SYSTEM FOR RETAINING AN UPPER ON A SOLE STRUCTURE
An article of footwear, comprising a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion, and one or more straps, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, and the strap has a plug end; and a retention element disposed between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.
1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion; and
one or more straps, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, and the strap has a plug end; and
a retention element disposed between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.
2 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap.
3 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface.
4 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through.
5 . The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture.
6 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole.
7 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole.
8 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees.
9 . The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees.
10 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material.
11 . The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel.
12 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material.
13 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure.
14 . The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges.
15 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange.
16 . A strap system for a sandal, comprising:
a strap passing through a channel across a sole of the sandal, wherein the strap has a plug end; and
a retention element disposed between the plug end and a bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.
17 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap.
18 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface.
19 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through.
20 . The strap system of claim 19 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture.
21 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole.
22 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole.
23 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees.
24 . The strap system of claim 23 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees.
25 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material.
26 . The strap system of claim 17 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel.
27 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material.
28 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure.
29 . The strap system of claim 17 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges.
30 . The strap system of claim 16 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange.
31 . A method of constructing an article of footwear, comprising:
preparing a sole having a top portion and a bottom portion; and
attaching one or more straps to the sole, wherein at least one of the straps extends from the top portion to the bottom portion through a channel in the sole, wherein the strap has a plug end; and
disposing a retention element between the plug end and the bottom portion of the sole, wherein the retention element comprises a base and one or more flanges disposed at an outer edge of the base projecting angularly upward and away from the base.
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the channel terminates to a recess at the bottom portion of the sole, and the retention element is configured to engage with the sole by an interference between the flanges and an area surrounding a bottom opening of the channel in the recess when an upward tension is applied to the strap.
33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the base has a generally planar surface.
34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the base has an aperture configured to allow the strap to pass through.
35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the base has a gap extending from the outer edge to the aperture, and the retention element is configured to allow the strap to pass through the gap into the aperture.
36 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the strap is a toe post positioned at a front region of the sole.
37 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the strap is positioned at a medial side or a lateral side of the sole.
38 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the base and any of the flanges form an angle between 20 degrees and 70 degrees.
39 . The method of claim 38 , wherein the angle is about 45 degrees.
40 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the flanges are made of a resiliently deformable material.
41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the flanges expand outwardly toward a plane that is tangent to the base when the flanges are urged against the area surrounding the bottom opening of the channel.
42 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the flanges are made of a rigid material.
43 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the retention element is integrated with the strap in a unitary structure.
44 . The method of claim 31 , wherein a widest width of the bottom opening of the channel is smaller than a distance between two opposing points on a peripheral edge of flanges.
45 . The method of claim 31 , wherein any of the flanges comprises one or more barbs on a peripheral edge of the flange.