SHOE WITH IMPROVED HEEL FIT PERFORMANCE

• US 20120216422A1
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASICS Corporation
• Original Assignee: ASICS Corporation
• Inventors: Ikezawa, Tomoko, Takemura, Shuhei, Nagata, Moe
• Application Number:
  US13/503,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20120216422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/83
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 19/00 Shoe-shaped inserts; Inserts covering the instep
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/088 Heel stiffeners A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/16 with elevated heel parts inside
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F

Abstract

First eyelet holes are arranged in two rows along a notch and a shoelace 3 passes therethrough, and a sub-upper includes a front extension 2f. The front extension 2f includes an eyelet portion 24 forming a second eyelet hole. The eyelet portion 24 is drawn toward the center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace 3 near the second eyelet hole, and the eyelet portion 24 bends as it engages with a main upper 1 at a through hole, thereby changing the direction of the fastening force to pull the upper portion 2u including the front extension 2f toward a front side, while the main upper 1 is drawn toward the center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace 3 near one of the first eyelet holes that is posterior to the second eyelet hole, whereby a portion of the front extension 2f that is covered by the main upper 1 is pressed against the upper side surface of the foot, thereby fitting the upper portion of the sub-upper 2 to the upper side surface of the foot.

Claims

1. A shoe with an improved heel fit comprising:

a main upper being continuous from a tip of a toe to side surfaces of a heel and covering the toe and a medial side and a lateral side of a foot;

a sub-upper formed by a separate member from the main upper, covering the heel in the main upper without covering a distal head of a metatarsal bone;

a shoelace for fitting the main upper and the sub-upper to the foot; and

a sole to which secured edge portions of the main upper and the sub-upper along lower edges thereof are secured, wherein;

the main upper includes a notch covered by a tongue, and first eyelet holes which are arranged in two rows along the notch and through which the shoelace passes;

the sub-upper includes portions covering a medial side surface and a lateral side surface of a talus bone, and a medial side surface, a lateral side surface and a back surface of a calcaneal bone, and is in contact with a surface of the foot on the side surfaces and the back surface;

the sub-upper includes a lower portion, and an upper portion above the lower portion, the lower portion being covered by the main upper;

a rear portion of the tongue and the upper portion of the sub-upper together form a mouth through which a leg extends in an upward direction when worn, and fit to the foot at the mouth;

the upper portion extends diagonally upward in a rearward direction from directly below medial and lateral malleoli so as to cover a lower portion of an Achilles tendon at a level above a lower end of the lateral malleolus;

the upper portion includes a front extension extending forward from directly below the medial and lateral malleoli past a front end of the calcaneal bone, wherein at least a portion of the front extension is covered by the main upper, and the upper portion including the front extension is unattached to the main upper;

the front extension includes an eyelet portion forming a second eyelet hole;

a through hole is formed on a medial side and on a lateral side of the main upper for allowing the eyelet portion to pass therethrough so that the second eyelet hole is exposed outside the main upper; and

in a state where the shoelace has been passed through the plurality of first and second eyelet holes and is exerting a fastening force, the eyelet portion is drawn toward a center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near the second eyelet hole, and the eyelet portion bends as the eyelet portion engages with the main upper at the through hole, thereby changing a direction of the fastening force to pull the upper portion including the front extension toward a front side, while the main upper is drawn toward the center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near one of the first eyelet holes that is posterior to the second eyelet hole, whereby a portion of the front extension that is covered by the main upper is pressed against an upper side surface of the foot, thereby fitting the upper portion of the sub-upper to the upper side surface of the foot.

2. A shoe with an improved heel fit comprising:

a main upper being continuous from a tip of a toe to side surfaces of a heel and covering the toe and a medial side and a lateral side of a foot;

a sub-upper formed by a separate member from the main upper, covering the heel in the main upper without covering a distal head of a metatarsal bone;

a shoelace for fitting the main upper and the sub-upper to the foot; and

a sole to which secured edge portions of the main upper and the sub-upper along lower edges thereof are secured, wherein;

the main upper includes a notch covered by a tongue, and first eyelet holes which are arranged in two rows along the notch and through which the shoelace passes;

the sub-upper includes portions covering a medial side surface and a lateral side surface of a talus bone, and a medial side surface, a lateral side surface and a back surface of a calcaneal bone, and is in contact with a surface of the foot on the side surfaces and the back surface;

the sub-upper includes a lower portion, and an upper portion above the lower portion, the lower portion being covered by the main upper;

a rear portion of the tongue and the upper portion of the sub-upper together form a mouth through which extends in an upward direction when worn, and fit to the foot at the mouth;

the upper portion of the sub-upper includes a layered portion including a base material and a cushioning material serving to fit to an upper portion of the foot and being layered on the base material, with the layered portion bulging toward a surface of the foot by virtue of the cushioning material;

the layered portion of the upper portion extends diagonally upward in a rear direction from directly below medial and lateral malleoli so as to cover a lower portion of an Achilles tendon at a level above a lower end of the lateral malleolus;

the upper portion includes a front extension extending forward from directly below the medial and lateral malleoli past a front end of the calcaneal bone, wherein at least a portion of the front extension is covered by the main upper, and the upper portion including the front extension is unattached to the main upper;

the front extension includes an eyelet portion forming a second eyelet hole;

a through hole is formed on a medial side and on a lateral side of the main upper for allowing the eyelet portion to pass therethrough so that the second eyelet hole is exposed outside the main upper; and

in a state where the shoelace has been passed through the plurality of first and second eyelet holes and is exerting a fastening force,

the eyelet portion is drawn toward a center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near the second eyelet hole, and the eyelet portion bends as the eyelet portion engages with the main upper at the through hole, thereby changing a direction of the fastening force to pull the upper portion including the front extension toward a front side, while the main upper is drawn toward the center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near one of the first eyelet holes that is posterior to the second eyelet hole, whereby a portion of the front extension that is covered by the main upper is pressed against an upper side surface of the foot, thereby fitting the layered portion including the cushioning material to the upper side surface of the foot.

3. A shoe according to claim 2, wherein the front extension extends forward past the secured edge portion of the sub-upper, and a front end of the secured edge portion of the sub-upper is placed posterior to a front end of the calcaneal bone, wherein the front extension has a non-secured edge portion along a lower edge thereof extending diagonally rearward toward the front end of the secured edge portion of the lower edge.

4. A shoe according to claim 2, wherein:

the upper portion of the sub-upper includes an exposed portion extending from directly under rear ends of the medial and lateral malleoli to a back surface of the heel without being accommodated in the main upper,; and

the main upper covers a lower portion of the calcaneal bone from the back surface.

5. A shoe according to claim 4, wherein the main upper and the sub-upper are attached to each other on a back of the heel and are unattached to each other in the upper portion of the sub-upper directly below the malleolus and in an area in front of the upper portion of the sub-upper.

6. A shoe according to claim 2, wherein the base material is formed by a flexible material so that the upper portion of the sub-upper stretches in a front-back direction when the shoelace is fastened.

7. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein the base material is formed by an inner skin and an outer skin with the cushioning material sandwiched therebetween, and a counter formed by a synthetic resin which is harder than the layered portion and which has a U-shaped horizontal cross section is secured to the outer skin, over an area from the back surface to medial and lateral side surfaces of the heel, in a lower area of the sub-upper away from an upper edge of the sub-upper so that the layered portion conforms to a side surface of the foot.

8. A shoe according to claim 7, wherein:

the front extension extends forward past a front end of the counter; and

in areas anterior to the front end of the counter in medial side and lateral side, the main upper presses the front extension against the side surface of the foot by the fastening force of the shoelace.

9. A shoe according to claim 8, wherein:

the counter is placed along the layered portion of the sub-upper;

an upper edge of the main upper extends diagonally downward in the rearward direction to a rear end of the heel; and

the main upper covers a front end portion of the counter without covering a rear portion of the counter in the upper portion of the sub-upper.

10. A shoe with an improved heel fit comprising:

a main upper being continuous from a tip of a toe to side surfaces of a heel;

a sub-upper formed by a separate member from the main upper, conforming to the heel in the main upper;

a shoelace for fitting the main upper and the sub-upper to the foot; and

a sole to which secured edge portions of the main upper and the sub-upper along lower edges thereof are secured, wherein;

the main upper includes first eyelet holes through which the shoelace passes;

the sub-upper includes a flexible portion covering the heel, and is in contact with the side surfaces and a back surface of the heel in the main upper;

the sub-upper includes a lower portion, and an upper portion above the lower portion, the lower portion being covered by the main upper;

a rear portion of a [the] tongue and the upper portion of the sub-upper together form a mouth through which a leg extends in an upward direction when worn, and fit to the foot at the mouth;

the upper portion is provided with an eyelet portion forming a second eyelet hole;

a through hole is formed on a medial side and on a lateral side of the main upper for allowing the eyelet portion to pass therethrough so that the second eyelet hole is exposed outside the main upper; and

in a state where the shoelace has been passed through the plurality of first and second eyelet holes and is exerting a fastening force,

the eyelet portion is drawn toward a center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near the second eyelet hole, thereby the upper portion being pulled toward a front side and fitting to an upper side surface of the foot.

11. A shoe according to claim 10, wherein:

the upper portion of the sub-upper includes a layered portion including a cushioning material serving to fit to an upper part of the foot, and an inner skin and an outer skin layered together with the cushioning material sandwiched therebetween, the layered portion bulging toward a surface of the foot by virtue of the cushioning material;

the layered portion of the upper portion extends rearward from directly below medial and lateral malleoli; and

the upper portion includes a front extension extending forward from directly below the medial and lateral malleoli past a front end of a calcaneal bone and extending forward past the secured edge portion of the sub-upper.

12. A shoe according to claim 11, wherein in the state where the shoelace has been passed through the plurality of first and second eyelet holes and is exerting the fastening force, the layered portion is pulled forward to fit to the upper side surface of the foot.

13. A shoe according to claim 12, wherein in the state where the shoelace has been passed through the plurality of first and second eyelet holes and is exerting the fastening force, the main upper is drawn toward the center of the foot by the fastening force from a portion of the shoelace near one of the first eyelet holes that is posterior to the second eyelet hole, whereby a portion of the front extension of the upper portion that is in the main upper is pressed against the upper side surface of the foot, thereby fitting the layered portion including the cushioning material to the upper side surface of the foot.

14. A shoe according to claim 10, wherein:

the sub-upper includes an exposed portion extending from directly under rear ends of the medial and lateral malleolus to a back surface of the heel without being accommodated in the main upper; and

the main upper covers a lower portion of the calcaneal bone from the back surface.

15. A shoe according to claim 14, wherein the main upper and the sub-upper are attached to each other on a back of the heel and are unattached to each other in the upper portion of the sub-upper directly below the malleolus and in an area in front of the upper portion of the sub-upper.

16. A shoe according to claim 11 [10], wherein a counter formed by a synthetic resin which is harder than the layered portion and which has a U-shaped horizontal cross section is secured to the outer skin, over an area from the back surface to medial and lateral side surfaces of the heel, in a lower area of the sub-upper away from an upper edge of the sub-upper so that the upper portion conforms to side surfaces of the foot.

17. A shoe according to claim 16, wherein:

the front extension extends forward past a front end of the counter; and

in medial-side and lateral-side areas anterior to the front end of the counter, the main upper presses the front extension against the side surfaces of the foot by the fastening force of the shoelace.

18. A shoe according to claim 17, wherein:

the counter is placed along the layered portion of the sub-upper;

an upper edge of the main upper extends diagonally downward in a rearward direction to a rear end of the heel; and

the main upper covers a front end portion of the counter without covering a rear portion of the counter in the upper portion of the sub-upper.