Climbing shoe

Abstract

Climbing shoe comprising a substantially sock-shaped shoe-upper formed so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a front sole which is fixed on the bottom part of the shoe-upper so as to cover the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot; and a elastomeric-material, front tensioning strip which is fixed on the toe of the shoe-upper and is shaped so as to cover the shoe-upper in the area surrounding the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot; said front tensioning strip being provided with a middle portion that is shaped so as to cover the toe of the shoe-upper in the area surrounding the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot, and with two lateral flaps which prolong on the bottom part of the shoe-upper while converging towards each other up to join to one another at the insole arch region.

1 . A climbing shoe comprising a substantially sock-shaped shoe-upper formed so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a front sole which is fixed on the bottom part of the shoe-upper so as to cover the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot; and an elastic-material, front tensioning strip which is fixed on the toe of the shoe-upper and is shaped so as to cover the shoe-upper in the area surrounding the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot;
 the climbing shoe being characterized in that the front tensioning strip is provided with a middle portion which is shaped so as to cover the toe of the shoe-upper in the area surrounding the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot, and with two lateral flaps which prolong on the bottom part of the shoe-upper while converging towards each other up to join to one another at the insole arch region.   
     
     
         2 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the middle portion of the front tensioning strip is shaped so as to prolong also partly over the bottom part of the shoe-upper, underneath the front sole. 
     
     
         3 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the two lateral flaps of the front tensioning strip are dimensioned so as to overlap each other on the bottom part of the shoe-upper, within the insole arch region. 
     
     
         4 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the middle portion of the front tensioning strip is substantially cap-shaped, so as to cover both the two sides and the upper part of the toe of the shoe-upper to protect also the upper part of the toes of the foot. 
     
     
         5 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the shoe-upper is provided with a longitudinal slit which extends along the area of the shoe-upper immediately over the instep of the foot, up to reach the upper opening of the shoe-upper, and in that the middle portion of the front tensioning strip is dimensioned so as to be locally substantially tangent to the bottom end of said longitudinal slit. 
     
     
         6 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 1 , characterized by additionally comprising an elastic-material, rear tensioning strip which is fixed on the rear part of the shoe-upper, and is substantially U-shaped so as to cover the rear part of the shoe-upper in the area immediately over the heel of the foot and then to extend along the two internal and external lateral sides of the shoe-upper, up to reach and join the front tensioning strip. 
     
     
         7 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the rear tensioning strip joins the front tensioning strip along the lateral sides of the shoe-upper, close to the border between the tarsal-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot and the insole arch region. 
     
     
         8 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the rear tensioning strip is structured so as to reach and join both the middle portion and the two lateral flaps of the front tensioning strip. 
     
     
         9 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the two ends of the rear tensioning strip are shaped/structured so as to extend on the bottom part of the shoe-upper, along the insole arch region, to cover the insole arch region. 
     
     
         10 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the two lateral flaps of the front tensioning strip overlap and join the two ends of the rear tensioning strip on the bottom part of the shoe-upper, at the insole arch region. 
     
     
         11 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 9 , characterized in that the two ends of the rear tensioning strip are dimensioned so as to cover substantially the whole insole arch region. 
     
     
         12 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 1 , characterized by also comprising a rear sole which is fixed on the bottom part of the shoe-upper at the talus-calcaneus region of the sole of the foot, so as to at least partly cover the talus-calcaneus region of the sole of the foot, and which is discrete and spaced apart from the front sole. 
     
     
         13 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the rear sole is shaped so as to prolong also within the insole arch region, so as to overlap at the two ends of the rear tensioning strip. 
     
     
         14 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the rear sole also extends along the rear part of the shoe-upper, so as to cover and protect the back of the calcaneum of the foot. 
     
     
         15 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the rear sole has a substantially ribbon-shaped structure, and is designed to cover solely the middle strip of the talus-calcaneus region of the sole of the foot. 
     
     
         16 . The climbing shoe according to  claim 12 , characterized by also comprising a substantially ribbon-shaped, medial tensioning strip which is made of elastomeric material or of inextensible material, and is fixed on the bottom part of the shoe-upper so as to extend substantially along the center line of the sole of the foot, from the area of the shoe-upper under the front sole up to the area of the shoe-upper under the rear sole, following an arched trajectory.