Shoelace holder

Abstract

A shoelace retainer is integrated with a shoe having a shoelace. The retainer features a lateral and medial flaps attached to the lateral and medial sides of the shoe at a position for receiving the lateral and medial free ends of the shoelace. The bottom surfaces of the flaps include hook and loop fastening elements. The retainer also features lateral and medial tabs in functional alignment with the lateral and medial flaps. The tabs are comprised of hook and loop fastening elements adapted to engage the elements of the hook and loop fastener on the bottom side of the lateral flap. The lateral tab and lateral flap are adapted to releasably secure the lateral free end and bow of a tied shoelace, while the medial tab and medial flap are adapted to releasably secure the medial free end and bow of a tied shoelace.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application 60 / 597,387, filed Nov. 28, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention generally relates to laced footwear, and more particularly, to a shoelace holder integrated with the footwear and adapted to releasably secure the free ends and bows of shoelaces to prevent the shoelaces from untying and to prevent distracting movement of the shoelaces.BACKGROUND[0003]Shoelaces are thin cords fitted (i.e., laced) to shoes (i.e., shoes, sneakers, boots or any laced footwear) to prevent the shoe from slipping off by accident. Lacing entails running the shoelaces through the holes, eyelets or lugs typically in a crisscross pattern to form a strong adjustable network. A shoelace can be untied and loosened in a familiar manner, permitting the shoe to open wide to admit the wearer's foot. It can then be tightened and knotted...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a shoelace retainer that is integrated with a shoe or a tongue. It features a right flap and a left flap with a hook and loop fastener on their bottom surface. The flaps are attached to the shoe or tongue at a position near the free end of the shoelace. The flaps are designed to secure the shoelace when tied. The retainer also includes a lateral tab and a medial tab for securing the shoelace on the lateral and medial sides, respectively. The flaps and tabs can be decorated with ornamentation or logo elements. The technical effects of the invention include improved shoe fit, comfort, and durability."

Problems solved by technology

Another shortcoming is improper sizing, with laces typically being too long and likely to annoyingly swing and / or drag along the ground.

Modern shoelaces often incorporate various synthetic fibers, which look better and wear longer, but are generally more slippery and thus far more prone to coming undone than those made from traditional fibers.

The problem of untying can also be attributed in part to the method of tying.

Unfortunately, this commonly used knot and other variations are terribly insecure and conducive to coming loose.

The problem of untying can also be attributed in part to improper length.

Laces that are too short are difficult to properly tie.

If laces are too long, the ends may drag.

Employing a different lacing method that consumes either more or less lace is a tedious and inconvenient way to address this problem.

Cutting the laces removes the aglets, which results in frayed unattractive ends.

For example, double knotting is effective, but produces an unappealing mound that can be frustrating to undo.

While such devices may be effective, they are unsightly, inconvenient to use and annoying to wear.

Additionally, such devices concentrate on maintaining the knot, but do nothing to prevent the free ends and loops of the tied laces from swinging or dragging along the ground.

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