Improved tongue for footwear

Abstract

Footwear with single or double vamp sections comprising a split tongue including a rearward tongue portion which is firmly attached along one side thereof to a medial vamp section of the shoe. While the rearward tongue portion is firmly connected to a medial vamp section, the connection may be permanent or replaceable. A forward tongue portion may be integrally formed with the forward upper, or be an extension of the forward upper, or be secured to the forward upper forward upper along a transverse edge and / or to one or both of the vamp sections, or be secured to one of the vamp sections only. One or both tongue portions may be formed to have pockets for receiving cushioning members and / or saddle members to reduce pressure on the instep. The forward edge of the rearward tongue portion overlies the rearward edge of the forward tongue portion in the working position. The split tongue arrangement, particularly with the rearward tongue portion being attached to the medial vamp section, eliminates slippage of the tongue to the lateral side of the foot during use of the footwear while protection and comfort are provided by the cushioning members and / or saddle members.

Description

Background technique [0001] Lace-up shoes, as well as shoes with other means for fastening the upper on a longitudinal tongue extending along the top of the instep, have long had problems with the tongue slipping to the side of the foot, at least because of the shape of the instep . This problem is particularly serious on sports shoes, such as tennis shoes, baseball shoes, basketball shoes and other sports shoes, where there are often particularly large pressures repeatedly applied laterally to the foot. [0002] When the tongue slides to the side of the foot, the laces, buckles, eyelets or other fasteners directly contact the instep causing discomfort and possible injury. Also, the shoe becomes loose on the wearer's foot when the tongue slides to the side of the foot. Athletic shoes, especially specialized athletic shoes, can easily cause the tongue to slip off. In many cases, dress shoes can also cause the aforementioned slippage, especially after medium to long-term wear...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The irreplaceable fastening of the one-piece tongue to the shoe is also unsatisfactory, where the hook and loop straps cause the sock to snag when the shoe is put on and taken off or in use

Also, with this type of fastening, the tongue will come off sooner or later during the use of the shoe due to the accumulation of lint or other material at the hook and loop.

Accordingly, these prior art single vamp tongue arrangements are unsatisfactory in one respect or another.

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