Antiskid shoe with heel support

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided that includes a sole, an upper attached to the sole, and a heel support attached to the upper, where the heel support includes at least one deflection point that enables the heel support to move between an undeflected position and a deflected position, wherein pressure on the heel support moves the heel support to the deflected position, and when the pressure is released from the heel support, the heel support moves back to the non-deflected position.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is a non-provisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 598,508, filed on November 13, 2023, and claims priority, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates generally to footwear and, more particularly, to a non-slip shoe having a heel support and an integrated tongue that enables a user to easily insert a foot into the shoe without manually adjusting the position of an upper relative to the foot. Background Art

[0004] Footwear generally includes a sole and an upper attached to the sole, wherein the upper includes a foot opening for a user to insert a foot into. After inserting the foot into the foot opening, the user generally needs to use fingers or the corner of the shoe to press the heel at the rear end of the upper and / or lift the tongue of the shoe to fully insert the foot into the shoe. It takes extra time and effort to adjust the position of the heel support and the tongue relative to the foot. In addition, once the shoe is worn on the user's foot, the shoelaces or other adjustment devices on the shoe, i.e., the tightness, must be adjusted to adjust the comfort and fit of the shoe on the user's foot.

[0005] Some shoes have a heel support that flexes or folds back when the user places the foot on the heel support so that the foot can slide forward into the foot opening. Most of these shoes have a one-piece upper that does not have laces or other adjustment devices so that the shoe can conform to the user's foot. However, many of these shoes still require some adjustment by the user to make the shoe fit the foot snugly because the upper and / or heel support may fold under or over the foot when the foot is inserted into the shoe.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a shoe having an upper and a heel support that allows a user to easily insert the foot into the shoe without having to adjust the upper to fit the shoe on the foot. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention relates to an article of footwear, and more particularly, to an anti-slip shoe with an integral upper and a flexible heel support, which allows a user to easily slide his foot into the shoe without manually adjusting the heel or the upper.

[0008] In one embodiment, an article of footwear is provided that includes a sole, an upper attached to the sole, and a heel support attached to the upper, wherein the heel support includes at least one flexure point that enables the heel support to move between a non-flexed position and a flexed position, wherein pressure on the heel support causes the heel support to move to the flexed position, and when the pressure is released from the heel support, the heel support moves back to the non-flexed position.

[0009] In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided, including a midsole and an outsole attached to the midsole, an upper attached to the midsole, wherein the upper includes an integral tongue, and a heel support attached to an outer surface of the upper. The heel support includes a body having a main member, a lateral member, and a medial member, wherein the lateral member extends from the main member at least partially along the lateral side of the upper, and the medial member extends from the main member at least partially along the medial side of the upper. The heel support also includes an inner flex point and an outer flex point, the inner flex point and the outer flex point enabling the heel support to move between a non-flexed position and a flexed position, wherein when pressure is applied to the heel support, the heel support moves to the flexed position, and when the pressure is released from the heel support, the heel support moves back to the non-flexed position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an article of footwear including a heel support.

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Left side view of an article of footwear.

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Right side view of the article of footwear.

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Rear view of the article of footwear.

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A top view of an article of footwear.

[0015] Fig. 6A yes Figure 1 A top view of an embodiment of a heel support arrangement for an article of footwear.

[0016] Figure 6B yes Fig. 6A Rear view of the heel counter.

[0017] Figure 6C yes Fig. 6A Right side view of the heel counter.

[0018] Fig.6D yes Fig. 6A Left side view of the heel counter.

[0019] Fig. 7A is a side view of the shoe, including FIG. 6A to FIG. 6D A heel support in the shoe, wherein the heel support is in a non-flexed position when a user inserts his foot into the shoe.

[0020] Figure 7B yes Fig. 7A Side view of the shoe with the heel support moved into a flexed position due to pressure from the user's foot.

[0021] Figure 7C yes Fig. 7A A side view of the shoe with the heel support moving back to the non-flexed position when the user's foot is fully inserted into the shoe and off the heel support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention relates to an article of footwear, and more particularly, to an anti-slip shoe with an integrated upper and a flexible heel support, wherein a user can insert a foot into a foot opening of the shoe and easily slide the foot into the shoe without manually adjusting the heel or the upper.

[0023] See also Figures 1 to 5 , shows one embodiment of an article of footwear 20 (e.g., a shoe) wherein the article of footwear 20 includes a sole, generally designated 22, wherein the sole 22 is attached to an upper 24 ( Figure 2 ). The sole 22 may be an integrally molded component made of a material having a specified hardness value or of different materials having the same or different hardness values. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the upper 24 is attached to the sole 22 by a suitable line or threadable material. Alternatively, the upper 24 can also be attached to the sole 22 using an adhesive, or by molding the upper on the sole or at least partially molding the upper in the sole, or using any suitable attachment method or method combination, such as using an adhesive and stitching to attach the upper to the sole. In the illustrated embodiment, the sole includes a midsole 26 and an outer sole 28, wherein the outer sole 28 is attached to the bottom surface of the midsole 26 by an adhesive or by molding. In one embodiment, the midsole 26 is made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and the outer sole 28 is made of rubber, but the sole (i.e., the midsole and the outer sole) can be made of any suitable material or material combination known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer sole 26 includes a plurality of tread components 30, which are configured to grip the base surface during movement, such as the ground. In another embodiment, article of footwear 20 has no outer sole, wherein the bottom surface of sole 22, more specifically, midsole 26 directly contacts the base surface. In this embodiment, sole 22 or midsole 26 has one or more tread components 30 on the bottom surface of the sole or midsole.

[0024] In one embodiment, the upper 24 is a one-piece upper, wherein the front end 32 and the rear end 34 of the upper Figure 2 ) and the sides 36, 38 are integrally formed of one or more materials, such as a textile material and / or a knitted material. The upper 24 also includes an integral tongue 40, the sides 42, 44 of which are formed or sewn to the sides 36, 38 ( Figure 2 and Figure 3 ), so that the tongue 40 is not an independent component that can move relative to the upper 24. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the tongue 40 is made of a flexible material (such as a stretchable material) and a semi-rigid foam material, so that when the user's foot is inserted into the foot opening 46, the upper 24, more specifically, the tongue 40 can be stretched outward, and when the user's foot is fully inserted into the shoe 20, the tongue 40 can move inward to resist the user's foot, thereby providing stability and support for the user's foot during exercise. In another embodiment, the tongue 40 includes EVA, such as a piece of EVA, to provide additional rigidity to help prevent the tongue 40 from moving or folding when the user inserts the foot from the foot opening 46 into the shoe. It should be understood that the upper 24 can be made entirely of a flexible material, such as a stretchable material, or made of a nylon material, a polyester material, a rubber material, a fabric material, EVA, or any suitable combination of materials. In another embodiment, the upper 24 has a front portion as described above and a rear portion made separately as described above, wherein the front portion and the rear portion are both attached to the sole and attached together by an appropriate attachment method.

[0025] Lining 48( Figure 5 ), such as a sock liner, is attached to the inner surface 50 of the upper 24 to provide comfort and cushioning for the user's foot. In one embodiment, one or more layers of cushioning material, such as a foam material or the like, are inserted between the inner surface 50 of the upper 24 and the liner 48. The thickness of the liner 48 and the one or more layers of foam material vary depending on the cushioning and support required for the user's foot. A foot pad (not shown) is also placed on the midsole 26 within the upper 24 to provide cushioning and comfort for the sole and / or part of the side of the foot of the user. The thickness of the foot pad can be uniform, or it can have different thicknesses in length and / or width. It should be understood that the foot pad can be made of a gel material, a rubber material, a cork material, a polyurethane (PU) material, or any suitable material or combination of materials.

[0026] The upper 24 also includes a plurality of eyelets 52 located on the medial side and the lateral side of the upper 24, wherein the eyelets 52 each define a through hole configured to receive one or more shoelaces 54. Figure 1 As shown, the shoelace 54 passes through the eyelets 52 in a crisscross manner, so that the user can adjust the position of the top of the upper 24 relative to the top of his foot by tightening or loosening the shoelace 54 passing through the eyelets 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the shoelace 54 is made of a flexible material (such as a stretchable material), but it should be understood that the shoelace can be made of nylon material, polyester material, or any suitable material or material combination known in the art.

[0027] See also Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C and Fig.6D , the heel support 56 is attached to the rear surface 58 of the heel area 60 of the upper 24. The heel support 56 includes a body 62 having a main member 64, a lateral member 66, and a medial member 68, wherein the lateral member 66 extends at least partially along the lateral side 70 of the upper 24, and the medial member 68 extends at least partially along the medial side 72 of the upper 24. The heel support 56 is attached to the heel area 60 of the upper 24 by stitching along the top edge of the heel support 56, the lateral and medial members 66 and 68, and is attached to the sole 22 using an adhesive. It should be understood that any suitable one or more attachment methods can be used to attach the heel support 56 to the upper 24 and / or the sole 22. In another embodiment, the heel support 56 is inserted into the heel area 60 of the upper 24 and surrounded by the outer material and the inner material (i.e., the lining 48) of the upper 24 by stitching the outer material and the inner material together or by any suitable attachment method.

[0028] like Figure 6C and 6D As shown, the body 62 of the heel support 56 has a top end 74 and a bottom end 76, wherein an inner medial edge 78 ( Figure 6C ) and the inner outer edge 80 ( Fig.6D ) extends from the bottom end 76 to the top end 74. The inner surface 82 ( Fig. 6A ) extends between an inner medial edge 78 and an inner lateral edge 80, wherein the inner surface is curved to fit the heel region 60 of the upper 24 ( Figure 5 ). In this embodiment, the inner inner edge 78 and the inner outer edge 80 each have a first convex arcuate portion 84a, 84b extending from the bottom end 76 to the inner flex point 86, and a second convex arcuate portion 88a, 88b extending from the inner flex point 86 to the top end 74 of the body 62. The body 62 also has an outer surface 90 opposite the inner surface 82 and extending between the inner inner edge 78 and the inner outer edge 80. In one embodiment, the outer surface 90 ( Figure 6B ) has the same curvature as the inner surface 82. In another embodiment, the curvature of the outer surface 90 is different from the curvature of the inner surface 82.

[0029] See also Figure 6C, the outer surface 90 has a convex arcuate portion 92 extending from the bottom end 76 to the outer flex point 94 and a concave arcuate portion 96 extending from the outer flex point 94 to the top end 74 of the body. As shown, the upper portion of the body 62 of the heel support 56 extends rearwardly at an angle θ, wherein the angle θ is formed between a first line L1 extending from the rear surface of the body and a second line L2 tangential to the outer flex point and transverse to the longitudinal axis LA extending along the sole. In one embodiment, the angle θ is about 27 degrees. It will be appreciated that the angle θ can vary from about twenty degrees to about sixty degrees. In addition, the outer surface 90 has a plurality of spaced ridges 98 extending laterally along the outer surface 90 and extending vertically along the portion of the body 62 between the top end 74 and the bottom end 76. In this embodiment, the bottommost ridge 98a protrudes a greater distance from the outer surface 90 of the heel support 56 than the other ridges protrude from the outer surface. It should be understood that the distance that ridges 98 protrude or extend from outer surface 90 of heel support 56 may be the same, or the distance that one or more ridges 98 protrude or extend from outer surface 90 may be different. In another embodiment, ridges 98 extend along the entire length of heel support 56, i.e., from top end 74 to bottom end 76 of body 62 of heel support 56.

[0030] In the above-described embodiment, the body 62 of the heel support 56 is made of 100% thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) having a hardness value in the range of 92 Shore A to 98 Shore A. In one embodiment, the hardness of the body 62 is 95 Shore A. It should be understood that the body can be made of TPU, EVA, a combination of TPU and / or EVA with one or more other materials, or any suitable material or combination of materials known in the art. It should also be understood that the entire body 62 can have the same hardness value, or different portions of the body 62 can have different hardness values. In addition, the thickness between the inner surface 82 and the outer surface 90 of the body 62 can be consistent, or the inner surface 82 and the outer surface 90 can have different thicknesses along the length of the body 62 ( Fig. 6A and 6B ).

[0031] like Figure 6C As shown, when a user begins to insert his foot into the foot opening 46 of the upper 24, the top end 74 of the heel support 56 is initially in the non-flexed position. As the user's foot enters the shoe 20 through the foot opening 46, the inner surface 82 of the heel support 56 contacts the user's heel, thereby causing the body 62 to flex at the inner and outer flex points 86 and 94. In the illustrated embodiment, the heel support 56 flexes or moves from the first position (non-flexed position) to the second position (flexed position). As described above, when the heel support 56 is in the non-flexed position, as shown in FIG. Figure 6CAs shown, the heel support 56 forms an angle θ of 27 degrees between the first line L1 and the second line L2. After the user's heel contacts and presses on the heel support 56, the heel support moves to a flexed position, forming an angle θ of about 51 degrees between the first line L1 and the second line L2. The amount of movement of the top end 74 of the heel support 56 depends on the amount of pressure applied to the heel support by the user's foot. Therefore, when contacted and pressed by the user's foot, the top end 74 of the heel support 56 can move to any position between the non-flexed position and the flexed position.

[0032] See also Fig. 7A , when the user inserts the foot into the foot opening 46 of the upper 24, the heel support 56 is in the non-flexed position. As the user's foot continues to move through the foot opening 46 and into the interior of the shoe 20, the heel contacts and presses against the heel support 56, causing the heel support 56 to bend at the inner and outer flex points 86 and 94. Figure 7B As shown, after the heel contacts, the heel support 56 moves from the non-flexed position to the flexed position, allowing the user's foot to move forward along the heel support 56 and further into the shoe 20. At the same time, the tongue 40, which is made of a semi-rigid cushioning material to help prevent the tongue from bending or folding, also flexes, allowing the user's foot to move under the tongue 40 as the user further enters the shoe 20. The user continues to extend his foot into the shoe 20 until his foot is completely on the insole and his heel is in close contact with the inner surface of the heel portion of the upper 24. Figure 5 and Figure 7C As shown, once the user's foot is fully inserted into the shoe 20, the tongue 40 and the sides 36 and 38 ( Figure 2 and Figure 3 ) will move inward to fit the upper surface and sides of the user's foot, thereby firmly supporting the user's foot. In addition, when the user's heel leaves the heel support 56, the top end 74 of the heel support 56 will move back Figure 7C The combination of the heel support 56 and the integrated tongue 40 allows the user to insert the foot into the shoe 20 without having to manually adjust the position of the upper 24 relative to the foot. Alternatively, when the user inserts or removes the foot from the shoe, the user can place one or more toes of the other foot or the front of the shoe on the other foot on one or more ridges 98 on the heel support 56 to grasp and secure the rear end of the shoe 20. In this way, the ridges 98 further enhance the user's ability to fully insert the foot into the shoe 20 without using the hands.

[0033] In another embodiment, the heel support can be attached to or integrally formed with the sole, and more specifically, with the midsole, wherein the midsole and heel support are removably inserted into the interior space of the shell, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 298,284, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0034] In another embodiment, the heel support is attached to the upper, which is attached to the sole. In this embodiment, the sole includes a midsole and an outsole attached to the bottom surface of the midsole. The support plate is located between the midsole and the outsole and is bent from the rear end of the sole to the front end of the sole, so that the sole naturally swings from the rear end of the sole to the front end of the sole during exercise, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 180,562, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0035] While particular embodiments of the present article of footwear have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader aspects of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising: Soles; as well as an upper attached to the sole; as well as A heel support attached to the upper, the heel support including at least one flexure point that enables the heel support to move between a non-flexed position and a flexed position, wherein pressure on the heel support causes the heel support to move to the flexed position and when pressure is released from the heel support, the heel support moves back to the non-flexed position.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support forms an angle θ between a line extending from an outer surface of the heel support and a vertical line transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sole, wherein θ is 27 degrees in the non-flexed position and 51 degrees in the flexed position.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support forms an angle θ between a line extending from an outer surface of the heel support and a vertical line transverse to a longitudinal axis of the sole, wherein θ ranges from 20 degrees to 60 degrees.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support has a body, the body including a main member, a lateral member and a medial member, wherein the lateral member extends from the main member and at least partially along the lateral side of the sole, and the medial member extends from the main member and at least partially along the medial side of the sole.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the upper includes an integral tongue made of a semi-rigid foam material. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein a portion of the tongue comprises EVA.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel counter has a hardness value within a range of 92 Shore A to 98 Shore A.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support includes an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending from the outer surface, wherein the ridges assist in hands-free removal of the article of footwear from a user's foot.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein one of the ridges extends a distance from the outer surface greater than a distance that the other ridge extends from the outer surface.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein one of the ridges extends a distance from the exterior surface that is greater than a distance that the other ridge extends from the exterior surface.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support is made of TPU.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the heel support is inserted into a heel portion of the upper and is surrounded by an outer material and an inner material of the upper.

13. An article of footwear comprising: a midsole and an outsole attached to the midsole; an upper attached to the midsole, the upper including an integral tongue; as well as a heel support attached to an outer surface of the upper, the heel support including a body having a main member, a lateral member, and a medial member, wherein the lateral member extends from the main member and at least partially along a lateral side of the upper, and the medial member extends from the main member and at least partially along a medial side of the upper, The heel support includes inner and outer flex points that enable the heel support to move between a non-flexed position and a flexed position, wherein when pressure is applied to the heel support the heel support moves to the flexed position, wherein when pressure is released from the heel support the heel support moves back to the non-flexed position.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the heel support forms an angle θ between a line extending from an outer surface of the heel support and a vertical line transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sole, wherein θ is 27 degrees in the non-flexed position and 51 degrees in the flexed position.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the heel support forms an angle θ between a line extending from an outer surface of the heel support and a vertical line transverse to a longitudinal axis of the sole, wherein θ ranges from 20 degrees to 60 degrees.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the integrated tongue is made of a semi-rigid foam material.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the tongue comprises EVA.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the heel counter has a hardness value within a range of 92 Shore A to 98 Shore A.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 13, wherein the heel support includes an outer surface and a plurality of ridges extending from the outer surface, wherein the ridges assist in hands-free removal of the article of footwear from a user's foot.

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