Shoe

• US 20040237348A1
• Filed: 02/04/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf Dassler Sport
• Original Assignee: Puma Aktiengesellschaft Rudolf Dassler Sport
• Inventors: Lacey, Brad
• Application Number:
  US10/485,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20040237348A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/54
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/08 with rubber or elastic insertions or gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/006 Elastic fastenings
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/1493 Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/20 Fastenings with tightening devices mounted on the tongue
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/22 Fastening devices with elastic tightening parts between pairs of eyelets, e.g. clamps, springs, bands

Abstract

A shoe (1), especially an athletic shoe, with an upper (2) which has a tongue (4) in the area of the instep (3). Such a shoe (1) is improved such that it can be put on and taken off while avoiding lacing effort, nevertheless the shoe (1) being held on the foot in the best possible manner. This is achieved in that the tongue (4) and the area (5, 6) of the shoe upper (2) located laterally from the tongue (4) are connected via at least one flexible-elastic flat part (7, 8) and that the two areas (5, 6) of the shoe upper (2) which are located to the side of the tongue (4) are interconnected by at least two tightening straps (9, 9′, 9″, 9′″, 9″″).

Claims

1. Shoe which has a tongue in the area of the instep, the tongue and an area of the shoe upper located laterally from the tongue being connected via at least one flexible-elastic flat part and the areas of the shoe upper which are located to the side of the tongue being interconnected by at least two tightening straps.

2. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two tightening straps span the top of the tongue.

3. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two tightening straps run on the bottom of the tongue.

4. Shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least two tightening straps are located between the bottom of the tongue and a cushion layer.

5. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein between the tongue and each of the lateral areas of the shoe upper there is a respective flexible-elastic part.

6. Shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least two flexible-elastic parts are formed by a continuous elastic strap which extends between the areas to the side of the tongue on the shoe upper and which is securely joined to the tongue a flat area of the tongue.

7. Shoe as claimed in claim 6, wherein a top surface of the elastic strap is connected to a bottom surface of the tongue.

8. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein on the tongue there is at least one guide element for the tightening straps.

9. Shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the guide element is a loop.

10. Shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each tightening strap has at least one guide element of its own.

11. Shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein for each tightening strap there are two guide elements on the tongue which are located roughly symmetrically to the center axis of the shoe.

12. Shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein a guide element for each tightening strap is assigned to each flexible-elastic part.

13. Shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one guide element is located on the top of the tongue.

14. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tightening straps essentially tighten the entire area of the tongue.

15. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least two tightening straps comprise five tightening straps.

16. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue is made of a material from the group consisting of leather, imitation leather, plastic, textile material and combinations of these materials.

17. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one flexible-elastic part is made of a material from the group consisting of leather, imitation leather, plastic, textile material and combinations of these materials.

18. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tightening straps are made of rubber material.

19. Shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tightening straps are made of a material from the group consisting of an elastomer butane rubber, neoprene, polyurethane or silicone.