Patent Description:
Articles of footwear include an upper and a sole structure.

Sole structures include a layered arrangement extending between a ground surface and the upper. One layer of the sole structure includes an outsole that provides abrasion-resistance and traction with the ground surface. The outsole may be formed from rubber or other materials that impart durability and wear-resistance, as well as enhancing traction with the ground surface. Another layer of the sole structure includes a midsole disposed between the outsole and the upper. The midsole provides cushioning for the foot and is at least partially formed from a polymer foam material that compresses resiliently under an applied load to cushion the foot by attenuating ground-reaction forces. The midsole may define a bottom surface on one side that opposes the outsole and a footbed on the opposite side that may be contoured to conform to a profile of the bottom surface of the foot. Sole structures may also include a comfort-enhancing insole or a sockliner located within a void proximate to the bottom portion of the upper.

The metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of the foot is known to absorb energy as it flexes through dorsiflexion during running movements. As the foot does not move through plantarflexion until the foot is pushing off of a ground surface, the MTP joint returns little of the energy it absorbs to the running movement and, thus, is the source of an energy drain during running movements. Embedding flat and rigid plates having longitudinal stiffness within a sole structure increases the overall stiffness thereof. <CIT> discloses an article of footwear according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The claimed invention provides an article of footwear as defined in appended independent claim <NUM>. Specific embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

Embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description.

The present disclosure describes an article of footwear, which may be used for baseball.

The term "longitudinal" refers to a direction extending along a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of an article of footwear extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the article of footwear. The term "forward" or "anterior" is used to refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term "rearward" or "posterior" is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis.

The term "transverse" refers to a direction extending along a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of an article of footwear extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the article of footwear. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis.

The term "vertical" refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole structure is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole structure. The term "upward" or "upwards" refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term "downward" or "downwards" refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear.

The "interior" of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn. The "inner side" of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The "outer side" or "exterior" of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms "inward" and "inwardly" refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms "outward" and "outwardly" refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term "proximal" refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term "distal" refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.

The present disclosure generally relates to an article of footwear (e.g., a shoe) that has a unique containment system that is designed to provide movable support while not obstructing graphical indicia or logos provided on a sidewall. In the illustrated examples, the present containment system includes a strap that extends in a forward direction from a heel counter of the shoe, though is movably or slidably positioned within a guide formed by an ancillary piece of material that may be fashioned as a logo. In some embodiments, the forward extending strap may include an aperture that aligns with an eyestay of the shoe and is adapted to receive a lace. As the lace is tightened by the user, the foot may be drawn rearward into a more stable engagement with the heel counter. During use, the floating nature of the strap relative to the sidewall may enable limited lateral flexibility while maintaining containment throughout.

In other embodiments of the design, the strap may extend from any portion of the biteline of the shoe (i.e., the location where the upper meets the sole structure) and may slidably pass behind an ancillary attached piece of material, that may be fashioned as an indicia or logo. In doing so, the foot of the wearer may be firmly held to the sole while not obstructing the visual impression of the shoe or logo.

With reference to <FIG>, an article of footwear <NUM> includes a sole structure <NUM> and an upper <NUM> coupled to the sole structure <NUM>. The upper <NUM> includes a forefoot region <NUM>, a heel region <NUM>, and a midfoot region <NUM> disposed between the forefoot region <NUM> and the heel region <NUM>. The upper <NUM> defines an ankle opening <NUM> (<FIG>) adapted to permit a foot of the wearer to enter the interior cavity of the upper and a throat opening <NUM> extending from the ankle opening toward the forefoot region <NUM>. The throat opening <NUM> may be designed to controllably splay open to permit easier ingress/egress of the foot to/from the upper. The upper may further include a plurality of eyelets/eyestays <NUM> extending through the thickness of the wall of the upper and provided on opposing sides of the throat opening <NUM>. The plurality of eyelets/eyestays <NUM> may receive a lace <NUM> that is operatively threaded across the throat opening <NUM>. When drawn tight, the lace <NUM> may reduce the width of the throat opening <NUM> to provide a tension fit of the upper about the foot of the wearer.

The upper <NUM> of the present design includes a main upper body <NUM> and a containment strap <NUM> coupled to the main upper body <NUM>. According to the claimed invention, the containment strap <NUM> extends from a heel counter <NUM> provided in the lower heel region <NUM> of the upper upward toward the midfoot region <NUM> of the upper <NUM> at the throat opening <NUM>. The containment strap <NUM> is configured to provide stability to the foot of the wearer by drawing the foot down and back into the sole and heel counter <NUM> in the article of footwear <NUM>. In general, at least a portion of the containment strap <NUM> may remain unattached or free floating relative to the wall of the main upper body <NUM>. Doing so may permit suitable containment while not unduly stiffening the sidewall of the upper.

To permit this unattached containment strap configuration while also not allowing the strap <NUM> to simply fall away from the main body of the upper when not engaged, the present design utilizes a guide <NUM> formed by an ancillary piece of material <NUM> that is attached to the wall of the main upper body <NUM>. This ancillary piece of material <NUM> may serve a dual purpose as an indicia or logo, and the present configuration may further permit this indicia or logo to remain unobstructed from external view. The guide <NUM> includes a central section <NUM> (best shown in <FIG>) that is not directly attached to the upper. Said another way, the guide <NUM> is a discrete piece of material that extends across a length of the upper <NUM> and that is secured to the upper in at least two, physically separated locations or regions (e.g., a forward location <NUM> and a rearward location <NUM>). Between these locations or regions <NUM>, <NUM>, the guide <NUM> is devoid of any permanent attachment means (i.e., stitching, staking, gluing, fusing, etc), such that the guide <NUM> and upper <NUM> form a channel through which the strap <NUM> may pass. During normal use, the strap <NUM> may be inserted through this channel between the guide <NUM> and the main upper body <NUM>. The strap <NUM> extends a longitudinal axis L1 (i.e., a primary tensile axis) that is transverse to a longitudinal axis L2 of the guide <NUM>. In some embodiments, as noted above, the guide <NUM> may comprise a logo (e.g., a swoosh).

According to the claimed invention, the strap <NUM> is permanently attached to the upper at a region <NUM> of the upper that is between the guide <NUM> and the sole <NUM>. In some embodiments, the strap <NUM> may be secured at the biteline <NUM> of the article of footwear, which is defined as the line where the upper <NUM> meets the sole <NUM>. Conversely, the strap <NUM> may lack any permanent attachment in the region <NUM> between the guide <NUM> and the throat opening <NUM>. At the intersection/overlap of the guide <NUM> and the strap <NUM>, neither may be directly secured to the main body of the upper <NUM>.

The strap <NUM> may include an eyelet <NUM> that is aligned with a corresponding eyelet <NUM> of the upper <NUM> (see <FIG>). In this manner, a lace <NUM> of the shoe may jointly pass through both eyelets <NUM>, <NUM> to jointly apply a tension through both elements.

The guide <NUM> and the strap <NUM> collectively form a strap/guide assembly <NUM>. The strap/guide assembly <NUM> is disposed on a lateral side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, a medial side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, or both. In some embodiments, the strap <NUM> may encircle the heel region <NUM> while including a medial strap portion 122a on a medial side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, a lateral strap portion 122b on a lateral side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, and a connecting strap portion 122c connecting the medial strap portion 122a and the lateral strap portion 122b. The connecting strap portion 122c may extend around and be permanently secured to the heel region <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, for example to reinforce or otherwise embellish the heel counter.

In other embodiments, the strap <NUM> may be a medial strap located at a medial side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>, and the upper <NUM> further includes a lateral strap located at the lateral side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>. In this embodiment, each of the lateral strap and the medial strap is discrete and is individually attached to the upper <NUM>. The lateral strap is individually attached to the lateral strap of the upper, and the medial strap is individually attached to the medial side <NUM> of the upper <NUM>. The strap <NUM> may be permanently attached below the guide <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the strap <NUM> is attached to the article of footwear <NUM> at the biteline <NUM> between the upper and a midsole without necessarily having another permanent attachment (stitching) on the upper below the guide <NUM>.

While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the appended claims. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

Claim 1:
An article of footwear (<NUM>), comprising:
a sole structure (<NUM>); and
an upper (<NUM>) coupled to the sole structure, wherein the upper includes a forefoot region (<NUM>), a heel region (<NUM>), and a midfoot region (<NUM>) disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region, the upper defines an ankle opening (<NUM>) sized to receive a foot and a throat opening (<NUM>) extending from the ankle opening toward the forefoot, and the upper includes:
a main upper body (<NUM>);
a containment strap (<NUM>) coupled to the main upper body, wherein the strap extends from the midfoot region of the upper at the throat opening, down toward the heel region of the upper, wherein the strap is configured to provide stability, and the strap is configured to draw a wearer's heel down and back in the article of footwear when tensioned via a lace (<NUM>) extending across the throat opening;
an ancillary piece of material (<NUM>) affixed to an external surface of the main upper body at a first location and at a second location, the ancillary piece of material including a central region between the first location and the second location that is not directly attached to the main upper body;
wherein the central region defines a guide (<NUM>) to slidably receive the containment strap between the ancillary piece of material and the main upper body,
wherein the containment strap is permanently affixed to the upper only at a location between the guide and the sole structure, and
characterised in that
the containment strap is permanently affixed to a heel counter provided in the heel region.