Patent Publication Number: US-2018027919-A1

Title: Single Point Securable Adjustable Pass Through Strap Wedge Sandal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/369,470 Filed Aug. 1, 2016 
    
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of sandals are known in the prior art. Recent footwear studies have shown significant variation in the shape and volume of feet of the same length. Some people have thick feet with high volumes and others with the same length feet can have thin feet with low volumes. It has also been shown that a single person commonly has volume differences between their left and right feet. Because of this, significant adjustability is needed in footwear intended to fit the majority of the population securely and comfortably. 
     Some existing sandals have succeeded in providing adjustability through various systems, but they are limited to flat and low heel heights and focused on athletic and sporting uses (U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,130 Urie and Matis). Other attempts include sandals with multiple closures where the user must inconveniently secure each closure (U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,677 Yates, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,075 Thatcher) or include spacers and channel liners that are difficult to control in a manufacturing setting (U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,997 Sheinhaus and Jacobson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,259,273 Smith). These previous uses of pass through straps have been focused on footwear for outdoor and sporting activities. 
     What is needed, and what the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal provides, is a pass through single strap sandal that is highly adjustable and can be embodied as a flat, low, medium or high heel sandal that is appropriate for fashionable or casual use. Furthermore, the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal allows the user to secure the adjustable strap with a singular buckle or closure. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly, to a single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal that has many novel features that result in a single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal that is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal includes a foot bed having a top side, a bottom side, a toe side, a heel side, and an outside edge. The foot bed is shaped to accommodate a range of different sized human feet. A reinforcement layer is disposed on the bottom side of the foot bed. There is a plurality of slots proximal the outside edge of the foot bed, with each of the plurality of slots passing through the foot bed and the reinforcement layer. 
     An outsole unit has a foot side, a street side, a profile, a toe portion, and a heel portion. The foot side has a plurality of channels connectable to each of the plurality of slots in the foot bed. The outsole unit can be a one-piece unit with a tread integrally molded on the street side of the outsole unit, or alternatively, the street side can be covered with a separate material such as rubber attached to the entirety of the street side or only to select areas. The toe portion and the heel portion of the outsole unit each have a height. The profile of the outsole unit is defined by a difference between the height of the heel portion and the height of the toe portion. The profile of the outsole unit is a wedge shape, and the wedge shape is one of a flat, low heel, a medium heel, and a high heel. The wedge shape is configured for casual or formal use. A pair of loops is disposed in each of a pair of slots of the plurality of slots. The pair of slots is disposed most proximal to the heel side of the foot bed. A strap passes through the pair of loops and through at least one of the plurality of channels of the outsole unit to secure a user&#39;s foot to the foot bed. The strap can pass freely through the at least one of the plurality of channels and is highly adjustable. The strap can be secured at a single buckle or closure. There is an alternative embodiment which does not have the pair of loops. 
     Thus have been broadly outlined the more important features of the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view showing a single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevation view of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
         FIG. 5  is rear elevation view of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric exploded view of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, an example of the single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal employing the principles and concepts of the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6  the present single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal  10  is illustrated. The single point securable adjustable pass through strap wedge sandal  10  includes a foot bed  12  having a top side  14 , a bottom side  16 , a toe side  18 , a heel side  20 , and an outside edge  22 . A reinforcement layer  24  is disposed on the bottom side of the foot bed. There is a plurality of slots  26  proximal the outside edge of the foot bed. Each of the plurality of slots passes through the foot bed and the reinforcement layer. 
     An outsole unit  30  has a foot side  32 , a street side  34 , a profile  36 , a toe portion  38 , and a heel portion  40 . The foot side has a plurality of channels  42  connectable to each of the plurality of slots in the foot bed. The toe portion and the heel portion of the outsole unit each have a height. The profile of the outsole unit is defined by a difference between the height of the heel portion  44  and the height of the toe portion  46 . The profile of the outsole unit is a wedge shape  48 , with the wedge shape one of a flat, a low heel, a medium heel, and a high heel. A pair of loops  50  is disposed in each of a pair of slots  52  of the plurality of slots, with the pair of slots disposed most proximal to the heel side of the foot bed. A strap  54  passes through the pair of loops and through at least one of the plurality of channels of the outsole unit to secure a user&#39;s foot to the foot bed. The strap can pass freely through the at least one of the plurality of channels and is highly adjustable. The strap can be secured at a single buckle or closure  56 .