Patent ID: 7140938

Claim:
A fin member adapted to be connected to a person's footwear where the footwear has a sole comprising a forward sole portion to engage a forward portion of the person's foot and a rear sole portion to engage a rear portion of the person's foot, and a strap assembly which is arranged to retain the foot on the sole and which comprises at least a forward strap portion that has first and second strap connecting portions that engage at least first and second opposite side portions of the sole at first and second side connecting locations of the sole, said fin member comprising: a) a rear fin mounting section which is arranged to be connected in an operating position to the forward sole portion, said fin mounting section having first and second side strap engaging recesses which, in the operating position, are located at the first and second side connecting locations and arranged to receive the first and second strap connecting portions of the forward strap portions in retaining positions in a manner that with a person's foot positioned in the footwear, the fin mounting section is positioned between an upper forward surface portion of the sole and the forward portion of the person's foot; b) a forward fin section which is connected to, and extends forwardly from, said fin mounting portion; c) said strap engaging recesses each comprising forward and rear retaining region surfaces to position to restrain forward and rear movement of the strap connecting portion located in that strap engaging recess whereby with the fin member in its operating position and with a person's foot positioned on the sole and with the retaining strap section retaining the foot, and with strap connecting portions retained in the first and second strap retaining recesses, lateral and/or front to rear movement of the fin member relative to the sole is restrained.