Abstract:
An automatically girth-adjustable shoe construction wherein the effective girth of the shoe is controlled by longitudinally elastic fabric tape means that adjust to the girth of the wearers foot while holding it relatively centered transversely in the shoe at all girth adjustments thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention comprises a shoe construction providing improved means for automatically adjusting the effective girth of a shoe to comfortably fit the girth of a foot therein throughout each day&#39;s wearing use. 
         [0002]    It is well-known that for proper fit, a shoe should not only be of suitable length but also of the particular effective girthwise dimensions to provide a comfortably close fit of the shoe to the foot of the wearer throughout an entire day. In the past, the best means of approaching such fit has been by shoes that were custom-made, or alternatively at usually appreciably lower cost by factory-made shoes, preferably offered in a suitable range of widths (such as A, B, C, D, E etc.) for each length size, for a better fitting range of the girth of each shoe to the foot therein. However, neither of these approaches ever provided the preferred automatic girth adjustment needed to always fit a wearer&#39;s foot girth. In particular, these approaches failed to provide any adjustment needed for the temporary changes in foot girth due to the normal gradual accumulation of body fluids in one&#39;s extremities over each day of wearing use of the shoe. 
         [0003]    During the past 30 years, girth fitting problems for shoes have increased appreciably with the adoption of the now general retail practice of offering most shoes in only a single medium width for each length size. This has been done mainly to minimize store inventories for the seemingly ever-increasing number of different shoe styles being offered by their suppliers. This single width (i.e. “girth”) limitation has adversely affected the fit of such shoes, including both manually girth-adjustable conventional laced shoe designs and as well as more particularly the designs of casual shoes including loafers and similar “slip-on” styles that lack any means of manual girth adjustment and therefore cannot provide continuous proper girthwise fit to the foot of the wearer. 
         [0004]    The present invention overcomes these problems by providing shoes that will properly fit the girth of each length-size foot automatically throughout each full day of wearing use. Additionally, this construction will tend to keep a wearer&#39;s foot relatively centered transversely in the shoe at all girth adjustments, thereby benefiting athletic applications as well as those of general wearing use. 
         [0005]    While the disclosure below describes a hand-sewn saddle loafer style of casual shoe with a direct-molded so-called “cup” sole or similar vulcanized bottom and sole assembly, this invention is also readily applicable to other conventional shoe bottom approaches including both direct molded and conventionally cemented sole approaches over a wide range of a shoe styles, both with and without manual girth adjustment means such as laces. 
         [0006]    As for relevant prior art, none has apparently been able to satisfy the foregoing criteria sufficiently to merit its volume production to date. Such prior art includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,404,438: 3,442,031; 3,541,078; 3,615,235; 3,686,777; 4,278,083; 4,858,341; 4,967,277; 5,060,402; 5,123,181; 5,153,367; 5,203,096; 5,241,762; 5,325,614; 5,384,970; 6,725,575 and 6,883,254. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    This invention comprises an automatically girthwise adjustable shoe construction wherein the shoe includes a loose, preferably spandex fabric vamp lining stitchably attached to the shoe&#39;s vamp topline and extending downwards therefrom where it is attached to an insole element under sufficient tension to provide a comfortably close effective girthwise fit of the shoe to the foot therein. 
         [0008]    The shoe constructions of this invention include: (1) upper elements including a plug element and a saddle element, both attached to a shoe vamp by stitching and/or hand-sewing means; (2) a loose vamp lining, preferably comprising a spandex fabric, stitched to the vamp topline and extending downwards therefrom and also attached (by such as stitching or adhesive cement) to a loose insole; (3) the loose insole having a width equal to the width of the bottom of a shoe last (i.e. “last bottom”) of the least girth of the girth adjustment range for which the shoe is designed; (4) the loose vamp lining is under a tension of at least about 8 ounces per longitudinal inch of lining and preferably across the top of a loose insole and attached thereto by adhesive cement; (5) a longitudinally elasticized girth-adjusting fabric or rubber tape means stitched to the vamp topline of the shoe at its ball and instep portions under sufficient tension to minimize heel-slip of the shoe during a wearer&#39;s stride, said girth-adjusting means extending downwards from the vamp topline to and transversely under the loose insole to which it is attached by centerline stitching means, and (6) a girth-adjustment limiting means, preferably a polymeric plate means, stitched to the vamp topline of the shoe between the ball and instep portions and extending downwards therefrom toward a fixed shoe insole. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side-elevational cross-sectional view of a handsewn saddle loafer casual shoe having a direct-molded plastic, rubber, or equivalent sole, girth adjustment means, and girth adjustment limiting means. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show plan views of bottom elements of the shoe of  FIG. 1  taken along the lines  2 - 2  and  3 - 3  thereof.  FIG. 2  shows these elements as they would appear with the shoe adjusted to a lesser girth while  FIG. 3  shows their adjustment to a greater girth. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show additional plan views of the elements of the shoe shown in previous figures as viewed upwardly from the shoe&#39;s fixed insole.  FIG. 4  shows these elements adjusted to a lesser girth and  FIG. 5  shows the same elements adjusted to a greater girth. 
       
    
    
     DEFINITIONS 
       [0012]    The following definitions will be used in reference to terms and phrases used in this disclosure: 
         [0013]    “Automatic girth adjustment”—The automatic adjustment of the effective girth of a shoe. 
         [0014]    “Bottom assembly”—The assembly of each of the bottom elements of a shoe. 
         [0015]    “Centerline”—The longitudinally central line of a shoe or elements thereof. 
         [0016]    “Direct molded sole”—A shoe sole of moldable rubber or similar plastic material which is both molded and attached to the upper elements of a shoe in the same molding operation. 
         [0017]    “Effective girth”—The transverse circumferential dimensions of the innermost elements of a shoe. 
         [0018]    “Elastic fabric tape”—Fabric tape having a lengthwise elasticity. 
         [0019]    “Fit-critical”—Critically necessary for a proper fit. 
         [0020]    “Fixed insole”—Insole element of a shoe fixedly attached to its upper elements. 
         [0021]    “Heel-slip”—The vertical movement of the back-part of a shoe relative to the heel of a foot therein as occurs during a wearer&#39;s stride. 
         [0022]    “Interlining”—Shoe lining element located between the outermost upper elements of a shoe and a foot therein. 
         [0023]    “Last”—Shoe-making form over which elements of a shoe may be assembled in its manufacture. 
         [0024]    “Last Bottom”—The bottom portion of a shoe last. 
         [0025]    “Lining”—Inner usually sheet-like element of a shoe located between the shoe&#39;s outer-most upper elements and a foot in the shoe. 
         [0026]    “Loose”—A less than continuous attachment of adjacent elements of a shoe to each other. 
         [0027]    “Mid-portion”—The relatively longitudinally central portion of a foot or shoe, typically including the ball, waist and instep portions thereof. 
         [0028]    “Plastic”—Relatively flexible extruded polymeric material. 
         [0029]    “Proper fit”—Comfortably close or contacting girthwise fit of a shoe of suitable length to a foot therein. 
         [0030]    “Spandex”—a synthetic polyurethane-polyurea polymer fiber known for its exceptional elasticity, “Spandex” is the preferred designation of the fiber and fabrics incorporating the fiber in North America. The same material is often referred to as “Elastane” in many European countries, and as “Lycra” in Great Britain. 
         [0031]    “Toe spring”—The vertical distance of the toe end of a shoe last or a shoe from a level supporting surface thereunder. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0032]    Referring to the drawings, there is shown a so-called handsewn saddle loafer shoe style in a construction embodying principles of this invention. 
         [0033]    The shoe construction of this invention is an automatically girth adjustable shoe having an upper assembly attached to a bottom and a sole assembly. The attachment may be accomplished by a conventional means such as by direct sole molding, vulcanization, and adhesive cement means. The upper assembly includes a loose spandex lining stitched to the inner side of the shoe&#39;s vamp topline, extending downwards therefrom to, and preferably across, the top surface of a loose insole. The loose insole is preferably prepared from an extruded synthetic polymeric material such as polypropylene, polyester, or an equivalent thereto. The loose insole has a width substantially equal to the width of a shoe last having the least girth of the intended girth adjustment range of the shoe. This shoe construction also provides means to automatically adjust the girth of the shoe at and between its fit-critical ball and instep portions to changes in the girth of a foot therein from morning to night. 
         [0034]    This shoe construction provides means to automatically adjust the girth of a shoe at its fit-critical ball to instep midportion to match a foot therein. The shoe construction further includes an extruded stitchable plastic interlining plate means attached to the vamp topline of the shoe by stitching. The plate means has a vertical dimension which limits the girth adjustment to that of wearers having similar foot girths, thereby insuring that shoes providing stitchable, preferably extruded plastic interlining plate means attached to the vamp topline of the shoe at and between its ball and instep by vamp topline stitching, said plate means having a vertical dimension designed to limit the girth adjustment to that of wearers having similar foot girths, insuring that shoes on display typically at a minimum width are not allowed to adjust in girth to an unnecessary degree that might adversely affect its display appearance. 
         [0035]    This shoe construction also provides means to automatically adjust the girth of a shoe at its fit/critical ball and instep portions to those of a foot therein, with preferably plastic interlining plate means stitched to the vamp topline of the shoe at and between its ball and instep portions, said plate means having vertical dimensions designed to limit the minimum girth adjustment of the shoe to that generally preferred for most wearers. 
         [0036]      FIG. 1  shows a shoe  20  having an upper assembly  22  comprising a vamp  24  and a cuff  26  attached thereto as by vamp topline stitching (not shown) and by cuff lower edge-stitching  28 . The upper assembly  22  further includes a saddle  30  and a plug  32  attached to the vamp topline by handsewing  34 . Additionally, a loose spandex lining  48  is attached to the vamp  24  by vamp topline stitching (not shown) extending downwards therefrom under a gentle tension of about eight ounces per longitudinal inch of the shoe  20  to its attachment as by adhesive cement or stitching means to the preferably extruded polymeric, preferably polypropylene, loose insole  42  to which it is attached as by adhesive cement or conventional stitching means. A girth adjustment limiting means  36  are attached to the inner vamp topline by topline stitching (not shown) together with lengthwise elasticized fabric instep tapes  38  and elasticized ball tapes  40 , both extending downwards therefrom to and under the preferably extruded polymeric insole  42  to which both are attached as by insole centerline ball stitching and instep stitching  38  as shown in figures to follow. Also attached to the topline of vamp  24  by topline stitching (not shown) are the loose spandex vamp lining  48  and the extruded polymeric girth adjustment limiting means  36  stitched to the vamp topline between the girth adjusting instep tapes  38  and similarly acting ball tapes  40  and the loose spandex lining  48 . Also shown are the instep tapes  38  and ball tapes  40 , both being of elasticized fabric or optionally of similar elastic materials including rubber or rubberized tape means, extending downwards from the vamp topline to which they are attached as by vamp topline stitching (not shown) to and transversely under the loose insole  42  to which they are attached as by loose insole longitudinal centerline stitching  44  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  said tapes  38  and  40  elastically automatically adjusting to the fit/critical effective girths of the ball and instep portions of the shoe  20  to the particular ball and instep girth of the foot of the wearer. Finally, the lower edges of vamp  24  are butt-stitched or otherwise attached to a preferably flexibly inelastic woven fabric fixed insole  52 , both preferably being attached to a molded polymeric or rubber preferably cupped sole  54  as by direct sole-molding means. 
         [0037]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show transverse elevational cross-sectional views of the ball portion of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1 , showing the ball portion of the upper assembly  22  of the show  20  of  FIG. 1  girth-adjusted by the elasticized fabric ball tapes  40  attached to the topline of the vamp  24  as by vamp topline stitching (not shown), and extending downwards there from to and transversely under the loose insole  42  and attached to its centerline as by insole centerline stitching  46  or equivalent attached means.  FIG. 2 . shows the ball of the shoe  20  girth-adjusted to a lesser girth while  FIG. 3  shows its adjustment to a greater girth. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show plan views of bottom elements of the shoe  20  of  FIG. 1  as viewed upwardly from its fixed insole  52 ,  FIG. 4  showing these elements adjusted to a lesser girth while  FIG. 5  shows their adjustment to a greater girth. 
         [0039]    Equivalents to the means disclosed above for use in the automatically girth adjustable shoe construction of this invention will include other elastic means such as springs and cellular or non-cellular polymeric or rubber foam interlining elements, although these are less preferred due to the lesser elasticity of these materials than that of the longitudinally elasticized fabric girth adjusting tapes of this disclosure and its figures, as well as the tendency of the foam interlinings to cause generally unacceptable extra warmth to the foot of the wearer. 
         [0040]    As for materials and sources, leather can be from the Irving Tanning Co, of Palmyra, Me. Eyelets will be from the Trendware Goldberg Co. of Salem, Mass. Polypropylene and other preferably extruded polymeric materials can by supplied by Rodgard, Inc., of Buffalo, N.Y., Spandex fabric and longitudinally elasticized fabric tapes will be from Geo. C. Moore, Inc., of Westerly, R.I.