L.a. Gear, Inc.

Angelo Maccano

Robert Y Greenberg

Patricia D Quan

Ric Claveria

Dreanna Nakao

Portion of a shoe upper

Element of a shoe upper

Shoe sole

Shoe upper

An athletic shoe is described including a sole and a shoe upper attached to the sole and defining a cavity for receiving a foot. The shoe upper has a lacing portion defining lace openings for a shoe lace. The shoe upper further has sidewalls with first and second openings proximate the lacing portion. A supportive sling member is disposed in the cavity and has a widened central portion intermediate opposing side quarters. The side quarters each have a narrowed strap portion adapted to pass through the first and second openings in the shoe upper and extend outwardly therefrom. Means are provided for releasably securing, in an adjustable manner, the outwardly extending narrowed strap portions of the side quarters to the shoe upper, so as to suspend the widened central portion of the sling member in the cavity to provide support to the instep areas of the foot. Preferably the sling member is secured to the show upper by including at least one opening in each of the outwardly extending narrowed strap portions in the path of the shoe lace in an interlaced relation with the lace openings of the shoe upper.

Article of footware having an adjustable instep supporting insert

Growing community of inventors

Simi Valley, CA, United States of America

Angelo Maccano