Article of Footwear with Elastic Heel Support

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole and an upper connected to the sole. The upper and the sole form a foot cavity with an insole positioned within the foot cavity. The upper further includes a heel cup defining a posterior heel wall and an elastic heel strap that extends around an exterior surface of the posterior heel wall. The heel cup is configured to be moved between an upright position and a folded position, wherein the posterior heel wall is adjacent to the elastic heel strap when the heel cup is in the upright position, and the posterior heel wall is removed from the elastic heel strap and is laid against the insole when the heel cup is in the folded position.

Claims

1. An article of footwear including a heel region, a midfoot region and a forefoot region, the article of footwear comprising: a sole; an upper connected to the sole, the upper and the sole forming a foot cavity, the upper comprising a heel cup defining a posterior heel wall and a heel strap that extends around an exterior surface of the posterior heel wall; and an insole positioned within the foot cavity; wherein the heel cup is configured to be moved between an upright position and a folded position, wherein the exterior surface of the posterior heel wall is adjacent to the heel strap when the heel cup is in the upright position, and wherein the posterior heel wall is removed from the heel strap and is laid against the insole when the heel cup is in the folded position.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the heel strap includes a strap crest that is higher than a lateral end and a medial end of the heel strap.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 wherein the heel strap is moveable between a first position wherein the strap crest is higher than the lateral end and the medial end of the heel strap on the article of footwear and a second position wherein the strap crest is below the lateral end and the medial end of the heel strap on the article of footwear.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein the heel strap is and elastic heel strap defined by at least 50% elasticity.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein a medial seam separates a midfoot portion of the upper from the heel cup on a medial side of the article of footwear, and wherein a lateral seam separates the midfoot portion of the upper from the heel cup on a lateral side.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein a reinforced cord structure extends along the medial seam and the lateral seam.

7. The article of footwear of claim 5 wherein the sole includes a midsole, wherein a lower perimeter of the heel cup is non-removably connected to the article of footwear along an upper rim of the midsole, wherein a lateral side of the heel cup is non-removably connected to the lateral seam, and wherein a medial side of the heel cup is non-removably connected to the medial seam.

8. An article of footwear comprising: a sole; a midfoot portion connected to the sole, the midfoot portion including a medial side and a lateral side; a heel cup connected to the sole and the midfoot portion, the heel cup moveable between an upright position and a folded position; and at least one strap extending around an exterior surface of the heel cup.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 wherein a medial seam is provided between the medial side of the midfoot portion and the heel cup, wherein a lateral seam is provided between the lateral side of the midfoot portion and the heel cup, and wherein ends of the at least one strap are connected to the medial seam and the lateral seam.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein a reinforced cord structure extends along the medial seam and the lateral seam.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 wherein the reinforced cord structure further extends across a dorsum of the article of footwear.

12. The article of footwear of claim 9 wherein the heel strap includes a medial end connected to the medial seam and a lateral end connected to the lateral seam.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 wherein the heel strap defines a strap crest that is higher than the lateral end and the medial end of the heel strap on the article of footwear.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 wherein the heel strap is moveable between a first position wherein the strap crest is higher than the lateral end and the medial end of the heel strap and a second position wherein the strap crest is below the lateral end and the medial end of the heel strap.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14 wherein the heel strap is and elastic heel strap defined by at least 50% elasticity.

16. A method of donning an article of footwear comprising: inserting a foot of a wearer into a foot cavity of the article of footwear with a foldable heel cup in an upright configuration and a heel strap extending around an exterior surface of the foldable heel cup; removing the foot from the foot cavity; moving the foldable heel cup to a folded position; and inserting the foot of the wearer into the foot cavity of the article of footwear with the foldable heel cup in a folded position and a heel of the foot of the wearer on top of the exterior surface of the foldable heel cup.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein inserting the foot into the foot cavity with the foldable heel cup in the folded position comprises inserting the foot into an opening between the heel strap and a dorsum of the article of footwear such that the heel of the foot is on top of the heel strap.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising pulling the heel strap from under the heel and positioning a strap crest of the heel strap around an Achilles tendon of the wearer.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the heel strap is an elastic heel strap.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein inserting the foot into the foot cavity with the foldable heel cup in the folded position comprises inserting the foot into an opening between the heel strap and a sole of the article of footwear such that the heel strap is positioned above a dorsum of the foot of the wearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a front-lateral perspective view of an article of footwear with a convertible heel member, wherein a heel cup of the article of footwear is in an upright position;

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a medial side view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 3 shows a lateral side view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 4 shows a top view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 5 shows a rear-medial perspective view of an article of footwear with a convertible heel member, wherein a heel cup of the article of footwear is in an upright position;

[0014] FIG. 6 shows an exploded front-lateral perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1; and

[0015] FIG. 7 shows a medial side view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1, wherein a heel cup of the article of footwear is in a folded position.

DESCRIPTION

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] 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).

[0020] The terms comprising, including, having, and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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 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.

[0023] As shown in the figures, an article of footwear is disclosed herein in the form of an athletic shoe 10, and particularly an athletic shoe. In at least some embodiments, the shoe 10 is specifically designed as a shoe for use in fishing or other water sports. The shoe includes an upper 20 connected to a sole structure 12. The sole structure 12 and the upper 20 together form a foot cavity 22 that is configured to receive the foot of a human wearer. A heel cup 62 is provided on a rear portion of the shoe1 10. The heel cup 62 is reconfigurable/moveable between an upright position (e.g., see FIGS. 1-6; which may also be referred to as an upright configuration) and a folded position (e.g., see FIG. 7; which may also be referred to as a folded configuration). A lacing arrangement 100 is included on the shoe 10 to assist in stabilizing and supporting the foot of the wearer with the heel cup 62 in either the upright position or the folded position. Further details and description of these and other components of the shoe 10 are provided in the following paragraphs.

Sole Structure

[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1-6, the sole structure 12 of the shoe 10 is a durable, wear-resistant component configured to attenuate forces under load by cushioning and stabilizing the foot during use, and by providing cushioning as the article footwear 10 impacts the ground. The sole structure 12 of the shoe 10 (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 the disclosed embodiment, the sole 12 includes a midsole 18 and an outsole 19. The outsole 19 provides the bottom surface of the shoe 10 that is configured to touch the ground when a user walks while wearing the shoe. The midsole 18 is a support structure immediately above the outsole. In at least some embodiments, the midsole 18 and outsole 19 are provided by a unitary/monolithic structure. However, in other embodiments, the sole structure 12 may include a midsole 18 with a distinguished outsole 19 that cannot be removed from the midsole 18 without destruction thereof.

[0025] As best illustrated in FIG. 6, the midsole 18 includes a first, upper-or foot-facing side 14 (which may also be referred to as a top side) and a second, ground-facing side 16 (which may also be referred to as a bottom side). The top side 14 may possess a generally smooth and planum surface 28 that is surrounded by a gently curved rim or perimeter wall that defines an upper perimeter 26 for the sole structure 12. An insole 24 is configured to rest on the planum surface 28 along the top side 14 of the midsole 18. As shown in FIG. 6, because the upper perimeter 26 of the sole structure 12 extends above the planum surface 28, it will be recognized that the top side 14 of the sole structure 12 defines a recess. The foot cavity 22 extends into the recess and the planum surface 28 of the midsole 18 provides a floor structure for the foot cavity.

[0026] The outsole 19 is non-removably connected to the bottom/ground-facing side 16 of the midsole 18. In at least some embodiments, the outsole 19 may be provided as a unitary component that covers most or all of the bottom side of the midsole 18. In other embodiments, the outsole 19 is provided in a plurality of distinct parts that cover different sections of the bottom side of the midsole 18. The outsole 19 may be textured to provide a friction-enhancing surface to the sole 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the bottom side of the outsole 19 includes a plurality of friction-generating ridges or protrusions disposed along the sole in a predetermined pattern.

Upper

[0027] With continued reference to FIGS. 1-6, the upper 20 includes a forefoot portion or vamp 32, a midfoot portion 34, and a heel portion 60. The upper 20 further includes an opening 40 to the foot cavity 22 on the upper side of the shell that extends from the midfoot portion 34 to the heel portion 60. A collar 42 is defined around the opening 40 to the foot cavity 22. The collar 42 is generally defined by an upper perimeter of the heel portion 60 and a rear perimeter of a dorsum of the midfoot portion 34.

[0028] The forefoot portion 32 of the upper 20 completely encloses a toe region of the shoe 10. Accordingly, the forefoot portion 32 forms a toe cage that extends from a medial side of the shoe, across an upper stretch on the dorsal side of the shoe, and then to a lateral side of the shoe. The forefoot portion 32 may be provided by any number of different materials as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, including leather, synthetic leather, woven or knit fabrics, mesh, or combinations thereof. When configured for use as a water shoe, the material of the upper is breathable and configured to be water-repellent or waterproof.

[0029] The midfoot portion 34 of the upper 20 extends between the forefoot portion 32 and the heel portion 60. Like the forefoot portion 32, the midfoot portion 34 may be provided by any number of different materials as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, including leather, synthetic leather, woven or knit fabrics, mesh, or combinations thereof. The midfoot portion 34 is defined by a medial side portion 34a, a lateral side portion 34b, and a dorsum 34c. In at least some embodiments, the dorsum 34c provides a direct connection between the medial side portion 34a and the lateral side portion 34b. In other embodiments, the dorsum 34c is provided by a tongue that engages the medial side portion 34a and lateral side portion 34b, but is not directly connected thereto. In the embodiment disclosed herein, dorsum 34c is provided by a throat 36 and tongue flap 37. The throat 36 separates the medial side wall 34a from the lateral side wall 34b and the tongue flap 37 extends rearwardly therefrom. The tongue flap 37 is free of connections to other parts of the shoe 10 other than the throat 36 of the midfoot

[0030] As best shown in FIG. 2, the medial side wall 34a of the midfoot portion 34 is bounded along a sloped perimeter that extends forward and upward from the sole structure 12 to the collar 42 near a position where the tongue flap 37 engages the throat 36 on a medial side of the opening 40. A medial seam 38a is defined along the sloped perimeter of the medial side wall 34a. Similarly, as best shown in FIG. 3, the lateral side wall 34b of the midfoot portion 34 is bounded by a sloped perimeter that extends forward and upward from the sole structure 12 to the collar 42 near a position where the tongue flap 37 engages the throat 36 on a lateral side of the opening 40. A lateral seam 38b is defined along the sloped perimeter of the lateral side wall 34b.

[0031] A lacing arrangement 100 is provided on the midfoot portion 34 of the upper 20. The lacing arrangement 100 includes webbing/lacing 102 that may be tightened by the user in order to provide a desired fit for the shoe 10. The webbing/lacing may be provided by any number of different means as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, including elastic or inelastic lacing cords. In the embodiments disclosed herein, eyelets 44 are positioned along the both the medial side wall 34a and the lateral side wall 34b. The webbing/lacing 102 extends through the eyelets 44 and over the dorsum 34c of the midfoot portion 34. A locking means 104 is used to maintain or release the tightness of the lacing arrangement 100. In the embodiment disclosed herein the locking means 104 is a slide lock. In other embodiments, other locking means may be utilized, such as a Boa dial, or simply laces that are tied at their ends to lock the lace in place.

Foldable Heel Portion of Upper with Elastic Heel Strap

[0032] The heel portion 60 is provided by a heel cup 62 on a rear portion of the shoe 10. The heel cup 62 may be formed from a textile laminate that includes one or more panels molded via heat and pressure. Each multi-layer panel of the heel cup includes a thin foam layer sandwiched between an exterior four-way stretch fabric and an interior four-way stretch fabric. The four-way stretch fabric may be a textile including elastomeric threads (e.g., elastance) and evaporative yarns that are knit together and configured to conform to the contours of the foot of the wearer. The evaporative yarns possess a special cross section that offers more skin contact to absorb heat and optionally minerals in the yarn that absorb heat from the skin and transfer it to the surrounding environment, outside the upper. One example of the evaporative yarn is AQUA-X by Hyonsong (Seoul, South Korea).

[0033] An intermediate foam layer may be provided by a reticulated foam material that is positioned between the interior fabric layer and the exterior fabric layer of the heel cup 62. The foam layer is relatively thin, e.g., between about 1 mm and 3 mm in thickness, and specifically about 2 mm. Together, the two fabric layers and the foam layer combine to provide a thin lining for the rear of the foot cavity 22 that is comfortable, bendable, and easily conformed to the foot of the wearer. Although heel cup 62 may be comprised of multiple layers, it is generally a unitary component on the shoe 10, wherein the multiple layers are not separable without destruction of the heel cup 62.

[0034] The heel cup 62 may be formed/shaped via a compression molding process. Compression molding permits formation of a textile laminate having unique geometries. Although the textile laminate is comprised of multiple layers (i.e., a thin foam layer positioned between two layers of four-way stretch material), the overall thickness of the laminate may be relatively thin (e.g., between 2 mm and 5 mm). The compression molding process yields a heel cup that is resilient and is configured to conform to forces applied to the heel and repeatedly snap back to its original compression molded shape when the forces are removed, as explained in further detail below.

[0035] The heel portion 60 provided by the heel cup 62 includes a heel wall 64 which generally extends around the heel of the wearer from the medial side to the lateral side of the shoe 10. A lower perimeter of the heel portion 60 is coupled to the rear of the midsole. An upper perimeter of the heel portion 60 is defined by the collar 42 that extends around the opening 40 to the foot cavity. The heel cup 62 is a self-supporting, compression-molded structure configured to surround at least the lateral side, posterior side, and medial side of the heel bone (i.e., the calcaneus of the wearer), and in some instances the heel wall is further configured to surround the bottom of the heel bone. Accordingly, it will be recognized that the heel wall 64 is curved and includes a medial portion, a lateral portion, and a central/posterior portion (which may also be referred to herein as the posterior heel wall or the central wall portion). An Achilles crest 68 is provided above the central/posterior portion of the heel wall 64.

[0036] The heel portion 60 is coupled or otherwise connected to the midfoot portion 34 to form the complete upper 20. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heel portion 60 is directly coupled to the midfoot portion 34 along a medial seam 38a that extends along sloped perimeter of the medial sidewall 34a, and along a lateral seam 38b that extends along the sloped perimeter of the lateral sidewall 34b. The medial seam 38a and lateral seam 38b may be any of various types of seams that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and provide strength along the edge of a panel. For example, the medial seam 38a and lateral seam 38b may be a flat-felled seam or a French seam with reinforcement provided by additional stitching along the seam. The edges of the material along the seams 38a and 38b may be finished by any appropriate means, such as hemming, serging, bias binding, etc. In at least some embodiments, the medial seam 38a and the lateral seam 38b are sufficiently encased and reinforced to provide a reinforced cord structure that extends along the seam. The stitches that form the reinforced cord structure may be comprised of a relatively strong and non-elastic material, such as nylon, polyester, or any of various other fibers as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. The stitched fibers are intertwined to form the cord structure. In the embodiment disclosed herein, this reinforced cord structure is continuous from the medial side 34a to the lateral side 34b of the midfoot and extends across the dorsum 34c and/or the tongue flap 37 in order to connect the medial seam 38a to the lateral seam 38b.

[0037] A heel strap 80 is arranged on the upper and extends around the heel wall 64. More specifically, one end of the heel strap 80 is connected to the medial seam 38a and another end of the heel strap 80 is connected to the lateral seam 38b. The remainder of the heel strap 80 engages an exterior surface of the heel cup 62 (when in an upright position), but is not connected thereto. Accordingly, the heel cup 62 is freely moveable relative to the heel strap 80 at locations rearward from the connection locations of the heel strap 80 to the medial seam 38a and the lateral seam 38b.

[0038] In the embodiment disclosed herein, the heel strap 80 is provided by one or more elastic straps 82 that each extend around the heel wall 64 running parallel to one another. Each elastic strap 82 is comprised of a bungee cord structure with significant elongation and recovery properties that allow the strap to be elongated and then return to its original shape. In at least some embodiments, the elastic strap 82 is defined by 50% or more elasticity (i.e., at least 50% elongation when stretched while still capable of recovery).

[0039] A medial end 84a of each elastic strap 82 is secured to the upper 20 along the medial seam 38a, closer to the midsole 18 than the collar 42. A lateral end 84b of the strap 82 is secured to the upper 20 along the lateral seam 38b, also closer to the midsole 18 than the collar 42. Each strap 82 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the medial end 84a at the medial seam 38a, around the back of the heel wall below the Achilles crest 68, and then downwardly and forwardly back to the lateral end 84b at the lateral seam 38b (or vice-versa, depending on perspective). A strap crest 88 is defined at the highest point of the elastic strap 82 directly below the Achilles crest 68 of the heel cup 62. The strap crest 88 is positioned higher than the end connection locations to the medial seam 38a and the lateral seam 38b, but is arranged below the Achilles crest 68 of the heel cup 62 (when in an upright position). While two elastic straps 82 are included with the embodiment disclosed herein, it will be recognized that in other embodiments only one elastic strap 82 or more than two elastic straps 82 may be provided as the heel strap 80.

Foldable Heel Cup

[0040] FIGS. 1-6 show the shoe 10 with the heel cup 62 in an upright position such that the central wall portion 64 and Achilles crest 68 are substantially vertical and extend upwardly from the sole structure 12 on the shoe. In this upright position (which may also be referred to as an unfolded position) the exterior surface of the heel wall 64 is adjacent to the elastic heel strap 80 and may engage the elastic heel strap 80, especially when a foot is positioned in the foot cavity. However, when the foot is removed from the foot cavity and a force is applied to the back of the heel cup 62, the central wall portion 64 of the heel cup bends downward to a folded position (which may also be referred to herein as a downward position). The medial seam 38a and the lateral seam 38b also provide pre-defined bend lines on either side of the heel cup 62 that facilitate proper bending of the heel cup 62 from the upright position to the folded position. When in the folded position, an interior surface of the central wall portion 64 of the heel cup 62 engages the insole 24 within the foot cavity 22.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows the heel cup 62 of the shoe 10 in a folded position such that the central wall portion 64 is oriented substantially horizontally. In this position, the heel wall 64 is removed from the elastic heel strap 80 and is laid flat against the insole 24. Advantageously, when the central wall portion of the heel wall 64 is laid flat against the insole 24, the foam of the central wall portion 64 is located directly below the heel bone (i.e., calcaneus) of a wearer, thus providing comfortable cushioning for the heel of the wearer when the heel cup 62 is in the folded position. At the same time the Achilles crest 68 is located proximate to the midtarsal joint (e.g., at a position generally forward of the heel bone and in the vicinity of (or to the rear of) the metatarsal joint). A similar foldable heel wall that may be used in another embodiment of the shoe 10 is also disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/464,564, filed Sep. 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0042] Advantageously, when the heel wall 64 is in the folded position, a wearer may easily insert his or her foot into the foot cavity 22 by placing his foot over the elastic straps 82 and moving his or her foot into the foot cavity. With the foot inside the foot cavity, the strap crest 88 of the heel strap 80 is arranged under a rear of the heel of the wearer. The wearer may then grasp the elastic straps 82 and easily loop them around the back of the heel, placing the strap crest near the Achilles tendon of the wearer. With the elastic straps 82 in this position, the heel strap 80 assists in retaining the shoe 10 on the foot of the wearer when the heel cup 62 is in the folded position (see FIG. 7). The elastic nature of the straps 82 further assist in maintaining a proper fit on the foot of the wear even when the heel wall 64 is removed from the back of the shoe 10.

[0043] During manufacture of the shoe, the heel wall 64 is compression molded in the upright position (i.e., of FIGS. 1-6). As a result, the heel wall 64 is biased toward the upright position. However, because the material of the heel wall 64 is flexible (e.g., a compression molded laminate including a foam material positioned between two layers of elastomeric fabric), the heel wall 64 may be easily bent and moved to the folded position (FIG. 7) by the wearer. Advantageously, this movement from the upright position to the folded position may be easily accomplished by the hand or foot of the wearer by simply applying a forward-directed force to the rear of the posterior heel wall 64 (as illustrated by arrow 98 in FIG. 7). Because the material of the heel wall 64 is also resilient, the heel wall 64 may be easily returned to the upright position from the folded position, and repeatedly moved between the upright position and the folded position.

[0044] It will be recognized that the article of footwear 10 disclosed herein may be advantageously used in association with a method of donning an article of footwear including converting an article of footwear between a sporting configuration with the heel cup 62 in the upright position and a casual configuration with the heel cup 62 in the folded position. When the wearer intends to use the shoes 10 for training or other sports activities, the heel wall 64 is placed in the upright position, and the wearer inserts the foot into the foot cavity 22 through the collar 42. In this position, the plantar surface of the foot engages the insole 24 and the heel of the wearer is supported by the heel cup 62 with the heel wall 64 extending around the rear of the wearer's heel. The two elastic straps 82 also loop around the back of the wearer's heel to provide additional support to the flexible heel wall 64 when the heel cup is in the upright position. In this manner, the flexible heel wall 64 and the heel of the wearer positioned therein receives additional support from the elastic straps 82 during athletic activities.

[0045] When the wearer intends to use the shoes 10 for recovery post workout, the wearer may selectively use the elastic heel straps 82 for a snug fit or forego use of the elastic heel straps 82 for a loose fit. If the wearer wishes to use the elastic heel straps 82 during casual use, the heel wall 64 is placed in the folded position, and the wearer inserts the foot into the foot cavity 22 through an opening over the heel strap 80 (i.e., with his or her foot placed over the heel strap 80). In this position, the toes and midfoot surface of the wearer's foot engage the insole 24 within the foot cavity 22, and the heel pad of the foot engages the outer surface of the folded down heel wall 64 and the strap crests 68 of the two elastic straps 82. The two elastic straps 82 may then be pulled rearward and looped around the back of the heel, thus providing a snug fit for the shoe and helping to retain the shoe 10 on the foot of the wearer during casual wear. On the other hand, if the wearer does not wish to use the elastic heel straps 82 during casual use, the heel wall 64 is placed in the folded position, and the wearer inserts the foot into the foot cavity 22 through an opening under the heel strap 80. In this position, the toes and midfoot surface of the wearer's foot engage the insole 24 within the foot cavity 22, the heel pad of the wearer's foot engages the outer surface of the folded down heel wall 64, and the two elastic straps 82 conveniently extend over the wearer's foot and are not engaged with the wearer's heel. This provides a more comfortable loose-fit for the shoe 10 during casual wear.

[0046] In view of the foregoing, it will be recognized that the heel strap 80 disclosed herein provides advantages to the wearer when the shoe 10 is used for training or other athletic activities and when the shoe is used for casual wear. Specifically, when the shoe 10 is used for athletic activities, the heel cup 62 is in an upright position and the two elastic straps 82 also loop around the back of the wearer's heel to provide additional support to the heel cup 62 and the heel of the wearer situated therein. When the shoe 10 is used for casual wear with the heel cup 62 in a folded position, the user may selectively use the elastic heel straps 82 to either loop around the back of the heel for a snug fit, or allow the elastic straps to sit above or below his or her feet for a looser fit.

[0047] While an embodiment of an article of footwear has been described herein as a shoe 10 having various components and associated features, it will be recognized that other embodiments of the article of footwear are possible, including the article of footwear provided in a different form and/or with different components. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that variants of the above-described shoe 10 and 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.