System for retaining an upper on a sole structure

Abstract

An article of footwear, comprising a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion, and one or more straps, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, and the strap has a plug end; and a retention element disposed between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.

1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion; and   one or more straps, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, and the strap has a plug end; and   a retention element disposed between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 2 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange. 
     
     
         16 . A strap system for a sandal, comprising:
 a strap passing through a channel across a sole of the sandal, wherein the strap has a plug end; and   a retention element disposed between the plug end and a bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.   
     
     
         17 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap. 
     
     
         18 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface. 
     
     
         19 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through. 
     
     
         20 . The strap system of  claim 19 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture. 
     
     
         21 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole. 
     
     
         22 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole. 
     
     
         23 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. 
     
     
         24 . The strap system of  claim 23 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         25 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         26 . The strap system of  claim 17 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel. 
     
     
         27 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material. 
     
     
         28 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure. 
     
     
         29 . The strap system of  claim 17 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges. 
     
     
         30 . The strap system of  claim 16 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange. 
     
     
         31 . A method of constructing an article of footwear, comprising:
 preparing a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion; and   attaching one or more straps to the sole, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, wherein the strap has a plug end; and   disposing a retention element between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange.