EP0426754B1 - Adjustable girth shoe constructions - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to shoe constructions and more particularly to shoes constructed to be adjustable in girth for better fit.

Description

• Since the 1700's, inventions directed to shoes have dealt primarily with ways to make shoes, rather than with ways to make them fit, the latter having been considered the province of the manufacturer and his suppliers. Today, excellent machinery exists for making vast quantities of shoes, most of which do not fit nearly as well as they should.
• For a shoe to fit properly, it should have a transverse girth which is substantially the same as the girth of the wearer's foot, girth being the transverse circumference around the foot, typically measured at the ball waist and instep of the foot.
• However, foot girth dimensions vary over a range of up to two inches for each length size while most popular price shoes now come in only one width per length, to allow marketing of the maximum number of styles with the minimum inventory, for end users who apparently value style and price over the virtues of fit and comfort.
• Research has shown that a foot usually varies in girth up to two standard widths daily with even greater changes under a variety of physiological conditions causing fluid and/or tissue buildup in the foot.
• The prior art has dealt mainly with visible means of girth adjustment such as laces, adjustment straps, and the like, most of which usually do not provide adjustment at the ball of the foot. Nor are such adjustment means useful in the many popular nonadjustable shoe styles, such as boots, slip-ons, loafers, womens' pumps, flats, and so forth. The prior art has also neglected the children's field, where self-adjusting girth would allow a shoe to better fit the growing foot, aswell as facilitate the wearing of new slip-on styles that the child would not have to tie or otherwise adjust.
• Adjustable girth footwear is not new, as shoes having this capability are disclosed, for example, in my U.S. Patent Nos. 3,404,468; 3,541,708 and 3,686,777. These prior shoes have a nonstretchable upper with longitudinally extending lower edge margins at least in the forepart of the shoe turned in toward one another and being free of the direct connection to the sole element.
• In one embodiment, shown in Figs. 1 - 8 of the first-mentioned patent, at least one of those edge margins in the forepart of the shoe is connected by way of stretchable elastic sheet material extending under the wearer's foot to the middle of the sole element or to the other edge margin. In the other embodiment, depicted in Figs. 9 - 13, those edge margins are connected via the elastic material to the edges of the sole element. Both embodiments provide automatic adjustment of the shoe girth to suit the wearer's foot.
• The latter two patents disclose mechanisms for adjusting the spacing of those shoe upper margins so that girth adjustment can be accomplished manually. While these prior shoe constructions have contributed to the advancement of the art, they have certain drawbacks which have tended to inhibit their adoption and use. For example, in the shoe disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,404,468, pebbles, dirt and water tend to infiltrate between the upper and the sole element at each lengthwise segment of the shoe where there is no direct connection between the shoe upper and the sole element. Also, the shoe upper tends to pull away from the sole element along each such segment thereby spoiling the appearance of the shoe. In one embodiment disclosed therein, the elastic sheet material, tends to lost its elasticity due to exposure to sun, ozone, ageing and wear so that the girth adjustment capability of such shoes tends to become degraded over time. Also the elastic material, being a relatively thin sheet of stretch nylon, located right at the sole of the shoe, soils easily and is prone to being cut, worn and punctured by contact with curbs, stones and other objects thereby allowing water to penetrate into the shoe. Further, such an exterior stretch material is quite expensive so that shoes of this type would tend not to be competitively priced.
• Another technique for adjusting the girth of the shoe by adjusting the elevation of the foot within the shoe is disclosed in Patent 3,442,031. In this arrangement, a plural-layer auxiliary sole is inserted into the shoe between the insole and sock lining thereby reducing the amount of upper material that extends above the surface that supports the foot. Each of the layers is of such a thickness as to change the girth of the shoe forepart by one standard width. Thus, by removing a single layer more upper material is available above that support surface to accommodate a foot one size wider. If a second layer is removed, still more upper material extends above the support surface so that a still wider foot can be accommodated in the shoe. Therefore, adjusting shoe girth in this fashion by elevating the foot within the shoe means that a person's feet may be supported at different heights. This is undesirable because it has been found that a foot height difference of as little as three sixteenths of an inch is sufficient to cause permanent injury to a person's back or legs.
• In one embodiment according to the present invention, a shoe capable of accommodating and fitting different foot widths is disclosed. The shoe comprises a shoe upper having side members; a foot support surface extending between lower edge margins of the shoe upper side members for supporting a foot inserted in the shoe; a sole assembly having a heel portion, a toe portion and a midportion between said heel and toe portions and comprising an insole assembly characterized in that:
     the shoe upper side members are deformable; the insole assembly comprises a platform member and a sole member having two side margins; said shoe upper side members being fixedly and non-elastically attached to the respective opposite side margins of the sole member, at least one side member of said sole member being disposed in such a manner so as to permit slidable movement relative to the platform member; and being laterally deformable at least at the midportion to permit vertical movement of the corresponding one of said shoe upper side members relative to said foot support surface so as to allow adjustment of the girth of the shoe to accommodate the girth of a foot supported on said support surface.
• In another embodiment according to the present invention, a shoe capable of accommodating different foot widths is disclosed. The shoe comprises a shoe upper; a sole element having a heel portion, a toe portion and a midportion between said heel and toe portions; a means for attaching said upper side portions to opposite sides of said sole element midportion; a foot support surface disposed inside the shoe in a position to contact the underside of a foot inserted into the shoe; characterized in that:
     the shoe upper has vertically movable side portions; said sole element being deformable at least at about its midportion and cooperating with at least one upper side portion to permit vertical movement of at least one of said upper side portions relative to said foot support surface so as to permit the adjustment of the girth of the shoe to accommodate the birth of a foot supported on said surface; and a means for permitting deformation of the sole element without causing any substantial change of the contour of the foot support surface or movement thereof.
Brief Description of the Drawings
• The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
• Fig. 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of a shoe in accordance with the present invention;
• Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away showing the sole assembly of the Fig. 1 shoe;
• Fig. 3 is a sectional view taking along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the shoe at its minimum girth adjustment;
• Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 showing the shoe at an enlarged girth adjustment;
• Fig. 5 is a sectional view taking along 5-5 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a shoe with a unit sole which provides automatic girth adjustment;
• Figs. 7 and 8 arc sectional views taking along line 7-7 of Fig. 6 showing that shoe at its maximum and minimum girth adjustments, respectively;
• Fig. 9 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 7 showing a further shoe construction for achieving girth adjustment;
• Fig. 10 is a similar view of yet another shoe construction which provides girth adjustment; and
• Figs. 11 and 12 are sectional views similar to Figs. 7 and 8 illustrating another shoe construction incorporating my invention;
• Fig. 13 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of a shoe constructed according to the present invention;
• Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken along lines 14-14 of Fig. 13 showing the shoe at its minimum girth adjustment;
• Fig. 15 is a view similar to that of Fig. 14 showing the shoe at its maximum girth adjustment;
• Fig. 16 is a bottom view of the footbed or insert in the Fig. 13 shoe;
• Fig. 17 is a view of the footbed assembly taken along lines 17-17 of Fig. 16;
• Fig. 18 is a view of the footbed assembly taken along lines 18-18 of Fig. 16;
• Fig. 19 is a view of the footbed assembly taken along lines 19-19 of Fig. 16;
• Fig. 20 is a plan view of a platform assembly for a shoe similar to the Fig. 13 shoe showing a mechanism for controlling the shoe girth adjustment;
• Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken along the line 21-21 of Fig. 20;
• Figs. 22 and 23 are sectional views similar to Figs. 14 and 15 showing another shoe embodiment whose girth adjusts automatically to the girth of the foot therein;
• Fig. 24 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 14 showing still another shoe construction with an automatic girth adjustment capability, with the shoe shown at its minimum girth adjustment;
• Figs. 25A and 25B are plan and side views respectively showing the spring means present in the Fig. 24 shoe;
• Fig. 26 is a view similar to Fig. 24 showing that shoe at its maximum girth adjustment;
• Fig. 27 is a bottom view of a footbed assembly for a further embodiment of a girth-adjustable shoe;
• Fig. 28 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shoe construction utilizing the footbed assembly of Fig. 27;
• Figs. 29 and 30 are sectional views taken along the line 29-30 of Fig. 27, showing that shoe at its minimum and maximum girth adjustments, respectively;
• Fig. 31 is a bottom view of the sole element in a further embodiment of my invention; and
• Fig. 32 and 33 are sectional views taken along lines 24-24 of Fig. 31 showing this shoe construction at its minimum and maximum girth adjustments, respectively.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
• Figs. 1-3 show ashoe 10 which includes a flexible upper 12 having avamp 14 and aplug 16 joined by stitching to form aseam 18 around the forepart of the shoe, with acuff 22 being provided around the top edge of the back part of the shoe upper 12. The lower edge margins 14a ofvamp 14 are turned in as shown in Fig. 3 and preferably, although not necessarily, a laterally extensible sock lining orfiller 24 extends between those margins 14a. The upper 12 is stitched, cemented or otherwise secured to a flexible unitsole assembly 26. Also, positioned abovefiller 24 and the shoe upper margins 14a is a floatinginsole 27. Preferably the insole extends the entire interior length and width of the shoe, but is not attached to the shoe upper.
• Unitsole assembly 26 comprises a foundation orplatform 28 which includes a thin, relatively flexibleupper layer 28a made of polypropylene or the like and a relatively flexiblelower layer 28b consisting, for example, of conventional E.V.A. material. Snugly surroundingplatform 28 is a flexible molded rubber orplastic unit sole 32. The unit sole has a substantially flatbottom surface 32a, a pair of gently roundedside walls 32b and an in-turned marginaltop surface 32c that extends all around the unitsole assembly 26. Aperipheral recess 33 is provided in the upper surface ofplatform section 28a to provide clearance for the unit soletop surface 32c.
• As best seen in Fig. 3, the in-turned marginaltop surface 32c of the unit sole is secured the in-turned edge margin 14a of the shoe upper by stitching 36. Alternatively, if the shoe upper 12 and unit sole 32 are made of materials which can be cemented together either directly or by way of intervening strips of sheet material (not shown), cement may be used to secure those parts together. In either event, the connections between the upper marginal edges 14a and the unit soletop surface 32c at least at the forepart of the shoe particularly in the ball area thereof, are non-stretchable, non-elastic connections that do not create undesirable gaping between the upper 12 and thesole assembly 26 at the sides of the shoe. Also, those stitches orconnections 36 are spaced inward from the side edges of the unitsole assembly 26 at least in the forepart of the shoe, a distance of preferably approximately one centimeter, for reasons that will become apparent.
• Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, unitsole assembly 26 is deformable laterally in thattop surface 32c ofsole element 32 on at least one side, and preferably both sides, ofsole assembly 26 is free to slide laterally relative toplatform section 28a between a minimum girth position illustrated in Fig. 3 and an enlarged girth position shown in Fig. 4. The outward movements of the elementtop surface 32c achieve a rolling action with the unit soleelement side walls 32b as shown by the arrows X in Fig. 4 so that there is little apparent change in the outward appearance of the unitsole assembly 26. Such lateral motion of the sole elementtop surface 32c also allows upward movements of thelower side margins 14b ofvamp 14 relative to theinnersole 27 that contacts and, along withassembly 26, supports the wearer's foot. These movements, shown by the arrows X in Fig. 4, can be considerable and can increase the girth of the shoe by as much as four standard shoe width sizes, as from women's size AAA to B or from men's size C to EE. Conversely, inward sliding movements of the unit sole'stop surface 32c produces corresponding rolling actions in the opposite directions, of the unitsole side walls 32b and downward movements of the side margins of the vamp attached to the unit sole element. The filler panel or sock lining 24 in the shoe upper 12, being extensible or stretchable laterally, accommodates the lateral movements of the sole elementtop wall 32c. However, unlike the elastic insert in the shoe described in my above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,404,468, thefiller panel 24 does not necessarily contribute to any significant extent to the girth adjustment capability of theshoe 10.
• Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 5, provision is made inshoe 10 for adjusting the spacing between the opposite sides of the sole elementtop wall 32c and thereby the girth of the shoe. The means comprises a pair of thinelongated stiffener plates 42 positioned at opposite sides of sole elementtop wall 32c in the waist area of the shoe.Plates 42 extend along, and follow the contours of, themarginal wall 32c.
• The plates are secured to the underside of sole elementtop wall 32c byrivets 44 or other suitable means. Eachplate 42 has an integral laterally extendingtab 42a that extends towards the longitudinal centerline of the shoe. Positioned belowplates 42 and theirtabs 42a is a thincircular cam plate 46, which has a central pin oraxle 48 which is rotatably mounted toplatform section 28a. The upper end of thepin 48 is accessible from inside the shoe through an aperture 50 (Fig. 2) in thefiller panel 24 and that end is preferably slotted to facilitate turning thecam plate 46 by a coin or screwdriver. Alternatively, access to the opposite end of the axle may be provided at the underside of the shoe.
• As best seen in Figs. 2 and 5, a pair of follower pins 52 project fromtabs 42a and engage in oppositely directedspiral cam slots 54 incam plate 46. Whencam plate 46 is rotated in one direction, i.e. counterclockwise in Fig. 2, those pin-in-slot engagements cause thestiffener plates 42 to be spread apart so that the opposite sides of the unit sole elementtop wall 32c are moved apart to their positions of maximum girth adjustment shown in Figs. 4. On the other hand, when thecam plate 46 is rotated in the opposite direction, i.e. clockwise, the camming action of theplate 46 draws the twostiffener plates 42 toward one another to their minimum girth adjustment positions shown in Fig. 3. Conventional detent means (not shown) may be provided to retainplate 46 in its various positions of adjustment. Usually theupper wall 32c of thesole element 32 is sufficiently stiff in the lengthwise direction for there to be minimal relative longitudinal motion of thestiffener plates 42 when thecam plate 46 is turned. However, if such movement becomes a problem, it can be eliminated by providing transverse slots 56 (Fig. 5) inplatform section 28a and registeringgrooves 57 in the top ofsection 28b to receivepins 52 and limit those movements to lateral ones.
• When theplates 42 are moved laterally as aforesaid, the opposite sides oftop wall 32c move correspondingly, the lateral motion of the wall being proportional along the shoe so as not to unduly "crowd" the wearer's foot at the different points along its length. Since there is minimal or no movement of the sole elementtop surface 32c at the toe and heel portions of the shoe, direct connections may be made between the sole elementtop wall 32c and theplatform 28 at those locations, as indicated at 58 in Figs. 2.
• In order to adjust the girth ofshoe 10 to the foot of the wearer, the foot is inserted into the shoe pre-set at its widest girth as in Figs. 2 and 4. If the shoe at that setting is too wide, thecam plate 46 is turned clockwise as necessary thereby drawing thestiffener plates 42 and the opposite sides of the sole elementtop surface 32c closer together. This results in vertically downward components of motion of the lower side margins of14a vamp 14 relative to theinnersole 27 and theunderlying platform 28 which support the wearer's foot so that the upper comfortably fits the girth of the foot. Through trial and error, the girth of theshoe 10 can be adjusted to provide an optimal fit to that wearer's foot without affecting the height of the foot within the shoe or above the ground. Moreover, such adjustment of shoe girth, even between its extreme positions, does not materially affect the shape of the shoesole assembly 26 or the appearance of the shoe generally. Also, even though theshoe 10 is adjustable girthwise, there are no unwanted gaps or openings between the upper 12 and thesole assembly 26 which could spoil the appearance of the shoe or provide avenues for dirt and water penetration into the shoe.
• Figs. 6 - 8 illustrate ashoe 60 similar toshoe 10 having a somewhat different unit sole assembly which allows automatic girth adjustment. The shoe upper 12 is substantially the same as the one inshoe 10. The in-turnedlower edge margins 12a of the upper 12 are connected non-elastically to a unit sole assembly shown generally at 62.Assembly 62 includes aplatform 64 made of flexible, resilient, somewhat compressible material such as cellular E.V.A. plastic. While the undersurface 64a ofplatform 64 is generally flat, between heel breast and toe the platform undersurface is provided with upwardlycurved side margins 64b which extend to the substantially vertical side edges 64c of the platform. Amarginal recess 65 is present in the upper surface ofplatform 64 all around the perimeter of the platform to provide clearance for the margins of the unitsole assembly 62 and of the shoe upper 12, to which said unit sole margins are attached.
• Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, unitsole assembly 62 includes a flexible, resilient unitsole element 66 which engages snugly aroundplatform 64. The sole element has a bottom surface 66a, aside wall 66b and an in-turned marginaltop surface 66c which underlies theedge margin 12a of the shoe upper. As inshoe 10, the marginaltop surface 66c of unitsole element 66 is secured to themarginal edge 12a of the shoe upper 12 by stitching 68 or other suitable means. Also, secured to thetop surface 66c at the underside thereof is astiffener frame 72 which preferably extends all around the shoe. Thestiffener frame 72 is thin, (e.g. .040 inch) and somewhat flexible and made of a strong, crack-resistant material such as polypropylene.
• As best seen in Fig. 6, the stiffener frame has a series of slits and/ornotches 74 distributed around the frame creating a similar distribution of living hinges 76 which allow the sides of theframe 72 to flex laterally, i.e. toward and away from one another. The slits ornotches 74 and hinges 76 are strategically placed to allow controlled transverse movements of the different lengthwise segments of the frame to achieve proportional motion of the frame sides along the shoe to allow not only for infinitely variable and continual adjustments for the girth of each foot, but also for the different relationships between ball and instep girths of that foot. In other words, the frame functions to control girth adjustment proportions so that at any particular girth adjustment, the shoe has girth measurements at least along the midportion of the shoe similar to those of a conventional fixed girth shoe of the nearest fixed girth.
• As best seen, in Fig. 7 thelower edge 66d of thesole element 66 has a relatively sharp corner. However, theupper edge 66e of that element is rounded. This combination of edge shapes on the sole element, in conjunction with the aforementioned upwardlycurved edge margin 64b ofplatform 64, enables the girth ofshoe 60 to be adjusted over a relatively wide range of girths.
• Referring now to Fig. 8, when the shoe is at its minimum girth adjustment as shown, the opposite sides of the unit sole elementtop surface 66c and the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 72 are relatively close together and abut the inner wall of theplatform recess 65. The opposite sides of thelower edge margin 12a of the shoe upper 12, being secured to those elements, are likewise close together relatively, withfiller panel 24 extending between those edge margins under theinnersole 27. Also, in this minimum girth condition, the side margins of the unit sole element bottom surface 66a are drawn up against the upwardly curvedundersurface edge margins 64b ofplatform 64 and the soleelement side walls 66b lie flush against thevertical edges 64c. As shown in Fig. 6, unitsole assembly 62 is biased to this minimum girth condition by at least onespring 82 stretched between a pair of rivets or pins 84 mounted to opposite sides ofstiffener frame 72, preferably in the waist area of the shoe. If needed, a shallow transverse slot orchannel 86 may be formed in the top wall ofplatform 64 to provide clearance for the the spring. The shoe at its minimum girth adjustment shown in Fig. 8 may be lasted to fit, for example, a foot having a men's size C width.
• When a wider foot is inserted into the shoe, it exerts lateral forces on thesides 12b of the shoe upper 12. However, the opposite sides of thetop surface 66c ofsole element 66 and ofstiffener frame 72 are able to slide laterally in opposite directions. Such motion causes thesides 66b of the unitsole element 66 to tilt laterally to some extent as shown in Fig. 7 as the edge margins of the sole element bottom surface 66a flex vertically downward toward a flat condition in which they become coplanar with the remainder of that surface.
• There is also a rolling action at the roundedupper edge 66e of that element allowed by the fact that thestitching 68 is spaced inward from the sides of thesole assembly 62. These two motions of the unit sole element combine to allow vertical components of motion of thelower side margins 12b of the shoe upper 12 relative to theinnersole 27 which contacts the underside of the wearer's foot. Such vertical components of motion of theupper side margins 12a, indicated by the arrows A in Fig. 7, increase the girth of the shoe by just the right amount to accommodate the girth of the foot therein. Sufficient compliance is built into the sock lining orfiller panel 24 to accommodate the lateral movements of theupper edge margins 12a and, since theinnersole 27 has no direct connection to the shoe upper, that member does not interfere with the accommodation of the shoe to that larger girth foot.
• If a still wider foot is inserted into the shoe, there is a further outward tilting of the unit soleelement side walls 66b coupled with a rolling motion at the roundedupper edge 66e of thesole element 66 that combine to allow further vertical movements of theside margins 12b of the shoe upper relative to theinnersole 27. Thus, additional shoe upper material is made available above theinnersole 27 to increase the overall shoe girth by just the right amount to suit that wider foot.
• The slight outward tilting of theside walls 66b of the unitsole element 66 that occurs in the forepart of the shoe when the shoe girth is increased as just described is not particularly apparent to the wearer and does not change the appearance of the shoe to any material extent. Nor does the girth adjustment affect in the least the height of the wearer's foot higher within the shoe or above the walking surface.
• The marginaltop surface 66c ofsole unit element 66 is prevented from pulling out ofrecess 65 by the stretch limit of thepanel 24 or other suitable limiting member that may be incorporated into the shoe.
• It is evident that the shoe construction illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 may be modified to provide a manual adjustment of shoe girth simply by substituting for thespring 82, means for manually controlling the spacing between the opposite sides ofstiffer frame 72 such as the camming mechanism present inshoe 10 described above. The invention can also be incorporated into shoes of various styles and with various other sole assembly constructions. For example, Fig. 9 illustrates the ball area cross section of a loafer type ofshoe 90 wherein the connection of the shoe upper to the sole element is by way of a thin, flexible, preferably integrally molded, inwardly extending marginaltop flap 102, extending from the top edge of the sole element.Shoe 90 has an upper 12 which is essentially the same as that ofshoes 10 and 60 and asole assembly 92 that is somewhat different from the other sole embodiments in that it includes a preferably molded unitsole element 94. The unit sole element is molded or otherwise formed with amarginal recess 96 extending around its upper surface which provides a seat for the marginaltop flap 102, as well as for astiffener frame 98 which is similar tostiffener frame 72 described above in connection with Figs. 6 - 8.
• Sandwiched between thestiffener frame 98 and the in-turnededge margin 12a of the shoe upper 12 is the marginaltop flap 102.Flap 102 is folded inward overframe 98 and secured between theupper edge margin 12a andstiffener frame 98 by stitching orcement 104 which is spaced inward from the sides ofsole element 94. The opposite sides ofstiffener frame 98 and offlap 102 are movable laterally inrecess 96 toward and away from one another just as described above in connection withshoe 60 in Figs. 6 - 8 between positions of minimum girth adjustment shown in solid lines in Fig. 9 and positions of maximum girth adjustment shown in phantom in that figure.
• As the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 98 and offlap 102 move laterally inrecess 96 there are concomitant vertical movements of thelower side margins 12b and plug 12c of the shoe upper 12 relative to theshoe innersole 27 andsole element 94. These upward movements, shown by the arrows B, increase the girth ofshoe 90 enabling the shoe to accommodate a wider foot. the outward movements of thestiffener frame 98 and, thus, of shoeupper margins 12a are limited by the engagements of the stiffener frame againstflap 102 which, as shown in phantom in Fig. 9, forms an upward pleat or fold 102a between the upper 12 and thesole element 94 in the forepart of the shoe where the girth enlargement occurs.
• When a spring similar tospring 82 is connected between the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 98,shoe 90 can provide automatic girth adjustment. Alternatively, a manual girth adjustment mechanism similar to the one inshoe 10 may be incorporated intoshoe 90 so that the girth of that shoe can be adjusted manually to suit the particular wearer's foot.
• Fig. 10 illustrates the ball area cross section of yet anothershoe 110 incorporating my invention. This shoe, shown in a girth enlarged condition, has a shoe upper 12 which is essentially the same as the ones in the other shoe constructions described above and a unitsole assembly 112 which includes aplatform 114. The platform has a generally flat bottom surface 114a andopposite sides 114b, at least in the midportion of the shoe, which slant upwardly-inwardly, and finally, amarginal recess 115 which extends all around said platform. Wrapped aroundplatform 114 is a unitsole element 116 that is made of a rugged, flexible, non-extensible material such as one of the many unit sole materials now in use.Sole element 116 is secured toplatform 114 and to astiffener frame 122 positioned inrecess 115 by means of a flexible, non-stretchable, distortion preventing means such asbinding strip 118. More particularly, a lower edge margin 118a ofstrip 118 is sandwiched between platform surface 114a and the upper surface ofsole element 116, with cement being placed on both sides of the strip margin so that the strip margin becomes firmly secured between the platform and the sole element. Theupper edge margin 118b ofstrip 118 is wrapped around the sides ofplatform 114 and turned inwardly and cemented or otherwise fastened to the top surface ofstiffener frame 122, positioned onplatform recess 115. This frame may be identical to frame 72 described above. The edge margins ofsole element 116 extend up around the sides ofplatform 114 andstrip 118 and are turned inward on top of thestrip margin 118b thereby forming therounded sidewall 116b and in-turnedtop surface 116c of the sole element. Thattop surface 116c is then preferably cemented or otherwise secured at 126 between the shoeupper edge margins 12a and thestrip margin 118b.
• The opposite sides ofstiffener frame 122 and of the sole elementtop wall 116c are slidable laterally inrecess 115 between a position of maximum girth adjustment shown in solid lines in Fig. 10 and a position of minimum girth adjustment indicated in phantom in that figure. In the latter position the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 122 abut the inner wall ofrecess 115 and the strip sides 118c lie flush against thebevelled side wall 114b ofplatform 114 as shown in phantom in Fig. 10.
• The sole assembly may be urged toward this minimum adjustment condition by a spring similar tospring 82 stretched between the opposite sides ofstiffener frame 122 to provide automatic girth adjustment. Alternatively, a camming mechanism similar to the one inshoe 10 may be incorporated into the sole assembly if a manual girth adjustment capability is desired. If the foot inserted intoshoe 110 calls for a wider girth than the minimum girth of the shoe, the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 122 must be spread apart as described above in connection with the other shoe embodiments. This causes the soleelement side walls 116b to roll outwardly-downwardly allowing concommitant vertically upward components of motion of the shoe upper side margins 112b relative toinnersole 27 and thefoot supporting platform 114 thereby increasing the girth ofshoe 110 by the amount required to properly fit that wearer's foot.
• The distortion preventing means, that is, theinextensible strip 118, prevent the opposite sides of thestiffener member 122 and the soleelement edge margins 116c from sliding out ofrecess 115 beyond their positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 10. Just as important, thestrip 118 prevents the unitsole assembly 112 from having excessive unsightly differences in apparent side thickness along its length. The distortion preventing means could also comprise parallel monofilaments or the like, disposed between thestiffener member 22 and the lower edge of theplatform 114 and/orsole element 116.
• Referring now to Figs. 11 and 12,shoe 132 has an upper 134 attached to a unitsole assembly 136. The sole assembly comprises an interior platform orfoundation member 138 made of a suitable flexible material such as cellular E.V.A. plastic. Wrapped around the platform member is a preferably molded unitsole element 142 similar to unitsole element 116 described above in connection with Fig. 10. The unit sole element has a relatively flatbottom surface 142a,upturned side walls 142b and an in-turned marginaltop surface 142c which is secured by cement or stitching at 144 to the in-turnedlower edge margin 134a of the shoe upper 134. Amarginal recess 146 is provided in the upper surface ofplatform member 138 to accommodate the marginal connections between the shoe upper and the sole element. These connected-together margins are free to move laterally toward and away from one another as in the other shoe constructions described above.
• Positioned inshoe 132 is an insole assembly shown generally at 148.Assembly 148 extends the full length and width of the last bottom of the shoe and comprises a thinflexible support member 152 made of polypropylene or like material. Covering that member is a lining 154 of "Cambrelle" brand or similar fabric. Also positioned under thesupport member 152 is astiffener frame 156 similar to frame 72 described above and a spring (not shown) similar tospring 82 is stretched between the opposite sides offrame 156. The lining 154 is larger thansupport member 152 and its edge margin 154a is wrapped around the edge ofsupport member 152 and turned inward understiffener frame 156 where is secured by cement or other similar means as indicated by the extensions of the cement orstitching lines 144. In practice, theinsole assembly 148 would be assembled outside the shoe and then cemented in place.
• Shoe 132 when off the foot remains at its position of minimum girth adjustment wherein the edges of the shoeupper margin 134a andsole element margin 142c, as well asstiffener frame 156, abut the inner wall ofrecess 146, and theside walls 142b ofsole element 142 engage snugly around the sides ofplatform member 138. If the shoe is worn on a foot requiring a girth larger than the shoe's minimum girth, the opposite sides of the sole element'stop surface 142c slide outwardly while their outer edges andside walls 142b roll downwardly as indicated by the arrows D in Fig. 11 in the same manner as the similar sole elements in the Figs. 3 and 10 shoe constructions described above. That transverse sliding and rolling action allows concomitant vertical movements of the shoe upper side margins 134b, as shown by the arrows E in Fig. 11, to increase the amount of upper material above theinsole assembly 148 by just the right amount to accommodate that wider foot.
• As shown in Fig. 11, as the opposite sides of thestiffener frame 156 spread apart to allow that girth accommodation, the lining 154 unfolds or unrolls around the edge ofsupport member 152 so that the lining still covers the bottom of the shoe interior even when the shoe is in its position of maximum girth adjustment shown in Fig. 11. Thus the transverse sliding and rolling action of the sides of the insole is similar to that of the unit soles's sides as they adjust together to accommodate the girth of the wearer's foot. It should be noted that this type of insole construction could be used in most of the other embodiments disclosed in this application.
• The embodiments disclosed in Figs. 13 - 33, relate to a means in a shoe for deforming the sole element in the forepart of the shoe relative to the shoe support surface which contacts the underside of the wearer's foot to permit upward movements of at least one side margin of the upper to accommodate the girth of the wearer's foot.
• Referring now to Figs. 13 and 14shoe 200 includes a flexible upper 222 having avamp 223 and aplug 224 which are typically joined by stitching to form aseam 226 around the forepart of theshoe 200, with acuff 228 being provided around the top edge of the back part of the shoe upper.Shoe 200 also has a sock lining 236 stitched to the lowermost marginal edges of upper 222. The upper is, in turn, stitched or otherwise secured to a flexiblesole element 230. In the illustrated shoe embodiment, the upper is stitched to theupstanding walls 232 of a cupmolded sole element or unit sole at the uppermost edges thereof.
• Positioned inshoe 200 above the sock lining 236 is afootbed assembly 234. This assembly includes a relatively stiff footbed or insert 240 consisting of a relatively thick slab of high density polypropylene or like material. Affixed to the underside offootbed 240 is a sheet orlayer 238 of a thin tough flexible material such as high density polyethylene. Also, a conforminginnersole 246 extending the full width of the shoe and from the toe to the heel thereof may be disposed on the upper surface offootbed 240. The upper surface of thefootbed assembly 234 may be contoured orthopedically as shown to be somewhat higher on the inside heel breast and arch area as compared with the corresponding outside area and to have a somewhat concave curvature in the heel portion thereof to comfortably accommodate and center the heel of the wearer's foot. It may also have contours forward of the heel area to better support and position the foot in the shoe in that area.
• As best seen in Figs. 14 - 19, the underside offootbed 240 or insert is contoured at one and preferably both bottomside edge margins 248 thereof to allow limited controlled vertical deformation of theside edge margins 230a of thesole element 230 in the critical fitting area toeward of the heel breastline, i.e. the line defined by the usual position of the forward face of a usual heel element. More particularly, whereas the underside offootbed 240 is flat in the heel area of the bed as shown in Fig. 17, it has a chamfer on at least one and preferably both sides thereof each of which extends longitudinally from the heel breast forward towards the toe portion of the footbed as best seen in Fig. 16. The footbed also has a more extensive arcuate bottom chamber between ball and instep, to accommodate a spring to be described. Furthermore, the contours or profiles of those chamfers may be different from one another and they both vary along the length of thefootbed 240 as shown in Figs. 17 - 19 leaving gaps of varying widths between thefootbed edge margins 248 and the sheet orlayer 238 at the underside ofbed 240. Preferably those gaps are filled with compressibleresilient foam materials 250 to exclude foreign material from those spaces as well as to help urge the shoe continually to its minimum girth adjustment.
• In order to increase the flexibility offootbed assembly 234, a series oftransverse grooves 260 may be included in the underside offootbed 240 in the ball area thereof. These grooves facilitate bending ofassembly 234 together withshoe 200 when the wearer of the shoe is walking. If desired, these grooves may also be filled with compressible resilient foam material to exclude dirt therefrom.
• In use,footbed assembly 234 is positioned inshoe 200 as shown in Figs. 13 and 14. Preferably, that assembly is not attached physically either to the shoe upper 222 including sock lining 236 or to thesole element 230.Sole element 230, or at least theedge margins 230a thereof underlying the contourededge margins 248 offootbed 240, are flexible and upwardly deformable allowing an upward flexing of the soleelement edge margins 230a towardfootbed edge margins 248 from a minimum girth condition shown in Fig. 14 whereinsole element 230 is flat, to a condition depicted in Fig. 15 wherein the edge margins ofsole element 230 are deformed or deflected upwards to a maximum girth condition. It should be understood that these vertical movements of theedge margins 230a are greater than the slight upward curling that sometimes occurs at the edge margins of an ordinary shoe sole due to normal flexing of the shoe when worn. This deformation ofsole elements 230 results in an upward component of motion of the side margins ofvamp 223 andsole sidewalls 232, relative to the surface of theinnersole 246 which contacts the underside of the wearer's foot. These movements, shown by the arrows in Fig. 15, are appreciable and can increase the girth of the shoe by as much as four standard shoe width sized, as from women's size AAA to B or from men's size C to EE.
• Means are provided inshoe 200 for automatically urging or biasingsole element 230 to its flatter Fig. 14 condition which givesshoe 220 its minimum girth. As best shown in Figs. 13, 16, and 19, the preferred biasing means include a generallytrapezoidal leaf spring 254. The spring fits into transverse channels 256 (Figs. 13 and 19) disposed in the underside offootbed 240. The spring is formed so that in its natural unstressed state, it has the shape of an arch. Whenspring 254 is incorporated into thefootbed assembly 234, it is sandwiched betweenfootbed 240 andsheet 238 and flattened to some extent as shown in Fig. 19. Thus whenassembly 234 is held down in the shoe by a wearer's foot, the spring exerts a slight downward bias on side edges oflayer 238 and theunderlying edge margins 230a ofsole element 230 thereby tending to maintain the sole element in its undeformed flat condition shown in Fig. 2 whereinshoe 200 has a minimum girth. Additional adjustment means could include those resulting from the tendency of the resilient material in the footbed's edge margins to return to a less compressed state.
• If a foot having the same girth as the minimum girth ofshoe 200 is inserted into the shoe, there should be little or no deformation ofsole element 230 so that the shoe will remain as depicted in Fig. 14. However, when a so-called "wider" foot with its greater girth is inserted into the shoe, theedge margins 230a ofsole element 230 will be flexed upwardly in opposition to the bias ofspring 254 so that sufficient upward displacement of the side margins ofvamp 223 relative toinnersole 246 will occur to accommodate the larger width and girth of that foot, adjusting within the designed girth range of the shoe to perfectly fit the foot therein, providing the foot's girth lies within said range.
• Instead of providing for fully automatic girth adjustment inshoe 200, a mechanism may be incorporated into the footbed assembly for controlling that adjustment manually as depicted in Figs. 20 and 21. In this shoe construction, adrum 255 is rotatably mounted in footbed or insert 240 andspring 254 at the center of those parts. The lower end ofdrum 255 is accessible and carriers aslot 259 which permits the drum to be rotated manually by a screwdriver or the like through the bottom of thefootbed assembly 234. A pair ofcables 257A and 257B have corresponding first ends wound in opposite directions around the drum. The opposite end segments of the cables pass throughgrommets 258 mounted infootbed 240 adjacent to the side edges thereof. Those cable segments extend down through holes in the ends ofspring 254 and are secured to the flexible layer 38 at the underside ofspring 254. In this arrangement, whendrum 255 is turned in the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 20,cables 257A and 257B are wound up on the drum. This tensions the cables so that they draw the opposite ends ofsprings 254 toward the profilededge margins 248 offootbed 240. Thus the setting ofdrum 255 controls the extent to which springs 254 can return toward its flat condition and thus the extent to which the spring can bias or urgesole element 230 to its undeformed condition depicted in Fig. 14. A conventional detent means (not shown) may be provided to maintain the drum at its various adjustment settings.
• Figs. 22 and 23 illustrate ashoe 500 whose girth can be set manually by positively controlling the spacing between the edge margins of the footbed and the edge margins of the sole element. This shoe includes an upper shown generally at 502 with avamp 506 having acontinuous portion 524 extending under the foot and attached by stitching 507 or the like to a flexible resilientsole element 508.
• Located inside the shoe is afootbed assembly 510 composed of afootbed 512 which may be provided with a sock lining 514 at its upper surface. Thefootbed 512 is similar tofootbed 240 described above in that it extends the entire length of the shoe and hasundersurface edge margins 516 which may be similar to themargins 248 in the Fig. 13 shoe, although without the springaccommodatingtransverse channels 56 therein. Positioned between theedge margins 516 at each side of the shoe and the underlying margins of thevamp 506, is one or more shim strips 520, the shim strips, if more than one, being arranged in a stack. Eachshim strip 520 is co-extensive with the edge margin offootbed 512 and it is generally tapered or wedge-shaped in cross section, as best seen in Fig. 22. Theedge margins 516 are preferably also contoured along their lengths.
• When the spaces under thefootbed edge margins 516 contain one or more shim strips 520,sole element 508 is maintained in a substantially flat undeformed condition as shown in Fig. 22, with the shoe adjusted thereby for minimum girth or shoe width size.
• To increase the girth of the shoe to accommodate a wider foot, one or more of the shim strips 520 is removed from at least one and preferably both sides of the shoe thereby providing clearance between thefootbed edge margins 516 and the underlying vamp margins. Accordingly, the edge margins 508a of the sole element are permitted to deform or deflect upwardly toward thefootbed margins 516. This allows concomitant upward movements of the lower side margins of thevamp 506 relative to innersole 514 on which the foot is supported as shown by arrows S in Fig. 23 thereby increasing the girth of the shoe to accommodate that larger width foot. Thesole element 508, being resilient, can exert a gentle downward pull on the vamp to assure that the shoe fits snugly on the foot.
• If desired, the shim strips 520 may be adhered to the underside of thefootbed 512 in which case they may be stripped away when it is necessary to increase the size of the shoe. Also, the number of strips present at each side of the shoe or in the two shoes of a pair at any given time may be the same or different depending upon the needs and desires of the particular wearer. Since the foot is always primarily supported by the platform assembly, the number of strips in the shoe has no effect on the elevation of the foot within the shoe or above the ground. It is also quite feasible to form shim strips of varying wedge angles and profiles as the edge margins of separate insole members arranged to be positioned under thefootbed assembly 510. In both cases, the shim strips positively control the upward deformation or displacement of the edge margins of the sole element and thus the upward movements of the vamp side margins to accommodate the shoe to the particular wearer's foot girth.
• Figs. 24 to 27 illustrate a shoe construction somewhat similar to the one just described and which provides for automatic rather than manual adjustment of the shoe girth.Shoe 549 has an upper 560 whosevamp 562 also extends under the wearer's foot and is attached directly to a flexiblesole element 569 by stitching, cement or other suitable means. A footbed assembly shown generally at 550 is positioned inside the shoe. Likeassembly 510, it includes a relativelystiff footbed 552 and a thin sock lining 576 covering the upper surface of that member. Also, the underside offootbed 552 hasedge margins 554 which are contoured in more or less the same manner as the similar footbed described above in connection with the Figs. 13 and 22 shoes.
• In this shoe, however, the means for adjusting the shoe girth is not incorporated into thefootbed assembly 550. Rather, it is present in thesole element 569. More particularly, a transverse pocket orrecess 574 is formed in thesole element 569 in the ball area of that element. Positioned inrecess 574 is aspring assembly 558. As best seen in Figs. 25A and 25B,spring assembly 558 comprises a relatively long thin highly flexible generallytrapezoidal spring member 570 and a shorter thicker stiffer similarly shapedspring member 572.Spring member 570 in its unstressed state is bowed or arched as shown in phantom in Fig. 25B, whilespring member 572 is normally flat. Whenspring member 572 is positioned underspring member 570 and the two springs are secured together byrivets 573 as shown, thespring member 570 is forced by the its stiffer mate to assume a more or less straight flat configuration as shown in solid lines in Fig. 25B. Thus, thatspring member 570 is pre-loaded and designed to have a favorable spring rate, e.g. of about 0.6 lb. per longitudinal inch of spring dimension, when its ends are deflected upward only slightly from their flat solid line positions, e.g. to the upper position shown in phantom in Fig. 25B. A spring so "preloaded" will therefore have a spring rate such that the spring and with it, the sole and the upper elements exert comfortable gentle pressure on those feet within its design girth range.
• When thespring assembly 558 is positioned inrecess 574 insidesole element 569, both the spring assembly and the sole element remain essentially flat so that there is appreciable clearance between thecontoured edge margins 554 offootbed 552 and the underlying vamp margins on sole margins 569a. Thus, the shoe depicted in Fig. 24 reposes a condition of minimum girth so that it may fit, for example, a men's size C foot width. When a wider foot is inserted into the shoe, say a men's size EE, the sole edge margins 569a are free to flex upwards relative to theedge margins 554 offootbed 552 and in opposition to the urging ofspring member 570. This permits an upward displacement of the lower side margins ofvamp 562 in the direction of arrows T in Fig. 26 by just the right amount to accommodate the increased girth of that larger foot, all as described above in connection with the Figs. 13 and 22 shoes.
• Alternatively, a spring assembly similar toassembly 558 may be incorporated into the shoe insole rather than outsole element.
• Fig. 27 to 30 illustrate still another mechanism for adjusting shoe girth manually. Here again, the shoe comprises and upper 630 including avamp 634 having in-turned lower edge margins cemented, stitched or otherwise secured to anoutsole element 632. Afootbed assembly 600 is positioned in the shoe. This assembly comprises afootbed 602 having contouredside margins 604 on the underside thereof, as described above for the other similar footbeds.
• A pair of transversely movable, relativelyrigid struts 606 are positioned in arecess 607 in the underside ofmember 602. These are pivotally connected to that member by a pair of heel pivot pins 608 and a pair of toe pivot pins 610 so that the struts extend along the forepart offootbed 602. Eachstrut 606 has atransverse cut 612 midway along its length, terminating in a "living"hinge 614 adjacent to its inner edge as shown in Fig. 27 which permits thestruts 606 to bend or flex laterally outward as indicated by the arrows "O" in that figure.
• Arotatable cam plate 616, having a pair ofspiral cam slots 618 cut therein, is positioned in a clearance space in the underside of thefootbed 602 abovestruts 606 in the waist area of the shoe as best seen in Figs. 27 and 28. Also, cam follower pins 620 mounted to struts 606 are in following engagement with the twocam slots 618 in thecam plate 616. Thecam plate 616 is secured to apost 622 rotatively mounted to thefootbed 602. As shown in Fig. 28, aslot 624 formed in the upper end ofpost 622 is accessible through an aperture in sock lining 626 onfootbed 602 in order to rotate thecam plate 616.
• The toe pivot pins 610 extend through slightlyelongated openings 628 in the toe end of each of thestruts 606. After thefootbed assembly 600 is placed in a shoe, as shown in Figs. 28 and 29, theseelongated openings 628 allow longitudinal movements of the forward ends of thestruts 606 with respect to theplatform 602 as would occur during the walking cycle.
• Thefootbed 602 ofassembly 600 is wrapped about its bottom and side edges by a thinflexible sheet 636 of polypropylene or like material, which may be lasted over the marginal upper surface of thefootbed 602 as shown. Thesock lining 626 is then positioned onmember 602 with an opening in theinsole 626 in alignment with the upper end of thepost 622.
• Rotation of thepost 622 by a coin or screwdriver inserted in theslot 624 therein, effectuates rotation of thecam plate 616. Such rotation causes the follower pins 620 follow the lateral courses of thecam slots 618 and depending upon the direction of rotation, causes the struts to either spread apart laterally at theirhinge points 614 or come together, as their end portions rotate around their pin fastenings to the base. In Figs. 27 and 30, thestruts 606 are shown close together at the centerline of the footbed assembly. In this position, theedge margins 632a of thesole element 632 are able to flex or deform upwards towards the contourededge margins 604 offootbed 602. This allows upward movements of the side margins of the vamp relative to the surface of the footbed assembly which contacts and supports the foot inside the shoe as shown by the arrows in Fig. 30. This position of thestruts 606 may allow the shoe to accommodate say, a men's "EE" foot width.
• When thecam plate 616 is rotated in the opposite direction so that thestruts 606 are spread apart, as shown in Figs. 29, thestruts 606 provide a stiff shield against any appreciable upward flexing of the soleelement edge margins 632a so that minimal or no upward movements of the shoe upper side margins occur. This minimum girth setting of the cam plate may accommodate the shoe to a foot of, say, men's size C width with intermediate settings of thecam plate 616 achieving infinitely variable shoe girth values within the designed girth range limits of the shoe, which, in this case, are men's C and EE.
• Figs. 31 to 33 illustrate still another shoe construction that provides automatic girth adjustment by deforming the shoe sole element. Here, however, the sole element is simply expanded laterally or transversely preferably at least one-eighth inch and, usually up to, as much as three-eighths inch depending on the amount of girth adjustment required. This shoe, like the others, includes an upper 708 having avamp 712 with in-turnedlower edge margins 714 secured by stitching 716 or the like to the side edge margins of asole element 700. The securement of the camp to the sole element at 716 would preferably be set in approximately one centimeter from the corresponding side edge of thesole element 700. Attached to the opposite edges ofvamp margins 714 is afiller sheet 717 of laterally deformable material. Preferably also a floatinginsole 718 is provided inside the shoe.
• Prior to attachingsole element 700 to the upper, the top and bottom faces of the sole element are slitted or micro-siped to provide a series oflongitudinal slits 704 extending partially through the sole element, with the slits in the two faces being staggered as shown. Theseslits 704 are confined to the forepart of the shoesole element 700. the bottom face of thesole element 700 may also be provided with a series of shallowtransverse grooves 706. These transverse grooves do not contribute to the invention and may be included simply for traction or aesthetic reasons.
• Sole element 700, by virtue ofslits 704, is elastically deformable or expansible laterally between a minimum width condition shown in Fig. 32 to a maximum width condition illustrated in Fig. 33. This expanding deformation of the sole element outward produces a concomitant upward motion of the side margins of thevamp 712 as shown by the arrows z in Fig. 33. These upward movements of the vamp relative to theinsole 718 that contacts the underside of the foot increase the girth of that shoe so that the shoe can accept a foot of corresponding increased girth, all as described above in connection with the other shoe embodiments. The natural resilience of the stretchedsole element 200 tends to urge the sides of the upper inwardly and downwardly thus assuring a snug fit on the wearer's foot.
• Other laterally extensible sole constructions can be envisioned, such as one consisting of a molded rubber matrix or wavy pattern filled with foam rubber, which will extend at least oneeighth inch to allow the requisite girth adjustment. It should also be understood that the sole can be formed initially with open V-shaped slits or grooves as in Fig. 33 in which case the sole would be compressible laterally one-eighth inch or more to the condition shown in Fig. 32. This compression would allow downward movements of the side margins ofvamp 712 to achieve girth adjustment in the opposite sense. In this case, the specific shoe girth would be adjusted manually, say, by a drum and cable mechanism similar to the one in Fig. 20 that controls the spacing of the edge margins of the sole element.
• It will be seen from the foregoing that all of the shoe constructions incorporating my invention permit manual or automatic adjustment of shoe girth to allow a single shoe to accept a relatively wide range of foot girths. Yet, in all cases, there is a positive, non-elastic securement between the shoe upper and the sole element so that there is no unwanted gaping or opening between those shoe components that could spoil the appearance of the shoe or provide an avenue for the infiltration of dirt and water. Moreover, all the above shoe constructions can be fabricated using standard shoe manufacturing techniques so that the invention can be incorporated into shoes without increasing costs appreciably above the costs of conventional shoes of equivalent types and styles.

Claims (17)

1. A shoe (10) capable of accommodating and fitting different foot widths, said shoe comprising a shoe upper (12) having side members (14) ; a foot support surface (24, 27) extending between lower edge margins (14b) of the shoe upper side members (14) for supporting a foot inserted in the shoe ; a sole assembly (26) having a heel portion, a toe portion and a midportion between said heel and toe portions and comprising an insole assembly characterized in that :
      the shoe upper side members (14) are deformable ;
      the insole assembly comprises platform member (28) and a sole member (32) having two side marging (32c), said sole member covering at least a portion of said insole member ; said shoe upper side members (14) being fixedly and non-elastically attached to the respective opposite side margins (32c) of the sole member, at least one side member of said sole member being disposed in such a manner so as to permit slidable movement relative to the platform member (28) ; and being laterally deformable at least at the midportion to permit vertical movement of the corresponding one of said shoe upper side members (14) relative to said foot support surface (24, 27) so as to allow adjustment of the girth of the shoe to accommodate the girth of a foot supported on said support surface.
2. The shoe defined in claim 1 wherein both side margins (32c) of said sole member (32) are disposed in such a manner so as to permit slidable movement relative to the platform member (28) and being laterally deformable at least at the midportion to permit vertical movement of the corresponding upper side margins (14b) relative to the foot support surface (24, 27).
3. The shoe defined in claim 1 further including means (62) positioned in said shoe under said support surface for urging said at least one side margin toward the centerline of the shoe.
4. The shoe defined in claim 3 wherein said urging means comprises resilient means (66) connected to said at least one sole member side margin (32c) and extending toward the shoe centerline.
5. The shoe defined in Claim 4 wherein said insole assembly also includes a stiffener means (72) extending around at least part of the edge margin of said insole assembly and including segments (74) positioned on opposite sides of said insole assembly in the midportion of said shoe, said resilient means (66) acting between said stiffener means segments.
6. The shoe defined in Claim 3 further including means in said shoe for allowing limited lateral movement of said at least one sole element side edge margin.
7. The shoe defined in Claim 6 wherein said allowing means comprises the platform member (114) positioned between said shoe upper (12) and said sole member (116), the undersurface of said platform member having at least one flex-resistant side margin which overlies said at least one side margin of said sole member at the midportion thereof.
8. The shoe defined in Claim 3 wherein said urging means include a longitudinal stiffener member (156) mounted to said at least one sole member side margin in the midportion of said shoe and control means in said shoe for controlling the spacing between said stiffener member and the centerline of said shoe.
9. A shoe (200) capable of accommodating different foot widths comprising a shoe upper; a sole element (230) having a heel portion, a toe portion and a midportion between said heel and toe portions; a means for attaching said upper side portions (223) to opposite sides (232) of said sole element midportion; a foot support surface (240, 246) disposed inside the shoe in a position to contact the underside of a foot inserted into the shoe; characterized in that:
      the shoe upper has vertically movable side portions (223);
      said sole element (230) being deformable at least at about its midportion and cooperating with at least one upper side its midportion and cooperating with at least one upper side portion (223) to permit vertical movement of at least one of said upper side portions relative to said foot support surface so as to permit the adjustment of the girth of the shoe to accommodate the girth of a foot supported on said surface; and a means for permitting deformation of the sole element without causing any substantial change of the contour of the foot support surface or movement thereof.
10. The shoe defined in Claim 9 wherein each said sole element midportion has at least one side edge margin (223) that deforms by flexing vertically with respect to said foot support surface.
11. The shoe defined in Claim 10 and further including means for urging at least one sole element side edge margin with respect to said foot support surface.
12. The shoe defined in Claim 11 wherein said urging means comprises spring means (558) positioned in said sole element at least at the midportion thereof.
13. The shoe defined in Claim 10 and further including means in said shoe for allowing only limited vertical flexing movements of said sole element side edge margins.
14. The shoe defined in Claim 13 wherein said allowing means include footbed means (550) positioned in said shoe above said sole element (569), the undersurface of said footbed means having flexresistant side edge margins which overlie said side edge margins of said sole element at least at the midportion thereof.
15. The shoe defined in Claim 14 wherein said limiting means also include at least one changeable shim means (556, 566) positioned under said footbed means (550) side edge margins (554), the total displacement of said shim means determining the extent of flexing of said sole element side edge margins.
16. The shoe defined in Claim 13 wherein said allowing means also include a pair of flat relatively rigid longitudinal strut arrangements (606) swingably mounted to said footbed means (602) for movement laterally in said shoe below said side edge margins of the footbed means for limiting the upward flexing of said sole element side edge margins, and means for adjusting said strut arrangements.
17. The shoe defined in Claim 9 wherein said sole element is made of a resilient material (700) and includes a series of spaced-apart longitudinal slits or grooves extending along its said midportion that allow sole element to deform laterally.

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