SPORTS SHOE INCORPORATING A GAITER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001]This application is based upon French Patent Application No. FR 2415040, filed Dec. 20, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference thereto in its entirety, and the priority of which is claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

[0002]The invention relates to a shoe comprising a gaiter.

2. Background Information

[0003]Shoes equipped with gaiters are known from the prior art. Gaiters are generally used to prevent external elements, such as water or stones, from entering the shoe between the upper and the user's foot. A gaiter extends over the main opening of a shoe, much like a sock or a sleeve that would be fastened around the user's ankle.

[0004]However, when the shoe is equipped with a gaiter, it becomes less practical for such shoes to be put on. Specifically, the gaiter is intended to be relatively tight around the user's ankle. It is then difficult to access the main opening of the shoe to insert the foot therein. It is also complicated to access the tightening system of the shoe when it is covered by such a gaiter.

[0005]To overcome these problems, there are gaiters that have an opening closed off by a zip or Velcro® closure system, thus making it easier to access the main opening and the tightening system. However, these solutions impair the aerodynamics of the shoes, increase the weight of the shoe and are not very comfortable, in particular because of the presence of the closure system.

SUMMARY

[0006]An objective of the invention is to overcome these problems and to improve the shoes known from the prior art. In particular, the invention proposes a shoe having a lightweight, incorporated gaiter that hardly impedes placement of the shoe on the foot and access to the tightening system of the shoe.

[0007]The invention proposes a shoe designed to receive a user's foot, the shoe includes a bottom assembly and an upper with a cover that has a vamp, a lateral quarter, and a medial quarter, and a gaiter connected to the cover. The cover incorporates a main opening delimited by a lateral edge, a medial edge, an anterior edge and a posterior edge. The main opening has a posterior subdivision delimited by a rear portion of the lateral edge, a rear portion of the medial edge and the posterior edge and an anterior subdivision, extending the posterior subdivision at the vamp, delimited by an anterior portion of the lateral edge, an anterior portion of the medial edge and the anterior edge. The gaiter includes a panel connected to the cover at the periphery of the posterior subdivision and at the vamp to surround the periphery of the anterior subdivision.

[0008]The gaiter is configured to surround the ankle and cover part of the user's instep to form an upper opening. The gaiter overlaps itself, without being connected, to form a lateral or medial slit.

[0009]The gaiter ensures that the shoe is well protected, preventing external elements from penetrating inside the shoe. Furthermore, this structure improves the aerodynamics of the shoe, e.g., by covering the anterior subdivision. Indeed, the gaiter can thus conceal a tightening system housed in this anterior subdivision, this tightening system possibly disturbing the aerodynamics of the shoe. Finally, this structure of the overlapping of the gaiter makes it easier for the shoe to be fitted while maintaining access to the tightening system of the shoe. It also avoids the need to add an additional closure system to the gaiter that may weigh down the shoe and cause discomfort. This structure thus enables excellent incorporation of the gaiter, offering a lightweight and comfortable shoe. This structure reduces the number of components and is thus particularly simple and economical to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019]Further features and advantages of the invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description, with reference to the appended drawings illustrating, according to non-limiting embodiments, how the invention may be implemented, and in which:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a top view of a shoe without a gaiter;

[0021]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pattern for a gaiter for the shoe of FIG. 1;

[0022]FIG. 3 is a medial view of the shoe;

[0023]FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the shoe; and

[0024]FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the cross section along line V-V in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025]Throughout the remainder of the description, use will be made of terms such as “vertical”, “upper”, “lower”, “up”, “down”, “transverse”, “lateral”, “medial”, “right”, “left”, “horizontal”, “anterior”, “posterior”, “in front”, “behind”, “front”, “rear”. These terms should be interpreted in relation to the position the shoe occupies on a user's foot in normal posture, and the user's normal walking direction. A configuration in which the bottom assembly is laid flat on horizontal ground is a normal posture.

[0026]The terms “lateral” and “medial” are conventionally understood as facing outwards and inwards, respectively. Thus, the medial side of one foot or one shoe faces the medial side of the user's other foot or other shoe.

[0027]The term “longitudinal” refers to a heel-to-toe direction corresponding to the X axis, while the term “transverse” refers to a medial-lateral direction (for a left foot) corresponding to the Y axis and therefore substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The vertical or down/up direction corresponds to the Z axis.

[0028]The terms “interior” and “internal” designate the elements directed towards the inside of the shoe, oriented towards the user's foot when the latter is housed in the shoe. Conversely, the terms “exterior” and “external” designate the elements that face towards the exterior of the shoe and are exposed to the external environment.

[0029]A “shoe” is defined by a “bottom assembly” and an “upper”. The “bottom assembly” is the lower part of the shoe between the foot and the ground. This is the “underside” of the shoe. The bottom assembly is positioned facing the sole of the foot. The “upper” is the upper part of the shoe covering the foot and possibly part of the ankle, except for the “underside” of the foot. This is the “top” of the shoe. The upper is secured to the peripheral edge of the bottom assembly. It should be noted that certain elements of the shoe may form both part of the bottom assembly and part of the upper.

[0030]FIGS. 1 to 5 illustrate a structure of a shoe 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The shoe 100 is a sports shoe such as a running shoe. The shoe 100 is a shoe for the right foot. The shoe 100 could be any other type of sports shoe. The shoe 100 comprises an upper 102, which is positioned above a bottom assembly 101.

[0031]While upper 102 can include cover 2 and a gaiter 3, for purposes of clarity, FIG. 1 shows a shoe without a gaiter and FIG. 2 shows the pattern of the gaiter. The figures that follow illustrate the shoe according to the invention with the two components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 assembled.

[0032]The cover 2 consists of a vamp 21, a lateral quarter 22L and a medial quarter 22M. These components 21, 22L, 22M of the cover 2 may be separate parts. Alternatively, some components or all the components form a unitary part by being, for example, produced using the same process (knitting, weaving, etc.). Some components may also comprise several parts assembled together in any manner known per se, for example by stitching, adhesive bonding or welding. According to some embodiments, some components of the cover 2 may extend beneath the foot to form part of the bottom assembly 101 or conversely, some components of the bottom assembly 101 may extend upwards, from the periphery of the bottom assembly, to form part of the cover 2.

[0033]The vamp 21 is the part of the cover 2 covering the upper, frontal, lateral and medial parts of the forefoot, i.e. longitudinally, from the front end of the shoe to the posterior part of the instep. The vamp 21 comprises an upper opening 201, at the instep, designated as the anterior subdivision.

[0034]The lateral 23L and medial 23M quarters form the heel seat and cover the rear, lateral and medial parts of the hindfoot. The quarters 23L, 23M extend the vamp 21 at the rear thereof to form the continuous cover 2 covering the top and the sides of the foot. The upper edges of the quarters 23L, 23M delimit an upper opening 202, which is designated as the posterior subdivision, for the insertion of the foot into the shoe 100.

[0035]Thus, the cover incorporates a main opening 20 delimited by a lateral edge 20L, a medial edge 20M, an anterior edge 20F and a posterior edge 20R, the main opening having a posterior subdivision 202, corresponding to the upper opening of the above-mentioned quarters, delimited by a rear portion 202L of the lateral edge 20L, a rear portion 202M of the medial edge 20M and the posterior edge 20R, and an anterior subdivision 201, corresponding to the upper opening of the above-mentioned vamp, the subdivision extending the posterior subdivision 202 at the vamp 21, delimited by an anterior portion 201L of the lateral edge 20L, an anterior portion 201M of the medial edge 20L and the anterior edge 20F.

[0036]The main opening 20 serves to allow the foot to be inserted into the shoe. The posterior subdivision 202 is intended to allow the foot to pass through, and then also to surround the ankle once the shoe has been put on. The anterior subdivision 201, however, allows a variation in the size of the main opening. For example, the opening of the posterior subdivision can be increased in size for the foot to pass through. Furthermore, the anterior subdivision makes it possible to adjust the tightening of the cover at the instep to ensure that the shoe provides good support around the foot.

[0037]To ensure that the vamp 21 fits tightly around the instep, the shoe 100 comprises a tightening system 4 to bring the anterior portions 201M and 201L, which delimit the anterior subdivision 201, closer together. This tightening system strongly contributes to the foot being well supported. In this example, the system consists of the lace 41, the loops 210 (see FIG. 5) and, optionally, a toggle allowing the length of the lacing to be adjusted. The lateral 201L and medial 201M edges of the anterior subdivision 201 may bear loops 210 intended to receive a portion of a lace 41.

[0038]The cover 2 is fastened to the bottom assembly 101. According to a conventional embodiment, the cover 2 is assembled to an insole 11, for example by stitching. This sub-assembly is then fastened to the upper surface of the bottom assembly 101, for example by adhesive bonding, via the insole. Other methods of fastening the cover to the bottom assembly may be envisaged.

[0039]The upper 102 can have a gaiter 3 connected or fastened to the cover 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the gaiter 3 can include a panel connected to the cover 2 at the periphery 202L, 202M and 20R of the posterior subdivision 202 and at the vamp 21 to surround the periphery 201L, 201M and 20F of the anterior subdivision 201.

[0040]The gaiter 3 thus comprises a support portion 34 extending the quarters 22L, 22M above the posterior subdivision 202, to surround the user's ankle once the shoe has been put on the foot, and a covering portion 35 intended to cover the cover 2 at the vamp 21. The support portion 34 comprises an upper opening 31 to allow the foot to be inserted into the shoe. The gaiter 3 is configured to surround the ankle and extend forward to cover part of the user's instep. The gaiter 3 is constructed to create, at the instep, an overlap (or covering or superposition) of one part of the gaiter with respect to another part of the gaiter. This overlapping of the gaiter on itself at the instep is implemented in the manner of a “strap” (bandage) or a wrap.

[0041]This configuration allows the main opening 20 to be completely covered to ensure good sealing of the shoe against external elements such as water or stones. By covering the anterior subdivision 201, this configuration also provides the shoe with good aerodynamics by concealing the tightening system 4 with a smoother surface. Furthermore, this configuration holds the foot tightly even if the tightening system is released, for example if the knot of a lace becomes untied. In addition, this configuration keeps the untied lace or a loose part of the tightening system in a closed pocket to prevent such a free element from being thrown about at the risk of catching on an object and causing the runner to trip.

[0042]The gaiter 3 may be connected to the cover 2, either at the quarters 22L or 22M or at the vamp 21, using any suitable connector. This may take the form of stitching and/or adhesive bonding and/or welding.

[0043]In a preferred embodiment, the gaiter 3 is a continuous unitary panel having an aerodynamic smooth external surface. The panel 3 may be made of a waterproof material to ensure that the shoe is sealed and to avoid the foot getting wet. In a preferred embodiment, the material used is also breathable to allow for ventilation of the foot and to wick away perspiration. The panel 3 may be an elastic textile such as a woven or knitted textile.

[0044]In a preferred embodiment, the gaiter 3 is made of stretchable material to make it easier for the panel to deform, to make it easier for the foot to be fitted in the shoe, and to make it easier to access the tightening system 4. The stretchable material is, for example, a material comprising elastane or the like that exhibits good elasticity.

[0045]The gaiter 3 overlaps (or covers or is superposed on) itself, without being connected, to form either a lateral slit 32M (as shown in FIG. 3) or a medial slit 32L (not shown). Thus, two embodiments can be envisaged. In the first embodiment, which is illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the gaiter is wrapped so that it is fastened on the medial side of the vamp, thus creating a medial slit 32M. In the second embodiment, which is not illustrated, the gaiter is wrapped in the opposite direction to that of the first configuration. The wrapping is therefore carried out so that the gaiter is fastened on the lateral side of the vamp creating a lateral slit 32L

[0046]The slit 32L, 32M is delimited by a free edge 351 of the covering portion 35, that is, the edge of this portion that is not fastened to the cover 2, and by a part of the cover 2 that is extended by a covered part of the gaiter 3. This overlapping allows the upper edge of the gaiter 3 away to be moved out of the way to make it easier for the shoe to be put on the foot or to access the tightening system 4.

[0047]The gaiter 3 is configured to cover the anterior subdivision 201. According to a first configuration, the gaiter 3 is fastened to the vamp 21 at the edges 201L, 201M and 20F of the anterior subdivision 201. In this case, this is an edge-to-edge connection. Alternatively, the gaiter may be fastened to the vamp 21 at a distance from the edges 201L, 201M and 20F of the anterior subdivision 201.

[0048]In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the gaiter 3 is fastened to the shoe at a join 36 between the cover 2 and the bottom assembly 101, on the same side as the lateral 32L or medial 32M slit. This embodiment has the advantage of allowing for formation of a larger slit, resulting in the possibility of further deforming the panel 3 to improve the insertion of the foot into the shoe and the access to the tightening system 4. When the slit is medial, this allows the medial part of the forefoot to be slightly compressed, providing support to correct pronation of the foot. Conversely, when the slit is lateral, this allows the lateral part of the forefoot to be slightly compressed, providing support to correct supination of the foot. This structure also makes it possible to avoid having a hard or rigid point at the instep resulting from the fastener (adhesive, stitching or welding) for fastening the gaiter 3 to the vamp 21 at this point which improves the user's comfort.

[0049]In a preferred embodiment, the gaiter 3 comprises an extension 33 arranged to obstruct the anterior subdivision 201, inside the cover 2. This extension 33 thus forms a shoe tongue intended to be interposed between the tightening system 4 and the instep. The shoe tongue provides comfort by reducing the direct pressure of the tightening system 4 on the instep as the pressure is distributed via the shoe tongue. The shoe tongue also further strengthens the sealing of the shoe in this region and reduces the number of components of the shoe by using part of the gaiter to form the shoe tongue. The manufacturing of the shoe is thus simplified and therefore more economical.

[0050]In another embodiment, the extension 33 is fastened over at least a third of the length L201L, L201M of the anterior portion 201L, 201M of an edge 20L, 20M of the main opening, from the anterior end thereof, on the opposite side to the lateral or medial slit. By being fastened over a minimum length of this anterior portion on the opposite side to the slit, the extension 33 has sufficient strength to ensure that the shoe tongue is correctly held in position and prevented from slipping beneath the vamp at the forefoot when the shoe is put on the user's foot. In addition, extension 33 applies a slight tension to part of the instep to better support the foot. This also improves sealing of the shoe at this point.

[0051]In another embodiment, the extension 33 is fastened over at most two-thirds of the length L201L, L201M of the anterior portion 201L, 201M of an edge 20L, 20M of the main opening, from the anterior end thereof, on the opposite side to the lateral or medial slit. The fact that the extension is not fastened to a posterior part of an edge 201L, 201M of the anterior subdivision 201, in the vicinity of the posterior subdivision 202, makes it possible to increase the opening for the passage of the foot. The posterior subdivision 202 can thus be enlarged by part of the anterior subdivision 201. Because extension 33 is not connected in the rear part of the anterior subdivision 201, it is easier for the shoe to be put on the foot.

[0052]In another embodiment, the extension 33 is fastened to the anterior portion 201L, 201M of an edge of the main opening, on the same side as the lateral or medial slit. Fastening the extension 33 at this point provides similar advantages to those mentioned above. By being fastened to this anterior portion on the same side as the slit, the extension 33 has sufficient strength to ensure that the shoe tongue is correctly held in position, applies a slight tension to part of the instep to support the foot, and improves the sealing of the shoe at this point.

[0053]The shoe comprises a tightening system 4 connecting the edges of the anterior subdivision. The extension 33 is positioned so that the tightening system 4 is at least partially between the extension 33 and the covering portion 35 of the gaiter 3 that covers part of the vamp 21. The covering portion 35 will therefore conceal the tightening system 4 and provide the advantages mentioned above with respect to aerodynamics, to keeping the tightening system in a pocket, and to maintaining tightness if the tightening system is released. The extension 33 provides comfort by reducing the pressure exerted on the instep by the tightening system.

[0054]To further improve comfort by reducing the pressure exerted on the instep by the tightening system, the shoe comprises a foam layer 37 arranged between part of the tightening system 4 and the extension 33. For example, for a tightening system consisting of a lace, the foam may be located beneath the location at which the lace will form the tightening knot. To fasten the foam layer 37 to the tongue, the latter can be enclosed between the extension 33 and a covering panel 38 fastened to the extension 33, by stitching and/or adhesive bonding and/or welding, in a connection region surrounding the foam layer 37. FIG. 5 schematically shows such a structure. In this drawing, the covering panel 38 covers the width of the extension 33. The foam layer 37 and the covering panel 38 may be narrower than the width of the extension 33 and may cover only a median part of the extension 33, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0055]The extension 33 may have slits for the passage of laces to maintain good relative positioning of the shoe tongue and of the laces when the shoe is up on and laced up. This also holds the extension 33 in place and prevents it from slipping beneath the vamp at the forefoot.

[0056]In the structures described above, the gaiter 3 is a separate component that is fastened to the cover 2 in any suitable manner, stitching and/or adhesive bonding and/or welding. According to an alternative solution, the gaiter and the cover form a unitary part. The gaiter 3 is then an extension part of the cover 2. In this case, the connection between the panel and the cover 2 may result from the structure of this unitary part or may be a combination of a structural connection and other fastener, such as stitching and/or adhesive bonding and/or welding. Such a unitary part may be a textile formed by weaving or knitting.

[0057]The solutions described above make it easy to put on and lace up the shoe. Specifically, the arrangement of the gaiter 3 on the cover 2, in a configuration in which it surrounds the user's ankle and overlaps at the vamp, using a wrap-type structure, makes it possible to achieve these advantages.

[0058]When putting on the shoe, the user will move the upper part of the gaiter 3 away, at its overlapping region, enlarge the upper opening 31 of the gaiter 3 with the opening being situated above the posterior subdivision 202. A larger opening makes it easier for the user to insert their foot into the shoe. Once the foot is in the shoe, the user can also easily access the tightening system 4 by moving away the free edge 351 of the covering portion 35 that is intended to cover part of the vamp 21, thus widening the lateral 32L or medial 32M slit. The user can push part of the covering portion 35 forward to allow access to the tightening system 4. Once the shoe has been tightened, the user can position the gaiter 3 to cover the instep and the tightening system. Elasticity of the panel 3 causes the gaiter 3 to return naturally to such a position in which the gaiter covers the instep.

[0066]The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. It is also possible to combine these embodiments. The covers all embodiments encompassed by the appended claims.

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