Article of Footwear with Adjustable Heel

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/646,199, filed May 13, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This document relates to the field of footwear, and particularly to adjustable heel members for footwear.

Articles of performance footwear, such as training shoes, are designed to assist the wearer in achieving a high level of athletic performance while also offering both comfort and durability. However, achieving a proper fit for such footwear can be a challenge. Traditional tightening systems for performance footwear, including conventional lacing systems may be difficult to manage, and often result in one portion of the footwear that is too tight and another portion that is too loose. For example, the lace tie at the top of the throat may be too tight initially, but then too loose during a workout. Alternative tightening systems have been proposed that attempt to provide a secure, comfortable, and consistent fit for the wearer. While some of these alternative tightening systems offer convenient mechanisms that secure the foot within the article of footwear, they tend to lack adaptability of fit across the entire foot as may be desired by the user for various different uses of the footwear

In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an article of footwear with a tightening system that is adaptable for multiple uses. It would also be advantageous for the tightening system to offer a secure fit for the entire foot of the wearer in a quick and easy manner. It would be of further advantage for the footwear to provide both comfort and performance features for the user, such as improved stability, cushioning, and reduced weight. It would also be advantageous if the footwear could be manufactured at a reasonable cost.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure, an article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper connected to the sole structure. The upper includes at least one midfoot strap at least one heel strap. A first closure is mounted on the upper and is configured to tighten a first lace engaging the at least one midfoot strap. A second closure is mounted on the upper and is configured to tighten a second lace engaging the at least one heel strap.

In accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure an article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper connected to the sole structure, wherein a foot cavity is formed by the upper and the sole structure. The upper includes a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion connected to the forefoot portion, and a heel portion connected to the midfoot portion. The heel portion includes a sidewall on a first side of the heel portion, a rear wall, and a heel gate on a second side of the heel portion. The heel gate is configured to move between an open position wherein the heel gate is further removed from the midfoot portion and a closed position wherein the heel gate is closer to the midfoot portion. A closure is also provided on the upper. Rotation of the closure draws the lateral gate of the heel portion toward the midfoot portion.

In accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure, an article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper coupled to the sole structure, wherein the upper and the sole structure form a foot cavity. The upper includes a vamp region, a quarter region, a throat, and a heel portion. The vamp region is configured to extend across toes of the foot of the wearer. The quarter region is coupled to the vamp region and includes a first quarter wall on a first side of the article of footwear and a second quarter wall on a second side of the article of footwear opposite the first side. The throat is arranged on a dorsal side of the article of footwear and extends along the quarter region. A heel portion is coupled to the quarter region. A collar defines an opening to the foot cavity and extends along the throat, the first quarter wall, the heel portion, and the second quarter wall. The collar forms a U-shaped edge extending between the throat and the heel portion above the first quarter wall, and a J-shaped edge extending between the throat and the heel portion rearward of the second quarter wall. The edges of the collar result in the foot cavity being enclosed in the quarter region along the first side of the article of footwear and open in the quarter region along the second side of the article of footwear.

The above-described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide an article of footwear that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned advantages.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying figures which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exemplary embodiment”, and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and that such particular feature, structure, or characteristic may not necessarily be included in every embodiment. In addition, references to the foregoing do not necessarily comprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally, irrespective of whether it is explicitly described, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that each of the particular features, structures, or characteristics of the given embodiments may be utilized in connection or combination with those of any other embodiment discussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

As used herein, an “article of footwear” refers to an article of apparel designed and configured to be worn on a user's foot. Examples of articles of footwear include, but are not limited to: athletic shoes such as basketball shoes, running shoes, walking shoes, and tennis shoes; athletic cleated or spiked shoes such as golf shoes, football cleats, soccer cleats, baseball cleats, lacrosse cleats, and track spikes; and boots such as hiking boots. The illustrated embodiments depict athletic shoes, though the reader should appreciate that the embodiments described herein may be used with any desired article of footwear.

It will be recognized that although the article of footwear may be placed in any number of orientations during times of use and non-use by a wearer, terms of position used herein in association with the article of footwear are defined with reference to a bottom of the sole of the article of footwear being positioned on level ground of the earth. Accordingly, “vertical” references a direction that is generally perpendicular to the sole, and “horizontal” references a direction that his generally parallel to the sole. Similarly, the term “above” references a relative position where one component is vertically higher than another component, and “below” references a relative position where one component is vertically lower than another component.

As shown in the figures, an article of footwear is disclosed herein in the form of an athletic shoe, and particularly a running shoe. The shoe includes an upperconnected to a sole structure. The sole structureand the uppertogether form a foot cavitythat is configured to receive the foot of a human wearer. The upperincludes a forefoot portion, a midfoot portion, a plurality of throat strapscoupled to a forward closure provided by a forward reel, and a heel portionwith an adjustable heel gatecoupled to a rearward closure provided by a rearward reel. Fit of the shoe is controlled by rotation of the reels,. Rotation of the forward reelpulls the throat strapsacross a throatin the midfoot portionof the article of footwear and tightens the upperon the midfoot of the wearer. Rotation of the rearward reeldraws the heel gateforward and inwardly in order to tighten the heel portionon the heel of the wearer.

With reference to, the sole structureof the shoeis a durable, wear-resistant component. The sole structureis configured to attenuate forces under load by cushioning and stabilizing the foot during use and by providing cushioning to the body of the user as the article of footwearimpacts the ground. The sole structureof the shoe(which may also be referred to as simply the “sole”) may be similar to any of various conventional sole structures known to those of skill in the art. In at least one embodiment, the sole structureincludes an outsole, a midsole, and an insole.

As best shown in, the outsoleis provided on a bottom, ground-facing side of the sole structure. The outsoleis comprised of a durable wear-resistant material, such as any of a plurality of materials that are commonly known for use in outsoles. By way of example, the outsolemay be formed from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, a poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) material, thermos-plastic rubber (TPR), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or any of various other materials that are commonly used in association with outsoles. The bottom exterior surface of the outsolemay be textured to provide a friction-enhancing surface to the sole. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom side of the outsoleincludes a plurality of friction-generating ridges, channels and/or protrusions disposed along the sole in a predetermined pattern.

With continued reference to, the midsoleis positioned above the outsoleon the shoe. In the disclosed embodiment, the midsolecomprises the bulk of material that makes up the sole structure. The midsole is also comprised of any of various materials that are commonly used in association with midsoles. For example, the midsoleof the sole structuremay be formed of TPU beads that are fused together into a foam material, EVA foam, or any of various other materials.

The midsoleincludes a bottom surface, exterior sidewalls, and an upper surface (not shown). The bottom surfaceof the midsole is downward facing and is connected to the outsole. In the disclosed embodiment, the outsoledoes not cover the entire bottom of the shoe, and portions of the bottom surfaceof the midsoleare exposed on the bottom of the shoe. The outsolemay be connected to the midsolein any of various manners, such as with adhesives, welding, molding, or any of various other commonly recognized means for coupling an outsole to a midsole.

The exterior sidewallsof the midsoleextend upward from the bottom surfaceto an upper edgewhere the midsoleterminates and meets the upper(it will be recognized that the upper edgemay also be referred to herein as an “upper perimeter” of the midsole). The exterior sidewallsextend completely around the bottom of the shoe, extending from a medial forefoot portion to a medial midfoot portion, around a heel portion, and from a lateral midfoot portion to a lateral forefoot portion and a toe of the shoe. The exterior sidewallsare relatively wide in comparison to the width of the upper, and thus the exterior sidewallsare arranged slightly laterally outward and medially outward from the upperon opposite sides of the shoe. The surfaces of exterior sidewallsare generally smooth and continuous with various surface features, including one or more logos and/or design features, such as circular impressions.

The surfaces of the exterior sidewallsalso include two include two crescent-shaped cavities, each associated with one of the two reels,, and each positioned in a region below the associated reel. The crescent-shaped cavitiesare generally concave and extend downward and inward from the upper edgeof the midsole. Each cavitydefines a bottom inflection pointthat is positioned in an upper central region of sidewall, and the cavity gradually tapers inward and upward from this bottom apex. Advantageously, the cavitiesfacilitate rotation of the dials of the reels,by providing a small crescent-shaped cut-out on the midsolefor the user's fingers to engage when each dial is rotated. The cavitiesparticularly make rotation of the dials of the reels,easier by providing extra clearance for the user's fingers and/or a gently curved surface along which the user may slide their fingers when rotating the dials of the reels,. Furthermore, the crescent-shaped cavities are operable to assist a user in locating the reels,on the shoewhen the user is not looking at the shoe (e.g., when attempting to tighten the shoe by rotating the dials during gameplay) by simply sliding the user's fingers along the exterior sidewallsuntil the crescent-shaped cavitiesare perceived.

The upper surface of the midsole(not shown) includes a generally smooth and planum surface that is surrounded by the curved perimeter edgeon the exterior sidewalls of the midsole. An insoleis configured to rest on the planum surface along the top side of the sole structureand provides a footbed within a foot cavityof the shoe. The insole may comprise a PU foam, gel, polyester and/or any of various other materials that are commonly used in association with insoles.

It will be recognized that one exemplary embodiment of a sole structureis disclosed herein, and that any number of different sole structuresmay be incorporated into the shoe. For example, in at least some embodiments, the sole structuremay be provided by an integrated midsole and outsole provided by a unitary/monolithic structure.

With continued reference tothe upperis coupled to the sole structure, and a foot cavityis defined within the uppergenerally above the sole structure. The upperincludes a forefoot portion(which may also be referred to herein as a “vamp region”), a midfoot portion(which may also be referred to herein as a “quarter region”), a plurality of throat straps, and a heel portion(which may also be referred to as a “heel region”). An openingto the foot cavityis defined in a rearward portion of the upper. The openingis defined by a collarthat extends along a perimeter of the midfoot portionand the heel portion.

The forefoot portionof the upperextends completely across a toe region of the shoeand is configured to cover the toes of the foot of the wearer. Accordingly, the forefoot portionforms a toe cage that extends from a medial side of the shoe, across an upper stretch on the forward dorsal side of the shoe, and then to a lateral side of the shoe. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the forefoot portionis comprised of a pliable, dual-layer mesh panel including an outer mesh layer and an inner mesh layer. Both of the inner mesh layer and the outer mesh layer may be comprised of a generally inelastic sheet of polyester fabric. The fabric of the inner mesh layer includes a greater number of smaller holes than the holes included on the fabric of the outer mesh layer. The holes on the outer mesh layer are larger than the holes of the inner mesh layer, but both layers are breathable and air-permeable. The smaller size of the holes on the inner mesh lining is such that the holes do not readily pass drops of water, and this allows the upperto offer some amount of water resistance.

The midfoot portionof the outer shellis integral with the forefoot portionand further extends rearwardly to the heel portion. The midfoot portionincludes a medial sidewall(which may also be referred to herein as a medial “quarter wall”), a lateral sidewall(which may also be referred to herein as a lateral “quarter wall”), and a throatthat separates the medial sidewallfrom the lateral sidewall. The medial sidewallextends upward from the upper perimeterof the midsoleon the medial side of the shoe, and the lateral sidewallextends upward from the upper perimeterof the midsoleon the lateral side of the shoe. The medial sidewalland the lateral sidewallof the midfoot portionare also comprised of the same dual-layer mesh panel as that of the forefoot portion.

The throatof the midfoot portionextends between the medial sidewalland the lateral sidewalland is arranged as a dorsum portion of the article of footwear (i.e., a portion configured to cover the dorsum of the foot of the wearer). The throat(which may also be referred to herein as a “throat region”) also extends from the forefoot portionto the openingto the foot cavityat the rear of the shoe. In at least one embodiment, the throatis provided by a gusseted tonguethat is connected to the medial sidewall, the forefoot portion, and the lateral sidewall. The tongueis provided U-shaped panel of relatively elastic four-way stretch material such as a spandex or other material comprised of elastane fibers. Accordingly, the throatis configured to stretch to a much greater extent than the dual layer mesh panel. For example, in at least one embodiment, the throatis configured to stretch 50% or more, while the dual-layer mesh panel of the midfoot portionis configured to stretch less than 5% (e.g., between 1% and 4%). The elastic material of the throatallows the medial sidewallto move away from the lateral sidewallwhen a foot of the wearer is inserted into the foot cavity, and thereby conform the upperto the foot of the wearer.

As disclosed in the embodiment of, three throat strapsextend at least partially across the throatof the upper. The three throat straps include a forward strap, a center strapand a rearward strap. Each of the throat strapsis comprised of a generally inelastic material, such as a leather or synthetic leather material. The forward strapand the center strapboth extend from a lower position on a medial side of the upper, and particularly from a position adjacent to the medial-side upper edgeof the midsole, to a position extending partially across the throaton the dorsal side of the midfoot portion. The ends of the strapsandeach include lace channels(which may also be referred to herein as “lace guides”) that engage a lace. As explained in further detail below, the laceis configured to tighten the midfoot portion on the foot of the wearer.

In the embodiment disclosed herein, the rearward strapis arranged differently on the shoefrom the forward strapand the center strap. For example, while the forward strapand center strap may be considered generally “I-shaped” trapezoidal structures, the rearward strapis more of a “V-shaped” structure with an elongated leg. Accordingly, as best illustrated in, the rearward strap may be considered to include a first end, a central apex, and a second end. The first enddoes not extend to the bottom of the upperthat meets the upper edgeof the midsole. Instead, the first endof the rearward strapis connected to a middle position on the midfoot portionbehind the center strapon the medial side of the upper. The rearward strapthen extends to the central apexthat is positioned on the throat. Similar to the forward strapand the center strap, the central apexalso includes a lace channel that engages the lace. From the central apex, the rearward strapextends rearward below the collaron the medial side of the openingto the foot cavityand around the back of the heel portion(i.e., around the Achilles of the wearer). The rearward strapterminates at the second endon the lateral side of the heel portion. As best shown in, the rearward strapmay be considered to extend substantially around the heel of the wearer because it extends around the Achilles of the wearer from the medial side to the lateral side of the collar, but does not extend to the midfoot portionin front of the ankle of the wearer on the lateral side of the shoe.

As noted above, the ends of the straps,,that are positioned at the throateach include a lace guidein the form of a channel formed by low friction material/cloth. For example, each lace guidemay be formed from a strip of Teflon® textile that is folded over itself to form a low-friction channel that extends axially along the fold. A lacein the form of a low-friction cable/cord runs through each of the channels and is slidable therein. In at least some embodiments, the lacemay be a Boa® lace formed of a braided polyester material having a low-friction coating (e.g., a Teflon coating). The ends of the laceare received within and connected to a closure provided by an adjustable reel, such as a BOA® reel sold under by Boa Technology Inc. of Denver Colorado.

Two closure systems provided by two adjustable reels are mounted on the lateral sidewallof the quarter region, including a forward reeland a rearward reel. The forward reelserves as a midfoot closure device such that rotation of the forward reelwhen in an effectively shortens the laceand pulls the associated with the straps,,across the throatand toward the lateral side of the article of footwear. Similarly, the rearward reelserves as a heel closure device, as explained in further detail herein.

The forward reelincludes a baseconnected to the upper, an outer wheel(which may also be referred to herein as a “dial”) that is rotatable relative to the base, a spool (not shown), and a ratchet mechanism (not shown) provided along an inner surface of the reel. The baseis mounted on the upper using any of various means known for securing the base to the upper, such as adhesives, stitching, or other means for securing the base to the upper. The basedefines laces entrances that face the throatof the shoe. The ends of the laceare connected to the spool of the reel. The dialof the reelis axially moveable between an inward/locked position (which may also be referred to herein as an “engaged position”) wherein the dialis closer to the baseand an outward/unlocked position (which may also be referred to herein as a “disengaged position”) wherein the dialis more removed from the base. When in the engaged position, the dialand spool are locked such that rotation of the dialin the clockwise direction moves the adjustable reel to subsequent incremental ratchet positions. This action draws the ends of the associated laceinto the reeland winds the lace around the spool of the reel, thus effectively shortening the length of the lacethat extends out from the reel. As a result, the lacepulls the straps,,toward the reeland toward the lateral side of the shoe as illustrated by the arrowsin, thus tightening the midfoot portionof shoeand assisting with securing and pinning down a midfoot of a wearer within the foot cavity.

When in the engaged position the ratchet mechanism hinders counter-clockwise movement of the dialsuch that clockwise rotation of the dialand associated spool is significantly easier than counter-clockwise rotation of the dial. Conversely, when in the disengaged position, the dialis unlocked from the spool, the ratchet mechanism is disengaged, and the dialand spool each are freely moveable with respect to the base. Because the dialand spool are freely rotatable in this disengaged position, the laceis freely moveable away from the spool of the adjustable reel. This action effectively lengthens the laceup to a maximum length away from the reel. Accordingly, the laceof the shoe may be easily loosened by simply moving the dialof the reelfrom the engaged position to the disengaged position. This action allows the straps,,to move away from the reeland toward the medial side of the shoe, thus loosening the midfoot portionof shoeon a foot of a wearer.

The rearward reelis also mounted on the lateral sidewallof the quarter region. The rearward reelis identical to the forward reel, except for the lace entrances to the rearward reelface the heel portioninstead of facing upward toward the throatlike those of the forward reel. As explained in further detail below, the rearward reelserves as a heel closure device. Also, while the closure systems have been disclosed as being reels, it will be recognized that the closure systems may be differently configured in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the closure systems may be provided by lacing arrangements, straps with hook and loop fasteners and/or buckles, as well as any other closure systems known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Heel Portion with Adjustable Heel Gate

The heel portionincludes a closed medial side, a closed rear side(which may also be referred to herein as a “rear heel wall”), and an open lateral side. In at least some embodiments, the sides,,of the heel portionare considered to form a “heel cup.” The closed medial sideis generally continuous with the medial quarter walland the rear heel wall. A heel tabdefines the top of the rear heel wall. A heel stabilizerextends around the bottom perimeter of the heel just above the midsole. The heel stabilizerextends from the closed medial side, around the rear heel wall, and along the open lateral side. The heel portion, including the heel stabilizer, does not necessarily include a plastic heel portion, and may instead be comprised of one or more layers of fabric, leather, or other material. The heel stabilizermay be integrally formed with other components on the closed medial sideand the rear heel wall. However, on the open lateral side, the heel stabilizerdefines a perimeter edge of the collar, as explained in further detail below.

The open lateral sideof the heel portionincludes a heel gateand the lateral side of the heel stabilizer. The heel gate(which may also be referred to herein as a “heel strap”) is provided by a flap of material extending forward on the lateral side of the heel portion. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the heel gateis formed from a four-ply section of material that includes the fabric lining to the foot cavity, a foam cushioning layer (not shown), a heel panel, and the second endof the rearward strap. It will be recognized that the heel gatemay alternatively be formed of more layers or less layers. In addition to the one or more layers of material that form the heel gate, the heel gate also includes a lace guidethat is coupled to the heel gate. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the lace guideis oriented in a substantially vertical position (i.e., a channel defined by the lace guide extends is oriented more vertical than horizontal) along the forward edge of the heel gate.

The heel gateis generally arranged below the heel taband above the heel stabilizer. A bottom gapseparates a lower edge of the heel gatefrom an upper edge of the heel stabilizer. A forward gapseparates a forward edge of the heel gatefrom the lateral quarter wall. These gapsandallows the heel gateto be moved inward and outward along a swing line that extends from a lateral edge of the heel tabto a rear edge of the gap(e.g., see dotted linein). The gapsandalso allows the heel gateto pivot forwardly and downwardly such that the size of the gapis reduced.

The gapsandare contiguous and form part of the openingto the foot cavity, and particularly form a side openingto the foot cavityon the open lateral sideof the heel between the heel portionand the lateral quarter wall. Together, the bottom gapand the forward gapresult in a “J-shaped” side opening(which may also be considered a “hockey-stick shape”) when viewed from the lateral side of the shoe. The forward gaphas a forward slash shape (e.g., similar to the shaft of a hockey stick) that slants downwardly and rearwardly from the throatto the heel stabilizer. The bottom gaphas an underscore shape (e.g., similar to the blade of a hockey stick) that extends backward on the shoe along the heel stabilizer. The rear end of the bottom gapdefines a notch that facilitates bending of the heel gate. The width across the forward gapis greater than the width across the bottom gap. For example, the width across the forward gapmay be between 2 cm and 8 cm, while the width across the bottom gap may be between 0.5 cm and 1.5 cm.

The J-shaped side openingforms a unique collar shape for the shoe. The lateral side of the collarhas a J-shaped edge that follows the J-shaped side opening. The medial side of the collarhas a more conventional U-shaped edge than extends along an upper edge of the throat, the medial quarter wall, and the heel portion. The U-shaped edge of the collaris removed from and is positioned above the heel stabilizeron the medal side of the shoe, but the J-shaped edge extends down to the heel stabilizeron the lateral side of the article of footwear. The entire collardefines a unitary opening to the foot cavity, including a U-shaped top opening(defined along the U-shaped edge) that is integral with the J-shaped side opening(defined along the J-shaped edge).

A rearward laceextends across the J-shaped side openingbetween the heel gateand the lateral sidewall. The middle of the laceextends through the lace guideon the heel gate. The ends of the laceare received within the rearward reelon the lateral sidewalland are coupled to the associated spool. The rearward reelis mounted on the lateral sidewallin a position such that an angle of the lacerelative to the dial reelpulls the heel gateforward and slightly downward, as described in the paragraph below. While a number of different positions on the lateral sidewallare desirable for the reel, it is generally advantageous to place the reel above the upper perimeter edge of the midsole.

The rearward reeloperates similar to that of rearward reelsuch that the rearward lacemay be effectively shortened or lengthened by manipulation of the reel. As best shown in, when the dialon the rearward reelis in the engaged position and rotated, the laceis effectively shortened, and the heel gateis drawn inwardly, forward, and slightly downward toward the dial, as illustrated by arrows. When laceis elongated and the heel gateis relatively far away from the rearward reeland the lateral sidewall(i.e., backward and slightly outward from the lateral sidewall), the heel gatemay be considered to be in an open position. In contrast, when the laceis shortened and the heel gate is drawn substantially closer to the rearward reeland the lateral sidewall, as illustrated in, the heel gatemay be considered to be in a closed position. Movement of the heel gatefrom the open position to the closed position assists with securing and tightening the heel portionon the foot of a wearer within the foot cavity.

In association with the above, and with reference now to, it will be recognized that the embodiments disclosed herein also disclose a methodfor donning an article of footwear. The methodbegins at actby placing the forward reeland the rearward reelin the disengaged position such that the lacesandmay be easily elongated. At act, a wearer inserts their foot into the foot cavityof the shoe. Then, at act, the wearer (or other person) moves the forward reel to the engage position and rotates the dial in order to pull the throat strapsacross the throat(as illustrated by arrowsin), and thereby tighten the midfoot portionof the shoeon the wearer according to comfort and desired fit. Next, at actthe wearer (or other person) moves the rearward reel to the engage position and rotates the dial in order to pull the heel gate forward (as illustrated by arrowsin), and thereby tighten the heel portionof the shoeon the wearer according to comfort and desired fit. After wearing the shoefor a desired length of time, the wearer may easily loosen the shoe on their foot by simply moving the forward reeland rearward reelto the disengaged position such that the laces,are easily lengthened. With the laces lengthened, the throat strapsand heel gateare loosened, and the foot is easily removed from the shoeas shown in act.

In view of the foregoing, it will be recognized that the article of footwear disclosed herein includes multiple adjustment mechanisms, including a midfoot adjustment member and a heel adjustment member. Accordingly the article of footwear provides a system wherein a midfoot fit is separate and distinct from heel fit.

Although one or more embodiments of the article of footwear with an adjustable heel have been provided herein, it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that other implementations and adaptations are possible. Furthermore, aspects of the various embodiments described herein may be combined or substituted with aspects from other features to arrive at different embodiments from those described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that variants of the above-described shoeand other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems, applications or methods. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art that are also intended to be encompassed by the foregoing disclosure.