MXPA01002347A - Footwear sole and arch strapping system. - Google Patents

Abstract

A strapping system for footwear comprises a strap (1) that has a first end (3) connected to a first side of a heel portion (12) of footwear, passes over the instep of a foot, through a channel (31) extending through the midfoot of the footwear sole and back over the foot instep to thereby forming an X shape over the wearer's foot. The strap (1) has a second end (11) which may be adjustably connected to the second side of a heel portion (12) of a sole. The channel (31) is resilient and rigid so as to allow the strap freedom of movement during use; thereby achieving a dynamic and self adjusting strap fit. A footwear sole comprises relatively soft forefoot and heel portions with a more rigid shank portion therebetween to provide the sole with stiffness and torsional rigidity.

Description

SOLE OF FOOTWEAR AND ARCH CLAMP SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with footwear. In particular, the present invention is concerned with fastening systems for securely securing footwear to a wearer and spikes to provide stiffness and support to the soles of footwear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is a wide variety of prior art fastening configurations for footwear. In general, the purpose of such fastening strips can be summarized - as insuring footwear at the foot of a wearer and frequently used in connection with sandals. Examples of sandal or footwear fastening arrangements of the prior art include U.S. Patent Nos. 4,200,997 and 4,446,633 issued to Shein aus, U.S. Patent No. 4,679,334 issued to McBride, U.S. Patent No. 3,327,410 issued to Park, the U.S. Patent. No. 4,793,075 issued to Thatc er, U.S. Patent No. 4,817,302 issued to Saltsman, U.S. Patent No. 4,300,294 issued to Riecken, U.S. Patent No. 2,788,591 issued to Gibson, U.S. Patent No. 2,126,094 issued to ^^ JMt? ^ Daniels and US Patent No. 2,862,311 issued to Ellis. Each of these patents describes fastening combinations that engage, in general with ankle, heel, instep, toe, arch or some combination thereof to secure the footwear to the user's foot. However, none of these disclosures of the prior art and any of the other existing fastening configurations have been completely satisfactory in securing the footwear while maintaining a durable and convenient comfortable combination. This problem is particularly acute for shoes used in sports activities or other vigorous activities. As sandals have become more frequently worn on these active users, the demands of fastening configurations have increased. No existing sandal support configuration allows for natural adjustments of the foot and ankle during activity; such adjustments would improve user comfort and ease of use. A particular problem is concerning the ankle or instep strips. As the angle between the foot and ankle changes during normal or running walking, the main tendon of the foot traveling to the front of the leg and through the instep of the foot is alternately tightened and loosened. This causes the overall circumference of the ankle and instep to increase and decrease. Any strips that wrap around the ankle should allow this expansion and contraction which necessitates that such an attachment be able to compensate for the variation in size. Without such compensation, the ankle support can greatly restrict the movement of the foot. The footwear strips of the prior art are usually oriented in a direction that does not correspond to the force vectors that occur during walking, running or vigorous activity. The grip is usually oriented at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the sole. This angle is appropriate to maximize the grip only when the strip falls flat and parallel to the sole on the surface of the foot. As the upper part of the foot leans forward, however, a strip oriented at a 90 degree angle to the sole must be tors: .onar to fall flat on the surface of the inclined foot. This causes the user's discomfort and decreases the resistance capacity of the strip. Still other prior art shoe restraint configurations feature a continuous strip that contacts the user's foot at multiple sites, such as around the ankle, through the foot and on the front of the foot. foot. Such strips can not remain taut during activity, due to the movement of other portions of the foot or a continuous strip that covers both the instep and the front of the foot, for example may lack continuous tense adjustment on the instep due to the movement of the forefoot. In addition to footwear fastening systems, other problems related to the movement of the sole in relation to the foot also remain unresolved by the prior art. In particular difficulties are assted with the production of torsional stiffness, arch support and overall stiffness to a sole during walking, running or other vigorous. While a forefoot portion of the generally soft and cushioned sole and heel are desirable for user comfort, it may result in the sole being undesirably soft and "flexible". To prevent this condition, a relatively stiff and rigid spike can be provided to join the softer, less rigid portions of the front of the foot and heel. The stiffer spike also provides torsional stiffness to the sole, preventing undesirable twisting movements during a user's journey. The pins of the prior art include metal plates inserted in the middle region of the foot between the midsole and either an outsole or insole.; a laterally narrow section of rubber or other material attached to the outer outer sole in the midfoot region (generally known as a "median spike") and other plastic components molded or glued to the midfoot region of the sole by support and rigidity. However, such spikes of the prior art do not prevent properly and are generally not designed to counteract the type of torsion of the torsional forces developed during shoe wear, especially those forces caused by the strips passing through the sole . Therefore there are many unresolved needs concerning footwear. There is a long-felt need for a foot restraint configuration that accommodates the range of foot width movement during sports activities or other vigorous activities. In addition, there is a need for fastening that is capable of dynamically adjusting itself as required during such use. In addition, there are unresolved needs for a generally stiff and strong spike portion to provide torsional stiffness and roughness to the portions of the forefoot and heel of the otherwise relatively soft and cushioned footwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the present invention comprises a unique fastening configuration for the footwear that provides a dynamic fit in that it securely and comfortably attaches a sole to the foot of a wearer. The fastener generally includes an adjustable X-shaped strip that is attached in some way to a portion of the heel of the shoe, crosses over the instep of the wearer and passes through a transverse channel of the midsole of the footwear or arch of the user. The present invention further comprises a footwear incorporating the unique fastening configuration that securely holds the footwear to the foot of a wearer, even during sports activities or other vigorous activities. The adjustable X-shaped vamp instep has in general a first end secured to a first side of a heel portion of the shoe, crosses forward and transversely over the instep of the wearer, passes through a channel in the sole of the shoe in the middle foot, the longitudinal center of the sole, extends back and traneversally back through the instep of the user (thereby forming an X on the instep) and secured in an adjustable and releasable manner to the second side of the talus portion of the shoe. The channel can be angled down from the back to the front in the longitudinal direction, parallel to the downward slope of the user's instep, such that the strip will fall flat on the instep of the user and thereby carry more forces Evenly developed between the foot and the sole lasts sports activities and other vigorous activities.

The X-shaped instep strip acts to secure the user's foot to the footwear sole. The strip passes preferably under the user's arch through the middle channel of the foot and thereby works to secure the midfoot portion of the sole at the bottom of the wearer's foot. The portion of the sole of the shoe through which the middle foot channel passes, the spike of the middle foot, preferably consists of a relatively rigid and hard material. The incorporation of such spike material allows the channel to not be compressed significantly and thereby not bite the strip passing through it during use. The strip can thus be free to move through this channel as the foot moves in different directions during use. The sole that includes the arch channel can be manufactured separately from the sole and can be fixed thereto by molding or with an adhesive. This allows the spike including the middle foot channel to be constructed of a relatively hard and rigid material and be conveniently attached to a softer, more collapsible sole. Alternatively, the spigot portion may also be an integral portion of the sole. The relatively rigid and resilient arch channel also functions as a standard type spike to add desirable torsional rigidity and stiffness to - - i - - i,,. | ...---- aa. »..... ^ ... i. * .. ^. > My iJ sole, as will be discussed in more detail later in relation to additional embodiments of the invention. In addition to the X-strip of the invention, the preferred sandal embodiment may further comprise a front strip system for releasably attaching the sole to the forefoot and a heel strip system for releasably attaching the sole to the heel or heel of the user. Preferably, the heel strip system can include a pair of opposed heel poles that can extend upwardly from the sole on the medial and lateral sides of the heel portion of the sole. In addition, the heel strip system may include a T-strip having a downwardly extending portion that attaches to the center, back of the sole, behind the user's Achilles tendon. The two free ends of the X-strip can be attached to the front part of the side and middle poles of the heel. A side member or side strip may also be worn that extends from the side heel post to the front strip to provide additional support for the foot. Nevertheless, additional strip configurations not known or subsequently devised herein by those skilled in the art can be used. As indicated above, the present invention further comprises a shoe sole having relatively soft, low front and heel portions. a ".... -ta-Éiiá > - > -j ^ density with a more rigid spike portion of higher density, The two materials of different density can be molded by thermal compression together to form a structurally integral unit. The stiffer, higher density spike portion of the invention may comprise, but does not need, the transverse channel described above for passing a strip. In addition, the sole of the invention may be particularly appropriate for, but not limited to, the use of sandals. According to various aspects of the present invention, the sole may comprise a molded unit of two thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric compounds of different densities. A composite can be appropriately low density and hardness to provide flexibility and cushioning. Near the middle region of the foot of the sole, below the user's arch, there is a spike portion comprising a more dense, harder, stiffer composite. The presence of the taller, stiffer density spike tends to ensure that the arch of the foot will have improved support. In addition, the relatively stiff spike is desirable to provide structure and support to the sole in the midfoot region where the outsole does not contact the ground, to provide desirable overall stiffness to the sole during the walk, and provide torsional rigidity. The structural effect of the spike can be easily controlled by varying the hardness of the spike as desired. Before applying the various embodiments of the disclosure in detail, it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangements received in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of other modalities and of being carried out and carried out in various ways, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for description and not for limitation. The advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a strip system of the present invention; Figure 2 is a detail of one embodiment of a fastener for use in connection with the strip system of the present invention; Figure 3 is a detailed middle side view of the mid-foot channel useful in relation to the strip system of the present invention; Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the midfoot channel of the strip system of the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a footwear article of the present invention incorporating the strip system of the present invention; Figure 6 is a plan view of a sole embodiment of the present invention having an integral spike; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a lower and middle side perspective view of a second embodiment of a midsole of the present invention having an integral spike and Figure 9 is a top perspective view of the exploded view and middle side of the second embodiment of the invention. half sole of the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention. Turning now to the figures of the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a footwear showing an embodiment of the fastening system or of strips of the present invention. The footwear can be of any type in which the sandals are included. The sandal, as is conventional, includes portions of the front and heel, with a midfoot portion between them. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, a channel 31 is provided through the middle portion of the foot of a shoe sole, below the user's arch, as will be more fully explained herein. Preferably, the strip 1 is operatively joined to a first end 3 on one side, for example the lateral side of the heel portion of the shoe. Strip 1 preferably extends transversely across and forward through and over the instep of a user's foot. According to certain aspects of the present invention, a strip passes through the channel 31 of the middle part of the foot, entering an intermediate side 5 and arising or exiting on a sidewall 9. Then the strip 1 preferably extends in a posterior transverse direction back through the instep of the foot. Strip 1 is preferably adjustably attached at a second end 11 to the medial side of a heel portion of the shoe. While the system of heel strips (heel portion) 12 is shown in general in Figure 1, which comprises two vertical posts 14, 15 and a strip 16 of the heel interconnected therebetween, it should be appreciated, as indicated Briefly, other configurations or heel portions can be used. For example, the heel strip system may comprise a unitary structure formed of tapes or other material or may comprise a plurality of interconnected strips. These and other modifications are within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the ends 3 and 11 can be attached to the portion of the heel 12 at any suitable location, for example at any point along the path traveled by the strip 16. A joining device useful for joining by at least a portion of the strip 1 to the heel portion 12 is illustrated in Figure 2, they comprise complementary hook and loop fasteners. According to this embodiment, the strip 1 passes through a pivot ring 21 attached to the heel post 15 of the shoe. A section of coupling hooks 23 are preferably located on the bottom of the strip 1 near the second end 11 of the strip. A corresponding section of coupling rings 25 is located on the upper side of the strip 1. By this, the strip can be attached in an adjustable and detachable manner by pulling it through the pivot collar 21 at a desired tension and setting of releasably releasing the section of the hooks 23 on the ring section 25. Other connecting devices may comprise mating female-male connectors, loops, friction loops, springs, buttons, shoe laces or other fasteners not known or subsequently devised in the present in the technique. In addition, the strip 1 may be adjustably attached at the end 3 to the heel portion 12 or alternatively not be adjustably attached to either the 11 or 3 end. Preferably, the strip 1 as previously indicated, It passes through the channel 31. However, according to several alternative embodiments, the strip 1 can be attached to or within the sole 8. With reference now to Figure 4, the channel 31 preferably extends across the width of the middle region 10 of the foot of the sole and is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the sole. Angular orientations, for example from the front to the back or vice versa can also be used. According to several aspects of this In the invention, the region 7 of the midfoot portion of the sole can include a spike 7. The spike 7 can comprise any rigid resilient material to help prevent the channel 31 from collapsing and biting the strip 1 when a force is applied down on pin 7 during use. The The stiffness and resilience of the spigot 7 also tends to impart advantageous strength and torsional stiffness to the sole. The pin 7 can be manufactured from the softer and more collapsible sole and joined thereto with an adhesive or the like. Alternative manufacturing methods can be used, such 25 as molding the spike integrally with the other portions ^^^ kg ^^ wjjS ^^ g ^^^ jí ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^! ^^^^! ^^^ of the sole as will be described later in the present. In cases where the peg 7 comprises a separate component, the channel 31 can be molded directly to the peg 7 or a passage, slit or other ruler can be formed on the peg 7 to allow the passage of the strip 1 therein or without the same According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, strip 1 is ready to be put through channel 31, thereby tending to allow dynamic self-tuning. For example, since the foot can be moved and moved during use, the channel 31 of the middle part of the foot allows the strip 1 freedom to respond. This allows the strip 1 to maintain its fit through the instep of the foot and to maintain a firm, responsive and correspondingly comfortable fit even during vigorous activity. However, the movement of strip 1 in channel 31 is not required. Referring now to Figure 3, a side exploded view of the channel 31 of the region 7 of the middle portion of the sole shows the strip 1 passing therethrough. The channel 31 of the middle part of the foot can in general be configured in any desirable orientation. Preferably and still with reference to Figure 3, the channel 31 is angular towards and down at an angle of F. The angle F is preferably between about 2 degrees and about 15 degrees and more preferably between about 3 degrees and about 6 degrees, measured from a horizontal plane as shown in figure 3. According to this aspect, as the respective patterns of the strip in X 1 extend upwards and over the instep of the user, the angle F It will tend to be maintained, thus causing the surface of strip 1 to fall approximately flat on the instep of the user's foot. The angle in the channel in a longitudinal direction 10 downward and forward tends to desirably direct the respective ends of the strip 1 in a forward and upward direction closely matching a typical forward and upward direction in which the sole is pulled by the foot during the 15 walk or run. In this way, the angle of the channel 31 can - maximize the ability of the strip 1 to absorb the forces developed during use and provides the comfort of the user since the strip 1 will tend to fall flat on the instep of the user. However, other configurations of Channel 20 of the middle part with channel 31 extending horizontally, upwards or other configurations may be employed. The strip 1 can be made of any suitable flexible material having sufficient strength to the 25 traction, such as a woven cloth, leather, suede or any material known in the art. A preferred strip comprises woven nylon as is well known in the art. The fabric tapes may optionally comprise a reflective material thereby providing a 360 degree reflectivity 5 for improved user safety. While the strip assembly outlined in Figure 1 and finished herein as a "strip set" can: be used in a variety of footwear products, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention comprises a sandal 40, as shown in Figure 5. Sandal 40 preferably includes a sole 51 and a variety of strips that include a version of the strip assembly of the present attached to it. Preferably, a strip 41 has a first end 43 attached to a heel post 45. The strip 41 passes in the instep of the foot and to the channel 47. The channel 47 preferably extends transversely through the sole 51. After to exit channel 47, strip 41 passes on the instep of the foot, through ring 53 of the middle part of the foot. A fastener 55 for adjustably fastening the strip 41 to the heel post 57 cooperates to secure the strip 41 to the ring 53. By this, the strip 41 forms an X configuration on the instep of the wearer. The fastener 55 may comprise a loop with lever as illustrated or other means as are known in the art including, for example, 25 hook and loop fasteners, male-female connectors, f ^ f ^^^ mg ^ f ^^ ttW ^^ t ^^^^^^^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ jfi ^^^ loops, buttons, springs, shoelaces and seams before The midfoot region 49 of the sole can be made of a resilient and relatively rigid material 5 to provide desirable torsional stiffness to the softer and more foldable sole 51. In addition, the hard and relatively stiff construction of the midfoot region or spike 49, provides support to the arc region of a user's foot. The advantages related to torsional rigidity and The support of the arc region will be discussed in greater detail later herein in association with the additional varieties of the invention. Because the region 49 of the midfoot of the preferred sole can comprise a plastic material As the sole 51 can comprise a softer, more foldable material, the region of the middle portion 49 of the sole is preferably manufactured separately from the sole, and then fixed thereto using adhesives or the like. The 49th region of the middle part of the foot does not need 20 be prepared separately from the sole 51 and join it; it may also be integral with the sole 51. The sole 51 is constructed as is generally known in the art and may for example comprise a relatively hard and wear-resistant outsole and a softer midsole and more 25 cushioned. A soft inner sole or foot bed for the ^^ t ^ contact with the user's foot can be adhered to the upper surface of the sole. As used herein, the term "sole" refers to the structural sole of the footwear and includes a unitary sole, an outsole and / or midsole but does not encompass an inner sole. The sole 51 is preferably molded from ethylene vinyl acetate. A heel strip 59, for securing the user's heel to the shoe, is preferably attached at a first end 61 to a medium heel post 55 and to a second end 10 to the side heel post 57. The heel strip 59, of the second end 63 is preferably adjustable and can thus be placed through the bead ring 65 and through a heel clip 57. The fastener 67 can comprise any of several bras are well known in the The technique includes, for example, a lever-operated loop as illustrated, coupling hooks and rings, male / female coupling loops, buttons, shoelaces, springs or the like. The heel strip 59 can be provided in a desirable manner with a strip element 20 in the form of a T extending down (not shown) that joins the central, rear part of the sole. If a T-shaped strip is used, the heel strip fasteners may be provided on one or both of the middle side heel poles such that the user can adjust the 25 T-strip as desired. As previously indicated, ? m iu. «AaatesA» -. - ».« ....

Other heel strip configurations can also be used. The sandal 40 may also include a side member 59 and pull the front of the foot 69. The side member 59, when employed, preferably extends between the post 57 of the heel and the strip 69 of the forefoot. The strip 69 of the forefoot desirably secures the user's shoes to the sole 51. For example, the strip 69 of the forefoot can be tightened adjustably through the front ring 71 and fastened again on itself through the fastener 73. The fastener 73 can comprise any of the various fasteners known in the art which include for example hook fasteners and coupling ring, buttons, laces, loops and the like. Although several of the embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, in general use with sandals, will be understood by those skilled in the art that the X-strip of the invention can prove to be advantageous to itself for use with other types of footwear. In particular, the X-strip of the invention will be useful in any application where a pressure, sensitive and dynamic fit between the foot and the footwear is desired. As discussed above, the present invention may further comprise an improved spike configuration to provide the sole of the shoe with torsional stiffness, arch support and stiffness. These advantages are best described in relation to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and / or 9. 5 Figure 6 is a plan view of a sole embodiment 110 comprising a sole piece 112 and an integral tang 114 merged into it. The sole piece 112 is generally in the form of a foot and includes a portion of the front of the foot 116, a heel portion 118, 10 an intermediate side 120 and a lateral side 121. the sole piece 112 may consist of a wide variety of thermoplastic and thermoplastic polymer compounds. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam is preferred but other compounds can be used. The density and hardness of the sole piece 112 can be adjusted as desired with a relatively "soft, cushioned, desirable consistency for foot comfort." The hardness ranges for the sole piece 112 will range from approximately a Shore C hardness. about 30 and about 60, with a preferred hardness of about 55 +/- 2 Shore C. The spike 114 resides in the midfoot region of the sole 110, underlying the user's arch and connecting the heel and toe region. the front of the foot, the spike 114 preferably extends throughout the sole 114 in a vertical direction, as best seen in the ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ figure 7. in addition, the pin 114 is not located only in the medial or lateral portion of the sole 110 , but extends preferably to both portions for optimum torsional rigidity. One embodiment of the spike of the invention can extend substantially across the transverse width of the shoe sole, as generally described hereinabove with reference to the forefoot shoe modalities of the invention. The specific configuration of the pin is not critical, but preferably the pin 114 is sized to join the heel and forefoot regions of the sole. The spike 114 may also consist of a suitable thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric compound, the EVA foam is preferred. The spigot 114 may optionally comprise a channel (such as the channel 31 shown in Figure 1) for passing a strip as described above with reference to the previously illustrated embodiments of the invention. The composition of the pin 114 is denser and hence more rigid and harder than the sole piece 112. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the pin 114 preferably has a hardness in the range of about 55 and about 85 Shore C hardness, with a preferred hardness of about 80 +/- 2 Shore C. Preferably, there is a differential of about 20 to about 30 Shore C hardness: a between the sole piece 112 and the spike 114.

A preferred method for making the integral sole piece 112 and the spike 114 of the invention comprises the steps of cutting a portion of the sole piece 112 corresponding to the shape of the spike 114, cutting a spike piece 114 from a stock material. appropriate hardness and thermal compression molding of the spike 114 to the sole piece 112. By this chemical crosslinking bonds are formed between the spike 114 and the sole piece 112, integrally fusing the spike 114 with the sole piece 112. Other methods of union comprise the use of adhesives or the like. Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a sole according to a further embodiment of the invention. Figure 8 is a bottom half of a midsole of the invention and side view, while Figure 9 is a top exploded view and lateral average of the entire sole of this embodiment. The half-sole piece 150 preferably has a lower surface 151 and a tang 152 of the middle part of the foot integrally molded. The spike 152 preferably comprises EVA foam with a hardness of between about 55 and about 85 Shore C, while the midsole part 150 preferably consists of EVA foam with a hardness of between about 30 and about 60 Shore C , approximately 20-30 Shore C less than spike 152.

The midsole part 160 is preferably configured to include a portion 154 of the midfoot portion arched upward that extends laterally through the sole. The medial side of the middle part of the foot 154 preferably has a thicker raised portion 156 capable of underlying and supporting the average arc of the wearer. In this embodiment, the lower surface of the spike 152 is preferably molded to provide two opposing lobes 162 projecting downward into the middle and middle part of the foot thereby forming a shallow groove 164 therebetween. The above features, which include the arch 154, raised portion 156, lobes 162 and slit 164 are preferably formed when the sole piece. 150 of the middle portion and the spike 152 are thermally compressed molded together to form the mid-sole 170. A cushion block 153 is optionally provided, preferably at the center of the heel region 155. The block 153 may be formed separately and can be inserted in the molded midsole cavity 150 to absorb energy of a heel shock and release energy when the user moves forward from a resiliently, similar to spring. The damper block 153 operates in combination with the spike 152 to reflect and rebound the energy in a forward direction. It has been found that this combination provides benefits either in the buffer blocks or integral pins used individually. Turning now to Figure 9, the midsole 170 is preferably sandwiched between an upper sole 172 and an outer sole 174. An upper surface 176 of the pin 172 preferably having a raised arcuate portion 178 protrudes upward from the medial side of the sole. the middle part of the foot, underlying the user's middle arch. The integral midsole 170 has a raised perimeter edge 180 and a wide recessed area 182 between the edge 180 and the raised arched portion 178. The upper sole 172 is attached to the upper surface of the integral sole 170 as illustrated in Figure 7 An exemplary embodiment of the upper sole 172 has a shape and thickness corresponding to the recess 182 in the midsole, such that "a substantially level surface at the junction of the upper sole to the mid sole s * e results in The upper sole 172 preferably consists of EVA foam with a hardness of about 20 to about 40 Shore C. The upper sole 172 may have an arcuate indentation 184 in the middle foot to coincide with the raised portion 178 of the pin 152 allowing by this the exposure of the portion 178 when the upper sole 172 is in place Alternatively, the upper sole 172 can completely cover the pin 152 which incl. uye the raised portion 178. In any case, however, preferably a substantially level external surface is obtained. For example, the outsole 174 may include a raised shoulder 186 around the outer perimeter that will wrap around the outer, lower edges 187 of the midsole. A raised edge of the preferred outer sole 186 has opposite front side portions 188, opposed rear side portions 190, a front end 192 and a trailing end 194 that are raised higher than the remainder of the raised edge 186. These regions correspond to areas of increased wear, thereby making the durable outer sole 174 desirable. The outer sole 174 preferably includes a bridge portion 196 that abuts the tang groove 174 of the midsole. The placement of the bridge portion 196 in the slit 174 helps to stabilize the outsole 174 of lateral movement relative to the midsole. The outsole 174 may consist of any resilient material, resembling rubber or polyurethane and is preferably bonded to the bottom of the integral sole 170. The advantages of the present invention are thus obtained in an economical, practical and easy manner. While preferred embodiments and exemplary configurations have been shown and described, it will be understood that several additional modifications and additional configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is proposed that the specific embodiments and configurations described herein be illustrative of the preferred and best modes for carrying out the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. CLAIMS 1. An X-shaped strip assembly to secure a footwear item to the instep of a foot, the footwear has a sole and channel through the sole, the strip assembly is characterized in that it comprises: (a). A strip attached at its respective ends to the middle, side and heel sides of the shoe, the strip has a first portion extending in a forward direction transversely to the instep from a first side of the shoe to a second side, a second portion that extends through the channel and a third portion extending in a backward direction transversely to the instep from the instep of the first side to the second side of the shoe, the first and third portions form a configuration in X on the instep and (b) . A bra attached to the strip. 2. A footwear article characterized in that it comprises: (a). A sole, the sole has a midfoot portion and a portion of the heel; (b) A channel that extends transversely to the midfoot portion of the sole; (c). A strip of the instep attached to the heel portion of the sole, the strip has a first portion extending in a forward direction transversely to the instep of the wearer from one side of the sole to the other, a second portion extending through the channel and slidable within the channel and a third portion extending in a backward direction transversely to the instep of the user from one lake to the other side of the sole, the first and third portions of the strip form a configuration in X on the instep of the user and the second portion s / e is between the first and third portions of the strip and 10 (d). An adjustable bra attached to the strip to adjust the strip. 3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, characterized in that the middle foot portion of the sole includes a spike, the spike underlies at 15 less partially below the sole, the spike is stiffer than the sole, the channel extends through the spike. The article of footwear according to claim 3, characterized in that the channel is angular downwards from the back to the front part in a longitudinal direction. The article of footwear according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a strip assembly of the heel portion, a strip assembly of the front of the foot and a side strip that is 25 extends between them. ^ ggjgfcaá ^ j ^ fe ^^^ i 6. A footwear product to be worn by a user on the foot of the user, characterized in that it comprises: (a). A sole; (b) A transverse passage extending through the sole and (c). A strip system configured to secure the footwear product to the wearer's foot, which includes: a heel portion, an X-shaped strip assembly coupled to the heel portion, wherein the X-shaped strip assembly includes a continuous strip having a first portion extending transversely to the instep of the wearer from a first side of the footwear to a second side, a second portion extending through the transverse passage and a third portion extending transversely through the instep of the user from the first side to the second side of the shoe, the first and third portions of the X-shaped assembly form an X-shaped configuration on the instep of the user and an adjustable fastener for adjusting the length of the X-shaped assembly .