Patent ID: 6237253
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A walking shoe comprising an upper and a tongue connected with said upper and having a foot-inside edge, a foot-outside edge and an edge close to a shin, said edge close to the shin connecting said foot-inside edge and said foot-outside edge, said tongue extending from a forefoot-instep portion of said shoe to at least an ankle-flexure portion of said shoe and being formed substantially into a saddle shape for adapting to an instep-ankle-flexure contour of a wearer's foot, said tongue having in said ankle-flexure portion of said shoe a flexing portion including a flexing zone which is flexurally softer than adjacent tongue portions, said flexing zone extending over only part of the width of the tongue between the foot-inside edge and the foot-outside edge, extending over the instep apex, and being offset toward the foot-inside edge with respect to a centerline of said tongue midway between said foot-inside edge and said foot-outside edge such as to inhibit a tendency of said tongue to slip towards the outside of the wearer's foot when said tongue is bent while walking.