CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of United States Provisional Patent Application No. 62/308,449, filed 15 March 2016, entitled "FOOTWEAR HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE HEEL MECHANISM," the entire contents and substance of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth below.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to articles of footwear having an adjustable heel mechanism, and more particularly to articles of footwear capable of allowing a wearer to selectively alter the position of a portion of the heel portion of the article.

2. Background of Related Art

The fit of articles of footwear, such as athletic shoes, is often critical to the wearer's performance or comfort. Most footwear is sold in a discrete number of sizes, with each size having a characteristic length and width. Such a system typically provides enough variety for most people to find a size that fits well enough to wear without significant discomfort. However, because the lengths and widths are inextricably linked by the discrete sizes, some people find their closest fit size is either slightly too long or too short for one or both of a person's feet.

Particularly in the case of children and adolescents, rapidly (and/or unevenly) growing feet may cause a shoe or pair of shoes to be too small in a short period of time. The potential cost of buying sizes that are too large for children and adolescents to "grow into" may be that injuries occur or performance and/or comfort are limited. Relatedly, many people of all ages have left and right feet that are slightly different, potentially making an identically sized matched pair less than ideal. Compromising on the fit of one shoe for the benefit of the other is a common occurrence, and one that can potentially be an issue for people with a larger than usual size discrepancy or those that desire a closer, consistent fit on both of their feet.

Further, a number of factors may cause a wearer to desire a longer or shorter fit at different times. For example, a person's foot is known to change size in response to a number of factors such as the time of day, the temperature, or a medical condition. Even aside from actual changes in a person's foot size, other factors may influence the desired fit such as the type of sock worn, braces or wraps on the foot or ankle, and/or personal preference for different fits in different situations.

For instance, winter runs may call for thicker socks than summer runs, and this sock difference may slightly change the size of the shoe needed to accommodate the wearer's foot. In the event of a minor injury or during recovery from an injury, one shoe may need to be larger than the other to accommodate a brace or wrap on the injured foot or ankle. Particularly in the event that a wearer has properly fitting shoes to begin with, the addition of extra layers on the foot and ankle may cause a poor fit. In some cases, athletes may simply have a preference for a tighter fit during a game, competition, or race than they desire for non-competition activities like warm-ups. All these reasons and more evidence a need to provide an article of footwear that allows a wearer to adjust the length to suit their needs.

Past attempts to address this need have been met with limited success. Mechanisms such as pumps and lacing/strapping systems have been employed in the past to provide some level of adjustability. These mechanisms each have shortcomings. Some of these shortcomings can be in one or more of: durability, ease of adjustment, comfort, stability, and range of adjustment. In the case of an athletic shoe, shortcomings in one or more of these areas may result in the wearer suffering a loss of performance, reduced comfort, or a shortened lifespan of the shoe.

What is needed, therefore, is an article of footwear that allows the wearer to adjust a dimension of the shoe, such as the internal length, without modifying the length of the sole. The article should provide for simple and reliable adjustment, while preserving the comfort and durability of the article. It is to such an article of footwear that embodiments of the present invention are primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion, and more specifically an athletic shoe having an internal length that is able to be expanded or contracted without modifying the length of the sole.

In some embodiments, the article of footwear can allow a wearer to selectively alter the position of a portion of the heel portion of the article of footwear. In some embodiments, the article of footwear can have a sole, an upper attached to the sole and defining a void for a foot of a wearer, and a heel adjustment mechanism. The heel adjustment mechanism may include a heel adjustment housing capable of moving with respect to the sole to modify the volume of the void created for the foot of a wearer.

The heel adjustment mechanism can include one or more adjustment straps that are attached to one or more adjustment supports at anchor points. The one or more adjustment straps can be received by the heel adjustment housing through one or more openings. The heel adjustment housing may include a heel adjustment actuator in order to change the amount of length of the adjustment straps that is received by the housing. This change may be responsible for adjusting the position of the heel adjustment housing with respect to the sole. In some embodiments, a heel adjustment slider may be coupled to the heel adjustment housing, and may be provided with track-like openings to slidably receive the adjustment supports.

The heel adjustment actuator may take the form of an adjustment knob. In some embodiments, the adjustment knob may be coupled to a pinion configured to engage teeth located on the adjustment straps. Rotating the pinion can result in the adjustment straps being pulled into or pushed out of the heel adjustment housing. In some embodiments, the article of footwear may be an athletic shoe, and may have the heel adjustment mechanism located on the heel and have substantially mirrored instep and outstep portions including adjustment supports, adjustment anchors, and adjustment straps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 depicts a side view of an embodiment of an article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 depicts a rear view of the article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion of Fig. 1 , in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3A depicts a schematic view of the adjustable heel mechanism of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, in a loosened position.

Fig. 3A depicts a schematic view of the adjustable heel mechanism of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, in a tightened position.

Fig. 4A depicts a side view of an article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion, in a loosened position.

Fig. 4B depicts a side view of an article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion, in a tightened position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an article of footwear having an adjustable heel portion, and more specifically an athletic shoe having an internal length that is able to be expanded or contracted without modifying the length of the sole. In some

embodiments, the adjustment may be made by rotating a dial located on the rear or side of the article. The article of footwear can have a sole, midsole/liner, an upper, and a movable heel portion. In some embodiments, the movable heel portion may be a housing that is capable of moving fore and aft in response to manipulation of a dial or other adjustment mechanism. The materials, dimensions, weight, and shape, among other factors, can be manipulated to achieve the characteristics desired for a particular application.

To simplify and clarify explanation, articles and methods are described below, generally, as an article of footwear having a heel adjustment mechanism and a method of using same. One skilled in the art will recognize, however, that the invention is not so limited. The materials described hereinafter as making up the various elements of the present invention are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable materials that would perform the same or a similar function as the materials described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention. Such other materials not described herein can include, but are not limited to, materials that are developed after the time of the development of the invention. The methods described herein are also intended to be illustrative and not restrictive, as the scope of the invention covers several suitable methods of adjustment.

As described above, a problem with conventional articles of footwear is that they are not sufficiently adjustable to suit a wearers needs. This lack of adjustment can result in a poor fitment that can limit a wearer's athletic performance and increase injury risk. What is needed is an article of footwear having an adjustable fit, without sacrificing durability, comfort, or stability.

Some embodiments according to the present disclosure include an adjustment dial that moves a band by engaging teeth on the band or on a cooperating component. Expanding or contracting the band can push or pull a heel adjustment housing forward towards the toe, or aft away from the toe. Because the heel portion is capable of moving independently from the sole, the internal length of the void created to receive a wearer's foot can be altered. By modifying the internal length of this void, as opposed to the overall length, the sole can remain unaltered. This may be beneficial for maintaining the stability and durability of the article. In some embodiments, an adjustment dial can be located on the heel adjustment housing itself. This arrangement may allow the shoe to be easily adjusted both before and while on the wearer's foot. Such an arrangement may allow the mechanism to avoid coming into contact with foreign objects or obstacles during use. Other suitable locations for the adjustment dial may include on a side of the shoe. Such an arrangement may allow the wearer to reach the adjustment dial more easily while the shoe is worn.

In some applications, the heel adjustment mechanism may be integral to the shoe upper. In such embodiments, adjustment straps may contract or expand around the heel portion of the upper. As the adjustment straps contract, the compression on the heel portion of the upper can cause the internal length of the void to be reduced, tightening the article around the foot of a wearer.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, shoe 100 is formed with sole 110 and upper 120 connected to sole 110 to define a void for the foot of a wearer. In order to provide shoe 100 with heel position adjustment, each side of shoe 100 is provided with an adjustment strap 130 connected to an adjustment support 140 at adjustment anchor 150. For explanatory purposes, the sides of shoe 100 will be referred to as the instep and outstep. Adjustment strap 130 enters heel adjustment housing 160, and is loosened and tightened by the rotation of adjustment knob 170.

In some embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure, adjustment anchor 150 may be integrally formed with adjustment support 140. Similarly, adjustment strap 130 may be integrally formed with adjustment support 140. In some embodiments, one or more of the adjustment straps 130 may be removable such that they can be replaced with a strap having different characteristics such as a different length, elasticity, or material.

In order to allow heel adjustment housing 160 to move freely with respect to the adjustment supports 140, heel adjustment housing 160 can be connected to heel adjustment slider 180. Heel adjustment slider 180 is provided with track-like openings to slidably receive adjustment supports 140. As heel adjustment housing 160 is moved toward adjustment anchors 150, more of the length of adjustment supports 140 can move into heel adjustment slider 180.

Figs. 3A and 3B illustrate how heel adjustment mechanism 300 loosens and tightens the fit of shoe 100. Adjustment straps 130 include teeth 310, and adjustment knob 170 is connected to pinion 320. Pinion 320 tightens adjustment straps 130 by engaging teeth 310 and rotating in a first direction (counterclockwise in Figs. 3A and 3B). This rotation draws more of the length of adjustment straps 130 into heel adjustment housing 160. As a result, adjustment housing 160 is moved closer to adjustment anchors 150.

Rotating pinion 320 in the opposite direction (clockwise in Figs. 3A and 3B) loosens adjustment straps 130. Loosening adjustment strap 130 is accomplished by pushing a greater portion of adjustment strap 130 out of heel adjustment housing 160 as pinion 320 turns. This increases the distance between adjustment housing 160 and adjustment anchors 150, thereby increasing the length of the void defined by the sole 110 and upper 120. Other similar

mechanisms may be employed to tighten and loosen the heel adjustment mechanism, as may be known in the art.

Figs. 4A and 4B illustrate shoe 100 in loosened (4A) and tightened (4B) states. In Fig. 4A, adjustment housing 160 is in a loosened state further from adjustment anchors 150 than in Fig. 4B. In this state, adjustment housing 160 deforms upper 120 very slightly if at all. This allows the void created by upper 120 and sole 110 to be as long as possible.

As Fig. 4B shows, adjustment housing 160 deforms upper 120 such that the void created by upper 120 and sole 110 is shorter than it was in the loosened state depicted in 4A. This ability to selectively modify a dimension of the void created to receive a wearer' s foot can allow for a variety of sizes or fits to be achieved with a single shoe.

In practice, the shoe can be adjusted before the wearer puts them on. Alternatively, or in addition to that adjustment, the wearer may also make adjustments to the heel adjustment mechanism while the shoes are being worn. Preferably, tension in the adjustment straps alone will not cause the adjustment knob to rotate. This allows the size of the shoe to remain locked in unless and until the wearer elects to rotate the adjustment knob. While the heel adjustment actuator has been discussed as a knob, it may also be a dial, thumbwheel, ratchet, slider, or other suitable adjustment mechanism known in the art, provided the mechanism is suitable for the application and is capable of adjusting the adjustment straps by modifying how much of their length is received by the adjustment housing.

While several possible embodiments are disclosed above, embodiments of the present invention are not so limited. For instance, while several possible configurations have been disclosed (e.g., an adjustment knob, slotted adjustment device, or the like), other suitable materials and configurations could be selected without departing from the spirit of embodiments of the invention. In addition, the location and configuration used for various features of embodiments of the present invention can be varied according to a particular application, such as a particular sporting application, shoe design, or user preference. Such changes are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention.

The specific configurations, choice of materials, and the size and shape of various elements can be varied according to particular design specifications or constraints requiring a device, system, or method constructed according to the principles of the invention. Such changes are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention. The presently disclosed embodiments, therefore, are considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein.