Shoe Having Elastic Tongue-Securing Straps

Abstract

Provided are, among other things, shoes having elastic tongue-securing straps. In one representative embodiment, a shoe includes: (a) a sole; (b) an upper, extending above the sole, that includes a front section, a left side, a right side, a rear section, and a tongue that originates from the front section and extends rearwardly between the left side and the right side; (c) a left elastic strap that extends from a left side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the left side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the left side of the upper; and (d) a right elastic strap that extends from a right side of the tongue and: (1) extends through a loop that is securely attached to the right side of the upper and has a distal end securely attached to the sole, and/or (2) has its distal end securely attached to the right side of the upper, with the left elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the left side of the tongue and the right elastic strap having a proximal end fixedly attached to the right side of the tongue.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A shoe comprising:
 (a) a sole;   (b) an upper, extending above the sole, that includes a front section, a left side, a right side, a rear section, and a tongue that originates from the front section and extends rearwardly between the left side and the right side;   (c) a first segment of at least one elastic shoe lace, extending from the left side of the upper, over and across the tongue, and through a first eyelet in the right side of the upper, thereafter hanging loosely along an exterior surface of the right side of the upper; and   (d) a second segment of said at least one elastic shoe lace, extending from the right side of the upper, over and across the tongue, and through a second eyelet in the left side of the upper, thereafter hanging loosely along an exterior surface of the left side of the upper.   
     
     
         14 . A shoe according to  claim 13 , wherein said first segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said first eyelet, and said second segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said second eyelet. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe according to  claim 14 , wherein said first segment is stitched to the upper near said first eyelet, and said second segment is stitched to the upper near said second eyelet. 
     
     
         16 . A shoe according to  claim 14 , wherein said first segment is fixedly attached to the upper just prior to exiting through said first eyelet, and said second segment is fixedly attached to the upper near just prior to exiting through said second eyelet. 
     
     
         17 . A shoe according to  claim 14 , wherein said first segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said first eyelet in a permanent manner, and said second segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said second eyelet in a permanent manner. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe according to  claim 14 , wherein said first segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said first eyelet only when desired by a wearer but also can be slid relative to the upper when desired by the wearer, and said second segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said second eyelet only when desired by the wearer but also can be slid relative to the upper when desired by the wearer. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe according to  claim 14 , wherein said first segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said first eyelet via a first clamping mechanism attached to the upper, and said second segment is fixedly attached to the upper near said second eyelet via a second clamping mechanism attached to the upper. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe according to  claim 19 , wherein said first clamping mechanism is attached to the upper just outside of the first eyelet, and said second clamping mechanism is attached to the upper just outside of the second eyelet. 
     
     
         21 . A shoe according to  claim 19 , wherein, by default, said first clamping mechanism clamps onto said first segment, and by default, said second clamping mechanism clamps onto said second segment. 
     
     
         22 . A shoe according to  claim 21 , wherein by pressing a first spring-loaded release button on said first clamping mechanism, clamping force provided by said first clamping mechanism is released so that said first segment can slide freely, and by pressing a second spring-loaded release button on said second clamping mechanism, clamping force provided by said second clamping mechanism is released so that said second segment can slide freely. 
     
     
         23 . A shoe according to  claim 22 , wherein said first segment is capable of being pulled outwardly even when the clamping force is being applied by said first clamping mechanism, so that a user can tighten said first segment simply by pulling on said first segment, and then can loosen said first segment by pressing said first spring-loaded release button, and wherein said second segment is capable of being pulled outwardly even when the clamping force is being applied by said second clamping mechanism, so that a user can tighten said second segment simply by pulling on said second segment, and then can loosen said second segment by pressing said second spring-loaded release button. 
     
     
         24 . A shoe according to  claim 23 , wherein each of said first clamping mechanism and said second clamping mechanism has angled teeth. 
     
     
         25 . A shoe according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said first clamping mechanism and said second clamping mechanism is attached to an interior surface of the upper. 
     
     
         26 . A shoe according to  claim 25 , wherein each of said first clamping mechanism and said second clamping mechanism is attached to said interior surface of the upper above the tongue. 
     
     
         27 . A shoe according to  claim 13 , wherein said first eyelet is part of a first row of eyelets on said right side of the upper, and said second eyelet is part of a second row of eyelets on said left side of the upper. 
     
     
         28 . A shoe according to  claim 27 , wherein said first segment and said second segment are part of a single elastic shoe lace that is woven back and forth between said first row of eyelets and said second row of eyelets, such that said single elastic shoe lace crosses itself a plurality of times. 
     
     
         29 . A shoe according to  claim 13 , further comprising a first clamping mechanism attached to the first segment outside of the first eyelet and a second clamping mechanism attached to the second segment outside of the second eyelet. 
     
     
         30 . A shoe according to  claim 29 , wherein the first clamping mechanism is held in place solely by forces exerted by the first segment and the exterior surface of the right side of the upper, and the second clamping mechanism is held in place solely by forces exerted by the second segment and the exterior surface of the left side of the upper.