Closure system and/or shoe configurations for enhancing the performance of running shoes

a technology of running shoes and shoe configurations, applied in the direction of fastenings, uppers, bootlegs, etc., can solve the problems of shoe tightening about the user's foot, and achieve the effect of improving the fit and/or performance of shoes and other footwear, and negatively affecting the user's performan

US20160044994A1Inactive Publication Date: 2016-02-18BOA TECHNOLOGY
16 Cites 29 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2016-02-18
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

Smart Images

  • Figure 1
    Figure 1
  • Figure 2
    Figure 2
  • Figure 3
    Figure 3
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

A shoe may include a sole and an upper. The upper may have a medial side and a lateral side that each have an edge positioned on opposing side of the shoe's tongue. The upper's medial side and / or the upper's lateral side may include stiffened regions and flexible regions with each stiffened region being disposed between two flexible regions so that the stiffened regions are moveable relative to one another upon tensioning of the medial and lateral sides of the upper. The opposing edges of the upper's medial and lateral sides may be substantially linear or straight prior to tensioning of the upper's medial and lateral sides and may be substantially uneven or nonlinear subsequent to tensioning of the upper's medial and lateral sides due to relative movement of the stiffened regions.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 036,965 filed Aug. 13, 2014, entitled “Closure System and / or Shoe Configurations for Enhancing the Performance of Running Shoes;” Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 111,032 filed Feb. 2, 2015, entitled “Footwear Configuration Having Improved Fit;” Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 190,640 filed Jul. 9, 2015, entitled “Methods and Systems for Improving the Fit of Shoes;” Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 120,005 filed Feb. 24, 2015, entitled “High and Low Lacing Configuration;” and Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 087,694 filed Dec. 4, 2014, entitled “Automated and Manual Closure of Footwear.” The entire disclosure of all of the aforementioned Provisional U.S. patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention provides various...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0029]The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing one or more exemplary embodiments. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0030]The description and / or claims herein may use relative terms in describing features or aspects of the embodiments. For example, the description and / or claims may use terms such as relatively, about, substantially, between, approximately, and the like. These relative terms are meant to account for deviations that may result in practicing and / or producing the embodiments described herein. A skilled artisan would recognize that minor deviations or variations f...