FOOT STRAPPING SYSTEM FOR SANDAL

Abstract

A sandal includes a sole having an outer front portion, an inner front portion, an outer rear portion, an inner rear portion; an outer middle portion, and an inner middle portion, and a foot strapping system having a primary tether which has two end portions and two extensions attached to the sole, an auxiliary tether having two end portions attached to the sole for securing a foot of a user to the sole. The primary tether includes four anchorages attached to the end portions and the extensions, and the auxiliary tether includes two anchorages attached to the end portions of the auxiliary tether respectively. The sole includes six recesses formed in the bottom portion for engaging with the anchorages.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a foot strapping system for a sandal or sports shoe, and more particularly to a foot strapping system for a sandal or sports shoe including an improved structure or configuration that may be easily and quickly made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing procedure and cost and that may include a compact structure that is excellent for storing and transportation purposes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical sandals or sports shoes comprise a simplified foot strapping system including one or more straps or thongs or tethers for easily and quickly strapping or fastening or securing a foot of a user to the sole.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,330 to Kao, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,171 to Zabala, U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,738 to Ferniani, U.S. Patent No. 5,852,885 to Ferniani, U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,684 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 8,132,342 to Moon, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,819,964 to Mizrahi-Shapiro disclose several of the typical sandal devices each comprising a foot strapping system including one or more straps or thongs or tethers for easily and quickly strapping or fastening or securing a foot of a user to the sole.

However, the typical foot strapping systems may not be used to solidly and stably fasten or secure the foot of the user to the sole, such that the sandals may not be used for jogging or sporting purposes. the sandals may not be used for jogging or sporting purposes. In addition, the typical foot strapping systems may not be easily and quickly attached or mounted or assembled to the sole such that the making or manufacturing procedures may be complicated and the costs for the typical foot strapping systems may be greatly increased.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional foot strapping systems for sandal devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foot strapping system for a sandal or sports shoe including an improved structure or configuration that may be easily and quickly made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing procedure and cost and that may include a compact structure that is excellent for storing and transportation purposes.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a sandal comprising a sole including an outer front portion, an inner front portion, an outer rear portion, an inner rear portion, an outer middle portion, and an inner middle portion, and a foot strapping system including a primary tether having a first end portion attached to the inner front portion of the sole, and having a second end portion attached to the outer middle portion of the sole, and having two extensions extended from a middle portion of the primary tether and attached to the outer rear portion and the inner rear portion of the sole respectively, and an auxiliary tether having a first end portion attached to the outer front portion of the sole, and having a second end portion attached to the inner middle portion of the sole for securing a foot of a user to the sole and for allowing the sandal to be easily and quickly made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing procedure and cost and to include a compact structure that is excellent for storing and transportation purposes.

The sole includes an orifice formed in the outer front portion of the sole for engaging with the first end portion of the auxiliary tether, an opening formed in the inner front portion of the sole for engaging with the first end portion of the primary tether, an apertures formed in the outer rear portion of the sole and a cavity formed in the inner rear portion of the sole for engaging with the extensions of the primary tether, a slot formed in the outer middle portion of the sole for engaging with the second end portion of the primary tether, and includes a hole formed in the inner middle portion of the sole for engaging with the second end portion of the auxiliary tether.

The primary tether includes four anchorages attached to the first and the second end portions and the extensions of the primary tether respectively, and the auxiliary tether includes two anchorages attached to the first and the second end portions of the auxiliary tether respectively for further anchoring or retaining the end portions and the extensions of the primary and the auxiliary tethers to the sole.

The sole includes a bottom portion having six recesses formed therein for receiving and engaging with the anchorages. The anchorages each include two grooves formed therein and defined between three bars for engaging with the primary tether and the auxiliary tether and for anchoring and securing the primary and the auxiliary tethers to the sole. The sole includes a toe retainer attached to a toe portion of the sole.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a foot strapping system for sandal devices in accordance with the present invention, as seen from one direction of the foot strapping system;

FIG. 2 is another upper perspective view as seen from the other direction of the foot strapping system for sandal devices;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of the foot strapping system for sandal devices; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the foot strapping system for sandal devices illustrating the operation of the foot strapping system for sandal devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a foot strapping system for a sandal or sports shoe in accordance with the present invention comprises a sole 10 made of soft or resilient rubber or plastic or synthetic materials or the like, the sole 10 includes an orifice 11 formed in the outer front portion 12 of the sole 10, an opening 13 formed in the inner front portion 14 of the sole 10, an apertures 15 formed in the outer rear portion 16 of the sole 10, a cavity 17 formed in the inner rear portion 18 of the sole 10, a slot 19 formed in the outer middle portion 20 of the sole 10, and includes a hole 21 formed in the inner middle portion 22 of the sole 10.

The sole 10 further includes a lower or bottom portion 23 having a number of depressions or recesses 24 formed therein and communicating with the orifice 11 and the opening 13 and the aperture 15 and the cavity 17 and the slot 19 and the hole 21 of the sole 10 respectively, and the recesses 24 of the sole 10 each include an inner diameter or length or width greater than that of the orifice 11 and the opening 13 and the aperture 15 and the cavity 17 and the slot 19 and the holes 21 of the sole 10 respectively. It is preferable that the sole 10 further includes a toe band or strap or retainer 25 attached or mounted to the front portion or toe portion 26 of the sole 10 for engaging with a thumb of the user and for solidly and stably anchoring or retaining the foot of the user to the sole 10. However, the toe retainer 25 is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.

The foot strapping system further includes a first or primary belt or tether 3 having one or first end portion 30 attached or mounted or secured to the inner front portion 14 of the sole 10, and another or second end portion 31 attached or mounted or secured to the outer middle portion 20 of the sole 10, two extensions 32, 33 extended from the middle portion 34 of the tether 3 and attached or mounted or secured to the outer rear portion 16 and the inner rear portion 18 of the sole 10, and a second or auxiliary belt or tether 4 having one or first end portion 40 attached or mounted or secured to the outer front portion 12 of the sole 10 and another or second end portion 41 attached or mounted or secured to the inner middle portion 22 of the sole 10.

It is to be noted that the typical sandal devices failed to teach and provide a foot strapping system for solidly and stably anchoring or retaining the foot of the user to the sole 10. Unlike the typical sandal devices, the foot strapping system in accordance with the present invention may be used to solidly and stably fasten or secure the foot of the user to the sole 10, such that the sandal devices may be used for jogging or sporting purposes. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the primary tether 3 includes an enlarged head or anchorage 50 attached or mounted or secured to each of the first end portion 30, the second end portion 31 and the extensions 32, 33 and to be engaged in or with the recesses 24 of the sole 10 for solidly and stably anchoring or retaining the first end portion 50 of the primary tether 3 to the sole 10.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary tether 4 also includes an enlarged head or anchorage 51 attached or mounted or secured to each of the first end portion 40 and the second end portion 41 of the auxiliary tether 4 for engaging with the recesses 24 of the sole 10 and for solidly and stably anchoring or retaining the first end portion 40 and the second end portion 41 of the auxiliary tether 4 to the sole 10. The anchorages 50, 51 each include two openings or grooves 52, 53 formed therein and defined between three bars 54, 55, 56 (FIG. 3) for threading or engaging with the first and the second end portions 30, 31 and the extensions 32, 33 of the primary tether 3 and the first and the second end portions 40, 41 of the auxiliary tether 4.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, the foot of the user may be solidly and stably fastened or secured to the sole 10 with the tethers 3, 4 of the foot strapping system in accordance with the present invention for allowing the sandal devices to be used for jogging or sporting purposes. In addition, the anchorages 50, 51 of the tethers 3, 4 may be easily and quickly forced and engaged into the recesses 24 of the sole 10 such that the manufacturing procedure may be greatly simplified and the cost may be greatly decreased. Furthermore, the sandal device includes a compact structure that is excellent for storing and transportation purposes.

Accordingly, the foot strapping system in accordance with the present invention includes an improved structure or configuration that may be easily and quickly made or manufactured with a greatly decreased manufacturing procedure and cost and that may include a compact structure that is excellent for storing and transportation purposes.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A sandal comprising:

a sole including an outer front portion, an inner front portion, an outer rear portion, an inner rear portion, an outer middle portion, and an inner middle portion, and

a foot strapping system including: a primary tether having a first end portion attached to said inner front portion of said sole, and having a second end portion attached to said outer middle portion of said sole, and having two extensions extended from a middle portion of said primary tether and attached to said outer rear portion and said inner rear portion of said sole respectively, and an auxiliary tether having a first end portion attached to said outer front portion of said sole, and having a second end portion attached to said inner middle portion of said sole for securing a foot of a user to said sole.

2. The foot strapping system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole includes an orifice formed in said outer front portion of said sole for engaging with said first end portion of said auxiliary tether, an opening formed in said inner front portion of said sole for engaging with said first end portion of said primary tether, an apertures formed in said outer rear portion of said sole and a cavity formed in said inner rear portion of said sole for engaging with said extensions of said primary tether, a slot formed in said outer middle portion of said sole for engaging with said second end portion of said primary tether, and a hole formed in said inner middle portion of said sole for engaging with said second end portion of said auxiliary tether.

3. The foot strapping system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary tether includes four anchorages attached to said first and said second end portions and said extensions of said primary tether respectively, and said auxiliary tether includes two anchorages attached to said first and said second end portions of said auxiliary tether respectively.

4. The foot strapping system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said sole includes a bottom portion having six recesses formed therein for engaging with said anchorages.

5. The foot strapping system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said anchorages each include two grooves formed therein and defined between three bars for engaging with said primary tether and said auxiliary tether.

6. The foot strapping system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole includes a toe retainer attached to a toe portion of said sole.