GB2046077A - Sandal - Google Patents

Abstract

A sandal has a heel strap 12 and a toe strap 13 each slidable in a separate smooth-surfaced flexible tube embedded in the sandal. The two tubes extend transversely across the sandal between the mid sole and the bottom sole, one tube to the front of the other with the ends of the tubes projecting upwards through slots in the mid sole and top sole on opposite sides of the sandal. The heel strap has one end anchored to the mid sole and extends upwards through an opening in the mid sole and top sole, around the heel in a loop having a half twist at 38 and then through the rear tube. The toe strap has one end anchored to the mid sole and extends upwards through an opening in the mid sole and top sole, above the toe portion in a loop, through the front tube, and through the heel loop in a loop adapted to embrace the ankle of a wearer. The two free ends of the strap are formed with means 42, 43 for fastening them together. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved sandal This invention relates to an article of footwear, and more particularly to a unique sandal having a multi-layer sole assembly including an arch support and improved strap means for holding the sandal to the foot including provision for both straps to shift crosswise of the sole assembly.

There has been a profusion of prior sandal designs embodying a wide variety of construction concepts for both the sole assembly and the strap means holding the sole assembly to the wearer's foot.

Designs proposing strap expedients having some degree of relevance to the present invention include Wermark 2,038,151; Perugia 2,136,084; Smith 2,259,273 and Farley 3,001,302. In each, the straps embrace the foot including the toe area as well as the heel and arch. Smith's shows a single strap 2 embracing the wearer's toes and having portions 21 and 23 passing across the sandal beneath the insole but without any provision for shifting the strap cross-wise of the sole assembly and lacking any appreciation of the advantages to be gained by providing for such relative movement. Wermark shows a sandal having a pair of straps secured to the opposite forward ends of the sole and then wrappable spirally in opposite directions about the shank and the ankle.This construction exposes the portions of the straps to contamination and soiling beneath the sandal and it is difficult and time consuming to wrap the two straps in opposite directions several times about the foot and sole. Each of the other patents show strapping which is secured in several areas along the opposite sides of the sole without provision for adjustment of the straps relative to one another except that possibly permitted by elastic inserts. Additionally, no one of these prior constructions embodies the arch support or an insole having the capability of conforming to the sole of the wearer's foot.

According to the present invention there is provided a sandal comprising a sole assembly having a heel end and a toe end provided with a flattened passage arranged at an acute angle crosswise of the midlength of said sole assembly; a heel strap extending through said passage and upwardly from the opposite ends thereof, one end.

of said strap being formed into a heel-embracing loop overlying said heel end and anchored to said sole assembly; the other end of said strap being slidable lengthwise of said passage to adjust the size of said heel embracing loop; and toe means mounted over the toe end of said sole assembly to receive and embrace the toe end of a wearer's foot and including means for adjustably securing the same to said other end of said strap.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the sandal has a multi-layer sole assembly including an arch support and an insole made of material which takes a generally permanent set conforming to the sole of the wearer's foot. A pair of straps have loops embracing the forward end of the foot as well as the heel and arch and each including portions extending freely through passages in the sole assembly permitting equalization of pressure between all portions in contact with the wearer's foot. This is achieved in part by separable fastenings between the free ends of the two straps permitting these ends to be secured together in any one of a muititude of positions and readily separated by a simple peeling operation.The foot arch and heel are embraced in part by a heel loop and in part by a figure eight loop of the straps, the size of each of which loops is free to change as necessary for most comfortable wear.

The sandal of the invention may have a sole assembly provided with internal transverse passages enclosing mid-length portions of strapping and which strapping includes portions embracing the toes, arch and heel and permitting shifting of the straps as necessary for maximum wearing comfort.

The sandal is preferably provided with multiple layers of closed-cell foam material and includes an insole of mini-cell foam material which takes a set in conformity with the wearer's foot and an outsole of long-wearing abrasion-resistant material.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention sandal showing the retaining straps in closed position; Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the shank portion of the sole assembly as viewed along the inner lateral side thereof; Figure 3 is a plan view of the sole assembly as viewed along line 3-3 on Figure 4 prior to assembly of the outsole and showing portions of the lining for the strap passage broken away; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 on Figure 3 after the outsole has been secured in place.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention sandal, designated generally 10, having a sole assembly 11 held to the foot by a pair of straps 12 and 13. The sole assembly 11 is best shown in Figure 4 as including an outsole 14 of abrasion and wear resistant material of any suitable type well known to the footwear art. Superimposed on and laminated to sole 14 is a typical mid-sole there shown as comprising three layers 15, 1 6 and 1 7 of closed-cell spongy, resilient material.

Layer 1 6 is bevelled or tapered, as is clearly indicated at 18, with the forward edge of the bevel terminating in a sharp edge extending transversely of the sandal rearward of but closely adjacent the ball of the foot. In consequence the forward or toe end of the sandal flexes with ease even when worn for the first time.

The sandal is also preferably provided with an arch support 19. This may be made of the same materials as layers 1 6 and 1 7. The arch support is semi-circular in contour as indicated by the dotted line 20 in Figure 3 and is plano-convex in shape with its plano surface 21 facing downwardly and its convex upper surface facing upwardly. The semi-circular perimeter 20 is sharp-edged and merges flush with the opposed surfaces of layers 16 and 17 as is made clear by Figures 2 and 4.

An important component of sote assembly 11 comprises the insole layer 24 which is preferably formed of mini-cell foam material obtainable from Voltech, Lawrence, Mass., and designated L-200 by that firm. This material has the characteristic of being self-molding in that it acquires a generally permanent set conforming with the configuration of the wearer's foot after a very short period of wear. This layer along with layers 1 6, 17 and 19 are secured or laminated together as with a suitable bonding adhesive. If desired, all except the insole layer may be left uncovered and exposed, or alternatively these layers may be enclosed by a suitable covering layer of leather or other material 25.Layer 25 is bonded in place and the perimeter edges are turned inwardly and bonded to the lowermost mid-sole layer 1 5.

Whether the mid-sole and insole are left covered or uncovered, the sole sub-assembly is next punched to provide elongated slots 28 opening vertically through the entire assembly and sized to accommodate straps 12 and 13. The two pairs of slots 28 cross-wise of the shank portion of the sole assembly are then provided with lengths of thin smooth-surfaced flexible tubing 30.

This tubing provides a lining for slots 28 and is of a size readily accommodating straps 12 and 13 thereby providing a smooth surface passage along which these straps can be readily adjusted.

Initially and during manufacturing the opposite ends of the lining 30 projects substantially above the upper surface of the sole assembly to aid in threading straps 12 and 13 through these tubes.

After the straps have been installed and sole 14 has been bonded to lining 30 and to the bottom of the mid-sole assembly, the exposed ends of the lining are severed flush with or below the upper surface of insole 24.

Straps 12 and 13 may be made of any suitable material such as webbing, leather, plastic or the like. As best appears from Figure 3, the rear end 32 of strap 12 is installed through the rearmost slot 28 and is firmly bonded or anchored to the underside of the mid-sole assembly by adhesive 33. Likewise, the foremost end of strap 13 is installed through the forward slot 28 and is similarly firmly anchored to the mid-sole by adhesive 33. Usually tubes 30 are threaded over straps 12 and 13 before being threaded through the two pairs of centrally located slots 28. This having been done the outsole 14 is bonded to the lower surface of the mid-sole in an operation preferably carried out under pressure until the bonding agent has taken a firm set.

It will be noted that the remote ends 32 and 32a of strips 12 and 13 are anchored to the midsole at the opposite ends thereof and adjacent the opposite lateral edges thereof. Likewise, it will be noted from Figure 3 that the two pairs of slots 28 located along the opposite side of the shank portion of the sole assembly are staggered so that the two linings 30 interconnecting these pairs are inclined acutely to the longitudinal axis thereof. In consequence the rearmost portion of strap 12 formed a heel embracing loop 38 having a half twist and the foremost portion of strap 1 3 forms a toe embracing loop 39. The rear end portion of strap 13 is threaded through the heel embracing loop 38 as shown in Figure 1, or through a retainer loop connected with the upper portion of loop 38.

Hence the exposed rear end portion of strap 1 3 is accurately described when its end 35 is secured to strap 36 as forming a Figure 8 operatively connected to loop 38. Thus the connection between loops 38 and 40 serves to hold loop 40 from rising along the ankle while at the same time placing loop 38 in tension and snugly about the heel.

The free ends 35 and 36 of straps 12 and 13 are preferably provided with separable fastener means readily and securely interlockable when pressed together in overlapping relation.

Such fastener means are well known in commercial channels and include a multiplicity of barbs 42 affixed to the underside of strap end 35.

These barbs readily interlock with a shallow mat of randomly arranged fibers 43 secured to the upwardly facing surface of strap end 36 but are readily peeled away from fibers 43 in known manner.

The sandal is applied to the foot in an obvious manner while strap ends 35, 36 are separated, it being understood that the forward end of the foot is inserted through the open loop 40 while that loop is assembled through heel loop 38. Once the foot is in place strap 35 is wrapped snugly about the forward face of the foot arch whereupon the strap ends 35, 36 are pressed together in overlapping interlocking relation. Each of the straps 12, 13 then quickly adjust themselves lengthwise of the passage liners 30, 30. If the straps are too tight or too loose, ends 35,36 are peeled apart and reclosed in a desired new position.

While the particular improved sandal herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. A sandal comprising: a sole assembly having a heel end and a toe end provided with a flattened passage arranged at an acute angle crosswise of the mid-length of said sole assembly; a heel strap extending through said passage and upwardly from the opposite ends thereof, one end of said strap being formed into a heel-embracing loop overlying said heel end and anchored to said sole assembly; the other end of said strap being slidable lengthwise of said passage to adjust the size of said heel embracing loop; and toe means mounted over the toe end of said sole assembly to receive and embrace the toe end of a wearer's foot and including means for adjustably securing the same to said other end of said strap.

2. A sandal as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said toe means includes a second strap and a second passage forward of the first mentioned passage, said heel strap and said second straps having their remote ends secured to the opposite edges of said sole assembly adjacent the opposite ends thereof; said second strap having its forward end portion forming a toe-embracing loop before entering said second passage and having its rear end portion operatively connected with said heel-embracing loop and so arranged as to form a figure-eight loop about the wearer's heel and arch; and wherein said securing means includes means for releasably securing the free ends of said heel and said second straps together.

3. A sandal as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said releasable securing means is constructed to hold said strap ends together in any of a multitude of different overlapped positions.

4. A sandal as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that each of said heel and second straps is free to shift-lengthwise of-the associated one of said first and second passages.

5. A sandal as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said passages include-a smooth lining throughout the major length thereof.

6. A sandal as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said sole assembly includes an insole an outsole and a midsole of spongy resilient material secured between said insole and outsole.

7. A sandal as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said mid-sole is substantially thicker at the heel end than at the toe end of said sole assembly.

8. A sandal as defined in Claim 6, characterized in that said mid-sole includes a plurality of layers sandwiched between said insole and outsole, one of said layers having a wedge-shaped forward end terminating generally rearward of the ball of the wearer's foot.

9. A sandal as claimed in Claim 6, characterized by an appearance cover enclosing said insole and midsole and secured to said midsole.

10. A sandal as claimed in Claim 6, characterized by an arch support sandwiched between said insole and outsole along the inner lateral edge of said sole assembly, said arch support being of plano-convexshape having a semicircular tapered edge and a generally diametric-thick edge, said thick edge lying flush with the inner lateral edge of said sole assembly.

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11. A sandal as claimed -in Claim 10, characterized in that said sole assembly includes a plural-layer mid-sole of resilient spongy material sandwiched against the opposite sides of said arch support and between said insole and said outsole.

12.A-sandal asclaimed in Claim 11, characterized in that said midsole comprises closed mini-cell spongy material.

13. A sandals claimed in Claim 1, characterized inthatsaid sole assembly includes an insole layer comprised of closed mini-cell foam material which, in use, acquires a generally permanent upwardly facing contour conforming to the shape of the juxtaposed surface of the wearer's foot.

1-4. Sandal as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said heel and second straps are -interlooped atthe- heel-end of said sandal.

1-5. Sandal as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the heel-embracing loop of said heel strap has a half twist therein.

16. A sandal as claimed in Claim 15, characterized in that the rear end portion of said second strap is threaded through said heelembracing loop adjacent the half twist therein.

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17. A sandal as-claimed in Claim 1 5, characterized in that said heel-embracing loop includes an-inside leg and an outside leg each extending upwardlyfrom a respective one of the inside and outside lateral-edges of the heel end of said-sole assembly, and. said half twist being located along said inside leg.

18. A sandal sole assembly comprising: an abrasion and wear resistant outsole; an insole of closed mini-cell foam material which, in use, acquires a generally permanent set conforming to the juxtaposed.surface of the wearer's foot; and means attached to the peripheral portions of said insole assembly for holding the same to the wearer's foot.

19.-A-.sandal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to-the accompanying drawing.