Sandal toe post and strap system

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an open toe footwear system including a base member, a toe post, a strap member, and two lateral foot posts. The strap member is coupled to both the toe post and the two lateral foot posts. The toe post and two lateral foot posts are coupled to the base member. The toe post includes a structural toe portion and a padded toe portion. The structural toe portion is composed of a material with a particular hardness and structural rigidity. The padded toe portion is composed of a soft material configured to minimize chaffing and bruising of a user's skin. The structural toe portion and padded toe portion are intercoupled to form a conventionally shaped cylindrical toe post. The intercoupling between the structural toe portion and the padded toe portion may include a bonding member configured to increase adhesion and prevent stretching and / or translation.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 359,100 filed Jun. 28, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention generally relates to open toe footwear. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved toe post and strap system for a sandal.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Open toe footwear comprises various footwear systems that include a supportive base member disposed under the sole of the foot along with a retaining system to hold the foot on the base member. One particular type of open toe footwear is a sandal or flip-flop that includes a specific triangular foot retaining system. A sandal or flip-flop may also be referred to as a Zori, a thong, or a three point strap configuration sandal. The foot retaining system of a flip-flop commonly includes a toe post and two lateral foot posts intercoupled via a strap member. The toe post and lateral foot posts are...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Embodiments of the present invention represent a significant advance in the field of open toe footwear systems. Conventional open toe footwear composed of rubber or similar moldable materials often causes chaffing and / or uncomfortable rubbing and / or bruising upon the surface of a user's skin. Improved open toe footwear systems attempt to address this issue of comfort but fail to overcome the problem without affecting the structural integrity of the strap member and toe post with respect to the base member. Embodiments of the present invention provide a structurally supported strap member and toe post that include padded portions specifically configured to minimize chaffing of a user's skin. In addition, conventional sandals are commonly sized loosely to avoid rubbing, whereas embodiments of the present invention may be precisely fit as a result of the integrated padding.

Problems solved by technology

Conventional open toe footwear composed of rubber or similar moldable materials often causes chaffing and / or uncomfortable rubbing and / or bruising upon the surface of a user's skin.

Improved open toe footwear systems attempt to address this issue of comfort but fail to overcome the problem without affecting the structural integrity of the strap member and toe post with respect to the base member.

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