Heel strap device and method to use the same

Abstract

A heel strap device configured to secure a person's heel to a shoe and properly guide the heel back into the shoe. The device has an elastic band that provides both a downward and forward force. The band has a bottom section, heel section, left side section, and right side section. The bottom section is affixed to the sole of a shoe. In a separate embodiment, the band also has a nub affixed to the top of the heel section that is configured to prevent the band from slipping down on the heel and to provide aesthetic benefits to the device. In another embodiment, the device is integrated with a shoe instead of being separately attached to the shoe insole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe comprising:
 a sole assembly having attached outer-sole and insole portions;   a shoe upper attached to the sole assembly defining a foot receiving cavity having a toe end and a counter end; and   an elastic retainer having a U-shaped loop portion, the elastic retainer located within the foot receiving cavity with ends of the U-shaped loop portion attached to the sole assembly at an attachment location significantly forward of shoe upper counter end so that the U-shaped loop portion extends rearward and upward from the attachment location;   wherein, when the shoe is not being worn the U-shaped loop portion is in a retracted position forward of the shoe upper counter end, and when the shoe is worn the U-shaped loop portion is elastically stretched rearward about a heel of the wearer's foot to urge the wearer's foot forward and downward into engagement with the insole.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the elastic retainer forms a closed loop having an attachment region connected to the sole assembly, with a remaining portion of the closed loop forming the U-shaped loop portion. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the U-shaped loop portion has two free ends attached to the sole assembly within the foot receiving cavity on opposite lateral sides of the wearer's foot. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1  further comprising a heel connected to the outer-sole below the shoe upper counter end, wherein the attachment location of the elastic retainer is located near or forward of a forward edge to of the heel. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the elastic retainer further comprises a transverse portion extending between the sides of the U-shaped loop portion to underlie the heel of the wearer's foot limiting the upward movement of U-shaped loop portion relative to the wearer's foot. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the elastic retainer comprises a clear elastomeric material. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the elastic retainer does not extend above the shoe upper when the wearer's heel is bearing weight on the sole assembly. 
     
     
         8 . A device to secure a person's heel to a piece of footwear and properly guide the heel back into the footwear, the device comprising:
 an elastic band that comprises a bottom section, a left-side section, a right-side section, and a heel section.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the left-side section comprises a front left arm and a back left arm, and the right-side section comprises a front right arm and a back right arm. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the heel section has a raised surface configured to increase a frictional resistance between the device and the footwear. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom section further comprises a top cloth cover on a top portion of the bottom section and a bottom cloth cover on a bottom portion of the bottom section. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the bottom cloth cover is configured to attach to an insole of a shoe. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the band further comprises at least one attached to a top of the heel section. 
     
     
         15 . A method to use the device of  claim 9 , the method comprising:
 affixing the bottom section to a shoe insole; and   inserting a person's foot into the device.   
     
     
         16 . A heel retention device configured to be attached to a shoe, the device comprising:
 an elastic band formed of an elastomeric material shaped as a U-shaped loop defined between forward ends, wherein the forward ends are configured to attach to an sole assembly of a shoe at an attachment location significantly forward of a shoe counter end so that the U-shaped loop portion extends rearward and upward from the attachment location, and stretched between a retracted position and a stretched position,   wherein in the retracted position, the U-shaped loop portion is spaced away from the shoe counter end, and in the stretched position, the U-shaped loop portion elastically stretched rearward adjacent the shoe counter end and about a heel of the wearer's foot to urge the wearer's foot forward and downward into engagement with the sole assembly.