Patent ID: 8522455

Claim:
An article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a throat region, a forefoot region, a heel region opposite the forefoot region, a first side, and a second side opposite the first side, the upper configured to be adjustably tightened around a wearer's foot; a sole attached to the upper; the upper including a lacing system and a strap system; the strap system including a strap disposed in the forefoot region of the upper and having a first portion, a second portion, and an intermediate portion between the first portion and the second portion; the lacing system including a set of lace eyelets disposed along the throat region; wherein the first portion of the strap is fixed to the first side of the upper and wherein the strap extends across the article of footwear to the second side of the upper; wherein the intermediate portion of the strap is disposed through the second side of the upper via a first slot and a second slot on the second side of upper; wherein the set of lace eyelets includes at least one eyelet that is disposed between the heel region of the upper and both of the first slot and the second slot, the first slot and the second slot being aligned with the at least one lace eyelet of set of lace eyelets; and wherein the lacing system is associated with the strap system by a first lace eyelet that is separate from the set of lace eyelets and attached to an inner surface of the throat region of the upper between the first and second slots, the first lace eyelet being disposed near the forefoot region of the upper.