Shoe with magnetic fasteners

Abstract

An article of clothing includes flexible clothing sheet material having first and second sheet material ends which separate to pass a portion of a wearer body into and out of the article of clothing; and first and second magnetic fasteners which are magnetically attracted to each other and are secured to respective first and second sheet material ends for releasibly securing the sheet material ends together and thus securing the article of clothing around a portion of the wearer body.

I claim as my invention:  
     
         1 . An article of clothing, comprising: 
 flexible clothing sheet material having first and second sheet material ends which separate to pass a portion of a wearer body into and out of the article of clothing;    and first and second magnetic fastener means which are magnetically attracted to each other and are secured to respective said first and second sheet material ends for releasibly securing said sheet material ends together and thus securing the article of clothing around a portion of the wearer body.    
     
     
         2 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a shirt, having a neck opening, arm openings and a shirt forward section with a longitudinal slit extending from said neck opening downward to define an outward section end for overlapping an inward section end; 
 and wherein said magnetic fastener means comprise an outward magnetic strip connected to said outward section end and an inward magnetic strip connected to said inward section end, such that when said outward section end overlaps said inward section end said outward magnetic strip is adjacent said inward magnetic strip and said outward magnetic strip releasibly engages said inward magnetic strip to hold said shirt forward section closed and said shirt secure around a wearer body.    
     
     
         3 . The article of clothing of  claim 2 , wherein said outward and inward magnetic strips are periodically broken into discrete segments to visually resemble buttons.  
     
     
         4 . The article of clothing of  claim 3 , wherein said discrete segments are substantially dish-shaped and have thread passing ports for securing said discrete segments to said forward shirt section.  
     
     
         5 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a belt, having an inward belt end and an outward belt end for overlapping said inward belt end; 
 and wherein said magnetic fastener means comprise an outward magnetic panel secured to said outward belt end and an inward magnetic panel secured to said inward belt end;    such that said outward magnetic panel releasibly engages said inward magnetic panel with the force of magnetic attraction to hold said belt around a wearer waist.    
     
     
         6 . The article of clothing of  claim 5 , wherein one said magnetic panel comprises a stud bore in said outward surface and the other said magnetic panel comprises an inwardly directed stud which is sized, shaped and located to slide into said stud bore when said magnetic panels are positioned overlappingly and face to face, for absorbing tensile force in said belt.  
     
     
         7 . The article of clothing of  claim 5 , wherein said outward magnetic panel is configured to visually resemble a belt buckle.  
     
     
         8 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a shoe, comprising: 
 a shoe having a shoe outer surface and a shoe upper section having two inner flaps pivoting toward each other and an outer flap pivotally secured to said shoe outer surface and pivotable over said inner flaps;    and wherein said magnetic fastener means comprise an inner flap magnetic panel on each said inner flap and an outer flap magnetic panel on said outer flap positioned to be adjacent to said inner flap magnetic panels when said outer flap is pivoted over said inner flaps.    
     
     
         9 . The article of clothing of  claim 8 , comprising two said inner flaps pivoting toward each other, each having an inner magnetic flap magnetic panel, wherein said outer flap pivots over both of said two inner flaps such that said outer flap magnetic panel releasibly engages said inner flap magnetic panels.  
     
     
         10 . The article of clothing of  claim 8 , wherein said shoe has two opposing side regions and wherein said inner flap is secured to and extends from one said side region and wherein said outer flap is secured to and extends from the opposing said side region over said shoe such that said outer flap magnetic panel overlaps and magnetically engages said inner flap magnetic panel.  
     
     
         11 . The article of clothing of  claim 8 , wherein said shoe has an upper, forward region, and wherein said outer flap is secured to and extends from said upper, forward region.  
     
     
         12 . The article of clothing of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a shoe, comprising: 
 a shoe top region divided by a longitudinal slit defined by two opposing slit edges, each slit edge having a series of adjacent shoelace passing ports;    and at least one shoelace threaded through opposing said shoelace passing ports;    wherein said magnetic fastener means comprises shoelace magnetic tip elements on said shoelace;    a shoelace tip engaging magnetic structure secured to said shoe top region for releasibly receiving and magnetically engaging said magnetic tip elements.