Climbing shoe

A climbing shoe having a vamp; a sole fixed to the bottom of the vamp; a substantially horseshoe-shaped first binding covering the tip portion of the vamp surrounding the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot; a substantially horseshoe-shaped second binding, which covers the area of the vamp directly over the heel, and extends along the sides of the vamp up to the first binding; and a third binding designed to cover the portion of the vamp at the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot, underneath the sole, and to at least partly cover the portion of the vamp at the arch area of the sole of the foot. The third binding has two proximal appendixes and two distal appendixes, which extend on opposite sides of the main body of the third binding.

The present invention relates to a climbing shoe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, climbing shoes normally comprise an appropriately shaped leather vamp; a flexible, cured rubber sole glued to the bottom of the vamp; and a number of highly elastic rubber bindings glued to the vamp to surround and grip the foot as tightly as the user can physically withstand, while at the same time enabling the shoe to effectively enclose the foot so the user's weight can be placed safely on the tip of the foot.

More specifically, climbing shoes normally comprise a first substantially horseshoe-shaped binding, traditionally called “tip binding”, that covers the portion of the vamp surrounding the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot; and a second binding, traditionally called “heel binding”, which covers the area of the vamp directly over the heel of the foot (i.e. the part of the foot where the Achilles' tendon joins the calcaneus) and extends along the sides of the vamp up to the sides of the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot, where it is connected to the first binding to form a sort of annular elastic tie tightly surrounding and enclosing the foot.

Obviously, the first binding partly covers the bottom of the vamp corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot; and the flexible, cured rubber sole is glued to the bottom of the vamp, partly over the first and second binding, to form, with the first and second binding, a sort of elastic sheath or cap enclosing and protecting the tip of the foot, and which is connected elastically to the heel of the foot by the second binding.

More recently, climbing shoes have been marketed, in which the cured rubber sole only covers the bottom of the vamp at the metatarsus-phalanx area of the sole of the foot; and the second or “heel” binding only extends along one side of the vamp to cover the bottom of the vamp in the arch and metatarsus-phalanx areas of the sole of the foot, obviously beneath the cured rubber sole. In this case, the shoe also comprises a third binding glued to the bottom of the vamp in the tarsus-calcaneus area, and which extends on the rear of the vamp to also cover the heel area, and is connected to the second or “heel” binding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a climbing shoe designed for greater, more uniform enclosure of the user's foot, while at the same time improving comfort and foothold sensitivity of the user.

According to the present invention, there is provided a climbing shoe as claimed in the attached Claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Number1inFIGS. 1 to 4indicates as a whole a climbing shoe substantially comprising an appropriately shaped vamp2, preferably, though not necessarily, made of leather and/or other fabric or porous synthetic material; a flexible sole3of cured rubber, Vibram or similar material, glued to the bottom2aof vamp2to cover at least the portion of vamp2corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot; and a number of bindings made of rubber or other elastic material, and glued to vamp2to uniformly enclose and grip the user's foot.

With particular reference toFIGS. 2 and 3, shoe1preferably, though not necessarily, also comprises a small, convex, substantially valve-shaped, rigid shell4, which is preferably, though not necessarily, made of plastic material (e.g. PEBAX), and is glued to the bottom2aof vamp2to partly cover the portion of vamp2corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot. Rigid shell4is shaped to act as a toe support, and is positioned with its concavity facing away from vamp2, so that the tip of vamp2, and therefore of shoe1, arches downwards.

As regards the various bindings of elastic material, shoe1, as shown inFIGS. 1 to 4, comprises a first substantially horseshoe-shaped binding5covering the tip portion of vamp2surrounding the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot; and a second substantially horseshoe-shaped binding6, which covers the area of vamp2directly over the heel T of the foot (i.e. the part of the foot where the Achilles' tendon joins the calcaneus), extends along the sides of vamp2, and joins up with, but without overlapping, binding5close to the perimeter of the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot.

In the example shown, binding5also extends underneath sole3to cover part of vamp2at the perimeter of the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot.

With reference toFIGS. 1,2and3, shoe1also comprises a third binding7designed to completely cover the portion of vamp2at the tarsus-calcaneus area P3of the sole of the foot, and which also extends along the rear of vamp2up to binding6to also completely cover the heel T area of the foot.

In addition, binding7preferably, though not necessarily, also comprises two transverse appendixes7′, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding7, from the end portion of the tarsus-calcaneus area P3of the sole of the foot, join up with binding6along the two sides of vamp2, substantially at the join between the astragalus and the calcaneus of the foot, and are inserted beneath binding6. Binding7is obviously glued to binding6at all the overlapping points.

With reference toFIGS. 1,3and4, shoe1also comprises a fourth binding8designed to completely cover the portion of vamp2at the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot, obviously underneath sole3and over rigid shell4, and to at least partly cover the portion of vamp2at the arch area P2.

Binding8also comprises two proximal appendixes8′, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding8and along the sides of vamp2, from approximately the borderline between the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot and the arch area P2, and overlap bindings5and6on the sides of vamp2, roughly at the central segment of the metatarsus.

In addition, binding8also comprises two distal appendixes8″, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding8and along the sides of vamp2, from approximately the borderline between the arch area P2and the tarsus-calcaneus area P3of the sole of the foot, and join up with bindings6and7—or rather, with binding6and the two transverse appendixes7′ of binding7—at the points on the sides of vamp2at which bindings6and7overlap.

In other words, the two distal appendixes8″ of binding8extend along the two sides of vamp2, so that the ends of distal appendixes8″ connect with bindings6and7substantially at the join between the astragalus and calcaneus of the foot, and preferably, though not necessarily, underneath binding6.

In this case, too, binding8is obviously glued seamlessly to vamp2, so proximal appendixes8′ and distal appendixes8″ are glued to both vamp2and bindings5,6and7at all the overlapping points.

In other words, the two distal appendixes8″ and the two proximal appendixes8′ combine to form a substantially X-shaped elastic bandage, which extends from the bottom2aof vamp2, at arch area P2, to uniformly surround the two sides of vamp2, and assists in connecting bindings5and6elastically along the sides of vamp2, close to where the metatarsal bones join the cuneiforms and cuboids of the foot.

Sole3, on the other hand, is fixed to the bottom2aof vamp2, over rigid shell4and binding8, and is designed to completely cover the portion of vamp2corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P1of the sole of the foot, and to only partly cover the portion of vamp2corresponding to arch area P2adjoining metatarsus-phalanx area P1.

Operation of climbing shoe1will be clear from the foregoing description, with no further explanation required.

The advantages of shoe1are obvious: by virtue of the design of binding8, bindings5,6,7and8as a whole provide for more completely and more uniformly enclosing the user's foot, and for greatly increasing comfort and the foothold sensitivity of the user.

Clearly, changes may be made to climbing shoe1as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, in a simplified embodiment shown inFIG. 4, shoe1may have no binding5and/or6and/or7; in which case, vamp2is tightened about the user's foot by the combined action of binding8on bottom2aof vamp2, and the laces closing the opening in the top of vamp2.

In a further variation not shown, binding8may have no distal appendix8″ projecting from the main body of binding8and extending along the side of vamp2up to the join between the astragalus and calcaneus on the inner side of the foot.