Shoe with lacing system

Abstract

A shoe has a quick-tighten lacing system with a shoelace partially wound around lacing control elements in a pair of rows between an ankle opening and a toe. The lacing system has one or two locking elements for enabling a quick tightening of the shoelace.

1 . A shoe comprising:
 a sole;   an upper attached to the sole, the upper having a forward or toe portion and an ankle opening in a rear or heel portion; and   a lacing system on the upper, the lacing system including:   at least one shoelace;   a plurality of first lacing control elements disposed in a first row extending on a medial side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper;   a plurality of second lacing control elements disposed in a second row extending on a lateral side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper; a first locking element at an upper end of one of the first row and the second row; and   a second locking element at a bottom end of the one of the first row and the second row, the at least one shoelace extending on an outer side of the upper between the first locking element and the second locking element and along a zigzag or snaking path between the first row and the second row.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe defined in  claim 1  wherein the shoelace is the only lace of the lacing system. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe defined in  claim 2  wherein the shoelace extends in an endless loop. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe defined in  claim 1  further comprising a finger grip attached to the shoelace between the first locking element and the second locking element. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe defined in  claim 1  wherein each of the first locking element and the second locking element permit a sliding of the shoelace in one direction through the respective locking element and prevent a sliding of the shoelace in an opposite direction through the respective locking element. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe defined in  claim 1  wherein the one of the first row and the second row is the second row, the first locking element and the second locking element being disposed on the lateral side of the upper, the shoelace extending on the lateral side of the upper between the first locking element and the second locking element. 
     
     
         7 . A shoe comprising:
 a sole;   an upper attached to the sole, the upper having a forward or toe portion and an ankle opening in a rear or heel portion; and   a lacing system on the upper, the lacing system including:   at least one shoelace;   a plurality of first lacing control elements disposed in a first row extending on a medial side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper;   a plurality of second lacing control elements disposed in a second row extending on a lateral side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper; and   a locking element disposed centrally on the upper in one of the first row and the second row, the at least one shoelace extending along a zigzag or snaking path between the first row and the second row and through the locking element, the at least one shoelace having a first end attached to the upper at an upper end of the other of the first row and the second row, the at least one shoelace having a second end attached to the upper at a lower end of the other of the first row and the second row.   
     
     
         8 . The shoe defined in  claim 7  wherein the shoelace is the only lace of the lacing system. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe defined in  claim 8  wherein the shoelace extends along a first portion of the snaking path upwardly of the locking element and along a second portion of the snaking path downwardly of the locking element. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe defined in  claim 7 , further comprising a finger grip attached to the shoelace along a looped section of the shoelace at the locking element. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe defined in  claim 7  wherein the locking element permits a sliding of the shoelace in one direction through the locking element and prevents a sliding of the shoelace in an opposite direction through the locking element. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe defined in  claim 7  wherein the lacing system has no lacing knot, the locking element being the only lace-cinching component of the lacing system. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe comprising:
 a sole;   an upper attached to the sole, the upper having a forward or toe portion and having an ankle opening in a rear or heel portion of the upper; and   a lacing system on the upper, the lacing system comprising:
 a plurality of lacing control elements disposed in an eye row extending on a medial side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper; 
 a plurality of lacing control elements disposed in an eye row extending on a lateral side of the upper from the ankle opening towards the forward portion of the upper; 
 an endless loop shoelace having a portion extending in a zigzag pattern between the medial and lateral eye rows; 
 a locking mechanism at a first one of the medial and lateral eye rows; 
 two segments of the shoelace extending out of the zigzag pattern from the first one of the eye rows and through the locking mechanism, whereby the two lace segments can be pulled outward through the locking mechanism to tighten the portion of the lace that is in the zigzag pattern. 
   
     
     
         14 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism constitutes one of the lacing control elements of the first one of the eye rows. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism does not constitute one of the lacing control elements of the first one of the eye rows. 
     
     
         16 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 15  wherein the locking mechanism is outside of the first one of the eye rows. 
     
     
         17 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism comprises a device having two passages formed in one body for the two lace segments. 
     
     
         18  A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism comprises two distinct, spaced apart locking devices for the two lace segments. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism is at the top of the first one of the eye rows. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 13  wherein the locking mechanism is at an intermediate location on the first one of the eye rows.