Footwear Having Lace Receiving Strands

• US 20150189947A1
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Klug, Bryant Russell, Minami, Tetsuya T., Molyneux, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/122 characterised by the outsole or external layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/22 Soles made slip-preventing or wear-resisting, e.g. by impregnation or spreading a wear-resisting layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 with rings or loops

Abstract

An article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot, and a sole structure fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper. The sole structure may include a ground-engaging outer member and the footwear may include a first strand configured to form at least a first lace receiving loop and extending through the outer member of the sole structure.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising;

an upper configured to receive a foot;

a sole structure fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole structure including a ground-engaging outer member; and

a first strand configured to form at least a first lace receiving loop and extending through the outer member of the sole structure.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first strand forms the first lace receiving loop on a medial side of the article of footwear and a second lace receiving loop on a lateral side of the article of footwear.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the first strand forms a third lace receiving loop on the medial side of the article of footwear and fourth lace receiving loop on the lateral side of the article of footwear.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first strand includes a first end and a second end;

and

wherein the first strand includes a knot at the first end, the knot being configured to prevent the first strand from being pulled through the outer member.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first strand is affixed to a portion of the upper.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the first strand is affixed to the upper with stitching.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the first strand is affixed to the upper with stitching proximate to the first lace receiving loop.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first strand includes a first end and a second end;

wherein the first end and the second end of the first strand overlap one another in an overlapping region; and

wherein the first end and the second end of the first strand are secured to one another with stitching in the overlapping region.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the overlapping region forms at least a portion of the first lace receiving loop.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, further including a figure eight strand arrangement, having one or more strands forming a first lace receiving loop disposed proximate an instep region on a first side of the upper, and a pair of strands extending from the first lace receiving loop down the first side of the upper to the sole structure, passing through the outer member of the sole structure, extending up a second side of the upper and diagonally across the instep region of the upper, down the first side of the upper, extending under the upper and up the second side of the upper, and forming a second lace receiving loop proximate a the instep region on the second side of the upper diagonally opposite the first lace receiving loop.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first strand extends through a midfoot region of the outer member.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first strand extends through a forefoot region of the outer member.

13. An article of footwear, comprising;

an upper configured to receive a foot;

a sole structure fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole structure including a ground-engaging outer member; and

a first strand configured to form a plurality of lace receiving loops, including at least a first lace receiving loop on a first side of the upper and a second lace receiving loop on a second side of the upper;

wherein the first strand extends from the first side of the upper to the second side of the upper through the outer member of the sole structure.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the plurality of lace receiving loops further includes a third lace receiving loop on the first side of the article of footwear and a fourth lace receiving loop on the second side of the article of footwear.

15. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the first strand includes a first end and a second end;

and

wherein the first strand includes a first knot at the first end, the first knot being configured to prevent the first strand from being pulled through the outer member.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the first strand includes a second knot at the second end of the first strand, the second knot being configured to prevent the first strand from being pulled through the outer member.

17. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the first strand extends through the outer member in two or more places.

18. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the first strand is affixed to a portion of the upper.

19. An article of footwear, comprising;

an upper configured to receive a foot;

a sole structure fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper, the sole structure including a ground-engaging outer member; and

a first strand configured to form a first lace receiving loop on a medial side of the upper and a second lace receiving loop on a lateral side of the upper, the first strand extending from the medial side of the upper to the lateral side of the upper between the upper and the outer member of the sole structure; and

a second strand configured to form a third lace receiving loop on the medial side of the upper and a fourth lace receiving loop on the lateral side of the upper, the second strand extending from the medial side of the upper to the lateral side of the upper through the outer member of the sole structure.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the second strand includes a first end and a second end;

and

wherein the second strand includes a knot at the first end, the knot being configured to prevent the second strand from being pulled through the outer member.

21. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the second strand includes a second knot at the second end of the second strand, the second knot being configured to prevent the second strand from being pulled through the outer member.

22. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the second strand extends through the outer member in two or more places.

23. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the second strand is affixed to a portion of the upper.

24. The article of footwear of claim 23, wherein the second strand is affixed to the upper with stitching.

25. The article of footwear of claim 24, wherein the first strand is affixed to the upper with stitching proximate to the first lace receiving loop.