Abstract:
A high top athletic shoe has partial quarters terminating in spaced relationship to each other, in combination with a rear subassembly with inner and outer portions. The inner portion includes a substantially rigid lower counter portion and a soft, flexible Y-shaped upper rear portion forming a tendon engager, integral with but movable relative to the lower portion for flexing thereof between a forward foot-engaging position and a rearward foot entry position. The outer portion comprises a relatively rigid, U-support element pivotally mounted on both sides of the shoe, and movable between a lowered position beneath the counterpoint of the foot and spaced rearwardly of the inner portion, and an upper position snugly engaging the inner portion being retained in this latter condition by a connectable tensile strap extending around the U-support at the rear of the shoe.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Athletic footwear construction has been revolutionized in recent decades. Athletic shoes for activities such as running, tennis, basketball, etc., particularly high top shoes, constitute specialty items different from footwear for other uses. They typically incorporate features that secure the shoes snugly to the feet, providing support for the particular activity Consequently, putting high top athletic footwear on the feet can be laborious and time consuming. It would be advantageous to have easy entry athletic high top footwear to enable easy and quick application and removal. However, such footwear must still have proper support features. Various types of easy entry rigid ski boots have been taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,761,898; 4,095,356; 4,280,286; and 4,107,856; and rear entry low top shoes have been taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,736,110 and 3,192,651. Yet, as far as is known, no one has devised athletic high top shoes capable of rear entry and of providing proper support when worn, so that after applied to the feet, they effectively supply the support important for containing the stresses applied during sports activities. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to rear entry athletic footwear, and more particularly to novel high top rear entry athletic shoes. 
     This invention enables entry from the top and rear of the shoe without disrupting the function of the specialized shoe construction for the particular athletic activity. The novel high top shoe has partial quarters terminating in spaced relationship to each other, in combination with a rear subassembly with special inner and outer portions. The inner portion includes a substantially rigid lower counter portion and a soft, flexible Y-shaped upper rear portion forming a tendon engager, integral with but movable relative to the lower portion for flexing thereof between a forward foot-engaging position and a rearward foot entry position. This upper portion overlaps the spaced partial quarters which are forwardly thereof. The outer portion comprises a relatively rigid, horseshoe shaped retention and reinforcing, U-support element pivotally mounted on both sides of the shoe, and movable between a lowered position beneath the counterpoint of the foot and spaced rearwardly of the inner portion, and an upper position, snugly engaging the inner portion, being retained in this latter condition by a connectable tensile strap extending around the U-support at the rear of the shoe. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of the invention depicting the lateral side of a left shoe; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shoe in FIG. 1, depicting the medial side; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the shoe in FIGS. 1 and 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the shoe in FIGS. 1-3; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lateral side of the shoe with the U-support released and lowered; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view like FIG. 5, but with the shoe opened for entry by flexing the tongue forwardly and flexing the soft tendon engager rearwardly and downwardly; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the opened shoe in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the U-support shown separated from the shoe for clarity; and 
     FIG. 9 is a rear elevational view of the tendon engager shown separated from the shoe for clarity. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now specifically to the drawings, the high top athletic shoe 10 there depicted includes a sole assembly 12 and an upper assembly 14. This sole assembly will typically include an outsole 16 on the bottom of the shoe for engagement of the surface such as the ground, a floor, or the like, and be formed of abrasion resistant material such as rubber or other polymer. A midsole 18 is above the outsole and bonded thereto. This midsole may be formed of any desired material for shock absorption and foot roll control, e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate foam or the like, with or without added fluid chambers. Typically, an insole (not shown) is above the midsole and attached thereto. Optionally, a sock liner of cloth or the like is positioned above the insole for engagement with the foot. This sole assembly may also include a wrap around, heel bumper strip 20, and a wrap around, toe bumper strip 22 as of rubber. In the embodiment depicted, the outsole 16 has portions of its tread wrapped around the sides of the shoe at 16&#39;. This sole assembly can be modified in various ways depending upon the particular usage intended for the footwear. 
     Upper assembly 14 is attached to the sole assembly by stitching and bonding. Upper assembly 14 includes a frontal subassembly 30 and a rear subassembly 32. Frontal subassembly 30 includes a toe box 34, a vamp 36 attached to the toe box, a throat 38 (FIG. 4), and a pair of throat straddling eyestays 40. A tongue 39 extends vertically in the throat, and has an inner padding 39a. The frontal subassembly also includes a pair of special partial quarters 42 which extend upwardly to form partial collars at the upper part of the shoe and which terminate at rear edges 42&#39; (FIGS. 1 and 6) spaced from each other. Adjacent the front edges of the partial quarters are lace receiving openings 44. These openings are generally in alignment with the series of lace receiving openings 41 in eyestays 40, along both sides of the throat. These front edges of these partial quarters are spaced from each other across the throat of the shoe, while the rear edges thereof are spaced from each other across the Achilles tendon or rear panel area of the shoe. Thus, the partial quarters extend along the ankle bone on the medial and lateral sides of the shoe. They have padding on the inner surfaces thereof. 
     Preferably, a leather reinforcement cinch 45 is integrally connected to the frontal subassembly to form a part thereof, such extending up from the sole assembly on both sides of the shoe to cross over the instep region of the foot for added support when tied together by the laces. 
     Cooperative with frontal subassembly 30 is the rear subassembly 32 as noted previously. This rear subassembly includes an inner portion and an outer portion. The inner portion includes a rigid lower counter 50 at the heel in the lower portion of the shoe upper (FIGS. 1 and 3), being of generally arcuate configuration, being secured at the bottom edge thereof to the sole adjacent the outer periphery of the sole, and being secured to the frontal portion of the shoe as by stitching and/or bonding. This counter is generally rigid and of arcuate shape, to extend around the lower portion of the foot adjacent the heel below the counterpoint. As is well known, the counterpoint of the foot and shoe is that small vertical area, approximately one-quarter inch wide at the Achilles tendon above the heel of the foot where the foot recesses forwardly and where the rear of the shoe is typically sloped forwardly to be held onto the foot. The counter 50 of the present shoe terminates below this counterpoint so that, although it supports the foot against lateral and rearward movement off the sole assembly, it does not of itself vertically hold the shoe on the foot. Immediately above the counter and attached thereto at its lower edge as by stitching is a generally Y-shaped, soft, flexible, upper, rear Achilles tendon engager 56 which, from the rear, appears as in FIG. 8 and FIG. 3 (partially by dashed lines). That is, tendon engager 56 has a pair of upper ears 56&#39; extending and diverging upwardly outwardly, forming a vertical cavity 56&#34; therebetween for comfort at the Achilles tendon. It is preferably of a soft flexible leather with an interior lining 56a of padding and cloth (FIG. 4). This flexible tendon engager can be shifted rearwardly about its lower edge stitching to the counter, by finger or thumb pressure simultaneously with forward shifting of the shoe tongue by the opposite hand as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 7, provided that the outer portion now to be described is previously shifted downwardly-rearwardly. 
     More specifically, outer portion 60 comprises a generally rigid member of U-shape forming a forwardly open U-support (see FIG. 8). The forward ends 60&#39; of the two legs of the U are pivotally attached to the forward portions of counter 50 by aligned rivets 62 (FIGS. 5 and 6) just above the sole assembly, so that a pivot axis at these rivets, transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the shoe, is below the level of the counterpoint of the shoe/foot. This U-support includes special upstanding projections, four in number in the form depicted, two like projections being identified with the numeral 60a, and two other like projections being identified with the numeral 60b. Integral upstanding outer projections or wings 60a are adapted when elevated to engage the partial quarters 42 above the level of the counterpoint to lend lateral reinforcement thereto when the U-support is in its upward/forward position (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Integral upstanding central projections or arms 60b are adapted to bear against the sides of tendon engager 56 above the level of the counterpoint when the U-support is in its upward/forward position. Arms 60b are spaced from each other behind tendon engager 56 to add rear support astraddle of the Achilles tendon and help retain the shoe on the foot. 
     This U-support 60 can be pivotally shifted between the upper forward position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the lowered rearward position depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this lowered condition, wings 60a and arms 60b are spaced from the shoe upper, downwardly rearwardly thereof, i.e., out of engagement with the partial quarters and the tendon engager. In the elevated forward position of support 60, the main body of the support abuts the upper part of counter 50 below the counterpoint so as not to apply direct pressure to the Achilles tendon of the foot. However, the projections all extend above the level of the counterpoint. Retention of the U-support in its elevated position is achieved by a tensile binding strap which is shown in two parts 70a and 70b having connectors thereon, here shown to be ratchet teeth on one strap and a ratchet buckle on the other strap. The forward ends of these two straps are stitched to the frontal portion of the shoe, preferably to reinforcing cinch 45, and extend rearwardly. One of the straps extends around the heel through loops 60c on arms 60b of U-support 60 (FIGS. 1 and 6). Strap 70b is shown to have a series of ratchet teeth 74 engageable or disengageable from ratchet buckle 72 for controlled adjustment tightening. The buckle may alternatively be mounted on the short strap rather than on the long one as shown, with the ratchet elements on the long strap rather than the short one. Further, in some types of athletic shoes, it is preferable to employ a hook and loop fastener, e.g., &#34;Velcro&#34; brand, instead of the ratchet arrangement depicted. Either type enables a controlled amount of tension to be applied to the strap, for achieving a controlled amount of forward force on the rear subassembly. 
     In use, the shoe is readily applied to the foot, or removed therefrom. When applied and fastened, it affords excellent support to the foot. More specifically, to place the shoe on the foot, the laces are loosened from the eyelets of the eyestays and partial quarters, the fastener strap is unfastened and the U-support 60 lowered on its pivot axis. The tongue is pulled forwardly into the throat of the shoe, while simultaneously the soft flexible tendon engager 56 is pulled rearwardly as depicted in FIG. 7. This allows rear entry, or more specifically top and rear entry of the foot into the enlarged space receiving it. After the foot is in the shoe, the wearer then causes the tongue and tendon engager to move back against the front and rear of the foot, respectively. Thereafter, the laces are tightened and tied, padded tendon engager 56 is checked to assure overlap of its ears 60 inside partial quarters 42, and U-support 60 is pivoted on its rivets 62 upwardly and forwardly until the lower part of this support engages the top portion of counter 50, with arms 60b in engagement with both sides of tendon engager member 56 and wings 60a in engagement with partial quarters 42. Strap 70, and particularly its two components 70a and 70b, are then interconnected as with the buckle and ratchet shown or, for example, the alternative hook and loop fastener, and pulled to the desired degree of tension to combine the rear subassembly and frontal subassembly into the upper assembly. The shoe is then ready for action. 
     Removal of the shoe involves a reversal of these steps. Conceivably, those in the footwear art will, after studying this disclosure, consider alternative embodiments to the exemplary ones described to suit particular activities. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the preferred described embodiments, but only by the claims to follow and the equivalents thereto.