Article of footwear

An article of footwear having an upper connected to a sole, wherein an integrated tongue-strap structure is provided for superior fit, durability, support and strength. The upper may be formed of at least two layers, including an upper body having a heel portion, an arch and instep portion and a toe portion for respectively receiving a heel, an arch and instep and toes of a foot of a wearer. The strap element may penetrate the upper body, extend around the upper body between those two layers from medial to lateral sides of the article of footwear. The strap element may be formed of one-piece. In such a case, the footwear is donned by loosening a tensioning device provided on the tongue of the upper or provided between at least one end of the one-piece strap element and the tongue.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to footwear, and particularly, 
footwear having enhanced support features integrally designed into their 
construction. More specifically, the present invention contemplates use of 
an integrated tongue-strap structure adapted to apply even pressure around 
the foot and/or ankle of the wearer to provide enhanced fit and support. 
Footwear designers have aspired to produce footwear having superior fit and 
support. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the athletic footwear 
industry as evidenced by various earlier footwear embodiments for 
basketball, jogging, football, etc., and even in ice-skating. In addition, 
there has been increased attention to bicycling footwear, particularly to 
the quality of construction of the upper of bicycle footwear which is 
subjected to enormous force during the upward pulling stroke of the 
bicycle rider. Accordingly, the present invention also contemplates 
provision of an article of footwear having an upper which has superior 
durability and strength. 
An example of athletic footwear having improved support features is shown 
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,511 to Gamm. Gamm discloses a running shoe having 
an instep strap which extends through the midsole of a running shoe inside 
the body of the upper. Opposite ends of the strap have hook and loop 
fasteners, and the strap is intended to wrap directly around the foot of 
the wearer. However, the instep support strap according to Gamm suffers 
from numerous drawbacks. For example, the fit of the upper of the shoe is 
not largely enhanced by the strap, since it extends inside and directly 
surrounds the foot. In addition, the strap is likely to affect circulation 
through the foot, as pressure is not evenly distributed throughout a top 
or dorsal area of the foot. In addition, the interior strap of Gamm 
requires burdensome manipulation by the wearer. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,613 to Loveder discloses a rear entry athletic shoe 
using a ski-binding type mechanism which utilizes an adjustable strap that 
wraps around an aft portion of the shoe. This design provides only 
marginal increased support through the upper. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,772 to Francis et al. discloses an article of athletic 
footwear having increased support, by providing an integral external shell 
that wraps around a sock but is not connected thereto. The external shell 
of this invention is tightened around the sock and wearer's foot by means 
of a conventional lace-type closure system connecting opposing edges of 
the shell, over a tongue portion of the sock. However, a need still exists 
for additional support along the dorsal portion of the foot and superior 
fit around the ankle and heel portions of the upper. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,494,964 to Rome, U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,639 to Zaccaria and 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,271 to Geller disclose other shoe designs 
incorporating straps but continue to fail to meet the rigorous demands of 
support, fit and durability demanded by the marketplace. Of these patents, 
those to Rome and Geller utilize a strap secured to the tongue of a shoe. 
However, the straps are formed of essentially two segments which are 
separable from each other to allow the tongue to release and permit the 
wearer in donning or removing the shoe. The separable two-piece straps are 
particularly disadvantageous since they do not provide adequate support 
and require burdensome manipulation. In addition, the straps merely extend 
around an outer surface of the upper, perhaps through a pull tab strictly 
provided on an aft portion of the shoe upper as taught by Rome. Such 
structures do not provide adequate support. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention has been developed to overcome the deficiencies of 
the prior art, and provide an article of footwear having superior fit, 
strength, durability and support. According to the present invention, an 
integrated tongue-strap structure is provided to give unparalleled 
support, fit and durability. The strap which fully wraps around the upper 
body and which is integrated with the tongue, provides a glove-like fit, 
distributing pressure along a lower shin portion, a rear foot or ankle 
portion, a substantial area of the dorsal surface including the lateral 
and medial sides, and sole portions of the foot, concentrically and 
controlled by an amount of tension applied to the strap. 
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an article of 
footwear is provided, comprising an upper formed of at least two layers 
and including (i) an upper body including a heel portion, an instep 
portion and a toe portion for respectively receiving a heel, an instep, 
and toes of a foot of a wearer, and (ii) a tongue for covering the dorsal 
portion of the foot including the lateral and medial aspects thereof; a 
sole or other hardware connected to the upper; a strap element penetrating 
the upper body and extending between two layers of the upper body from 
medial to lateral sides thereof, the strap element having first and second 
opposite ends respectively secured to opposite lateral sides of the tongue 
to form an integrated strap-tongue structure; and tensioning means for 
adjusting tension of the strap element. 
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an article of 
footwear is provided, comprising an upper including (i) an upper body 
including a heel portion, an instep portion and a toe portion for 
respectively receiving a heel, an instep, and toes of a foot of a wearer, 
and (ii) a tongue attached to the upper body, for covering a dorsal 
portion of the foot; a sole connected to the upper; a one-piece strap 
element having first and second opposite ends respectively secured to 
opposite lateral sides of the tongue to form an integrated strap-tongue 
structure; and tensioning means for adjusting tension of the strap 
element. 
According to a third aspect of the invention, an article of footwear is 
provided, comprising an upper including (i) an upper body including a heel 
portion, an arch and instep portion and a toe portion for respectively 
receiving a heel, an arch and instep and toes of a foot of a wearer, and 
(ii) a tongue for covering the dorsal portion of the foot including the 
lateral and medial aspects thereof; a sole or other hardware connected to 
the upper; a one-piece strap element extending between the upper body and 
the sole, the strap element including first and second opposite ends 
respectively secured to opposite lateral sides of the tongue to form an 
integrated strap-tongue structure; and tensioning means for adjusting 
tension of the strap element. 
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the strap 
element extends between at least two layers of the upper, around the upper 
body from medial to lateral sides thereof, pressure around an ankle 
portion or heel portion (from medial to lateral sides thereof) is evenly 
distributed. In addition, since the strap penetrates the upper extends 
therein through a substantial portion thereof so as to extend along a 
through-direction, orientation of the strap may be securely maintained 
along a direction perpendicular to the through-direction of the strap. 
According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, an 
article of footwear which is easy to don without requiring separation of 
straps via buckles, VELCRO or ratcheting mechanisms, thereby contributing 
to the superior support provided by the present invention. Those 
advantages are realized by utilizing a one-piece strap, an extended 
section of material which is not severable, such as by an intermediate 
buckle or by a hook and loop fastener. The one-piece strap may, however, 
be formed of a number of layers of the same or different materials, or 
suitable sections of different materials connected together so as to 
include reinforced portions, for example. According to the present 
invention, a one-piece strap is effectively utilized while the prior art 
relies on severable straps to release the foot from the upper. 
Preferably, the strap element according to all aspects of the present 
invention is free floating, that is, is freely slidable between layers of 
the upper or between the upper and the outsole. According to this 
particularly preferable feature, the relative position of the tongue may 
be freely moved to conform to the dorsal portion of the foot of the 
wearer. Preferably, a plurality of strap elements are provided. For 
example, in a high-top embodiment of the present invention, ankle, heel 
and midfoot straps maybe utilized, each of which is integrated with the 
tongue of the upper. 
The present invention also contemplates a unique cinching mechanism, which 
may be adapted to tension the straps of the article of footwear according 
to the first, second and third aspects of the present invention. The 
cinching mechanism includes a device for pulling first and second members 
together, comprising a closed-loop cable connecting the first and second 
members to each other; first guiding means for guiding the cable through 
first and second symmetrically spaced-apart turns along the first member; 
second guiding means for guiding the cable through an opposing turn in the 
second member, wherein the cable forms a closed-loop consecutively 
extending through the first turn, the opposing turn and the second turn; 
and a ratchet including a plurality of juxtaposed grooves for receiving 
the cable, to fix a relative position of the first and second members with 
each other. 
The present article of footwear is not limited to athletic footwear, but 
may include any article of footwear such as ice-skates, ski boots, 
bicycling footwear, hiking boots, sandals etc. In addition, the outsole 
may be formed for virtually any sport, and may be cleated for outdoor 
sports, have blades for ice-skating, or have lugs for hiking, etc.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings, a description of preferred embodiments of 
the present invention is set forth. Same reference numerals are utilized 
among the different embodiments to denote similar structural features. 
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a first embodiment, showing first, second and third 
aspects of the present invention. An article of footwear 1 is provided, 
comprising an upper 2 which includes tongue 3 and upper body 4. In this 
embodiment, the tongue includes a tongue overlay 3a and a tongue inner 3b. 
Inner surfaces of tongue overlay and tongue inner 3a, 3b may include 
padded closed cell foam, to provide added stability and comfort. 
Preferably, tongue inner 3b has a dorsal extension forming shin support 3d 
which aids in donning or removing the article of footwear, discussed 
below. Upper body 4 includes heel portion 4a, instep portion 4b, arch 
portion 4c and toe portion 4d which respectively wrap around and receive 
the heel, instep and toes, respectively, of the foot of the wearer. The 
first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1-3 discloses 
high-top or mid-height athletic footwear that provides additional support 
to the wearer around ankle portion 4e which receives the ankle of the 
wearer. A sole 5 is connected to upper body 4 and is adapted for 
contacting a ground surface. In addition, a midsole 30 may be further 
provided between the outsole 5a and the upper 2, illustrated in FIGS. 4-6. 
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 preferably includes an ankle strap 10, a 
heel strap 11, and an arch and instep strap 12 which extends around the 
upper body and has opposite ends connected to the tongue 3, particularly 
to the tongue overlay 3a at flanges 8 along medial and lateral aspects 
thereof. Each of ankle strap 10 and heel strap 11 penetrates into the 
upper body, and extends between first and second layers 36 and 37 (shown 
in FIG. 7) around a substantial portion of the upper body, between medial 
and lateral sides thereof. Another preferable feature of the present 
article of footwear includes ankle and heel straps 10 and 11 that are 
freely slidable within the upper body 4, which affords the wearer 
personalized adjustability throughout the rearfoot of the upper body 
portion of the upper. 
The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 further includes an arch and instep strap 12 
which extends between the upper 2 and the sole 5, arch and instep strap 12 
having opposite ends each secured to tongue overlay 3a in a similar 
fashion to ankle and heel straps 10 and 11. Arch and instep strap 12 is 
preferably freely slidable between the upper 2 and the sole 5. 
In this first embodiment, upper body 4 extends above ankle portion 4e, 
particularly padded collar 4f which reaches an apex along an aft portion 
of the upper body 4. Collar 4f and an opposing portion of the tongue inner 
3b, shin support 3d, cooperate with each other to aid the wearer in 
donning or removing the article of footwear by providing additional 
gripping leverage for the wearer. These features are particularly 
preferable according to the present invention since the straps 10, 11 and 
12 may be one-piece members, integrated with the tongue 3, that prevent 
tongue 3 from fully separating from medial and lateral sides of the upper 
body 4 (i.e., the integrated structure including tongue 3 and straps 10, 
11 and 12 is only partially separable from the upper body 4, straps 10, 11 
and 12 maintaining connection to medial and lateral sides of the upper 
body 4). 
Referring to FIGS. 4-6, alternative constructions of the extension of the 
arch and instep strap 12 are shown. As disclosed in FIG. 4, arch and 
instep strap 12 extends between midsole 30 and orthotic 31 that connects 
partially to sock liner 32 preferably made from LYCRA or NEOPRENE foam or 
other breathable mesh material that afford similar high elastic properties 
and sliplast 33 forming part of the upper 2. 
More detailed descriptions of alternative constructions of the arch and 
instep strap appear in FIGS. 5 and 6. Specifically, the alternative 
construction shown in FIG. 5, arch and instep strap 12 extends through 
orthotic 31, sliplast 33 and sock liner 32, essentially so as to partially 
contact a portion of the foot of the wearer along medial and lateral sides 
thereof. Referring to FIG. 6, the arch and instep strap 12 extends through 
channel 35 extending through midsole 30. 
The first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 discloses additional features of 
the present invention directed to the cinch devices 20 which connect first 
and second opposite ends of each of the straps to opposing lateral sides 
of the tongue 3, formed by flanges 8 extending from tongue overlay 3a. 
Each of the cinch devices includes a ratchet 21 having a plurality of 
grooves 21a formed therein. Each closed-loop cable 22, extends through 
guide-forming members 23a-c connected to ankle strap 10, heel strap 11 and 
arch and instep strap 12 at flange 8 respectively to form first, second 
and third turns in the ends of the straps to form a complete closed-loop 
cinching system. The cables extend consecutively through first guide 
member 23a, opposing guide member 23c and second guide member 23b so as to 
form a closed-loop. Upon pulling pull tab 25, a cinching effect occurs to 
tighten the tongue 3 onto a dorsal (top) portion of the foot. In addition, 
the straps are also tensioned, providing a concentric tourniquet-like 
fitting effect is provided by tightening the cinch devices. After the user 
determines an appropriate tension, the closed-loop portion of the cable 22 
is pushed into an appropriate clip-in groove 21a of ratchet 21 and is 
clipped therein. The ratchets 21 may extend fully around an outer surface 
of the tongue overlay 3a, such that the ratchets 21 are shared by opposing 
cinching devices. In addition, the orientation of one or more of the 
cinching devices may be reversed, such that the tab 25 extends toward the 
respective strap, while the respective ratchet 21 is provided on the strap 
or upper body 4. See ankle strap 10 shown in FIG. 3. Cables 22 may be 
formed of an elastic material to allow an elasticized fit precluding any 
binding on the foot especially during strenuous movements during sports 
activities. In addition, cables 22 may be replaced by the wearer with 
cables having a fixed length or differing elastic spring properties to 
provide a personalized fit. A more detailed description of the particular 
structure of the closure system is provided in connection with FIGS. 
19a-20b hereinafter. 
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, portions of the upper body 4 and tongue 3 may 
include air vents or breathable mesh material 2a for escaping 
perspiration. The upper body 4 may be formed mainly of natural leather or 
synthetic leather, for example, while the tongue 3 may include a natural 
leather tongue inner 3b and a reinforced thermoplastic material for 
example, a resilient polyester or low density polyethylene for tongue 
overlay 3a to provide added support, as appropriate. 
FIGS. 8-9 disclose a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein 
the tongue 3 is modified to include first and second elongated flange 
portions 6a, 6b provided to overlap opposing lateral sides of tongue inner 
3b. In addition, the ankle, heel and arch and instep straps 10, 11 and 12 
are secured directly to the first and second elongated flange portions 6a, 
6b, such as by stitching, adhesion or molded integrally with the flange 
portions. As straps 10-12 are tensioned, the tongue 3 presses against the 
dorsal portion of the foot, via action of cinching devices, as previously 
described in connection with the first embodiment. However, in the second 
embodiment, the cinching devices are provided between the first and second 
elongated flange portions 6a, 6b to cinch or bias the flange portions 
toward each other. It is noted that the orientation of one or more of the 
cinching devices may be reversed, such that the tabs 25 face medially or 
towards inside of the article of footwear. 
The third embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is substantially identical to 
the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, but the straps are tensioned 
via laces, rather than cinching devices. As shown, lace holes 26 are 
formed in the first and second elongated flange portions 6a, 6b for 
receiving laces, in a manner well known in the art. FIG. 12 shows a 
cross-section along line B--B in FIG. 10. The cross-section shown in FIG. 
12 is substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 4 according to the 
first embodiment, however, the instep strap 12 is connected directly to 
the tongue, that is, to first and second elongated flange portions 6a, 6b. 
In addition, the instep strap 12 may extend partially through the upper 2 
and/or midsole 30, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in connection with the first 
embodiment. 
FIG. 13 shows a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines CC in FIG. 
11. As disclosed in FIG. 13, layer of thermoplastic 3c is connected to 
tongue inner 3b located between and attached to elongated flange portions 
6a, 6b. 
FIGS. 14 and 15 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this 
particular embodiment, heel strap 11 is connected to the tongue overlay 3a 
via elastic loops 27, each of which extends through channels in the heel 
strap 11 and tongue overlay 3a. The elasticity of elastic loop 27 may vary 
depending upon the size of the article of footwear, and/or differences 
among athletic purposes for which the article of footwear is designed. The 
elastic loop 27 may include a nylon cover for greater durability and 
movement. In this particular embodiment, the heel strap may be free 
floating between two layers of the upper or connected to orthotic 31 or a 
heel counter 4g well known in the art, or the sliplast 33, shown in 
cross-section FIGS. 4-6. 
In addition, the arch and instep strap 12 has a first end connected by 
adhesive and/or stitching, or other conventional means, directly to the 
tongue overlay 3a and a second end being adjustably secured to the tongue 
overlay 3a via a cinching device, as disclosed in FIG. 15. 
The fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 includes a strap element in 
the form of an elastic cord 40 which extends around the outside of ankle 
portion of the upper. Elastic cord 40 is clipped into grooves formed in 
groove-forming members 41 and 41a, which may be formed of a high flexural 
modulus elastomer such as LOMOD available from General Electric Plastics. 
As disclosed in FIG. 15, a cinchlug device is adapted to connect the 
elastic cord 40 to the tongue overlay 3a. Similar to elastic loop 27, 
suitable elastic strengths of elastic cord 40 may be appropriately 
utilized depending upon the athletic purpose for which the article of 
footwear is designed. 
Although the embodiments previously described are drawn to high-top 
articles of footwear, the present invention may also be adapted for 
low-cut or oxford type footwear, such as running or cycling footwear or 
three-quarter mid-height articles of footwear such as hiking or 
CROSS-TRAINING shoes. FIGS. 16 and 17 disclose a low-cut or Oxford type 
article of footwear, wherein cinching device 20 is formed to connect first 
and second elongated flange portions 6a, 6b. In addition, tongue loops 42 
may be provided between the first and second elongated flange portions, 
tongue loops 42 being formed of an elastic material. 
FIG. 18, discloses an alternative embodiment of the cinching devices, 
wherein cable 22 extends around synthetic or alloy roller bearings 50 
which replace the first, second and opposite guide members 23a-c disclosed 
in FIGS. 1-3 and 14-17. The pulley 51 is preferably composed of 
thermoplastic such as NYLON GLASS FIBER, available from LNP Engineering 
Plastics. Cable 22 may be formed of nylon, elastic, or braided metallic 
cord, natural cord or a combination thereof. The purchase of the cinching 
mechanism may be at least 1:1, but preferably 2:1 or 3:1 to gain an 
adequate mechanical advantage from the device. 
FIGS. 19a and 19b show a detailed view of the device between the cable 22, 
including tab 25 and clip-in grooves 21a formed in ratchet 21. Tab 25 
comprises an outer peripheral edge which bounds sides of the ratchet 21. 
Clip-in grooves 21a are shaped so as to permit the closed loop portion of 
the cable to clip therein, as fully shown in FIG. 19b. 
FIGS. 20a and 20b show yet another alternative embodiment for the device 
between the cable 22 and the ratchet 21. In this particular variation, the 
cable 22 is connected to a bridging member 29, which may formed of 
thermoplastic material. Pull tab 25 extends from bridging member 29. 
Bridging member 29 includes an outer diameter sized to clip into grooves 
21a, similar to the embodiments shown in 19a and 19b. 
FIG. 21 shows a preferable arrangement of layers of the sole and upper. As 
shown, the sole 5 includes midsole 30 and outsole 5a, while upper 2 
includes upper body 4, sliplast 33 and orthotic 31. The sliplast 33 is 
sandwiched between orthotic 31 and upper body 4. As known in the art, the 
sliplast 33 and upper body 4 are secured together in moccasin fashion and 
attached to the midsole 30, providing a high degree of comfort and 
cushioning. Alternative arrangements of the layers are also contemplated. 
For example, the sliplast 33 of the sock liner 32 may be eliminated, and 
the upper body 4 may be secured (e.g., sewn) directly to the orthotic. In 
this case, the midsole may be eliminated as in ice skates and ski boots. 
According to each of the embodiments of the present invention, the ankle, 
heel, arch and instep straps fully wrap around the upper of an article of 
footwear, and are integrated with the tongue. It should be understood by 
one skilled in the art that the present invention discloses an integrated 
tongue-strap structure that applies very even pressure about the dorsal or 
top portion of the foot, the medial and lateral sides, and sole of the 
foot comprising the entire circumference of the wearer's foot. The straps 
may partially contact the foot of the wearer, but preferably generally 
extend into the upper body or between the upper and the sole such that the 
tension applied to the straps is distributed over relatively large area, 
thereby providing a superior fit. In addition, the one-piece structure of 
the straps is made possible by the manner in which the straps connect to 
the tongue or the specific tensioning means provided along a composite 
tongue which is thereby cinched. Thus, the straps need not be severed to 
permit the donning and removing of an article of footwear by the wearer, 
which is required by the prior art. 
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and 
described previously, various modifications to the embodiments may be made 
as would occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the present 
disclosure. Such variations, within the spirit of the present invention, 
are intended to be encompassed by the scope of the appended claims, the 
preferred embodiments being provided for illustrative purposes only.