Sport boot

2,109,751

March 1, 1938.

E. MATTHIAS ET AL

SPORT BOOT

Filed April 3, 1936

Sheets-Sheet 1

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ATTORNEY.

March 1, 1938.

E. MATTHIAS ET AL

SPORT BOOT

Filed April 3, 1936

2,109,751

Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Mar. 1, 1938

2,109,751

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,1*9,751

SPORT BOOT

Eugen Matthias and Giovanni Testa, St. Moritz, Switzerland; said Testa assignor to said Matthias

Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,582 In Switzerland July 3,1935

Claims. (CL 36—8.5)

This invention relates to a sport shoe, which is Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the shoe shown in particularly adapted for ski-running and mountaineering. In consequence of this particular application for the shoe, the principle on which the 5 invention is based involves a heel problem and a metatarsal problem. Hitherto, sport shoes of this kind were shaped mainly from the point of view of the technics of the sport for which they were to serve without giving due regard to the physi10 ology of the conditions of movement which arise during participation in the sport concerned.

The technique of ski-running as well as the technique of mountaineering requires heels as low as possible. This requirement calls for an ac15 cordingly low disposition of the heel in consequence of which a construction of a shoe-last was devised, the rise in the shank portion of which was very small. This necessitates a shoe which, is very slightly cambered so that the heel must 20 extend down deeply into the heel cap in order that it come to bear against the inner sole. These circumstances are contrary to the anatomic structure of the foot. In the naturally released condition, the fore-foot extends down below the level 25 of the heel.

The problem solved by means of the present invention in regard to sport shoes with a view - to shaping them at least to some extent in conformity with the ordinary shoes, which are adapt30 ed to the anatomic conditions, thus consists in raising the heel and in suspending the middle of the boot from above. This is accomplished by providing the shoe with two superposed instep closures opposite to which a wedge-shaped foot 35 arch supporter is arranged in the sole which extends from the heel to the metatarsal arch at a uniform taper.

This boot tends to restore proper conditions by raising the heel and by suspending the middle of 40 the boot. The aim is accomplished by providing two separate instep flaps adapted to be tightly spanned in overlapping position—in inventive cooperation with an extra inserted shoe sole brace 16 which curves forwardly and downwardly from 45 the heel gradually to disappear under the metatarsal arch.

In the accompanying drawings two embodiments of our invention are shown by way of example only in which:

Fig. 1 shows a shoe representing a first embodiment as seen from the side with the sole portion broken out and the lacing of the shoe only halfway effected;

Fig. 2 shows a side view of the completely laced 55 shoe;

Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a shoe representing a second embodiment with the exterior instep cover strip, which is not yet laced down, bent β back;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4 with the exterior instep cover strip shown in section, and

Fig. 6 is a side view Of the completely laced shoe. 10

It is to be realized that the scope of our invention comprehends many equivalent constructions. The showing of the drawings and the particular description are merely specific exemplifications of a plurality of mechanical embodi- 15 ments and arrangements.

About the region of the instep of the shoe upper a relatively wide instep cover strip 2 is cut out from the shoe-top longitudinally thereof so as to extend to the metatarsus where it is Integral with 20 the remainder or toe-covering portion of the shoe. An interior instep cover strip 3 is arranged parallel with the exterior instep cover strip 2 and is firmly secured at its forward and lower end to the shoe-top at a point below the integrally 25 connected end of the strip 2 and consists of soft leather, the marginal portions thereof being sewed together with the lateral marginal edges 4 of the shoe-top I. On both lateral portions of the shoe-top I string hooks 5 are provided which 30 are so dimensioned that they are adapted to accommodate two shoe-strings.

In the first embodiment of the invention as shown in the Figs. 1 to 3 on the exterior instep cover strip 2, string hooks 6 are also fastened to 35 the edges thereof. However, as lowermost means for receiving the lacing, eyelets 7 are provided; and as uppermost means for this purpose eyelets 8, which are situated so far down from the uppermost hooks 5 that with the aid of a shoe string 9 40 the instep cover strip 2 can be tensioned vigorously, are also provided. This lacing is carried into effect as follows: At first the shoe-string 9 is passed across the interior instep cover strip 3 and through the hooks 5 arranged on the edges 45 4 of the shoe-top t, then the end portions of this shoe-string 9 are passed through the upper eyelets 8 of the exterior instep cover strip 2 and tied into an exterior knot, thereby tensioning the exterior instep cover strip 2. The considerable 50 spacing between the edges 4 of the two lateral portions of the shoe-top I permit of pulling these edges vigorously toward one another by means of the shoe-string 9, whereupon the soft interior instep cover strip 3 becomes folded and the shoe- 55

2,109,701 top I is caused to bear snugly against the foot.

The second lacing is carried out in such manner that a shoe-string 10 is passed across the exterior instep cover strip 2 and through the 5 lower eyelets 7 thereof and is then continued through the hooks 6 of the exterior instep cover strip 2 and the hooks 5 of the lateral portions of the shoe-top I. The upper ends of the shoe-string 10 are passed about the top I and tied together. 10 Finally a leather strap II, which is sewed onto the upper edge of the exterior instep cover strip 2, is tightened and closed by means of a buckle 12. Opposite this lacing a wedge-shaped heel and shank member 16 is arranged between an 15 intervening sole 14, which overlies the exterior sole 13, and the inner sole I5,*as well as the heel and shank piece 17. The wedge-shaped heel and shank member 16 extends from the heel forwardly to the region of the metatarsal arch of the foot, 20 advantageously, to the front end of the metatarsal bones and tapers gradually into a knife edge.

In the region of the heel the thickness of the wedge-shaped heel and shank member 16 is rela25 tively great. This member 16 is reinforced by a portion 17 which is, advantageously, somewhat thicker than usual and is prolonged to the end of the wedge-shaped member 16. At the region of the inner marginal portion of the arch of the 30 foot the inserted heel and shank member is, advantageously, somewhat raised above the corresponding outer side of the foot arch. With the aid of the wedge-shaped arch supporting member 16, reinforced by the member 17, the foot is held 35 in its natural position on the exterior sole 13 and the heel 18 attached thereto, so as to maintain its natural form and vaulting. In order to maintain this form lastingly, the lacings 9, 10 mentioned above are provided which permit of 40 suspending the middle of the sole and therefore of the foot in its natural form and vaulting from the tensioned exterior cover strip 2 and confine it from above.

In the second embodiment of the invention, 45 as shown in the Figs. 4 to 6, the exterior instep cover strip 2 has no upper eyelets, but an exterior auxiliary string hook 20 which is disposed at the center portion somewhat lower than the pair of uppermost hooks 5 and, that is, in the 50 longitudinal middle plane of this instep cover strip. On each lateral portion of the shoe-top I an eyelet 21 is provided.

When the shoe is to be laced, the shoe string 9 is at first pulled through the upper eyelets 55 21 of the shoe-top I and then passed downwardly through three lower string hooks 5 by crossing the interior instep cover strip (the uppermost string hooks of these rows of hooks remain free during this stage of the lacing op60 eration). Then the two portions of the shoestring 9 are passed from the lowermost string hooks 5 through the lower eyelets 7 of the exterior instep cover strip 2, whereupon this instep cover strip is bent down on the shoe. Then the 65 two portions of the shoe-string are pulled upwards by lacing in the exterior instep cover strip 2 by means of its hooks 6 and the string hooks 5 on the shoe-top. From the uppermost string hook 5 of the shoe-top the portions of the shoe70 string are pulled downwardly, one of these portions being passed from the respective uppermost string hook 5 downwardly about the auxiliary string hook 20, whereupon the two string portions are tied into a knot between the auxiliary 75 string hook 20 and the other uppermost string hook 5. During this tying operation the exterior instep cover strip 2 is tensioned by tightening the shoe-string correspondingly. In this way the double lacing is finished and the shoe firmly secured on the foot. _s

In this manner the exterior instep cover strip can be well tightened in a beneficial manner with the very advantageous result that the shoe fits the foot very closely, while only one shoe-string is necessary for this double lacing. ₁₀