Footwear with internal harness

• US 8,857,077 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Baudouin, Alexandre, Kahatsu, Shane S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Khoa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gracz, Katharine
• Application Number:
  US12/895,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20120079741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 36/501, 36/505, 36/585, 36/586, 361/70, 36/89, 36/91
• US Class Current: 36/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/18 Joint supports, e.g. instep supports
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/04 with rings or loops
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/008 Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/1493 Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements

Abstract

An article of footwear may include one or more harnesses to restrain a wearer foot from transverse movement within an upper during a rapid sideways maneuver. One harness may be located in a lateral forefoot region. Another harness may be located in medial region and may include a midfoot and/or a hindfoot region.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure;

an upper attached to the sole structure and defining an interior above the sole structure;

a midfoot harness having a forward substrap and a rear substrap, each of the forward and rear substraps having a fixed portion, a pulling portion and a wrapping portion, wherein

the forward substrap fixed portion is secured in a midfoot region of a footbed region of the article at a first attachment location coinciding with the forward substrap fixed portion, the forward substrap fixed portion being substantially immovable relative to the sole structure at the first attachment location;

the forward substrap wrapping portion is located in the interior on a medial side thereof, is unattached to the upper or sole structure and extends between the forward substrap fixed portion and the forward substrap pulling portion,

the rear substrap fixed portion is secured in a hindfoot region of the footbed region of the article at a second attachment location coinciding with the rear substrap fixed portion, the rear substrap fixed portion being substantially immovable relative to the sole structure at the second attachment location,

the rear substrap wrapping portion is located in the interior on the medial side thereof, is unattached to the upper or sole structure and extends between the rear substrap fixed portion and the rear substrap pulling portion, and

the midfoot harness is configured to tighten and conform the wrapping portions of the forward and rear substraps to a wearer'"'"'s foot in response to tension on the pulling portions of the forward and rear substraps when the article is worn; and

a lateral forefoot harness having a lateral forefoot fixed portion, a lateral forefoot pulling portion and a lateral forefoot wrapping portion extending between the lateral forefoot fixed portion and the lateral forefoot pulling portion, wherein

the lateral forefoot fixed portion is secured in a forefoot region of the footbed region of the article at a third attachment location and is substantially immovable relative to the sole structure at the third attachment location,

the lateral forefoot wrapping portion is located in the interior and is unattached to the upper or sole structure,

the lateral forefoot harness includes a second lateral forefoot pulling portion,

the lateral forefoot pulling portion and the second lateral forefoot pulling portion are configured for tightening, when the article is worn, so as to locate the lateral forefoot pulling portion and the second lateral forefoot pulling portion at a side or a top of the wearer'"'"'s foot,

the lateral forefoot harness includes a lateral forefoot main strap and a plurality of lateral forefoot substraps connected to the lateral forefoot main strap,

the lateral forefoot wrapping portion includes parts of each of the lateral forefoot substraps,

the lateral forefoot fixed portion is located on the lateral forefoot main strap, and

the lateral forefoot pulling portions are located on the lateral forefoot substraps.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first attachment location and the second attachment location approximately lie along a longitudinal centerline of the article.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the forward substrap pulling portion and the rear substrap pulling portion are configured for tightening, when the article is worn, so as to be located at a side of the wearer'"'"'s foot.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the lateral forefoot pulling portions are attached to the upper at attachment points so as to form lace eyes at the attachment points.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein

the midfoot harness includes a main strap, the forward substrap and the rear substrap connected to the main strap, and

the main strap includes an anchor portion fixed to at least one of the upper and the sole structure.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, further comprising;

an external strap having a first portion coupled to the forward substrap pulling portion and the rear substrap pulling portion and a second portion configured for releasable attachment to an outer surface of the upper located on a lateral side of the upper.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, further comprising at least one ring coupling the first portion to the forward substrap pulling portion and the rear substrap pulling portion, wherein the external strap includes a third portion having lace eyes, and wherein the first portion is between the second and third portions.

8. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the external strap includes a third portion having at least one lace eye, and wherein the first portion is between the second and third portions.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the lateral forefoot harness is configured to tighten and conform the lateral forefoot wrapping portion to the wearer'"'"'s foot in response to tension on the lateral forefoot pulling portions when the article is worn by the wearer.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the midfoot harness includes an anchor portion located on an exterior portion of the article and attached to at least one of the upper and the sole structure.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the forward substrap pulling portion and the rear substrap pulling portion are located above a bite line of the article when the article is worn by a wearer.

12. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein

the midfoot harness includes a main strap and the forward substrap and the rear substrap are connected to the main strap, and

the anchor portion is located on the main strap.

13. An article of footwear comprising:

a sole structure;

an upper attached to the sole structure and defining an interior above the sole structure;

a midfoot harness positioned in a medial midfoot and a medial hindfoot region of the article and having forward and rear substraps, each of the forward and rear substraps having a fixed portion, a pulling portion and a wrapping portion, the midfoot harness wrapping portions located between the midfoot harness fixed portions and midfoot harness pulling portions, wherein

the midfoot harness is configured to tighten and conform the midfoot harness wrapping portions to a wearer'"'"'s foot in response to tension on the midfoot harness pulling portions when the article is worn by the wearer,

the midfoot harness wrapping portions are located in the interior of the upper and are unattached to the upper or sole structure, and

the midfoot harness fixed portions are secured in a footbed region of the article at midfoot harness attachment locations lying approximately along a longitudinal centerline of the article, wherein the midfoot harness fixed portions are substantially immovable relative to the sole structure at the midfoot harness attachment locations; and

a lateral forefoot harness positioned in a lateral forefoot region of the article and including a lateral forefoot harness main strap and a plurality of lateral forefoot harness substraps connected to the lateral forefoot harness main strap, the lateral forefoot harness having a lateral forefoot harness fixed portion located on the lateral forefoot harness main strap, first and second lateral forefoot harness pulling portions located on the lateral forefoot harness substraps and a lateral forefoot harness wrapping portion located between the lateral forefoot harness fixed portion and the lateral forefoot harness pulling portions, wherein

the lateral forefoot harness is configured to tighten and conform the lateral forefoot harness wrapping portion to the wearer'"'"'s foot in response to tension on the lateral forefoot harness pulling portion when the article is worn by the wearer,

the lateral forefoot harness wrapping portion is located in the interior of the upper, is unattached to the upper or sole structure and includes parts of each of the lateral forefoot harness substraps, and

the lateral forefoot harness fixed portion is secured in the footbed region of the article at a lateral forefoot harness attachment location lying approximately along the longitudinal centerline of the article, wherein the lateral forefoot harness fixed portion is substantially immovable relative to the sole structure at the lateral forefoot harness attachment location.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the midfoot harness further includes an anchor portion, the midfoot harness extends between the midfoot harness fixed portions and the midfoot harness anchor portion, and the midfoot harness pulling and midfoot harness wrapping portions are located between the midfoot harness fixed portions and the midfoot harness anchor portion, and further comprising

an external strap having a first portion coupled to the midfoot harness pulling portions and a second portion configured for releasable attachment to an outer surface of the upper located on a lateral side of the upper.

15. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein

the lateral forefoot harness is configured for tightening, when the article is worn, so as to locate the pulling portions of the lateral forefoot harness at a side or a top of the wearer'"'"'s foot.