GB2389769A

GB2389769A - Shoe with concealed gaiter fasteners

Info

Publication number: GB2389769A
Application number: GB0213919A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eddie Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-13
Filing date: 2002-06-17
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-17
Also published as: GB2389769B; FR2841443B1; FR2841443A1; GB0213919D0; DE10226283C1

Abstract

An upper (2) has a gaiter 4 which includes interengageable fastener portions 44 to place the gaiter 4 in a closed position. A zipper has a first zipper strap (61 fig 2) attached to an inner surface of the gaiter 4 between the lateral sides and between top and bottom ends of the gaiter 4. A second zipper strap (62) to complement with the first zipper strap (61) is attached to the upper 2 adjacent to the top end of the upper 2. A collar member 7 extends along and inwardly of the top end of the upper 2, and the second zipper strap (62) is attached to an inner side of the upper 2 and extends between the collar member 7 and the top end of the upper 2. The zipper is therefore concealed within the gaiter 4 and is prevented from contacting external debris, mud, sand or the like.

Description

1 2389769

, SHOE WITH CONCEALED GAITER FASTENERS

The invention relates to a shoe, more particularly to a shoe which has a detachable gaiter and a concealed type fastening system to fasten the gaiter to en upper of the shoe.

5 It is known in the art to provide a shoe with a gaiter which can wrap around the ankle and leg of a user for keeping debris, mud, water or the like from entering the shoe and from staining portions of the clothes of the user above the shoe. U.S. Patent No. 5,491,911 discloses a detachable 10 gaiter with a fastening system which includes buttons and button holes respectively provided in the gaiter and the upper so as to fasten the gaiter to the upper. A fastening belt is provided additionally so as to keep the gaiter around the ankle and the leg of the wearer. The fastening system 15 as such is not suitable to keep water or mud from entering the shoe due to the presence of the button holes. Inaddition, the belt which is more or less rigid may cause the user to feel uncomfortable.

A shoe suggested in U.S. Patent No. 5,642,573 20 incorporates a gaiter with hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro fasteners) to interengage two opposite overlapping ends of the gaiter after the gaiter is disposed around the ankle and leg ofthe wearer. The shoe furtherincludesa pouch disposed at the collar of the upper thereof to receive the gaiter and 25 a zipper to close the pouch. In this system, since the zipper is exposed from the shoe and the pouch, the zipper can get dirty with mud and/or sand, or can even be abraded by debris such as sticks and rocks when the shoe is used in hiking or

( 2 hunting. An object of this invention is to provide a shoe with a gaiter which is waterproof and which has a concealed type fastening system to fasten the gaiter to an upper of the shoe, 5 thereby eliminating the aforesaid problems encountered with the prior art.

Accordingly, a shoe of the present invention includes an upper having a top open end and a bottom end, a sole connected to the bottom end, a gaiter and a zipper, 10 characterized in that: the gaiter includes a top end, a bottom end, and two opposite lateral sides interconnecting the top and bottom ends, the gaiter further including, adjacent to the lateral sides, fastener portions to engage one another so as to place the gaiter in a closed position; the zipper 15 has complementary first and second zipper straps, the first zipper strap being attached to an inner surface of the gaiter between the lateral sides and between the top and bottom ends of the gaiter and spaced from the bottom end of the gaiter, the second zipper strap being attached to the upper adjacent 20 to the top end of the upper; and the upper further includes a collar member which extends along and inwardly of the top end of the upper, the second zipper strap being attached to an inner side of the upper and extending between the collar member and the top end of the upper.

25 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description

of the preferred embodiment with reference to the

accompanying drawings, of which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a shoe according to the present invention, with a gaiter being in a closed state; S Figure 2 is a plan view of the gaiter of the shoe of Figure Figure 3 is a perspective view of the shoe of Figure 1 but with the gaiter in an open state; and Figure4isa fragmentary topplanviewof the shoe of Figure 10 1. Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, a shoe 1 embodying the present invention is shown to include an upper 2 having a sole 3 and a gaiter 4. The gaiter 4 is made of a material, such as PVC or PU, or a fabric, and includes a top end 41, 15 a bottom end 42, and two opposite lateral sides 4 interconnecting the top and bottom ends 41, 42. The gaiter 4 further includes opposite hook-and-loop fastener portions 44, i.e. Velcro fasteners, disposed adjacent to the lateral sides 43. When the gaiter 4 is placed around the ankle and 20 leg of a wearer with the lateral sides 43 in an overlapping position, the hook-and- loop fastener portions 44 are interengaged, thus placing the gaiter 4 in a closed state as shown in Figure 1.

The gaiter 4 further includes a flap member 5 which has 25 an upper end 51 attached to an inner surface of the gaiter 4 between the top and bottom ends 41, 42 of the gaiter 4, and an opposite lower suspended end 52 which extends above the bottom end 42 of the gaiter 4. A zipper 6 has a first

( zipper strap 61 sewn to the lower suspended end 52, and is spaced from the bottom end 42 of the gaiter 4. Both the flap member 5 and the zipper 6 are disposed between the opposite lateral sides 43 of the gaiter 4.

5 The zipper 6 further has a complementary second zipper strap 62 to mate with the first zipper strap 61. The second zipper strap 62 is attached to an inner surface of the upper 2 adjacent to the top end 21 of the upper 2 without extending to the tongue 8 of the upper 2. Preferably, the upper 2 is 10 additionally provided with a collar member 7 which extends along and inwardly of the top end 21 of the upper 2. The second zipper strap 62 is attached to the inner surface of the upper 2 and extends between the collar member 7 and the top end 21 of the upper 2. The collar member 7 serves to 15 keep the second zipper strap 62 from contacting the ankle of the wearer.

As mentioned above, the zipper 6 is attached to the inner surface of the gaiter 4 and is spaced from the bottom end 42 of the gaiters so that the zipper6iscompletely concealed 20 within the gaiter 4. Due to the concealed zipper 6, the problems encountered with the conventional exposed zipper as described hereinbefore can be eliminated.

Claims

( CLAIMS:

1. A shoe including an upper having a top open end, and a bottom end, a sole connected to said bottom end, a gaiter, and a zipper, characterized in that: 5 said gaiter includes a top end, a bottom end, and two opposite lateral sides interconnecting said top and bottom ends, said gaiter furtherincluding, adjacent tosaidlateral! sides, fasteners portions to engage one another so as to place said gaiter in a closed position;] 10 said zipper has complementary first and second zipper straps, said first zipper strap being attached to an inner surface of said gaiter between saidlateral sides end between said top and bottom ends of said gaiter, said first zipper strap being spaced from said bottom end of said gaiter, said 15 second zipper strap being attached to said upper adjacent to said top end of said upper; and said upper further includes a collar member which extends L along and inwardly of said top end of said upper, said second zipper strap being attached to an inner side of said upper 20 and extending between said collar member and said top end of said upper.

2. The shoe as claimed in Claim i, fu-he characterized

by a flap member having an upper end attached to an inner 25 surface of said gaiter between said top and bottom ends of said gaiter, and an opposite lower suspended end extending above said bottom end of said gaiter, said first zipper strap (61) being sewn to said lower suspended end.

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3. The shoe as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said fasteners include hook-and-loop fasteners.