Shoe construction
OwnerLee S. Sturlaugsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved construction of a shoe which permits the wearer to more readily step into the shoe without the use of his hands and which does not result in damage to the shoe. The shoe's counter incorporates a rigid shoe horn member generally conforming to the shape of the wearer's heel. The lateral edges of the foot receiving opening in the upper of the shoe is rolled and padded so that it does not become crushed as the wearer's foot is slipped into the shoe. The tongue member is reinforced with a stiffner which, too, precludes the tongue from wrinkling and/or rolling up as the foot is inserted into the shoe. Finally, an adjustable elasticized securing mechanism is adapted to bridge the metatarsal arch is included to allow the foot to spread the shoe during entry but which restores the shoe to a tight fit once the foot is inside.
Claims7
An improved shoe construction comprising:
- (a) a sole portion;
- (b) an upper having an internal lining, a heel end, a toe end and a foot-receiving opening defined by a side wall secured to said sole portion and projecting upwardly from said sole portion, said side wall having a pair of transversely extending flaps adapted to conform to the wearer's metatarsal arch;
- (c) a length adjustable, elasticized securing mechanism fastened to and extending between said transversely extending flaps;
- (d) rear counter means located at the heel end of said upper, said rear counter means including a generally rigid, non-bending, laterally arcuate, heel conforming insert member disposed between said lining and said upper;
- and
- (e) tongue means located beneath the length adjustable, elasticized securing mechanism and attached to said upper of a size sufficient to span the opening between said pair of transversely extending flaps and having an exterior layer of material, an interior layer of material and a reinforcing stiffening member disposed between said exterior and interior layers to inhibit wrinkling and folding of said tongue means as the wearer's foot is being inserted through said foot-receiving opening and into said shoe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.