Shoe with Retractable Lace Guard

Abstract

A shoe comprising a retractable lace protector for protecting the laces thereon. The lace protector has a deployed and a stowed position. In a deployed position, the lace protector can be disposed in a substantially parallel manner and adjacent to the upper side of the tongue of the shoe and in a substantially overlying manner to the laces thereof. In a stowed position, the lace protector can be disposed in a substantially parallel manner and adjacent to the lower side of the tongue of the shoe. The shoe can further comprise one or more fastening elements to detachably affix the lace protector in one or both of the deployed position and the stowed position. The shoe can further comprise a lace guard pocket for storing the lace protector in the stowed position.

1 . An athletic shoe comprising:
 a sole;   an upper attached to the sole for housing the foot of a user;   a tongue with a first end, a second end, an inner side, and an outer side, the second end of the tongue attached to the upper;   a lace guard, for protecting a set of laces on an athletic shoe, hingeably attached to the first end of the tongue such that in a deployed position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the outer side of the tongue and in a stowed position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the inner side of the tongue; and   a lace guard pocket for housing the lace guard in the stowed position.   
     
     
         2 . The athletic shoe of  claim 1 , the lace guard pocket disposed on the inner side of the tongue. 
     
     
         3 . The athletic shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the inner side and the outer side of the tongue are separate pieces attached to form the lace guard pocket therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The athletic shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising a first fastening element and a second fastening element for removably attaching the lace guard to the outer side of the tongue in the deployed position. 
     
     
         5 . The athletic shoe of  claim 4 , the first and second fastening elements further comprising a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         6 . The athletic shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising a first fastening element and a third fastening element for removably attaching the lace guard to the lace guard pocket in the stowed position. 
     
     
         7 . The athletic shoe of  claim 6 , the third fastening element further comprising a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         8 . An athletic shoe comprising:
 a sole;   an upper attached to the sole for housing the foot of a user;   a tongue with a first end, a second end, an inner side, and an outer side, the second end of the tongue attached to the upper;   a lace guard for protecting a set of laces on an athletic shoe and hingeably attached to the first end of the tongue, the lace guard moveable between a first position and a second position, such that in the first position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the outer side of the tongue and in the second position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the inner side of the tongue;   a lace guard pocket disposed on the inner side of the tongue for housing the lace guard in the second position;   a first fastening element disposed on a second side of the lace guard;   a second fastening element connectable to the first fastening element and disposed proximate the upper side of the tongue for detachably affixing the lace guard in the first position; and   a third fastening means connectable to the first fastening means and disposed proximate the lower side of the tongue for detachably affixing the lace guard in the second position.   
     
     
         9 . The athletic shoe of  claim 8 , the lace guard further comprising a first attachment arm and a second attachment arm for hingeably attaching the lace guard to the first end of the tongue. 
     
     
         10 . The athletic shoe of  claim 9 , the first attachment arm and the second attachment arm further comprising a cutout. 
     
     
         11 . The athletic shoe of  claim 10 , wherein the cutout has substantially the same profile as the first end of the tongue. 
     
     
         12 . The athletic shoe of  claim 8 , the first, second, and third fastening elements further comprising a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         13 . The athletic shoe of  claim 8 , the third fastening element disposed inside the lace guard pocket. 
     
     
         14 . A method for providing an athletic shoe comprising:
 providing a sole;   providing an upper for housing a foot of a user;   providing a tongue with a first end, a second end, an inner side, and an outer side;   providing a lace guard for protecting a set of laces on the shoe;   providing a lace guard pocket for housing the lace guard in a second position;   attaching the upper to the sole;   attaching the second end of the tongue to the upper;   hingeably attaching the lace guard to the first end of the tongue such that in a first position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the outer side of the tongue and in a second position the lace guard is disposed adjacent to and substantially parallel to the inner side of the tongue; and   attaching the lace guard pocket to the inner side of the tongue for housing the lace guard in the second position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing a first fastening element;   providing a second fastening element;   attaching the first fastening element to a second side of the lace guard; and   attaching a second fastening element to the outer side of the tongue for detachably affixing the lace guard to the outer side of the tongue in the first position.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 providing a first fastening element;   providing a third fastening element;   attaching the first fastening element to a second side of the lace guard; and   attaching a third fastening element to the lower side of the tongue for detachably affixing the lace guard to the lower side of the tongue in the second position.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , the first fastening element and the second fastening element further comprising a hook and loop material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , the third fastening element disposed inside the lace guard pocket. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , the lace guard further comprising one or more attachment arms for hingeably attaching the lace guard to the first end of the tongue. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , the lace guard further comprising a rigid material for protecting the foot of a user.