Patent ID: 7726045
Filing Date: 2010-06-01
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
1. A shoe construction comprising: a sole having a toe end and an opposite heel end and having opposite right and left sides extending between the toe end and the heel end; an upper of flexible material attached to the sole, the upper extending upwardly from the sole to a top edge of the upper, the upper top edge defining a forefoot opening and an ankle opening into an interior of the shoe inside the upper; a tongue of flexible material attached to the sole, the tongue having a length that extends upwardly from the sole and through the forefoot opening to a distal end of the tongue positioned at the ankle opening; the upper having an ankle portion with an elongate length that extends upwardly from the sole, the ankle portion having a bottom part that extends upwardly from the sole and a top part that extends from the bottom part, and the ankle portion having a fold area between the bottom part and the top part where the top part is movable between a folded position where the top part overlaps the bottom part and an unfolded position where the top part extends upwardly from the bottom part, where in the folded position more of the ankle portion top part is visible from an exterior of the shoe than the ankle portion bottom part, and in the unfolded position the elongate length of the ankle portion extends upwardly from the shoe sole to an extent where the ankle portion will cover over a shoe wearer's ankle and lower calf; a releasable fastener with a first piece on the exterior surface of the top part of the ankle portion and a second piece on the exterior surface of the bottom part of the ankle portion, and the first and second pieces are releasably fastenable together with the top part in the folded position to hold the top part in the folded position; and a first plurality of apertures in the ankle portion top part arranged in a line on one side of the forefoot opening and a second plurality of apertures in the ankle portion top part arranged in a line on an opposite side of the forefoot opening.