Releasable fastening system for footwear

Abstract

A releasable fastening system for footwear features a plurality of fastening clips. Each fastening clip includes an elongate, longitudinally elastic strap and a pair of opposing hooks secured to respective ends of the strap. The opposing hooks of each slip releasably engage a respective pair of positionally corresponding eyelets on opposing flaps of the footwear. This secures the clip to the footwear to extend across the tongue. Each clip is releasably connected to an opposing pair of positionally corresponding eyelets and thereby secured to the footwear to pull the flaps together and tighten the footwear.

1 . A releasable fastening system for footwear, which footwear includes an upper portion having a pair of flaps respectively positioned on opposing sides of tongue, each flap having a series of spaced apart eyelets, each eyelet in one of the series positionally corresponding to a respective eyelet in the other series;
 a plurality of fastening clips, each said fastening clip including an elongate, longitudinally elastic strap and a pair of opposing hooks secured to respective ends of said strap, said opposing hooks for releasably engaging a respective pair of positionally corresponding eyelets on opposing sides of the tongue to secure said clip to the footwear with said strap extending across the tongue, whereby each clip is releasably connected to an opposing pair of positionally corresponding eyelets and thereby secured to the footwear to pull the flaps together and tighten the footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  in which each said hook includes a flat terminal section for being received by the eyelet. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  in which said clip further includes a channel element for receiving a respective end of said strap and for carrying a respective said hook. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  in which said channel includes teeth for securing said channel element to said strap. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  in which said hook is formed unitarily with said channel element. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  in which said hook is curved to extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said strap for engaging a respective eyelet formed transversely through a flap. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  in which said hook is curved to extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of said strap. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  in which said clips include respective straps having different lengths for allowing said clips to secure to the footwear between opposing pair of positionally corresponding eyelets which converse from a top portion to a bottom portion of the tongue. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  in which the flaps and the respective series of eyelets converge from an upper end to a lower end thereof and wherein said fastening clips include straps of differing respective lengths for providing a uniform tension across the tongue between the respective opposing pair of positionally corresponding eyelets. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  in which said clips are sufficiently narrow relative to the spacing between the eyelets in each series such that when said clips are connected with the respective pairs of eyelets, a gap is formed between each adjacent pair of said clips. 
     
     
         11 . A fastening clip for footwear, which footwear has a pair of flaps positioned on respective opposing sides of a tongue, the flaps having a pair of positionally corresponding eyelets attached respectively to the flaps, said clip comprising:
 an elongate, longitudinally elastic strap; and   a pair of opposing hooks secured to respective ends of said strap, said opposing hooks for releasably engaging the positionally corresponding eyelets to releasably connect said clip to said opposing eyelets and thereby secure said clip to the footwear with said strap extending across the tongue, whereby the flaps are pulled together to tighten the footwear.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  in which each said hook includes a flat terminal section for being received by the eyelet. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  in which said clip further includes a channel element for receiving a respective end of said strap and for carrying a respective said hook 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  in which said channel includes teeth for securing said channel element to said strap. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  in which said hook is formed unitarily with said channel element. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11  in which said hook is curved to extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said strap for engaging a respective eyelet formed transversely through a flap. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  in which said hook is curved to extend transversely to the longitudinal axis of said strap. 
     
     
         18 . Footwear with a releasable fastening system comprising:
 an upper footwear portion having a pair of flaps respectively positioned on opposing sides of a tongue, each said flap having a series of spaced apart eyelets, each said eyelet in one of said series positionally corresponding to a respective one of said eyelets in the other said series; and   a plurality of fastening clips, each said fastening clip including an elongate, longitudinally elastic strap and a pair of opposing hooks secured to respective ends of said strap, said opposing hooks for releasably engaging a respective pair of positionally corresponding eyelets on said respective flaps to secure said clip to the footwear with said strap extending across said tongue, whereby each said clip is releasably connected to an opposing pair of positionally corresponding eyelets and thereby secured to the footwear to pull said flaps together and tighten the footwear.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  in which said flaps and said respective series of eyelets converge from an upper end to a lower end thereof and wherein said fastening clips include straps of differing respective lengths for providing a uniform tension across said tongue between said respective opposing pairs of positionally corresponding eyelets. 
     
     
         20 . The footwear of  claim 18  in which said clips are sufficiently narrow relative to the spacing between said eyelets in each said series such that when said clips are connected with said respective opposing pairs of positionally corresponding eyelets, a gap is formed between each adjacent pair of said clips.