Patent ID: 11910881
Assignee: NIKE, INC.
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure;
an upper fixedly attached to the sole structure at a bite line disposed between the upper and the sole structure, the upper having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, and the upper comprising:
a vamp, a lateral sidewall portion, and a medial sidewall portion, the lateral sidewall portion and the medial sidewall portion cooperating to define an interior volume therebetween with the vamp at least partially forward of the lateral sidewall portion and the medial sidewall portion in the forefoot region;
an ankle opening operative to allow a user to extend a foot into the interior volume;
a throat opening extending from the ankle opening to the forefoot region and between the lateral sidewall portion and the medial sidewall portion;

a closure mechanism comprising:
a first tension member coupled to the lateral sidewall portion and extending along a length of the throat opening, the first tension member having a first tension member first end coupled to the lateral sidewall portion at a first lateral attachment point positioned at the vamp, a first tension member intermediate point coupled to the lateral sidewall portion at a second lateral attachment point positioned at the ankle opening, and a first tension member second end coupled to the upper at a third lateral attachment point at the bite line; wherein the first tension member extends exterior to the upper along the throat opening from the first tension member first end, then extends under an edge of the lateral sidewall portion at the throat opening to an inner side of the lateral sidewall portion, and then extends through the lateral sidewall portion from the inner side of the lateral sidewall portion to an exterior side of the lateral sidewall portion before the first tension member intermediate point, and then extends through the lateral sidewall portion from the exterior side of the lateral sidewall portion to the inner side of the lateral sidewall portion and downward and rearward along the inner side of the lateral sidewall portion to the third lateral attachment point; wherein the edge of the lateral sidewall portion extends along and defines the throat opening;
a second tension member attached to the medial sidewall portion and extending along the length of the throat opening, the second tension member having a second tension member first end coupled to the medial sidewall portion at a first medial attachment point positioned at the vamp, a second tension member intermediate point coupled to the medial sidewall portion at a second medial attachment point positioned at the ankle opening, and a second tension member second end coupled to the upper at a third medial attachment point at the bite line; wherein the second tension member extends exterior to the upper along the throat opening from the second tension member first end, then extends under an edge of the medial sidewall portion at the throat opening to an inner side of the medial sidewall portion, and then extends through the medial sidewall portion from the inner side of the medial sidewall portion to an exterior side of the medial sidewall portion before the second tension member intermediate point, and then extends through the medial sidewall portion from the exterior side of the medial sidewall portion to the inner side of the medial sidewall portion and downward and rearward along the inner side of the medial sidewall portion to the third medial attachment point; wherein the edge of the medial sidewall portion extends along and defines the throat opening;
a slider coupled to and moveable along each of the first tension member and the second tension member from a first position to a second position; and
wherein in the first position the slider is closer to the vamp than the ankle opening, and in the second position the slider is closer to the ankle opening than the vamp, such that moving the slider from the first position to the second position imparts tension in each of the lateral sidewall portion and the medial sidewall portion and operatively reduces a maximum size of the ankle opening.