US3464125A - Sneaker - Google Patents

Description

p 2. 1969 D. H. coNwAY 3,464,125

SNEAKER Filed Jan. 9, 1967 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 t B m mvroe DAVID H.CUNWAY D. H- CONWAY Sept. 2, 1969 SNEAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1967 lowmlmlmlllmmnm //vr//vr0/e DAVID H. CONWAY United States Patent O 3,464,125 SNEAKER David H. Conway, 368 S. Goodman St., Rochester, N.Y. 14607 Filed Jan. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 608,096 Int. Cl. A431) /10, 23/28, 7/16 US. Cl. 362.5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sneaker having support means for engaging and restraining foot elongation and other stresses.

One of the most common foot troubles that originates from usingsneakers and in particular tennis sneakers is that damage to one foot arises from foot elongation. When one wearing sneakers such as a tennis sneaker stops suddenly or quickly and suddenly changes direction there is a tendency for the foot to elongate or spread. Quite frequently this elongation forces the toes against the ends of the sneakers. This elongation in turn often results in sore toes or injuries which in some instances are termed athletes foot on the toenail. This is a type of injury in which the enlarged toenail becomes discolored. The present invention is designed to overcome this difficulty by providing means for preventing foot elongation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION These means preferably are in the form of a flexible resilient fabric band means secured to the shoe and designed to fit over the wearers instep and which restrains the instep against the forward elongation. This fabric band is also designed to prevent undue flattening of the inner arch and further acts as a massager because of its resilient stretchable consistency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The present invention is also designed to provide a pad of deformable material in the toe region so as to permit deformation of the sole upon application of pressure through the wearers toe. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a tennis sneaker embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematical cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially cross sectioned side elevation with a cross sectioned portion taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional elevation of a modification of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 with a cross section of FIG. 5 taken along a line Patented Sept. 2, 1969 substantially similar to the cross sectional view of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described primarily in conjunction with a tennis sneaker. However, it should be understood that the invention herein disclosed may be embodied in footwear of other designs for other purposes, and in particular in other types of athletic footwear.

A tennis sneaker 1 is formed with a conventional outer sole 2 of rubber or similar material and an upper 3 which may be formed of canvas or other suitable material conventionally used in fabrication of sneakers. A conventional rubber toepiece 4 may be formed on a sneaker. The sneaker is preferably formed with a relatively high rear quarter 7 having an upper edge 5 substantially higher than the height of a conventional tennis sneaker. Dotted line 6 illustrates the location of the upper edge of a conventional tennis sneaker which as illustrated would ordinarily extend just below the heel of the wearer. The sneaker is conventionally provided with a tongue (not shown) and eyelets 8 through which a shoelace 9 may be threaded in a usual fashion. Preferably an extra eyelet 10 at the upper end of the top of each row of eyelets is provided so that the extra height of the snaker may be accommodated.

Positioned above the outer sole 2 and outer sole liner 2A and preferably secured to the upper surface of the outer sole 2 or to a midsole are a pair of wedges 12 and 13 (FIG. 3). Wedge 12 is a heel wedge which borders the inner side 15 of the sneaker from the instep area 16 rearwardly, to the rear 17 of the heel. This heel wedge covers only the inner portion of the heel and may have a thickness that will vary depending upon the size of the shoe and the desired elevation up to a thickness of approximately A. The edges of the wedge 12 are preferably skived as illustrated at 18 to present a feathered edge. The wedge 13 is a wedge located in the instep region from a transverse line 19 that preferably defines the for- 'ward portion of the Wedge 12 forwardly to a forward edge 20 that is about aligned with the forward edge of the instep of the shoe. Preferably this wedge 13 is also skived to form a feathered edge as illustrated at 21. This wedge 13 may be positioned on the outer side 24 only of the shoe. The wedge 13 may be a thickness equal to the thickness of the wedge 12. Also positioned above the upper surface of the outer sole liner 2A is a wedge of kneadable or deformable nonresilient material forming a pad 28 of about the same thickness as wedges 12 and 13. This pad or wedge 28 is designed to be deformed by the toe pressure of the wearer. This material will retain an impression of the wearers toes as impressed through the inner sole 29.

Positioned above pad 28 and wedges 12 and 13 is a lift 29A. This lift 29A extends from the heel forwardly to the metatarsal area. The lift 29A is tapered preferably from a thickness of about of an inch at the heel to a feathered edge at the metatarsal area. This lift covers the wedges 12 and 13 and functions to raise the heel and thereby relieve pressure tensions on the calf muscles. This lift functions cooperatively with the bands hereafter described that engage the instep to restrain the foot of the wearer in a comfortable position with tensions in the calf muscles relieved while at the same time the bands restrain undesired forward thrust of the foot.

Positioned above lift 29A is a cellular inner sole 29 of conventional shape but preferably having a thickness of at least A". The upper surface of the inner sole 29 is conventionally covered with fabric or material as illus trated in 30.

Means are provided in the shoe to engage in the instep area of the wearers foot and hold the foot securely within the shoe against stresses that tend to elongate the foot and force it forwardly toward the toe of the shoe. These means cooperate with lift 29A and comprise primarily a first fabric band 40. This fabric band 40 is preferably formed of an elongated resilient stretchable material such as an elastic fabric material. The fabric material is generally formed into shape having end sections 41 and 42 interconnected by an intermediate bight section 44 (FIG. 2). These end sections 41, 42 extend upwardly on either side of the sneaker at the instep region immediately adjacent and on the inner side of the upper. The bight section 44 is positioned parallel to the inner face of insole 30 and is connected to the lower or inner ends of the end sections 41 and 42. This first fabric band section 40 is secured to the shoe by means of a second flexible fabric band 50 made preferably of the same material from which the first fabric or band is made. The second flexible fabric band is positioned entirely within the shoe and is U-shaped with legs 51 and 52 interconnected by a bight section 53 to form a U-shaped member with the bight of the U extending around the heel or rear quarter of the sneakers upper. The bight section 53 is suitably secured to the rear quarter of the upper by stitching 54 and 55 or by other suitable means. The integrally connected legs 51 and 52 in turn are secured to the inner or lower portion of the end sections 41 and 42 respectively by stitching 56 or other suitable means.

Means are provided for adjustably securing the free ends of the band sections to one another so that they may be tightened over the top of the wearers instep. Preferably these means comprise a material commonly known as Velcro. This material consists of interengageable pads of material. One pad 60 of material comprises a fuzz or like material suitably formed or secured on a base fabric. The other pad comprises a series of small hook-like members that are made of material such as nylon and illustrated at 61. These hook-like members are anchored at one end in a base fabric and are free at their hook end to engage the other pad 60 when pressed into contact with it. The pad 60 is secured to the outer surface of leg 41 which in turn is positioned on the instep side of the shoe. The hook-like members 61 are secured to the inner or lower surface of section 42 and are adapted to be laid over pad 60 in facing relation with it for adjustably interengaging end sections 41 or 42. The sneaker may also be formed with a loop 70 secured to the rear of the sneaker by suitable and conventional means.

Also contemplated by the present invention is modification of the preferred embodiment. Except as otherwise described this modification is the same as the preferred embodiment. End sections 41 and 42 are formed of separate lengths of flexible resiliently stretchable fabric material instead of being integrally connected by bight 44, with these separate sections 41 and 42 being anchored or otherwise suitably secured at their inner or lower ends to the sole construction of the sneaker by a suitable means. The said second flexible fabric band 50' is optional in this construction.

In FIG. there is shown a modification of the invention in which the construction is similar to that previously described except as otherwise described herein. In this con struction the bands 41A and 42B are formed similarly to the end sections 41 and 42 of band 40 of the preferred modification. However, these bands 41A and 42A are separately formed and are attached to the sneaker only at their lower ends 43A with the lower ends of these bands suitably anchored by cement or other means to the outer sole 2 at 44A by means such as cement or the like. These bands 41A and 42A may be used in the same fashion as the band 40 previously described.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a footwear construction with an upper having a rear quarter, means positioned within the footwear construction for engaging the wearers foot comprising:

a pair of fabric band sections with each having one end adapted to extend above the inner sole and below and under the arch of the wearers foot at the instep region and the other end adapted to extend over the top of the wearers foot at the instep region forward of the ankle, means securing each of said band sections at said one end to said footwear, and means for adjustably interengaging said free ends of said fabric bands, said fabric band sections and said interengaging means arranged to secure the foot and hold it against forces that tend to elongate the foot and force it toward the toe area of the footwear construction.

2. A footwear construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fabric band sections comprise a single first band of resiliently stretchable material with said fabric band sections integrally connected by an intermediate section which normally extends above the inner sole and below the arch of the wearers foot whereby said intermediate section may be engaged about arches of the wearers foot to restrain undue flattening.

3. A construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means securing said band sections comprises a second flexible fabric band formed in a generally U-shaped and lying within said rear quarter, said U-shaped fabric having a pair of legs interconnected by a bight section, stitching extending through said bight section and into said rear quarter thereby securing said U-shaped fabric to said footwear, and means securing said legs one to each of said ends.

4. A construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said fabric band sections comprise a single first band of resiliently stretchable material integrally connected by an intermediate section which normally extends below the arch of the wearers foot, said second flexible fabric band is resiliently stretchable and said first fabric band is secured only to said legs of said second fabric band with at least some portion of said legs adjacent said second fabric band free of said rear quarter.

5. A construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein said means for adjustably interengaging said free ends of said fabric bands comprise a pad with a face of fibrous fuzz and a pad with a face of projecting hooked bristles adapted removeably interengaged by application of pressure thereto, said pads secured one to each of the free end of said fabric band sections.

6. A construction as set forth in claim 5 wherein one pad is secured to the upper surface of the fabric band section on the instep side of the sneaker and the other pad is secured to the lower surface of the fabric band section on the outer side of the footwear, when said band sections are wrapped about the wearers foot.

7. A construction as set forth in claim 6 having an inner sole formed of resilient compressible cellular material, a pair of wedges adjacent said inner sole, one of said wedges extending from the instep rearwardly and covering the inner portion of the heel, the other of said wedges covering the outer side of the instep only.

8. A construction as set forth in claim 7 having a deformable material positioned adjacent said innersole at the toe area adapted to be molded by application of pressure from the wearers toe.

9. A construction as set forth in claim 1 having a lift positioned in the heel area and tapered from the heel to a feathered edge in the area of the metatarsal region.

10. A footwear construction as set forth in claim 1 having a pair of wedges adjacent the inner sole, one of the wedges extending from the instep rearwardly and covering 5 6 at least the inner portion of the heel, the other of said FOREIGN PATENTS wedges covering the outer side of the instep only. 232,654 5/1959 Australizh References Cited OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 The Master Shoe Rebuilder by James Natale, Vol. 10,

1,286,787 12/1918 Rokahr 36-25 X 10; ember 1950;

2,539,761 1/1951 Whitman 36-25 3,015,896 1/1962 Breslow 36 58.5 PATRICK W Prlmary E m r 3,327,410 6/1967 Park et a1. 36-25 US. Cl. X.R.

2,095,277 10/1937 Musebeck 128-614 10 36-S8.5;128-614

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