BALLET SHOE WITH ELASTIC RIM

Abstract

A ballet shoe has elastic in place of a conventional drawstring. The ballet shoe of the present invention eliminates the need for a drawstring, making it easier for children to put on their own shoe as well as making it safer, as untied shoes (or those that become untied) can be a tripping hazard. Without a drawstring, the ballet shoes provide a neat appearance while still fitting on the user's foot and minimize the need for shoe repair due to broken drawstrings.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to ballet shoes and, more particularly, to a ballet shoe with no drawstring, having elastic where the drawstring normally is positioned.

Ballet shoes with a drawstring always come untied or hang out of the ballet shoe. Dancers can trip over the drawstrings. When a dancer has the drawstrings untied or not tucked into the shoe properly, this causes unsightly feet during a performance. Moreover, drawstrings can slip out of the shoe and are typically not replaceable, requiring the dancer to purchase or obtain a new set of ballet shoes.

As can be seen, there is a need for an improved ballet shoe that does not require a drawstring yet can still fit properly to the dancer's feet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a ballet shoe comprises a loop formed along a rim of a shoe body; and an elastic material disposed in the loop.

In another aspect of the present invention, a ballet shoe comprises a suede sole; a leather shoe body attached to the suede sole; a loop formed from the leather shoe body about a rim of the shoe body; and an elastic band disposed inside the loop or not inside a loop but attached to the leather by stitching, the elastic band operable to resilient close an opening formed by rim of the ballet shoe, wherein no drawstring is used to secure the ballet shoe to a user's foot.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a ballet shoe comprises a loop formed along a rim of a shoe body; an elastic band disposed in the loop or attached to the shoe; and at least one elastic fabric disposed in a cut-away region of the rim of the shoe body.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ballet shoe according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the ballet shoe of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ballet shoe taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of a ballet shoe according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a ballet shoe having elastic in place of a conventional drawstring. The ballet shoe of the present invention eliminates the need for a drawstring, making it easier for children to put on their own shoe as well as making it safer, as untied shoes (or those that become untied) can be a tripping hazard. Without a drawstring, the ballet shoes provide a neat appearance while still fitting on the user's foot and minimize the need for shoe repair due to broken drawstrings.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, a ballet shoe 10 can be designed in the general shape of a shoe, typically with a suede sole 30 and a leather body 12. A lining 14, such as a cotton lining, can be disposed on the inside of the shoe 10.

A loop 18 can be made along a rim 16 of the ballet shoe 10, as shown in FIG. 3. An elastic band 20 can be disposed in the loop 18, allowing the rim 16 to resiliently open to a larger diameter and to elastically retain the ballet shoe on a dancer's foot. In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic band 20 can be sewn directly about the rim 16 of the ballet shoe 10 to achieve the same effect. The elastic band 20 can be made from an elastic material between about ¼ inch and about ½ inch in width, for example. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the elastic band 20 can extend in the loop 18 about the entire periphery of the rim 16.

In some embodiments, the elastic band 20 can be included only in a portion of the loop 18, for example, only on the sides of the ballet shoe 10, where the ends of the elastic band 20 can be stitched or otherwise secured on each end within the loop 18.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, a ballet shoe 22 can include an elastic fabric 28 formed in a cutout portion of the rim 26 of the shoe 22. Typically the cutout portion of the rim 26 can be a triangular portion, with the apex of the triangle pointing toward the sole of the shoe 22. The elastic fabric 28 can be placed on one or both sides of the shoe 22. In some embodiments, multiple elastic fabrics 28 can be incorporated into a single shoe 22. Typically, the elastic fabric 28 is sewn into the rim 26 near the middle rim of the shoe, either interior, exterior, or both.

Similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the shoe 22 of FIG. 4 can include an elastic band 20 running in a loop 18 about the rim 26 of the shoe 22. Depending on the number of elastic fabrics 28 incorporated into the shoe 22, one or more elastic bands 20 can be used inside the loop 18.

While the above discussion describes one type of ballet shoe having an elastic band about its rim, the design of the present invention can be used in various ballet shoe patterns or even in other shoe applications where attachment to the foot can be achieved through an elastic band disposed about the rim of the shoe.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A ballet shoe comprising:

a shoe body;

a rim formed about an opening of the shoe body; and

an elastic material disposed about the rim.

2. The ballet shoe of claim 1, further comprising a loop formed along the rim.

3. The ballet shoe of claim 2, wherein the elastic material is disposed in the loop.

4. The ballet shoe of claim 1, wherein the elastic material is an elastic band.

5. The ballet shoe of claim 1, further comprising at least one elastic fabric disposed in a cut-away region of the rim of the shoe body.

6. The ballet shoe of claim 1, wherein no drawstring is used to secure the ballet shoe to a user's foot.

7. A ballet shoe comprising:

a suede sole;

a leather shoe body attached to the suede sole;

a rim formed about an opening of the shoe body; and

an elastic band disposed about the rim, the elastic band operable to resilient close an opening formed by rim of the ballet shoe, wherein no drawstring is used to secure the ballet shoe to a user's foot.

8. The ballet shoe of claim 7, further comprising a loop formed along the rim.

9. The ballet shoe of claim 8, wherein the elastic material is disposed in the loop.

10. The ballet shoe of claim 7, further comprising at least one elastic fabric disposed in a cut-away region of the rim of the shoe body.

11. A ballet shoe comprising:

a rim provided about an opening of a shoe body;

an elastic band disposed in about the rim; and

at least one elastic fabric disposed in a cut-away region of the rim of the shoe body.

12. The ballet shoe of claim 11, further comprising a loop formed along the rim.

13. The ballet shoe of claim 12, wherein the elastic material is disposed in the loop.

14. The ballet shoe of claim 11, wherein no drawstring is used to secure the ballet shoe to a user's foot.

15. The ballet shoe of claim 11, further comprising a suede sole and wherein the shoe body is a leather shoe body attached to the suede sole.