Length adjustable shoe

Abstract

A length-adjustable shoe is disclosed. The shoe includes an outsole, an insole attached on the outsole, an upper attached on the insole, means for adjusting a length of the insole, which is provided at the insole, an upper tension member provided at the upper, a lower tension member provided at the outsole, and means for fastening a front part and a rear part of the upper divided by the upper tension member to maintain a size of the shoe at a wearer's foot size. The shoe is extended and contracted longitudinally without change of an outer shape of the shoe, by the length-adjusting means, the upper tension member, the lower tension member, and the fastening means. The shoe can accommodate a wearer suffering hallux valgus or hallux varus, a wearer with both feet having different sizes, and a wearer with rapid growth rate. The shoe can be worn by a wearer for a long period of time without needless expenditure due to purchase of two pair of shoes.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A length-adjustable shoe, comprising: 
 an outsole;    an insole attached on the outsole;    an upper attached on the insole and covering a wearer's instep;    means for adjusting a length of the insole to be suitable to a wearer's foot, which is provided at the insole;    an upper tension member provided at the upper to provide tightening force to the upper;    a lower tension member provided at the outsole to provide tightening force to the outsole; and    means for fastening a front part and a rear part of the upper divided by the upper tension member, which is provided at the front and rear parts of the upper to maintain a size of the shoe at a wearer's foot size.    
     
     
         2 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the means for adjusting a length of the insole comprises: 
 a first insole joint part corresponding to a front part of the insole, including: 
 a dovetail groove formed at a lower surface of the front part of the insole and having a certain length;  
 a rectangular length-adjusting hole formed at the front part of the insole to be positioned in the dovetail groove, and having a longitudinal rack at its one side; and  
 a fixing key hingedly connected to one side of the length-adjusting hole and having a fixing rack at its one side; and  
   a second insole joint part corresponding to a rear part of the insole, including: 
 a spur gear having a proper diameter, which is engaged with the fixing rack of the length-adjusting hole and the fixing rack of the fixing key and is provided at its upper surface with a cross recess; and  
 a dovetail insert having a proper length to be slidably inserted into the dovetail groove and having a gear recess at its upper surface to receive a lower portion of the spur gear.  
   
     
     
         3 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the means for adjusting a length of the insole comprises: 
 a first insole joint part corresponding to a rear part of the insole, including: 
 a dovetail groove formed at a lower surface of the rear part of the insole and having a certain length; and  
 a first adjusting hole extended from a rear end of the dovetail groove to a rear end of the insole;  
   a second insole joint part corresponding to a front part of the insole, including: 
 a dovetail insert having a proper length to be slidably inserted into the dovetail groove;  
 a second adjusting hole forwardly extended from a rear end of the dovetail insert;  
 an adjusting recess formed at a lower surface of the second insole joint part to communicate with a front end of the adjusting hole; and  
   a nut member fitted into the adjusting recess and having a threaded recess at its lower surface; and    an adjusting rod for adjusting a spacing between the first and second insole joint parts, which is inserted into the first adjusting hole of the first insole joint part and the second adjusting hole of the second insole joint part, including: 
 a threaded portion provided at its front region;  
 an adjusting recess provided at its rear end; and  
 a bulging end provided at its front end.  
   
     
     
         4 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the means for adjusting a length of the insole comprises: 
 a first insole joint part corresponding to a front part of the insole, including: 
 a dovetail groove formed at a lower surface of the rear part of the insole and having a certain length; and  
 a nut member attached to the center of the dovetail groove and having a threaded recess at its lower surface;  
 a second insole joint part corresponding to a rear part of the insole, including: 
 a dovetail insert having a proper length to be slidably inserted into the dovetail groove; and  
 an adjusting hole forwardly extended from its rear end; and  
 
 an adjusting rod for adjusting a spacing between the first and second insole joint parts, which is inserted into the adjusting hole of the second insole joint part, including: 
 a threaded portion provided at its front region;  
 an adjusting recess provided at its rear end; and  
 a bulging end provided at its front end to be engaged with the threaded portion of the adjusting rod.  
 
   
     
     
         5 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in any of  claims 2  to  4 , wherein facing ends of the first and second insole joint parts are provided with inclined surfaces corresponding to each other.  
     
     
         6 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the upper tension member, which is provided at the upper of the shoe, is made of spandex, and the lower tension member, which is provided at the outsole of the shoe, is made of elastic material to have a bellows shape and a certain thickness.  
     
     
         7 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the lower tension member is positioned at a front portion of the outsole or both front and rear portions of the outsole.  
     
     
         8 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the fastening means, which is provided at the upper of the shoe, is any one selected from a group consisting of shoelaces, Velcro fasteners and buckle bands.  
     
     
         9 . The length-adjustable shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is any one selected from a group consisting of athletic shoes, mountaineering boots, golf shoes, walking shoes, military boots and work shows, a length of which is adjusted at its insole, upper and outsole.