MXPA06000271A - Personally adjustable footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

Personally adjustable footwear with at least one sole layer including:a toe portion, a heel portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion has openings passing vertically through the layer so that the intermediate portion is elastically flexible to allow relative longitudinal displacement of the toe portion and the heel portion to vary a length of the layer without significant variation in a thickness of the layer. A retention mechanism selectively fixes the toe and heel portions in any of a number of relative positions. Also disclosed are implementations with insertable and removable segments, and with elongated elements sliding in channels.

Description

PERSONALLY ADJUSTABLE SHOES BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to particularly footwear whose size is adjustable.

The term "footwear" when used in this document is taken in a broad sense and denotes shoes, slippers, sandals, clogs, boots, roller blades, sports shoes, etc. and any of these terms may be substituted in this document by the term "footwear".

Shoes whose longitudinal dimension is adjustable by a variety of shapes are known in the art.

U.S. Patent No. 524,946 (Kregel) describes a shoe intended to fit a deceased person for the wake and burial. The adjustment is achieved by using an elastic band that extends between a portion of the heel and the portion of the foot designed to pull the heel portion toward the fit comfortably at the foot of the deceased.

US Pat. No. 641, 642 (Jun) describes a shoe, being adjustable to the shape of the length and the shape of the width, the sole of which comprises a part of the body in the heel of the shoe and a waist in the front / half of the sole. The part of the body and the enfranque slide with respect to each other to the extension of a slot in the enfranque. In the adjustment to a desired length, the length of the sole is fixed by tightening a screw. The shoe comprises an upper or upper portion designed to accommodate the inserts on the right and left sides thereof, which can be bent to allow adjustment of the upper portion of the shoe. The insertion is ensured by the fastening cord that passes between the two vertical columns of the eyelets. A similar arrangement is used to adjust the width of the shoe, with laterally placed slots.

US Patent No. 2,009,684 (Affronte) discloses a shoe having a similar length adjustment means wherein the flap has a tongue that slides within a receiving portion of the heel section of the sole. The tongue has a plurality of holes to allow a screw to pass and secure the tongue to the heel section in a hole corresponding to the desired shoe length.

US Patent No. 2,497,175 (Mantos) provides a shoe formed by two main sections designated to be joined together by a worker in a shoe merchant's factory, by means of the shoe size that can be adjusted to give a given size before completely assemble the shoe. A metallic shroud projecting from the sole section of the sole comprises an integral yoke aligned with a metal plate or cover mounted on the heel portion of the sole. The fork has teeth with triangularly shaped handles along their corresponding edges to receive the members in the sheath to allow the heel and foot sections of the shoe to securely join to produce a shoe having any number of discrete lengths.

U.S. Patent No. 3,389,481 (England) shows an expandable shoe having an average section of material such as bellows allowing longitudinal expansion and contraction next to the slide which has a locking mechanism to ensure adjustment to a desired length. The locking mechanism comprises a metal housing having two sliding plates, one of which has a transverse groove for receiving a retainer formed in the other plate. A screw assembly extending through the heel is removed to allow the plates to slide over each other and subsequently re-insert to hold the shoe in the newly extended position.

U.S. Patent No. 3,997,985 (Shina) discloses an adjustable shoe, particularly suitable for a growing child, comprising a front member and a rear member that can be adjusted in length. The front member and the rear member are separated and interconnected by a screw that passes through a hole in the front member and one of a plurality of holes in the rear member. The front member consists of a middle plate, an upper and a template and a lower plate and the rear member consists of a single heel and upper.

U.S. Patent No. 5,659,980 (Lin) describes an adjustable shoe having a heel, a toe cap and a jig. The front portion of an instep has a plurality of positioning projections. The first and second securing pads are placed at two lateral ends of the heel. The first and second ball buttons are placed on the back surface of the heel. An adjustable pad with positioning holes in it is placed on the toe cap from which two tabs extend. The inner surface of the tongue has a securing element. The first and second positioning plates extend from the rear of the outer tab. The first positioning plate holds the first cube button and the second positioning plate holds the second cube button.

U.S. Patent No. 6,138,385 (Jungkind) discloses a shoe sole having a joined midsection located between the fingers and the heel portions of the sole. The middle section is made of an elastically flexible spring material configured as a bent or corrugated core with ridges and depressions. An axis runs from the heel to the portions of the fingers and has a head located on the inside of the back edge of the heel portion. The shaft is rotatable / screwable in a nut therefore the shoe can be adjusted in length.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide footwear whose size can be adjusted by the user. It would also be advantageous to provide said adjustable footwear which is personalized and easily and quickly re-adjustable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to footwear whose size can be adjusted conveniently and easily without any need for tools.

Said footwear typically comprises a portion of the fingers (hereinafter referred to as "fingers"), a heel portion (herein referred to as a "heel") consisting of a sole, and may also include a higher portion or so-called upper portion. .

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, personally adjustable footwear is provided comprising: (a) at least one sole layer including: a finger portion, a heel portion and an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion being integrally formed with both the heel portion and the portion of the fingers, the intermediate portion having a plurality of openings passing substantially vertical through the layer so that the intermediate portion is elastically flexible to allow relative longitudinal displacement of the portion of the fingers and the heel portion to vary a length of the layer without significant variation in thickness and (b) a retaining mechanism associated with both the finger portion and the heel portion, the retaining mechanism being configured to retain any of the pluralities of the relative positions between the portion of the fingers and the portion of the talus n.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the portion of the fingers, the heel portion and the intermediate portion are formed integrally from a uniform composition.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the plurality of openings are deployed to provide a trellis design as noted above.

According to a feature of the present invention, at least one sole layer has an upper surface that provides a support to the foot, wherein the plurality of openings is configured to have a maximum open longitudinal dimension no greater than about 2.5 centimeters in a manner that provides support to the foot very close to the continuum.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, at least one sole layer is implemented as at least two layers of soles including a bottom sole layer having a bottom surface configured to engage the floor and a top sole layer including a sole layer. upper surface to support a foot.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the upper sole layer is formed of a softer material than the lower sole layer.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the lower sole layer and the upper sole layer are formed to define therebetween at least one longitudinal channel extending longitudinally between the portions of the fingers and the heel portions and wherein the The retention mechanism includes an element deployed within the channel, the element being anchored to a first portion of the fingers and the heel portion and being displaced relative to the second portion of the finger portion and the heel portion.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, wherein the sole layer forms at least part of an array of a sole, the sole arrangement including at least one longitudinal channel extending longitudinally between the portion of the fingers and the portion of the sole. heel and wherein the retaining mechanism includes an element deployed within the channel, the element being attached to a first portion of the feet and the heel portion and being displaced relative to the second portion of the portion of the fingers and the portion thereof. heel.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the retaining mechanism further includes a staged resistance arrangement associated with the element and the second of the finger portion and the bead portion, the resistance arrangement in stages providing a strength of resistance opposed to the predetermined relative displacement corresponding to the plurality of different lengths of the single arrangement, so that a length of the sole arrangement is manually adjusted by the manual application of force to overcome the strength of resistance and in such a the absence of manually applied force, the portion of the fingers and the heel portion are retained in one of the predefined relative positions.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the intermediate portion is flexibly inclined to the portion of the separate fingers and the heel portion to a predefined relative position corresponding to a maximum length of the sole arrangement and wherein the mechanism of retention further includes: (a) a flexible tape associated with the element and extending from the sole arrangement so that the tension applied to the flexible tape relative to the second of the heel and finger portions attracted together to the portion of the fingers and the heel portion, thereby shortening the length of the sole arrangement and (b) a closure arrangement for closing the flexible tape in a plurality of positions, thereby retaining the sole arrangement in a length desired.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the closure arrangement includes a first portion of a hook and loop fastener associated with an end portion of the flexible tape and a complementary portion of a hook and loop fastener associated with a fastener. upper facing surface of the sole arrangement so that the flexible tape is bent towards the upper facing surface to close the sole arrangement to a desired length.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the retention mechanism further includes a manually engagable and releasable closing mechanism for closing to a position of the element relative to the second portion of the fingers and the heel portion.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the retention mechanism includes a manually engageable and releasable closing mechanism for closing to a relative position of the portion of the fingers and the heel portion.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the footwear comprises a series of sole elements (laterally oriented, longitudinally oriented or a combination thereof) placed between the fingers and the heel. These segments can be added or removed to adjust the shoe size or they can be separated apart or very close together to adjust the shoe size.

Each of the segments comprises an arrangement that allows them to be fixed between the fingers and the heel. One option for such an arrangement is by having at least one and typically two or more parallel perforations that are oriented to run longitudinally while extending from the toes to the heel or vice versa, there being one or more segment retaining members (i.e. members such as ropes, cables, members such as tabs, etc.) adapted to align with the perforations of the segments and with the corresponding perforations in the bead (or fingers, if vice versa). The fastening members of the segment may be completely rigid, however with flexibility / resilience to allow proper movement when the footwear is being used; however, it can be adjustable, for example members like rubber band. Depending on the option, the fingers or the heel comprise a locking mechanism, which could be appropriate, for example for a modality comprising bar members that extend between the fingers and the heel.

The segments adapted for this option are typically in the form of a bar with a square profile, however, they can be of any of the variety of shapes, styles, colors, designs, etc., and include aesthetic or artistic ornamental features of so that the user can modify the style of the footwear to their liking, or as segments usable in other options described later.

Another option for the fixation segments between the fingers and the heel is by being adapted to inter-couple or inter-connect with each other and to engage with the fingers and the heel. The inter-coupling can be for a variety of arrangements, including "Lego ™" type connections, automatic adjustment, adjustment with screws, adjustment by screwing, fastening, hook and loop fasteners (Sailboat ™), etc.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the footwear comprises portions of fingers and heel connected to each other by a structure like bellows, constituting a middle section, being compressible and / or expandable at least in the longitudinal direction of the footwear.

The projection of the fingers is a tongue that extends into a corresponding tongue receptacle in the heel or vice versa. The tongue comprises a plurality of holes linearly positioned therethrough and aligned with the corresponding holes in the tongue receptacle. The heel comprises an upper portion that can be bent inwardly and has a plurality of descending projections or clasps adapted to pass through the holes of the tabs and into the perforations / depressions of the tongue receptacle. The size of the footwear can be adjusted by lifting the upper portion and sliding the tongue and heel toward each other, or apart until a size is achieved, corresponding to the alignment of the holes of the tongue and the tongue receptacle. The upper portion is subsequently decreased to set the length.

Optionally, the shoe may include an arrangement to facilitate the alignment of the corresponding pins and perforations. In addition, the tongue may comprise an indicator to indicate the adjacent indications of the tab receptacle which indicates the size of the shoe in a given adjustment portion.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the toe portion of the shoe and the heel each comprise limbs (ie limbs such as fingers, typically in a female / male connection) that extend toward and engage with one another. . The members slide relative to one another to allow different footwear lengths and typically have profiles formed in such a way as to prevent vertical movement.

At a desired length, a tongue with at least one extension projection / clip can be inserted into a tongue receptacle in the heel.

In addition, the present invention provides footwear whose size can be adjusted easily and conveniently without any need for tools, possibly by a user per se. The footwear according to the embodiments of the invention is re-adjustable, furthermore it can be adjusted to a variety of lengths at any time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to better understand the invention and to see how it can be carried out in practice, the modalities will now be described only by means of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an adjustable shoe in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an open view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional longitudinal sectional view along the line III-III in Figure 1; Figure 3A is a sectional side view of a modification of the embodiment of Figures 1-3; Figure 4 is a sectional view showing another modification to the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a segment usable in any of the embodiments of Figures 1-4; Figures 5A-5I are perspective views of the segments for use in the additional embodiments of adjustable footwear of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a sectional view taken through the plane IX-IX of Figure 8; Figure 9A is a sectional view analogous to that of Figure 9 illustrating an exemplary modification of the embodiment shown in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 8; Figure 11 is a bottom view of a modification of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figures 12-12B are side views of exemplary segments for use in the embodiment of Figure 11; Figures 13 and 13A are lower and upper open isometric views, respectively, of a first variant of the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7; Figures 13B and 13C are lower and upper open isometric views of a slight variant of the implementation of Figures 13 and 13A, where A = belt accessory; Figures 14 and 14A are isometric views of a second variant of the embodiment of Figures 6 and shown in a prolonged and shortened state, respectively; Figure 14B is a partial open view of the implementation of Figure 14; Figure 15 is a partially cut isometric view of a third variant of the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7; Figure 15A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through the implementation of Figure 15; Figure 16 is an isometric view of a fourth variant of the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7; Figure 16A is an isometric view of a retention mechanism of the implementation of Figure 16; Figures 17 and 17A are isometric views illustrating an optional additional form of openings for making a flexible midsole portion for the implementation of the present invention and Figure 18 is an isometric view of the display of a size set indicating usage rates in the aforementioned implementations in accordance with a further feature of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES With reference to Figures 1-5, a first embodiment, including the particular modifications, of a footwear article generally designated as 10 of the present invention is illustrated. The shoe 10 comprises a portion of fingers 12 (referred to as "fingers") and a portion of heel 14 (hereinafter referred to as "heel") and a plurality of segments 16 placed therebetween. Extending from the fingers 12 toward the bead 14 is at least (and typically more than one) a segment that holds the member in the shape of a member as a bar - for example, four bars 18 as illustrated in Figure 2.

The segme16 typically have a geometry in which they have a length and a width, the length being longer than the width - in other words a radio aspect greater than one. The segme16 may comprise an indication of their size, in particular the dimension that affects the length of the shoe 10. Said indication may be a numeral thereof indicating its size or a color, shape, decoration, etc. corresponding to a dimension. However, segme16 can be of various shapes, colors, etc. simply for decorative purposes. The segme16 may also be made of different materials for decorative and / or functional purposes (i.e. wear resistance, comfort).

The segme16 have essentially horizontal holes or holes 20 (better observed in Figure 4) adapted so that the bars 18 can pass between them. For this purpose, at least some perforations of segment 20 are aligned with each other. In this way, the segme16, which constitute a middle portion of the shoe sole, can be incorporated in the sole or removed therefrom by means of which the size of the shoe 10 is adjustable.

The bead 14 also has perforations or holes 24 being aligned with the bars 18 and further aligned with at least some of the perforations 20 in the segme16. The perforations of the bead 24 are adapted to receive the bars 18 (i.e., free ends 22). of the same). The bars 18 extend in the bead 14 where they are fixed in place by a locking mechanism 26.

The closing mechanism 26 comprises, for example, an upper portion 28 and a lower portion 30, in at least one or the other of the portions adapted to hold or hold the bars. 18 instead. Typically, portions 28 and 30 are designated to be coupled to each other in any known manner. For this purpose, portions 28 and 30 may have coupling members 28a and 30a respectively.

To adjust the size of the shoe 10, the closure mechanism 26 is uncoupled allowing the heel 14 to slide back from the fingers 12 by means of which it is removed from the bars 18. Then, the segme16 are added or removed to increase or decreasing the length of the footwear 10. The heel 14 is then replaced and then the closing mechanism 16 is reset.

To further accommodate said adjustment, if the shoe 10 is a sandal or "flip-flop" or "strips" type wherein it typically incorporates a finger strip 32, the positioning of said finger strip 32 may be altered. For this purpose, at least some of the segme16 can also comprise vertical perforations (essentially) 34 (Figures 3, 3A and 4) adapted to receive the attached projections 36 of the strip of fingers 32 that can be added (fixed in place) by any known means.

As understood from the open view of the shoe 10 in Figure 2, the fingers 12 may be composed of layers, for example an outer layer 121, an inner layer 122 and an intermediate layer 123. Such a design may be convenient for manufacturing and allow lots / layers of different characteristics. For example, the outer layer 121 can be made of a water resistant material to increase the life of the shoe 10 and the inner layer 122 can be made of a relatively soft comfortable material for the comfort of a wearer.

Figure 4 illustrates a shoe article 10"being a modification of the one described with reference to the preceding figures Here, the shoe 10" comprises at least some segme16a having at least one transverse perforation 38, better observed in Figure 5. A segment 16b shown in Figure 5 illustrates the possibility of the segment having both perforations as perforations 20 and as perforation 38, thus providing different options to achieve a given shoe length as well as a particular aesthetic appearance (i.e. different colors) on each face of the segment) or the flexibility of it.

Additionally, the segments 16b could include the perforations 20a essentially perpendicular to the perforations 20 so that the segment could be incorporated in the shoe 10 rotated a quarter turn from that shown in Figure 5B. This feature could have advantages in situations, for example, where any of the segments 16b has designs thereon or are shaped in a way that the shoe design could be changed (by returning / rotating the segments), thus giving the user the option of "self-design" of the footwear to your liking. The perforation 38 also provides flexibility in this regard.

It should be understood that the heel 14 could be designed in a manner analogous to that described with respect to the fingers 12 and vice versa. In other words, now with reference to Figure 3A, there may be shoes 10 'of the present invention where the bars 18 extend from a heel 14' to a finger 12 'and are locked in place by a locking mechanism 26 'on the 12th finger', mutatis mutandis.

It should also be noted that then providing several extension segments 16, can provide one or more segments, the length of which can be predetermined or set to suit an individual foot size, i.e., by arranging the length of said segments.

Figures 5A-5H illustrate several examples of segments that can be used in adjustable footwear in accordance with the additional embodiments of the present invention. The segments shown in these figures do not require a segment retaining member (bar, tongue, cable, elastic, etc.) instead comprising inter-engaging or inter-matching members, typically male-female coupling elements.

In Figure 5A there is a segment 116 that has a "Lego ™" type configuration In addition, it has projections 118 (only one is observed) and notches 120 that are designated to correspond to the notches and projections of other similarly configured segments. Naturally, a toe and heel of the footwear used in a modality shown in Figure 5A would also have corresponding projections or notches, as in the case that it could be, so that the segments 116 could be appropriately attached thereto. It should be understood that this last situation is the same for all the segments described in Figures 5A-5H and therefore this fact should not be repeated.

In Figure 5B a segment 216 is shown being similar to segment 116 of the Figure 5A, however, comprises a prolonged projection 218 and a grooved notch 220- again, designed to correspond to a notch and projection of another similarly configured segment.

In Figure 5C there is shown a segment 316 comprising a hook-shaped projection 318 and a bar 320. For purposes of illustration, the segment 316 is shown with a partial cut in the area of the bar 320 and typically the bar shall be joined to the rest of the segment at both ends to provide strong support. To join said segments 316 to each other, one segment is angled to allow the hook-shaped projection 318 to slide below the slotted groove 320 of the other segment and subsequently placed to level out the other segment.

Figure 5D presents a segment 416 being similar to segment 316 of Figure 5C, however it comprises a pair of flexible projections 418 that can inter-couple with a bar 420. Again, for purposes of illustration, segment 416 is shown with a partial cut in the area of the bar 420. To join said segments 416 with each other, one segment is pushed to another segment causing the projections 418 to first open when the nodes 422 of the projections 418 contact the bar 420 of the other segment. and then close around the back of the bar 420 in an airtight manner.

Figure 5E shows another segment 516 that can be connected to similar segments, like the previous ones. Here, segment 516 comprises a projection as screw 518 that can inter-engage with a coiled notch 520. To join said segments 516 with one another , one segment is simply rotated so that the projection as screw 518 is screwed into the threaded notch 520 of the other segment.

Figure 5F shows another example of a segment 616 that can be connected to similar segments. Here, the segment 616 comprises a projection, for example an L-shaped projection 618 which can inter-engage with a corresponding notch 620. The groove 620 comprises a groove 622 and the projection comprises an arm 624, the groove having a dimension of length d1 typically being a piece greater than a length dimension d2 of arm 624 of the L-shaped projection 618.

To join said segments 616 to each other, a first segment is rotated 90 ° so that its L-shaped projection 618 is fixed in the slot 622 of the other segment, then the first segment is pushed level to the other segment and finally rotates 90 ° so that arm 624 enters a cavity to receive arm 626 from notch 620.

Figure 5G shows yet another additional example of a segment 76 that can be connected to similar segments. Here, segment 716 is a puzzle piece and comprises a projection 718 adapted to be fixed in a notch 720 by sliding transversely or by a hermetic / pressure fitting method.

Figure 5H provides a modality that shows another example where the segments are interconnected. Here, segments 816 (only one shown) have a hook and spiral fasteners (Velero ™) 818 and 820 attached to their sides where they can be attached to each other.

Figure 51 illustrates another modality in which the segments are interconnected. However, in this case there are segments 916 that remain connected while they are movable in relation to one another in that they can be separated apart to several degrees or placed adjacent to each other. This option can be carried out, for example, as shown in Figure 5H.

The segments 916 have connecting members 918, for example nail-like members having a head 920 and a rod 922. The segments 916 comprise cavities 924 (shown with dotted lines) within which the heads 920 and a portion of rods 922 are located, these are also shown with dotted lines where they are internal to the segments 916. The cavities 924 are formed so that the interconnecting members 918 can slide back and forth, therefore the segments 916 can Positioning themselves close or far from each other.

To set the distance, the cavities 924 are adapted to fully support the connecting members 918 or the segments 916 can be held in place by one of several alternate methods (i.e., such as those described below).

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention, providing a footwear article, generally designated as 100. Here, the arrangement between a finger 12a and a heel 14a is an intermediate portion such as flexible bellows 50 connecting the foot and the foot. heel and provides flexibility in size for the footwear 100. More specifically, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the footwear 100 includes at least a single layer that includes: the portion of the fingers 12a, heel portion 14a, and the intermediate portion 50 is elastically flexible to allow relative longitudinal displacement of the foot portion and the heel portion to vary a length of the layer without significant variation in a thickness of the layer. In this context, the term "vertically" is used to refer to a direction generally perpendicular to the ground engaging surface and / or the footing support surface.

The footwear 100 also features a retaining mechanism associated with both the skin portion 12a and the heel portion 14a and is configured to retain any of a plurality of relative positions between the foot portion and the heel portion. Preferably the sole arrangement includes at least one longitudinal channel (also referred to as a "passage") extending longitudinally between the portion of the fingers and the heel portion and the retention mechanism includes an element (in this case, a tongue). 52) displayed inside the channel. The element is attached to the portion of the fingers 12a or the portion of the heel 14a is relatively displaceable to the other portion (portion of the heel 14a or portion of the fingers 12a, respectively).

In addition, in the example illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the fingers 12a have a tab 52, which may be integral with them or appended thereto adapted to slide through a passage (not observed) in the intermediate portion 50. The tongue 52 comprises a plurality of holes from one side to the other 54 being co-linear and typically equally spaced apart. The heel 14a comprises a tongue receptacle 56 having corresponding depressions 58 and similarly spaced for the holes 54.

The heel 14a comprises an upper portion 60 adapted to be folded upwardly exposing the tongue receptacle 56. The upper portion 60 includes at least one clamp member projecting downwardly 62, positioned and sized to pass through the holes in the tongue. tab 54 and received engaging in depressions 58 of tongue tab 56, for example in a hermetic fit type manner.

To adjust the size of the shoe 100, the upper portion of the heel 60 is raised (illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 7) thereby decoupling the limb members 62 from the depressions 58 and lifting them out of the holes 54. The fingers 12a and the heel 14a subsequently slides toward or away from each other to respectively decrease or increase the length of the footwear 100. This may involve compression or expansion of the footwear length 50 for said purpose is made of a flexible, elastic material.

When a desired length is achieved, within the tolerance of the distance between the separate apart holes 54, the size of the shoe 10 can be fixed. This is accomplished by aligning the holes in the tongue 54 with the depressions in the tongue receptacle. 58 and closing the upper portion of the heel 60 downward to re-engage the limbs like tweezers 62 with depressions 28.

Optionally, a marker 64, such as a projection or arrow associated with the tab 52 may be provided together with a sign 66 adjacent the tongue receptacle 56, to indicate a shoe size. This marker / sign arrangement can also be useful to facilitate marking to align the holes of the tab 54 with the depressions of the tongue receptacle 58, for example by means of a projection / receptacle arrangement (male / female component) for ensure alignment.

It should be understood that the function provided by the upper portion of the heel 60 could alternatively be provided by a lower portion thereof or even by an upper or lower portion of the fingers 12a, mutatis mutandis.

Now returning to Figures 13-18, these illustrate a number of variant implementations based on the concept of footwear 100 and more specifically, wherein a sole arrangement includes at least one layer formed with a flexible intermediate portion to allow extension and contraction of a length of the sole arrangement. These variant implementations differ from the footwear 100 described above, primarily in: (a) the shape of the vertical openings through the layers used to impart flexibility to the intermediate portion and (b) the implementations of the retention mechanism.

Returning now specifically to Figures 13 and 13A, these show a personally adjustable footwear implementation 1000, constructed and operative in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Footwear 1000 has a first-assembled sole arrangement of a top sole layer 1002 and a bottom sole layer 1004 and which forms a channel 1006 therebetween (Figure 13A) that receives a tongue 1008. At least one and preferably both , of the lower and upper layers of the sole 1002 and 1004 is formed with a portion of fingers 1012 and a heel portion 1014 interconnected by an intermediate portion 1010 that characterizes a vertical aperture design 1016.

The openings 1016 are preferably deployed to provide a trellis design as seen from above, i.e., a design of criss-cross strips with approximately parallelogram apertures therebetween, thereby soaking the intermediate portion with ease to accommodate longitudinal extension and / or understanding while retaining the dimensions of the relatively small individual apertures so that the Upper surface of top layer 1002 provides comfortable continuous near support for a user's foot. The term "foot support" in this context refers to an element or surface that provides the primary mechanical support for the bottom of the foot, but needs not to be in direct contact with the foot. In addition, the "foot support" can be covered by one or more layers of wadding or other aesthetic or functional layers. To provide the aforementioned continuous near support for the foot, the plurality of apertures preferably have a maximum open longitudinal dimension no greater than about 2.5 centimeters.

It should be noted that the use of substantially vertical openings that provide the required flexibility have profound advantages over the various solutions proposed by the aforementioned prior art documents. First, since each layer is integrally formed, the production processes required are simple and cost effective, therefore producing the appropriate footwear for large-scale production. Second, since bending occurs primarily within the plane of a sole layer, the thickness of the layer continues substantially unchanged during the prolongation or shortening of the footwear thereby allowing the upper surface of the upper sole layer to be used directly as a foot support surface without requiring complicated arrangements of coatings and rigid sliding insoles or the like.

It should be noted that the subdivision of the sole layers in the portion of the fingers, the heel portion and the intermediate portion do not imply any particular relative dimension between the portions and that there is no smaller limit to the size of the portion of the fingers and the portion of the fingers. heel portion. In addition, one or both of the finger portion and the heel portion may optionally be implemented as end portions of the sole layers so that the adjustable length intermediate layer with its vertical openings occupies a major portion or even substantially all of the length of the sole.

As mentioned, the entirety of each layer 1002 and 1004 is preferably formed integrally from the material of the substantially uniform composition, the mechanical variation properties being provided by the geometrical shape of the layer, the separated layers, on the other hand produced from different materials to provide the particular desired footwear characteristics. In addition, by way of non-limiting example, the upper sole layer 1002 may be formed of soft resistant material to increase wearing comfort while the lower sole layer 1004 may be formed of a relatively harder abrasion resistant material offering a mating surface to the floor of continuous use. Suitable materials for providing the required mechanical properties and appropriate associated manufacturing techniques are well known in the art and should not be addressed in detail in this document.

As mentioned above, the lower sole layer 1002 and the upper sole layer 1004 are configured to define therebetween at least one longitudinal channel 1006 extending longitudinally between the portions of the fingers 1012 and the heel portions 1014. The tongue 1008, that unfold relative to one another. In the case shown in this document, the tongue 1008 is fixed to the finger portions 1012 by a head portion formed with a central hole which engages a corresponding pocket and projects the tongue formed in the lower part of the upper sole layer 1012. .

The implementation of Figures 13 and 13A are preferably formed with the intermediate portion 1010 steadily inclined to separate the portion of the fingers and the heel portion to a predefined relative position corresponding to the maximum length of the sole arrangement. This simplifies the mechanical requirements in the retention mechanism which subsequently only needs to act to limit the length of the shoe to a desired length against the inherent elasticity of the sole arrangement. In this case, the retaining mechanism further includes a flexible band 1018 associated with the tongue 1008 and extending from the sole arrangement so that the tension applied to the flexible tape relative to the heel portion 1014 is run together with the portion of the heel portion 1014. the fingers 1012 and the heel portion 1014, thereby shortening a length of sole arrangement. A low friction sliding strip 1019 is optionally provided to assist in securing free longitudinal movement of the strip 1018 at its relatively intense point of attachment to the tongue 1008. A locking arrangement is also provided for closing the flexible tape in a plurality of positions, therefore retaining the sole arrangement at a desired length.

In the particularly preferred implementation illustrated herein, the closure arrangement includes a first pair of a hook and loop fastener 1020, such as the fastener type typically referred to by the name Sailboat ™, associated with a flexible tape end portion 1018. and a complementary portion of a hook and loop fastener 1022 associated with an upward facing surface of the sole arrangement so that the flexible tape is bent at the upward facing surface to close the sole arrangement at a desired length. Although the hook and loop fastener is a particularly preferred option due to its convenience and continuous adjustment, it should be noted that the alternating fasteners are also within the scope of the invention. Examples include but are not limited to press fasteners, various receptacle and plug arrangements and various types of bolts and hooks. In all cases, the fastener is preferably selected to be a manually operated fastener that does not require any tool or any manipulation difficult to perform.

To simplify the presentation, the impiementation shown in this document is a "strapping" type sandal having an opening 1024, slots 1026 and fasteners 1028 for retaining the straps in the required positions. As before, the principles of the present invention apply equally to all types of footwear, as will be clear to one skilled in the art.

Now briefly returning to Figures 13B and 13C, an implementation closely analogous to that of Figures 13 and 13A is shown, differing first in that channel 1006 and the receptacle and clip to accommodate the tab 1008 were first formed on the upper surface of the bottom sole layer 1004. In all other aspects, the implementation of Figures 13B and 13C can be understood broadly with reference to the description of Figures 13 and 13A. It should further be noted that other configurations including but not limited to implementations where the sole arrangement is formed of a simple unitary layer with an appropriate channel formed therebetween or where the channel passes along the lower or upper surface of the array of sole, also falls within the scope of the present invention.

Briefly with reference to Figure 18, it should be noted that implementations of the present invention employing bent strips on the surface of the sole arrangement, can also be provided with arrays of indexes indicating the corresponding shoe size to which the shoe fits. In this case, the preference indexes appear on an ascending front surface of the sole arrangement and are aligned with a corresponding mark, the loop or the cut window formed in the flexible tape 1018.

Now returning to Figures 14-14B, these show an additional footwear implementation, generally designated 1050, constructed and operative in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The footwear 1050 is generally similar to the footwear 1000 and the equivalent elements are similarly labeled. Footwear 1050 differs from footwear 1000 primarily by the inclusion of an additional stage resistance arrangement.

Specifically, the shoe retaining mechanism 1050 includes a staged resistance arrangement associated with the tongue 1008 and the heel portion 1014, configured to provide a resistive force opposing the relative displacement of the finger portion and the heel portion. between a plurality of predefined relative positions corresponding to a plurality of different lengths of the sole arrangement. As a result, a length of the sole arrangement is manually adjusted by the manual application of force to overcome the resistive force, while in the absence of manually applied force, the finger portion and the heel portion are retained in one of the predefined relative positions. In other words, when the flexible strip 1018 is not secured, the sole arrangement can be taken with both hands by the user and the heel pulled apart or pushed together, passing through a plurality of states, each defined by a "snap" position " positive. Then, when the desired length of the footwear is achieved, the flexible strip 1018 is secured as described above to provide the supplemental fixation of the desired length.

A preferred example of an implementation of the step resistance array is visible in the open partial view of Figure 14B. In this case, the tongue 1008 is formed with a pair of sturdy externally inclined clips 1052 that engage a sequence of V-shaped notches 1054 formed along the sides of the channel 1006 within the heel portion 1014. the clips 1052 and the angle of the notches 1054 are selected to ensure that the sole arrangement can be adjusted manually and non-destructively by the application of axial compression or tension while providing sufficient strength to retain an area length in the absence of significant externally applied forces.

The combination of the resistance arrangement in stages together with the securing arrangement of flexible tapes is considered partially advantageous since it combines the convenience of the temporary fixing of the length before joining the fastening tape with the positive clamping effect of the tape arrangement . However, it should be appreciated that both the strip securing arrangement and the resistance arrangement in stages are each considered to be individually useful as stand-alone products in their own right.

Turning now to FIGS. 15 and 15A illustrates a step resistance arrangement wherein the lateral array of the previous implementation is replaced with a vertically wavy array. Specifically, this implementation of a shoe article 1060 employs a tongue 1008 having a vertically wavy tail portion 1062 that passes over and / or below corresponding corrugated patterns formed in the coating surface of the upper sole layer and / or the upper surface of the lower sole layer. This arrangement provides a similar step resistance effect for the grooved arrangement described above.

Returning now to FIGS. 16 and 16A a further variation of the shoe, generally designated 1070, is shown, constructed and operative in accordance with the teachings of the present invention in which the latching mechanism includes a manually coupled and manually released latching mechanism for close a relative position of the portion of the fingers and the heel portion. In this case, a central tab 1072 incorporated in the bead portion was formed with a bilateral series of recesses 1074 and a complementary fork 1076 incorporated in the portion of the fingers is formed with externally flexible arms that support the coupling characteristics 1078 for coupling the recesses This arrangement provides manually operated positive closure of the length of the sole arrangement. This allows the use of an intermediate portion of the sole arrangement that is inclined for a state of intermediate length or even the shortest length state ~ the sole arrangement being closed in a state with a desired degree of longitudinal extension (elongation) through the retention mechanism.

Briefly with reference to Figures 17 and 17A, there is an example of an arrangement of vertical openings for the intermediate portion of the sole arrangement particularly suitable for implementations that initially bow to their shortest state. Specifically, in this case, the sole arrangement is formed of one or more layers that initially assume an unstressed state having a series of transverse grooves in stages in their intermediate portion (Figure 17). When they extend longitudinally, the material of the intermediate portion opens to form the trellis design as illustrated in Figure 17B.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in Figures 8-10, there is a footwear article 200 comprising extended projections 70 extending from a heel 14b to a finger 12b thereof. The profile of the projections 70 (Figure 9) corresponds to the channels 72 in a prolonged projection receiving portion 74 projecting from the finger 12b.

The projections of the heel 70 slide towards and apart from the portion that receives 74.

It should be noted, however, that the profile of the projections 70, in combination with the shape of the channels of the receiving portions 72, are of a geometry whereby the members are prevented from sliding significantly with respect to each other in the vertical direction. This is a very preferred situation since otherwise it would be potentially inconvenient or not comfortable for the user. It should be understood that many other profile / shape combinations are possible, which would prevent such undesired vertical displacement.

Figure 9A illustrates an example of many alternate interactive configurations for the prolonged projections and corresponding channels of a projection receiving the portion. In this example, the projections are prolonged projections in the form of inverted T 270, which are engageable in the correspondingly formed channels 272 with a portion receiving the projection 274. It should be understood that said projections may be of any of a variety of profiles in addition to those previously described, that is, L-shaped, bulb-shaped, J-shaped, Y-shaped, anchor-shaped, cross-linked and the like.

The proper design of the exemplary projections 70, 270 and channels 72, 272, respectively, can allow the footwear 200 to fit a desired length and remain there while being used, for example, via an inter-fit pressure or friction. of the projections and the reception portions. However, footwear 200 will typically include an auxiliary closure arrangement such as the one described herein.

An example of such a closure arrangement is shown in Figure 10, where a tab 76 extends from the finger 12b towards the heel 14b which comprises at least one projection of the member as a clasp. The member as a clasp is not visible, however it may be in a manner similar to that described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The bead 14b comprises a tab receptacle 78 comprising a plurality of depressions 80 which are adapted to receive the minus one member as a brooch.

The size of the shoe can be adjusted by removing the tab 76 from the tongue receptacle 78, sliding the fingers and the heel apart or together corresponding to the desired shoe size and subsequently reattaching the tab 76 and the tongue receptacle 78 (it is say pressing the structure as a snap in a / the depression).

Again, it should be understood that the heel / toes (i.e. the projections / portion received) could be rearranged and that the tongue could be placed on the top or bottom of the sole of the shoe and could alternatively extend from the heel 14b, mutatis mutandis Figure 11 shows a modification of the embodiment of Figure 1, where there is the shoe 110 where at least one between a finger 112 and a heel 114, typically more than one, extends the segment holding member in the form of an extension member or resilient member 117 (not shown) running through the segments 119 (thus shown by dotted lines). The segments 119 may be added or removed by pulling the fingers 112 and the heel 114 apart and the segments are subsequently adjusted in the elastic member 117 or removed therefrom, respectively.

Figures 12-12B provide some examples of segments that are suitable for use in the embodiment of Figure 11. As such, Figure 12 shows a segment 121 with one or more grooves 123 adapted to allow the elastic member 117 to slide to along the slots having a cavity 125 for holding the elastic member when the shoe 110 is assembled.

Figure 12A shows a segment 131 having a transverse groove 133, the segment adapted to extend open whereby the elastic member 117 can be inserted or removed by adding or removing a segment, respectively.

Figure 12C shows a segment 141 comprising two portions 143 and 145 held adjacent to one another by a hinge 147 at one end thereof and having a latch arrangement 149 at the other end thereof. To allow the segment 141 to be added to the shoe 110, the segment can be opened by opening the latch arrangement 149 and mounting the portions 143, 145 on the hinge 147 and adjusting the segment around the elastic member 117. The inverse procedure is used to remove the segment 141 of footwear 110.

It should be understood that segments such as segments 121, 131 and 141 and the like may also be used in connection with the embodiment of Figure 1.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown by the exemplary embodiments described herein. In addition, it should be understood that numerous additional embodiments are within the scope of the invention, mutatis mutandis.

For example, with respect to the embodiment described with reference to Figures 1-5, the segments 16 and 16b do not need to be juxtaposed in an aligned manner and for example, can be arranged in a design where they are scaled, angled, etc. therefore providing the user with different fashion options or individual expression. In this regard it should be understood that the segments 16, 16a and 16b could be of a variety of shapes and colors and may comprise various ornamental features. In addition, the holes 20 could be angled with respect to the heel / fingers to facilitate the assembly options for the shoe 10. Additionally, the segments 16, 16a and 16b could comprise a texture, for example to provide a massage effect to the user for aesthetic for a combination of these or for other purposes.

In addition, the invention has been illustrated in relation to the type of sandal (i.e., so-called strips or belts) however, the invention can also incorporate footwear such as conventional shoes and the like by incorporating known means to allow expansion / contraction of an upper portion of the footwear (ie, that described in the prior art mentioned above).

In addition, it should be understood that the features of the above embodiments may be combined or substituted for other characteristics. For example, in connection with the embodiments described with reference to Figures 1-5, the segments 16, 16a and 16b may be held in a segment of the fastening member with one member being a tab instead of the bars 18 and those embodiments may incorporate closing mechanisms such as those described with reference to Figures 6 and 10.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing descriptions are intended only to serve as examples and that many other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended embodiments.

Claims (50)

1. Personally adjustable footwear comprising: (a) at least one sole layer including: a portion of fingers, a heel portion and an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion being integrally formed with both said portion of fingers and said heel portion , said intermediate portion having a plurality of apertures passing substantially vertically through said layer so that said intermediate portion is elastically flexible to allow relative longitudinal displacement of said portion of fingers and said ankle portion to vary a length of said layer without significant variation in the thickness of said layer and (b) a retaining mechanism associated with both said portion of the fingers and said heel portion, said retaining mechanism being configured to retain any of a plurality of relative positions between said portion of fingers and said heel portion.

2. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said portion of fingers, said heel portion and said intermediate portion are all integrally formed of a uniform composition.

3. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of openings are deployed to provide a trellis design as seen from above.

4. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sole layer has an upper surface providing a support for the feet, wherein said plurality of openings is configured to have a maximum open longitudinal dimension no greater than about 2.5 centimeters. so that it provides support to the near continuous feet.

5. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said at least one layer is impiemented as at least two layers of sole including a bottom sole layer having a bottom surface configured to engage the floor and a top sole layer including a top surface to support a foot.

6. The footwear according to claim 5, wherein said upper sole layer is formed of a softer material than said lower sole layer.

7. The footwear according to claim 5, wherein said lower sole layer and said upper sole layer are formed to decline between them at least one longitudinal channel extending longitudinally between said finger portions and said heel portions and at wherein said retaining mechanism includes an element deployed within said channel, said element being anchored to a first of said portion of fingers and said heel portion and being displaced relative to the second of said portion of fingers and said heel portion.

8. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said sole layer forms at least a portion of a sole arrangement, said sole arrangement including at least one longitudinal channel extending longitudinally between said portion of fingers and said heel portion and at wherein said retaining mechanism includes an element deployed within said channel, said element being attached to a first portion of fingers and said heel portion and being displaced relative to the second portion of said portion of fingers and said heel portion.

9. The footwear according to claim 8, wherein said retaining mechanism further includes a staged resistance arrangement associated with said element and said second portion of said finger portion and said heel portion, said resistance arrangement in stages providing a force of resistance opposing the relative displacement of said portion of fingers and said heel portion between a plurality of predefined relative positions corresponding to a plurality of different lengths of said sole arrangement, so that the length of said sole arrangement is manually adjusted by the manual application of force to overcome said strength of resistance and so that in the absence of manually applied force, said portion of fingers and said ankle portion are retained in one of said predefined relative positions.

10. The footwear according to claim 9, wherein said intermediate portion is flexibly inclined to separate said portion of fingers and said heel portion to a predefined relative portion corresponding to a maximum length of said sole arrangement and wherein said retaining mechanism further includes: (a) a flexible tape associated with said element and extending from said sole arrangement so that the tension applied to said flexible tape relative to said second of said portion of fingers and said heel portions are pulled together of said portion of fingers and said heel portion thereby shortening said length of said sole arrangement and (b) a closure arrangement for closing said flexible tape in a plurality of positions thereby retaining said sole arrangement in a desired length.

11. The footwear according to claim 8, wherein said intermediate portion is flexibly inclined to separate said portion of fingers and said heel portion to a predefined relative position corresponding to a maximum length of said sole arrangement and wherein said retaining mechanism further includes: (a) a flexible tape associated with said element and extending from said sole arrangement so that the tension applied to said flexible tape relative to said second of said portions of fingers and heel run together from said portion of fingers and said heel portion, therefore shortening a length of said sole arrangement and (b) a closure arrangement for closing said flexible tape in a plurality of positions, thereby retaining said sole arrangement in a desired length.

12. The footwear according to claim 11, wherein said closure arrangement includes a first part of a hook and fork fastener associated with an end portion of said flexible belt and a complementary portion of a hook and fork fastener associated with a surface upper front of said sole arrangement so that said flexible tape is bent in said upper front surface to close said sole arrangement in a desired length.

13. The footwear according to claim 8, wherein said retaining mechanism further includes a manually attachable and manually releasable closing mechanism for closing a position of said element relative to said second of said portion of fingers and said heel portion.

14. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein said retaining mechanism includes a manually attachable and manually releasable closing mechanism for closing a relative position of said portion of fingers and said heel portion.

15. Personally adjustable footwear having a portion of fingers, a heel portion and a mechanism for adjusting the length of said footwear comprising one of the following: (a) one or more segments positioned between said portion of fingers and said heel portion , said segments being adapted so that they can be easily positioned intermediate to the toe and heel portions and are easily removed from them or they can be spaced apart from each other or moved closer to each other thereby affecting a length of desired footwear or (b) (i) a structure such as a contractable and expandable bellows intermediate said finger portion and said heel portion, (ii) a tongue extending from the finger portion into the heel portion or extending from the heel portion. portion of heel to and within the portion of fingers and passing through said receptacle placed in the portion of fingers or heel portion, temple The portion without the tab extending therefrom, said tab receptacle adapted to allow coupling and uncoupling with said engaging members of said tab, therefore when said tab and tab receptacle disengage said portion of fingers and said tab. The heel portion can be pushed towards each other or pulled out from one another whereby the tab and the tongue receptacle can be engaged to fix the footwear to a desired length or (c) one or more projections extending from the portion of the heel portion. the fingers forward and equaling generally in a sliding manner with channels in a prolonged projection extending from the heel portion or vice versa, therefore the footwear can be adjusted to a desired length

16. The footwear according to claim 15 of type (a) further comprising one or more segments of fastening members aligned substantially longitudinally to the length of said footwear and extending from said portion of fingers forward and into said portion of heel or extending from said heel portion forward and into said portion of fingers or extending from one segment to another.

17. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein one or more segments of the fastening members is / are constituted by one or more members as bars.

18. The footwear according to claim 17, wherein there are at least two members as bars.

19. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein one or more of the segments of the fastening members is / are constituted by a member as a tongue.

20. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein one or more segments of the fastening members is / are constituted by an elongatable member.

21. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein one or more segments of the fastening members is / are constituted by an inter-coupled array between said segments.

22. The footwear according to claim 21, wherein the inter-coupled arrangement is a hooking arrangement.

23. The footwear according to claim 21, wherein the inter-engaging element is constituted by fork and hook fasteners.

24. The footwear according to claim 21, wherein the segments are inter-coupled via an inter-coupled female-male arrangement.

25. The footwear according to claim 24, wherein the male-female inter-coupling arrangement is one of a hermetic and / or screw-tight fitting arrangement.

26. The footwear according to claim 24, wherein the female-male inter-coupling arrangement is constituted by an L-shaped projection and an L-shaped notch.

27. The footwear according to claim 24, wherein the female-male inter-coupling arrangement is constituted by an inter-coupled crossword type.

28. The footwear according to claim 24, wherein the female-male inter-coupling arrangement is constituted by a member as a finger connecting between the segments and being placed in the cavities thereof adapted to allow the segments to slide downwards and forward therefore the segments can be placed near or far from each other.

29. The footwear according to claim 17, wherein the segments are positioned on and moved from one or more of the members as rods and for this purpose the segments have at least one full bore adapted to allow one or more members such as rods go through them.

30. The footwear according to claim 29, further comprising a closure mechanism positioned on the heel portion or the portion of fingers not being the portion of which one or more bar members extend and the portion of fingers or portion of bead not being the portion from which the members as bars extend, comprises holes aligned with said one or more members as bars and said locking mechanism is designed to fix one or more members in a desired location with an appropriate number of segments positioned therein, therefore a desired shoe length is achieved.

31. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein the segments have a length no greater than their width and the footwear comprises at least one segment having at least one full bore being aligned with said width.

32. The footwear according to claim 16, wherein the segments have a length not greater than their width and the footwear comprises at least one segment having a full bore being aligned with said width and also having a full bore being aligned with said length. .

33. Personally adjustable footwear having a portion of fingers, a heel portion and a mechanism for adjusting the length of said footwear comprising one or more segments positioned between said portion of fingers and said heel portion, said segments being adapted so that they can easily positioned intermediate the toe and heel portions and being easily removed therefrom or so that they can separate apart from one another or move closer to one another to thereby affect a desired shoe length.

34. The footwear according to claim 33, wherein the segments comprise an indication of at least one of its dimensions and the dimension being oriented along the length of the shoe where the segment is incorporated therein.

35. The footwear according to claim 33, wherein the segments comprise at least one bore oriented essentially perpendicular to one or more other boreholes, therefore the segment is slidable in one or more of the members as a boom in a rotated position at a quarter of a turn with respect to the position of said hole or more holes.

36. The footwear according to claim 33, of type (a), wherein at least one of the segments is adapted to equal a smaller dimension.

37. The footwear according to claim 33, of type (a), wherein the segments are not uniform.

38. The footwear according to claim 37, wherein the non-uniformity involves the variations that are at least one of the following: shape, color, size, hole angle, within the texture and material.

39. The footwear according to claim 15, of type (b) or (c), wherein there is a mechanism for fixing the length of the shoe and said mechanism has associated with it the same indications to indicate the size of the shoe.

40. The footwear according to claim 39, wherein at least one of one of the finger portion or the heel portion comprises being adapted to expose a mechanism for fixing the footwear length.

41. The footwear according to claim 40, further comprising a tongue extending from the finger portion toward the heel portion or vice versa and a tongue pocket positioned at the finger portion or the heel portion, the portion not having the tab extending therefrom, said tab receptacle adapted to allow engagement and disengagement with said engaging members of said tab, therefore when said tongue and tab receptacle decouple from said portion of fingers and said heel portion. they can slide towards one another or outside one another, wherein said tongue and tongue receptacle can be coupled to fix the shoe in a desired length.

42. The footwear according to claim 39, wherein the mechanism for fixing the length of the footwear comprises an arrangement for facilitating the alignment of the holes of the tongue and the depressions in the tongue receptacle.

43. The footwear according to claim 42, wherein said arrangement for facilitating the alignment of the tongue holes and the depressions in the tongue receptacle include mutually corresponding projections on the tongue and a corresponding tongue receptacle.

44. The footwear according to claim 15, of type (b) or (c), wherein the tongue comprises the projections corresponding to the depressions in the tongue receptacle.

45. The footwear according to claim 15, of type (b) or (c), wherein one or more of the projections have a profile being of any triangular, T-shaped, L-shaped, J-shaped shape. , in the form of Y, in the form of an anchor and in a reticulated form.

46. The footwear according to claim 15, wherein the footwear includes at least one finger strap or foot strap to hold a foot of the user in the footwear.

47. The footwear according to claim 46, further comprising an arrangement for allowing the tapes to be attached to the shoe sole in different locations.

48. Personally adjustable footwear having a portion of fingers, a heel portion and a mechanism for allowing adjustment of the length of said footwear comprising one or more members as bars aligned substantially longitudinally to the length of said footwear and extending from said portion of fingers towards and in said heel portion or extending from said heel portion towards and in said portion of fingers, (ii) segments desirably positioned in said member as a bar and intermediaries to the heel and finger portions and for this purpose having the less a complete bore adapted to allow the members as rods to pass between them and (iii) a locking mechanism adapted in the portion of the talus or the portion of the fingers, the portion of which the member as a bar does not extend and the portion of the fingers or the portion of the heel not being the portion of which the member as a bar extends, comprises boreholes aligned with said member as a bar and said locking mechanism is designed to fix the members as bars at a predetermined location with an appropriate number of segments positioned on said bar member corresponding to said shoe length.

49. Personally adjustable footwear having a portion of fingers, a heel portion and mechanisms to allow adjustment of the length of said footwear comprising a structure such as a contractable and expandable bellows intermediate said finger portion and said heel portion, (ii) ) a tongue extending from the heel portion toward and into the finger portion and passing through said structure as a bellows and having coupling members and (iii) a tongue receptacle positioned in the finger portion or the heel portion, the portion not having the tongue extending therefrom, said tongue receptacle adapted to allow coupling and uncoupling with said engaging members of said tongue, therefore when said tongue and tab receptacle are decoupled from said portion of fingers and said heel portion can be pushed forward of one another or pulled out of one another wherein the tongue and the tongue receptacle can be engaged to secure the shoe to a desired length.

50. Personally adjustable footwear having a portion of fingers, a heel portion and a mechanism for allowing adjustment of the length of said footwear comprising one or more projections extending from the portion of fingers towards and generally sliding to be equal to the channels in a prolonged projection extending from the heel portion or vice versa, (ii) a tongue extending from the portion of fingers towards the heel portion, the portion being the one that does not have the tongue extending therefrom or vice versa and being essentially paired to the portion that it is not the portion having the tab extending therefrom, (i) a tab receptacle placed in the finger portion or the bead portion being the portion that does not have the tab extending therefrom, said tab receptacle adapted to allow coupling and uncoupling with said engaging members of said tongue , therefore when shower tongue or tongue receptacle are disengaged from said portion of fingers and said heel portion can slide towards each other or outside one another where said tongue and tongue receptacle can be attached to fix the shoe in a desired length.