Footwear lacing system

Abstract

A lacing system for footwear includes a plurality of elastic strips each secured between a different one of a plurality of paired eyelets of the footwear. A pair of hooks is coupled to each of the plurality of strips at opposite ends of each strip. Each of the pair of hooks has a hook end. At least one of the pair of hooks is selectively attacheable along a length of the strip at an end of the strip to increase or decrease the spring force between the corresponding pair of eyelets.

1 . A lacing system configured for use with a shoe, the system comprising:
 a) at least one elastic strap configured to be secured between opposing flaps of the shoe, the at least one strap being stretchable configured to exert a spring force drawing the flaps together, the at least one strap having a longitudinal length and a cross section with a width greater than a thickness, and having an underside;   b) a hook coupled to at least one end of the at least one strap;   c) the hook formed from an elongated rod having a hook end configured to engage a flap of the shoe and having:
 a downward portion extending essentially orthogonally with respect to the underside of the strap, and 
 a transverse portion extending from the downward portion perpendicularly to both the downward portion and the longitudinal length of the strap; 
   d) an attachment pad disposed on the underside of the strap selectively securing the hook to the strap;   e) an aperture associated with the attachment pad through which the hook extends;   f) at least a pair of posts disposed on the attachment pad; and   g) the hook having an attachment end opposite the hook end and forming a right angle with one portion thereof disposed between the pair of posts and both portions thereof abutting one of the pair of posts.   
     
     
         2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the attachment pad with the at least a pair of posts further includes a 2×n matrix of posts where n is the number of posts along the longitudinal length of the strap and is greater than or equal to one; and wherein the attachment pad with the at least two posts further includes a longitudinal groove between two lengthwise rows of posts and aligned with the aperture and with a portion of the attachment end of the hook disposed therein. 
     
     
         3 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the attachment end of the hook includes a crook extending around a majority of one of the posts. 
     
     
         4 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the matrix of posts have enlarged heads that displace away from one another as the attachment end of the hook passes therebetween, and which come together with the attachment end of the hook between the posts. 
     
     
         5 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the attachment pad is spaced from an end of the strap and the hook end of the hook is disposed under the underneath side of the strap. 
     
     
         6 . A method for selectively tensioning the strap of the lacing system in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising:
 a) pivoting the hook in the aperture of the attachment pad and diplacing the attachment end of the hook away from the posts;   b) displacing the hook longitudinally with respect to the strap; and   c) pivoting the hook in the aperture of the attachment and displacing the attachment end of the hook towards different posts.   
     
     
         7 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , in combination with a shoe having opposing flaps flanking a slit in the shoe with at least one of the flaps having at least one eyelet disposed on the flap adjacent the slit. 
     
     
         8 . A lacing system configured for use with a shoe, the system comprising:
 a) at least one elastic cord configured to be secured between opposing flaps of the shoe, the at least one cord being stretchable configured to exert a spring force drawing the flaps together, the at least one cord having a circular cross section and a longitudinal axis;   b) a hook coupled to at least one end of the cord;   c) the hook formed from an elongated rod having a hook end configured to engage a flap of the shoe and having:
 a downward portion extending essentially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cord, and 
 a transverse portion extending from the downward portion perpendicularly to both the downward portion and the longitudinal axis of the cord; 
   d) the hook having an attachment end opposite the hook end forming a pair of adjacent loops each of which receives the cord therein.   
     
     
         9 . A system in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the attachment end of the hook is formed into a series of arcs each traversing the longitudinal axis of the cord in a planar layer. 
     
     
         10 . A lacing system in combination with a shoe having a plurality of paired eyelets arrayed along opposing flaps flanking a slit in the shoe with each eyelet of a pair disposed in a different flap opposite the other eyelet in the pair, the system comprising:
 a) a plurality of elastic strips each secured between a different one of the plurality of paired eyelets of the shoe defining a corresponding strip and pair of eyelets associated with one another, each elastic strip being stretchable to exert a spring force drawing a corresponding pair of eyelets together;   b) a pair of hooks coupled to each of the plurality of strips at opposite ends of each strip, each of the pair of hooks received in a different one of the corresponding pair of eyelets;   c) each of the pair of hooks having a hook end with:
 a downward portion extending generally downward and towards the shoe oriented perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the strip and being disposed in one of the corresponding eyelets, and 
 a transverse portion extending perpendicularly to both the downward portion and the longitudinal axis of the strip and disposed on a side of one of the corresponding eyelets opposite the strip and inside the shoe; and 
   d) at least one of the pair of hooks being selectively attacheable along a length of the strip at an end of the strip to increase or decrease the spring force between the corresponding pair of eyelets.   
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising:
 each of the plurality elastic strips having a different unstretched length.   
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 11 , further comprising:
 each of the plurality of elastic strips having angled lateral edges forming a non-parallel angle with respect to one another and tapering inward and downward; and   adjacent edges of adjacent strips being essentially aligned with one another with the plurality of strips together forming a truncated V-shape.   
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising:
 each of the plurality of elastic strips having a width sized so that adjacent strips span a gap between the adjacent strips and abut to one another.   
     
     
         14 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of strips includes a strap having a cross section with a width greater than a thickness, and having an underside; and further comprising:
 an attachment pad disposed on the underside of the strap at the hook end, the attachment pad including an aperture and at least a pair of posts, the hook having an attachment end opposite the hook end extending through the aperture and forming a right angle with one portion thereof disposed between the pair of posts and both portions thereof abutting each of the pair of posts.   
     
     
         15 . A system in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the attachment pad with at least a pair of posts further includes a 2×n matrix of posts where n is the number of posts along a longitudinal axis of the strap and is greater than 2; and wherein the attachment end of the hook extends in a groove between two lengthwise rows of posts and has a crook extending around a majority of one of the posts. 
     
     
         16 . A method for selectively tensioning the strap of the lacing system in accordance with  claim 15 , comprising:
 a) pivoting the hook in the aperture of the attachment pad and displacing the attachment end of the hook away from the posts;   b) displacing the hook longitudinally with respect to the strap; and   c) pivoting the hook in the aperture of the attachment pad and displacing the attachment end of the hook towards different posts.   
     
     
         17 . A system in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the at least two posts have enlarged heads that displace away from one another as the attachment end of the hook passes therebetween, and which come together with the attachment end of the hook between the at least two posts. 
     
     
         18 . A system in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of strips includes a cord having a circular cross section; and wherein the hook has an attachment end opposite the hook end forming a pair of adjacent loops each of which receives the cord therein. 
     
     
         19 . A system in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the attachment end of the hook is formed into a series of arcs each traversing the longitudinal axis of the cord in a planar layer. 
     
     
         20 . A method for lacing the shoe with the lacing system in accordance with  claim 10 , comprising:
 a) removing any existing shoe lace from the plurality of paired eyelets of the shoe;   b) inserting one hook end of one of the pair of hooks coupled to one of the plurality of strips into an eyelet of the plurality of paired eyelets;   c) selectively attaching the other of the pair of hooks along the length of the strip to increase or decrease the spring force exerted when stretched between the corresponding pair of eyelets;   d) inserting the other hook end of the one of the pair of hooks coupled to the one of the plurality of strips into an opposite corresponding eyelet; and   e) repeating b through d for more of the plurality of strips with different ones of the plurality of paired eyelets.