US2205577A - Shoe adjustable to the foot - Google Patents

Description

n 25, 1940. E. F. ROBERTS 2,205,577

SHOE ADJUSTABLE TO THE FOOT Filed Jdl 23. 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. f /j Z; Zia x74 1.3056755 ATTORNEYS June 25, 1940." a. F.- ROBERTS SHOE ADJUSTABLE TO THE FOOT Filed July 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IiQVENTOR.

21m m 17 faeria" BY -A ATTORNEYS Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE ADJUSTABLE TO THE'FOOT Jersey Application July 23, 1937, Serial No. 155,199

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel shoe con-- struction whereby the shoe may readily be made to conform to the particular shape of the foot of the wearer.

Shoes as commonly constructed heretofore are made to conform to the shape of standard lasts and as a result, if a person has a foot which does not conform to the shape of the standard lasts, it is difiicult for him to secure a shoe that will properly fit his foot, unless such shoe is built upon a last which has been specially shaped in accordance with the peculiarities of his foot. The making of a specially shaped last and the building of a shoe thereupon to order is expensive and time consuming.

The present invention contemplates a novel shoe construction whereby the shoe salesman or other person engaged in trying a shoe on the customer may readily cause the shoe to conform accurately to the foot of the wearer. This is accomplished by so constructing the shoe that its binding pressure upon different portions of the foot may readily be relieved.

In carrying out the present invention any desired portion of the shoe upper may be provided with the novel shoe construction herein contemplated, but since in practice it is found that the portions of the footmost diflicult to fit lie in the vicinity of the toes and in the throat of the shoe, the invention is preferably employed in these portions of the shoe.

In constructing a shoe in accordance with the present invention the desired portion of the shoe upper is formed of an elastic outer fabric and an underlying nonelastic lining firmly secured tothe outer fabricalong spaced rows so as to hold the elastic outer fabric from stretching. When so constructed this portion of the shoe will be non-elastic as the shoe is supplied to the trade. but if when the shoe is tried on by the customer, it is found'to exert an uncomfortable pressure upon any portion of the foot, such pressure may be readily relieved by slitting the non-elastic lining between suchrows at the point of pressure to thereby render elastic this particular portion of the shoe. After the underlying lining has been slitted in aparticular portion of the shoe the overlying elastic. outer fabric will cause this portion of the shoe to fit the foot snuglywithout exerting an uncomfortable binding pressure thereupon.

The above and other features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein- ,of a; rubber core' having a textile cover.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one type of woman's shoe embodying the construction of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a different type of womens shoe embodying the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the outer exposed face of a ply material employed in carrying out the present invention- Fig. i is a plan view of the inner face of the ply material of Fig. 3, such material being shown in its unextended condition.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but shows the material in the extended condition; and

Fig. 6 on a larger scale is a sectional "view taken on the lines 6 6 of Fig. 3 V

The construction of the present invention may be employed in various types of mens, womens and children's shoes/and may be used in any desired portion of the shoe upper.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the shoe has the usual sole l0, heel ll, counter l2 and vamp or toe portion l3. Only that portion lying in the front quarter area is'constructed in'ac cordance with the present invention and is formed of the ply material l4 which will now be described.

This ply material ll comprises an outer elastice fabric l5 and a non-elastic lining l6. Practically any elastic fabric having a. relatively strong contractive force and which will present a pleasing appearance when embodied in a shoe may be employed as the fabric l5. Practically any of the materials used heretofore as shoe lining may bev employed as the lining IE but a leather shoe lining material is preferable. In carrying out the present invention it is important that the outer fabric li and lining It be firmly secured toeach other in spaced rows extending. transversely to the direction of stretch. In the 40 construction shown the outer fabric l5 and lining {6 are secured together by the rows of sewing stitches l1. 1

While various-elastic materials may be employed as the outer elastic fabric l5,'in the constru'otion shown a-specially constructed elastic fabric is provided having the longitudinally extending elastic threads l8 which lie between the transversely extending upper-and lower yarns l9. Each elastic thread l8 preferably consi shts e threads l8 and IS in the construction shown are not interwoven, but are retained in the fabric forming relation by the rows of stitching 20 having the usual lock-stitch construction except that shoe is being worn except in the vicinity of the ly at the points where thetrows of stitching l1 lie. ,Such a construction in the appearance of the fabric helps to conceal the spaced rows of stitching I! which unite the fabrics l5 and Hi.

In the construction of the present invention the lining l6 performs the usual function of a shoe lining and in addition thereto it performs an important added function which is to prevent the outer elastic fabric l5 from stretching during theformation of the shoe, and also when the slitted areas to be described.

If the ply material I4 is embodied in a shoe such for example as shown in Fig. 1 or 2, the entire upper of the shoe will be non-elasticso long as the underlying lining I6 is intact and. is not'slitted or severed between the spaced rows of stitching II. If, however, it is found desirable to relieve the pressure of the shoe upon the foot 'at one or more points in this area II, this may be easily done by slittingthe under-lying lining l6 at one or more points between'the rows of thread I? as indicated by 2| The eifect of forming such slits-is to destroy the'anchoring action of the underlying fabric IS in the vicinity of these slits so asto permit stretching of the outer fabric l5 in this area and thereby relieve the pressure of the shoe upon the foot in this vicinity.

By. employing the present construction in which the'el'astic fabric, l5 is-secured to the nonelastic fabric along the spaced rows l'l it is possible to render the outer fabric elastic at only the points desired, and when the underlying lining is slitted the area of the outer fabric thereby rendered elastic is limited to the area lying between the two adjacent rows of stitches I! as is, clearly shown in Fig. 5. As 'above stated the lining I6 is preferably a leather lining be-v cause leather will resist better than most fabric lining a' tendency of' the same to rip or tear in the direction of the slits 2|.

-In the shoe shown in Fig. 1 a piece of ply mate-' rial I4 is provided at each side of the front lportion of the shoe in the quarter area and these two pieces of fabric'may be secured together in the throat ,of the shoeby a seam which is concealed by the ornamental strap 22.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 a large portion of the shoe upper is formed of the ply material H, by providing two strips of this ply material I each of which extend upwardly from the sole of the shoe near the toe thereof. These strips overlap in the throat area where they are The overlying outer fabric I5 will then be free to stretch to relieve the pressure upon this portion of the foot, but in doing so it will conform closely to the foot to give the shoe a neat and pleasing appearance.

Having thus describedmy invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l.- A shoe adapted'to be easily and quickly fitted to the particular contour of the foot of a person after havingbeen built to fit a different shape foot, and having the upper thereof formed at least in part'of an outer elastic fabric of relatively strongv contractive force and anunderlying non-elastic lining for holding the shoe as close to its original shape as is consistent with its fitting of the foot, said lining being firmly secured to the outer elastic fabric along spaced rows extending transversely to the direction of stretch to thereby restrict the stretch .of the outer fabric between said rows to that permitted by the underlying fabric between the same rows, and said lining being-slitted between at least some of said rows and adapted to be further slitted to render elastic the particular portion of the shoe upper overlying a particular slit, while the slit is concealed at the exterior of the shoe by the outer elastic fabric.

2. A'shoe adapted to be easily and quickly fitted to the particular contour of the foot of a person after having been built to fit a different shape foot, and having the upper thereof formed at least in part of a one-way stretch outer elastic fabric and an underlying non-elastic lining for holding the shoe as close to its original shape as is consistent with its fitting of the foot, said lar portion of the shoe upper overlying a particular slit, while the slit is concealed at the exteriorof the shoe by the outer elastic fabric.

EDWARD F. ROBERTS.

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