Lace guide for footwear

Abstract

Articles of footwear (e.g., soft snowboard boots) that include low-profile lace guides that may provide closer and/or tighter wrapping of the quarters about the tongue are disclosed. The lace guide may have a lace channel adapted to guide a force from the lace upon tightening to provide leverage on the lace guide such that the edge of a quarter dives toward the tongue upon tightening of the lace. The lace guide may have a dogleg-shaped region such that a portion of the centerline running through an intermediate portion of the lace channel is disposed at a first height and a portion of the centerline running through the first end portion of the lace channel is disposed at a second height that is different from the first height. The lace guide may extend along a substantial length of a quarter, and thus, it may be beneficial for a single lace guide to have three or more openings configured to receive the lace. The lace guide may be configured and arranged on an article of footwear to protect the edges of the footwear quarters. The lace guide may also include one or more flex zones that increase the flexibility of the lace guide, and thus, the flexibility of the article of footwear.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A boot comprising:
 a medial side and a lateral side;   a first quarter disposed at the medial side and a second quarter disposed at the lateral side;   a tongue opening positioned between the first and second quarters;   a tongue disposed within the tongue opening, each quarter having an edge adjacent the tongue;   a lace adapted to draw the first and second quarters together upon tightening of the lace; and   a lace guide disposed at the first quarter and guiding the lace, the lace guide having a lace channel adapted to guide a force from the lace upon tightening of the lace to provide leverage on the lace guide such that the edge of the first quarter dives toward the tongue upon tightening of the lace.   
     
     
         2 . The boot of  claim 1 , wherein the lace channel comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion connecting the first end portion to the second end portion, a first opening being disposed at the first end portion, a second opening being disposed at the second end portion, the lace channel including a top surface and a bottom surface; and
 an imaginary centerline running through the lace channel from the first opening to the second opening and bisecting a distance between the top and bottom surfaces of the lace channel,   wherein the lace channel includes a first dogleg-shaped region such that a portion of the centerline running through the intermediate portion is disposed at a first height and a portion of the centerline running through the first end portion is at a second height different from the first height,   
     
     
         3 . The boot of  claim 2 , wherein the lace channel comprises a second dogleg-shaped region such that a portion of the centerline running through the second end portion is at a third height that is different from the first height. 
     
     
         4 . The boot of  claim 3 , wherein the second and third heights are the same. 
     
     
         5 . The boot of  claim 1 , wherein the lace guide comprises two pieces coupled together. 
     
     
         6 . The boot of  claim 1 , wherein the lace guide further comprises a flex zone adapted to increase flexibility of the lace guide. 
     
     
         7 . The boot of  claim 6 , wherein the flex zone comprises one or more reliefs. 
     
     
         8 . The boot of  claim 1 , wherein the lace guide comprises an abutting surface that abuts against the edge of the first quarter. 
     
     
         9 . The boot of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the lace guide is positioned below a visible surface of the first quarter and a second portion of the lace guide is flush with or above the visible surface of the first quarter. 
     
     
         10 . The boot of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the lace exiting the lace guide is in line with a plane of the first quarter. 
     
     
         11 . The boot of  claim 2 , wherein the first opening of the lace guide is in line with a plane of the first quarter. 
     
     
         12 . The boot of  claim 2 , wherein the lace guide further comprises an engagement portion that is coupled to an underside of the first quarter. 
     
     
         13 . The boot of  claim 10 , wherein the lace guide further comprises an engagement portion that is coupled to an underside of the first quarter. 
     
     
         14 . A lace guide for an article of footwear, the lace guide comprising:
 a lace channel comprising a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion connecting the first end portion to the second end portion, a first opening being disposed at the first end portion, a second opening being disposed at the second end portion, the lace channel including a top surface and a bottom surface; and   an imaginary centerline running through the lace channel from the first opening to the second opening and bisecting a distance between the top and bottom surfaces of the lace channel,   wherein the lace channel includes a first dogleg-shaped region such that a portion of the centerline running through the intermediate portion is disposed at a first height and a portion of the centerline running through the first end portion is at a second height different from the first height,   wherein the first height and the second height extend in a direction perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the intermediate portion of the lace channel.   
     
     
         15 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , wherein a portion of the centerline running through the second end portion is at a third height that is different from the first height. 
     
     
         16 . The lace guide of  claim 15 , wherein the second and third heights are the same. 
     
     
         17 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , wherein the first dogleg-shaped region is adapted to guide a force from the lace upon tightening to provide leverage on the lace guide such that the edge of the first quarter dives toward the tongue upon tightening of the lace. 
     
     
         18 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , further comprising an engagement portion adapted to engage with a boot, wherein a vertical distance between a top surface of the engagement portion and a bottom surface of the lace guide decreases along at least part of the first end portion. 
     
     
         19 . The lace guide of  claim 18 , wherein the bottom surface is curved along the at least part of the first end portion. 
     
     
         20 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , wherein the lace guide comprises two pieces coupled together. 
     
     
         21 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , further comprising a flex zone adapted to increase flexibility of the lace guide. 
     
     
         22 . The lace guide of  claim 21 , wherein the flex zone comprises one or more reliefs. 
     
     
         23 . The lace guide of  claim 14 , in combination with a boot, the boot comprising:
 a medial side and a lateral side;
 a first quarter disposed at the medial side and a second quarter disposed at the lateral side, each quarter having an edge; 
   a tongue opening positioned between the first and second quarters;   a tongue disposed within the tongue opening; and   a lace adapted to draw the first and second quarters together upon tightening of the lace.   
     
     
         24 . The lace guide and boot combination of  claim 23 , wherein the first dogleg-shaped region is adapted to guide a force from the lace upon tightening to provide leverage on the lace guide such that the edge of the first quarter dives toward the tongue upon tightening of the lace. 
     
     
         25 . The lace guide and boot combination of  claim 23 , wherein the portion of the centerline running through the intermediate portion is located between the first quarter and the tongue. 
     
     
         26 . The lace and boot combination of  claim 23 , wherein a portion of the lace exiting the lace guide is in line with a plane of the first quarter. 
     
     
         27 . The lace guide and boot combination of  claim 23 , wherein the first opening is in line with a plane of the first quarter. 
     
     
         28 . The lace guide and boot combination of  claim 26 , wherein the lace guide further comprises an engagement portion that is coupled to an underside of the first quarter. 
     
     
         29 - 48 . (canceled)