Patent ID: 6952890

Claim:
An article of footwear that includes an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper, the upper comprising: a lateral area extending along a lateral side of the footwear and into a vamp area of the footwear, the lateral area forming a lateral edge in the vamp area, and the lateral area including a plurality of apertures located adjacent the lateral edge; a medial area extending along a medial side of the footwear and into the vamp area, the medial area forming a medial edge in the vamp area, and the medial area including a plurality of apertures located adjacent the medial edge; a tongue positioned in the vamp area and extending under the lateral edge and the medial edge, the tongue being attached to an interior surface of the lateral area and an interior surface of the medial area; a lace extending in a zigzag pattern through at least a portion of the apertures of the lateral area and the apertures of the medial area; a sleeve that is secured to the tongue, the lace extending through the sleeve and into a mechanical fastener; and a retainer formed from a strip of an elastic material, the retainer being secured to the tongue in a first location and a second location, and the retainer being unattached to the tongue between the first location and the second location to form an area for receiving portions of the lace that extend from the mechanical fastener, the retainer being positioned closer to a toe area of the footwear than the sleeve.