GB2053657A - Shoe fastening - Google Patents

Abstract

A shoe is provided with a sliding-clasp fastener (6), a band of elasticized fabric (12) being interposed between the fastener (6) and the tongue (11) of the shoe, the fastener (6) being attached to elasticized fabric strips (9, 10) sewn to the edges of the upper (3) of the shoe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tennis-shoe incorporating a zip fastener or closure The present invention relates to sports footware, particularly a tennis-shoes in which conventional fastening laces are replaced by a zip fastener or zip per.

It is well-known that the upper of sports footware, particularly tennis or gym shoes, is made by canvas, cloth or other pliable material which besides allowing perspiration must adjust itself to the foot completely and without tiring it. In order to have the shoe perfectly worn the edges of the upper are bound together by strings or laces passing through several metal eyelets so as to fit the shoe to the user's instep.

Lace fastening has anyhow a number of shortcomings. In fact, the notable length of laces makes the operation cumbersome. Moreover laces are tied on a resting foot and subsequently in use their adjusting to the instep turns out in a loose fitting. It is therefore necessary to tighten again the laces one or more times in order to perfectly wear the shoe. Finally, the knot of the laces tends to undo during use and must often be tied again to avoid losing the shoe or stumbling by stepping over one end of a lace.

It has been known the use of a zip fastener or zip per in footwear of a particular kind. Up to now such a use has been limited to rather particular footwear such as high boots, stiff sports boots, etc. owing to the attitude of the zipper to open when subject to divergent forces having anyhow a longitudinal component. For the above reasons the use of a zipper has been limited until now to those particular kinds of shoes in which the stress is only transverse, excluding the use of zip fasteners for low shoes and particularly low shoes for sporting, such as tennisshoes.

On the other hand the use of a zip fastener instead of laces would bring about a number of advantages i.e. an easy and quick action, a longer duration due to the better distribution of stresses, etc. which make its generalized use strongly desirable.

Therefore it is the object of the present invention to provide a low shoe, particularly a tennis-shoe, having a zip fastener or zipper instead of conventional laces and which is free from the shortcomings restricting the use of such a closure.

More particularly the invention relates to a tennis-shoe providing elastic, flexible means apt to absorb the longitudinal components of the stresses acting on the zipper so as to eliminate the spreading action which might result in an undesired opening of the zipper.

The invention will now be described referring to the attached drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of the tennis-shoe accord ing to the invention; and FIGURE2 is a plan view of the tennis-shoe accord ing to the invention.

Referring to said figures, the tennis-shoe 1 of the invention comprises a rubber sole 2 and a canvas or other flexible material upper 3. To the front edges 4 and 5 of the upper it is sewn or otherwise attached a zipper 6 having a sliding cam orslider7 engaging or disengaging teeth 8 or both edges. Zipper 6 is attached to the instep edges of the upper through elastic and flexible strips 9 and 10. Particularly strips 9 and 10 may be elasticized fabric strips sewn to the edges of the upper. Between said edges and tongue 11 of the shoe it is interposed a transverse elastic band 12, also preferably in elasticized fabric.Both transverse band 12 and strips 9 and 10 can be attached to the upper by means of sewing rendered less noticeable by contemporary applying outer decorating elements such as bands or geometrical cutouts.

A strap 14 formed as a tab is attached to the upper at the beginning of the zipper. It can be easily fixed by means of an eyelet or a rivet over the reinforcing crescent 15 sewn to the upper. To close the shoe it is enough to pull forward strap 14 and contemporaneously pull the slide 7 in the opposite direction. In this way one gets teeth 8 aligned before the slider without risk to jam the zipper. After the zipper has been closed the combined actions oftransverse band 12 and longitudinal elastic strips 9 and 10 allows the zipper to stretch, fitting to the shape of the instep and adsorbing the divergent forces over the zipper due to the characteristic shape of the instep.

Moreover the teeth of the zipper are preferably plastic ones to allow further elastic deformations adsorbing and opposing the longitudinal components tending to spead the zipper open. Furthermore transverse deformations of band 12 and strips 9 and 10 generates a transverse recovering force contributing to keep the teeth closer. Elastic band 12 extends preferably through the whole upper so that it operates over all the middle portion of the shoe.

1. Atennis-shoe having a zip fastener or zipper, characterized by that it provides for a band of elasticized fabric interposed between the zipper and the tongue of the shoe at the middle portion of said shoe, and by that the zipper is attached to elasticized fabric strips sewn to the edges of the upper.

2. A tennis-shoe as claimed in claim 1, characterized by that it comprises an outer strap attached to an end of the zipper whereby the closure of said zipper is made easier by alignement of the edges of the upper by pulling said strap.

3. A tennis-shoe substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Tennis-shoe incorporating a zip fastener or closure The present invention relates to sports footware, particularly a tennis-shoes in which conventional fastening laces are replaced by a zip fastener or zip per. It is well-known that the upper of sports footware, particularly tennis or gym shoes, is made by canvas, cloth or other pliable material which besides allowing perspiration must adjust itself to the foot completely and without tiring it. In order to have the shoe perfectly worn the edges of the upper are bound together by strings or laces passing through several metal eyelets so as to fit the shoe to the user's instep. Lace fastening has anyhow a number of shortcomings. In fact, the notable length of laces makes the operation cumbersome. Moreover laces are tied on a resting foot and subsequently in use their adjusting to the instep turns out in a loose fitting. It is therefore necessary to tighten again the laces one or more times in order to perfectly wear the shoe. Finally, the knot of the laces tends to undo during use and must often be tied again to avoid losing the shoe or stumbling by stepping over one end of a lace. It has been known the use of a zip fastener or zip per in footwear of a particular kind. Up to now such a use has been limited to rather particular footwear such as high boots, stiff sports boots, etc. owing to the attitude of the zipper to open when subject to divergent forces having anyhow a longitudinal component. For the above reasons the use of a zipper has been limited until now to those particular kinds of shoes in which the stress is only transverse, excluding the use of zip fasteners for low shoes and particularly low shoes for sporting, such as tennisshoes. On the other hand the use of a zip fastener instead of laces would bring about a number of advantages i.e. an easy and quick action, a longer duration due to the better distribution of stresses, etc. which make its generalized use strongly desirable. Therefore it is the object of the present invention to provide a low shoe, particularly a tennis-shoe, having a zip fastener or zipper instead of conventional laces and which is free from the shortcomings restricting the use of such a closure. More particularly the invention relates to a tennis-shoe providing elastic, flexible means apt to absorb the longitudinal components of the stresses acting on the zipper so as to eliminate the spreading action which might result in an undesired opening of the zipper. The invention will now be described referring to the attached drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of the tennis-shoe accord ing to the invention; and FIGURE2 is a plan view of the tennis-shoe accord ing to the invention. Referring to said figures, the tennis-shoe 1 of the invention comprises a rubber sole 2 and a canvas or other flexible material upper 3. To the front edges 4 and 5 of the upper it is sewn or otherwise attached a zipper 6 having a sliding cam orslider7 engaging or disengaging teeth 8 or both edges. Zipper 6 is attached to the instep edges of the upper through elastic and flexible strips 9 and 10. Particularly strips 9 and 10 may be elasticized fabric strips sewn to the edges of the upper. Between said edges and tongue 11 of the shoe it is interposed a transverse elastic band 12, also preferably in elasticized fabric.Both transverse band 12 and strips 9 and 10 can be attached to the upper by means of sewing rendered less noticeable by contemporary applying outer decorating elements such as bands or geometrical cutouts. A strap 14 formed as a tab is attached to the upper at the beginning of the zipper. It can be easily fixed by means of an eyelet or a rivet over the reinforcing crescent 15 sewn to the upper. To close the shoe it is enough to pull forward strap 14 and contemporaneously pull the slide 7 in the opposite direction. In this way one gets teeth 8 aligned before the slider without risk to jam the zipper. After the zipper has been closed the combined actions oftransverse band 12 and longitudinal elastic strips 9 and 10 allows the zipper to stretch, fitting to the shape of the instep and adsorbing the divergent forces over the zipper due to the characteristic shape of the instep. Moreover the teeth of the zipper are preferably plastic ones to allow further elastic deformations adsorbing and opposing the longitudinal components tending to spead the zipper open. Furthermore transverse deformations of band 12 and strips 9 and 10 generates a transverse recovering force contributing to keep the teeth closer. Elastic band 12 extends preferably through the whole upper so that it operates over all the middle portion of the shoe. CLAIMS

1. Atennis-shoe having a zip fastener or zipper, characterized by that it provides for a band of elasticized fabric interposed between the zipper and the tongue of the shoe at the middle portion of said shoe, and by that the zipper is attached to elasticized fabric strips sewn to the edges of the upper.

2. A tennis-shoe as claimed in claim 1, characterized by that it comprises an outer strap attached to an end of the zipper whereby the closure of said zipper is made easier by alignement of the edges of the upper by pulling said strap.

3. A tennis-shoe substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.