Slip on athleisure shoe

• US 7,877,901 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2009
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Converse Incorporated (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Converse Incorporated (Nike, Inc.)
• Inventors: Calderone, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYS, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US12/604,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 36/501, 36/51, 36/54
• US Class Current: 36/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/002 Fastenings using stretchable material attached to cuts in the uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/20 Fastenings with tightening devices mounted on the tongue
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 5/00 Eyelets machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00

Abstract

A construction of an oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearer'"'"'s foot and held securely on the foot without the need for lacing on the shoe. This provides the shoe with the appearance of a lace up shoe that is worn without lacing.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising:

a shoe sole;

an upper secured to the shoe sole, the upper and the shoe sole together enclosing an interior of the shoe, the upper having a forefoot opening to the interior of the shoe, and the upper having left and right sides that extend along opposite sides of the forefoot opening;

at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper left side and at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper right side; and

,

a band having a length with opposite left and right ends, the band left end being connected to the upper left side in the interior of the shoe and adjacent the at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper left side and the band right end being connected to the upper right side in the interior of the shoe and adjacent the at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper right side with the band length extending across the forefoot opening, the band positioned forward of an ankle opening of the upper to allow for easy insertion of a wearer'"'"'s foot into the shoe, the band further configured to securely hold the shoe on the foot, a first portion of the band positioned over a tongue between a left slot and the upper left side, a second portion of the band positioned over the tongue between a right slot and the upper right side, the first and second portions of the band concealed by the upper, and an intermediate portion of the band between the left and right slots concealed by the tongue of the shoe so that the band is not visible when worn by the wearer.

2. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising:

the band being the only connection between the upper left side and the upper right side across the forefoot opening.

3. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising:

portions of the forefoot opening being on opposite sides of the band.

4. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising:

the tongue being connected to the band.

5. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising:

the upper left side having an edge and the upper right side having an edge, the upper left side edge and the upper right side edge opposing each other on opposite sides of the forefoot opening; and

,

a plurality of lacing openings being arranged in a line along the upper left side edge and being arranged in a line along the upper right side edge.

6. The shoe of claim 5, further comprising:

each lacing opening of the plurality of lacing openings being an eyelet with an opening that extends through the upper.

7. A shoe comprising:

a shoe sole having opposite top and bottom surfaces, a rear heel end and an opposite front toe end, and opposite left and right sides extending along opposite sides of the shoe sole between the heel end and the toe end;

an upper secured to the shoe sole extending upwardly from the shoe sole top surface, the upper having left and right sides that extend along the respective shoe sole left and right sides, the upper left and right sides defining a forefoot opening into the shoe between the upper left and right sides;

at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper left side and at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper right side; and

,

a band having a length with opposite left and right ends, the band left end being connected to the upper left side inside an interior of the shoe and adjacent the at least one lacing opening and the band right end being connected to the upper right side inside the interior of the shoe and adjacent the at least one lacing opening with the band extending across the forefoot opening, the band positioned forward of an ankle opening of the upper to allow for easy insertion of a wearer'"'"'s foot into the shoe, the band further configured to securely hold the shoe on the foot, a first portion of the band positioned over a tongue between a left slot and the upper left side, a second portion of the band positioned over the tongue between a right slot and the upper right side, the first and second portions of the band concealed by the upper, and an intermediate portion of the band between the left and right slots concealed by the tongue of the shoe so that the band is not visible when worn by the wearer.

8. The shoe of claim 7, further comprising:

the band being the only connection between the upper left side and the upper right side across the forefoot opening.

9. The shoe of claim 7, further comprising:

at least a portion of the band being elastic.

10. The shoe of claim 9, further comprising:

the band being spaced rearwardly from an upper toe box with portions of the forefoot opening being positioned on opposite sides of the band.

11. The shoe of claim 10, further comprising:

the band having a continuous length with no breaks in the band length between the band left end and the band right end.

12. The shoe of claim 10, further comprising:

the tongue on the shoe upper, the tongue having a length extending rearwardly from the upper toe box and across the forefoot opening between the upper left side and the upper right side; and

,

at least a portion of the band extending across the tongue.

13. The shoe of claim 12, further comprising:

the tongue having at least one slot in the tongue; and

,

the band extending through the at least one tongue slot.

14. The shoe of claim 7, further comprising:

the upper left side having an edge and the upper right side having an edge with the forefoot opening being defined between the upper left side edge and the upper right side edge; and

a plurality of lacing openings being arranged in a line along the upper left side edge and in a line along the upper right side edge.

15. The shoe of claim 14, further comprising:

each lacing opening of the plurality of lacing openings being an eyelet opening.

16. A shoe comprising:

a shoe sole having opposite top and bottom surfaces, a rear heel end and a front toe end, and opposite left and right sides extending along opposite sides of the shoe sole between the heel end and the toe end;

an upper secured to the shoe sole extending upwardly from the shoe sole top surface and surrounding an interior of the shoe, the upper having a left side and a right side that extend forwardly from the upper heel portion along the respective shoe sole left side and the shoe sole right side and extend upwardly from the shoe sole to a respective upper left side edge and upper right side edge that define a forefoot opening into the upper above the shoe sole top surface, the upper having a tongue with a left slot and a right slot;

at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper left side edge and at least one lacing opening arranged along the upper right side edge, each lacing opening having no lacing positioned in the lacing openings; and

,

a band having a length with opposite left and right ends, the band left end being secured to the upper left side inside the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings and the band right end being secured to the upper right side inside the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings with the band length extending across the forefoot opening, the band positioned forward of an ankle opening of the upper to allow for easy insertion of a wearer'"'"'s foot into the shoe, the band further configured to securely hold the shoe on the foot, a first portion of the band positioned over the tongue between the left slot and the upper left side, a second portion of the band positioned over the tongue between the right slot and the upper right side, the first and second portions of the band concealed by the upper when worn by the wearer without laces, and an intermediate portion of the band between the left and right slots concealed by the tongue of the shoe so that the band is not visible when worn by the wearer without laces.