LACING LOCKDOWN SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lacing system for tightening a shoe upper, comprising: at least one strap, and a first and a second guiding element for coupling the strap to the shoe upper, wherein a first end of the strap is attached to a tongue portion of the shoe upper and a second end of the strap is configured to receive a portion of a shoelace, and wherein the first guiding element is arranged in a throat area of the shoe upper and the second guiding element is arranged in a sole area of the shoe upper opposite to the throat area.

Claims

1. A lacing system for tightening a shoe upper, comprising: at least one strap, and a first and a second guiding element for coupling the strap to the shoe upper, wherein a first end of the strap is attached to a tongue portion of the shoe upper and a second end of the strap is configured to receive a portion of a shoelace, and wherein the first guiding element is arranged in a throat area of the shoe upper and the second guiding element is arranged in a sole area of the shoe upper opposite to the throat area.

2. The lacing system of claim 1, wherein the strap is movable relative to the shoe upper.

3. The lacing system of claim 1, wherein the first guiding element and the second guiding element are partially attached to the shoe upper.

4. The lacing system of claim 3, wherein the first guiding element and/or the second guiding element is a band element partially attached to the shoe upper to form an opening, and wherein the strap passes through the opening.

5. The lacing system of claim 1, further comprising: an elastic element which is at least partially attached to the strap, wherein the elastic element is stretchable along a longitudinal direction of the strap.

6. The lacing system of claim 5, wherein the first guiding element and/or the second guiding element is a band element which is partially attached to the shoe upper to form an opening, and wherein the strap and the elastic element pass through the opening.

7. The lacing system of claim 5, wherein the elastic element is partially attached to the shoe upper having a first attachment point of the elastic element to the strap that is closer to the throat area of the shoe upper than a second attachment point of the elastic element to the shoe upper.

8. The lacing system of claim 5, wherein the elastic element is arranged between the strap and one of the guiding elements and/or between the strap and the shoe upper.

9. The lacing system of claim 7, wherein the elastic element extends from the first guiding element to the second guiding element.

10. The lacing system of claim 7, wherein the elastic element has a width larger than a width of the strap.

11. The lacing system of claim 1, wherein the second guiding element is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the strap, and wherein the first guiding element is arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strap.

12. The lacing system of claim 11, wherein the second guiding element is partially attached to the shoe upper to form a tube, and wherein the strap passes through the tube.

13. The lacing system of claim 5, wherein the second guiding element integrates with the elastic element into a one-piece multifunctional element of the lacing system.

14. The lacing system of claim 13, wherein a first end of the one-piece multifunctional element is partially attached to the first end of the strap, and wherein a second end of the multifunctional element is partially attached to the shoe upper in the sole area of the shoe upper.

15. The lacing system of claim 5, further comprising a supporting layer covering at least partially the strap and/or the guiding elements and/or the elastic element.

16. The lacing system of claim 1, wherein the second end of the strap forms a loop.

17. The lacing system claim 1, wherein the lacing system is arranged on a quarter area and/or a midfoot area of the shoe upper with the first end of the strap attached to the tongue portion of the shoe upper by stitches and as a result of tightening the shoelace received by the second end of the strap, the strap is configured to pull the tongue portion of the shoe upper towards the foot of a wearer.

18. The lacing system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of straps, wherein each strap is coupled to corresponding guiding elements and/or a corresponding elastic element and/or a corresponding one-piece multifunctional element which is obtained by integrating a second guiding element with an elastic element.

19. The lacing system of claim 18, wherein the first guiding element and/or the second guiding element is a one-piece band element partially attached to the shoe upper to form a plurality of opening, and wherein each of the plurality of straps passes through a corresponding opening.

20. A shoe, comprising: a sole, and a shoe upper having a lacing system according to claims 1; wherein the lacing system is arranged on a quarter area and/or a midfoot area of the shoe upper.

21. A lacing system for tightening a shoe upper, comprising: at least one strap having a first end attached to a tongue portion of the shoe upper and a second end to receive a portion of a shoelace, and a first band and a second band each guiding the strap, wherein the first band is arranged in a throat area of the shoe upper and the second band is arranged in a sole area of the shoe upper opposite the throat area, the first and second bands thereby coupling the strap to the shoe upper.

22. The lacing system of claim 21, wherein the first band and/or the second band is are at partially attached to the shoe upper to form an opening, and wherein the strap passes through the opening.

23. The lacing system of claim 21, wherein the second end of the strap forms a loop to receive the portion of the shoelace, wherein the loop extends from an edge of the shoe upper at the throat area.

24. The lacing system of claim 21, wherein the lacing system is arranged on an inner side of the shoe upper which is configured to contact with a foot of a wearer.

25. The lacing system of claim 21, wherein the lacing system is arranged on an outer side of the shoe upper, and wherein the strap extends through an aperture on the shoe upper.

26. The lacing system of claim 21, further comprising: an elastic element which is at least partially attached to the strap, wherein the elastic element is stretchable along a longitudinal direction of the strap.

27. The lacing system of claim 26, wherein the elastic element extends from the first band to the second band.

28. The lacing system of claim 26, wherein the band and/or the elastic element is attached to the shoe upper by stitches.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Aspects of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures below. These figures show:

[0056] FIG. 1: an embodiment of a shoe with a lacing system according to the present invention;

[0057] FIG. 2A-C: an illustration of a first embodiment of a lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention;

[0058] FIG. 3: an illustration of a second embodiment of a lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention;

[0059] FIG. 4: an illustration of a third embodiment of a lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention;

[0060] FIG. 5A-D: an illustration of a fourth embodiment of a lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention;

[0061] FIG. 6: an exemplary disassembled shoe upper prototype with a lacing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] FIG. 7A-C: a shoe with a lacing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

[0063] FIG. 8: an illustration of a fifth embodiment of a lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] In the following, only some embodiments of the invention are described in detail. It is to be understood that these exemplary embodiments can be modified in a number of ways and combined with each other whenever compatible and that certain features may be omitted in so far as they appear dispensable.

[0065] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a lacing system for tightening a shoe upper of a sports shoe. The lacing system comprises (a.) at least one strap and (b.) a first and a second guiding element for coupling the strap to the shoe upper, wherein a first end of the strap is attached to a tongue portion of the shoe upper and a second end of the strap is configured to receive a portion of a shoe-lace. Moreover, the first guiding element is arranged in a throat area of the shoe upper and the second guiding element is arranged in a sole area of the shoe up-per opposite to the throat area.

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a shoe 1, in particular, a sports shoe according to the present invention. The shoe 1 comprises a shoe upper 2 which corresponds to the part of the shoe which essentially circumvents the upper side of a foot of a wearer, i.e. the instep of the foot. The bottom side of the shoe comprises a sole 3 which is fixedly attached to the shoe upper 2. This may be done by stitching, gluing, etc.

[0067] The shoe upper 2 comprises a throat area 4 which is located opposite to the sole 3. The throat area 4 is characterized in that it relates to an opening of the shoe upper 2 and in particular comprises a throat opening 5a. The throat opening 5a may be extended if the shoe upper 2 accommodates the foot of the wearer. The throat opening 5a may be in a widened state if the shoe upper 2 is in an untightened state and in a less widened state if the shoe upper 2 is in a tightened state. In other words, the dimension of the throat opening 5a may be adjusted and changed by the tightness of the shoe upper 2.

[0068] The throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2 further comprises two throat sides 5b, 5c on opposing sides of the throat opening 5a respectively. As a result of tightening the shoe, the two throat sides 5b, 5c next to the throat opening 5a move towards each other and reduce the throat opening 5a. Optional shoe eyelets, as a supplement to the lacing system of the current invention, may be implemented on the throat sides 5b, 5c to receive a shoelace 15.

[0069] The shoe upper 2 further comprises a tongue portion 6 which lies in between the two throat sides 5b, 5c of the throat area 4 and covers the instep of the foot of the wearer.

[0070] The shoe upper 2 further comprises an inner side 7a, which may be in direct contact with the foot of the wearer, and an outer side 7b opposite to the inner side 7a. The shoe upper 2 further comprises a midfoot area 8a, a quarter area 8b and a heel area 8c. The quarter area 8b is substantially located between the midfoot area 8a and a heel area 8c of the shoe upper. However, in different embodiments the midfoot area 8a and the quarter area 8b may also refer to an overlapping area of the shoe upper.

[0071] It should be noted that FIG. 1 shows the lateral side of the shoe 1 and the shoe upper 2 as an exemplary illustration. The shoe upper 2 accordingly comprises a corresponding midfoot area 8a, quarter area 8b and heel area 8c on the medial side thereof, which is not shown in FIG. 1. The shoe 1 and the shoe upper 2 are shown exemplarily and may vary among the various embodiments as described below.

[0072] FIG. 2A shows an illustration of a first embodiment of a lacing system 10 for tightening a shoe upper according to the present invention. The lacing system 10 is used in combination with the shoe upper 2 as a part of the shoe 1. The lacing system 10 comprises at least one strap 11, and a first and a second guiding element 12a, 12b for coupling the strap 11 to the shoe upper 2. A first end 13 of the strap 11 is arranged near or attached to a tongue portion 6 of the shoe upper 2, which is not shown in FIG. 2A but the illustration of a tongue portion 6 in FIG. 1 is referred here. A second end 14 of the strap 11 is configured to receive a shoelace 15 (not shown in FIG. 2A). The strap 11 may be made from webbing or any other suitable material and may be made from a rigid material or alternatively from a flexible and stretchable material. Even though the exemplary description below relates to an exemplary strap 11 of the lacing system 10, it should be noted that a lacing system according to the present invention may comprise a plurality of straps 11, for example, four straps as depicted in FIG. 2A.

[0073] The first guiding element 12a is arranged in a throat area 4 of the shoe upper. The second guiding element 12b is arranged in an area opposite to the throat area 4 and referred hereafter as a sole area 9. Referring to the FIG. 1, the sole area 9 of the shoe upper is the area of the shoe upper 2 that is close to the sole 3. The sole area 9 may further include an edge of the shoe upper 2 which is configured to be attached to a shoe strobel and/or a shoe sole 3 and/or a midsole.

[0074] The guiding elements 12a, 12b are formed as band elements in this embodiment, which particularly can prevent a lateral movement of the at least one strap 11 relative to the shoe upper. The guiding elements can also be formed in any other form/shape with suitable materials, which supports the at least one strap 11 and defines the orientation of the strap with respect to the shoe upper 2.

[0075] The guiding elements 12a, 12b may be at least partially attached to the shoe upper 2, for example, at the one or more locations 18 as shown in FIG. 2A. In this embodiment, the guiding elements 12a, 12b form an opening with respect to the shoe upper 2 such that the strap 11 passes through the opening and is movable freely within the opening and relative to the shoe upper 2. Particularly, the strap 11 can therefore move along a longitudinal direction, which corresponds to a direction from the throat area 4 to the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2. The guiding elements can be attached to the shoe upper 2 by a stitching or any other suitable technique.

[0076] When the lacing system 10 is in use together with a shoe upper 2 in a shoe 1, a shoelace (e.g. shoelace 15 as shown in FIG. 1) would be received by the second end 14 of the strap 11, for example, by passing through a loop formed at the second end 14 of the strap 11. The first end 13 of the strap 11 would be attached to a tongue portion 6 of the shoe upper 2. The segment of the strap 11 between the first end 13 and the second end 14 would be guided and oriented by the guiding elements 12a, 12b, and preferably be positioned close to the surface of the shoe upper 2.

[0077] When the wearer of the shoe intends to tighten the shoe upper 2 of the shoe 1, the wearer of the shoe would pull the shoelace up, i.e. with a force F as shown in FIG. 2A and towards a direction away from the instep of foot of the wearer. The shoelace and the pulling force F would accordingly pull the strap 11 along the same direction, resulting in the tongue portion 6 being moved down towards the instep of foot of the wearer. In addition, the pulling force F would also move the shoe upper 2 closer to the foot of the wearer at the midfoot area, i.e. wrapping the shoe upper around the foot. Therefore, the lacing system according to the pre-sent invention can provide a customized and optimized fitting effect to the foot of the wearer, where the foot can be properly covered and protected by the shoe upper and the tongue portion thereof.

[0078] Optionally, the lacing system 10 may further comprise a supporting layer 17 covering at least partially the strap 11 and/or the guiding elements 12a, 12b of the lacing system 10. The supporting layer can be a mesh layer made of mesh materials or a padding layer providing cushioning effects. The supporting layer 17 can provide a protection effect to the lacing system 10, for example, to avoid abrasion and damage to the strap 11 and/or the guiding elements 12a, 12b. In addition, the supporting layer 17 is preferably positioned between the lacing system 10 and the foot of a wearer, which can prevent undesired pressure points on the foot of the wearer and thus provide a better comfort. The supporting layer 17 may be stitched to the horizontal one or more guiding elements 12a, 12b. Alternatively, the supporting layer 17 may also be attached to the inner side of the shoe upper 2 such that the strap 11 is movable freely relative to the supporting layer 17 and the shoe upper 2.

[0079] FIG. 2B shoes another embodiment of a shoe upper 2 comprising a supporting layer 17 wherein the supporting layer 17, which may be arranged for example as a mesh layer, is selectively melted onto an inner side of the shoe upper 2. Alternatively, the inner side of the shoe upper 2 may additionally be equipped with an additional reinforcement layer which may strengthen the structure of the shoe upper 2. The supporting layer 17 may alternatively be selectively melted to the additional reinforcement layer. Selectively melting the supporting layer 17 onto the inner side of the shoe upper 2 or the reinforcement layer may comprise attaching the supporting layer 17 to an area in between two adjacent straps 11. Selectively melting the supporting layer 17 onto the shoe upper or the reinforcement layer may be performed by heat pressing or any other suitable technique. Selectively melting the supporting layer 17 to the shoe upper or the reinforcement layer may provide the advantage that the strap 11 may still move freely relative to the supporting layer 17 and the shoe upper 2.

[0080] The guiding elements 12a and 12b may be arranged as respectively a single piece guiding element e.g., as band-like elements as shown in FIG. 2A. One or both of the guiding elements 12a and 12b may also be arranged as multiple pieces guiding elements 12aa-12ad and 12ba-12bd as shown in FIG. 2B respectively. This yields a dedicated guiding element for each strap 11 without any further interconnecting in between the multiple pieces guiding elements 12aa-12ad and 12ba-12bd. The multiple pieces guiding elements 12aa-12ad and 12ba-12bd may each be attached to the shoe upper 2 and/or the supporting layer 17 at two attachment points 18, which are arranged on each side of the respective strap 11. This arrangement may allow the multiple pieces guiding elements 12aa-12ad are arranged on top of the supporting layer 17 or underneath the supporting layer 17.

[0081] FIG. 2C shows a detailed view of a preferable material which may be used as a supporting layer 17. FIG. 2C relates to a mesh-like supporting layer 17. However, any other suitable material may also be used as a supporting layer 17.

[0082] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the lacing system for a shoe upper according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, the lacing system 10 further comprises an elastic element 19, which is partially attached to the strap 11. In the example of FIG. 3, the elastic element 19 is preferably attached to the strap 11 in an area which is closer to the second end 14 of the strap 11, at the throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2, than it is to the sole area 9, by two attachment points 20a, 20b, e.g., by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other adequate attachment technique. Alternatively, the elastic element 19 may also be attached to the strap 11 at other locations of the strap 11, e.g. near the first end 13 of the strap 11.

[0083] In a typical scenario for using the lacing system by pulling a shoelace 15, received by the second end 14 of the shoe upper, and accordingly tightening the shoe upper 2, the strap 11 and the attached elastic element 19 would together be pulled up by the shoelace 15. Accordingly, the strap 11 moves along a longitudinal direction relative to the shoe upper 2, which is substantially perpendicular to the guiding elements 12a, 12b and along a longest dimension of the strap 11. The elastic element 19 generates and provides an additional restoring force, which brings a further tightening effect of the lacing system 10 to the shoe upper 2. In particular, when tightening the shoelace, the elastic element 19 is stretched and the tongue portion 6 connected to the first end 13 of the strap 11 (not shown in FIG. 3) is pulled towards the foot of the wearer.

[0084] When the shoelace received by the first end 13 of the strap 11 is untightened or partially released from a tightened state, the elastic element 19 returns to its original state but is still capable of maintaining a certain pulling force. This is due to the restoring force of the elastic element 19, which acts on the tongue portion 6 and prevents or at least decreases a slippage of the tongue portion 6. In addition, an undesired movement of the shoe upper 2 relative to the foot of the wearer can be prevented or at least reduced. Both the strap 11 and the elastic element 19 may be movable relative to the guiding elements 12a, 12b and to the shoe upper 2.

[0085] Similar to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the guiding elements 12a, 12b may be formed as band elements or any other suitable elements which may prevent a, predominantly, lateral movement of the strap 11 and the elastic element 19. The guiding elements 12a, 12b may be formed such that they form an opening through which the elastic element 19 and/or the strap 11 may pass. The elastic element 19 may be a single layer of elastic material or may form a tube sur-rounding the strap 11. The elastic element 19 may also be arranged such that it comprises two or more layers of elastic material which are attached to each other along its' longitudinal direction. The elastic element 19 may additionally be attached to the shoe upper 2 at one or more locations. Even though the description above relates to a single strap 11 and a single elastic element 19, it should be noted that a lacing system according to the present invention may comprise a plurality of straps and a plurality of corresponding elastic elements as depicted in FIG. 3.

[0086] FIG. 4. shows a third embodiment of a lacing system for tightening a shoe upper according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the elastic element 19 is at least partially attached to the strap 11, e.g., by stitching or any other suitable technique, and additionally partially attached to the shoe upper 2. As shown exemplarily in FIG. 4, the elastic element 19 is attached to the strap 11 at a first attachment point 20a and to the shoe upper 2 at attachment points 21a, 21b. The attachment may be done by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other suitable techniques. The first attachment point 20a of the elastic element 19 to the strap 11 is closer to the throat area 4 than the attachment points 21a, 21b of the elastic element 19 to the shoe upper 2.

[0087] The elastic element 19 may be attached to the strap 11 at one attachment point as illustrated in FIG. 4, at two attachment points as illustrated in FIG. 3, or at more attachment points according to the requirements of the respective application of the shoe. More attachment points allow a stronger connection between the elastic element 19 and the strap 11, which can reduce the chance of damage of the lacing system. The location of the attachments can be arbitrarily chosen according to respective requirements. For example, the attachment can be oriented along a longitudinal direction of the strap 11 or any other direction.

[0088] The restoring force, which occurs due to the stretch of the elastic element 19, may be controlled by the dimension and properties of the attachment between the elastic element 19 and the shoe upper 2. The restoring force is larger when the attachment is stronger. For example, an attachment comprises a higher amount of stitches and/or a longer length of the stitches, which means a firmer connection between the shoe upper 2 and the elastic element 19, results in a larger restoring force.

[0089] FIG. 5A shows a fourth embodiment of a lacing system for tightening a shoe upper according to the present invention. The elastic element 19 in this embodiment extends from the first guiding element 12a to the second guiding element 12b of the lacing system. Each of the guiding elements 12a, 12b is arranged as a band element and forms an opening through which the strap 11 and the elastic element 19 pass. The elastic element 19 is wider than the strap 11 and covers the segment of the strap 11 between the first and second guiding elements for a better protection of the strap 11. In principle, the elastic element 19 is arranged such that it forms a tube in which the strap 11 is located.

[0090] The attachments of the elastic element 19 to the strap 11 and to the shoe upper 2 are similar to the ones described in the third embodiment (FIG. 4). The elastic element 19 is attached to the strap 11 at one attachment point 20a near the second end 14 of the strap 11. The elastic element 19 is attached to the shoe upper 2 at two attachment points 21a, 21b, however in this embodiment at a location closer to the second guiding element 12b. The attachments can be fulfilled by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other suitable techniques. As the elastic element 19 in this embodiment is bigger, the attachments may comprise a higher amount of the stiches or a longer length of stitches. In case multiple straps 11 are used, each of the straps 11 passes through a corresponding elastic element 19 as shown in FIG. 5A.

[0091] 5A shows the lacing system in a relaxed state, i.e. a situation at which the shoe-lace 15 is not tightened, while FIG. 5B shows exemplarily the lacing system in a tightened state. As a result of tightening the shoelace 15 which is received by the second end 14 of the strap 11, the elastic element 19 is stretched along its longitudinal direction and towards the throat opening 5a. The elastic element 19 and the strap 11, which is attached to the elastic element e.g. by stitching at an attachment point 20a and further attachment points 21a and 21b, are allowed to move freely relative to the guiding elements 12a and 12b.

[0092] Analogously to FIGS. 5A and 5B, which show the lacing system in a relaxed (FIG. 5A) and a tightened (FIG. 5B) state, FIGS. 5C and 5D illustrate the effect of tightening the lacing system on a tongue portion 6 of the shoe upper. FIG. 5C shows the lacing system in a relaxed, i.e. an untightened state. As outlined above, e.g. for FIGS. 5A and 5B, the strap 11 is attached to an elastic element 19. The second end 14 of the strap 11 is formed to receive a shoelace 15. Guiding elements 12a and 12b are used to prevent any lateral movement of the strap 11 and the elastic element 19. The first end 13 of the strap 11 is attached to the tongue portion 6. As a result of tightening the shoelace 15, i.e. pulling on the strap 11 and the elastic element 19, the second end 14 of the strap 11 is pulled upwards towards the throat opening 5a. Consequently, the first end 13 of the strap 11 is pulled downwards towards the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2. Since the first end 13 of the strap 11 is attached to the tongue portion 6, the tongue portion 6 is also pulled downwards towards the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2. As a result of pulling the tongue portion 6 downwards, the tongue portion 6 wraps around the foot of a wearer and provides additional immobilization of the foot of the wearer.

[0093] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary shoe upper prototype comprising the fourth embodiment of the lacing system as schematically shown in FIG. 5A. The shoe upper 2 is disassembled for the purpose of a clearer explanation herein. The shoe upper 2 comprises a main body 2a and a tongue portion 6 which is connected to a supporting layer 17a. The tongue portion 6 would be visible from a top view of the shoe upper 2 when it is worn by a wearer. Referring to FIG. 1, the shoe upper 2 comprises a throat area 4, a sole area 9 and a heel portion 23. The throat area 4 comprises a throat opening 5a.

[0094] The lacing system 10 comprises multiple straps 11, a first guiding element 12a, a second guiding element 12b and multiple elastic elements 19 corresponding to the straps 11. The straps 11 attach to the tongue portion 6 at their first ends 13 and form a loop to receive at least a part of a shoelace (not shown) at their second ends 14. The first guiding element 12a is arranged in the throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2, and the second guiding element 12b is arranged in the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2 opposite to the throat area 4. In between the first guiding element 12a and the second guiding element 12b, the elastic element 19 is located. The straps 11 are arranged within the elastic elements 19 and protrudes from an opening of the elastic element 19 at the throat area 4.

[0095] The guiding elements 12a, 12b are arranged such that they form openings 12c in between the inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2 and the guiding elements 12a, 12b. In this embodiment, each of the guiding elements 12a, 12b is a band element forming multiple openings 12c to receive the multiple straps 11 and the corresponding elastic elements 19. Each of the elastic elements 19 also passes through a corresponding opening 12c as the straps 11. The elastic element 19 and the straps 11 are therefore constrained to a width of the opening with respect to any lateral movement. Moreover, the opening 12c further prevents or at least decreases displacements which may occur during wearing the shoe upper 2.

[0096] The straps 11 are arranged between the elastic elements 19 and the inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2. Accordingly, the straps 11 are covered by the elastic elements 19 or are within the elastic elements 19 and are not in contact with the foot of a wearer when the shoe upper is worn. When the shoe upper 2 is assembled to be worn, the supporting layer 17 is arranged to be between the foot of a wear and the lacing system 10, which can avoid any undesired contact of the supporting layer 17 and the lacing system 10 and it may avoid unpleasant pressure points on the instep of the foot of the wearer. Therefore, a shoe upper 2 having the lacing system 10 according to the present invention can still provide optimized comfort to the foot of the wearer, while it promises a customized fitting and a lock-down effect as a result of tensioning the lacing system 10. The supporting layer can be a mesh layer made of mesh material or a padding layer providing cushioning effects.

[0097] In this exemplary shoe upper prototype as shown in FIG. 6, the lacing system 10 is arranged at an inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2, which is therefore not visible when the shoe upper 2 is worn by a wearer. However, the lacing system 10 may also be arranged at an outer side of the shoe upper 2. In this case, the first end 13 of the straps 11 connecting to the tongue portion 6 would remain at the inner side of the shoe upper, while the guiding elements 12a, 12b and the elastic elements 19 would be arranged at an outer side of the shoe upper 2.

[0098] In all potential embodiments, it is possible that the lacing system according to the present invention is equipped with more than one strap 11 and corresponding elastic elements 19. In all potential embodiments, an additional supporting layer may be provided and configured to cover at least partially the straps and/or the guiding elements and/or the elastic element.

[0099] FIGS. 7A-7C show a shoe 1 with a lacing system 10 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention which was described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0100] FIG. 7A shows a top view of the shoe, which comprises a shoe upper 2. The shoe upper 2 comprises a throat opening 5a, which is surrounded by two opposite throat sides 5b, 5c. A tongue portion 6 of the shoe upper 2 is located at the throat opening 5a, in particularly beneath the two throat sides 5b, 5c.

[0101] In this exemplary shoe, the lacing system is arranged at the inner side 7a of the shoe upper and only on the medial side, i.e. the throat side 5b, of the shoe upper 2. The lacing system comprises four visible straps from the top view, each of which having a second end 14 formed as a loop to receive the shoelace 15. The second ends 14 of the straps 11 extend from a throat edge 5d of the shoe upper. The lacing system further comprises four elastic elements 19 each corresponding to a strap 11. Alternatively, the lacing system may have straps arranged on both lateral and medial sides of the shoe upper, i.e., both throat sides 5b, 5c.

[0102] The number and dimensions of the straps 11 and the corresponding elastic elements 19 of the lacing system are flexible and can be affected and designed based on different requirements, e.g., the size and/or the material of the shoe upper, the shape of a foot of a wearer, the particular sports application the shoe is de-signed for, the construction of the shoe, etc.

[0103] FIG. 7B shows a closer view of the lacing system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention from an inner side 7a of the shoe 1 as shown in FIG. 7A. The closer view is shown as a view from a heel portion towards a toe portion of the shoe upper 2 along the tongue portion 6. The toe portion is located at the opposite side of the heel portion 23 of the shoe upper 2 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the shoe upper 2.

[0104] It can be clearly seen in FIG. 7B that the second end 14 of the strap 11 is arranged as a loop to receive the shoelace 15. Alternatively or additionally, the strap can have a hole punched inside to create a lace loop. Other loops can be stitched onto the strap. The first end 13 of the strap 11 is attached to the tongue portion 6.

[0105] A first guiding element 12a of the lacing system is arranged in the throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2 and forms openings 12c through which the straps 11 pass. The straps 11 are freely movable with respect to the openings and the shoe upper 2. A second guiding element 12b is arranged in a sole area of the shoe upper, which cannot be seen in FIG. 7B as being hidden behind a supporting layer 17a but is shown in FIG. 7C. The straps 11 are guided by the first and second guiding elements 12a, 12b from the throat area 4 along the inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2 and towards an insole 25 of the shoe upper 2, which is arranged near the sole area of the shoe upper. The second guiding element 12b defines a reversal point from which the straps 11 run upwards towards the tongue portion 6 where the straps 11 are attached thereto at their first ends 13.

[0106] Each of the straps 11 is attached to an elastic element 19, which is accordingly attached to the inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2, by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other suitable technique. In this embodiment, the elastic element 19 is formed as an elastic tube in which the strap 11 is located.

[0107] FIG. 7C shows a more detailed view of the lacing system shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, particularly the arrangement in the space between the inner side 7a of the shoe upper 2 and the supporting layer 17a. The second guiding element 12b is arranged at the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2, and similar to the first guiding element 12a, forms openings 12c through which the straps 11 pass.

[0108] Each of the straps 11 is attached to a corresponding elastic tube 19 at one or more locations. In this embodiment, the strap 11 is attached to the elastic tube 19 at one attachment point 20a near its second end 14, for example, by stitching. Except the direct attachment to the elastic tube 19 and the attachment to the tongue portion 6 at its first ends 13, the straps 11 are neither attached to the guiding elements 12a, 12b nor to the shoe upper 2, therefore is freely movable with respect to the shoe upper 2.

[0109] The elastic tube 19 is further attached to the shoe upper 2 at two attachment points 21a, 21b at opposite sides of the elastic tube 19 by stitching. The length and amounts of the stitches are flexible. In this embodiment, the length of the stitch connecting the elastic tube 19 and the shoe upper 2 is longer than half of the length of the elastic tube 19 and therefore provides a strong and stable attachment of the elastic tube 19 and the shoe upper 2.

[0110] When a shoe wearer pulls up the shoelace 15 received by the second end 14 of the strap 11, in a direction away from the instep of the foot of a wearer, the pulling force F acts on the strap 11 and the elastic tube 19 and is correspondingly transferred to the tongue portion 6 via the strap 11. The segment of the strap 11 positioned between the second end 14 and the second guiding element 12b is pulled up towards the same direction as the force F. Given that the second guiding element 12b functions as a reversal point for the movement of the strap 11, the other segment of the strap 11 positioned between the first end 13 and the second guiding element 12 is contrarily pulled down in a direction towards the instep of the foot of a wearer. Accordingly, the tongue portion 6 is also pulled down towards the instep of the foot, which results in the desired tightening and lock-down effect of the shoe upper 2 with respect to the foot of a wearer.

[0111] Moreover, when the shoelace 15 is tightened, the elastic tube 19 is pulled upwards together with the strap 11 in a direction away from the instep of a foot of the wearer. The elastic tube 19 and the strap 11 are therefore in a stretched state, which provides additional immobilization for the foot of the wearer as a result of the restoring force provided by the elastic tube 19. Once the shoelace 15 is un-tightened or released, either on purpose or unintentionally, the tightened shoe upper 2 (including the tongue portion 6 and the supporting layer 17a) wrapping the foot of a wearer remains its location and the optimized fitting and lock-down effect on the foot is maintained. This is particularly advantageous and beneficial for an athlete during a sports activity, where the shoe upper 2 can always remain fit to the foot of the athlete even when the shoelace is undesirably untightened.

[0112] In this embodiment, the supporting layer 17a is connected to the tongue portion 6 and can be considered as an extension of the tongue portion 6 such that the tightening effect is extended and distributed to a larger area of the shoe upper 2. The supporting layer 17a is located between the shoe upper 2 and the foot of the wearer, therefore separates the foot of the wearer from the lacing system and the straps 11. When the shoelace is pulled and the shoe upper 2 is tightened, the supporting layer 17a wraps the foot of the wearer in combination with the insole 25. A flat supporting layer and/or a supporting layer 17a with padding materials can provide more comfort to the foot of the wear, because the tightening pressure located on the individual pulled straps 11 can be more evenly distributed.

[0113] FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment of a lacing system for tightening a shoe upper 2 according to the present invention. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiments in that the lacing system 10 comprises only the first guiding element 12a and not the second guiding element 12b and the lacing system 10 further comprises a multifunctional element 24. The multifunctional element 24 has a first end 24a located in the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2 and a second end 24b located in the throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2. The multifunctional element 24 forms a tube from the sole area 9 to the throat area 4 of the shoe upper 2. The strap 11 passes through the tube formed by the multifunctional element 24.

[0114] The second end 24b of the multifunctional element 24 is attached to the strap 11 at an attachment point 24c near the second end 14 of the strap 11. The attachment point 24c is optionally oriented transverse to a longitudinal direction of the strap 11, i.e. parallel to the guiding element 12a and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strap 11. The attachment can be done by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other suitable technique.

[0115] It is preferred that the multifunctional element 24 comprises an elastic material at least on its second end 24b. The second end 24b of the multifunctional element 24, which connects with the strap 11 at its second ends 14, passes through the openings 12c of the first guiding element 12a and is freely movable with respect to the first guiding element 12a and the shoe upper 2. When a shoelace received by the second end 14 of the strap 11 is pulled, the second end 24b of the multifunctional element 24 would be pulled as well, therefore providing an elastic function with a restoring force similar to the function of the elastic element 19 as described in the previous embodiments.

[0116] The first end 24a of the multifunctional element 24 is attached to the shoe upper 2 in the sole area 9, e.g., by stitching, such as a stitch line, or any other suitable techniques. In this embodiment, the multifunctional element 24 is attached to the shoe upper 2 at two attachment points 24d, 24e, which are oriented vertically along the longitudinal direction of the strap 11. The first end 24a of the multifunctional element 24 is therefore essentially not movable relative to the shoe upper. These attachment points 24d, 24e limit the lateral movement of the strap 11 located in the tube of the multifunctional element 24 in the sole area 9 of the shoe upper. Accordingly, the multifunctional element 24 is provided partially as a guiding element for the strap 11 in the sole area 9 of the shoe upper 2.

[0117] In other words, for the lacing system in this embodiment, the multifunctional element 24 functions as a guiding element at its first end 24a and as an elastic element at its second end 24b. This implementation simplifies the structure of the lacing system and accordingly reduces the dimension (e.g., thickness) and weight of the lacing system. A lighter shoe upper with the same optimized fit and comfort provided by the lacing system can thus be provided.

[0118] It is preferable in all embodiments, as described above, that if a second end 14 of the strap 11 is moved upwards in an opposite direction of the instep of a foot of the wearer, it automatically causes the first end 13 of the strap 11 to move down-wards and thus accordingly causes the tongue portion 6 to move downwards to-wards the foot of the wearer. This may allow for a 360-degree midfoot lock and fit. The strap 11 may only move by such an amount as the foot of the wearer al-lows. A narrow foot will thus allow the strap 11 to move further than a wider foot. Consequently, a better fit of the shoe upper and the shoe may be provided com-pared to the prior art. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.