Abstract:
A shoe having a sole and an upper including a tongue, secured to the sole, a row of eyelets along each side of the tongue, including topmost eyelets and foremost eyelets, and a pocket accessory which includes a pocket member that has an anchor portion and a pocket flap which defines a pocket for receiving the knotted shoe lace via a pocket opening. There may be a cover member attached to the shoe, which can removably engage the pocket member to cover or expose the pocket opening. The pocket member may be sewn to the tongue of the shoe or attached thereto otherwise.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to athletic shoes. 
         [0003]    Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Conventional articles of athletic footwear include two primary elements, an upper and a sole structure. The upper provides a covering for the foot that securely receives and positions the foot with respect to the sole structure. In addition, the upper may have a configuration that protects the foot and provides ventilation, thereby cooling the foot and removing perspiration. The sole structure is secured to a lower surface of the upper and is generally positioned between the foot and the ground. In addition to attenuating ground reaction forces, the sole structure may provide traction and control potentially harmful foot motion, such as over pronation. Accordingly, the upper and the sole structure operate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suited for a wide variety of ambulatory activities, such as walking and running. 
         [0005]    The upper forms a void within the shoe for receiving the foot. The void has the general shape of the foot, and access to the void is provided by an ankle opening. Typically, the upper extends over the instep and toe areas of the foot, along the medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around the heel area of the foot. A lacing system is often incorporated into the upper to selectively increase the size of the ankle opening and permit the wearer to modify certain dimensions of the upper, particularly girth, to accommodate feet with varying proportions. In addition, the upper may include a tongue that extends under the lacing system to enhance the comfort of the footwear, and the upper may include a heel counter to limit movement of the heel. 
         [0006]    Various materials may be utilized in manufacturing the upper. The upper of an article of athletic footwear, for example, may be formed from a single layer of material or multiple material layers that include, e.g., an exterior layer, a middle layer, and an interior layer. The materials forming the exterior layer of the upper may be selected based upon the properties of wear-resistance, flexibility, and air-permeability, for example. With regard to the exterior layer, the toe area and the heel area may be formed of leather, synthetic leather, or a rubber material to impart a relatively high degree of wear-resistance even when such materials are not used elsewhere on the upper due to their relatively low degree of flexibility and air-permeability. Accordingly, various other areas of the exterior layer of the upper may be formed from other materials, e.g., natural or synthetic textiles. The exterior layer of the upper may be formed, therefore, from numerous material elements that each impart different properties to specific areas of the upper. 
         [0007]    A middle layer of the upper may be formed from a lightweight polymer foam material that attenuates ground reaction forces and protects the foot from objects that may contact the upper. Similarly, an interior layer of the upper may be formed of a moisture-wicking textile that removes perspiration from the area immediately surrounding the foot. In some articles of athletic footwear, the various layers may be joined with an adhesive, and stitching may be utilized to join elements within a single layer or to reinforce specific areas of the upper. 
         [0008]    The sole structure provides an outsole and may optionally incorporate multiple layers that are conventionally referred to as an insole, a midsole, in addition to the outsole. The insole is a thin, comfort-enhancing member located within the upper and adjacent the plantar (lower) surface of the foot to enhance footwear comfort. The midsole, which is traditionally attached to the upper along the entire length of the upper, forms the middle layer of the sole structure and serves a variety of purposes that include controlling foot motions and attenuating ground reaction forces. The outsole forms the ground-contacting element of footwear and is usually fashioned from a durable, wear-resistant material that includes texturing to improve traction. 
         [0009]    Generally, wrestling shoes are worn to offer wrestlers improved traction and ankle support and protection to toes and skin, without inhibiting the flexibility of the wrestler&#39;s feet and ankles. In these ways, wrestling shoes serve to improve performance and prevent or reduce injury and disease. A typical wrestling shoe, like many other athletic shoes, has an upper that is split in the front defining two edges of the upper, each provided with a row of eyelets so that the wearer can employ lacing threaded through the eyelets to releasably secure the shoe to the wearer&#39;s foot. There is also typically a tongue extending from the vamp portion of the shoe and positioned to rest between the wearer&#39;s foot and the eyelet regions of the upper to protect the foot from abrasion from the lacing and from the edges of the upper. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,640 to Watkins discloses a shoelace containment device which attaches to a shoe by means of a strap which wraps around a portion of the shoelace between eyelets. The device includes a pocket  12  to which a closure flap  13  is attached via a hinge  14 . The shoelace is tied in a knot on top of the device and the loops and end of the tied lace is inserted into the pocket, and the closure flap is folded over to enclose the ends of the lace in the pocket. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0011]    The present disclosure discloses a pocket accessory for a shoe, for enclosing the knot, loops and ends of a shoelace when the shoelace is tied to secure a shoe to a wearer&#39;s foot. 
         [0012]    According to one illustrative embodiment, there is provided a shoe comprising a sole and an upper secured to the sole. The upper includes a tongue and a row of eyelets along each side of the tongue, each row of eyelets including a topmost eyelet and a foremost eyelet. The shoe has a toe portion and a heel portion, and there is a pocket accessory on the upper, e.g., on the tongue. The pocket accessory includes a pocket member having an anchor portion and a pocket flap, the pocket flap defining a pocket having a pocket opening which is positioned between the rows of eyelets. 
         [0013]    According to one aspect, the pocket accessory may have a pocket opening positioned between the topmost eyelets. Optionally, the pocket opening may have a T-shaped configuration including a cross-wise portion and a stem portion. 
         [0014]    According to another aspect, there may also be a cover member having a mounting portion and a cover flap, the mounting portion being secured to the tongue at a point below the pocket opening. The cover flap is flexibly joined to the mounting portion, whereby the cover flap can be disposed against the pocket flap to cover the pocket opening and can be pivoted away from the pocket flap to expose the pocket opening. 
         [0015]    In another aspect, the mounting portion may be secured to the tongue at the anchor position. 
         [0016]    According to still another aspect, the pocket flap has a front surface and the cover flap has a back surface, and optionally, the pocket flap front surface and the cover flap back surface are configured to releasably engage each other. 
         [0017]    According to another optional aspect, the cover flap may be configured to cover the opening in the pocket flap when the cover flap is disposed against the pocket flap. 
         [0018]    In various embodiments, the anchor portion may be fixedly attached to the tongue while the pocket flap is releasably attached to the tongue; or, the anchor portion may be releasably attached to the tongue and the pocket flap is fixedly attached to the tongue; or, the pocket accessory is releasably attached to the tongue, e.g., at both the anchor portion and the pocket flap. 
         [0019]    According to another aspect, this disclosure provides a shoe pocket accessory for a shoe. The shoe pocket accessory comprises a pocket member which comprises a pocket flap and an anchor portion, the pocket flap being formed from a pliable material and defining a front surface and a pocket having a pocket opening on the front surface, and the pocket member further having a top edge. There is also a cover member having a mounting portion and a cover flap, and the mounting portion is secured to the anchor portion. Optionally, the cover flap has a back surface are configured to releasably engage the pocket flap front surface. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the pocket flap may have a top edge opposite from the anchor portion and the pocket opening is between the top edge and the anchor portion. 
         [0021]    Optionally, the pocket member is configured for releasable engagement with a shoe. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein, wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wresting shoe equipped with a pocket accessory according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a wresting shoe of  FIG. 1  with the cover flap of the accessory retracted. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the wresting shoe of  FIG. 2  with the lace knot in an elevated position to allow an indication of how the accessory is used. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0026]    This disclosure describes a pocket accessory for athletic shoes, and such shoes improved with such a pocket accessory for optional but preferred use in wresting (“wrestling shoes”), or shoes for other activities. The pocket accessory is attached to the tongue of the shoe. The concepts disclosed with respect to shoe  10  may, however, be applied to shoes that are specifically designed for a wide range of other athletic activities, including basketball, baseball, football, soccer, walking, and hiking, or may be applied to various non-athletic shoes. 
         [0027]    There is shown in  FIG. 1  a representative shoe  10  equipped with a pocket accessory  12  according to an illustrative embodiment of this disclosure. The shoe  10  comprises a sole  14  and an upper  16  secured to the sole. The shoe  10  has a toe portion  18  and a heel portion  20 . As used herein to describe relative positions and directions in relation to the shoe  10 , “forward,” “front” and “lower” mean toward the toe, “back” or “rearward” mean toward the heel, and “up,” “upward” and “higher” mean toward the top of the shoe, away from the sole. 
         [0028]    The upper  16  is open at the front to facilitate insertion of the wearer&#39;s foot, and includes a tongue  22  and rows of eyelets  24  along each side of the opening, each row of eyelets including an upward-most pair of eyelets  24   a  and a lowermost pair of eyelets  24   b,  with one eyelet of each pair on one side of the opening of the upper. The shoe  10  includes a lace  26  which is threaded through the eyelets  24 . 
         [0029]    The pocket accessory  12  comprises a pocket member  30  (see  FIG. 2 ) which includes an anchor portion  32  and a top edge  30   a.  The pocket member  30  is fixedly attached to the tongue  22  at the anchor portion  32  of the pocket member and also near the top edge  30   a,  e.g., the anchor portion  32  and the top edge  30   a  may be sewn to the tongue or may be fixedly attached by any other suitable method. 
         [0030]    The pocket flap  34  is made from a pliable fabric and defines a pocket. As seen in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the pocket flap  34  has a pocket opening  38 . The pocket opening  38  is positioned near the top edge  30   a  of the pocket member  30  but this is not a limitation on the disclosure and in other embodiments, the pocket opening may be positioned lower on the pocket flap. In one embodiment, the pocket opening  38  is disposed between the upward-most pair of eyelets  24   a  for use by a wearer who chooses to lace the shoe  10  all the way to the upward-most eyelets. However, this is not a limitation on the disclosure and in other embodiments, a pocket opening may be positioned between other pairs of eyelets on the upper  16 , in case a wearer prefers to lace the shoe only part way up. 
         [0031]    As seen in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the opening  38  has a T-shaped configuration, i.e., it has a stem portion extending from between the ends of a cross-wise portion, and the opening is oriented such that the cross-wise portion is between the upward-most pair of eyelets  24   a  and the step portion is extending downward from the cross-wise portion. 
         [0032]    Another optional feature shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  is that the upper-most portion of the opening  38  is spaced from the top of the pocket flap  34 , leaving a top margin  34   a  of the pocket flap above the pocket opening. 
         [0033]    Being pliable, the pocket flap  34  can be disposed flat against the tongue  22  and can be lifted away from the tongue while the anchor portion  32  and top edge  30   a  remain attached to the tongue, thus opening a passage through which laces may be passed to permit the user to lace the shoe  10 . Once the shoe is laced up to eyelets aligned with the pocket opening, the user tightens the lace and ties the ends of the lace, typically in a knot  26   a  leaving loops  26   b  and loose ends  26   c  dangling. The knot  26   a  can rest against the pocket flap  34  and the user can then easily push the knot, the loops  26   b  and loose ends  26   c  through the pocket opening  38  and into the pocket as shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 . 
         [0034]    Having one or more of the knot  26   a,  loops  26   b  and loose ends  26   c  in the pocket of the pocket flap  34  serves to prevent the knot from coming untied as a result of contact with other things, as may occur as the wearer engages in sporting activity. In addition, keeping the knot and the loose ends of the lace in the pocket helps prevent injury to the wearer, and potentially to others (e.g., wrestling opponents) from abrasions and/or puncture wounds from the knot or from aglets on the laces. 
         [0035]    The pocket accessory  12  includes an optional cover member  36  having a mounting portion  38  and a cover flap  40 . The mounting portion  38  is optionally secured to the shoe  10  at the anchor position, fixedly or releasably, e.g., the mounting portion may fixedly secured by being sewn onto the anchor portion of the pocket member  30 , and therefore secures the cover member  36  to the shoe  10 . In other embodiments, the mounting portion  38  of the cover member may be secured elsewhere on the pocket member  30 , e.g., at a point higher up on the pocket member  30  than the anchor position; or, the mounting portion may be secured on the tongue  22  at a location below the anchor position. In one embodiment, the cover flap  40  is pliable so that the cover flap can be disposed against the pocket flap  34  and can be lifted away from the pocket flap as well. Alternatively, or in addition, the cover flap  40  may be pivotably attached to the pocket member  30  about an axis p ( FIG. 2 ). The pocket flap  34  has a front surface  34   a  and the cover flap  40  has a back surface  40   a,  and the pocket flap front surface and the cover flap back surface are configured to releasably engage each other, e.g., by a snap-connector, VELCRO®-type hook and loop engagement, or the like. 
         [0036]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , the cover flap  40  is configured so that when disposed against the pocket flap  34 , the cover flap  40  covers the opening  38  to the pocket flap. Covering the opening  38  helps to prevent the lace knot, loops and/or loose ends from slipping out from the pocket in the pocket flap  34 . This protective effect is enhanced if the pocket flap  34  has a top margin  34   a  over the pocket opening  38  and the cover flap  40  is configured to engage the top margin. 
         [0037]    In use, the user laces the shoe, lifting the pocket accessory  12  away from the tongue  22  to pass laces between the pocket member  30  and the tongue. The user then ties the lace  26  into a knot  26   a  which then rests against the pocket member  30 , and the user pushes the knot, loops  26   b  and loose ends  26   c  into the opening  38  of the pocket. If there is a cover flap  40 , the user then engages the cover flap with pocket flap  34  to cover the opening  18 . Later, to untie and remove the shoe  10 , the user lifts the cover flap  40  away from the pocket flap  34 , removes the knot  26   a  etc. from the pocket, unties the knot in the lace  26 , and can then loosen and remove the shoe  10 . 
         [0038]    Optionally, one or both of the pocket flap  34  (e.g. near the top edge  30   a ) and the anchor portion  32  is releasably engaged with the tongue  22 , i.e., easily detached from the tongue and then re-attached without the need for adding new attachment means. For example, releasable engagement can be achieved using a snap closure or a VELCRO®-type hook and loop engagement between the tongue  22  and the pocket flap  34  or the anchor portion  32  of the pocket member  30 . If, for example, the top edge  30   a  is releasably attached to the tongue  22 , the user may lift the pocket member  30  away from the tongue for ease in lacing the shoe, and then re-attach the top edge  30   a  to the tongue while tying the lace and then inserting the knot into the pocket. If the anchor portion  32  is releasable from the tongue  22 , it would be possible to lift the pocket member away from the tongue for ease in lacing the shoe, and then re-attach the anchor portion to the tongue while tying the lace and then inserting the knot into the pocket. If both the anchor portion  32  and the pocket flap  34  are releasably attached, the user may remove the pocket accessory  12  from the shoe, lace the shoe without the pocket accessory  12  thereon, and then attach the pocket accessory after the lace  26  is threaded through all the desired eyelets  24 . Also, using the VELCRO® method, the wearer may detach and re-attach the pocket accessory  12  to move it up or down on the tongue  22  to position the pocket opening  38  at any desired point along the rows of eyelets  24 . As a detachable accessory, the pocket accessory  12  may be manufactured and sold independently of the shoe  10 , and then used therewith. 
         [0039]    It will be understood that while the foregoing description is for a single shoe for one foot, the same features can be provided in a mirror image shoe for the wearer&#39;s other foot. Moreover, while the present disclosure describes various embodiments of a pocket accessory, it will be understood that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting the disclosure, but merely as embodiments thereof. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the disclosure as defined by the claims appended hereto.