This document relates generally to the apparel arts and, more particularly, to an item of footwear having a dual rear closure arrangement.
Various types of footwear, such as shoes or boots, includes a primary closure for securement on a foot of the wearer, typically in the form of laces along a front upper portion of the shoe or boot to achieve a snug or proper fit.
It can sometimes be desirable for a user to achieve more freedom in terms of the ability to release the snugness of, or “relax” the fit, without releasing the laces, or otherwise fully removing their foot, such as to provide comfort. This is especially the case when particularly tall boots are being worn, as such can lead to discomfort, especially when the wearer is in a seated position (especially when driving a vehicle, for example).
Accordingly, a need exists for an item of footwear that addresses the foregoing concerns and perhaps others that have yet to be realized.
In one aspect, an item of footwear includes a sole, a lower coupled to the sole, the lower including a toe and a heel, an upper extending from the lower away from the sole, and a pair of closure mechanisms. The upper includes a shaft, and a backstay spaced apart from the shaft to define a pair of gaps. The pair of closure mechanisms selectively couple the backstay to the shaft, and each include at least one coupler and at least one receiver for selectively coupling to the coupler. The coupler is coupled to one of the shaft and the backstay, and the receiver is coupled to the other of the shaft and the backstay. When the receiver is coupled to the coupler, the backstay is coupled to the shaft to restrict movement of the backstay relative to the shaft, and when the receiver is decoupled from the coupler, the pair of closure mechanisms permit movement of the backstay relative to the shaft.
In another aspect, an item of footwear includes a sole, a lower coupled to the sole, the lower including a toe and a heel, an upper extending from the lower away from the sole, and a closure mechanism. The upper includes a shaft, and a backstay including a first side and an opposite second side, the backstay is spaced apart from the shaft at the first side to define a gap. The closure mechanism selectively couples the first side of the backstay to the shaft, and includes at least one coupler and at least one receiver for selectively coupling to the coupler. The coupler is coupled to one of the shaft and the backstay, and the receiver is coupled to the other of the shaft and the backstay. When the receiver is coupled to the coupler, the backstay is coupled to the shaft to restrict movement of the backstay relative to the shaft, and when the receiver is decoupled from the coupler, the closure mechanism permits movement of the backstay relative to the shaft. The item of footwear defines a midline extending along a length of the lower between the toe and the heel, the midline intersects the backstay with the closure mechanism being spaced apart from the midline.
These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
As shown in
The upper 16 may extend from the lower 14 in a direction away from the sole 12 so that the lower 14 is positioned between the upper 16 and the sole 12. The upper 16 may include a shaft 28, a collar 30, and a backstay 32 spaced apart from the shaft to define a pair of gaps G. The shaft may include a first portion 34 and a second portion 36 spaced apart from the first portion 34. Each of the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 of the shaft 28 and the backstay 32 may be coupled to the lower 14. The backstay 32, or rear central flap 32, may be positioned between the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 with one of the pair of gaps G positioned between the backstay 32 and the first portion 34 and the other of the pair of gaps G positioned between the backstay 32 and the second portion 36. Each of the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 may be positioned between the tongue 18 and the backstay 32 so that the backstay 32 is positioned closer to the heel 24 than the tongue 18 or the shaft 28. The gaps G between the backstay 32 and the shaft 28 allow for the backstay 32 to be movable relative to the shaft 28. As shown in
Referring still to
The tongue 18 may be coupled to the lower 14 to be positioned between the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 of the shaft 28, and extend away from the lower 14 with the upper 16. The lacing system 20, or primary closure 20, may be configured to fasten the footwear 10 to a foot of a wearer, and may extend between the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 of the shaft 28 to selectively couple the first portion 34 to the second portion 36, thereby “tying” the footwear 10 to tighten the footwear 10 to the foot of the wearer W. The lacing system 20 may include a plurality of eyelets 40 positioned along each of the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 of the shaft 28 adjacent the tongue 18, and a lace 42 extending through each of the eyelets 40 to adjust a width or space between the first portion 34 and the second portion 36, thereby tightening or loosening the footwear 10. While the depicted lacing system 20 is a traditional lace and eyelet configuration, it is contemplated and possible that alternative lacing systems may be applied, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, elastic (slip-on shoes), buckles, buttons, or the like.
Each of the pair of closure mechanisms 22, or secondary releasable closures 22, may connect the backstay 32, or rear central flap 32, to a remainder of the item of footwear, and may include at least one coupler 44, at least one receiver 46 for selectively coupling to the coupler 44, and a pair of gussets 48. The coupler 44 may be coupled to one of the shaft 28 and the backstay 32, and the receiver 46 may be coupled to the other of the shaft 28 and the backstay 32 to permit the pair of closure mechanisms 22 to selectively couple the backstay 32 to the shaft 28 along the pair of gaps G. When the receiver 46 is coupled to the coupler, the backstay 32 is coupled to the shaft 28 to restrict movement of the backstay 32 relative to the shaft 28, and when the receiver 46 is decoupled from the coupler, the pair of closure mechanisms 22 permit movement of the backstay 32 relative to the shaft 28.
Each of the pair of closure mechanisms 22 may be zippers such that the coupler 44 includes a first set of zipper teeth 50, the receiver 46 includes a second set of zipper teeth 52 for coupling to the first set of zipper teeth 50, and each pair of closure mechanisms 22 further comprises a slide 54 at least partially engaged with the first and second sets of zipper teeth 50, 52 to be configured to couple the first set of zipper teeth 50 to the second set of zipper teeth 52. The first set of zipper teeth 50 of the pair of closure mechanisms 22 may be coupled to the shaft 28 at the first portion 34 and the second portion 36 along the pair of gaps G, and the second set of zipper teeth 52 of the pair of closure mechanisms 22 may be coupled to the backstay 32 along the pair of gaps G. The backstay 32 may include a first side 58 and a second side 60 opposite the first side 58, with the second set of zipper teeth 52 of one of the pair of closure mechanisms 22 coupled to the first side 58, and the second set of zipper teeth 52 of the other of the pair of closure mechanisms 22 coupled to the second side 60. While the depicted footwear 10 includes zippers for closure mechanisms 22, it is contemplated and possible that the closure mechanisms 22 may be any known closure mechanisms 22 operable to selectively couple the backstay 32 to the shaft 28, such as buttons, hook-and-loop, laces, or the like.
The pair of gussets 48 may be coupled between the shaft 28 and the backstay 32, or rear central flap 32, to extend across the pair of gaps G, and may connect the rear central flap 32 to the remainder of the item of footwear 10. Each of the pair of gussets 48 may be any traditional gusset, gore, goret, or the like, that is capable of folding and unfolding, or extending, to allow the gusset 48 to extend across the gaps G as the backstay 32 is moved away from the shaft 28. For example, the pair of gussets 48 may extend a width, when unfolded or extended, between the backstay 32 and the shaft 28, the width being larger than a width of the pair of gaps G to permit the backstay 32 to move away from the shaft 28 and so that the gusset 48 extends across the gaps G to prevent debris from extending the footwear 10 through the gaps G. The width of the pair of gaps G is a distance between the shaft 28 and the backstay 32. The pair of gussets 48 may include a first gusset 64 coupling the first portion 34 of the shaft 28 to the first side 58 of the backstay 32, and a second gusset 66 coupling the second portion 36 of the shaft 28 to the second side 60 of the backstay 32. However, the footwear 10 may include any operable number of gussets 48 for preventing debris from entering through the gaps G, such as one, two, or more than two.
The lower 14 may define a midline M that extends along a length of the lower 14 between the toe 26 and the heel 24 to intersect the backstay 32 such that the pair of closure mechanisms 22 are positioned on opposing sides of the midline M. The midline M may extend from a heel end 68 of the sole 12 to a toe end 70 of the sole 12. The pair of closure mechanisms 22 may be positioned on opposing sides of the midline M such that the closure mechanisms 22 are spaced apart from the midline M to allow for an ankle or portion of a leg to move the backstay 32 away from the shaft 28 when the foot is flexed, permitting increased flexibility with the footwear 10 when the couplers 44 are disengaged from the receivers 46.
The footwear 10 depicted in
As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings:
“A”, “an”, and “the” as used herein refers to both singular and plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. By way of example, “a compartment” refers to one or more than one compartment.
“Comprise”, “comprising”, and “comprises” and “comprised of” as used herein are synonymous with “include”, “including”, “includes” or “contain”, “containing”, “contains” and are inclusive or open-ended terms that specifies the presence of what follows e.g. component and do not exclude or preclude the presence of additional, non-recited components, features, element, members, steps, known in the art or disclosed therein.
While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present disclosure claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 63/248,096, filed on Sep. 24, 2021 and entitled “FOOTWEAR WITH DUAL REAR CLOSURE ARRANGEMENT,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference in it's entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63248096 | Sep 2021 | US |