Article of footwear for water sports

• US 8,230,617 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Luedecke, Tom, Roether, Julia, McDowell, Sean M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M
• Application Number:
  US11/862,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 361/10, 36/501, 36/9.R, 36/77.R, 36/72.R, 36/73, 36/74, 36/10, 36/71, 36/54, 361/13, 36/88, 36/81, 36/4
• US Class Current: 36/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/08 Bathing shoes ; Aquatic sports shoes

Abstract

An article of footwear for water sports disclosed. The article includes straps that fasten an upper into place. The straps are configured to maintain a fastened position when water is splashed from below the article. The article further includes padded members to protect the instep and the front ankle of the foot.

Claims

1. An article of footwear configured to provide traction on a wet surface, comprising:

a water durable upper configured to entirely enclose and conform to a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a slip-resistant sole;

a first fastening region disposed on the water durable upper adjacent to a periphery of the sole on a lateral side of the footwear;

a first fastening strap including a first fixed portion and a first free portion, wherein the first free portion includes a top side facing outward and a bottom side facing the water durable upper, wherein the bottom side includes a second fastening region at an end of the first free portion and the top side includes a third fastening region at the end of the first free portion, wherein the second fastening region is configured to fasten to the first fastening region, and wherein the first fastening strap configured to extend from a medial side to the lateral side of the footwear;

a second fastening strap including a second fixed portion disposed below the first fastening region on the lateral side of the footwear and a second free portion, wherein the second free portion includes a to side facing outward and a bottom side facing the water durable upper, wherein the bottom side includes a fourth fastening region at an end of the second free portion, and wherein the fourth fastening region is configured to fasten to the third fastening region of the first free portion of the first fastening strap; and

wherein the second free portion of the second fastening strap entirely covers the first free portion of the first fastening strap.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the upper includes a plurality of padded members disposed along an instep portion and a front ankle portion of the upper, and wherein the plurality of padded members are oriented such that a longer first dimension side of each of the padded members runs from the lateral side to the medial side of the footwear.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of padded members are spaced apart from one another.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the padded members are attached to an inner surface of the upper.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed portion of the first fastening strap is fixed near the sole on the medial side and in a toe region.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of padded members includes six padded members.

7. An article of footwear configured to provide traction on a wet surface, comprising:

a water durable upper comprising an elastic, flexible material and configured to entirely enclose and conform to a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a slip-resistant wrap-around sole;

the upper including an inner surface and an outer surface;

a plurality of padding members disposed along an instep portion and a front ankle portion of the footwear;

the plurality of padding members being oriented such that the longer first dimension side of each of the padding members runs from a lateral side to a medial side of the footwear;

the plurality of padding members being spaced from one another along the longer first dimension side such that the intermediate portions, which are unpadded, are disposed between longer first dimension edges;

the plurality of padding members being attached to the inner surface of the upper; and

a strap system comprising a first fastening strap and a second fastening strap.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the first fastening strap includes a first fixed portion and a first free portion, wherein the second fastening strap includes a second free portion and a second fixed portion, and wherein the the second free portion of the second fastening strap is configured to entirely cover the first free portion of the first fastening strap.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the first free portion of the first fastening strap is configured to connect to a first fastening region associated with the upper.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the second fixed portion of the second fastening strap is attached to the upper just below the first fastening region.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the second free portion of the second fastening strap is configured to attach to a second fastening region on a top of the first free portion of the first fastening strap.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of padding members comprises six padding members.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the upper is configured to bend at the instep portion and the front ankle portion.

14. An article of footwear comprising:

a water durable upper comprising an elastic, flexible material and configured to entirely enclose and conform to a wearer'"'"'s foot;

a slip-resistant wrap-around sole configured to provide traction on a wet surface;

a padded member permanently attached to an inner surface of an instep region of the upper, the padded member being configured to protect an instep portion of a foot, the padded member extending from a toe member to an ankle portion;

the padded member including a first portion and a second portion each extending over a width of the instep region, wherein the first portion and the second portion are centrally connected; and

wherein a first slot is disposed between the first portion and the second portion on a lateral side of the footwear and a second slot is disposed between the first portion and the second portion on a medial side of the footwear.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the padded member comprises multiple portions.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the multiple portions are separated by multiple slots.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the first slot and the second slot are v-shaped.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the padded member comprises three portions.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the padded member includes four slots and the multiple portions are centrally connected.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the padded member includes an outer layer and a padding layer.