Patent Publication Number: US-7895772-B2

Title: Climbing shoe

Description:
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&#39;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&#39; 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&#39;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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view in perspective of a climbing shoe in accordance with the teachings of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2 to 4  show the  FIG. 1  shoe with parts in section and parts removed for clarity. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Number  1  in  FIGS. 1 to 4  indicates as a whole a climbing shoe substantially comprising an appropriately shaped vamp  2 , preferably, though not necessarily, made of leather and/or other fabric or porous synthetic material; a flexible sole  3  of cured rubber, Vibram or similar material, glued to the bottom  2   a  of vamp  2  to cover at least the portion of vamp  2  corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot; and a number of bindings made of rubber or other elastic material, and glued to vamp  2  to uniformly enclose and grip the user&#39;s foot. 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , shoe  1  preferably, though not necessarily, also comprises a small, convex, substantially valve-shaped, rigid shell  4 , which is preferably, though not necessarily, made of plastic material (e.g. PEBAX), and is glued to the bottom  2   a  of vamp  2  to partly cover the portion of vamp  2  corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot. Rigid shell  4  is shaped to act as a toe support, and is positioned with its concavity facing away from vamp  2 , so that the tip of vamp  2 , and therefore of shoe  1 , arches downwards. 
     As regards the various bindings of elastic material, shoe  1 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , comprises a first substantially horseshoe-shaped binding  5  covering the tip portion of vamp  2  surrounding the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot; and a second substantially horseshoe-shaped binding  6 , which covers the area of vamp  2  directly over the heel T of the foot (i.e. the part of the foot where the Achilles&#39; tendon joins the calcaneus), extends along the sides of vamp  2 , and joins up with, but without overlapping, binding  5  close to the perimeter of the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot. 
     In the example shown, binding  5  also extends underneath sole  3  to cover part of vamp  2  at the perimeter of the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , shoe  1  also comprises a third binding  7  designed to completely cover the portion of vamp  2  at the tarsus-calcaneus area P 3  of the sole of the foot, and which also extends along the rear of vamp  2  up to binding  6  to also completely cover the heel T area of the foot. 
     In addition, binding  7  preferably, though not necessarily, also comprises two transverse appendixes  7 ′, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding  7 , from the end portion of the tarsus-calcaneus area P 3  of the sole of the foot, join up with binding  6  along the two sides of vamp  2 , substantially at the join between the astragalus and the calcaneus of the foot, and are inserted beneath binding  6 . Binding  7  is obviously glued to binding  6  at all the overlapping points. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , shoe  1  also comprises a fourth binding  8  designed to completely cover the portion of vamp  2  at the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot, obviously underneath sole  3  and over rigid shell  4 , and to at least partly cover the portion of vamp  2  at the arch area P 2 . 
     Binding  8  also comprises two proximal appendixes  8 ′, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding  8  and along the sides of vamp  2 , from approximately the borderline between the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot and the arch area P 2 , and overlap bindings  5  and  6  on the sides of vamp  2 , roughly at the central segment of the metatarsus. 
     In addition, binding  8  also comprises two distal appendixes  8 ″, which project, on opposite sides of the main body of binding  8  and along the sides of vamp  2 , from approximately the borderline between the arch area P 2  and the tarsus-calcaneus area P 3  of the sole of the foot, and join up with bindings  6  and  7 —or rather, with binding  6  and the two transverse appendixes  7 ′ of binding  7 —at the points on the sides of vamp  2  at which bindings  6  and  7  overlap. 
     In other words, the two distal appendixes  8 ″ of binding  8  extend along the two sides of vamp  2 , so that the ends of distal appendixes  8 ″ connect with bindings  6  and  7  substantially at the join between the astragalus and calcaneus of the foot, and preferably, though not necessarily, underneath binding  6 . 
     In this case, too, binding  8  is obviously glued seamlessly to vamp  2 , so proximal appendixes  8 ′ and distal appendixes  8 ″ are glued to both vamp  2  and bindings  5 ,  6  and  7  at all the overlapping points. 
     In other words, the two distal appendixes  8 ″ and the two proximal appendixes  8 ′ combine to form a substantially X-shaped elastic bandage, which extends from the bottom  2   a  of vamp  2 , at arch area P 2 , to uniformly surround the two sides of vamp  2 , and assists in connecting bindings  5  and  6  elastically along the sides of vamp  2 , close to where the metatarsal bones join the cuneiforms and cuboids of the foot. 
     Sole  3 , on the other hand, is fixed to the bottom  2   a  of vamp  2 , over rigid shell  4  and binding  8 , and is designed to completely cover the portion of vamp  2  corresponding to the metatarsus-phalanx area P 1  of the sole of the foot, and to only partly cover the portion of vamp  2  corresponding to arch area P 2  adjoining metatarsus-phalanx area P 1 . 
     Operation of climbing shoe  1  will be clear from the foregoing description, with no further explanation required. 
     The advantages of shoe  1  are obvious: by virtue of the design of binding  8 , bindings  5 ,  6 ,  7  and  8  as a whole provide for more completely and more uniformly enclosing the user&#39;s foot, and for greatly increasing comfort and the foothold sensitivity of the user. 
     Clearly, changes may be made to climbing shoe  1  as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     For example, in a simplified embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , shoe  1  may have no binding  5  and/or  6  and/or  7 ; in which case, vamp  2  is tightened about the user&#39;s foot by the combined action of binding  8  on bottom  2   a  of vamp  2 , and the laces closing the opening in the top of vamp  2 . 
     In a further variation not shown, binding  8  may have no distal appendix  8 ″ projecting from the main body of binding  8  and extending along the side of vamp  2  up to the join between the astragalus and calcaneus on the inner side of the foot.