Articles of footwear and other foot-receiving devices having dynamically adjustable heel portions
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsShane S. Kohatsu, Matthew C. Palmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Articles of footwear having an upper including a dynamic fit heel portion and a main body. The dynamic fit heel portion may include a lower heel counter and an upper heel collar. The upper heel collar may define at least in part, a foot-receiving chamber. An expandable joint may be provided between the lower heel counter and the upper heel collar. A material forming the expandable joint may have a higher flexibility and a higher stretch than the lower heel counter and the upper heel collar. The lower heel counter, the upper heel collar, and the expandable joint may be configured to align with portions of a heel and ankle of a wearer so as to provide a flexible heel and ankle fit.
Claims20
An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
- a main body including a lateral side, and a medial side;
- and
- a heel portion including:
- a heel section extending from the lateral side of the main body, around a rear heel portion, and to the medial side of the main body, wherein an upper portion of the heel section defines, at least in part, a foot receiving chamber;
- an reinforcing collar coupled to at least a portion of the heel section, the reinforcing collar extending from the lateral side of the heel section, around the rear heel portion, and to the medial side of the heel section;
- a side anchor provided on at least one of the lateral side of the heel section and the medial side of the heel section and extending from the reinforcing collar toward the sole structure;
- and
- a flexible zone adjacent to at least a portion of the reinforcing collar, wherein the flexible zone comprises a material having a higher flexibility and a higher stretch than the reinforcing collar and the side anchor,
- wherein the reinforcing collar, the side anchor, and the flexible zone are configured to provide regions of differing flexibility that enable a dynamic fit of the heel portion.
An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
- a main body portion including a lateral side and a medial side;
- and
- a heel portion including:
- a heel section extending from the lateral side of the main body, around a rear heel portion, and to the medial side of the main body, wherein an upper portion of the heel section defines, at least in part, a foot receiving chamber;
- an reinforcing collar coupled to at least a portion of the heel section, the reinforcing collar extending around the rear heel portion to at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the heel section;
- a side anchor provided on at least one of the lateral side of the heel section and the medial side of the heel section and extending from the reinforcing collar;
- and
- a flexible zone adjacent to at least a portion of the reinforcing collar, wherein the flexible zone comprises a material having a higher flexibility and a higher stretch than the reinforcing collar and the side anchor.
An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
- a main body comprising:
- a lateral side;
- a medial side;
- and
- a securing system;
- and
- a heel portion configured to provide regions of differing flexibility that enable a dynamic fit of the heel portion, wherein the heel portion comprises:
- a heel section extending from the lateral side of the main body, around a rear heel portion, and to the medial side of the main body, wherein an upper portion of the heel section defines, at least in part, a foot receiving chamber;
- an reinforcing collar coupled to at least a portion of the heel section, the reinforcing collar extending around the rear heel portion to at least one of the lateral side of the heel section and the medial side of the heel section;
- a side anchor provided on at least one of the lateral side of the heel section and the medial side of the heel section and extending from the reinforcing collar toward the sole structure;
- and
- a flexible zone adjacent to at least a portion of the reinforcing collar, wherein the flexible zone comprises a material having a higher flexibility and a higher stretch than the reinforcing collar and the side anchor,
- wherein a tightening force applied to the securing system causes the flexible zone to stretch while the reinforcing collar and side anchor remain generally inelastic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.