Patent ID: 9700101
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: A43C,F16G

Claim:
1. A shoe comprising: a sole; an upper attached to the sole, the upper having a pair of eyestays positioned on opposing sides of a tongue portion of the shoe; a tension member that is guided about a path along the tongue portion and between the pair of eyestays; a tightening mechanism that is operably coupled with the tension member, the tightening mechanism being operable to effect tensioning of the tension member; and a pair of elongate eyestay guides, each elongate eyestay guide being coupled with an eyestay of the pair of eyestays so that the pair of elongate eyestay guides are positioned on opposing sides of the tongue portion, wherein each elongate eyestay guide extends longitudinally along a length of the eyestay from a collar of the shoe to a toe portion of the shoe and each elongate eyestay guide includes a top edge that extends continuously along an edge of the eyestay from the collar to the toe portion of the shoe and a flange that extends laterally therefrom toward the sole of the shoe, the top edge being relatively straight along an entire length of the elongate eyestay guide and the flange extending longitudinally along the entire length of the elongate eyestay guide, and wherein each elongate eyestay guide includes a plurality of holes that extend entirely through the respective guide to allow the tension member to be looped around the top edge of the respective guide, the plurality of holes being longitudinally offset from one another with a first hole positioned near the collar of the shoe and a second hole positioned toward the toe box of the shoe; wherein the tension member is operably coupled with each elongate eyestay guide to guide the tension member about the path along the tongue portion and between the pair of eyestays, the tension member being operably coupled with each elongate eyestay guide by insertion of the tension member through the first hole and the second hole, whereby tensioning of the tension member causes the opposing sides of the tongue portion to more toward one another via the pair of elongate eyestay guides and thereby tightens the shoe; and wherein the top edge of each elongate eyestay guide extends inward toward the tongue portion of the shoe from an inward most edge of the upper.