CN1168403C - Shoe sole and arch strap system - Google Patents

Abstract

A lacing system for a shoe, comprising: a strap (1) having a first end (3) attached to a first side of a heel portion (12) of a shoe passes over the instep of a foot, through a channel (31) extending through the midfoot of the sole of the shoe, and back over the instep, thereby forming an X-shape on the wearer's foot. The strap (1) has a second end (11) adjustably connectable to a second side of a heel portion (12) of a sole. The channel (31) is resilient and rigid so as to allow the strap to move freely during use; a dynamic and self-adjusting strap fit is thereby obtained. A footwear sole includes relatively soft forefoot and heel portions with a relatively rigid shank portion therebetween to provide rigidity and torsional rigidity to the sole.

Description

Shoe sole and bow lacing system

technical field

The present invention relates to shoes. More particularly, the present invention relates to lacing systems for securely securing a shoe to a user's foot, and to shanks for providing rigidity and support to the sole of the shoe.

Background technique

There is currently a variety of prior art showing lacing structures for shoes. Usually, the effect of this lacing can be summarized as fixing the shoe on the user's foot, and is often used in conjunction with sandals.

Examples of prior art showing sandal or shoe lacing arrangements include: US Patent Nos. 4,200,997 and 4,446,633 to Scheinhaus, US Patent No. 4,679,334 to McBride, US Patent No. 3,3247,410 to Park , U.S. Patent No. 4,793,075 to Thatcher, U.S. Patent No. 4,817,302 to Saltsman, U.S. Patent No. 4,300,294 to Riecken, U.S. Patent No. 2,788,591 to Gibson, U.S. Patent No. 2,126,094 to Daniels, and U.S. Patent No. 2,126,094 to Ellis Patent No. 2,862,311. Each of these patents discloses lacing configurations that generally fit the ankle, heel, instep, toe, arch, or some combination of these to secure the shoe to the user's foot. However, none of these prior art techniques, nor any of the other existing lacing constructions, fully satisfactorily secure the shoe to the foot while still maintaining a comfortable fit. , durability and convenience. This problem is particularly acute for sandals used in sports or other vigorous activities. As sandals have become more and more worn during these strenuous activities, the demands on lace constructions have also increased. None of the known prior art sandal lacing configurations allow for natural adjustment relative to the foot and ankle during activity; such adjustments enhance user comfort and ease of use.

There is a specific problem with ankle or instep lacing. As the angle between the foot and ankle changes during normal walking or running, the tendon of the foot that runs down the front of the leg and across the instep of the foot alternately tightens and relaxes. This increases or decreases the overall circumference of the ankle and instep. Any lacing that wraps around the ankle must account for this expansion and contraction, which necessitates that the lacing be able to compensate for dimensional changes. Without this compensation, the ankle strap could overly restrict the movement of the foot.

Existing shoe laces are mostly oriented in a direction that does not correspond to the force vectors that occur during walking, running or vigorous activity. The laces are usually oriented at an angle of approximately 90° relative to the shoe. This angle is suitable for maximizing the strength of the lacing only when the lacing lies flat and parallel to the shoe on the foot. However, when the top of the foot slopes forward, the lacing, which is at a 90° angle relative to the shoe, must therefore be twisted so as to lie flat on the sloped foot. This makes the user uncomfortable and reduces the strength of the strap.

Other existing shoe lacing configurations feature a continuous lacing that contacts the wearer's foot at various locations such as around the ankle, across the instep, and on the forefoot. Due to the movement of the rest of the foot, these laces cannot remain taut during activity. A continuous strap covering, for example, the instep and forefoot may not provide a continuous, tight fit over the instep due to forefoot movement.

In addition to shoe lacing systems, the prior art also remains unaddressed for other problems related to the movement of the shoe relative to the foot. Specifically, it is difficult to provide torsional rigidity, arch support, and overall stiffness to the sole during walking, running, or other strenuous activities. While a generally soft and shock-absorbing forefoot and heel portion of the sole would be desirable for comfort to the wearer, they may make the sole undesirably soft and "poppy". To prevent this condition, a relatively stiff and rigid shank can be provided to bridge the softer, less rigid forefoot and heel. The stiffer shank also provides torsional rigidity to the sole, preventing unwanted torsional motion during strides.

The prior art shank comprises: a metal plate inserted in the midsole region between the midsole and an outer sole or an inner sole; a metal plate attached to the bottom outer sole in said midsole region, made of rubber or laterally narrower portions of other materials (commonly referred to as "violin shanks"); and other plastic components molded or bonded to the midfoot area of the sole to provide support and rigidity. However, these prior art shanks do not adequately prevent and are generally not configured to counteract the type of torsional forces that occur during shoe wear, especially those caused by lacing that passes through the sole.

Accordingly, there remain many unmet needs for footwear. What has long been needed is a shoe lacing construction that accommodates the wider range of motion of the foot during athletic or other vigorous activity. In addition, it is required that the strap can dynamically adjust itself according to the needs during use. Furthermore, there remains a need for an integral stiff and rigid shank to provide torsional rigidity and rigidity to the relatively soft and shock-absorbing forefoot and heel of the shoe.

Contents of the invention

A first embodiment of the present invention includes a unique shoe lacing construction that provides dynamic fit adjustment while securely and comfortably securing a sole to the wearer's foot. The lace construction generally includes an adjustable X-shaped lace that is attached to the heel of the shoe in a manner that passes over the instep of the wearer and then passes through a midsole of the shoe at the A transverse groove under the arch of the wearer's foot. The present invention also includes shoes utilizing the unique lacing construction that securely fastens the shoe to the user's foot even during sports or other vigorous activities.

This adjustable X-shaped instep strap generally has a first end fixed to a first side of the heel of the shoe, and the strap passes forward and laterally over the wearer's instep, at the midfoot through the groove in the sole of the shoe, through the longitudinal center of the sole, and then back and laterally back across the wearer's instep (thereby forming an X on the instep), and the strap can Adjustably and releasably secured to the second side of the heel portion of the shoe. The groove can be longitudinally inclined downward from the back to the front, parallel to the direction of the downward inclination of the wearer's instep, so that the lace can be positioned flat on the wearer's instep, thereby more evenly bearing the wearer's instep. Forces between the foot and the sole of the shoe that occur during sports or other vigorous activity.

This X-shaped instep strap can fix the wearer's foot on the sole of the shoe. The lacing preferably passes through the midfoot groove under the wearer's arch, thereby securing the lateral midfoot portion of the sole to the bottom of the wearer's foot.

The portion of the shoe sole through which the midfoot groove passes, ie, the midfoot shank, is preferably made of a relatively rigid and rigid material. The use of such shank material prevents the groove from pressing too tightly, ie pinching, the lace passing through the groove during use. This allows the strap to pass freely through the channel as the foot moves in different directions during use. The sole including the arcuate grooves may be manufactured separately from the sole and may be secured thereto by molding or using an adhesive. This allows the shank, including the midfoot groove, to be made from a relatively stiff and rigid material and easily attached to a softer, more pliable sole. Alternatively, the shank portion may also be an integral part of the sole. The relatively rigid and elastic arcuate groove can also function as a standard arch pad to increase the required rigidity and torsional rigidity of the sole, which will be described in detail below in conjunction with some other embodiments of the present invention. describe.

In addition to the X-lacing of the present invention, preferred sandal embodiments may also include: a front lacing system for releasably attaching the sole to the forefoot; A heel lacing system that attaches to the wearer's heel. Preferably, the heel strap system may include a pair of opposed heel lap ends that may extend upwardly from the sole at medial and lateral sides of the heel portion of the sole. Also, the heel strap system may include a T-shaped strap having a downwardly extending portion attached to the rear center of the sole, behind the wearer's Achilles tendon. The two free ends of the X-shaped tether can be connected with the front part of the side and middle heel lap ends. A side member or lateral tether extending from the lateral heel lap to the front tether may also be used to provide additional support for the foot. However, other strap configurations known today or later devised by those skilled in the art may also be used.

As noted above, the present invention optionally also includes a shoe sole having a relatively soft, low density forefoot and heel, and a relatively high density, rigid shank part. Two materials of different densities may be thermocompression molded together to form a structurally unitary member. The high density, relatively rigid shank portion of the present invention may, but need not, include transverse grooves for passing a tether as described above. Furthermore, the sole of the present invention is particularly suitable, but not limited, for use in sandals.

According to aspects of the invention, said sole may comprise a molding made of two or more thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric compounds having different densities. A compound may have suitably low density and hardness in order to provide flexibility and shock absorption. Below the user's arch, near the midfoot area of the sole, is a shank portion that includes a denser, harder, stiffer compound. Due to the presence of this higher density, stiffer shank pad, improved support for the arch of the foot is ensured. In addition, a relatively stiff shank ideally provides structure and support to the shoe in the midfoot area of the outer sole that does not come into contact with the ground in order to provide the desired overall stiffness of the sole during walking, as well as provide torsion rigidity. By changing the hardness of the shank according to needs, the effect of the shank on the structure can be easily controlled.

Before describing several embodiments of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure herein is not limited in application to the details of construction and arrangements set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. . The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description only and are not limiting.

The advantages of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the lacing system of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of one embodiment of a fastener for use with the lacing system of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a mid-side view of a midfoot groove useful for use with the lacing system of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the midfoot groove of the lacing system of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the article of footwear of the present invention employing the lacing system of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a top view of an embodiment of a shoe of the present invention having an integral shank;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a bottom and mid side perspective view of a second embodiment of a shoe sole of the present invention having an integral shank; and

Figure 9 is a side perspective exploded view of the top and middle of the second embodiment of the sole of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe, which shows an embodiment of the lacing system of the present invention. The footwear may be any type of footwear, including sandals. Like conventional shoes, the shoe includes a forefoot portion and a heel portion with a midfoot portion therebetween. According to certain aspects of the present invention, a channel 31 is provided through the midfoot portion of the sole below the user's arch, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Preferably, the strap 1 is attached at a first end 3 to one side of the heel of said shoe, for example the side thereof. Strap 1 preferably extends laterally and across the instep from above the instep of the wearer's foot forwardly. According to certain aspects of the invention, a lace passes through the midfoot groove 31 , entering said groove at the medial side 5 and exiting at the lateral side 9 . The strap 1 then extends across the instep, preferably in a rearward transverse direction, in reverse. Strap 1 is preferably adjustably attached at second end 11 to the medial side of the heel of said shoe.

Although the heel strap system (heel portion) generally shown by FIG. 1 includes two upstanding lap ends 14, 15 and a heel strap 16 interconnecting them therebetween, it should It is understood that other strap configurations or heel portions may also be used, as briefly indicated above. For example, a heel strap system may include a unitary structure of webbing or other material, or may include multiple interconnected straps. These and other variations are within the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, it should be understood that the ends 3 and 11 may be attached to the heel 12 at any desired location, for example anywhere along the path traversed by the tether 16 .

Figure 2 shows an attachment means for attaching at least a portion of the strap 1 to the heel portion 12, comprising matching hook-and-loop fasteners. According to this embodiment, the strap 1 is threaded through a pivot loop 21 attached to the heel strap end 15 of the shoe. A portion of the mating hook 23 is preferably located on the bottom of the strap 1 near the second end 11 of the strap. A corresponding portion of the matching loop 25 is located on the top side of the tether 1 . Therefore, by passing the tether 1 through the loop 21 to a desired degree of tightening, the tether 1 can be adjustably and movably attached to itself, and the hook portion 23 can be releasably fixed at the Terry part 25 on. Other attachment means may include mating female-male connectors, buckles, friction buckles, snaps, buttons, straps, or other fasteners now known in the art or later devised. Furthermore, the strap 1 may be adjustably attached to the heel portion 12 at the end portion 3 or may also be adjustably attached to the end portions 11 or 3 .

Preferably, the tether 1 passes through the groove 31 as previously indicated. However, according to other embodiments, the strap 1 can also be attached to the sole 8 or be located inside the sole 8 .

Referring now to Figure 4, the groove 31 preferably extends across the width of the midfoot region of the sole and is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sole. Angular orientations such as front to back or back to front may also be used.

According to aspects of the invention, the midfoot region 7 of the sole may include a shank 7 . The shank 7 may comprise any elastic and rigid material so as to prevent the groove 31 from collapsing or pinching the strap 1 when an external force acts downward on the shank 7 during use. The stiffness and elasticity of the shank 7 also impart favorable strength and torsional rigidity to the sole. The shank 7 may be manufactured separately from the softer and more pliable sole and may be attached thereto by means of adhesive or the like. Other manufacturing methods may also be used, such as molding the shank integrally with the rest of the sole, as will be described in more detail below. Where the shank 7 is a separate component, the groove 31 may be molded directly into the shank 7, or a channel, groove, or other means may be formed in the shank 7 to allow the strap 1 to move from the in or through it.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the strap 1 is free to move through the groove 31, whereby a dynamic, self-adjusting fit is obtained. For example, the midfoot channel 31 allows the strap 1 to respond freely as the foot moves and maneuvers during use. This facilitates that the strap 1 maintains its fit across the instep even during strenuous activity and maintains a relatively secure, responsive and comfortable fit. However, movement of the strap 1 within the groove 31 is not required.

Referring now to Figure 3, it is an enlarged mid-side view of the groove 31 in the midfoot region 7 of the sole, showing the strap 1 passing through said groove. Said grooves 31 may assume any orientation. Preferably (please continue to refer to FIG. 3 ), the groove 31 slopes forward and downward at an angle . The angle φ is preferably between about 2° and about 15°, more preferably between about 3° and about 6°, measured from a horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 3 . According to this aspect, when the two ends of the X-shaped lace 1 extend upward and pass over the wearer's instep, the angle  can be maintained, whereby the surface of the lace 1 can be positioned approximately flat. on the oblique instep of the wearer's foot. Sloping the groove down and forward allows the ends of the strap 1 to ideally point forward and upward in the same direction as the sole is pulled by the foot during walking or running, i.e. generally forward and upward. In this way, the angle of inclination of the groove 31 can maximize the ability of the strap 1 to absorb the forces generated during use, and since the strap 1 can lie flat on the wearer's instep , thus providing a comfortable feeling for the user. However, other midfoot channel configurations in which channel 31 extends horizontally, upwardly, or other configurations may also be used.

The strap 1 may be made of any suitable flexible material having sufficient tensile strength, such as woven fabric, leather, suede and any other material known in the art. A preferred strap comprises woven nylon which is well known in the art. The fabric may optionally include reflective material, thereby providing 360° reflective properties to enhance user safety.

While the lacing assembly shown in FIG. 1 and referred to herein variously as a "lacing assembly" may be used on a variety of footwear, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a lacing assembly such as that shown in FIG. Sandal 40 shown in. The sandal 40 preferably includes a sole 51 and various straps including the strap assembly of the type attached to the sole here. Preferably, the strap 41 has a first end 43 attached to a heel lap end 45 . Strap 41 passes over the instep and enters a groove 47 . Groove 47 preferably extends transversely through sole 51 . After exiting the groove 47, the strap 41 is passed over the instep in reverse, passing through a midfoot loop 53. A fastener 55 for adjustably securing the strap 41 to the heel lap 57 may cooperate to secure the strap 41 to the loop 53 . In this way, the straps 41 form an X shape on the instep of the wearer. Fastener 55 may comprise a buckle with a stem as shown, or other devices known in the art including, for example, hook and loop fasteners, male-female connectors, buckles, buttons, snaps Buttons, straps, etc.

The midfoot region 49 of the shoe may be made of a resilient and relatively stiff material, thereby providing the desired torsional rigidity for the softer and more pliable sole 51 . Additionally, the stiffness and relatively rigid structure of the midfoot region or shank 49 can provide support for the arch region of the wearer's foot. The advantages associated with torsional rigidity and arcuate region support will be described in detail below in connection with several other embodiments of the invention.

Since the preferred sole midfoot region 49 may be made of a resilient plastic material and the sole 51 may be made of a softer, more pliable material, it is preferred that the sole midfoot region 49 It can be manufactured separately from the sole 51 and then fixed on the sole with adhesive or the like. The midfoot region 49 does not have to be prepared separately from the sole 51 and then attached thereto; it could also be integral with the sole 51 . Sole 51 is constructed as is known in the art and may, for example, include a relatively tough and wear-resistant outer sole and a relatively soft and shock-absorbing midsole. A soft inner sole or footbed for contacting the wearer's foot may be adhered to the upper surface of the sole. As used herein, the term "sole" refers to the structural sole of a shoe and includes a monolithic sole, an outer sole and/or a midsole, but does not include an inner sole. The sole 51 is preferably molded from ethylene vinyl acetate.

A heel strap 59 that is used to secure the wearer's heel to the shoe is preferably attached to a middle heel strap end 45 with a first end 61, and is attached to the side heel strap end 45 with a second end. Terminal 57. The second end 63 of the heel strap 59 is preferably adjustable so that it can extend through the heel loop 65 and through a heel tie 67 . The fasteners 67 may comprise any of several fasteners well known in the art, including, for example, a bar buckle as shown, mating hooks and loops, mating Female/male buckles, buttons, straps, snaps or the like. Desirably, the heel strap 59 may be provided with a downwardly extending T-shaped strap member (not shown) which is attached to the center of the rear of the shoe. If a T-shaped strap is used, the heel strap fasteners can be located at one or both of the side heel lap ends or the mid heel lap ends, so that the wearer can adjust the T strap as desired. shaped tie. As noted above, other heel strap configurations may also be used.

Sandal 40 may also include a lateral side piece 68 and a forefoot strap 69 . When a lateral side member 68 is used, it preferably extends between the heel lap end 57 and the forefoot strap 69 . The forefoot strap 69 can adjustably secure the wearer's forefoot to the sole 51 . For example, forefoot strap 69 may be adjustably tightened by front loop 71 and retro-fastened to itself by tie 73 . The fasteners 73 may comprise any of several fasteners known in the art, including, for example, mating hook and loop fasteners, buttons, straps, buckles and the like .

While several embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein for use with sandals generally, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that X Laces also have advantages when used with other types of shoes. In particular, the X-strap of the present invention is useful in situations where a snug, responsive and dynamic fit between the foot and shoe is required.

As discussed above, the present invention may also optionally include a modified shank structure to provide torsional rigidity, shank support and stiffness to the sole. These advantages will be described below with reference to the embodiments of the present invention shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 .

6 is a top view of an embodiment of a sole 110 including a sole member 112 and an integral shank 114 welded therein. Sole member 112 is generally in the shape of a foot and includes a forefoot portion 116 , a heel portion 118 , a medial side 120 and a lateral side 121 . Sole member 112 may be made from a variety of thermoplastic and thermoset polymeric compounds. Ethylene acetate ("EVA") foam is preferred, but other compounds may also be used. The density and hardness of the sole member 112 can be set to have a relatively soft, cushion-like tightness according to needs, so that the foot can obtain an ideal comfortable feeling. The durometer of sole member 112 ranges between about 30 and about 60 Shore C durometer, with a preferred durometer of about 55 +/- 2 Shore C durometer. Cushion 114 is located in the midfoot region of sole 110, beneath the arch of the user's foot, and bridges the heel and forefoot regions.

The shank 114 preferably extends throughout the sole 110 in a vertical direction, as best seen in FIG. 7 . Furthermore, the shanks 114 are not located only in the middle or sides of the sole 110, but preferably extend into both portions for optimum torsional rigidity. An embodiment of the shank of the present invention may extend substantially across the lateral width of the shoe sole, as described above in connection with the preceding shoe embodiments of the present invention. The exact configuration of the shank is not critical, but it is preferred that the shank 114 be sized to bridge the heel and forefoot regions of the sole. The shank 114 may also be made of a suitable thermoplastic or thermosetting polymeric compound, preferably EVA foam. The shank 114 may optionally include a channel (such as channel 31 in FIG. 1 ) for passage of the strap as described above in connection with the previous embodiments of the present invention. Compared to sole member 112, shank 114 has a denser composition and is therefore stiffer and stronger. According to some embodiments of the present invention, shank 114 preferably has a durometer in the range between about 55 and about 85 Shore C durometer, and a preferred durometer is about 80 +/- 2 Shore C durometer. Preferably, there is a durometer difference between sole member 112 and shank 114 of about 20 to about 30 Shore C durometers.

A preferred method for manufacturing the integral sole member 112 and shank 114 of the present invention comprises: cutting off a part corresponding to the shape of the shank 114 on the sole member 112, cutting out from a material of suitable hardness A shank member 114 is cut and cut, and then the shank 114 is thermocompression molded into the sole member 112 . Thereby, a chemically cross-linked joint can be formed between the shank 114 and the sole member 112 , so that the shank 114 and the sole member 112 are welded into one body. Other methods of attachment include the use of adhesives or the like.

8 and 9 are shoe soles according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a bottom and middle side view of the midsole of the present invention, and Fig. 9 is an exploded top and middle side view of the entire sole of this embodiment. Midsole member 150 preferably includes a bottom surface 151 and an integrally molded midfoot shank 152 . The shank 152 is preferably made of EVA foam and has a durometer between about 55 and about 85 Shore C, while the midsole member 150 is preferably made of EVA foam and has a durometer between about 30 and about 85 Shore C. Between 60 Shore C hardness, about 20-30 Shore C hardness less than bow pad 152.

Midsole member 150 is preferably configured to include an upwardly arched midfoot portion 154 extending laterally across the sole. The medial side of the midfoot section 154 preferably has a thicker protrusion 156 adapted to underlie and support the user's midfoot arch. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the shank 152 is preferably molded to provide two opposing tabs 162 projecting downwardly at the midfoot and midfoot, thereby forming a shallow groove 164 therebetween. . The foregoing features, including arches 154, protrusions 156, tabs 162 and shallow grooves 164, are preferably formed when midsole member 150 and shank 152 are thermocompression molded together to form unitary midsole 170. .

Preferably, a shock absorbing pad 153 may optionally be located in the center of the heel region 155 . Cushion pad 153 may be formed separately and may be inserted into a molded cavity located in midsole 150 to absorb energy from the heel strike as the user moves forward in a resilient, spring-like manner. and release energy. Shock absorbing pads 153 work in conjunction with shank pads 152 to reflect and rebound energy toward the front. It has been found that this combination provides benefits over either the shock pad or the integral shank alone.

Referring now to FIG. 9 , the middle sole 170 is preferably sandwiched between an upper sole 172 and an outer sole 174 . The top surface 176 of the shank 152 preferably has an arch bulge 178 that projects upwardly on the medial side of the midfoot, below the user's midfoot arch. The one-piece midsole 170 has a raised peripheral edge 180 and a broad recessed area 182 between the peripheral edge 180 and the arcuate raised portion 178 . The upper sole 172 is fixed on the top surface of the integral sole 170 as shown in FIG. 7 . An exemplary embodiment of the upper sole 172 has a shape and thickness corresponding to the recess 182 in the midsole 170 so that a substantially flush surface is obtained when the upper sole is attached to the midsole. Upper sole 172 is preferably made of EVA foam having a hardness of about 20 to about 40 Shore C.

The upper sole 172 may have an arcuate notch 184 at the midfoot to match the protrusion 178 of the shank 152 so that the protrusion 178 is exposed when the upper sole 172 is in place. Alternatively, upper sole 172 may completely cover shank 152 including protrusion 178 . In both cases, however, it is advantageous to obtain a substantially flush outer surface. For example, the outer sole 174 may include a ridge 186 around its outer periphery which wraps around the outer lower edge 187 of the midsole. A preferred outer sole flange 186 has mutually opposed front sides 188, mutually opposed rear sides 190, a front end 192 and a rear end 194 which protrude higher than the remainder of the flange 186. high. These regions increase the wear area, thus ideally making the outer sole 174 wear resistant.

The outer sole 174 preferably includes a bridge portion 196 that is seated within the shank groove 164 of the midsole. Placing the bridge 196 within the groove 164 helps to stabilize the outer sole 174 from lateral movement relative to the midsole. Outsole 174 may be made of any resilient, rubber-like material or polyurethane, and is preferably attached to the bottom of integral sole 170 .

Therefore, the advantages of the present invention can be realized in an economical, practical and convenient manner. Although several preferred embodiments and exemplary structures of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, it should be understood that various further improvements and additional structures will be obvious to those skilled in the art of. Some specific embodiments and configurations disclosed herein are only to illustrate the preferred and best way to implement the present invention, therefore, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended rights Requirements to limit.

Claims (6)

1. An X-shaped strap assembly for securing an article of footwear to the instep of a foot, said shoe having a sole (51) and a groove (47) passing through said sole, said X-shaped strap Components include: a) A strap (1) attached at its two ends (3, 11) to the mid-heel side (5, 9) of the shoe, said strap (1) having: a a first side of the shoe extending transversely forward across the instep to a first portion of the second side, a second portion extending through the groove; and a first side extending laterally rearward from the first side of the shoe a third portion across the instep to the second side of the shoe, the first and third portions forming an X-shaped structure on the instep, wherein the groove is located in the midfoot portion of the sole, and the groove completely traverses the sole; and b) A fastener (23, 25) attached to said strap. 2. The X-strap assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said second portion is slidably located inside said groove (47). 3. A product of footwear with an X-shaped lacing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mid-foot portion of the sole (51) includes a bow pad (114), and the bow pad is at least partially Located below the sole (51), the shank is stiffer than the sole (51), and the groove (47) extends through the shank (114). 4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, characterized in that the groove (47) is inclined downward from back to front in the longitudinal direction. 5. The article of footwear as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a heel strap assembly (59), a forefoot strap assembly (69) and a lateral shoe strap (68) extending therebetween. ). 6. The X-shaped strap assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, the strap (1) is a continuous strap.

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