Adjustable shoe
An expandable and adjustable baby shoe or bootie which can be customized to fit during a baby's first two years. The concept is to allow the baby shoe to be expanded as the baby's foot grows so that a single shoe can be used for babies up to 24 months of age. The shoe has an expansion mechanism which enables the front portion of the shoe to be progressively increased as the baby grows. The rear portion of the shoe also has a fastening mechanism whereby the rear area which surrounds the ankles can also be adjusted as the baby grows for a customized fit. The present invention can also be incorporated into a children's slipper as well as a baby shoe.
1. A shoe comprising:
a. a body haying a top section, a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls which extend to a back wall, and a sole, the top section, sidewalls and back wall attached to the sole, the top section extending from a toe section adjacent a front of the shoe to an interior rim
b. the top section having an outer surface layer with a multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings positioned in a lengthwise direction at locations between the front of the shoe and the interior rim, the multiplicity of transverse openings extending through the outer surface layer;
c. a flexible strap fixedly attached at a location adjacent the toe section and extending in said lengthwise direction along the top section and an instep area and terminating in a fastening member, the fastening member having an upper surface and a lower surface which includes a first mating fastener, the outer surface layer of the top section including a second mating fastener at a location adjacent the interior rim along said lengthwise direction, a pulling force on the flexible strap in said lengthwise direction enabling the first and second mating fasteners, respectively, to be connected at a multiplicity of different locations where the distance from the fastening member to the toe area is modified in said lengthwise direction, the closer the fastening member is located to the toe area the more the top section of the shoe is compressed in said lenghtwise ditrection, wherein, when said first and second mating fasteners are connected, said flexible strap is folded over itself at said interior rim;
d. the top section having first and second extension flaps extending from opposite sides of the top section toward the back wall, respectively, each extension flap terminating in a distal end, each extension flap having an interior surface with a third mating fastener located on the interior surface at a location adjacent the distal end, the back wall having an exterior sidewall having a fourth mating fastener thereon, the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps connectable to the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall at a multiplicity of different locations; and
e. a covering flap attached to the sidewalls and the back wall and foldable over the interconnection of the mating fasteners on the first and second elongated extension flaps and the mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall.
2. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material and the second extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material.
3. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the top section, the sidewalls, the back wall and the sole are made of material selected from the group consisting of leather, suede and fabric.
4. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the flexible strap is visible through the openings in the outer surface layer of the top section.
5. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first fastener on the lower surface of the fastening member and the second fastener the outer surface layer of the top section are mating hook and loop fasteners.
6. The shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps and the fourth mating fastener on the back wall are mating hook and loop fasteners.
7. The shoe of claim wherein said flexible strap is fixedly attached by being sewn into the shoe.
8. The shoe of claim 1 wherein the multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings comprise a single row of slits in said top section.
9. The shoe of claim 1 wherein, when said first and second mating fasteners are connected, said flexible strap is folded over itself at said interior rim.
10. A shoe comprising:
a. a body having a top section with an outer surface, a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls which extend to a back wall, and a sole, the top section, sidewalls and back wall attached to the sole, the top section extending from a toe section to an interior rim;
b. a flexible strap fixedly attached at a location adjacent the toe section and extending in a lengthwise direction between the toe section and an instep area adjacent the interior rim through the top section and terminating in a fastening member having a lower surface which includes a first mating fastener, the outer surface layer of the top section including a second mating fastener fixed thereto at a location along said lengthwise direction, a pulling force on the flexible strap in said lengthwise direction enabling the first and second mating fasteners, respectively, to be connected at a multiplicity of different locations where the distance from the fastening member to the toe section is modified in said lengthwise direction, the closer the fastening member is located to the toe section the more the top section of the shoe is compressed in said lengthwise direction, wherein, when said first and second mating fasteners are connected, said flexible strap is folded over the outer surface; and
c. the top section having first and second extension flaps extending from opposite sides of the top section toward the back wall, respectively, each extension flap terminating in a distal end, each extension flap having an interior surface with a third mating fastener located on the interior surface at a location adjacent the distal end, the back wall having an exterior sidewall having a fourth mating fastener thereon, the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps connectable to the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall at a multiplicity of different locations.
11. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a covering flap attached to the sidewalls and the back wall and foldable over the interconnection of the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps and the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall.
12. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 further comprising the outer surface layer having a multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings positioned at locations along the top section from the toe section to the interior rim, the multiplicity of transverse openings extending through the outer surface layer.
13. The shoe in accordance with claim 12 wherein the flexible strap is visible through the openings in the outer surface layer of the top section.
14. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material and the second extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material.
15. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 wherein the top section, the sidewalls, the back wall and the sole are made of material selected from the group consisting of leather, suede and soft fabric.
16. The shoe in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first fastener on the lower surface of the fastening member and the second fastener on the outer surface layer of the top section are mating hook and loop fasteners.
17. A slipper comprising:
a. a body having a top section, a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls which extend to a back wall, and a sole, the top section, the sidewalls and back wall attached to the sole, the top section extending from a toe section adjacent a front of the slipper to an interior rim adjacent an instep area of said slipper, said front of the slipper and said interior rim defining a lengthwise direction therebetween;
b. the top section having an outer surface;
c. a flexible strap fixedly attached at a location adjacent the toe section said flexible strap extending in said lengthwise direction through the top section and terminating in a fastening member having a lower surface which includes a first mating fastener, the outer surface layer of the top section including a second mating fastener at a location adjacent the interior rim along side lengthwise direction and in said instep area, a pulling force on the flexible strap in said lengthwise direction enabling the first and second mating fasteners, respectively, to be connected at a multiplicity of different locations where the distance from the fastening member to the toe section is modified in said lengthwise direction, the closer the fastening member is located to the toe section the more the top section of the slipper is compressed sin said lengthwise direction; and
d. the top section having first and second extension flaps extending from opposite sides of the top section toward the back wall, respectively, each extension flap terminating in a distal end, each extension flap having an interior surface with a third mating fastener located on the interior surface at a location adjacent the distal end, the back wall having an exterior sidewall having a forth mating fastener thereon, the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps connectable to the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall at a multiplicity of different locations.
18. The slipper in accordance with claim 17 further comprising a covering flap attached to the sidewalk and the back wall and foldable over the interconnection of the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps and the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall.
19. The slipper in accordance with claim 17 further comprising the outer surface layer having a multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings positioned at locations along the top section from the toe section to the interior rim through which the flexible strap can be threaded.
20. The slipper in accordance with claim 19 wherein the flexible strap is visible through selected openings in the outer surface layer of the top section.
21. The slipper in accordance with claim 17 wherein the first extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material and the second extension flap further comprises a section made of elastic material.
22. The slipper in accordance with claim 17 wherein the top section, the sidewalls, the back wall and the sole are made of material selected from the group consisting of leather, suede and soft fabric.
23. The slipper in accordance with claim 17 wherein the first fastener on the lower surface of the fastening member and the second fastener on the outer surface layer of the top section are mating hook and loop fasteners.
24. A shoe comprising:
(A) a body having a top section, a pair of oppositely disposed sidewalls which extend to a back wall, and a sole, the top section, sidewalls and back wall attached to the sole, the top section extending from a toe section adjacent a front of the shoe to an interior rim;
(B) the top section having an outer surface layer with a multiplicity of spaced apart transverse openings positioned in a lengthwise direction at locations between the front of the shoe and the interior rim, the multiplicity of transverse openings extending through the outer surface layer and comprising a single row of slits in said top section;
(C) a flexible strap fixedly attached at a location adjacent the toe section and extending in said lengthwise direction along the top section and an instep area and terminating in a fastening member, the fastening member having an upper surface and a lower surface which includes a first mating fastener, the outer surface layer of the top section including a second mating fastener positioned along said lengthwise direction, a pulling force on the flexible strap in said lengthwise direction enabling the first and second mating fasteners, respectively, to he connected at a multiplicity of different locations along, the lengthwise direction where the distance from the fastening member to the toe area is modified in said lengthwise direction, the closer the fastening member is located to the toe area the more the top section of the shoe is compressed in said lengthwise direction, wherein, when said first and second mating fasteners are connected, said flexible strap is folded over itself at said interior rim.
25. The shoe as in claim 24 further comprising:
(D) the top section having first and second extension flaps extending from opposite sides of the top section toward the back wall, respectively, each extension flap terminating in a distal end, each extension flap having an interior surface with a third mating fastener located on the interior surface at a location adjacent the distal end, the back wall having an exterior sidewall having a fourth mating fastener thereon, the third mating fasteners on the first and second extension flaps connectable to the fourth mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall at a multiplicity of different locations; and
(E) a covering flap attached to the sidewalls and the back wall and foldable over the interconnection of the mating fasteners on the first and second elongated extension flaps and the mating fastener on the exterior surface of the back wall.