Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Sandals
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-23
2003-10-28
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Sandals
C036S050100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637130
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Priority
This application claims priority from design patent application No. 29/142,904 filed Jun. 5, 2001, and entitled “Sandal Portions”.
II. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footwear constructions, and more particularly to a sandal construction.
III. Description of the Art
Sandals have typically functioned as casual footwear, providing only limited support and stability. As a result, traditional sandals were not well suited for use in athletic and sporting applications. More recently, however, sandals have evolved to provide increased support and stability, making them more suitable for a variety of athletic and sporting applications. These improvements have resulted primarily from advances in the sole and in the strapping system. Although there has been marked growth in the comfort and support provided by sandals, footwear manufacturers continue to search for technologies capable of further enhancing the comfort and support of sandals.
Conventional sport sandals include a contoured sole and a strapping system for retaining the sole against the bottom of a foot. Typical sandals of this type include a front strap for retaining the forefoot, and ankle and heel straps for retaining the rear portion of the foot. The front strap extends over the forefoot of the foot and includes opposite ends which are generally affixed to the sole. The front strap is typically length-adjustable to permit the sandal to be adjusted to snuggly fit different size feet. The ankle strap extends over the top surface of the foot just in front of the ankle and includes opposite ends affixed to inner and out ankle posts or directly to the sole. The heel strap wraps around the rear heel portion of the foot and, like the ankle strap, is affixed to the ankle posts or directly to the sole. As with the front strap, at least one of the ankle or heel strap is typically adjustable in length to permit the sandal to be adjusted to snuggly fit different size feet. These conventional two-strap systems require two separate adjustments to properly secure the sandal on the wearer's foot. As a result, the front strap is often adjusted to provide a loose fit so that the forefoot can be easily slipped into and out of the sandal—leaving only the ankle or heel strap to be adjusted each time the sandal is worn. Although this makes it easier to put on the sandal, it can, unfortunately, reduce the foot support provided by the sandal and potentially lead to foot or ankle injury.
Some manufacturers have simplified the strap system by using a single adjustable strap that extends from the ankle region over the forefoot and then back to the ankle region. By adjusting this single strap, sandal is secured on the foot and the fit of the sandal in both the ankle and forefoot regions is controlled. A conventional sandal having a single adjustable strap is shown in FIG.
1
. As illustrated, the sandal
150
includes a sole
152
and a strap
160
. The strap
160
is attached to a medial post
170
at one end, is threaded through the sole
152
and over the foot, and is threaded through a buckle
172
that is attached to a lateral post
174
. The strap
160
is positioned on the sole
152
to cross over itself in the front portion of the sandal, with the two crossed strap portions defining a forefoot strap. The strap
160
passes freely through the sole
152
so that pulling one end of the strap
160
results in tightening the entire strap, including in both the forefoot and ankle regions.
Although this strapping system keeps the sandal
150
attached to the foot, the strap
160
is configured to crosses over itself in the forefoot region near the lateral edge of the sandal. The laterally disposed crossover
171
may permit the foot to move within the sandal, possibly reducing support over the forefoot as a whole and causing discomfort. In addition to crossing over itself in the forefoot region, the strap
160
also crosses over itself just in front of the ankle at crossover
173
These two crossovers
171
and
173
create pressure points that may cause chafing and discomfort both while the strap
160
is being adjusted and during walking. This problem is only exacerbated as the strap is increasingly tightened. Further, because the strap
160
moves with respect to the sole
152
, there is a potential for the strap
160
to rub against and cause significant wear of the sole
152
. To address this concern, the sole
152
must manufactured from harder, more wear-resistant materials, such as polyurethane. Unfortunately, anti-bacterial components, such as Microban® available from Microban Products Company, cannot be added to polyurethane and other similar components. As a result, sandals manufactured from this material are subject to odor control issues. This is a particularly acute problem with sandals because they are often worn in wet and dirty environments, where bacteria can readily contaminate the sole. To address this concern, manufacturers typically recommend periodic washing of the sandal. This is inconvenient and burdensome, so much so that it is often not done.
Additionally, conventional sandals of this type are difficult to adjust when under load. Although the sole
152
is manufactured from a relatively hard material, it is, by design, sufficiently soft to provide some level of cushioning (e.g. some level of compression when under load). As a result, the sole
152
will compress under load, pinching those portions of the strap that pass through the sole
152
. Significant loads can make it difficult, if not impossible, for the wearer to manually adjust the strap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned problem are overcome by the present invention wherein a sandal construction is provided with an adjustable strap that passes through the sole and over the foot forming a crossover at substantially the center of the forefoot.
In a preferred embodiment, the sandal includes a strapping system having medial and lateral posts positioned on opposite sides of the ankle. A heel strap extends between the posts around the heel. The strapping system also includes a front strap that extends between the ankle and forefoot regions of the sandal. The strap includes a first end that is secured to the sole in the forefoot region. The strap crisscrosses over substantially the center of the foot in the forefoot region and then extends rearwardly to an ankle post.
In a more preferred embodiment, the sole defines a plurality of channels passing between the lateral and medial sides of the sandal to permit passage of the front strap. The sole further defines spaced apertures near each edge of the sole to allow the front strap to pass into the channels from the upper side of the sandal.
In an even more preferred embodiment, the sole includes a flexplate disposed between a midsole and an outsole. The flexplate is substantially rigid providing support and stability to the sandal. The flexplate may also define the channels through which the front strap passes. Covers may be placed over the channels to entrap the strap in rigid tunnels.
The present invention provides a sandal having a continuous front strap that permits simultaneous adjustment in both the ankle and heel regions as the sandal is secured to the foot. The front strap is relatively easy to adjust and is positioned on the sole to provide improved comfort and support. The substantially centered crossover in the forefoot region provides improved comfort and lateral stability. Further, the flexplate reduces wear in the midsole by providing a hard surface for the strap to move against. This permits the midsole to be manufactured from softer materials, including various materials that can be impregnated with an anti-bacterial component to reduce bacterial growth. The flexplate also provides a low friction surface to ease movement of the strap during adjustment. Also, the flexplate channels facilitate manufacture by positively and easily locating the straps. The flexplate covers enclose the straps in rigid tunnels. This protects the straps
Matis Clark A.
Urie Grant A.
Kavanaugh Ted
Warner Norcross & Judd
Wolverine World Wide Inc.
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