US 12,262,788 B2Granted

Ballet pointe shoe

OwnerLisias Ransaninventor

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Abstract

A ballet pointe shoe has an upper in which a shank insert and/or an elastic loop can removably and replaceably installed without even partial deconstruction of the ballet pointe shoe. Embodiments may have an upper including a tunnel which may extend beneath a toe box, the tunnel having a mouth which is accessible via the foot compartment and by way of which a shank insert can be installed, removed or replaced. In some embodiments an elastic loop may be routed under a portion of the shank insert extending from the mouth of the tunnel. In some embodiments the tunnel may penetrate a shank body under which an elastic loop may be routed. A shank insert and/or elastic loop may be selected from sets of ones having different characteristics. In some embodiments the toe box and shank body may be included in a monolithic foot supporting structure. In some embodiments a shank insert and/or toe box may be reshaped at any time.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe comprising:

(a) an insole;
(b) an upper having a foot compartment and a throat by way of which a foot of the ballet dancer enters said foot compartment, said insole being disposed inside said foot compartment, said upper including a monolithic foot-supporting structure, the monolithic foot-supporting structure including (i) a toe box having a base, (ii) a shank body which extends longitudinally rearward from said base of said toe box, and (iii) a tunnel which penetrates said shank body and extends longitudinally through at least a portion of said shank body and into at least a portion of said base of said toe box, said tunnel having an open mouth disposed on said shank body, said open mouth being revealably concealed beneath said insole and being accessible by way of said throat and said foot compartment;
(c) an outsole disposed beneath said upper;
and
(d) a shank insert, a portion of said shank insert being removably and replaceably received in said tunnel when said shank insert is installed in said tunnel, said shank insert being removable from the ballet pointe shoe by withdrawing said portion of said shank insert from said tunnel by way of said open mouth of said tunnel and said throat of said upper, said shank insert being replaceable by inserting said portion of said shank insert into said tunnel by way of said throat of said upper and said open mouth of said tunnel.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/236,574Filed 21 Apr 2021 · continuation
Priority: 26 Oct 2018
Published: US 2021/0267310 A12 Sep 2021
Granted: 1 Apr 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A43B 13/41
Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing…
A43B 5/12
Footwear for sporting purposes: dancing shoes
A43B 13/42
Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units: filling materials located between the insole and outer sole; Stiffening materials
A43B 23/087
Made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like: made of plastics

Family

Application62/751,243Us provisional application · filed 26 Oct 2018
Application62/754,105Us provisional application · filed 1 Nov 2018
Application62/794,589Us provisional application · filed 19 Jan 2019
Application62/925,729Us provisional application · filed 24 Oct 2019
PCT/US2019/058206Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Oct 2019
US 2021/0267310 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Sep 2021
US 12,262,788 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.