FR3064454A1 - SHOE - Google Patents

Abstract

The shoe (1) comprises: - a sole (2); - a foot strap (6) having two side portions (7a, 7b) whose rear ends (8a, 8b) are attached to the sole, and a central portion (12) attached to the front end of the side portions; - a toe strap (13) having one end attached to the sole (2) and an end portion (16) opposite assembled to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6); - a clamping band (20) passing over the top of the foot and for adjusting the spacing between the first and second side portions (7a, 7b) of the foot strap (6); - Adjusting means (30) for the position of said end portion (16) of the toe strap (13) relative to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6).

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number:

(only to be used for reproduction orders) © National registration number

064 454

52711

COURBEVOIE © IntCI ⁸ : A 43 B 3/10 (2017.01)

PATENT INVENTION APPLICATION

A1

©) Date of filing: 30.03.17. (30) Priority: (© Applicant (s): GIBAUD Simplified joint stock company - FR. (© Inventor (s): DEVILLERS Laurent. ®) Date of public availability of the request: 05.10.18 Bulletin 18/40. ©) List of documents cited in the preliminary search report: See the end of this booklet (© References to other related national documents: (® Holder (s): GIBAUD Simplified joint-stock company. ©) Extension request (s): ® Agent (s): CABINET GERMAIN ET MAUREAU.

(04) SHOE.

FR 3 064 454 - A1

The shoe (1) includes:

- a sole (2);

- A foot strap (6) having two lateral portions (7a, 7b) whose rear ends (8a, 8b) are fixed to the sole, and a central portion (12) fixed to the front end of the lateral portions;

- a toe strap (13) having one end fixed to the sole (2) and an opposite end part (16) assembled to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6);

- a tightening band (20) passing over the top of the foot and making it possible to adjust the spacing between the first and second lateral portions (7a, 7b) of the foot strap (6);

- Adjustment means (30) of the position of said end portion (16) of the toe strap (13) relative to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6).

i

The present invention relates to a shoe.

More specifically, the invention relates to a shoe which comprises a sole, a foot strap shaped to be disposed around the foot of the user, and a toe strap configured to pass between two toes.

These “tong” type shoes are very popular, especially for their lightness and their ease of putting on and taking off quickly.

However, a major drawback of these shoes is that the foot is generally not well held, thus preventing prolonged wearing of these shoes and limiting their use at times of poor physical activity. Another drawback lies in the fact that the strap and / or the strap can injure the feet, especially since these shoes are most often worn barefoot.

The present invention aims to remedy the drawbacks mentioned above.

To this end, the invention relates to a shoe having a longitudinal axis and comprising:

• a sole;

• a foot strap shaped to be arranged around the user's foot, the foot strap having:

- a first lateral portion having a rear end fixed to a first lateral zone of the sole;

- a second lateral portion having a rear end fixed to a second lateral zone of the sole which is substantially opposite to the first lateral zone with respect to the longitudinal axis;

- A central portion shaped to be placed on the upper face of the foot, which is fixed to the front end of the first side portion and to the front end of the second side portion;

• a toe strap configured to pass between two toes, the toe strap having one end fixed to the sole and an opposite end part assembled to the central portion of the foot strap.

According to a general definition of the invention, the shoe further comprises:

• a tightening band shaped to pass over the top of the foot, having an end part associated with one of the lateral portions and another end part associated with the other of the lateral portions in a removable and adjustable manner, the tightening band being shaped to allow the spacing between the first and second side portions of the foot strap to be adjusted;

• means for adjusting the position of said end part of the toe strap relative to the central portion of the foot strap.

Thus, the tightening strip makes it possible to more or less tighten the first and second lateral portions of the foot strap, typically in a transverse direction, for example in the vicinity of the central portion. In this way, the user can obtain both great ease of donning the shoe when the lateral portions are relatively spaced - and then good support of the foot - by bringing the lateral portions together.

In addition, the adjustment means make it possible to vary the effective height of the toe strap, as a function of the morphology of the wearer's foot. Indeed, at equal size, the height of the foot at the toes can vary from one individual to another. By offering such an adjustment of the toe strap, the invention allows an excellent adaptation of the shoe to the wearer, ensuring both good support and good comfort.

The advantage of such a combination of a tightening band and of adjustment means is particularly important in the case of a shoe devoid of a strap shaped to pass at the rear of the foot. Indeed, such a shoe has only a few elements making it possible to hold the foot firmly against the sole.

It should be noted that the longitudinal axis of the shoe is a median axis, but not necessarily an axis of symmetry, so that the shoe fits well with the non-symmetrical morphology of the foot.

The foot strap can be made in one piece. The rear end of the lateral portions can be fixed to the sole in the zone covering the rear two thirds of the sole, or even the rear half, or even the rear quarter.

According to a possible embodiment, the adjustment means comprise a series of first members formed on the toe strap, respectively the foot strap, and a second member capable of cooperating with one of said first members, the second member being arranged on the foot strap, respectively the toe strap.

For example, the adjustment means comprise a series of holes made on the toe strap, respectively the foot strap, and a rod capable of being engaged in one of said holes, the rod being formed on the foot strap, the toe strap respectively.

Other variants are however possible, such as a system of snaps with a single male part engaging one of the female parts of a series - or the reverse.

According to one embodiment, the adjustment means comprise on the one hand a series of holes made in the toe strap, substantially aligned along the toe strap, and on the other hand a belt buckle type member which is mounted on the central portion of the foot strap and which is provided with a pivoting rod capable of being engaged in one of the holes.

The adjustment means may comprise a member mounted on the central portion of the foot strap, on top of the latter, the central portion comprising an opening in which the toe strap can pass away from the sole, that is to say from bottom to top, so as to be able to cooperate with said member, on the top of the foot strap.

Provision may be made for the toe strap to have a base portion fixed to the sole, which is substantially situated in a first longitudinal plane and orthogonal to the sole. Thus, the thickness of the toe strap is relatively small in said base portion, that is to say between the two toes concerned, which gives greater wearing comfort.

In addition, said base portion can be extended by an attachment portion intended to be assembled with the central portion of the foot strap, said attachment portion being substantially located in a second plane which is orthogonal to the foreground and which is tangent to the upper face of the foot when the shoe is worn. The different orientation of the attachment portion allows assembly to the central portion of the foot strap by limiting the excess thickness.

According to one embodiment, each of the lateral portions of the foot strap extends from its rear end towards the front and away from the sole, defining a convex shape able to go along the foot and to go up on that -ci, each side portion further comprising a front portion extending substantially longitudinally to the front end fixed to the central portion, the front portions of the first and second side portions being separated by a slot. The existence of the slot confers a relatively large amplitude of relative movement of the lateral portions, for tightening / loosening the shoe, and avoids the unsightly and potentially painful overlapping of these lateral portions, when they are brought together.

The tightening band can be substantially superimposed on the lateral portions of the foot strap - possibly with the exception of the substantially longitudinal front part of the foot strap, when it is provided. In other words, the tightening band follows the shape of the lateral portions of the foot strap, for example by substantially forming a U, instead of extending substantially transversely from one lateral portion to the other. Such a configuration is advantageous in terms of aesthetics, but also of comfort, because, thus, the shoe does not include an additional strap bearing on the foot.

One of the end portions of the tightening band can be fixed to one of the lateral portions, while the other of the end portions can be associated with the other of the lateral portions in an adjustable manner along said other lateral portion , for example by means of a Velcro® type system.

A possible embodiment of the invention is now described, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended figures:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the shoe;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the shoe;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the front part of the shoe;

Figure 5 shows the shoe with the tightening band in the open position and the toe strap not assembled to the foot strap.

FIG. 1 represents an embodiment of a shoe 1 according to the invention, of the “tong” type. This shoe 1 can be devoid of a shaped strap to pass behind the user's foot.

The shoe 1 comprises a sole 2 itself comprising a base 3 intended to be in contact with the ground, and an upper layer 4 on which the user's foot will rest.

The base 3 may be made of a plastic material or of elastomer, and may include notches preventing slipping on the ground. The upper layer 4 forms a comfort covering and can be made of various suitable materials, for example leather. The upper layer 4 may include reliefs for a better adaptation to the geometry of the foot, to avoid slipping of the foot, and / or for other functions. For example, the upper layer 4 may include a recessed rear relief 5a to accommodate the heel, a convex relief 5b aimed at at least partially filling the arch of the foot, and / or a front relief 5c forming a rib accommodating itself at the junction between the toes and the main part of the foot.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the direction X is defined as the longitudinal direction - corresponding to the anteroposterior direction of the foot when the shoe is worn. It is in relation to this direction that the terms "front" and "rear" are used. We also define the direction Z as the direction orthogonal to the sole - corresponding to the vertical direction when the sole is placed on a horizontal ground. The terms "height", "upper", "lower" and the like are used with reference to the direction Z. Finally, the direction Y is defined as being orthogonal to the directions X and Z. The terms "lateral" and "transverse" are employees with reference to direction Y.

The shoe 1 has a longitudinal axis A which is a substantially median axis but which preferably is not an axis of symmetry, the sole 2 having a contour adapted to that of the foot.

The shoe 1 further comprises a foot strap 6 shaped to be arranged around the foot of the user. The foot strap 6 is here made in one piece, for example in leather, this not being limiting.

The foot strap 6 has a first lateral portion 7a having a rear end 8a fixed to a first lateral zone of the sole 2, for example in the rear half of the sole 2, in the vicinity or slightly forward of the rear relief 5a. The foot strap 6 also has a second lateral portion 7b having a rear end 8b fixed to a second lateral zone of the sole 2, which is substantially opposite to the first lateral zone relative to the longitudinal axis A. Concretely, the rear end portion of the lateral portions 7a, 7b can be sandwiched between the base 3 and the upper layer 4 of the sole 2.

Each of the lateral portions 7a, 7b of the foot strap 6 extends from its rear end 8a, 8b towards the front and away from the sole 2, defining a convex shape capable of running along the foot and going up on this one.

Each lateral portion 7a, 7b further comprises a front part, respectively 9a and 9b, which extends substantially longitudinally to the front end 10a, 10b of the first lateral portion 7a and of the second lateral portion 7b. The front parts 9a, 9b of the first and second lateral portions 7a, 7b are separated by a slot 11 which extends substantially longitudinally. By way of example, the width of the slot 11 at rest, that is to say when no stress is applied to the foot strap 6, can be of the order of 1 to 2 cm, as seen in Figure 5.

The foot strap 6 also has a central portion 12 which commonly extends the lateral portions 7a, 7b, from their front ends 10a, 10b, substantially in the longitudinal direction and towards the front. The central portion 12 is shaped to be placed on the upper face of the foot.

The shoe 1 also comprises a toe strap 13 which is configured to pass between two toes, typically between the big toe and the neighboring toe, and which has a first end 14 fixed to the sole 2.

From the first end 14, the toe strap 13 has a base portion 15 which is substantially situated in a plane (X, Z) and passes between two toes when the shoe 1 is worn, extended by an attachment portion 16 assembled with the central portion 12 of the foot strap 6. The attachment portion 16 may be substantially located in a plane orthogonal to (X, Z) and which is tangent to the upper face of the foot when the shoe 1 is worn.

According to the invention, the shoe 1 comprises a tightening band 20 whose function is to adjust the spacing between the first and second lateral portions 7a, 7b of the foot strap 6 so that these provide good support for the foot in shoe 1, especially laterally.

The tightening band 20 has an end portion 21 associated with one of the lateral portions, here 7b, and which can be fixed to the latter, for example by sewing. The other end portion 22 of the tightening strip 20 is associated with the other of the lateral portions, here 7a, in a removable and adjustable manner. To this end, said lateral strip 7a may include an area 23 of loops and the end portion 22 of the tightening strip 20 an area 24 of hooks to allow Velcro® type assembly. By moving the end portion 22 along the lateral portion 7a, the width of the slot 11 and therefore the tightening of the user's foot can be varied.

According to a possible embodiment, the tightening band 20 substantially forms a U superimposed on the lateral portions 7a, 7b of the foot strap 6, and passing over the top of the foot, when the shoe 1 is worn.

In order to improve the holding of the foot in the shoe 1, without compromising comfort, and this for different foot morphologies, the shoe 1 of the invention also comprises means 30 for adjusting the position of the second end 17 of the toe strap 13 relative to the central portion 12 of the foot strap 6.

According to one embodiment, a member 31 of the belt buckle type is mounted on the central portion 12 of the foot strap 6, on top of the latter.

This member comprises for example a ring 32 on which is mounted an axis 33 substantially diametrically, and a rod 34 pivotally mounted on the axis 33. In addition, the toe strap 13 is provided with a series of holes 35, of preferably substantially aligned along the toe strap 13.

An opening 36 is formed in the central portion 12 of the foot strap 6, for example substantially transversely. The attachment portion 16 of the toe strap 13 passes through the opening 36, from bottom to top, then is passed through the ring 32, while the rod 34 is engaged in that of the holes 35 which offers the desired adjustment of the effective height of the toe strap 13.

Thus, the invention brings a decisive improvement to the prior art, by providing a shoe 1 of the tong type which ensures good support for the foot and improved wearing comfort.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described above by way of example but that it includes all the technical equivalents and variants of the means described as well as their combinations.

Claims (9)

1. Shoe having a longitudinal axis (A) and comprising: • a sole (2); • a foot strap (6) shaped to be arranged around the user's foot, the foot strap (6) having: - a first lateral portion (7a) having a rear end (8a) fixed to a first lateral zone of the sole (2); - a second lateral portion (7b) having a rear end (8b) fixed to a second lateral zone of the sole (2) which is substantially opposite to the first lateral zone relative to the longitudinal axis (A); - a central portion (12) shaped to be placed on the upper face of the foot, which is fixed to the front end (10a) of the first lateral portion (7a) and to the front end (10b) of the second portion lateral (7b); • a toe strap (13) configured to pass between two toes, the toe strap (13) having one end (14) fixed to the sole (2) and an opposite end part (16) assembled to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6); characterized in that the shoe (1) further comprises: • a tightening band (20) shaped to pass over the top of the foot, having an end part (21) associated with one of the lateral portions (7a, 7b) and another end part (22) associated with the other side portions (7b, 7a) removably and adjustable, the tightening band (20) being shaped to allow the spacing between the first and second side portions (7a, 7b) of the foot strap (6) to be adjusted ; • means for adjusting (30) the position of said end portion (16) of the toe strap (13) relative to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6). 2. Shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment means (30) comprise a series of first members (35) formed on the toe strap (13), respectively the foot strap (6), and a second member (34) able to cooperate with one of said first members (35), the second member (34) being formed on the foot strap (6), respectively the toe strap (13). 3. Shoe according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adjustment means (30) comprise a series of holes (35) formed on the toe strap (13), respectively the foot strap (6), and a rod (34) capable of being engaged in one of said holes (35), the rod (34) being formed on the foot strap (6), respectively the toe strap (13). 4. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adjustment means (30) comprise on the one hand a series of holes (35) formed in the strap of toes (13), substantially aligned the along the toe strap (13), and on the other hand a belt buckle-type member (31) which is mounted on the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6) and which is provided with a pivoting rod (34) able to be engaged in one of the holes (35). 5. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adjustment means (30) comprise a member (31) mounted on the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6), on top thereof, and in that the central portion (12) has an opening (36) in which the toe strap (13) can pass away from the sole (2), so as to be able to cooperate with said member (31). 6. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the toe strap (13) has a base portion (15) fixed to the sole (2), which is substantially located in a first longitudinal plane and orthogonal to the sole (2), said base portion (15) being extended by an attachment portion (16) intended to be assembled to the central portion (12) of the foot strap (6), said portion d 'fastener (16) being substantially located in a second plane which is orthogonal to the foreground and which is tangent to the upper face of the foot when the shoe (1) is worn. 7. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each of the lateral portions (7a, 7b) of the foot strap (6) extends from its rear end (8a, 8b) towards the front and moving away from the sole (2), defining a convex shape capable of running along the foot and going up on it, each ίο lateral portion (7a, 7b) further comprising a front part (9a, 9b) extending substantially longitudinally to the front end (10a, 10b) fixed to the central portion (12), the front parts (9a, 9b) of the first and second lateral portions (7a, 7b) being separated by a slot (11). 8. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tightening strip (20) is substantially superimposed on the lateral portions (7a, 7b) of the foot strap (6). 10 9. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that one of the end parts (21) of the tightening band (20) is fixed to one of the side portions (7b) and the another of the end portions (22) is associated with the other of the side portions (7a) in an adjustable manner along said other side portion (7a), for example by means of a Velcro® type system (23, 24) . 10. Shoe according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it does not have a shaped strap to pass at the rear of the foot. 1/2