Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Sandals
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2003-08-19
Stashick, Anthony D. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Sandals
C036S007500, C036S058500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606803
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footwear. In particular, the present invention is related to strapping systems for securely affixing footwear to a user's foot, and to shanks for providing rigidity and support to shoe soles.
2. Background of the Invention
There is a wide variety of prior art showing strapping configurations for footwear. Generally, the purpose of such strapping may be summarized as securing the footwear to a user's foot and is often used in connection with sandals.
Examples of prior art showing sandal or footwear strapping arrangements include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,200,997 and 4,446,633 to Scheinhaus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,334 to McBride, U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,410 to Park, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,075 to Thatcher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,302 to Saltsman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,294 Riecken, U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,591 to Gibson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,126,094 to Daniels, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,311 to Ellis. Each of these patents disclose strapping configurations which generally engage the ankle, heel, instep, toes, arch, or some combination thereof to secure the footwear to the user's foot. None of these prior art disclosures, however, nor any other existing strapping configurations have been entirely satisfactory in securing footwear to the foot while maintaining a comfortable, durable, and convenient configuration. This problem is particularly acute for sandals used in sports or other vigorous activities. As sandals have become more frequently worn in these active endeavors, demands on strapping configurations have grown. No known existing sandal strapping configuration allows for the natural adjustments of the foot and ankle during activity; such adjustments would enhance user comfort and ease of use.
One particular problem relates to ankle or instep straps. As the angle between the foot and the ankle changes during normal walking or running, the foot's main tendon that travels down the front of the leg and across the instep of the foot is alternately tightened and loosened. This causes the overall circumference of the ankle and instep to increase and decrease. Any strapping that wraps the ankle must allow for this expansion and contraction, which necessitates such strapping to be able to compensate for the size variation. Without such compensation, the ankle strapping may overly restrict foot movement.
Prior footwear straps are typically oriented in a direction that does not correspond to the force vectors that occur during walking, running, or vigorous activity. Strapping usually is oriented at an angle of approximately 90° from the sole. This angle is appropriate to maximize strapping strength only when the strap lies flat and parallel to the sole on the foot surface. As the top of the foot slopes forward, however, a strap oriented at a 90° angle from the sole must twist to lie flat on the sloping foot surface. This causes discomfort in the user and diminishes the strength capacity of the strap.
Still other prior art footwear strapping configurations feature a continuous strap that contacts the wearer's foot in multiple locations, such as around the ankle, across the instep, and over the front of the foot. Such straps cannot remain taut during activity, due to movement of other portions of the foot. A continuous strap that covers both the instep and the forefoot, for instance, may lack the continuous, taut fit over the instep due to movement of the forefoot.
In addition to footwear strapping systems, other problems related to movement of the sole in relation to the foot also remain unresolved by the prior art. In particular, difficulties are associated with providing torsional rigidity, arch support, and overall stiffness to a sole during walking, running, or other vigorous activity. While a generally soft and cushioned sole forefoot and heel portion are desirable for wearer comfort, they may result in a sole being undesirably soft and “floppy”. To prevent this condition, a relatively stiff and rigid shank may be provided to bridge the softer, less rigid forefoot and heel portions. The more rigid shank also provides torsional rigidity to the sole, preventing undesirable twisting motions during a wearer's stride.
Prior art shanks include metal plates inserted in the midfoot region between the midsole and either an outsole or an insole; a laterally narrow section of rubber or other material attached to the bottom outsole in the midfoot region (generally known as a “fiddleshank”); and other plastic components molded or glued to the sole midfoot region for support and rigidity. Such prior art shanks do not, however, adequately prevent and generally, are not well-configured to counteract the twisting type of torsional forces developed during wearing of footwear, especially those forces caused by straps that pass through the sole.
Numerous unresolved needs therefore exist relating to footwear. A long felt need exists for a footwear strapping configuration that accommodates the foot's wide range of movement during sports or other vigorous activities. In addition, a need exists for strapping that is capable of dynamically adjusting itself as required during such use. Further, unresolved needs exist for an integral, stiff and rigid shank portion to provide torsional rigidity and stiffness to an otherwise relatively soft and cushioned footwear forefoot and heel portions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a unique strapping configuration for footwear that provides for dynamic fit adjustment while securely and comfortably affixing a sole to a wearer's foot. The strapping generally includes an adjustable X configuration strap which is attached in some manner to a heel portion of the footwear, crosses over the wearer's instep, and passes through a transverse channel in the midsole of the footwear under the wearer's arch. The present invention further comprises footwear incorporating the unique strapping configuration that securely fastens the footwear to the user's foot, even during sports or other vigorous activities.
The adjustable X configuration instep strap generally has a first end secured to a first side of a heel portion of the footwear, crosses forwardly and transversely over the wearer's instep, passes through a channel in the sole of the footwear at the midfoot, the longitudinal center of the sole, extends rearwardly and transversely back across the wearer's instep (thereby forming an X over the instep), and is adjustably and releasably secured to the second side of the heel portion of the footwear. The channel may be angled downwardly from rear to front in the longitudinal direction, parallel to the downward slope of the wearer's instep, so that the strap will lie flat on the wearer's instep and thereby more evenly carry forces that develop between the foot and the sole during sports or other vigorous activities.
The X configuration instep strap acts to secure the wearer's foot to the footwear sole. The strap preferably passes under the wearer's arch through the midfoot channel, and thereby works to secure the transverse midfoot portion of the sole to the bottom of the wearer's foot.
The portion of the footwear sole through which the midfoot channel passes, the midfoot shank, is preferably comprised of a relatively stiff and hard material. Incorporation of such shank material enables the channel to not significantly compress and thereby not pinch the strap passing through it during use. The strap may thus be free to move through this channel as the foot moves in different directions during use. The sole including the arch channel may be manufactured separate from the sole and may be affixed thereto by molding or with an adhesive. This allows for the shank including the midfoot channel to be constructed of a relatively hard and stiff material and to be conveniently attached to a softer, more pliable sole. Alternatively, the shank portion may also be an integral portion of the sole. The relatively stiff and resilient ar
Butler Damon R.
McGeough Barry Joseph
Norton Edward J.
Ritter Brett D.
Smotrycz Zenon O.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Greer Burns & Crain Ltd
Stashick Anthony D.
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