Abstract:
A tongueless footwear includes a sole, a first side, an opposing second side, a canopy and a fastening system. The canopy is coupled to the first side and configured to extend over the second side thereby providing substantially direct support for the ankle and instep of a user. The fastening system is configured to securely fasten the canopy to the second side, and can include a toggle system with a cord, anchors and a cord tensioner

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/848,586 filed on Jan. 8, 2013, entitled “Wholesale Re-Configuration of Shoe Uppers from Heel to Toe Incorporating Multiple Side Adjusting Methods Using a One-Piece Canopy”, and also claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/688,431 filed on May 14, 2012, entitled “Two Way Adjusting Canopy for Anatomical Shoe Closure”, which applications are hereby fully incorporated by their reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to systems and methods for securely and comfortably fastening tongueless footwear having a canopy. 
         [0003]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , most shoes, e.g., shoe  100 , have sides  110 ,  120  attached to a sole. The sides  110  and  120  are tightened by a fastening system such as shoelaces or straps  130 ,  140 . These straps  130 ,  140  hold the foot in place, pulling the toes together thus forming a cocoon comprising the front tongue  150  tucked between the sides  110 ,  120 . 
         [0004]    Traditional front tongue and lacing has been an inexpensive commonly used solution to closing sports and casual shoes but exerts unnecessary top down foot pressure and toes squeezed together that does not allow the foot to move dynamically when walking or running Another common feature of shoes is a plastic rigid heel counter that has been fashionable but serves no functional purpose in helping the foot move dynamically, often causing heel bone problems with repeated run, walking demands. 
         [0005]    Generally, when allowed and which is natural during load bearing exercises, the foot will splay about 15% in width. Many current shoe designs fail to accommodate such dynamic foot movements. The foot is widest at the toes but most shoes are not which causes toenail damage when the foot swells up and presses against the end of the shoe repeatedly. 
         [0006]    Further, most shoe designs require significant physical dexterity and also require significant time to be secured to the foot. Hence wearing and/or changing shoes can be challenging for young children, physically handicapped persons and competitive sportsmen participating in timed competitions requiring shoe changes, such as triathlons. 
         [0007]    It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for tongueless footwear with a canopy that can be easily and comfortably secured to the foot. This improved tongueless footwear can be fastened and removed quickly and permits the foot to function properly and comfortably during use without undue pressure on the foot. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, systems and methods for securely and comfortably fastening tongueless footwear having a canopy is provided. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, a tongueless footwear includes a sole, a first side, opposing second side, a canopy and a fastening system. The first side and the second side are coupled to the sole. The canopy is coupled to the first side and configured to extend over the second side thereby providing substantially direct support for the ankle and instep of a user. The canopy is further configured to be fastened to the second side. The fastening system is configured to securely fasten the canopy to the second side. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, the fastening system includes a hook and a corresponding latch. The fastening system can also include a toggle system having a cord and a plurality of anchors, with each of the anchors coupled to either the canopy or the second side. The cord is configured to be operatively coupled to the plurality of anchors thereby securing the footwear to the user. The toggle system can include a tensioner with a dial for controlling tension of the cord. The tongueless footwear can also include an expandable toe box and/or an expandable heel counter. 
         [0011]    Note that the various features of the present invention described above may be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In order that the present invention may be more clearly ascertained, some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a casual shoe; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 2A-2C  are perspective views of one embodiment of a canopied shoe, in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an engineering diagram illustrating the mechanics of an exemplary toggle system for embodiment(s) of canopied shoe(s), in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4 ,  5 A and  5 B are perspective views illustrating several toggle systems for alternate embodiments of canopied shoes employing the mechanics of  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0017]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are perspective views of two additional embodiments of canopied shoes, in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to several embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention. The features and advantages of embodiments may be better understood with reference to the drawings and discussions that follow. 
         [0019]    The present invention relates to systems and methods for securely and comfortably fastening tongueless footwear having a canopy. To facilitate discussion,  FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C are perspective views illustrating one embodiment of a tongueless shoe  200  with a shoe side  270 , a canopy  280 , a fastening system have a canopy fastener  260  and a corresponding side fastener  250 .  FIG. 2A  shows the canopy fastener  260  is fastened to the side fastener  250 , thereby securing a user&#39;s foot (not shown), while  FIG. 2B  shows the canopy fastener  260  detached from the side fastener  250 . Finally,  FIG. 2C  shows the canopy  280  in an uplifted position away from shoe side  270  and exposing an upper portion  275  of shoe side  270 . In this embodiment, the canopy fastener  260  has a plurality of laddered hooks while the mating side fastener  250  has a latch, thereby enabling the shoe  200  to be adjustably secured to the user&#39;s foot. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is an engineering diagram illustrating the mechanics of an exemplary toggle system for embodiment(s) of canopied shoe(s), as exemplified by shoes  400 ,  500 A and  500 B of  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A and  5 B, respectively. Toggle anchors points  310 ,  320 ,  330 ,  340 ,  350  and  360  and fastener  390  are appropriately spaced out to substantially optimize both fit and comfort without intrusion on the foot natural dynamics. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a tongueless canopied shoe  400  includes a shoe side  470 , a canopy  480 , and a toggle system having a cord  422 , a plurality of anchors  411 ,  412 ,  413 ,  414 ,  415 ,  416 , a canopy fastener  460  and a side fastener  450 . In this embodiment, cord  422  is configured to be secured to anchors  411 ,  412 ,  413 ,  414 ,  415 ,  416  and attachment  455  of side fastener  450 . Depending on the implementation, cord  422  can be a contiguous length of, for example, a nylon string or coated metallic string, threaded through anchors  411 ,  412 ,  413 ,  414 ,  415 ,  416  and side fastener  450 , or comprised of discreet cord sections coupling anchor pairs  411  &amp;  412 ,  411  &amp;  413 ,  412  &amp;  414 ,  414  &amp;  415 ,  415  &amp;  416  and  416  &amp;  413 , or combinations thereof. Canopy fastener  460  include a hook  465  configured to be securely coupled to a corresponding eye of side fastener  450 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a tongueless canopied shoe  500 A includes a shoe side  570 , a canopy  580 , and a toggle system having a cord  422 , a plurality of anchors  413 ,  414 ,  415 ,  416 , a canopy fastener  560 , a side fastener  550  and a cord tensioner  530 . In this embodiment, cord  422  is a contiguous string, threaded through anchors  413 ,  414 ,  415 ,  416 , attachment  555  of side fastener  550  and tensioner  530 . Canopy fastener  560  include a hook  566  configured to be securely coupled to a corresponding eye of side fastener  550 . Tensioner  530  is located on shoe side  570  and can include a dial configured to control the tension of cord  422 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to the perspective view  FIG. 5B , a tongueless canopied shoe  500 B includes a shoe side  578 , a canopy  588 , and a toggle system having a cord  522 , a plurality of anchors  512 ,  513 ,  514 ,  515 ,  516 ,  518 ,  519 , a canopy fastener  565 , a side fastener  556  and a cord tensioner  536 . In this embodiment, cord  522  is a contiguous string, threaded through anchors  512 ,  513 ,  514 ,  515 ,  516 ,  518 ,  519 , side fastener  556 , tensioner  536  via tensioner guides  532 ,  534 . Canopy fastener is a hook  565  configured to be securely coupled to a corresponding eye of side fastener  556 . Tensioner  536 , located on the heel area of shoe  500 B, can include a dial configured to control the tension of cord  522 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a tongueless canopied shoe  600  with a shoe side  670 , a canopy  680 , and a fastening system have a canopy fastener  660  and a corresponding side fastener  650 . Canopy fastener  660  includes a hook configured to be securely coupled to a corresponding eye of side fastener  650 . 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , tongueless canopied shoe  700  includes a shoe side  770 , a canopy  780 , and a fastening system have an integrated buckle. 
         [0026]    In some embodiments, as illustrated by  FIGS. 6 and 7 , toe boxes  694 ,  794  are made from an expandable and breathable material, thereby ventilating with minimal closure over the toes and enables movement of the toes whenever the foot swells. The ability to provide a customizable fit of any kind of heel bone is enabled by stitching expandable material around the heel counters  692 ,  792  that is expandable, breathable and supportive. 
         [0027]    Modifications and additions to the above described embodiments are possible. For example, anchors for supporting the cord of the toggle system can be rotatably attached the shoe sides so that tensioning forces are more evenly distributed and hence enhance the comfort of the user. Latches can be made from a rigid material such as polycarbonate or from a flexible material such as rubber. Fastening systems can also include adjustable Velcro strap(s). 
         [0028]    Advantageous features of the above described tongueless canopied shoes include a re-configuration of the shoe upper from toe to heel by at least one of (a) providing a one piece canopy, (b) eliminating tongue, (c) elimination of top laces, (d) elimination of rigid heel counters and cramped toe boxes to allow for the natural movement of the dynamic foot under demands of walking, running, cycling, health rehabilitation and constant standing over long periods of time. The one piece canopy in place of traditional tongue and laces allows for very easy entry/exit with minimal effort. Side latching of various methods also enables quick engagement/disengagement of the footwear and with minimal effort. 
         [0029]    Further, the ability to latch from the side around the foot instead of lace from top down on the foot is provided by various closure methods: Rubber latch to a clip on the near top of the foot. In some embodiments, the double helix type configuration of a side lace/cord that slides on a track, with specific points of contact on the side of the shoe that act to guide the lace/cord. An optional integrated clip with a toggle that allows adjustment after latching. 
         [0030]    While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.