Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GIRTHWISE ADJUSTABLE LACED SHOE CONSTRUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention comprises a shoe construction providing improved means for
adjusting the effective girthwise fit of a shoe to that of a foot therein,
including at
both upper and lower side portions adjacent to at least one of the ball,
waist, and
instep areas of the foot.
It is well-known that for a comfortable fit, a shoe should not only be of
suitable length but also be of suitable girth to provide a comfortably close
fit to the
foot of the wearer. In the past, this had been approached by custom-made
shoes,
and by factory-made shoes being offered in multiple so-called widths (i.e.
girths).
However, neither approach provided proper girth adjustment along the lower
sides
of the foot to be able to match the usual diurnal foot girth variations of up
to 2 full
widths due to the normal accumulation of body fluids in the extremities over
each
day. This invention provides such adjustment while holding the foot securely
trans-
versely centered in the shoe at all such adjustments. This is a feature that
has long
been especially needed in athletic and other active shoe footwear.
This invention further provides the low store inventories of conventional
single width shoe approaches, but with means to adjust these shoes over a
multiple
successive girth range to properly fit most wearers, including over typical
diurnal
foot girth ranges.
As for relevant prior art, none seems to have been able to fully satisfy the
foregoing criteria. Such prior art includes, but is not limited to the
following U.S.
Patent Numbers: 2,691,227; 3,404,468; 3,442,031; 3,541,708; 3,618,235;
3,686,777;
4,279,083; 4,559,811; 4,858,341; 4,967,492; 4,969,277; 5,060,402; 5,123,181;
5,163,237; 5,203,096; 5,241,762; 5,325,614; 5,584,970; 5,404,658; 6,725,575
and
6,883,254. Shortcomings in the above and other prior art related to the
aforenoted
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shoe girthwise fitting problems have necessitated the improved shoe girth
adjustment means of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a shoe construction having a loose lining means,
preferably of a relatively inelastic but flexible woven fabric material, said
construction comprising (a) a means to manually adjust the girth of a shoe,
such as
by shoe lacing means, in combination with (b) a loose, preferably inelastic
woven
fabric lining, manually girth adjustable by said lacing means to adjust the
effective
girth of a shoe, providing thereby improved fit of the shoe, in both upper and
lower
sides thereof, particularly in areas adjacent to said lacing means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational cross-section of the shoe 20, taken along its
longitudinal centerline, and embodying principles of this invention.
FIGS. 2-3 show transverse elevational cross-sectionals of the shoe 20 of FIG.
1, taken along the lines 2-2 and 3-3 thereof, with FIG. 2 showing the section
adjusted to a greater girth, while FIG. 3 shows its adjustment to a lesser
girth.
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions will be used in reference to terms and phrases used
in this disclosure:
"Direct sole molding" - The process by which a rubber or other polymeric
unitsole is both molded and attached to the upper assembly of a shoe in the
same
process.
"Effective girth" - The transverse inner circumferential dimensions of foot-
adjacent elements of a shoe.
"Insole" - Inside bottom element of a shoe, located above its sole element.
"Loose Lining" - Shoe lining element, having less than continuous
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attachment to other shoe elements located adjacent thereto.
"Lower side" - The lower side portions of a foot or shoe extending about 1-3
cm upwards from the bottom portion of the foot.
"Topline" - The topmost edge portion of a foot encasing opening in the upper
assembly of a shoe.
"Unitsole" - The typical molded rubber or similar polymeric single bottom-
most element of a shoe.
"Upper side" - The side portions of a foot or shoe, located above their lower
side portions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings, a typical so-called athletic shoe style is shown,
in
a construction embodying principles of the present invention, applicable to
other
similarly adjusted shoe designs as well.
In the present invention, full girthwise adjustment of a shoe, preferably span-
ning at least four standard successively adjacent widths (or `girths'), is
provided by
the manual lacing adjustment of a relatively inelastically flexible,
preferably woven
fabric loose lining element attached to the topline of the outer vamp element
of the
upper assembly, rather than by the vamp element alone, as in the conventional
lacing adjustment of similar shoe styles.
More particularly, the present invention is directed to a manually operable
girthwise adjustable shoe construction, including (i) a shoe upper assembly
having
an outer component and an inner component, (ii) a shoe bottom assembly having
a
sole and insole, and (iii) manually, operable means to adjust the effective
girthwise
dimensions of the inner components of the shoe, said inner components of the
upper
assembly comprising a loose lining means located inwardly adjacent to the
laced
portions of the upper assembly. The loose lining is attached, as by stitching
means,
to both the topline of the outer vamp of the shoe 20, and to a fixed insole,
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optionally of similar fabric, along a line corresponding to that of the
perimeter of
the bottom of a shoe last having the least girth of the particular girthwise
adjust-
ment range for which the shoe is designed. This provides a closely comfortable
girthwise fit of both the upper and lower laced side portions of the shoe 20
to a foot
therewithin.
FIG. 1 shows a shoe 20, comprising an upper assembly 22, including a vamp
24, and a relatively inelastic flexible loose fabric lining 26, attached to
the topline
28 of the vamp 24 as by stitching 30. Upper assembly 22 also includes a
combined
tongue and forepart element 32, with said upper assembly 22 having a fixed
insole
42 attached to the lower perimeter of the vamp 24 as by butt-stitching 46.
Both
vamp 24 and fixed insole 42 are attached to a molded rubber or similar
polymeric
unitsole 40, as by a conventional direct molding process. FIG. 1 also shows a
conventional shoelace 34, laced through the eyelets 36 attaching vamp 24 to
loose
lining 26. The rearmost free ends of shoelace 34 are adjustably attached by a
usual
bow-knot (not shown), or by equivalent means. FIG. 1 also shows a trim
stitching
38 on the vamp 24 optionally stitched to the lining 26 thereunder.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show transverse elevations of the shoe 20 along the lines 2-2
and 3-3 thereof. FIG. 2-2 shows the shoe 20 adjusted to a greater girth, while
FIG.
3-3 shows its adjustment to a lesser girth. Both figures show the shoe
elements
disclosed above including upper assembly 22, vamp tongue and forepart 32, and
loose vamp lining 26, optionally of one piece as shown, and attached as by
stitching
44 to the fixed insole 42 thereunder. The fixed insole 42 is preferably of the
same
or similar material to that of the loose lining 26 and the stitching 44 is
located
along a line on fixed insole 42 corre-sponding to the lower peripheral edge
(i.e.
"last bottom") of a shoe last of the least girth fitting the particular girth
adjustment
range of the shoe 2. The fixed insole 42 has a width dimension along the
bottom
periphery of a shoe last of the maximum girth of the particular girth
adjustment
range for which the shoe 20 has been designed. The fixed insole 42 is
preferably of
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the same or similar inelastic flexible woven fabric as that used to form the
loose
lining 26, and is conventionally attached to the lower periphery of the vamp
24 and
forepart 32 as by butt-stitching means 46, both being attached to the unitsole
40
thereunder by direct sole-molding means.
It will be noted that manually operable shoe girth adjustment means equiva-
lent to the preferred lacing means disclosed above will include other
conventional
means such as girth adjustable straps, buckles, hook and loop closures, and
like
means.
The shoe construction of the present invention is designed to provide an
infinitely variable manually operable shoe girth adjustment within its
designed girth
ranges. Generally this will provide an appropriate girthwise fit to most of
the
wearers of each length size thereof.
Optionally the shoe may be designed to cover multiple separate girth ranges,
if desired. For example, one shoe can be designed for a men's girth range of B-
C-
D-E, while a second similar design can be designed for a range of greater
girths, as
D, E, EE and EEE. The specific girth ranges are open to the preferences of the
shoe
manufactur-er. The specific girth ranges can differ according to the size
ranges
applicable and the specific customer category, i.e. men, women, or children.
As for materials and sources, uppers may include leather from Prime
Tanning, Inc., of Berwick, ME and others. Simulated leather and other fabrics
and
materials can be supplied by Geo. C. Moore, Inc., of Westerly, RI and others.
Shoe
laces will be from Textile Tapes, Inc., of Gonic, NH. Eyelets, washers and
similar
fastenings will be supplied by Trendware/Goldberg Footwear Components, Inc.,.
of
Salem, MA.
It should be understood that the present invention is readily applicable to a
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wide range of shoe designs, including those with other girth adjustment means
considered equivalent to the preferred lacing means shown in the figures and
disclosures herewith and including adjustable straps, hook and loop closures,
buckles, and like means.
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