Patent Publication Number: US-2011047826-A1

Title: Girthwise adjustable shoe construction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention comprises a shoe construction providing improved means for adjusting the effective girth of a shoe to properly fit the foot therein, including along both their upper and lower side portions, as well as providing means to keep the foot transversely centered in the shoe at its lesser girth adjustments. 
     It is well known that for optimum fit a shoe should not only be of suitable length, but also of the proper effective girth to provide a comfortably close fit, to the foot of the wearer. Earlier, this was often best approached by having one&#39;s shoes made to order by capable cobblers, later joined by somewhat more specialized so-called custom shoemakers. With the Industrial Revolution and particularly in the latter nineteenth century, such custom footwear became largely superseded by typically lower-cost manufactured shoes, initially made available in a limited number of basic styles, often in a range of successive girths, then and still somewhat imprecisely referred to as “widths” for each length size. (Generally the differences between such successive girths range from 3/16″ to ¼″, depending on the size range of the shoe and preference of its manufacturer. 
     It should be noted that none of these above approaches have usually fully accommodated the need for full girthwise adjustment of the shoe, particularly in both upper and lower sides of the shoe in its fit critical longitudinal midportions. 
     Additionally, with the twentieth century the economics of this particular industry, including a seemingly ever-increasing range of shoe styles being marketed has led to retailers adopting the now-general practice of offering most shoe styles in only one usually medium width for each length size to a maximum assortment of styles to be offered from minimum store inventories. This approach has presented girthwise fitting problems in general for wearers with feet other than medium girths, and particularly in popular casual shoe styles including the loafer of this disclosure, which have no means of girth adjustment in conventional constructions. 
     The present invention provides such girth adjustment means, including the adjustment of the particular ball to instep girth relationship of the shoe to that of the foot of the wearer, while keeping the foot transversely centered in the shoe at all lesser girth adjustments thereof. 
     As for relevant prior art, none has apparently been able to satisfy the above criteria essential for optimum girthwise shoe fitting sufficiently to merit their volume production to date. Such prior art includes, but is not limited to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,691,227; 3,404,468 ; 3,442,031; 3,541,078; 3,618,235; 3,686,777; 4,279,083; 4,858,341; 4,967,492; 4,969,277; 5,060,402; 5,123,181; 5,153,237; 5,203,096; 5,241,762; 5,325,514; 5,384,970; 6,725,575-B2; and 6,883,254-B2. 
     Shortcomings in the above and other relevant prior art are addressed herein by the improved girth adjustment means of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to a girth adjustable shoe construction having improved means for adjusting the effective girth of a shoe for optimum fit to a foot therein, including in both upper and lower side portions while also keeping the foot transversely centered in the shoe at all lesser girth adjustments thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational cross-section of a shoe  20  taken along its longitudinal centerline and embodying principles of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  show plan views of elements of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1  taken along the lines  2 - 2  and  3 - 3  thereof, with  FIG. 2  showing these elements as they would appear with the shoe  20  adjusted to greater girth, while  FIG. 3  shows their adjustment to lesser girth. 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  show transverse elevational cross-sections of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1 , taken along the lines  4 - 4  and  5 - 5  thereof, with  FIG. 4  showing the section with the shoe  20  adjusted to greater girth while  FIG. 5  shows its adjustment to a lesser girth. 
     
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
     The following definitions will be used in reference to terms and phrases used in this disclosure: 
     “Automatic girth adjustment”—The automatic adjustment of the effective girth dimensions of a shoe. 
     “Ball to instep girth ratio”—The ratio of the effective girth of the foot of the wearer at the ball to the instep portion of the wearer&#39;s foot. 
     “Bottom elements”—Shoe elements predominantly under a foot therein. 
     “Direct molding”—A shoe manufacturing process in which a unitsole is both molded and attached to the upper assembly of a shoe in the same molding operation. 
     “Effective girthwise dimensions”—The full girthwise dimensions of the innermost elements of a shoe. 
     “Elastic gore”—An elasticized woven fabric gore (or goring) tape. 
     “Fit critical”—Essential for optimum fit of a shoe to a foot therein. 
     “Fixed insole”—An insole element of a shoe fully and fixedly attached to adjacent elements of a shoe. 
     “Girth adjustable”—Adjustable in effective girthwise dimensions. 
     “Heel-slip”—The vertical movement of the backpart of a shoe relative to the adjacent heel of a wearer&#39;s foot, as may occur during the stride. 
     “Insole”—Lower element of a shoe located under a foot therein and above other elements of the shoe. 
     “Lining”—Element of a shoe, typically a sheet material, located within the outer upper and bottom elements of a shoe. 
     “Loose”—Having less than continuous attachment to adjacent elements of a shoe. 
     “Lower side portion”—The lower 1 to 3 cm. side potions of a foot or shoe. 
     “Midportional”—The longitudinally relatively centralized locations of a foot or shoe, particularly at the ball, waist, and instep portions and areas adjacent thereto. 
     “Shank”—The rearpart bottom portion of a foot or shoe, located between the instep and heel portions thereof. 
     “Shoe”—General term for footwear. 
     “Spandex fabric”—A fabric incorporating elastic spandex components. 
     “Tensionally adjustable”—Adjustable by the application of tension thereon. 
     “Topline”—The topmost edge areas of upper elements of a shoe. 
     “Upper side portion”—Side portion of a foot or shoe located above the lower side portion. 
     “Unitsole”—A unitary bottom-most element of a shoe. 
     “Vulcanized shoe construction”—A conventional shoe-making process wherein latex based adhesives and bottom and upper elements of a shoe are cured to a final rubber constituency by the application of heat. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings there is shown a typical shoe design in a construction embodying principles of the present invention, applicable to other shoe designs, including those with conventional laces or straps. 
       FIG. 1  shows a popular handsewn loafer styled casual shoe  20 , comprising an upper assembly  22  which includes a vamp  24  attached to a plug  26  as by a handsewn seam  28 , and a cuff  30  attached to the vamp  24  by a cuff-stitching  32  and also by topline stitching  34  thereunder (as best seen in later figures), as well as a counter  36  attached to the backpart of the vamp  24  by counter-stitching  38 .  FIG. 1  also shows girth adjusting midportional flexible tapes  40 . The flexible tapes  40 , which are preferably woven and inelastic fabrics, are stitched to the toplines of the vamp  24  together with an elastic, preferably spandex fabric, loose lining  42  thereunder. The loose lining  42  latter extends across the top surface of a loose insole  44  and there are multiple insoles thereunder. As shown there are three additional insoles  46 ,  48  and  50  under loose insole  44  and above a unitsole  52 . The loose lining exerts a tension on the side portions of the shoe  20 . The tension generally will vary from about 8 to about 12 ounces per longitudinal inch of the shoe  20 , between its toe and heel portions, depending on the girth and tension preferred by the wearer. 
     As indicated,  FIG. 1  shows loose insole  44  (the narrowest insole which defines the least girth for which the shoe is designed) and loose insole  46  (which has the full maximum width for which the shoe is designed) as well as fixed insoles  48  and  50  (which can be combined into a single element if desired). 
     Incorporated within the insoles is a manual girth adjustment means for the shoe  20 . The girth adjustment means comprises a preferably stainless steel circular cam  56 , located above or imbedded within fixed insole  46  in combination with a preferably stainless steel manually controlled adjustment screw  54 . The adjustment screw  54 , shown inset into the bottom shank surface of the unitsole  52 , is fixedly attached to the circular cam  56  which includes a variable radiused cam-slot  58  containing an eyelet  60  which extends downwards through a longitudinal slot  62  in fixed insole  48 . The longitudinal slot  62  allows adjustment of the eyelet  60  and holds the shank of the adjusting screw  54 . The eyelet  60  is held by a washer  64  over the clinched end of the eyelet  60 . The barrel of the eyelet holds and adjusts a girth adjusting line  66  extending therefrom to and around the barrel of centerline waist eyelet  68  connecting insoles  46  and  48 , to its attachment to the lower ends of the tapes  40 , as best seen in  FIGS. 2-3 . 
     As shown, the cam system with a single line allow adjustment of shoe girth of about three (3) standard widths/girths. To obtain greater girth adjustment, a doubled line may be used. 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  show plan views of elements of the shoe  20 , taken from the top surface of the insole  46  and showing the stainless steel circular cam  56 , including the variably radiused cam-slot  58  and eyelet  60  therein, together with the girth adjustable line  66  extending therefrom to and around the barrel of the centerline waist eyelet  68  connecting insoles  46  and  48 , to the attachment of the ends of line  66  to the lower waist portions of said tapes  40  as by knots  70  or equivalent means. 
     The uppermost insole  44  (which contacts a foot inserted in the shoe) has (a) toe and heel portions substantially the same size and shape as an insole that would be used in a single girth shoe which fits a maximum girth foot for which the adjustable girth shoe is designed, and (b) side portions, especially at the ball, waist, and instep areas, which fit a minimum girth foot for which the adjustable girth shoe is designed. The narrowed side portions of insole  44  provide full support of the horizontal weight-bearing bottom surface at all girth adjustments of the shoe  20 . 
     As a result, all insoles of the shoe  20  have matching longitudinal centerlines, which serve to keep the foot securely centered transversely in the shoe  20 , at all girth adjustments, an important improvement in shoe construction heretofore unavailable in conventional shoes with typically relatively inelastic upper elements, and particularly needed for athletics and other active wearing use. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show cross-sections of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1 , taken along lines  4 - 4  and  5 - 5  thereof, with both sections showing elements of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1 , including upper assembly  22 , with vamp  24  attached to plug  26  by handsewn seam  28 , together with the girth adjusting tapes  40  and loose lining  42  attached to the toplines of the vamp  24  by stitching  34 . The loose lining  42  is preferably cemented to the top surface of loose insole  44 , with insoles  44  ,  46  and  48  thereunder, the latter attached to vamp  24  by butt-stitching means  54 , over unitsole  52  which is attached to the upper assembly  22  as by conventional direct sole-molding means. 
     The improved girth adjusting means of the shoe construction of this invention provides manually operable girth adjustment means which adjust both the girth and the tension of a shoe to comfortably fit a foot therein over a range of successive girths, providing such fit in both upper and lower side portions of the foot, while automatically adjusting the ball, waist and instep girths to the particular girth relationship of the wearer&#39;s foot while keeping the foot securely centered at all girth adjustments thereof. 
     As for materials and sources, leathers can be from Prime Tanning, Inc., of Berwick, Me. Synthetic leather and other sheet materials can be from Starensier, Inc., of Newburyport, Mass. Elastic spandex fabrics and goring may be from Geo. C. Moore Co. Inc., of Westerly, R.I. Cellulose fiberboard insole materials can be from DerTex, Inc., of Lawrence, Mass. Inelastic flexible woven fabric tapes and Dacron braided girth adjusting line may be from Textile Tapes, Inc. of Gonic, N.H. Eyelets and washers may be supplied by Trendward/Goldberg Footwear Components, Inc., of Salem, Mass.