Sports shoe, such as a ski boot, snowboarding boot, trekking boot or suchlike

Abstract

A sports shoe comprising an upper or casing, to cover a tarsal zone and a metatarsal zone of the user's foot, and a tongue associated with the casing, to be bent forward due to the thrust generated by a tibial segment of the user's leg, during sporting activity. The casing, in correspondence with a metatarsal zone thereof, comprises at least a through slit which allows the progressive elastic flexion of the casing due to the effect of the bending forward of the tongue.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral view, partly in section, of a sports shoe according to the present invention, in a first operating condition;

FIG. 2 is a lateral view, partly in section, of the sports shoe in FIG. 1, in a second operating condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a sports shoe according to the present invention in this case is a ski boot 10 consisting substantially of an upper or casing 12, disposed to cover the tarsal and metatarsal zone of the user's foot, and a tongue 11, hinged on opposite sides to a metatarsal zone 12a of the casing 12, and able to protect the tibial zone of the user's leg.

The casing 12 and the tongue 11 are generally equipped with a front aperture delimited by walls that are able to be brought selectively nearer each other by means of closing mechanisms 15 disposed in specific zones of the boot 10, in order to guarantee a sufficient closure of the latter with respect to the user's foot.

The casing 12 comprises two through slits 16, made laterally on opposite sides, advantageously symmetrical (of which only one can be seen in the attached drawings), in correspondence with its metatarsal zone 12a, and extending in a direction substantially longitudinal to the development of the tongue 11.

Each through slit 16 has a curved shape, substantially like a boomerang, half-moon or banana, that is, defined substantially by two consecutive segments 17 and 19, angled and forming an obtuse angle, with the top facing towards the rear part of the casing 12.

In this way, when the user is preparing to make a normal turn on the skis and exerts a forward pressure with the tibia on the tongue 11, the casing 12 is deformed, progressively closing the two through slits 16, and thus allowing the metatarsal zone 12a of the casing 12 to flex forward elastically, substantially without blockages and/or structural deformation, and following the natural bending movement of the leg, until the end of the stress due to the particular phase of the sporting activity.

Vice versa, when upon coming out of the turn the user stretches his leg, the elastic energy accumulated is released by the casing 12, helping the movement of the leg. In this phase, the casing 12 recovers its original condition, thanks to the widening of the two through slits 16, until the initial, unstressed state is restored.

It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the ski boot 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

For example, there could be more than one slit 16 for each side, for example two or more per side of the casing 12.

Or there could be only one slit 16, for example only on the internal side or external side of the casing 12.

Or again, the shape of the slit 16 could be substantially abstract, longitudinal or transverse to the development of the casing 12, or curved, but with the curve facing towards the front part of the casing 12.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of sport shoe, such as a ski boot, a snowboarding boot, a trekking boot or other, all coming within the field of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sports shoe comprising an upper or casing, able to cover a tarsal zone and a metatarsal zone of the user's foot, and a tongue associated with said casing, and able to be bent forward due to the thrust generated by a tibial segment of the user's leg, during sporting activity, wherein said casing, in correspondence with a metatarsal zone thereof, comprises at least a through slit able to allow the progressive elastic flexion of said casing due to the effect of the bending forward of said tongue.

2. A sports shoe as in claim 1, wherein said through slit is substantially oblong in shape and extends in a direction substantially longitudinal to said tongue.

3. A sports shoe as in claim 1, wherein said through slit is substantially oblong in shape and extends in a direction substantially transverse to said tongue.

4. A sports shoe as in claim 1, wherein said through slit has a curved shape defined substantially by two segments consecutive and angled with respect to each other.

5. A sports shoe as in claim 4, wherein the angle formed by said segments is obtuse.

6. A sports shoe as in claim 4, wherein the angle formed by said segments faces towards the rear part of said casing.

7. A sports shoe as in claim 4, wherein the angle formed by said segments has its top facing towards the front part of said casing.

8. A sports shoe as in claim 1, wherein said casing comprises two through slits made laterally on opposite sides on said metatarsal zone.

9. A sports shoe as in claim 8, wherein said two through slits are symmetrical with respect to a vertical median plane of said shoe.