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`US007624518B2
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`c12) United States Patent
`Calderone
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,624,518 B2
`*Dec. 1, 2009
`
`(54) SLIP ON ATHLEISURE SHOE
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: David E. Calderone, Salem, MA (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: Converse, Inc., North Andover, MA
`(US)
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by O days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis(cid:173)
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 12/421,550
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Apr. 9, 2009
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2009/0188130Al
`
`Jul. 30, 2009
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`249,410 A
`11/1881 Siegenthaler
`312,675 A
`2/1885 Turner
`355,265 A
`12/1886 Hayes
`536,345 A
`3/1895 Harris
`1,028,598 A
`6/1912 Papp
`4,451,995 A
`6/1984 Antonious
`6,904,706 B2
`6/2005 Jones et al.
`7,028,420 B2
`4/2006 Tonkel
`7,552,547 B2 * 6/2009 Calderone ...................
`1/2004 Jacobs
`2004/0003516 Al
`2005/0235525 Al
`10/2005 Jacobs
`2006/0168848 Al
`8/2006 Leoncini
`2007 /0256332 Al
`11/2007 Calderone
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2053657
`2/1981
`
`GB
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Converse Spring 2001 Catalog, p. 11.
`* cited by examiner
`
`36/50.1
`
`Primary Examiner-Marie Patterson
`(7 4) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alleman Hall McCoy Russell
`& Tuttle LLP
`
`(63) Continuation of application No. 11/416,727, filed on
`May 3, 2006, now Pat. No. 7,552,547.
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`A43B 11100
`(2006.01)
`(52) U.S. Cl. ............................................ 36/50.1; 36/51
`(58) Field of Classification Search .................. 36/50.1,
`36/51, 54
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`A construction of an oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe
`enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearers foot and held
`securely on the foot without the need for lacing on the shoe.
`This provides the shoe with the appearance of a lace up shoe
`that is worn without lacing.
`
`6 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
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`54
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`26
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`12~
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`92
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`24
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`46
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`68
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`74
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`Skechers EX1018-p.1
`Skechers v Nike
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 1, 2009
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`Sheet 1 of 3
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`US 7,624,518 B2
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`Figure 1
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`Figure 2
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`Skechers v Nike
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 1, 2009
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`Sheet 2 of 3
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`US 7,624,518 B2
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`Figure 3
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`14
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`l
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`12 j
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`96
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`Figure 4
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`Skechers EX1018-p.3
`Skechers v Nike
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 1, 2009
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`Sheet 3 of 3
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`US 7,624,518 B2
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`Figure 5
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`Figure 6
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`Skechers EX1018-p.4
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`US 7,624,518 B2
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`2
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`Further features of the invention are set forth in the follow(cid:173)
`ing detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the
`invention, and in the following drawing figures wherein:
`FIG.1 is a perspective view of the front ofa left shoe of the
`invention, with the right shoe of the invention having a con(cid:173)
`struction that is a mirror image duplicate of the left shoe
`construction;
`FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shoe of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the shoe of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view of the shoe of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the shoe of FIG. 1; and,
`FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the shoe of FIG. 1.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`
`1
`SLIP ON ATHLEISURE SHOE
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent
`application Ser. No. 11/416,727, filed May 3, 2006 now U.S.
`Pat. No. 7,552,547, entitled "SLIP ON ATHLEISURE
`SHOE", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein
`by reference.
`
`5
`
`10
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`15
`
`(1) Field of the Invention
`The present invention pertains to a novel construction of an
`oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe. The novel construction
`of the shoe enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearer's foot
`and held securely on the foot without the need for lacing on
`the shoe. This provides the shoe with a unique and novel 20
`appearance of a lace up shoe that is worn without lacing.
`(2) Description of the Related Art
`The oxford lace up basketball shoe has been a very popular
`shoe for athletics, in particular basketball for many years. In
`addition to use for athletics, the shoe has also become very
`popular as a comfortable casual shoe, or athleisure shoe. This
`is particularly true of the oxford lace up basketball shoe that
`has an upper constructed of a breathable fabric, for example
`canvas.
`Efforts to further improve the comfort of the shoe have lead
`to considering wearing the oxford lace up basketball shoe
`without lacing. However, although the shoe provides a com(cid:173)
`fortable fit around the wearers foot even without lacing, wear(cid:173)
`ing the shoe without lacing presents the problem of the shoe
`slipping off the wearer's foot during walking or running.
`
`The slip on oxford athleisure shoe 12 of the present inven(cid:173)
`tion has the basic construction of an oxford lace up basketball
`shoe. The exception is that the novel construction of the shoe
`12 enables the shoe to be securely worn on the foot without
`lacing, as will be explained. In the preferred embodiment of
`the shoe shown in the drawing figures, the shoe is an oxford
`25 basketball shoe. However, it should be understood that the
`novel concept of the invention could be employed on other
`types of lace up shoes that are desired to be worn without
`lacing and without altering the appearance of the lace up shoe.
`Because much of the construction of the shoe 12 of the inven-
`30 tion is the same as that of a conventional oxford lace up shoe,
`the conventional features of the construction will be
`described generally.
`The shoe 12 has a shoe sole 14 that is constructed of
`resilient materials that are typically employed in the construc-
`35 tions of the soles of athletic shoes. The sole 14 can be con(cid:173)
`structed with an outsole, a midsole, and an insert, as is typical.
`The shoe sole 14 has a bottom surface 16 that functions as the
`traction surface of the shoe, and an opposite top surface 18 in
`the interior 22 of the shoe. The size of the shoe 12 has a length
`40 that extends from a rear heel end 24 to a front toe end 26 of the
`sole, and the shoe 12 has a width between a left side 28 and a
`right side 32 of the shoe sole.
`The shoe upper 34 is secured to the shoe sole 14 extending
`upwardly from the shoe sole top surface 18, as is conven(cid:173)
`tional. The upper 34 is constructed of a flexible material, for
`example leather or fabric. The upper 34 is constructed with a
`heel portion 36 that extends around the shoe sole top surface
`18 at the shoe sole heel end 24. The upper heel portion 36
`extends upwardly from the shoe sole 18 to a collar edge 38 of
`50 the upper that defines an ankle opening 42 into the shoe
`interior 22.
`From the heel portion 36, the upper has a left side 44 and a
`right side 46 that extend forwardly along the respective shoe
`sole left side 28 and shoe sole right side 32. The upper left side
`55 44 extends upwardly from the shoe sole left side 28 to an
`upper left side edge 48. The upper right side 46 extends
`upwardly from the shoe sole right side 32 to an upper right
`side edge 52. As seen in the drawing figures, the upper left
`side edge 48 and the upper right side edge 52 extend for-
`60 wardly from opposite sides of the upper collar edge 38 toward
`the front toe end 26 of the shoe sole. The length of the upper
`left side edge 48 and the upper right side edge 52 define a
`forefoot opening 54 in the shoe upper 34 that opens to the
`shoe interior 22.
`The upper 34 is also constructed with a toe box 56 that
`extends around and across the shoe sole top surface 18 at the
`sole toe end 26. The toe box 56 is connected between the
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`45
`
`The present invention overcomes the problem of wearing
`oxford lace up basketball shoes without lacing. The invention
`provides a novel modification to this type of shoe that holds
`the shoe on the wearer's foot without the need for lacing. The
`athleisure shoe of the invention has the same construction as
`the popular oxford lace up basketball shoe, but without the
`lacing typically provided on the shoe. The lacing openings or
`eyelet openings on the shoe are left open, with there being no
`lacing on the shoe.
`The shoe is modified with a band that is connected to the
`left side and right side of the shoe upper and extends across
`the shoe forefoot opening. The band is positioned just for(cid:173)
`ward of the ankle opening of the upper to allow for easy
`insertion of the wearer's foot into the shoe. With the wearer's
`foot inserted in the shoe, the band extends across the wearer's
`forefoot, thereby securely holding the shoe on the foot. In the
`preferred embodiment, the band has at least one elastic por(cid:173)
`tion that allows the band to be stretched. This allows the left
`side and right side of the shoe upper and the shoe tongue to be
`separated from each other to provide ample room for insertion
`of the foot into the shoe. The band is concealed by the upper
`and the tongue of the shoe so that the band is not visible when
`the shoe is worn.
`The modification of the oxford lace up basketball shoe
`provided by the invention enables the athleisure shoe to be
`worn without lacing, and provides the shoe with the appear- 65
`ance of a standard oxford lace up basketball shoe being worn
`without lacing.
`
`Skechers EX1018-p.5
`Skechers v Nike
`
`

`

`US 7,624,518 B2
`
`15
`
`25
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`3
`upper left side 44 and the upper right side 46 and encloses a
`portion of the shoe interior 22 adjacent the shoe sole toe end
`26. The upper left side edge 48 and the upper right side edge
`52 extend rearwardly from the toe box 56.
`A plurality of lacing openings 62, 64 are provided on the 5
`upper left side 44 and the upper right side 46. By lacing
`openings, what is meant is the openings on a shoe upper that
`are typically occupied by a portion of the lacing that closes the
`shoe upper over the forefoot opening of the shoe. The lacing
`openings 62, 64 can be provided by any known means of 10
`providing lacing openings on shoes, for example D-rings or
`speed lacing hooks. However, in the preferred embodiment of
`the invention, the lacing openings 62, 64 are provided by
`pluralities of eyelets or grommets 66, 68 on the upper left side
`44 and the upper right side 46. The eyelets 66, 68 provide the
`desired lace up shoe appearance. The eyelet lacing openings
`62, 68 are arranged in lines along the upper left side edge 48
`and along the upper right side edge 52. As seen in the drawing
`figures, the lacing openings 62, 64 extend substantially the 20
`entire lengths of the upper left side edge 48 and the upper right
`side edge 52 between the upper collar edge 48 and the upper
`toe box 56. The novel features of the invention provide the
`lacing openings 62, 64 on the shoe 12, with there being no
`lacing positioned in the lacing openings.
`The shoe upper 34 includes a vamp 72 or throat positioned
`rearwardly of the toe box 56, and a tongue 74 that extends
`rearwardly from the vamp 72. The tongue 74 extends along
`the lengths of the upper left side 44 and the upper right side 46
`to a distal end 76 of the tongue. The tongue 74 has a width 30
`between a left side edge 78 and a right side edge 82 of the
`tongue. The length and width of the tongue position the
`tongue side edges 78, 82 beneath the upper left side 44 and the
`upper right side 46 and extend the tongue over the forefoot
`opening 54 of the shoe. A pair of slots 84, 86 are provided 35
`through the tongue. The slots 84, 86 are positioned adjacent
`the tongue distal end 76 and adjacent the respective left side
`edge 78 and right side edge 82 of the tongue. The slots 84, 86
`pass entirely through the material of the tongue.
`A thin, narrow band 92 extends across the forefoot opening
`54. The band 92 has a left side end 94 that is secured to the
`upper left side 44, and an opposite right side end 96 that is
`secured to the upper right side 46. The band left side end 94 is
`secured to the upper left side 44 in the interiorofthe shoe, and 45
`the band right side end 96 is secured to the upper right side 46
`in the interior of the shoe. This conceals the opposite ends of
`the band 92 from view when the shoe is worn. As the band 92
`extends across the forefoot opening 54, the band passes
`through the slots 84, 86 of the tongue 74. As shown in FIG. 2, 50
`a portion of the band adjacent the band left side end 94
`extends over the tongue 74 before passing through the left
`side tongue slot 84, and a portion of the band adjacent the
`band right side end 96 passes over the tongue 74 before
`passing through the tongue right side slot 86. The intermedi- 55
`ate portion of the band 92 passes beneath the tongue 7 4 and is
`covered from view when the shoe is worn. This allows the
`band 92 to hold the tongue 74 down on the forefront when the
`shoe is worn, without the band being seen. At least a portion
`of the band 92 is constructed of an elastic material. In the
`preferred embodiment of the shoe, the length of the band 92
`is elastic.
`The elastic feature of the band 92 enables the forefoot
`opening 54 of the shoe 12 to be enlarged when inserting the 65
`foot into the shoe. The shoe wearer merely pulls upwardly on
`the tongue 74 adjacent the tongue distal end 76 to stretch the
`
`40
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`60
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`4
`band 92 and remove a portion of the tongue from the forefoot
`opening 54. The shoe wearer then slips their foot into the shoe
`interior 22 beneath the tongue 7 4. With the foot inserted in the
`shoe interior, the tongue 74 is released causing the elastic
`feature of the band92 to pull the tongue 74 across the forefoot
`area of the shoe wearers foot. The elastic band 92 extending
`across the forefoot area of the shoe wearers foot just forward
`of the ankle holds the shoe 12 securely to the foot without the
`need for lacing.
`Thus, the novel construction of the shoe 12 provides a lace
`up shoe that is securely held to a shoe wearers foot without the
`need for lacing, and provides the desired appearance of a lace
`up shoe that does not have lacing when the shoe is worn.
`Although the shoe of the invention has been described
`above by referring to a particular embodiment of the shoe, it
`should be understood that modifications and variations could
`be made to the shoe described without departing from the
`intended scope of protection provided by the following
`claims.
`The invention claimed is:
`1. A shoe comprising:
`a shoe sole having opposite top and bottom surfaces, a rear
`heel end and a front toe end, and opposite left and right
`sides extending along opposite sides of the shoe sole
`between the heel end and the toe end;
`an upper secured to the shoe sole extending upwardly from
`the shoe sole top surface and surrounding an interior of
`the shoe, the upper having a heel portion that extends
`around the shoe sole top surface at the shoe sole heel end
`and extends upwardly from the shoe sole to a collar edge
`of the upper that defines an ankle opening into the upper
`above the shoe sole top surface; the upper having a left
`side and a right side that extend forwardly from the
`upper heel portion along the respective shoe sole left
`side and the shoe sole right side and extend upwardly
`from the shoe sole to a respective upper left side edge
`and an upper right side edge that define a forefoot open(cid:173)
`ing into the upper above the shoe sole top surface; the
`upper having a tongue with a left slot and a right slot;
`a plurality of lacing openings arranged in a line along the
`upper left side edge and arranged in a line along the
`upper right side edge, each lacing opening of the plural(cid:173)
`ity oflacing openings having no lacing positioned in the
`lacing openings; and,
`a band having a length with opposite left and right ends, the
`band left end being secured to the upper left side inside
`the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings and
`the band right end being secured to the upper right side
`inside the shoe interior and adjacent the lacing openings
`with the band length extending across the forefoot open(cid:173)
`ing, the band positioned forward of the ankle opening of
`the upper to allow for easy insertion of a wearer's foot
`into the shoe the band further configured to securely
`hold the shoe on the foot, a first portion of the band
`positioned over the tongue between the left slot and the
`upper left side, a second portion of the band positioned
`over the tongue between the right slot and the upper right
`side, the first and second portions of the band concealed
`by the upper when worn by the wearer without laces, and
`an intermediate portion of the band between the left and
`right slots concealed by the tongue of the shoe so that the
`band is not visible when worn by the wearer without
`laces.
`2. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the band holds the tongue
`via the left and right slots down on a forefront of the wearer's
`foot when the shoe is worn without laces.
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`US 7,624,518 B2
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`5
`3. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the upper has a toe box that
`extends wound and across the shoe sole top surface at the shoe
`sole toe end and connects the upper left side and the upper
`right side.
`4. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the left and right slots pass 5
`entirely through the tongue.
`
`6
`5. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the band passes through the
`left and right slots, with the intermediate portion of the band
`positioned beneath the tongue.
`6. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the band is elastic.
`
`* * * * *
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`Skechers EX1018-p.7
`Skechers v Nike
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