GB2346066A - Shoe with offset lateral lacing - Google Patents

Abstract

A shoe comprises an upper with a lateral lacing area L, which lacing area incorporates two lacing portions 10, 11 located either side of a slit A which extends from a foot opening F to a toe area. The two lacing portions are longitudinally offset with respect to each other at the foot opening. A tongue T is also provided which projects along the slit from the toe area to the foot opening, the tongue being coupled via stitching E to the upper in a region extending substantially along the middle of the shoe. The corners 3, 4 of the respective lacing portions may be offset by between 10 and 30 mmm. Preferably, the shoe is a sports shoe.

Description

SHOE WITH OFFSET LATERAL LACING This invention relates to a new type of shoe closure where both the lacing and vamp opening are on the lateral or side part of the shoe compared with their traditional position directly over the instep.

The prior art almost exclusively focuses on variations of the lace position and configuration, designated alternatively as side or lateral lacing but where the vamp opening is directly over the instep area in a conventional way. There are numerous examples of this type of construction. In a very few instances the vamp opening itself is on the side and it is precisely this prior art that is relevant to the present invention.

This prior art is exemplified in Rosenbaum (US Patent 4,517,753) and Bunch (US Patent 4,616,432) a variation of the Rosenbaum patent. Both patents use a side vamp opening and side lace position. Both also use a centrally positioned and relatively long stitch to attach the tongue to the upper. And while the Bunch patent considers the tongue a minor, optionaJ feature, Rosenbaum regards it as a key element, providing a crucial interactive link. In this respect the Rosenbaum construction functions very differently from thp Bunch, it being dynamic and expansive versus static and constrictive in the Bunch case.

Sport shoes made according to the Rosenbaum patent mostly achieved the stated objective of a high degree of foot conformity and flexibility, combined with good stability. Despite such improvements, most serious athletes, soccer players in particular, felt the shoes fit too loosely. Tying the laces tighter did not overcome this objection.

The present invention solves the problem of providing the desirable snug fit required for athletes in all sports, from an extremely tight fit demanded by soccer players to a much looser but still snug fit required by golfers. Tt builds directly on the Rosenbaum patent and is a further development of it.

Research yielded a practical method sowe could design a shoe appropriate for a representative individual in a particular sport with an optimal'base'tightness or snugness unique for that sport. This cannot be done by any known conventional or side lace construction because of the limiting nature of their construction parameters.

Research also showed that it was possible to modify measurable pressure variations on different parts of the foot as well and subjective feeling of snugness by a specific type and degree of offsetting the upper and lower parts of the lace opening.

The original Rosenbaum patent shows these edges to be essentially in conjunction or direct alignment. The present invention offsets the top and bottom edge of the lace opening whereby the top edge (10) meets the lower edge (11) at least 10 mm forward of the foot opening (F). This greatly adds to snugness of fit because it creates major internal forces which are then transmitted directly through the central stitch (E) to the upper, the tongue, and finally the foot. These forces are multiplied with increasing degrees of offset. The relationship between offset and force (which determine pressure and fit) proved essentially linear through an initial range, then non-linear with increasing degrees of offset. At 25-30 mm, very large forces were created by increasingly smaller offsets, reaching a limit at about 35-40 mm where excessive instep pressure was exhibited and severe creasing of the upper also occurring.

Three external variables, the last used, the upper material, and how the upper pattern was cut (the upper-lace opening configuration) also determine snugness of fit. Once the interaction of variables was understood, it was possible to determine the degree of offset required to achieve specific and varying pressures on the foot. This meant, for example, a soccer shoe could be designed for maximum degree of snugness of fit {yet without the discomfort typical of an extremely tight fit) while at the other end of the tightness spectrum, a golf shoe could be made with very low instep pressure yet still maintaining a secure, snug fit. Sport shoes with pressure and snugness requirements between these extremes were also now possible to construct.

The degree of offset that proved workable was ultimately determined to be from about 10 mm to 30 mm. Offset greater than about 30 mm meant uncomfortable even painful pressure on the instep. Offset less than 10 mm was perceived by most wearers as marginal. Designing a shoe for a particular sport required hard data on pressure and other measurable parameters, combined with extensive wearer feedback. This required new measuring and assessment techniques for both hard and soft data.

The present invention is an interactive system. It has advanced dynamic properties, and fimctions completely different than any conventional shoe, be it center or side lace and wherever the vamp opening is positioned. The offset can be thought of as potential energy. When tied, it creates internal forces, sending them through the interactive system, through the upper, to the tongue, and finally to the foot. The forces created by this offset are both multi-directional and three dimensional, and can be controlled and directed quite precisely depending on the specific requirements of the design and intended use.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows the shoe from above, the side lace opening designated L. Tongue T is attached to the upper by stitch E. This stitch runs approximately parallel to lace opening L from upper finishing point 9 just below foot opening F to its lower finishing point 8 in front of slit A. The lace opening has two additional slits, B on the upper edge and C on the lower edge, positioned approximately midway on the opening. The offset relates to the relative positions of the upper finishing point 4 on the upper edge of the opening to the upper finishing point 3 on the lower edge of the opening.

The minimum desirable offset as required by this invention is about 10 mm measured along a longitudinal axis or center line through the lace opening projecte at right angles onto into this longitudinal center line from point 4 above and from point 3 below as seen from the side of the shoe. The maximum desirable offset is about 30 mm measured in the same way. The lace opening L is assumed to be positioned so there is approximately a 10 mm gap between the upper and lower edges in a so-called neutral position, without a foot in the shoe.

Figure 2 shows section D which can be designated the operational area of the invention, the'cut'falling somewhere in that area depending on the degree of offset between 10 and 30 mm. It should be noted that the cut becomes more concave with increasing degrees of offset. Another important change with increasing offset is how far forward the cut is in relation to the foot opening, which moves from point 6 with the minimum offset to point 5 with maximum offset.

With increasing offset the foot opening becomes so much larger that it must be compensated for, otherwise foot slippage would be a problem. This is achieved by a number of design changes built into the pattern from which the upper is cut that reflect themselves mostly in the shape and configuration of the lace opening as well as the center stitch. These changes are partly represented in the pronounced curve of both the lace opening and center stitch.

Figure 3 is a side view showing the offset from that position.

Figure 4 represents the simplest possible illustration of the direction of forces generated in a conventional side lace construction W and in our design V.

Claims (7)

1. CLAIMS 1. A shoe comprising : an upper having a side lacing formed from a slit extending substantially longitudinally along the upper from a foot opening to a toe area, the slit being laterally offset from a central line of the upper, a tongue covering, the tongue covering being coupled to the upper in a region extending substantially along said central line, the tongue being arrange to extend along the slit from the toe area towards the foot opening, and a base, and wherein an upper side of the slit is offset from a lower side of the slit at the foot opening.
2. 2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe is a sport shoe.
3. 3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the tongue extends at least one third of the way along the slit from the toe area towards the foot opening.
4. 4. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the tongue is coupled to the opening using a stitching extending substantially along the central line.
5. 5. A shoe according to claim 4, wherein the stitching in the toe area extends laterally from the central line towards the slit.
6. 6. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the upper and lower sides of the slit are offset by at least 5mm.
7. 7. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the lower sides of the slit are offset by less than 20mm.