Apparatus and method for adding securement means to a pointe shoe

• US 7,921,579 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Janet S. French
• Original Assignee: Janet S. French
• Inventors: French, Janet S.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US12/142,250
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 36/83, 361/13, 36/585, 36/501, 121/42.R, 121/42.P
• US Class Current: 36/8.3
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 11/00 Footwear with arrangements to facilitate putting-on or removing, e.g. with straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/12 Dancing shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/14 Clamp fastenings , e.g. strap fastenings; Clamp-buckle fastenings; Fastenings with toggle levers

Abstract

An insert for a pointe shoe or other shoe provides a simple, efficient way to secure ribbons, elastic, and loops to the shoe.

Claims

1. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe having a heel portion including an arcuate rear wall adapted to extend around the heel of a foot and defining an open top edge and having inner and outer surfaces, comprising the steps of:

providing a heel liner having left and right ends, top and bottom edges, and front and rear surfaces;

providing left and right securement ribbons, each having top and bottom ends;

fixing the bottom ends of said left and right securement ribbons to said heel liner at left and right ribbon positions, respectively, with each securement ribbon extending upwardly from the heel liner; and

then

securing said heel liner to the rear wall, with the heel liner conforming to the shape of and abutting the rear wall, so as to fix the bottom ends of the securement ribbons to the rear wall, with the left and right securement ribbons extending upwardly from the open top edge of the shoe such that pulling upwardly at the top ends of the left and right securement ribbons pulls upwardly on the heel liner and on the shoe adjacent to the left and right ribbon positions.

2. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom edge of said heel liner defines a central recess;

wherein said rear wall has a rearmost point; and

wherein the step of securing the heel liner to the rear wall includes aligning the central recess of the heel liner with the rearmost point of said rear wall;

conforming the heel liner to the shape of the rear wall; and

securing the heel liner such that it abuts the inner surface of the rear wall.

3. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 1, and further including the step of fixing at least one upwardly-projecting loop to the heel liner between the left and right securement ribbons before securing the heel liner to the rear wall of the shoe, such that, upon securing the heel liner to the shoe, the loop extends upwardly from the open top edge of the shoe and is fixed relative to the rear wall of the shoe.

4. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 3, and further including the step of securing a bottom end of an elastic strip to said heel liner between the left and right securement ribbons before securing the heel liner to the rear wall of the shoe, such that, upon securing the heel liner to the shoe, the bottom end of the elastic strip is fixed relative to the rear wall of the shoe, and the elastic strip extends upwardly from the open top edge of the shoe.

5. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 4, wherein the bottom edge of said heel liner defines a central recess;

wherein said rear wall is arcuate and has a rearmost point; and

wherein the step of securing the heel liner to the inner surface of the rear wall includes aligning the central recess of the heel liner with the rearmost point of said rear wall.

6. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 1, wherein securing the heel liner to the rear wall includes peeling off a covering from the rear surface of the heel liner to reveal an adhesive layer and then adhering the heel liner to the rear wall by means of that adhesive layer.

7. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 1, wherein securing the heel liner to the rear wall includes sewing the heel liner to the rear wall.

8. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 7, wherein securing the heel liner to the rear wall includes adhering the heel liner to the inner surface of the rear wall before sewing the heel liner to the rear wall.

9. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 8, wherein the bottom edge of said heel liner defines a central recess;

wherein said rear wall has a rearmost point; and

wherein the step of securing the heel liner to the rear wall includes aligning the central recess of the heel liner with the rearmost point of said rear wall.

10. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe having a heel portion including an arcuate rear wall having a top edge and defining a rearmost point, comprising the steps of:

providing a substantially flat heel liner having left and right ends and top and bottom edges, wherein the bottom edge of the heel liner defines a central recess, and the heel liner has left and right sides that are symmetrical to each other and that lie on opposite sides of the central recess;

providing left and right securement ribbons, each having top and bottom ends;

fixing the bottom ends of said left and right securement ribbons to said heel liner at left and right ribbon positions adjacent said left and right ends, respectively, with the remainder of each securement ribbon extending upwardly;

fixing left and right loops to the heel liner at loop positions between the left and right securement ribbons, said loops projecting upwardly from said heel liner; and

fixing the bottom ends of left and right elastics to said heel liner at elastic positions between said left and right securement ribbons, with the top ends of said elastics projecting upwardly from said heel liner; and

then

conforming said heel liner to the shape of the inner surface of said rear wall and securing said heel liner to the rear wall in close abutting engagement with the inner surface of the rear wall, with the central recess of the heel liner aligned with the rearmost point of the shoe, said securement ribbons, loops, and elastics projecting upwardly out the top edge of the shoe.

11. A method for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 10, wherein the step of securing the heel liner to the inner surface of the rear wall secures the securement ribbons, loops, and elastics to the rear wall such that pulling upwardly on any of the securement ribbons, loops, or elastics also pulls upwardly on the heel liner and on the rear wall adjacent to the respective positions of the ribbons, loops and elastics.

12. A mechanism for installing securement means in a pointe shoe, comprising:

a substantially flat heel liner, having a top edge, a bottom edge, left and right ends, and front and rear surfaces, said bottom edge defining a central recess;

left and right securement ribbons having bottom ends fixed to the left and right ends of said heel liner, respectively, at positions equidistant from said central recess, said ribbons extending upwardly from said heel liner and terminating in free top ends;

left and right loops secured to said heel liner equidistant from said central recess and projecting upwardly from said heel liner; and

left and right elastics having bottom ends secured to said heel liner between their respective loops and securement ribbons and extending upwardly from said heel liner and terminating in free top ends.

13. A mechanism for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 12, and further comprising an adhesive layer on said rear surface and a peel-off covering on the rear of said adhesive layer.

14. A mechanism for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 12, wherein the bottom edge of the heel liner defines left and right arcuate lobes which form the central recess, having the shape of an inverted “

V”

.

15. A mechanism for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 13, wherein the bottom edge of the heel liner defines left and right arcuate lobes which form the central recess, having the shape of an inverted “

V”

.

16. A mechanism for installing securement means in a pointe shoe as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the left and right arcuate lobes has a midpoint and defines a smaller inverted V-shaped recess in its bottom edge near the midpoint.