Fitting system for children's footwear

• US 7,293,370 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Balance Athletic Shoe Incorporated (New Balance Athletics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Balance Athletic Shoe Incorporated (New Balance Athletics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Choe, Patrick Y., Murphy, Sean B., Kaplan, Joshua G.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US10/985,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20060096129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 36/84.O, 36/97.X, 36/73.X
• US Class Current: 36/8.4
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/30 specially adapted for babies or small children
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/027 Shoe fit indicating devices

Abstract

An object of footwear for children which allows adults to visually determine whether the shoe proper fits the child and can be adjusted in its effective size when it is determined that the shoe has become too small. The article of footwear comprises a fitting system comprising: (1) a substantially transparent window disposed in a predetermined location in the vamp so that when a wearer who has a foot that properly fits in the article of footwear puts on the article of footwear, a portion of a toe of the wearer can be seen through the window, and (2) a sizing member attached to the upper, the sizing member being placed within the opening against the heel portion to create a first effective size of the article of footwear, the sizing member being removable to create a second effective size of the article of footwear. The present invention also provides a method of determining when to adjust the effective size of an article of footwear and adjusting the effective size of the article of footwear.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper secured to said sole and defining an opening for receiving a foot of a wearer, said upper including a vamp and a heel portion; and

a fitting system comprising;

a substantially transparent window disposed in a predetermined location in said vamp so that when a wearer who has a foot that properly fits in said article of footwear puts on said article of footwear, a portion of a toe of said wearer can be seen through said window; and

a sizing member attached to said upper, said sizing member being placed within said opening against said heel portion to create a first effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member being reattachably removable from said article of footwear through an attachment mechanism to create a second effective size of said article of footwear, said attachment mechanism allowing said sizing member, once removed, to be reattached to said article of footwear, wherein said sizing member has an upper portion and a lower portion, and an extension extending from said upper portion of said sizing member.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said vamp having a medial front portion and a lateral front portion, and said substantially transparent window is disposed in a predetermined location in said medial front portion of said vamp so that when a wearer who has a foot tax properly fits in said article of footwear puts on said article of footwear, a portion of a toe of said wearer can be seen through said window.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window is disposed in a location on said vamp so that a portion of a big toe of said wearer can be seen through said window.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, also having a front, a medial side and a bottom, wherein said substantially transparent window is disposed about 10 to 30 mm from said front, about 2 to 22 mm from said medial side, and about 15 to 35 mm from said bottom.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, also having a front, a medial side and a bottom, wherein said substantially transparent window is disposed about 15 to 25 mm from said front, about 7 to 17 mm from said medial side, and about 20 to 30 mm from said bottom.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, also having a front, a medial side and a bottom, wherein said substantially transparent window is disposed about 19 to 21 mm from said front, about 11 to 13 mm from said medial side, and about 24 to 26 mm from said bottom.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, also having a front, a medial side and a bottom, wherein said substantially transparent window is disposed about 20 mm from said front, about 12 mm from said medial side, and about 25 mm from said bottom.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window is substantially circular.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said substantially transparent window has a diameter of less than about 20 mm.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein said substantially transparent window has a diameter of about 3-10 mm.

11. The ankle of footwear of claim 8, wherein said substantially transparent window has a diameter of about 6-8 mm.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window has a thickness of about 0.3 to 3 mm.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window has a thickness of about 0.5 to 2.5 mm.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window has a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window has a thickness of about 1.5 mm.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said substantially transparent window is comprised of a compression molded rubber.

17. The article of footwear of claim 1, also having a front, a medial side and a bottom, wherein said substantially transparent window is a substantially circular window having a diameter of about 6-8 mm, the center of said circular window is about 19 to 21mm from said front, about 11 to 13 mm from said medial side, and about 24 to 26 mm from said bottom, allowing observing a portion of the big toe and/or the second toe of a foot of said wearer.

18. The ankle of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sizing member is attached to said upper through said attachment mechanism, wherein said attachment mechanism allows said sizing member, once removed, to be reattached to said article of footwear at said upper.

19. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sizing member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said ankle of footwear for about one half to one and a half shoe size.

20. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sizing member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said article of footwear for about one half to one shoe size.

21. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said siring member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said article of footwear for about one half shoe size.

23. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said attachment mechanism is disposed in said extension.

24. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said extension is a loop connected to said upper portion of said sizing member.

25. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizing mechanism for holding said sizing member in place within said opening.

26. The article of footwear of claim 25, wherein said stabilizing mechanism is a hook and loop closure system.

27. The article of footwear of claim 26, wherein said sizing member includes a strip of one of hooks and loops and said heel portion of said upper includes a strip of the other of hooks and loops at a corresponding location.

28. The article of footwear of claim 27, wherein said strips are located on said lower portion of said sizing member and a lower portion of said heel portion of said upper.

29. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sole comprises an insole and an outsole, said article of footwear further comprising:

a protective plate under said insole for providing protection from injuries by hard objects, said protective plate being made of a material which is more resistant to hard objects than said outsole.

30. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said protective plate is removable from said article of footwear.

31. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said protective plate is made of a plastic material.

32. The article of footwear of claim 31, wherein said plastic material is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

33. The article of footwear of claim 32, wherein said protective plate is at least partially perforated to facilitate aeration.

34. The article of footwear of claim 29, wherein said protective plate is configured substantially the same as said insole.

22. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper secured to said sole and defining an opening for receiving a foot of a wearer, said upper including a vamp and a heel portion; and

a fitting system comprising;

a substantially transparent window disposed in a predetermined location in said vamp so that when a wearer who has a foot that properly fits in said article of footwear puts on said article of footwear, a portion of a toe of said wearer can be seen through said window; and

a sizing member attached to said upper, said sizing member being placed within said opening against said heel portion to create a first effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member being reattachably removable from said article of footwear through an attachment mechanism to create a second effective size of said article of footwear, said attachment mechanism allowing said sizing member, once removed, to be reattached to said article of footwear, wherein said attachment mechanism is a snap.

35. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper secured to said sole and defining an opening for receiving a foot of a wearer, said upper having a heel portion; and

a sizing member attached to said upper, said sizing member being placed within said opening against said heel portion to create a first effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member being reattachably removable from said article of footwear though an attachment mechanism to create a second effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member, once removed, being re-attachable to said article of footwear upper through said attachment mechanism, wherein said sizing member has an upper portion and a lower portion, and an extension extending from said upper portion of said sizing member.

36. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said sizing member is attached to said upper through said attachment mechanism, wherein said attachment mechanism allows said sizing member, once removed, to be reattached to said article of footwear at said upper.

37. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said sizing member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said article of footwear for about one half to one and a half shoe size.

38. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said sizing member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said article of footwear for about one half to one shoe size.

39. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said sizing member has a thickness for reducing the effective size of said article of footwear for about one half shoe.

40. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said extension is a loop connected to said upper portion of said sizing member.

43. The article of footwear of claim 35, further comprising a stabilizing mechanism for holding said sizing member in place within said opening.

44. The article of footwear of claim 43, wherein said stabilizing mechanism is a hook and loop closure system.

45. The article of footwear of claim 44, wherein said sizing member includes a strip of one of hooks and loops and said heel portion of said upper includes a strip of the other of hooks and loops at a corresponding location.

46. The article of footwear of claim 45, wherein said strips are located on said lower portion of said sizing member and a lower portion of said heel portion of said upper.

47. The article of footwear of claim 35, wherein said sole comprises an insole and an outsole, said article of footwear further comprising:

a protective plate under said insole for providing protection from injuries by hard objects, said protective plate being made of a material which is more resistant to hard objects than said outsole.

48. The article of footwear of claim 47, wherein said protective plate is removable from said article of footwear.

49. The article of footwear of claim 47, wherein said protective plate is made of a plastic material.

50. The article of footwear of claim 49, wherein said plastic material is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

51. The article of footwear of claim 47, wherein said protective plate is at least partially perforated to facilitate aeration.

52. The article of footwear of claim 47, wherein said protective plate is configured substantially the same as said insole.

41. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole;

an upper secured to said sole and defining an opening for receiving a foot of a wearer, said upper having a heel portion; and

a sizing member attached to said upper, said sizing member being placed within said opening against said heel portion to create a first effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member being reattachably removable from said article of footwear through an attachment mechanism to create a second effective size of said article of footwear, said sizing member, once removed, being re-attachable to said article of footwear upper through said attachment mechanism, wherein said sizing member is attached to said upper through said attachment mechanism, wherein said attachment mechanism allows said sizing member, once removed, to be reattached to said article of footwear at said upper, and wherein said attachment mechanism is a snap.

42. The article of footwear of claim 41, wherein said attachment mechanism is disposed in said extension.