Adjustable Heel Support Member for Article of Footwear

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/435,377, filed on Feb. 7, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/577,207, filed on Jan. 17, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,918,075 issued on Mar. 5, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/745,681, filed on Jan. 17, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,253,027 issued on Feb. 22, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/719,804, filed on Sep. 29, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,568,386 issued on Feb. 25, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/803,602, filed on Jul. 20, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,795,187 issued on Oct. 24, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/023,676, filed on Feb. 9, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,188 issued on Aug. 4, 2015, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present embodiments relate generally to an article of footwear, and in particular to an adjustable heel support member for an article of footwear.

In one aspect, a heel support member for an article of footwear includes a base portion, a first side portion extending from the base portion, a second side portion extending from the base portion and a rearward portion extending from the base portion. The first side portion is spaced apart from the rearward portion and the second side portion is spaced apart from the rearward portion. A fastening member extends from the first side portion to the second side portion and the fastening member engages the rearward portion and provides tension between the first side portion, the rearward portion and the second side portion.

In another aspect, a heel support member for an article of footwear includes a first side portion extending from the base portion and a second side portion extending from the base portion, where the second side portion is disposed opposite of the first side portion. The first side portion being spaced apart from the second side portion. A fastening member includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is engaged with a first fastener receiving portion on the first side portion and the second portion is engaged with a second fastener receiving portion on the second side portion. The first portion can be disengaged from the first fastener receiving portion.

In another aspect, a heel support member for an article of footwear includes a base portion, an extended portion extending from the base portion and an elastic ring including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is attached to a first region of the extended portion and the second portion is attached to a second region of the extended portion. The elastic ring provides an adjustable fit for the heel support member.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the following claims.

illustrates a rear isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of article of footwear, also referred to simply as article. For clarity, the following detailed description discusses an exemplary embodiment, in the form of a sports shoe, but it should be noted that the present embodiments could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to: hiking boots, soccer shoes, football shoes, sneakers, rugby shoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes. It will be understood that the principles discussed for article of footwearcould be used in articles intended for use with a left and/or right foot.

Referring to, for purposes of reference, articlemay be divided into forefoot portion, midfoot portionand heel portion. Forefoot portionmay be generally associated with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot portionmay be generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heel portionmay be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone. In addition, articlemay include lateral sideand medial side. In particular, lateral sideand medial sidemay be opposing sides of article. Furthermore, both lateral sideand medial sidemay extend through forefoot portion, midfoot portionand heel portion.

It will be understood that forefoot portion, midfoot portionand heel portionare only intended for purposes of description and are not intended to demarcate precise regions of article. Likewise, lateral sideand medial sideare intended to represent generally two sides of an article, rather than precisely demarcating articleinto two halves. In addition, forefoot portion, midfoot portionand heel portion, as well as lateral sideand medial side, can also be applied to individual components of an article, such as a sole structure and/or an upper.

For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives are employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. The term “longitudinal” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a direction extending a length of an article. In some cases, the longitudinal direction may extend from a forefoot portion to a heel portion of the article. Also, the term “lateral” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a direction extending a width of an article. In other words, the lateral direction may extend between a medial side and a lateral side of an article. Furthermore, the term “vertical” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a direction generally perpendicular to a lateral and longitudinal direction. For example, in cases where an article is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. In addition, the term “proximal” refers to a portion of a footwear component that is closer to a portion of a foot when an article of footwear is worn. Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a portion of a footwear component that is further from a portion of a foot when an article of footwear is worn. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of an article, such as an upper and/or a sole structure. In some cases, each of these directional adjectives may be applied to a heel counter for an article of footwear, as discussed below.

Articlecan include upperand sole structure. Generally, uppermay be any type of upper. In particular, uppermay have any design, shape, size and/or color. For example, in embodiments where articleis a basketball shoe, uppercould be a high top upper that is shaped to provide high support for an ankle. In embodiments where articleis a running shoe, uppercould be a low top upper.

In some embodiments, sole structuremay be configured to provide traction for article. In addition to providing traction, sole structuremay attenuate ground reaction forces when compressed between the foot and the ground during walking, running or other ambulatory activities. The configuration of sole structuremay vary significantly in different embodiments to include a variety of conventional or non-conventional structures. In some cases, the configuration of sole structurecan be configured according to one or more types of ground surfaces on which sole structuremay be used. Examples of ground surfaces include, but are not limited to: natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, as well as other surfaces.

Sole structureis secured to upperand extends between the foot and the ground when articleis worn. In different embodiments, sole structuremay include different components. For example, sole structuremay include an outsole, a midsole, and/or an insole. In some cases, one or more of these components may be optional. In an exemplary embodiment, sole structuremay include midsole.

In some cases, midsolemay be attached directly to upper. In other cases, midsolemay be attached to a sockliner associated with upper. In different embodiments, midsolemay have different material characteristics to provide various levels of comfort, cushioning and/or shock absorption. Examples of different materials that could be used for midsoleinclude, but are not limited to: foam, rubber, plastic, polymers, as well as any other kinds of materials.

In some cases, an outsole may be provided on sole structureto increase traction with a ground surface. Although the current embodiment does not include a separate outsole, other embodiments may include any kind of outsole. An outsole can include one or more tread elements and/or ground penetrating members such as cleats. In some cases, an outsole can have different material characteristics to provide varying levels of traction with a ground surface. Examples of different materials that could be used for an outsole include, but are not limited to: plastic, rubber, polymers, as well as any other kinds of materials that are both durable and wear-resistant.

An article of footwear can include provisions for supporting the heel of a foot. In some embodiments, an article of footwear can include a heel support member, such as a heel counter. A heel counter may be disposed adjacent to the sides and/or rear of the heel. In some cases, a heel counter helps maintain the foot inside of the article of footwear and can help to reduce over-pronation.

In some embodiments, article of footwearmay include heel support member, also referred to as simply support member. In some cases, heel support membercould be a heel counter. In other cases, however, heel support membermay be any other kind of support member known in the art for supporting the heel of a foot.

In different embodiments, heel support membercan be associated with different components of article. For example, in some cases, support membermay be associated with upper. In other cases, support membermay be associated with sole structure. In still other cases, support membercould be associated with upperand sole structure.

illustrates an exploded isometric view of an embodiment of article. Referring to, in some embodiments support membermay be configured to wrap around upper, including along lateral portionand medial portionof heel portion. In some cases, support membercan also wrap around rearward portionof upper. Furthermore, some portions of support membermay extend over a lower portion of upper(not shown) so that some of support memberis disposed between upperand sole structure. In embodiments including a sockliner, support membermay extend between upperand the sockliner, or between the sockliner and sole structure.

In different embodiments, support membercould be attached to articleusing a variety of methods. In some cases, for example, support membercould be glued, or otherwise bonded to, portions of upperas well as portions of sole structure. In other cases, support membercould be stitched to portions of upperand/or sole structure. Moreover, support membercould be attached to articlebefore or after the assembly of upperand sole structure.

Although support memberis disposed on an outer surface of upperin the current embodiment, and comprises a distinct and separate component from upper, other embodiments could include various other configurations. In another embodiment, support membercould be integrated into upper. For example, support membercould be disposed between two layers that comprise upper. In another configuration, support membermay be attached to an interior surface of upperso that support memberis not visible along the outer surface of article.

illustrate various views of heel support member. Referring to, support membermay include base portionand extended portion. Base portioncomprises a bottom or lower portion for support member. In some embodiments, base portionwraps below upperand/or between upperand sole structure. In the current embodiment, base portionfurther includes central gap(see) that gives an approximately u-shaped geometry for base portion. In other embodiments, however, base portionmay not include any gaps. In still other embodiments, base portioncould be a substantially solid portion with one or more holes or apertures.

Extended portionmay further comprise various portions such as a first side portion, a second side portion and a rearward portion. In some cases, extended portionincludes lateral portionthat comprises a first side portion, medial portionthat comprises a second side portion and rearward portion. Lateral portionextends outwardly from lateral peripheral portionof base portion. Likewise, medial portionextends outwardly form medial peripheral portionof base portion. In particular, in some cases, lateral portionmay be disposed opposite of medial portionwith respect to a longitudinal axis of support member. Moreover, rearward portionextends outwardly from rearward peripheral portionof base portion.

Generally, the geometry of extended portioncan vary. In some cases, each of lateral portion, medial portionand/or rearward portionmay comprise flap-like portions that are spaced apart by various gaps. Referring to, lateral portioncomprises first end portion, intermediate portionand a second end portion. In some cases, second end portionis substantially wider than intermediate portion. Also, as seen in, medial portioncomprises first end portion, intermediate portionand second end portion. In some cases, second end portionis substantially wider than intermediate portion. Also, as seen in, rearward portioncomprises first end portion, intermediate portionand second end portion, which is substantially wider than intermediate portion. These widened end portions may provide additional support near the ankle of the foot.

Referring again to, in one embodiment, lateral portionand rearward portionmay be spaced apart by first gap. Also, in one embodiment, medial portionand rearward portionmay be spaced apart by second gap. Moreover, second end portionof lateral portionmay be disposed closer to rearward portionthan first end portion. Likewise, second end portionof medial portionmay be disposed closer to rearward portionthan first end portion. In other words, both lateral portionand medial portiongenerally extend partially in a rearward direction. In addition, in some cases, rearward portionextends in a generally vertical, or proximal, direction.

The current embodiments are only intended to illustrate an exemplary geometry for extended portion, including lateral portion, medial portionand rearward portion. In other embodiments, the geometry of each portion could be varied. Moreover, in other embodiments, extended portioncould be divided into more than three portions that are separated by at least three gaps. In still other embodiments, extended portioncould be comprised of one portion. In still other embodiments, extended portioncould be divided into two portions that are separated by a single gap. For example, in one embodiment, a support member could include a rearward portion and a lateral portion, but not medial portion. As another example, in one embodiment a support member could include a rearward portion and a medial portion, but not a lateral portion. In still another embodiment, a support member could include a lateral portion and a medial portion, but not a rearward portion.

This exemplary configuration for extended portionallows for lateral portion, medial portionand rearward portionto act as flap-like supporting portions that bend with respect to base portion. This arrangement allows extended portionto expand and/or contract around the heel of a foot.

Support membermay be further associated with fastening member. Fastening membermay generally extend between two or more portions of extended portion. In some cases, fastening membermay extend between lateral portionand rearward portion. In some cases, fastening membermay extend between medial portionand rearward portion. In other cases, fastening membermay extend between lateral portionand medial portion. In one embodiment, fastening membermay extend between lateral portion, rearward portionand medial portion. In particular, fastening membermay extend from lateral portionto rearward portionand from rearward portionto medial portion.

Fastening membercould be any provision used for fastening one or more portions of support memberaround the heel of a foot. In some cases, fastening membercould comprise a strip, strap, string, cord or other fastening member having a distinct first end and a second end. In other cases, fastening membercould comprise a ring, band or loop-like fastening member. Furthermore, the elasticity properties of fastening membercould vary in different embodiments. In some cases, fastening membercould have a low elasticity associated with various types of plastic, leather and/or woven straps. In other cases, fastening membercould have a high elasticity associated with various types of extendable straps, elastic bands (such as rubber bands) as well as other types of elastic fastening members known in the art. In one embodiment, fastening membercomprises a substantially elastic ring.

Referring now to, support membercan include provisions for receiving fastening member. Support membercan include fastener receiving portions. Fastener receiving portionsinclude first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portion. In particular, first fastener receiving portionis associated with second end portionof lateral portion. Likewise, second fastener receiving portionis associated with second end portionof medial portion. Although first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portionare disposed on end portions of lateral portionand medial portion, respectively, in other embodiments each fastener receiving portion could be disposed on any other portions of lateral portionand/or medial portion.

In different embodiments, the geometry of a fastener receiving portion could vary. In some cases, first fastener receiving portionmay have a hook-like geometry that is configured to hold fastening memberin place. In one embodiment, first fastener receiving portionincludes connecting portionand engaging portion. Connecting portionis a relatively narrow portion that extends outwardly from surfaceof lateral portionand secures engaging portion. Engaging portionmay be spaced apart from surfaceof lateral portionso that fastening membercan fit between engaging portionand lateral portion.

Engaging portionextends in an approximately perpendicular direction from connecting portion. In some cases, for example, engaging portionand connecting portionare configured in a T-like shape. Moreover, first fastener receiving portionmay be oriented so that connecting portionis disposed more rearwardly along lateral portionthan engaging portion. Using this arrangement, fastening membermay be pulled in tension against first fastener receiving portionand engaging portionmay act to prevent fastening memberfrom sliding off of first fastener receiving portion.

The geometry for first fastener receiving portionshown here is only intended to be exemplary and in other embodiments, other geometries are also possible. It will be understood that second fastener receiving portioncould be provided with a substantially similar geometry to first fastener receiving portion. For example, second fastener receiving portionmay include connecting portionand engaging portionthat are configured in a similar arrangement to connecting portionand engaging portion. In other embodiments, however, second fastener receiving portioncould have any other geometry. For example, in some cases, second fastener receiving portioncould be configured as a closed loop that fixes fastening memberin place in a semi-permanent manner.

In some cases, first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portionmay be further associated with first raised portionand second raised portion, respectively. In some cases, first raised portionand second raised portionmay be t-shaped portions that are disposed adjacent to the engaging portions of first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portion. In some cases, first raised portionand second raised portioncould facilitate aligning fastening memberwith fastener receiving portions in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, rearward portionmay include third fastener receiving portion. In some cases, third fastener receiving portioncomprises a raised portion that extends outwardly from outer surfaceof rearward portion. In addition, third fastener receiving portionincludes openingsfor receiving fastening memberthrough opposing sides of third fastener receiving portion. As seen in, in some cases, third fastener receiving portionmay be substantially hollow and open along inner surfaceof rearward portion.

Using this configuration discussed above, fastening membermay be secured through third fastener receiving portionas well as at first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portion. In the current embodiment, for example, first portionof fastening memberis engaged with first fastener receiving portion. In particular, first portionis held in place by engaging portion. Also, second portionof fastening memberis engaged with second fastener receiving portion. In particular, second portionis held in place by engaging portion.

Referring now to, extended portiongenerally wraps around heel portionof upper. In particular, lateral portion, medial portionand rearward portionmay generally wrap around lateral side, medial sideand rearward portion, respectively. Additionally, portions of base portionmay be disposed beneath upperat heel portion. This configuration may provide stability and support for a heel disposed inside upper.

In the unfastened position shown in, each of lateral portion, medial portionand rearward portionmay rest against upper. Moreover, in this case, second end portionof lateral portionis spaced apart from rearward portionby spacing S. Similarly, second end portionof medial portionis spaced apart from rearward portionby spacing S.

Referring now to, foothas been inserted into article. As footis inserted, extended portionflexes to accommodate the width of heelof foot. In particular, lateral portionand medial portionare flexed away from rearward portion. In this stretched position, second end portionof lateral portionis spaced apart from rearward portionby spacing Sthat is substantially larger than the original spacing Sshown in. Likewise, second end portionof medial portionis spaced apart from rearward portionby spacing Sthat is substantially larger than the original spacing Sshown in. In other words, the size of support membermay generally change to accommodate the width of a user's foot.

Initially, before support memberis tightened, fastening membermay only be fastened at second fastener receiving portion, but not first fastener receiving portion. Referring to, in order to tighten support memberaround heel, a user may pull fastening memberover first fastener receiving portion, so that fastening memberis pulled taut from medial portionto lateral portionand across rearward portion. As fastening memberis tightened, lateral portion, medial portionand rearward portionare pulled inwardly to provide a better fit and increased support for heel. This can help retain heelin articleand can help reduce the occurrence of over-pronation.

In some cases, to facilitate ease of removing footfrom article, fastening membercan be disengaged from either first fastener receiving portionor second fastener receiving portion. In some cases, fastening membermay be disengaged from both first fastener receiving portionand second fastener receiving portion. In the case where fastening memberis disengaged from both receiving portions, fastening membermay still be secured to support memberthrough its engagement within third fastener receiving portion.

In some embodiments, fastening membercould be permanently attached to either lateral portionand/or medial portion. In cases where fastening memberis permanently attached to both lateral portionand medial portion, fastening membermay expand as a heel is inserted into upper. In such cases, fastening memberneed not be engaged and disengaged to fasten support memberaround the heel.

The configurations discussed above provide a support member that may serve as a heel counter in an article of footwear. Moreover, the support member is configured to accommodate heels of different sizes, including different widths. This allows a manufacturer to utilize a single heel counter for a variety of different heel widths, rather than making a single heel counter for each heel width. Furthermore, this design accommodates intermediate heel widths that would otherwise not be accommodated, since the support member can adjust to width or size within a given range of sizes.

illustrate schematic views of support memberconfigured to accommodate a range of different heel widths. Referring to, support memberis capable of expanding to fit different heel widths of width W, width Wand width W. In particular, in a first fastened position shown in, support memberaccommodates a relatively narrow width Wassociated with heel. In the fastened position shown in, support memberaccommodates a medium width Wassociated with heel. In the fastened position shown in, support memberaccommodates a wide width Wassociated with heel.

Support membercan be made from a variety of different materials. Examples of different materials that could be used for one or more portions of support memberinclude, but are not limited to: plastic, natural leather, synthetic leather, rubber, plastic, woven materials, foams, as well as any other materials known in the art. Moreover, in some other embodiments, different portions of support membercould be made of different materials. Fastening membercan also be made from a variety of different materials. Examples of different material that could be used for fastening memberinclude, but are not limited to: elastic materials, rubber, woven materials as well as any other materials.

While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.