upper about the user's entire foot, rather than just across the bridge of the foot as is the case when the laces of a typical shoe are tightened. This provides a better fit and increased comfort for the user.
In light of the foregoing disclosure of the invention and description of various embodiments, those skilled in this area of technology will readily understand that various modifications and adaptations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. All such modifications and adaptations are intended to be covered by the following claims.
