Article of footwear including a sizing system

• US 20090249649A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Schenone, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/97
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/28 Devices to put in shoes in order to prevent slipping at the heel or to prevent abrading the stockings
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1464 with adjustable pads to allow custom fit

Abstract

An article of footwear with a size-adjustable system capable of adjusting the size of the artifice of footwear is provided. The size-adjustable system comprises three sets of removable inserts. The inserts engage the article of footwear in the heel region of the upper to provide both space-filling in the heel region as well as stabilization of the foot. When each set of sizing inserts are disposed within the article of footwear, the size of the foot the article of footwear is capable of receiving is different. By providing a size-adjustable system, the article of footwear is capable of receiving multiple foot sizes, such as that of a growing child.

Claims

1. A system for modifying the size of an article of footwear comprising:

a first insert configured to be removably attached to a heel region of the article of footwear;

a second insert configured to be removably attached to the heel region of the article of footwear;

wherein the first insert modifies the article of footwear to a first size and the second insert modifies article of footwear to a second size that is different from the first size; and

wherein the first insert and the second insert are interchangeable.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a third removable insert configured to modify the article of footwear to a third size, wherein the third insert is interchangeable with the first insert and the second insert.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first removable insert and the second removable insert each comprise a set of multiple removable inserts.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the removable inserts are disposed within the heel region of the upper of the article of footwear.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the first set of removable inserts and the second set of removable inserts each comprises a medial removable insert attachable to the medial portion of the heel region and a lateral removable insert attachable to the lateral portion of the heel region.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the first set of removable inserts are larger than the second set of removable inserts.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the third removable insert comprises a set of multiple inserts.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the removable inserts are disposed within the heel region of the article of footwear.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the first set of removable inserts, the second set of removable inserts, and the third set of removable inserts each comprises a medial removable insert disposed on the medial portion of the heel region and a lateral removable insert disposed on the lateral portion of the heel region.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first set of removable inserts are larger than the second set of removable insert and the second set of removable inserts are larger than the third set of removable inserts.

11. A method of modifying the size of an article of footwear comprising:

providing an article of footwear configured to receive removable inserts and a plurality of removable inserts; and

inserting a first removable insert into the article of footwear to change an original size of the article of footwear to a first altered size;

removing the first removable insert; and

inserting a second removable insert into the article of footwear to modify the first size to a second size.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first removable insert comprises a set of multiple removable inserts.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the article of footwear size is modified to a second size by removing the first removable insert and inserting the second removable insert.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first and second removable inserts each comprise a set of multiple removable inserts.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the spacer system comprises a third removable insert to modify the size of the article of footwear to a third size.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the third removable insert comprises a set of multiple removable inserts.

17. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper configured to receive a plurality of interchangeable inserts configured to vary a size of the article of footwear.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the upper includes a recess in a sidewall of a heel region, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of interchangeable sizing inserts may be press-fitted into the recess.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 18, wherein a plurality of recesses are provided in the heel region.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 19, wherein a first recess is disposed in a medial portion of the heel region of the upper and a second region is disposed in a lateral portion of the heel region of the upper.