Easy Slip Shoe

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a construction of a shoe that includes a tongue that has a first fastener attached along a portion of either a medial side or a lateral side of the tongue. Additionally, a stretchable member is attached near a portion of the medial side or the lateral side of the tongue that is opposite of the first fastener. The first fastener is attachable to the upper near the location of the first fastener on the tongue. Similarly, the stretchable member is attached to the upper near the location of the stretchable member on the tongue.

1 . A shoe construction comprising:
 a sole having a toe end and an opposite heel end and having opposite medial and lateral sides extending between the toe end and the heel end;   an upper of flexible material attached to the sole, the upper extending upwardly from the sole to an upper top edge, the upper top edge defining a forefoot opening and an ankle opening into an interior of the shoe;   a tongue of flexible material having opposite medial and lateral sides along a length that extends upwardly from the sole to a distal end of the tongue positionable at the ankle opening;   the tongue having a first fastener attached along a portion of either the medial side or the lateral side; and   a stretchable member attached proximate to a portion of the medial side or the lateral side that is opposite the first fastener, wherein the first fastener and the stretchable member are attachable to the upper proximate their respective locations on the tongue.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener is a hook or a loop material. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe construction of  claim 2 , wherein the upper has the other of the hook or the loop material affixed proximate the forefoot opening. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener is affixed to an exterior surface of the tongue. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the medial side or the lateral side to which the first fastener is attached corresponds to the length of the forefoot opening. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener is attached along a portion of the lateral side. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable member is a portion of elastic banding. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable member is sewn to the tongue proximate a first end of the stretchable member and sewn to the upper proximate an opposite end of the stretchable member. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable member extends through an aperture of the tongue in a direction from an outer surface to an inner surface of the tongue. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the stretchable member is attached to the tongue at a location between the forefoot opening and:
 a) the medial side of the tongue when attached proximate to a portion of the medial side, or   b) the lateral side of the tongue when attached proximate to a portion of the lateral side.   
     
     
         11 . The shoe construction of  claim 1 , wherein the tongue is attached to the upper proximate a portion of the forefoot opening along a side of the upper to which the stretchable member is attachable. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe construction of  claim 11 , wherein the tongue is attached to the upper by stitching that extends in a direction oriented from the toe box toward the distal end of the tongue for a length of half of the forefoot opening. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe construction comprising:
 a sole having a toe end and an opposite heel end and having opposite medial and lateral sides extending between the toe end and the heel end;   an upper of flexible material attached to the sole, the upper extending upwardly from the sole to an upper top edge, the upper top edge defining a forefoot opening and an ankle opening into an interior of the shoe inside the upper;   a first plurality of apertures arranged in a line along a medial side of the forefoot opening;   a second plurality of apertures arranged in a line along a lateral side of the forefoot opening;   a tongue of flexible material having opposite medial and lateral sides along a length that extends from the sole to a distal end of the tongue positioned at the ankle opening;   the tongue having a hook or a loop material attached along a portion of either the medial side or the lateral side, the upper having the other of the hook or the loop material attached along a portion of the forefoot opening, wherein the tongue and the upper are temporarily affixable by the hook and the loop materials; and   the tongue having a stretchable member attached proximate a portion of the medial side or the lateral side opposite to that which the hook or loop material is attached, wherein the stretchable member is also attached to the upper.   
     
     
         14 . The shoe construction of  claim 13 , wherein the hook or the loop material is affixed to the lateral side of the tongue and the stretchable member is affixed proximate a portion of the medial side of the tongue. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe construction of  claim 14 , wherein the hook or the loop material affixed to the upper extends along the second plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe construction of  claim 15 , wherein the hook or the loop material affixed to the upper obscures the second plurality apertures preventing a lacing from extending through one of the second plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         17 . The shoe construction of  claim 14 , wherein the hook or the loop material affixed to the upper extends along the length of the forefoot opening. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe construction of  claim 14 , wherein the medial side of the tongue is sewn to the upper along the forefoot opening for at least a length including one of the plurality of the first plurality of apertures, wherein the length of the upper sewn to the tongue extends to a sewn point along the forefoot opening. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe construction of  claim 18 , wherein the upper is attached to the tongue by the stretchable member at a location closer to the distal end of the tongue than the sewn point. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe construction comprising:
 a sole having a toe end and an opposite heel end and having opposite medial and lateral sides extending between the toe end and the heel end;   an upper of flexible material attached to the sole, the upper extending upwardly from the sole to an upper top edge, the upper top edge defining a forefoot opening and an ankle opening into an interior of the shoe, the upper having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface;   a tongue of flexible material having opposite medial and lateral sides along a length that extends from the sole to a distal end of the tongue positionable at the ankle opening, the tongue having an inner surface and an opposite outer surface;   the tongue having a hook or a loop material attached along a portion of the outer surface proximate the lateral side;   the upper having the other of the hook or the loop material attached along the inner surface proximate a portion of the forefoot opening, wherein the tongue and the upper are temporarily affixable by the hook and the loop materials;   a stretchable member with a first end affixed to the inner surface of the tongue and extending through an aperture of the tongue proximate the medial side of the tongue, wherein the first end of the stretchable member is affixed closer to the distal end of the tongue than a location where the upper is affixed to the tongue along the medial side proximate the forefoot opening; and   the stretchable member having a second end, the second end is affixed to the inner surface of the upper.