BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly, to a sandal with a cow hitch.
Description of the Related Art
Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps. People choose to wear sandals for several reasons, with the most common reasons being comfort in warm weather, being economical, and as a fashion choice. As such, sandals have improved through the years with enhancements in comfort, performance, and safety.
One very popular strap design employed by sandals is holding a foot by a narrow thong that generally passes between the first and second toe. This narrow thong that passes between the first and second toe is also commonly referred to as the toe post. This type of sandals may also be referred to as flip-flops. The Y-shaped strap that passes between the first and second toes, generally attaches to the sole at three points. The Y-shaped strap may be made of a single piece, or may be made from a combination of pieces, sometimes of varying materials that are attached together.
There are various motivations for having different Y-shaped straps. One reason is for fashion purposes. A Y-shaped strap may have decorative features desired by the wearer. Another reason is for comfort. Using certain materials allow for more comfort than others. A third reason is for manufacturing purposes. There is often a desire to simplify how a manufacturing is done, generally to reduce the cost of making the sandal. A fourth reason is for improving the sandal's durability. Sandals are simple by nature, and a common way of breaking is due to broken straps.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A sandal with a sole, foot strap, and toe post is described herein. In some embodiments, the foot strap is attached to a toe post through a cow hitch. The toe post, on the other end from the cow hitch, is attached to the sole. In an embodiment, the foot strap is attached to the sole on both the left and right sides of the sole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sole of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal without the toe post.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an unassembled foot strap and toe post of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partially assembled foot strap and toe post of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partially assembled foot strap and toe post of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a partially assembled foot strap and toe post of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an assembled foot strap and toe post of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a partially assembled embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows the sole portion 100 of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal. As with most sandals that employ a toe post, it has a toe post hole 110 to allow for the toe post to be held to the sole. The features displayed on the top of sole 100 are purely decorative. As is well known to one skilled in the art, a sole may be comprised of a single layer, or multiple layers, such as an insole, midsole, and outsole.
FIG. 2 shows the sole along with the foot strap portion 200 of an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal. In this embodiment, the sole has a decorative logo 240 at the heel. In this embodiment, the foot strap portion 200 is comprised of a foot strap cross portion 230 and a foot strap center portion 210. The foot strap center portion 210 has a foot strap center portion hole 220 for attaching to a toe post. The foot strap portion 200 generally goes across the top of the wearer's foot to hold against the wearer's foot, and may come in a variety of shapes, sizes and with various ornamental features. The foot strap cross portion 230 has two ends, wherein the one end is attached to the sole on the left and the other end is attached to the sole on the right. The attachment to the sole may be achieved through a variety of well-known means to one skilled in the art, such as with adhesives or stitching into the sole. The ends of the foot strap cross portion 230 may attach to the sole at the outer edge of the sole, or somewhere through the top face of the sole. The foot strap center portion 210 attaches to the foot strap cross portion 230 via stitching in this embodiment. In other embodiments, the foot strap center portion 210 may attach to the foot strap cross portion 230 through other means, such as being a single piece, using an adhesive, or looping over.
FIGS. 3-7 demonstrate how the toe post portion 300 is attached to the foot strap portion 200 in an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal. FIG. 3 shows the foot strap 200 detached from the sole, along with the toe post portion 300. In FIG. 3, the toe post portion 300 is simply laid out to show the material, which in this embodiment is comprised of a semi-flat fabric material and is an elongated material, similar to a rope. The toe post portion 300 may be comprised of a variety of materials, some of which may include properties that make it elastic and/or comfortable for the wearer. A sample material for the toe post is spandex or a starchy fabric.
FIG. 4 demonstrates how the toe post portion 300 has its two ends placed through the foot strap center portion hole 220 from the bottom. In other embodiments, the toe post portion may have its two ends placed through the foot strap center portion hole from the top. Also, a loop is formed by the toe post portion below the strap center portion hole 220. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the two ends of the toe post portion 300 are placed through this loop. FIG. 6 then shows how the ends of the toe post portion 300 are pulled to form a cow hitch, as shown in FIG. 7. A common alternate name for a cow hitch is lark's head. In other embodiments, there may be variations of the cow hitch that are utilized for attaching the toe post portion 300 to the foot strap portion 200. The underlying cow hitch structure can be formed and used in a variety of ways. These variations are differentiated by methods used to form the knot and the way in which it is loaded. In particular, the knot can be formed with an end of the toe post portion, in a closed loop or strap, or a combination of these two in which it is tied with the end and then formed into a loop by securing the free end to the starting point.
The advantages of a cow hitch are numerous. One advantage is the visual appearance, which leaves a clean knot. A more important advantage is how well it secures the toe post portion of the foot strap portion. A cow hitch is more resistant to loosening than other forms of knots. When there is opposite directional force on the ends of the toe post portion and the foot strap portion, which occurs when the sandal is being worn and further occurs when the wearer is walking, the cow hitch further tightens.
FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal, wherein the toe post portion 300 is attached to the foot strap portion 200 via a cow hitch 700, and the ends of the toe post portion 300 are placed through the sole's 100 toe post hole 110. This allows for the toe post 300 to be secured to the sole 100. FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the bottom of the sole 100, and demonstrates how the ends of the toe post 300 are affixed to the sole 100. As shown in the sectional view 900, the ends of the toe post 300 are affixed to the sole after going through the sole's toe post hole 110. These toe post ends 300 may be affixed using a variety of well-known methods, such as with an adhesive, clamping, knotting, or stitching.
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a cow hitch sandal, wherein the foot strap portion 200 and toe post portion 300 are all completely assembled to form a completed sandal.
Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to certain embodiments and examples, variations and modifications exist which are within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.
Patent Application
20170325539
