Patent ID: 8087188

Claim:
A weight-activated tying footwear comprising: a sole being operable between a first raised configuration and a second depressed configuration, a tongue for tightening and loosening the footwear against a foot of a user, and a body; at least two side winches, each side winch being oppositely housed in a corresponding vertical side wall of the body and connectable to the tongue and the sole by at least one tension element, the at least two side winches being operable between the raised configuration and the depressed configuration, wherein in the raised configuration, the sole is in a raised position with respect to the ground, the tongue is angled away from the ground, and the foot of the user is extractable and insertable into the footwear, and wherein in the depressed configuration, the sole is pressed down upon insertion of the foot of the user and the sole pulls the at least one tension element, tightening the tongue against the inserted foot of the user; and wherein each side winch comprises: a rotatable ratchet wheel for winding the at least one tension element around the ratchet wheel upon insertion of the foot of the user thus pushing the sole towards the ground, thus tensioning the at least one tension element and rotating the ratchet wheel, and for unwinding the at least one tension element around the ratchet wheel upon removal of the foot of the user from the footwear; a ratchet pawl for removably engaging the ratchet wheel, the ratchet pawl being operable between the raised configuration wherein the ratchet pawl is disengaged from the ratchet wheel allowing it to freely rotate, and the depressed configuration, wherein the ratchet pawl engages the ratchet wheel preventing its rotation; a biasing element applying force against the ratchet pawl so as to maintain removable engagement of the ratchet pawl with the ratchet wheel in the depressed configuration; and a casing integrating the ratchet wheel, the ratchet pawl, and the biasing element.