US 12,064,011 B2 · Footwear article with hinged heel

Abstract

A footwear article includes a hinged portion in a heel region that may be biased in various positions to increase or decrease a size of a foot-insertion opening. The hinged portion may be arranged in a first position, in which the hinged portion is more upright and is in position to cup a wearer's heel or Achilles region when the footwear article is worn. In addition, the hinged portion may be rotated downward or rearwardly (e.g., away from the foot-insertion opening) to a second position, which may increase a size of the foot-insertion opening and/or may change an angle along which a foot can pass through the foot-insertion opening when the footwear article is being donned or doffed. One or more elastic members may be attached to the hinged portion and to some other portion of the footwear article to bias the hinged portion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A footwear article comprising:

a sole;
an upper coupled to the sole and including a collar;
a heel flap connected to the collar by a hinge;
and
an elastic member comprising:
an end portion coupled to the sole, the upper, or any combination thereof;
an elongate portion extending both superiorly and posteriorly from the end portion to a pull portion of the elastic member, the pull portion being movable between a first position that is superior to the hinge and a second position that is inferior to the hinge;
and
a tacked-down portion coupled to the heel flap by a fixed-state connector, the fixed state connector directly coupling the elastic member to the heel flap at the tacked-down portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Footwear article with hinged heel

Life of this patent

Footwear article with hinged heel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20