# US 4,398,358 A · Athletic shoe

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- Number: US 4,398,358 A
- Document ID: US4398358A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/243,243
- Filed: 1981-03-12
- Granted: 1983-08-16
- Earliest claimed: 1981-03-12
- Assignees: Return on Investment Corporation
- Inventors: Carl W. Hilton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398358A

## CPC

- A43B 5/10: Tennis shoes
- A43B 23/027: {with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion}
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR

## Abstract

An athletic shoe is disclosed which is primarily adapted for use in rapid start-stop sports, such as tennis, racquetball, handball and the like. The athletic shoe includes a sole, an upper secured to the sole and a toe cap which is secured to the sole and the upper. The toe cap defines a plurality of narrow slits which extend generally longitudinally of the sole. The narrow slits increase the flexibility of the toe cap and provide room for the toes of the user during rapid stops primarily to prevent bruising of the big toe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An athletic shoe adapted for use in playing tennis, racquetball, handball and the like, said shoe comprising:
a sole;
an upper secured to the sole; and
a toe cap secured to the sole and to the upper, said toe cap including a plurality of narrow slit means therein which extend generally longitudinally of said sole for causing said toe cap to spread apart transversely of said sole, provide increased toe room and reduce the chance of injury during sudden stops without an adverse decrease in lateral stability of the shoe.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An athletic shoe as defined by claim 1 wherein said slits extend parallel to one another and parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the sole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An athletic shoe as defined by claim 1 wherein said slits extend rearwardly from a forward portion of said sole along said toe cap and substantially to said upper.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

An athletic shoe as defined by claim 3 wherein said slits extend parallel to one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An athletic shoe as defined by claim 4 wherein said slits are substantially equally spaced transversely of said toe cap.

### Claim 6

In an athletic shoe used in playing tennis, racquetball, handball and the like, the shoe being of the type including a sole defining a gripping surface, an upper secured to the sole, a toe cap secured to the sole and upper, and a tongue extending rearwardly from said toe cap, wherein the improvement comprises:
said toe cap defining a plurality of elongated strap areas which extend generally from a front end of the toe cap towards the upper, said toe cap including separating means inbetween said strap areas for permitting said strap areas to separate transversely to provide increased toe room and flexibility to reduce the chance of injury during sudden stops without an adverse decrease in lateral stability of the shoe.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

In an athletic shoe as defined by claim 6 wherein said separating means comprises a plurality of cuts defined by said toe cap and extending generally longitudinally of said sole.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

In an athletic shoe as defined by claim 7 wherein said cuts extend rearwardly along the toe cap from a forward portion of the sole and terminate immediately adjacent said upper, said cuts extending generally parallel to one another.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

In an athletic shoe as defined by claim 8 wherein said cuts are substantially equally spaced transversely of said toe cap so that said toe cap is defined by a plurality of longitudinally extending straps.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

In an athletic shoe as defined by claim 9 wherein each of said straps has a transverse dimension of approximately 0.30 inches.

### Claim 11

A method of modifying an athletic shoe to limit damage to the big toe during sudden stops, the shoe being of the type including a sole, an upper secured to the sole and a toe cap secured to the sole and upper, said method comprising the step of:
cutting the toe cap to form a plurality of elongated, transversely spaced slits which extend rearwardly from a point adjacent a forward portion of the sole.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A method as defined by claim 11 wherein said cutting step includes the steps of forming said slits in parallel relationship to one another and spacing the slits substantially equally from one another transversely of said toe cap.