HK1077171B - Footwear with reversible tongue - Google Patents

Description

Shoes with reversible tongue

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to footwear having a tongue or gusset (gusset) that is generally reversible to provide a shoe having different styles and practical uses to appeal to wearer interests.

Background

Clearly, the prior art has long focused on a wide variety of styles of footwear constructed from various components to accomplish different purposes. Running or athletic shoes have been the subject of popularity over the last three decades, and therefore much innovation has been in the field of running or athletic shoes, wherein the prior art has been concerned with various improvements to the sole-either to make the sole more resilient or to increase the efficiency of the runner-and various improvements to the structure of the shoe itself, such as the addition of a pocket on the side or inside of the tongue or gusset. For example, patent No. 4372060 issued to Adamik is directed to this technology and improvements therein.

To increase the variation in footwear usage, increase its personality, and increase the attractiveness of footwear, the present invention seeks to further improve the structure of footwear by providing additional uses and applications for the various components of the footwear itself.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention contemplates footwear information, typically including the type of running or athletic shoe, but the concepts of the invention can be embodied on any type of shoe, as will be readily apparent upon review of the present invention. Footwear includes, but is not limited to, the general types of footwear having a sole, upper, quarter, counter, and tongue or gusset fastened therein. In a preferred embodiment, the gusset is of the reversible type, where the tongue may be reversed to expose one side, the tongue may have a stylized and attractive surface, or the tongue may be reversed, when worn, to provide a completely different appearance to the shoe.

The invention may relate to sports shoes, casual and dress shoes, sneakers or boots.

Some means are provided to accommodate the flipping of the tongue and to retain it in the upper half of the vamp, but it may be easily flipped over, over the opening of its fastener, or may be a buckle, which normally holds the tongue in place while the shoe is worn. In addition, the tongue or gusset may, but need not, include an internal pocket that may be readily used for opening, preferably along the upper edge of the tongue, and into which some personal item, such as a key or coin, may be stuffed. The tongue includes a closure that, when closed, provides a secure hold to prevent loss of these personal items and ensure their safety. A transparent cover may also be provided on one side of the tongue, at least about its upper edge, and cover the pocket formed thereby, even so that the contents of the pocket can be viewed if the wearer so desires.

The idea of the invention is to provide a connection between the gusset or tongue and the upper half of the upper so that the wearer can turn the tongue over to expose other colors, indicia or patterns, if desired. This provides a multi-functional use for the shoe. Such a link may comprise a short link cord, which may be a flexible cord, or may comprise a swivel buckle, or any other type of buckle, which is somewhat flexible and which may twist or flip. In addition, it may include a buckle formed of two parts that can be rotated and connected between the upper vamp and the bottom of the bootie to accommodate this flipping action. Furthermore, by applying a certain force, the buckles can be separated, so that the bootie can be removed and replaced by another one, to further increase the flexibility and adaptability of the use of the invention. To prevent unauthorized removal of the bootie or removal of the bootie location, for example, when the shoe is displayed for sale, the pulling force required to disengage the buckle can be significant, up to 70 to 80 pounds or even higher; the release buckle may also require little force, depending on the manufacturer or retailer, once the shoe is put on, or even depending on the needs of the user. The tongue is also likely to be a composite or more types of tongue, with swivel means between each portion of the tongue or gusset to allow the appropriate portion of the tongue to swivel along its height.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a reversible tongue.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reversible tongue that can have different types of appearances on either side thereof, so that the tongue can be reversed, and completely change the appearance and appeal of the shoe to the shoe owner. For example, consumers may reconcile team colors, fashion trends, and the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide footwear including walking shoes, running shoes, loafers, beach shoes, slippers, sandals or dress shoes, boots, hiking shoes, and even athletic shoes, which may include baseball, football, track, soccer, basketball, and other various types of sports that incorporate a particular type of shoe that incorporates the reversible tongue of the present invention, which adds to the flexibility of the appearance of the footwear and the utility of the footwear.

Obviously, according to the above, another object of the invention may be an athletic shoe with a reversible tongue, so that it is possible to dye one side of the tongue, for example in home games; while in a field game the other side may be a different color.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pocket for a bootie of such a shoe in which personal items can be safely stored.

It is a further object of this aspect to provide means for securing personal articles of the wearer of the shoe as defined, so that safety can be ensured even when the shoe is used for sports or for running, and loss of contained articles, such as keys or coins, can be prevented when participating in strenuous sports.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a transparent covering for the pocketed tongue of such footwear so that the footwear can be worn with the contents visible.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel swivel that can be used to attach a reversible tongue to the upper middle of the shoe upper, which stably holds the tongue in place while the shoe is being worn.

These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure of the invention and by study of the following description of the preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe (e.g., a running shoe) that includes a reversible tongue in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the footwear showing the upper half of the upper, a reversible tongue, and a buckle that holds the tongue to the footwear and, in combination with the shoelace, secures the footwear to the foot of the wearer;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the reversible tongue of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the reverse side of the reversible tongue;

FIG. 5 is a view of the buckle open;

figure 6 shows the buckle during being folded into a closed configuration;

FIG. 7 shows a reversible tongue with a pocket in its upper half, and which may be fastened closed by Velcro (Velcro) or the like;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a modified, more casual shoe having a different type of attachment for attaching the reversible tongue to the vamp;

FIG. 9 illustrates an elastic buckle in the form of an elastic strap that may be inserted over the top of the upper and may be temporarily or permanently attached to the reversible tongue;

FIG. 10 illustrates how the elastic band may be turned into the configuration of FIG. 8 for turning its gusset or tongue permanently held in place;

FIG. 11 is a partial top view of the shoe showing the upper half of the upper, a reversible tongue, a ball and socket joint that holds the tongue to the shoe and, in combination with the shoelace, secures the shoe to the foot of the wearer;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a ball and socket joint in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a partial side cross-sectional view of a ball and socket joint in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a spherical portion in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the bulbous portion according to the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a right side view of the socket bulb according to the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a partial top view of the shoe showing the upper half of the upper, the reversible tongue, and a connecting means for retaining the tongue or gusset to the shoe to provide the reversible feature;

FIG. 18 is a side view of a open-toe sandal incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a side view of a sandal with its toe closed, fitted with a reversible tongue in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a side view of a open-toe sandal incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention, wherein the vamp portion encircles only one toe of the wearer;

FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of a shoe incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention, wherein the tongue is made of a resilient material, thereby eliminating the need for laces;

FIG. 22 is a side elevational view of a shoe incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention, wherein the tongue is made of a resilient material, thereby eliminating the need for laces, and has a bottom-groove wood-type back portion;

FIG. 23 is a side view of a sandal incorporating the reversible double tongue of the present invention, whereby four possible color combinations may be displayed on a sandal;

FIG. 24 is a side elevational view of a shoe incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention, with the vamp portion of the ball-and-socket joint enlarged to cover or form an extension of the vamp;

fig. 25 is a side elevational view of a shoe equipped with a reversible collar (collar) portion of the present invention attached to the upper half of the shoe;

FIG. 26 is a side elevational view of a boot incorporating a tongue of the present invention which is reversible in the upper half;

FIG. 27 is a side elevational view of a boot incorporating a reversible tongue in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of a shoe incorporating a reversible tongue, in which each eyelet is provided with a scalloped edge, in order to more fully show the surface of the tongue of the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a side elevational view of a wheeled skate incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention;

fig. 30 is a side elevational view of an in-line skate incorporating the reversible tongue of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a shoe 1 is shown to include conventional components including a sole 2, an upper 3, a side upper 4, and a counter 5. Additionally, as shown, a reversible tongue 6 is also shown. As shown in figure 2, the reversible tongue 6 is attached by a buckle 7 to the upper-middle portion of the vamp 3 and assists in holding the tongue 6 in place, whichever side of the reversible tongue is desired to be exposed upwardly when the shoe is worn. In addition, buckles participate in encircling the lower half 8 of the laces which also extend through the respective eyelets 9 when holding the tongue in place, thereby tying the shoe in place on the foot, as is well known. Obviously, in the present invention, the threading of the lace 8 through the buckle 7 is not absolutely necessary, and it is not necessary to keep the reversible tongue in position on the upper edge of the vamp as shown.

The tongue is reversible and may include certain indicia, colors or trademarks on its top surface, as shown in fig. 3. A snap 11, which in combination with a buckle holds the reversible tongue in place, is shown in the lower half of the reversible tongue 6. In addition, the reverse side of the reversible tongue 6 can be seen in FIG. 4, and may include other markings or designs along its surface, according to the shoe designer's mind or interest of the shoe owner. This may be applied to the upper portion 12 of the reversible tongue, or as already mentioned, along its entire upper surface.

It is clear that although the preferred embodiment shows the reversible tongue being snapped through the snaps onto the upper central portion of the vamp, as shown in fig. 2, the reversible tongue could be snapped directly onto the upper edge of the vamp without the buckles 7, with both lower surfaces of the reversible tongue being snapped so that it can be snapped directly onto the vamp, regardless of which side of the reversible tongue is intended to face upward, and the owner simply unfastens the tongue, turns it over and snaps it back into a fixed position against the vamp. The tongue may also be retained by other means of attachment (e.g., a tie, velcro strips) or any other fastener for securely holding the tongue in place for displaying any side of the tongue that is desired to be displayed.

Figures 5 and 6 show an example of a buckle 7 that can be used. The buckle comprises a length of flexible material, even elastic, and is inserted through a slot 13 in the upper middle of the upper 3, as shown. The clasp can then be folded over and attached to the male portion of the snap which is fastened to either side near the lower edge of the tongue 6, as shown at 11, and which snaps into the female portion of the snap, as shown at 14.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a reversible tongue 6 with a pocket, as shown in FIG. 7. The upper half or the entire bag may be formed from a pair of liner materials as shown at 15 and 16 with a space between them and sewn around the edges to the closest point of the bag opening as at 17. Means may then be provided to fasten the periphery of the upper half of the bag, for example by using hook and pile fasteners or velcro, which is secured to the inner edges of the upper halves of the two liners 15 and 16 to close the formed bag.

As noted above, an upper surface of the tongue 6 may include indicia or embossments, as at 10, which, as noted above, may include a displayed trademark or other embossments. The reverse or underside 12 of the pocket may also be somewhat reinforced as described above, but it may be made in a different style, or it may be made of a clear or translucent material in that area so that when the tongue is secured to the shoe with the layer 12, the contents of the pocket are readily visible, the layer 12 including the upper surface of a reversible tongue, which may be reversed in the manner described above. The reversible tongue may be provided with a transparent pocket for holding personal items to enhance the attractiveness of the shoe, or the wearer may decide to place the photograph under the transparent liner so that the photograph is easily visible to the wearer while wearing the shoe.

Fig. 8-10 all disclose another method of retaining the reversible tongue in place, in this particular example, on a more casual shoe. As shown, the upper of the upper part of the shoe 19 in figure 8 has a hole 20 therethrough. There is a fastener extending through the aperture 20, in this particular example a strap, which may be made of a more resilient material, as shown at 21. As shown in fig. 10, the tape may preferably be continuous, as described above.

Thus, as long as it has some resiliency, or it is resilient in construction, it can be easily reversed by twisting, as described above, so that the tongue and gusset can be easily reversed, as described above, to achieve the reversing feature of the present invention. Also, the tongue may be permanently attached to the vamp so that the tongue cannot be stolen from the store or inadvertently removed-such as when displayed in the store, which may be accomplished with a snap-type attachment, as described above. Thus, this method of attachment further increases the durability of the reversible tongue structure when used in conjunction with the illustrated footwear. Moreover, the upper portion of the upper (as at 22) may be slightly elevated to clear (extandoff of) the instep of the foot, so that any bulk (bulk) created by the eversion of the strap, while holding the tongue in place, does not press (bind against) the foot and add discomfort to the foot. These examples illustrate how the reversible tongue may be incorporated into any type of footwear to achieve the features described. Where the aperture 20 is provided, a grommet may be provided to prevent tearing of the vamp at that location by the owner of the shoe and to extend the life of the shoe and its reversible tongue.

As shown in fig. 11, the reversible tongue 23 is attached to the vamp 24 by a ball and socket joint 25.

Referring to fig. 12 and 13, the ball and socket attachment 25 includes a spherical portion 26 and a socket portion 27 that is attached to the upper 24, as described above. This provides a rotational connection for the preferred embodiment, the spherical part 26 preferably being movable between a position shown by said spherical part and a position shown by the spherical part 26' in phantom, and rotatable within the socket part 27, as will be appreciated.

Thus, the tongue 23 is fully rotatable about axis A, as shown, and may be restrictively rotated or pivoted about axis B, which is perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 13, such as by angle C, so that the gusset is generally oriented in a vertical position, but it is free to pivot or rotate fully forwardly, as desired by the user.

Axis B may be described as being generally perpendicular to axis a. The bulbous portion 26 is preferably formed of an elastic polymeric material. In addition, as mentioned above, it is desirable to provide a basis for the ball to separate from the socket when the user wishes to change the bootie, and the force used can be small or large, so that the bootie cannot be easily removed by unauthorized persons until such time as the pair of shoes is sold, during shipment, storage or display on the market.

Referring to fig. 14, the spherical portion 26 includes a bulb 27 as shown, a flat connection portion 28 as shown, and a rounded connection portion 29. A circular connecting portion 29 is connected to bulb 27 by a generally cylindrical neck portion 30. The tongue 23 may be a single or laminar piece of material made of fabric, polymer, leather, etc. The flat connecting portion 28 is attached to the tongue by adhesive, stitching, or other methods of attaching the flat connecting portion 28 to the tongue 23, or any method known in the art. If the tongue is a flat piece, the flat connecting portion 28 of the bulbous portion 26 is preferably attached to the tongue between the sheets to minimize visibility. The preferred attachment method will vary depending on the material of the tongue 23.

Referring again to fig. 12 and 13, the socket portion 27 preferably includes a socket 31. The top of the socket is defined by a cavity 32 at the bottom of a groove 33 to receive the ball 27 as shown. The bottom 27 of the socket includes extensions 34 of the flat link for attaching the top and bottom of the entire buckle or swivel to the shoe upper 24. Similar to the tongue or gusset 23, the upper may also be a single or laminar piece of material made of fabric, polymer, leather, or the like. The extension portion 34 and the flat connecting portion 28 may be attached to the vamp 24 in a manner similar to the manner described above for the attachment of the bulbous portion 26 to the tongue or gusset 23.

In defining its aperture 32, the upper half 31 of the socket has some flexible elements which allow the ball portion 26 and more particularly the ball 27 to move into or out of the socket, as will be appreciated. In addition, because the upper portion 31 of the socket leaves the angle shown as angle C in an open relationship, the ball portion 26 can be moved to various positions at the front of the shoe to allow the reversible tongue to pivot slightly forwardly, thereby facilitating inversion when operated in the manner described herein.

Additionally, the diameter of the bore may be selected such that the ball 27 may be forcibly removed from the socket 27 by resiliently deflecting the top 31 or 35 of the socket as shown. Alternatively, the bulb 27 cannot be removed from the bore 32. In this example, it can be seen that the socket 27 may be formed of two halves, one including a top portion 35 and the other including a back portion 36, which may be adhesively or otherwise fastened together to form a permanent socket 27 as shown. Thus, in order to permanently mount the ball 27 within the socket bore 32, the ball 27 must be positioned within the socket 32 before the top and bottom portions 35, 36 are joined together. Or, as noted above, the upper half 35 may be somewhat resilient, so that when it is desired to separate the tongue or gusset from the shoe, as shown, this allows the ball 27 to be forcibly removed from the socket. In either case, it is preferred that the ball 27 and tongue 23 have sufficient clearance to allow the tongue to be rotated by the ball 27 within the socket bore 32, in order to expose a second side of the tongue 23, as will be appreciated. In this manner, the tongue 23 may have first and second sides that differ in color, material, design, and/or display indicia, and the user may only need to rotate the tongue 12 to display both sides of the tongue in accordance with the concepts of the present invention. See fig. 15 and 16.

The ball and socket joint may also be replaced with a bayonet type locking member. For example, with a bayonet-type rotational locking element, the tongue may pivot in one direction, exposing its upper surface from above the shoe, or it may pivot 180 ° to expose the bottom of the tongue. But at the midpoint or rotated to 90 deg., a gap is available between the stem extending from the ball portion and the socket to remove the top of the bayonet lock and the tongue from the shoe upper and socket. Alternatively, one of those bead-type ball and socket connectors, such as those currently used in necklaces, bracelets, and the like, may be used to rotatably attach the tongue or gusset to the vamp portion of the shoe.

The idea of the invention can be explained with reference to fig. 17 in general. Essentially, the essence of the invention is to provide some means of attachment at 37 to hold the tongue 38 to the upper portion 39 of the vamp 40. Thus, the attachment means may be any one of a swivel, elastic cord, flexible rubber or polymer, or elastic means that allows the tongue to be reversed in its secured position.

And as mentioned above, the idea of the invention is also to provide a swivel element that can be detached when in use, so that the tongue can be practically removed and replaced with a replacement gusset, which can further increase the design and colour of the shoe when worn.

It will be appreciated that the reversible tongue may be formed of a variety of materials, whether fabric, polymer, leather, or clear polypropylene (acrylic) or polyethylene, any of which may add to the attractiveness of the shoe, but also provide reasonable strength and tightness to withstand continuous, repeated use.

Referring to fig. 18, a variation of the reversible tongue of the present invention is shown that may be used in a beach shoe 40. The beach shoe 40 includes a sole portion 42, a vamp portion 44, and a tongue portion 46. The tongue portion 46 is attached to the vamp portion 44 by the retaining means 48 described above. The tongue portion 46 may also be removably attached to the vamp portion 44 by, for example, snaps 50. However, the invention is not limited to snaps and other known attachment means that may be used, such as hook and loop material attached to the tongue portion 46 and the vamp portion 44.

The sandal of fig. 19 is similar in most respects to the sandal of fig. 18, except that the upper portion 44 is enlarged to cover the wearer's toes, similar to a clog-type shoe. In the configuration of FIG. 19, the vamp portion 46 is preferably sized to allow more of the tongue portion 46 to be seen.

The beach shoe of fig. 20 is similar in most respects to the beach shoe of fig. 18, except that the upper portion 44 includes three separate portions, a front upper portion 52 and two side upper portions 54. The front vamp portion 52 is sufficiently large to cover only the wearer's large toes, and the side vamp portion extends from the sole 42 for attachment to the tongue portion 46.

In addition, the shoe of FIG. 20 employs the hook and loop attachment described above in connection with FIG. 18 in order to attach the tongue portion 46 to the vamp portion 44, although other known attachment methods may be used.

It will be apparent that the type of beach shoe shown here can be easily modified and constructed for domestic purposes, for example as a slipper for use in the home, etc.

In fig. 21, a slip-on shoe 56 is shown, including a sole 58, vamp 60, tongue 62 and retaining means 64 as described above. The tongue 62 is made of a known stretchable or elastic material and is attached to the vamp 60 by a hook and loop type material where the vamp 60 and tongue 62 overlap. When the wearer wears the footwear of FIG. 21, the stretchable tongue stretches to tighten the footwear to hold it on the wearer's foot. In fig. 22, a slip-on shoe 56 is shown in fig. 21 having a low heel counter 61.

In fig. 23, a beach shoe 63 is shown having a sole portion 64 and a vamp portion 66. Although not functioning as a conventional tongue, the so-called tongue portion 68 is attached to the vamp 66 by hook and loop material, buckles, or other known attachment methods.

The tongue portion 68 is comprised of a front tongue portion 70 and a rear tongue portion 72, which are connected by a retaining means 74 as described above. The tongue portion 68 may be completely removed from the vamp 66.

In fig. 24, an athletic shoe 76 is shown having an upper 78, tongue 80 and sole 82. The tongue 80 is held in place by the lace 84, while the shoe is held to the wearer's foot. The tongue 80 is also attached to the vamp 78 by the aforementioned retaining means 86, thereby allowing the tongue 80 to be pivotally attached to the vamp 78 to reveal the opposite side of the tongue 80.

Types of athletic shoes that may utilize the subject matter of this invention include football shoes, soccer shoes, track shoes, baseball shoes, and any other type of athletic shoe that has a tongue portion that is reversible during use.

Obviously, shoes of the above type may also include boots, which may be used for travel, work or for any other purpose for which such shoes are used. For example, one side of a hunting or hiking boot may have an attractive appearance, while the other side may be waterproof, which facilitates its use when traversing wet or rain-laden areas, such as when hunting or fishing.

In fig. 25, the shoe 76 of fig. 24 has a tongue 80 attached directly to the vamp 78, but with a retaining member 88 attached to an upper portion 90 of the shoe 76 and a throat portion 92 of the shoe 76. The throat portion 92 is also preferably attached to the upper portion 94 by hook and loop material, buckles, or other known attachment methods.

In this manner, the two sides of the collar 92 may have different colors and/or patterns. When the wearer wishes to display a particular side of the collar 92, the wearer unlocks the hook and loop material, rotates the collar 92 180 ° relative to the shoe upper 94, and re-shapes the resilient collar so that it can be re-attached by the hook and loop material.

One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the tongue 80 may be attached to the vamp 78 by either the retaining means 86 or the collar 92 may be attached to the shoe upper 94 by the retaining means 88 when the shoe is being constructed. While the shoe of fig. 25 has been described as having the collar 92 attached to the upper 94 of the shoe with hook and loop material or other known attachment methods, it should be recognized that the collar 92 may not be attached to the upper other than by the retaining member 88, but rather may be held in place by a lace that passes through both the upper 94 or the vamp 78 and through lace apertures 96 in the collar 92.

In fig. 26, a boot 100 is shown having a sole 102, an upper 104, and a segmented tongue 106. The segmented tongue 106 includes a first or upper portion 110 and a second or lower portion 108. The upper half 110 is connected to the lower half 108 by the aforementioned retaining member 112. The retaining means 112 allows the upper portion 110 of the tongue 106 to be rotated relative to the lower portion 108 without being detached from the lower portion 108 to reveal the other side of the upper portion 110 of the tongue 106.

In fig. 27, the boot of fig. 26 does not have a segmented tongue 106, but rather has a one-piece tongue 114, the tongue 114 being attached to the vamp 104 by retaining means 112, so that the wearer can alternately display both sides of the entire tongue 114, rather than only the upper portion 110 of the tongue 106. It will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a boot or shoe could combine the features of fig. 26 and 27 to provide a boot or shoe having a segmented tongue and two retaining means whereby the upper and lower portions of the tongue can be selectively rotated and outwardly displayed.

It will further be appreciated from a review of the embodiments of the present invention shown in fig. 26 and 27 that the tongue or gusset may be formed in two or more portions.

For example, the segmented tongue may have an upper portion 110 and a lower portion 108, and the lower portion 108 may be formed in a manner similar to that of FIG. 27, wherein a second retaining or swivel element 112 may be provided at the bottom of the lower portion 108. In this way, the tongue may be rotated twice on its upper and lower halves, thereby exposing its back surface as desired.

The reversible tongue eliminates the need to remove the tongue from the shoe for flipping, and thus the concept can be easily applied to fashion shoes. In fig. 28, a dress shoe 116 having a sole 118, an upper 120, and a tongue 122 is provided. Tongue 122 is rotatably attached to upper 120 by retaining means 124 as described above. As described above, the retaining means 124 allows for the opposite side of the tongue to be displayed.

In the present example of fashion shoes 116, both sides of the tongue 122 may be colored or patterned to change the characteristics of the shoe from a more formal shoe to a more casual shoe, depending on the needs of the wearer. The tongue 122 may or may not be attached to the upper portion 126 of the shoe 116 by hook and loop material or other known attachment methods. Also, to show more of the tongue 122, the upper portion of the shoe 116 is provided with scallops 128.

In fig. 29 and 30, there is provided a roller skate 130 and an in-line skate 132, respectively. Each skate has a wheeled base 134, an upper 136, typically made of hard plastic, and a tongue 138 attached to the upper 136 by a retaining means 140. The retaining means 140 allows the tongue 138 to be rotated in the same manner as described above, so that alternate display of both sides of the tongue 138 is possible without the need to remove the tongue 138 from the skate.

Various changes or modifications to the subject matter of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the foregoing description. Such variations are to be considered within the purview of this study and are intended to be included within the scope of any invention provided herein.

The disclosure of the preferred embodiments set forth herein is intended to be illustrative only.

Claims (9)

1. Means for connecting the shoe and the tongue, comprising a ball-and-socket joint comprising a spherical portion connected to the tongue and a socket-shaped portion connected to the shoe, characterized in that,

the ball of the ball portion is rotationally secured within the socket of the socket portion so that the tongue rotates about the first axis of rotation without deformation while still being attached to the shoe to alternately display the first and second faces of the tongue.

2. The component of claim 1, wherein the shoe further comprises an upper, and the socket portion is attached to the upper.

3. The means of claim 1, wherein the means allows the tongue to rotate a limited degree about an axis perpendicular to the first axis of rotation.

4. The component of claim 1, wherein the tongue comprises one or more pockets.

5. A means for connecting a shoe and a tongue, comprising a ball-and-socket joint comprising a spherical portion including a ball connected to the shoe or tongue and a socket-shaped portion defining a socket connected to the other of the shoe and the tongue, characterized in that,

the bulb is rotationally secured within the socket so that the tongue may rotate about the first axis without deforming while still being attached to the shoe to alternately display the first and second faces of the tongue.

6. The component of claim 5, wherein the shoe further comprises an upper, and the ball portion is attached to the upper.

7. The means of claim 5, wherein the means allows the tongue to rotate a limited degree about an axis perpendicular to the first axis of rotation.

8. The component of claim 5, wherein the socket comprises an anterior half and a posterior half that are bonded together to retain the spherical portion during assembly of the ball and socket joint.

9. The component of claim 8, wherein the bulb is separable from the socket, the force required to separate the bulb from the socket being in the range of 20 pounds to 80 pounds.