WO1990001275A1 - 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

ADJUSTABLE GIRTH SHOE CONSTRUCTIONS

Background of the Invention

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 machin¬ ery exists for making vast quantities of shoes, most of which do not fit nearly as well as they should. r

For a shoe to fit properly, it should have a transverse girth which is substantially the same as the girth of the wear¬ er'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-adjust¬ ing 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-men¬ tioned 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 adjust¬ ment can be accomplished manually. While these prior shoe constructions have contributed to the advancement of the art_Λ- 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 infil¬ trate 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 seg¬ ment thereby spoiling the appearance of the shoe. In one embod- iment disclosed therein, the elastic sheet material, tends to lose 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 a shoe by adjusting the elevation of the foot within the shoe is dis¬ closed in Patent 3,442,031. In this arrangement, a plural-lay¬ er 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 sin¬ gle 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 undesir¬ able 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 and legs.

In one embodiment of the present invention, means are provided in the 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 allow lateral movements of the sole element on at least one side of the shoe. The lateral movements of the sole element permit verti¬ cal movements of the corresponding side margin of the upper to accommodate the girth of the wearer's foot. In the different shoe constructions to be described, the lateral movements of the sole element may be rolling movements, tilting movements or a combination of these. Such sole element deformations allow sufficient upward movements of the shoe upper side margins to achieve a shoe girth variation or adjustment preferably of at least four standard "width" sizes, e.g. from men's size C to men's size EE, the variation being continuous over that range.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, means are provided in the shoe for deforming the sole element of the shoe relative to the foot 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. In one version of my shoe, the sole element is deformed by deflecting the side edge margins of the sole element upwards relative to that support surface. In another version, the sole element is deformed by expanding the sole element laterally. Both such deformations allow suffi¬ cient upward movements of the shoe upper's sides and top ele¬ ments to achieve a shoe girth variation or adjustment prefera¬ bly of at least four standard "width" sizes, e.g. from men's sized C to men's size EE, the variation being continuous over that range. The adjustment of shoe girth is accomplished manu¬ ally and/or automatically in the different shoe constructions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the follow¬ ing 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 are 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 εimilar view of yet another shoe construc¬ tion 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 adjust¬ ment 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 con¬ struction 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 a shoe 10 which includes a flexible upper 12 having a vamp 14 and a plug 16 joined by stitching to form a seam 18 around the forepart of the shoe, with a cuff 22 being provided around the top edge of the back part of the shoe upper 12. The lower edge margins 14a of vamp 14 are turned in as shown in Fig. 3 and preferably, although not necessarily, a laterally extensible sock lining or filler 24 extends between those margins 14a.. The upper 12 is stitched, cemented or other¬ wise secured to a flexible unit sole assembly 26. Also, posi¬ tioned above filler 24 and the shoe upper margins 14a is a floating insole 27. Preferably the insole extends the entire interior length and width of the shoe, but is not attached to the shoe upper. Unit sole assembly 26 comprises a foundation or platform 28 which includes a thin, relatively flexible upper layer 28a made of polypropylene or the like and a relatively flexible lower layer 28b consisting, for example, of conventional E.V.A. material. Snugly surrounding platform 28 is a flexible molded rubber or plastic unit sole 32. The unit sole has a substan¬ tially flat bottom surface 32a, a pair of gently rounded side walls 32b and an in-turned marginal top surface 32c that ex¬ tends all around the unit sole assembly 26. A peripheral re¬ cess 33 is provided in the upper surface of platform section 28a to provide clearance for the unit sole top surface 32c.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the in-turned marginal top sur¬ face 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 sole top 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 the sole assembly 26 at the sides of the shoe. Also, those stitches or connections 36 are spaced inward from the side edges of the unit sole 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, unit sole assembly 26 is deformable laterally in that top surface 32c. of sole element 32 on at least one side, and preferably both sides, of sole assem¬ bly 26 is free to slide laterally relative to platform section 28a between a minimum girth position illustrated in Fig. 3 and an enlarged girth position shown in Fig. 4. The outward move- ments of the sole element top surface 32c achieve a rolling action with the unit sole element 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 unit sole assembly 26. Such lateral motion of the sole element top surface 32c also allows upward movements of the lower side margins 14b of vamp 14 rela¬ tive to the innersole 28 that contacts and, along with assembly 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 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's top surface 32c produces corresponding rolling actions in the opposite directions, of the unit sole side walls 32b and down¬ ward 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, accom¬ modates the lateral movements of the sole element^"top wall 32c. However, unlike the elastic insert in the shoe described in my above-mentioned U.S. Patent 3,404,468, the filler panel 24 does not necessarily contribute to any significant extent to the girth adjustment capability of the shoe 10.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 5, provision is made in shoe 10 for adjusting the spacing between the opposite sides of the sole element top wall 32c and thereby the girth of the shoe. The means comprises a pair of thin elongated stiffener plates 42 positioned at opposite sides of sole element top wall 32c in the waist area of the shoe. Plates 42 extend along, and follow the contours of, the marginal wall 32c.

The plates are secured to the underside of sole element top wall 32c by rivets 44 or other suitable means. Each plate 42 has an integral laterally extending tab 42a that extends towards the longitudinal centerline of the shoe. Positioned below plates 42 and their tabs 42a is a thin circular cam plate 46, which has a central pin or axle 48 which is rotatably mount¬ ed to platform section 28a. The upper end of the pin 48 is accessible from inside the shoe through an aperture 50 (Fig. 2) in the filler panel 24 and that end is preferably slotted to facilitate turning the cam 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 from tabs 42a and engage in oppositely directed spiral cam slots 54 in cam plate 46. When cam plate 46 is rotated in one direction, i.e. counterclockwise in Fig. 2, those pin-in- εlot engagements cause the stiffener plates 42 to be spread apart so that the opposite sides of the unit sole element top wall 32c are moved apart to their positions of maximum girth adjustment shown in Figs. 4. On the other hand, when the cam plate 46 is rotated in the opposite direction, i.e. clockwise, the camming action of the plate 46 draws the two stiffener plates 42 toward one another to their minimum girth adjustment positions shown in Fig. 3. Conventional detent means (not shown) may be provided to retain plate 46 in its various posi¬ tions of adjustment. Usually the upper wall 32c of the sole element 32 is sufficiently stiff in the lengthwise direction for there to be minimal relative longitudinal motion of the stiffener plates 42 when the cam plate 46 is turned. However, if such movement becomes a problem, it can be eliminated by providing transverse slots 56 (Fig. 5) in platform section 28a and registering grooves 57 in the top of section 28b to receive pins 52 and limit those movements to lateral ones.

When the plates 42 are moved laterally as aforesaid, the opposite sides of top wall 32c move correspondingly, the later¬ al 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 element top surface 32c at the toe and heel portions of the shoe, direct connections may be made between the sole ele¬ ment top wall 32c and the platform 28 at those locations, as indicated at 58 in Figs. 2.

In order to adjust the girth of shoe 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, the cam plate 46 is turned clockwise as necessary thereby drawing the stiffener plates 42 and the opposite sides of the sole element top surface 32c closer together. This results in vertically downward components of motion of the lower side margins of 14a vamp 14 relative to the innersole 27 and the underlying 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 the shoe 10 can be adjust¬ ed 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 shoe sole assembly 26 or the appearance of the shoe generally. Also, even though the shoe 10 is adjustable girthwise, there are no unwanted gaps or openings between the upper 12 and the sole assembly 26 which could spoil the appear¬ ance of the shoe or provide avenues for dirt and water penetra¬ tion into the shoe.

Figs. 6 - 8 illustrate a shoe 60 similar to shoe 10 hav¬ ing a somewhat different unit sole assembly which allows auto¬ matic girth adjustment. The shoe upper 12 is substantially the same as the one in shoe 10. The in-turned lower edge margins 12a of the upper 12 are connected non-elastically to a unit sole assembly shown generally at 62. Assembly 62 includes a platform 64 made of flexible, resilient, somewhat compressible material such as cellular E.V.A. plastic. While the undersur- face 64a of platform 64 is generally flat, between heel breast and toe the platform undersurface is provided with upwardly curved side margins 64b which extend to the substantially verti¬ cal side edges 64c of the platform. A marginal recess 65 is present in the upper surface of platform 64 all around the perimeter of the platform to provide clearance for the margins of the unit sole assembly 62 and of the shoe upper 12, to which said unit sole margins are attached.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, unit sole assembly 62 in¬ cludes a flexible, resilient unit sole element 66 which engages snugly around platform 64. The sole element has a bottom sur- face 66a, a side wall 66b and an in-turned marginal top surface 66c which underlies the edge margin 12a. of the shoe upper. As in shoe 10, the marginal top surface 66c of unit sole element 66 is secured to the marginal edge 12a of the shoe upper 12 by stitching 68 or other suitable means. Also/ secured to the top surface 66c at the underside thereof is a stiffener frame 72 which preferably extends all around the shoe. The stiffener 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/or notches 74 distributed around the frame creat¬ ing a similar distribution of living hinges 76 which allow the sides of the frame 72 to flex laterally, i.e. toward and away from one another. The slits or notches 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 relation¬ ships between ball and instep girths of that foot. In other words, the frame functions to control girth adjustment propor¬ tions 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 the lower edge 66d of the sole element 66 has a relatively sharp corner. However, the upper edge 66e of that element is rounded. This combination of edge shapes on the sole element, in conjunction with the aforemen¬ tioned upwardly curved edge margin 64b of platform 64, enables the girth of shoe 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 element top surface 66c and the opposite sides of the stiffener frame 72 are relatively close together and abut the inner wall of the platform recess 65. The opposite sides of the lower edge margin 12a of the shoe upper 12, being secured to those elements, are likewise close together relatively, with filler panel 24 extending between those edge margins under the inner- sole 27. Also, in this minimum girth condition, the side mar¬ gins of the unit sole element bottom surface 66a are drawn up against the upwardly curved undersurface edge margins 64b of platform 64 and the sole element side walls 66b lie flush against the vertical edges 64c. As shown in Fig. 6, unit sole assembly 62 is biased to this minimum girth condition by at least one spring 82 stretched between a pair of rivets or pins 84 mounted to opposite sides of stiffener frame 72, preferably in the waist area of the shoe. If needed, a shallow transverse slot or channel 86 may be formed in the top wall of platform 64 to provide clearance for the the spring. The shoe at its mini¬ mum 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 the sides 12b of the shoe upper 12. However, the opposite sides of the top surface 66c of sole element 66 and of stiffener frame 72 are able to slide laterally in oppo¬ site directions. Such motion causes the sides 66b of the unit sole 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 rounded upper edge 66e_. of that element allowed by the fact that the stitching 68 is spaced inward from the sides of the sole assembly 62. These two motions of the unit sole element combine to allow vertical components of motion of the lower side margins 12b of the shoe upper 12 relative to the innersole 27 which contacts the under¬ side of the wearer's foot. Such vertical components^* of motion of the upper side margins 12a,, indicated by the arrows A in Fig. 1 , 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 or filler panel 24 to accommodate the lateral movements of the upper edge margins 12a and, since the innersole 27 has no direct connection to the shoe upper, that member does not interfere with the accommoda¬ tion 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 sole element side walls 66b coupled with a rolling motion at the rounded upper edge 66e of the sole element 66 that combine to allow further vertical movements of the side margins 12b of the shoe upper relative to the innersole 27. Thus, additional shoe upper material is made available above the innersole 27 to increase the overall shoe girth by just the right amount to suit that wider foot. The slight outward tilting of the side walls 66b of the unit sole element 66 that occurs in the forepart of the shoe when the shoe girth is increased as just described is not par¬ ticularly apparent to the wearer and does not change the appear¬ ance 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 marginal top surface 66c of sole unit element 66 is prevented from pulling out of recess 65 by the stretch limit of the panel 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 the spring 82, means for manually controlling the spacing between the opposite sides of stiffer frame 72 such as the camming mechanism present in shoe 10 described above. The invention can also be incorporated into shoes of various styles and with various other sole assem¬ bly constructions. For example. Fig. 9 illustrates the ball area cross section of a loafer type of shoe 90 wherein the connection of the shoe upper to the sole element is by way of a thin, flexible, preferably integrally molded, inwardly extend¬ ing marginal top flap 102, extending from the top edge of the sole element. Shoe 90 has an upper 12 which is essentially the same as that of shoes 10 and 60 and a sole assembly 92 that is somewhat different from the other sole embodiments in that it includes a preferably molded unit sole element 94. The unit sole element is molded or otherwise formed with a marginal recess 96 extending around its upper surface which provides a seat for the marginal top flap 102, as well as for a stiffener frame 98 which is similar to stiffener frame 72 described above in connection with Figs. 6 - 8. Sandwiched between the stiffener frame 98 and the in-turned edge margin 12a_. of the shoe upper 12 is the marginal top flap 102. Flap 102 is folded inward over frame 98 and secured between the upper edge margin 12a and stiffener frame 98 by stitching or cement 104 which is spaced inward from the sides of sole element 94. The opposite sides of stiffener frame 98 and of flap 102 are movable laterally in recess 96 toward and away from one another just as described above in connection with shoe 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 the stiffener frame 98 and of flap 102 move laterally in recess 96 there are concomitant vertical movements of the lower side margins 12b and plug 12c of the shoe upper 12 relative to the shoe innersole 27 and sole element 94. These upward movements, shown by the arrows B, increase the girth of shoe 90 enabling the shoe to accommodate a wider foot. the outward movements of the stiffener frame 98 and, thus, of shoe upper margins 12a are limited by the engage¬ ments of the stiffener frame against flap 102 which, as shown in phantom in Fig. 9, forms an upward pleat or fold 102a be¬ tween the upper 12 and the sole element 94 in the forepart of the shoe where the girth enlargement occurs.

When a spring similar to spring 82 is connected between the opposite sides of the stiffener frame 98, shoe 90 can pro¬ vide automatic girth adjustment. Alternatively, a manual girth adjustment mechanism similar to the one in shoe 10 may be incor¬ porated into shoe 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

another shoe 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 construc¬ tions described above and a unit sole assembly 112 which in¬ cludes a platform 114. The platform has a generally flat bot¬ tom surface 114a and opposite sides 114b, at least in the mid- portion of the shoe, which slant upwardly-inwardly, and finally, a marginal recess 115 which extends all around said platform. Wrapped around platform 114 is a unit sole 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 to platform 114 and to a stiffener frame 122 positioned in recess 115 by means of a flexible, non-stretchable, distortion preventing means such as binding strip 118. More particularly, a lower edge margin 118a of strip 118 is sandwiched between platform surface 114a and the upper surface of sole 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. The upper edge margin 118b of strip 118 is wrapped around the sides of platform 114 and turned inwardly and cemented or otherwise fastened to the top surface of stiffener frame 122, positioned on platform recess 115. This frame may be identical to frame 72 described above. The edge margins of sole element 116 ex¬ tend up around the sides of platform 114 and strip 118 and are turned inward on top of the strip margin 118b thereby forming the rounded sidewall 116b and in-turned top surface 116c of the sole element. That top surface 116c is then preferably cement¬ ed or otherwise secured at 126 between the shoe upper edge margins 12a and the strip margin 118b.

The opposite sides of stiffener frame 122 and of the sole element top wall 116c are slidable laterally in recess 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 the stiffener frame 122 abut the inner wall of recess 115 and the strip sides 118c lie flush against the bevelled side wall 114b of platform 114 as shown in phantom in Fig. 10.

The sole assembly may be urged toward this minimum adjust¬ ment condition by a spring similar to spring 82 stretched be¬ tween the opposite sides of stiffener frame 122 to provide automatic girth adjustment. Alternatively, a camming mechanism similar to the one in shoe 10 may be incorporated into the sole assembly if a manual girth adjustment capability is desired. If the foot inserted into shoe 110 calls for a wider girth than the minimum girth of the shoe, the opposite sides of the stiff¬ ener frame 122 must be spread apart as described above in con¬ nection with the other shoe embodiments. This causeε the sole element side walls 116b to roll outwardly-downwardly allowing concommitant vertically upward components of motion of the shoe upper side margins 112b relative to innersole 27 and the foot supporting platform 114 thereby increasing the girth of shoe 110 by the amount required to properly fit that wearer's foot.

The distortion preventing means, that is, the inextensi- ble strip 118, prevent the opposite sides of the stiffener- ember 122 and the sole element edge margins 116c: from sliding out of recess 115 beyond their positions shown in solid lines in Fig. 10. Just as important_r the strip 118 prevents the unit sole 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 the stiffener member 22 and the lower edge of the platform 114 and/or sole element 116.

Referring now to Figs. 11 and 12, shoe 132 has an upper 134 attached to a unit sole assembly 136. The sole assembly comprises an interior platform or foundation member 138 made of a suitable flexible material such as cellular E.V.A. plastic. Wrapped around the platform member is a preferably molded unit sole element 142 similar to unit sole element 116 described above in connection with Fig. 10. The unit sole element has a relatively flat bottom surface 142a, upturned side walls 142b and an in-turned marginal top surface 142c which is secured by cement or stitching at 144 to the in-turned lower edge margin 134a of the shoe upper 134. A marginal recess 146 is provided in the upper surface of platform 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 in shoe 132 is an insole assembly shown gener¬ ally at 148. Assembly 148 extends the full length and width of the last bottom of the shoe and comprises a thin flexible sup¬ port member 152 made of polypropylene or like material. Cover¬ ing that member is a lining 154 of "Cambrelle" brand or similar fabric. Also positioned under the support member 152 is a stiffener frame 156 similar to frame 72 described above and a spring (not shown) similar to spring 82 is stretched between the opposite sides of frame 156. The lining 154 is larger than support member 152 and its edge margin 154a is wrapped around the edge of support member 152 and turned inward under stiffen¬ er frame 156 where is secured by cement or other similar means as indicated by the extensions of the cement or stitching lines 144. In practice, the insole 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 shoe upper margin 134a and sole element margin 142c, as well as stiffener frame 156, abut the inner wall of recess 146, and the side 90/01273

- 20 - walls 142b of sole element 142 engage snugly around the sides of platform member 138. If the shoe is worn on a foot requir¬ ing a girth larger than the shoe's minimum girth, the opposite sides of the sole element's top surface 142c slide outwardly while their outer edges and side 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 the insole assembly 148 by just the right amount to accommodate that wider foot.

As shown in Fig. 11, as the opposite sides of the stiffen¬ er frame 156 spread apart to allow that girth accommodation, the lining 154 unfolds or unrolls around the edge of support 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 accom¬ modate 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 14 shoe 200 includes a flexible upper 222 having a vamp 223 and a plug 224 which are typically joined by stitching to form a seam 226 around the forepart of the shoe 200, with a cuff 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 flexible sole element 230. In the illustrated shoe embodiment, the upper is stitched to the upstanding walls 232 of a cupmolded sole element or unit sole at the uppermost edges thereof.

Positioned in shoe 200 above the sock lining 236 is a footbed 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 of footbed 240 is a sheet or layer 238 of a thin tough flexible material such as high density polyethylene. Also, a conforming innersole 246 extending the full width of the shoe and from the toe to the heel thereof may be disposed on the upper surface of footbed 240. The upper surface of the footbed assembly 234 may be contoured orthopedi- cally 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 of footbed 240 or insert is contoured at one and preferably both bottom side edge margins 248 thereof to allow limited controlled verti¬ cal deformation of the side edge margins 230a of the sole ele¬ ment 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, where¬ as the underside of footbed 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 longitudi¬ nally 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 the footbed 240 as shown in Figs. 17 - 19 leaving gaps of varying widths between the footbed edge margins 248 and the sheet or layer 238 at the underside of bed 240. Preferably those gaps are filled with compressible resilient foam materials 250 to exclude for¬ eign material from those spaces as well as to help urge the shoe continually to its minimum girth adjustment.

In order to increase the flexibility of footbed assembly 234, a series of transverse grooves 260 may be included in the underside of footbed 240 in the ball area thereof. These grooves facilitate bending of assembly 234 together with shoe 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 in shoe 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 the sole element 230. Sole element 230, or at least the edge margins 230a thereof underlying the contoured edge margins 248 of footbed 240, are flexible and upwardly deformable allowing an upward flexing of the sole element edge margins 230a toward footbed edge margins 248 from a minimum girth condition shown in Fig. 14 wherein sole element 230 is flat, to a condition depicted in Fig. 15 wherein the edge mar¬ gins of sole element 230 are deformed or deflected upwards to a maximum girth condition. It should be understood that these vertical movements of the edge 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 of sole elements 230 results in an upward component of motion of the side margins of vamp 223 and sole sidewalls 232, relative to the surface of the innersole 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 in shoe 200 for automatically urging or biasing sole element 230 to its flatter Fig. 14 condition which gives shoe 220 its minimum girth. As best shown in Figs. 13, 16, and 19, the preferred biasing means include a generally trapezoidal leaf spring 254. The spring fits into transverse channels 256 (Figs. 13 and 19) disposed in the underside of footbed 240. The spring is formed so that in its natural un¬ stressed state, it has the shape of an arch. When spring 254 is incorporated into the footbed assembly 234, it is sandwiched between footbed 240 and sheet 238 and flattened to some extent as shown in Fig. 19. Thus when assembly 234 is held down in the shoe by a wearer's foot, the spring exerts a slight down¬ ward bias on side edges of layer 238 and the underlying edge margins 230a of sole element 230 thereby tending to maintain the sole element in its undeformed flat condition shown in Fig. 2 wherein shoe 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 of shoe 200 is inserted into the shoe, there should be little or no deformation of sole element 230 so that the shoe will remain 90/01275

- 24 - as depicted in Fig. 14. However, when a so-called "wider" foot with its greater girth is inserted into the shoe, the edge margins 230a of sole element 230 will be flexed upwardly in opposition to the bias of spring 254 so that sufficient upward displacement of the side margins of vamp 223 relative to inner- sole 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 in shoe 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, a drum 255 is rotatably mounted in footbed or insert 240 and spring 254 at the center of those parts. The lower end of drum 255 is acces¬ sible and carriers a slot 259 which permits the drum to be rotated manually by a screwdriver or the like through the bot¬ tom of the footbed assembly 234. A pair of cables 257A and 257B have corresponding first ends wound in opposite directions around the drum. The opposite end segments of the cables pass through grommets 258 mounted in footbed 240 adjacent to the side edges thereof. Those cable segments extend down through holes in the ends of spring 254 and are secured to the flexible layer 38 at the underside of spring 254. In this arrangement, when drum 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 of springs 254 toward the profiled edge margins 248 of footbed 240. Thus the setting of drum 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 urge sole 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 a shoe 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 a vamp 506 having a continuous portion 524 extending under the foot and attached by stitching 507 or the like to a flexi¬ ble resilient sole element 508.

Located inside the shoe is a footbed assembly 510 com¬ posed of a footbed 512 which may be provided with a sock lining 514 at its upper surface. The footbed 512 is similar to foot¬ bed 240 described above in that it extends the entire length of the shoe and has undersurface edge margins 516 which may be similar to the margins 248 in the Fig. 13 shoe, although with¬ out the springaccommodating transverse channels 56 therein. Positioned between the edge margins 516 at each side of the shoe and the underlying margins of the vamp 506, is one or more shim strips 520, the shim strips, if more than one, being ar¬ ranged in a stack. Each shim strip 520 is co-extensive with the edge margin of footbed 512 and it is generally tapered or wedge-shaped in cross section, as best seen in Fig. 22. The edge margins 516 are preferably also contoured along their lengths.

When the spaces under the footbed edge margins 516 con¬ tain one or more shim strips 520, sole element 508 is main¬ tained 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 provid¬ ing clearance between the footbed edge margins 516 and the 90/01275

- 26 - underlying vamp margins. Accordingly, the edge margins 508a of the sole element are permitted to deform or deflect upwardly toward the footbed margins 516. This allows concomitant upward movements of the lower side margins of the vamp 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 accom¬ modate that larger width foot. The sole 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 the footbed 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 particu¬ lar 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 sepa¬ rate insole members arranged to be positioned under the footbed assembly 510. In both cases, the shim strips positively con¬ trol 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 auto¬ matic rather than manual adjustment of the shoe girth. Shoe 549 has an upper 560 whose vamp 562 also extends under the wearer's foot and is attached directly to a flexible sole ele¬ ment 569 by stitching, cement or other suitable means. A foot¬ bed assembly shown generally at 550 is positioned inside the 90/01275

- 27 - shoe. Like assembly 510, it includes a relatively stiff foot¬ bed 552 and a thin sock lining 576 covering the upper surface of that member. Also, the underside of footbed 552 has edge 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 the footbed assembly 550. Rather, it is present in the sole element 569. More particularly, a transverse pocket or recess 574 is formed in the sole element 569 in the ball area of that element. Posi¬ tioned in recess 574 is a spring assembly 558. As best seen in Figs. 25A and 25B, spring assembly 558 comprises a relatively long thin highly flexible generally trapezoidal spring member 570 and a shorter thicker stiffer similarly shaped spring mem¬ ber 572. Spring member 570 in its unstressed state is bowed or arched as shown in phantom in Fig. 25B, while spring member 572 is normally flat. When spring member 572 is positioned under spring member 570 and the two springs are secured together by rivets 573 as shown, the spring member 570 is forced by the its stiffer mate to assume a more or less straight flat configura¬ tion as shown in solid lines in Fig. 25B. Thus, that spring 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 com¬ fortable gentle pressure on those feet within its design girth range.

When the spring assembly 558 is positioned in recess 574 inside sole element 569, both the spring assembly and the sole element remain essentially flat so that there is appreciable clearance between the contoured edge margins 554 of footbed 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 the edge margins 554 of footbed 552 and in opposition to the urging of spring member 570. This permits an upward displacement of the lower side margins of vamp 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 to assembly 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 a vamp 634 having in-turned lower edge margins cemented, stitched or otherwise secured to an outsole element 632. A footbed assembly 600 is positioned in the shoe. This assembly comprises a footbed 602 having contoured side margins 604 on the underside thereof, as described above for the other similar footbeds.

A pair of transversely movable, relatively rigid struts 606 are positioned in a recess 607 in the underside of member 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 of footbed 602. Each strut 606 has a transverse cut 612 midway along its length, terminating in a "living" hinge 614 adjacent to its inner edge as shown in Fig. 27 which permits the struts 606 to bend or flex laterally outward as indicated by the arrows "O" in that figure.

A rotatable cam plate 616, having a pair of spiral cam slots 618 cut therein, is positioned in a clearance space in the underside of the footbed 602 above struts 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 engage¬ ment with the two cam slots 618 in the cam plate 616. The cam plate 61ι6 is secured to a post 622 rotatively mounted to the footbed 602. As shown in Fig. 28, a slot -624 formed in the upper end of post 622 is accessible through an aperture in sock lining 626 on footbed 602 in order to rotate the cam plate 616.

The toe pivot pins 610 extend through slightly elongated openings 628 in the toe end of each of the struts 606. After the footbed assembly 600 is placed in a shoe, as shown in Figs. 28 and -29, these elongated openings 628 allow longitudinal movements of the forward ends of the struts 606 with respect to the platform 602 as would occur during the walking cycle.

The footbed 602 of assembly 600 is wrapped about its bottom and side edges by a thin flexible sheet 636 of polypropy¬ lene or like material, which may be lasted over the marginal upper surface of the footbed 602 as shown. The sock lining 626 is then positioned on member 602 with an opening in the insole 626 in alignment with the upper end of the post 622.

Rotation of the post 622 by a coin or screwdriver insert¬ ed in the slot 624 therein, effectuates rotation of the cam plate 616. Such rotation causes the follower pins 620 follow the lateral courses of the cam slots 618 and depending upon the direction of rotation, causes the struts to either spread apart laterally at their hinge points 614 or come together, as their end portions rotate around their pin fastenings to the base. In Figs. 27 and 30, the struts 606 are shown close together at the centerline of the footbed assembly. In this position, the edge margins 632a of the sole element 632 are able to flex or deform upwards towards the contoured edge margins 604 of foot¬ bed 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 the struts 606 may allow the shoe to accommodate say, a men's "EE" foot width.

When the cam plate 616 is rotated in- the opposite direc¬ tion so that the struts 606 are spread apart, as shown in Figs. 29, the struts 606 provide a stiff shield against any apprecia¬ ble upward flexing of the sole element 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 the cam 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 expand¬ ed laterally or transversely preferably at least one-eighth inch and, usually up to, as much as three-eighths inch depend¬ ing n the amount of girth adjustment required. This shoe, like the others, includes an upper 708 having a vamp 712 with in-turned lower edge margins 714 secured by stitching 716 or the like to the side edge margins of a sole element 700. The securement of the camp to the sole element at 716 would prefera¬ bly be set in approximately one centimeter from the correspond¬ ing side edge of the sole element 700. Attached to the oppo¬ site edges of vamp margins 714 is a filler sheet 717 of lateral¬ ly deformable material. Preferably also a floating insole 718 is provided inside the shoe.

Prior to attaching sole element 700 to the upper, the top and bottom faces of the sole element are slitted or micro-siped to provide a series of longitudinal slits 704 extending partial¬ ly through the sole element, with the slits in the two faces being staggered as shown. These slits 704 are confined to the forepart of the shoe sole element 700. the bottom face of the sole element 700 may also be provided with a series of shallow transverse grooves 706. These transverse grooves do not con- * tribute to the invention and may be included simply for trac¬ tion or aesthetic reasons.

Sole element 700, by virtue of slits 704, is elastically deformable or expansible laterally between a minimum width condition shown in Fig. 32 to a maximum width condition illus¬ trated in Fig. 33. This expanding deformation of the sole element outward produces a concomitant upward motion of the side margins of the vamp 712 as shown by the arrows z in Fig. 33. These upward movements of the vamp relative to the insole 718 that contacts the underside of the foot increase the girth of that shoe so that the shoe can accept a foot of correspond¬ ing increased girth, all as described above in connection with the other shoe embodiments. The natural resilience of the stretched sole element 200 tends to urge the sides of the upper inwardly and downwardly thus assuring a snug fit on the wear¬ er'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 ini¬ tially 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 compres¬ sion would allow downward movements of the side margins of vamp 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 auto¬ matic 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 infiltra¬ tion of dirt and water. Moreover, all the above shoe construc¬ tions can be fabricated using standard shoe manufacturing tech¬ niques so that the invention can be incorporated into shoes without increasing costs appreciably above the costs of conven¬ tional shoes of equivalent types and styles.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

1. A shoe capable of accommodating and fitting different foot widths, said shoe comprising a shoe upper having vertically movable side portions deformable side members; a foot support surface extending at least between the lower edge margins of the 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 having a platform member and a sole member having two side margins, said sole member covering at least a portion of said insole member; _, said upper side member 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 mid-portion 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.

2. The shoe defined in Claim 1 wherein both side margins of said sole member are 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 upper side margins rela¬ tive to the foot support surface.

3. The shoe defined in Claim 1 and further including means 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 comprise resilient means connected to said at least one sole member side margin and extending toward the shoe centerline.

5. The shoe defined in Claim 4 wherein said resilient means and said foot support surface are included in the insole assembly for said shoe.

6. The shoe defined in Claim 5 wherein said insole assem¬ bly also includes a stiffener means extending around at leaδt part of the edge margin of said insole assembly and including segments positioned on opposite sides of said insole assembly in the midportion of said shoe, said resilient means acting between said stiffener means segments.

7. The shoe defined in Claim 6 wherein said insole assem¬ bly also includes a thin flexible insole member overlying said stiffener means inside said shoe and a sock lining covering said insole member and having edge margins secured to said stiffener means, the opposite side margins of said sock lining deforming laterally in opposite directions as the shoe adjusts in girth.

8. The shoe defined in Claim 6 wherein said stiffener means are composed of co-functioning segments which move rela¬ tively independently to allow variable adjustments for the girth of each foot as well as for the different relationships between the ball and instep girths of that foot.

9. The shoe defined in Claim 4 wherein said insole assem¬ bly also includes stiffener means, said stiffener means being composed of at least two cooperating segments two of which are positioned on opposite sides of said insole assembly in the midportion area of said shoe, and said resilient means act between said frame segments. 10. The shoe defined in Claim 9 wherein said stiffener means are composed of segments which move relatively indepen¬ dently to allow variable adjustments for the girth of each foot as well as for the different relationships between the ball and instep girths of that foot.

11. The shoe defined in Claim 9 wherein said unit sole members include an integral marginal relatively inextensible flap connected to said stiffener means and said shoe upper, said flap being deformable to allow said girth adjustment.

12. The shoe defined in Claim 9 wherein said sole assem¬ bly also includes a thin flexible insole member overlying said stiffener frame inside said shoe.

13. The shoe defined in Claim 3 and further including means in said shoe for allowing limited lateral movement of said at least one sole element side edge margin.

14. The shoe defined in Claim 13 wherein said allowing means comprises,the platform member positioned between said shoe upper and said sole member, the undersurface of said plat¬ form member having at least one flex-resistant side margin which overlies said at least one side margin of said sole mem¬ ber at the midportion thereof.

15. The shoe defined in Claim 14 wherein said at least one sole member side margin moves laterally in a rolling action relative to said platform member.

16. The shoe defined in Claim 15 wherein said at least one platform side margin is spaced vertically from said at least one sole member side margin and the latter moves vertical¬ ly and laterally relative to said platform member in a combined rolling and tilting action. 17. The shoe defined in Claim 3 wherein said platform member is positioned between said foot support surface and said sole member and wherein said at least one sole member side margin moves laterally relative to the said platform member in a rolling action.

18. The shoe defined in Claim 17 wherein said urging means comprise longitudinal stiffener means mounted to said at least one sole member side margin in the waist area of said shoe and resilient means urging said stiffener means toward the centerline of said shoe.

19. The shoe defined in Claim 18 and further including means for allowing limited lateral movement of said stiffener means relative to the shoe centerline.

20. The shoe defined in Claim 19 wherein said allowing means include distortion preventing means connected under said foot support surface and above the bottom of said sole member.

21. The shoe defined in Claim 20 wherein said platform member has contoured sides at least in the midportion of said shoe and said distortion preventing means is also connected to said at least one sole member side margin below said platform member so as to inhibit vertical distortion of said sole member.

22. The shoe defined in Claim 3 wherein said urging means include a longitudinal stiffener member 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.

23. The shoe defined in claim 22 wherein at least a second stiffener member is mounted to the other side margin of said sole member opposite to said first-mentioned stiffener member and said urging means act between said two stiffener members.

24. The shoe defined in Claim 23 wherein said two stiff¬ ener members comprise segments of segmented stiffener means that extend along at least part of the member side margin of said shoe.

25. The shoe defined in Claim 24 wherein said stiffener means are composed of co-functioning segments which move rela¬ tively independently to .allow variable adjustments for the girth of each foot as well as for the different relationships between the ball and instep girths of that foot.

26. The shoe defined in Claim 22 wherein said second stiffener member is mounted to the other side margin of said sole member opposite to said first-mentioned stiffener member and further including means for adjusting the spacings of both said stiffener members from the shoe centerline.

27. The shoe defined in Claim 26 wherein said stiffener members permit a relatively proportional girth adjustment along the sole member so that at any 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.

28. The shoe defined in Claim 1 wherein said insole assembly further comprises a thin flexible insole member and a sock lining covering said insole member, said sock lining con¬ stituting said support surface and having opposite side edges which deform laterally in opposite directions as the shoe ad¬ justs in girth.

29. The shoe defined in Claim 28 and further including means positioned between said sock lining and the bottom of

said member for urging said at least one side margin of the sole element toward the centerline of the shoe.

30. The shoe defined in Claim 28 and further including control means positioned between said sock lining and the bot¬ tom of said sole member for controlling the spacing between said at least one side margin of that sole member and the cen¬ terline of the shoe.

31. A shoe capable of accommodating different foot widths, said shoe comprising

A. a shoe upper having vertically movable side portions;

B. a sole element having a heel portion, a toe portion and a midportion between said heel and toe portions;

C. means for attaching said upper side portions to opposite sides of said sole element midportion;

D. a foot support surface disposed inside the shoe in a position to contact the underside of a foot inserted into the shoe, said sole element being deformable at least at about its midpor¬ tion 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 girth of a foot supported on said surface; and

E. 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.

32. The shoe defined in Claim 31 wherein each said sole element midportion has at least one side edge margin that de- forms by flexing vertically with respect to said foot support surface.

33. The shoe defined in Claim 32 and further including means for urging at least one sole element side edge margin with respect to said foot support surface.

34. The defined in Claim 33 wherein said urging means include resilient material in said sole element.

35. The shoe defined in Claim 33 wherein said urging means comprise spring means positioned in said sole element at least at the midportion thereof.

36. The shoe defined in Claim 33 wherein said urging means comprise resilient means positioned in said shoe over said sole element midportion.

37. The shoe defined in Claim 33 wherein said urging means urge movement of at least one of said sole element side edge margins and comprise an elongated leaf spring positioned in said shoe below said foot support surface so that the oppo¬ site ends of said spring overlie and are urged toward the side edge margins of the sole element.

38. The shoe defined in Claim 37 wherein said leaf spring is arched in its natural unstressed state.

39. The shoe defined in Claim 38 and further including a relatively stiff flat member mounted with said leaf spring so as to minimize the arch therein thereby to preload said leaf spring.

40. The shoe defined in Claim 37 and further including means in said shoe for allowing only limited vertical flexing movement of said at least one sole element side edge margin. 41. The shoe defined in Claim 32 wherein the girth ad¬ justment is at least 3/16 inch.

42. The shoe defined in Claim 32 and further including means in said shoe for allowing only limited vertical flexing movements of said sole element side edge margins.

43. The shoe defined in Claim 42 wherein said allowing means include footbed means positioned in said shoe above said sole element, the undersurface of εaid footbed means having flexresistant side edge margins whiph overlie said side edge margins of said sole element at least at the midportion thereof.

44. The shoe defined in Claim 43 wherein said side edge margins of the footbed means are contoured along their lengths so that the sole element side edge margins can deform to differ¬ ent degrees along their lengths as the shoe's girth is adjusted.

45. The shoe defined in Claim 43 wherein said limiting means also include at least one changeable shim means posi¬ tioned under said footbed means side edge margins, the total displacement of said shim means determining the extent of flex¬ ing of said sole element side edge margins.

46. The shoe defined in Claim 42 wherein said allowing means also include a pair of flat relatively rigid longitudinal strut arrangements swingably mounted to said footbed means 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.

47. The shoe defined in Claim 43 and further including means for urging said sole element side edge margins away from said footbed means side edge margins.

48. The shoe defined in Claim 47 wherein said urging means include resilient material in said sole element.

49. The shoe defined in Claim 47 wherein said urging means include spring means positioned in said sole element.

50. The shoe defined in Claim 47 wherein εaid urging means comprise a spring assembly including- a normally arched leaf spring and a stiff flat member mounted with the leaf spring so as to substantially flatten said spring to a pre-load¬ ed condition.

51. The shoe defined in Claim 47 wherein said urging means comprise a leaf spring arranged with said footbed means below said side edge margins thereof εo that the oppoεite ends of said leaf spring overlie the the side edge margins of said sole element.

52. The shoe defined in Claim 51 and further including control means for manually adjusting the flexing of said leaf spring ends for girth adjustment of said shoe.

53. The shoe defined in Claim 53 wherein said control means include for adjusting the range over which said leaf spring ends can flex to achieve girth adjustment of said shoe.

54. The shoe defined in Claim 53 wherein said adjusting means include winding means rotatably mounted to said footbed means and a pair of cables having corresponding first ends mounted to opposite ends of said leaf spring and corresponding second ends wound in opposite directions about said winding means so that the rotational adjustment of said winding means determines the extent to which the leaf spring can return to

its said preloaded condition.

55_ The εhoe defined in Claim 31 wherein said attaching means are adjacent to the side edges of the sole element and said sole element midportion deforms laterally.

56. The shoe defined in Claim 55 wherein said sole ele¬ ment is made of a resilient material and includes a series of spaced-apart longitudinal slits or grooves extending along its said midportion that allow said sole element to deform laterally.

57. The shoe defined in Claim 31, wherein the means for permitting deformation comprises a footbed assembly containing the foot support surface.