Shoe with a central closure

Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly toward a heel part of the shoe;

• wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps;
• and wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction;
• wherein the guide elements on each of the tensioning strips are recessed in portions of the tensioning strips on an inner side thereof;
• wherein at least a recessed edge area along the periphery of each guide element is covered by a tab portion of the tensioning strip, said tab portion providing a guide space relative to the respective guide element of a width which corresponds to at least the thickness of the tightening element and producing proper guidance of the tightening element over the respective guide element;
• and wherein an edge of each tensioning strip is provided with holes at opposite ends of said guide space which lead to and from the respective guide element for the tightening element.

Shoe with an upper formed at least in part of an elastically flexible material, a sole to which the upper is attached, an instep cover hinged to the upper at a lower end thereof, a central closure attached to the instep cover in an instep area, a wire-like tightening element coupled with the central closure and running down one side of a throat area of the upper and back up an opposite side thereof to the central closure, at each side of the upper the tightening element running back and forth between guide elements on a tensioning strip and guide elements on the instep cover, each tensioning strip being formed as part of a structural unit for each side of the shoe, said structural unit having at least two supporting straps which run over the upper to at least an edge area of the sole as permanent parts thereof with the tensioning strip, a first of the supporting straps being directed toward an area at least as far rearward as the metatarsophalangeal joints and a second of the supporting straps extending rearwardly to a heel part of the shoe and at least partially encompasses the heel at least in the edge area of the sole;

• wherein the tensioning strips have a greater stiffness than the supporting straps;
• and wherein the tensioning strips, at least in an area at which the guide elements are provided thereon, are made of a material that is abrasion-resistant, hard and of a low coefficient of friction.