Patent ID: 7624518

Claim:
A shoe comprising: a shoe sole having opposite top and bottom surfaces, a rear heel end and a front toe end, and opposite left and right sides extending along opposite sides of the shoe sole between the heel end and the toe end; an upper secured to the shoe sole extending upwardly from the shoe sole top surface and surrounding an interior of the shoe, the upper having a heel portion that extends around the shoe sole top surface at the shoe sole heel end and extends upwardly from the shoe sole to a collar edge of the upper that defines an ankle opening into the upper above the shoe sole top surface; the upper having a left side and a right side that extend forwardly from the upper heel portion along the respective shoe sole left side and the shoe sole right side and extend upwardly from the shoe sole to a respective upper left side edge and an upper right side edge that define a forefoot opening into the upper above the shoe sole top surface; the upper having a tongue with a left slot and a right slot; a plurality of lacing openings arranged in a line along the upper left side edge and arranged in a line along the upper right side edge, each lacing opening of the plurality of lacing openings having no lacing positioned in the lacing openings; and, a band having a length with opposite left and right ends, the band left end being secured to the upper left side inside the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings and the band right end being secured to the upper right side inside the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings with the band length extending across the forefoot opening, the band positioned forward of the ankle opening of the upper to allow for easy insertion of a wearer's foot into the shoe the band further configured to securely hold the shoe on the foot, a first portion of the band positioned over the tongue between the left slot and the upper left side, a second portion of the band positioned over the tongue between the right slot and the upper right side, the first and second portions of the band concealed by the upper when worn by the wearer without laces, and an intermediate portion of the band between the left and right slots concealed by the tongue of the shoe so that the band is not visible when worn by the wearer without laces.