Improvement in Shoes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, roth dept., 1997
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Shoes.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me by
Rice & Hutchins Incorporated, of 125, Summer Street, Boston, in the United
States of America, Shoemakers,) to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide an extremely easy and comfortable
shoe for bicycle-riders and others; and it consists in an open-front shoe having a
fly permanently secured to the shoe along one side of its front opening and adapted
to be secured along its free edge to the opposite edge of the said front opening by
means of ball and socket or other suitable fastenings, the said fly being provided
with an elastic gore extending from its top down the centre of its length to or
nearly to the bottom of the front opening of the shoe, whereby great ease and
comfort are secured, as the elasticity of the gore and its central location over the
instep permit of the free movement of the foot without uncomfortable pressure
upon the instep or side joints, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
In carrying out the invention the shoe has an oblong instep opening at the
centre of its front portion, the edges of the opening therefore being parallel and
spaced apart. Along one edge of the opening is permanently secured, by stitching,
a fly which laps over the opposite edge of the said front opening and is adapted to
be secured in place when the shoe is on the foot, preferably by means of ball and
socket fastenings, the ball portions of the fastenings being secured to the vamp
and the socket portions to the fly. Other suitable fastenings may, however, be
used, if desired. The fly is divided longitudinally at the centre forming an
opening with parallel spaced edges, within which opening is inserted an elastic gore
which extends from the top of the fly to or nearly to the bottom of the front opening
of the shoe, the said gore being of uniform width throughout its entire length and
directly overhanging or closing the instep-opening in the shoe, whereby the degree
of elasticity equalized at all points and all of the cords and muscles of the foot
relieved of uncomfortable pressure. Furthermore, by locating the elastic gore at
the centre of the fly instead of on one side of the same the shoe is rendered much
easier to the foot at the instep and side joints, whereby it is especially adapted
for the use of bicycle-riders where a free and easy action of the foot in pedaling
is desirable. The toe-cap may be made in the same piece with the fly but, if
desired, the toe-cap and fly may be made of separate pieces of material.
The above described shoe presents an extremely neat and stylish appearance,
while the ball and socket fastenings greatly facilitate the operation of putting it
on or removing it from the foot.
1

page_text: Improvement in Shoes.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the firm of G. F. Redfern & Co., The General
Patent Office, No. 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of London, Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me by
Rice & Hutchins Incorporated, of 125, Summer Street, Boston, in the United
States of America, Shoemakers,) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
This invention has for its oliject to provide an extremely easy and comfortable
shoe for bicycle-riders and others; and it consists in an open-front shoe having a
fly permanently secured to the shoe along one side of its front opening and adapted
to be secured along its free edge to the opposite edge of the said front opening by
means of ball and socket or other suitable fastenings, the said fly being provided
with an elastic gore extending from its top down the centre of its length to or
nearly to the bottom of the front. opening of the shoe, whereby great ease and
comfort are secured, as the elasticity of the gore and its central location over the
instep permit of the free movement of the foot without uncomfortable pressure
upon the instep or side joints.
To enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a top view of a shoe constructed in accordance with this invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same with the fly unfastened, and,
Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 3-3 of
Figure 1.
A is the shoe having an oblong instep-opening 6 at the centre of its front portion,
the edges of the opening therefore being parallel and spaced apart, the said opening
extends at its lower end over the ball of the foot. Along one edge of the opening
is permanently secured, by stitching, a fly d which laps over the opposite edge
of the said front opening and is adapted to be secured in place when the shoe is
on the foot, preferably by means of ball and socket fastenings f, as shewn, the ball
portions of the fastenings being secured to the vamp and the socket portions to the
Hy. Other suitable fastenings may, however, be used, if desired. The fly dis
divided longitudinally at the centre forming an opening with parallel spaced
edges, within which opening is inserted an elastic gore g which extends from the
top of the fly to or nearly to the bottom of the front opening b of the shoe, the
said gore being of uniform width throughout its entire length and directly over-
hanging or closing the instep-opening bin the shoe, whereby the degree of
elasticity is equalized at all points and all of the tendons and muscles of the foot
relieved of uncomfortable pressure. Furthermore, by locating the elastic gore at
the centre of the fly instead of on one side of the same the shoe is rendered much
casier to the foot at the instep and side joints, whereby it is especially adapted
for the use of bicycle-riders where a free and easy action of the foot in pedaling
is desirable. h is the toe-cap which in the shoe here shewn is made in the same
piece with the fly d, but, if desired, the toe-cap and fly may be made of separate
pieces of material.
The above described shoe presents an extremely neat and stylish appearance,
while the ball and socket fastenings greatly facilitate the operation of putting it
on or removing it from the foot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. As an improved article of manufacture, a bicycle or athletic shoe having a

page_text: well defined central longitudinal front opening b extending at its lower end over
the ball of the foot; the edges of the opening being straight and spaced apart, a
fly permanently secured along one longitudinal edge of the opening and at the
lower end thereof, the said fly having a parallel-edged longitudinal opening regis-
tering with the shoe-opening and provided with an elastic filling piece or gore
overlying the shoe-opening and fastening devices for securing the free edge of the
fly to the underlying portion of the shoe, substantially as described.
2. The improved shoe hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 20th day of October 1897
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.