Shoe closure system

Abstract

A shoe closure system includes a plurality of fasteners corresponding to the pairs of eyelets in a shoe. Each fastener includes any elongated elastic member and releasably engageable male and female fastening devices secured to opposite ends of the elongated elastic member. The fastening devices and the elongated elastic member are cross-sectionally dimensioned to pass through the eyelets in the shoe. The male and female fastening devices are passed down through the eyelets in a respective pair of eyelets and are connected to one another at positions above the tongue of the shoe. The elasticity of the elongated elastic member holds the shoe in a comfortably closed position on the foot without having to tie the laces on the shoe. The elongated elastic member can be provided with indicia corresponding to a brand name, team name or logo.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe closure system for use on a shoe having an upper and a U-shaped opening in the upper, the U-shaped opening having opposite first and second sides, a plurality of first eyelets and a plurality of second eyelets formed through the upper at locations in proximity to the respective first and second sides of the U-shaped opening, the eyelets being disposed in pairs with each pair having one first eyelet and an opposed second eyelet, the pairs of eyelets being spaced apart from one another in a heel-to-toe direction, each of the eyelets having and inner diameter, the shoe closure system having a plurality of fasteners, each of the fasteners comprising:
 an elongated resilient material having opposite first and second ends;   first and second fastening devices secured respectively to the first and second ends of the elongated resilient material, the first and second fastening devices being releasably engageable with one another, the elongated resilient material and the first and second fastening devices having cross-sectional dimensions to fit through each of the eyelets so that in the first fastening device of one of said fasteners can be passed through the first eyelet in one of said pairs and so that the second fastening device of the respective fastener can be passed through the second eyelet in the respective pair with the first and second fastening devices being releasably connected to one another to hold the first and second sides of the U-shaped opening in proximity to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe closure system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated resilient material is an elastic material. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe closure system of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated elastic material has a thickness and a width that exceeds the thickness, the elongated resilient material having indicia thereon along at least one surfaces defining the width. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe closure system of  claim 3  wherein the width of the elongated elastic material exceeds a maximum cross-sectional dimension of the fastening devices. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe closure system of  claim 3 , wherein the indicia is printed or embroidered on the elastic material 
     
     
         6 . The shoe closure system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the fasteners has a length selected to hold the sides of the U-shaped opening in a selected proximity to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe closure system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fasteners corresponds in number to the plurality of pairs of eyelets. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe closure system of  claim 1 , wherein each first fastening device is a male fastening device and wherein each second fastening device is a female fastening device. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe closure system of  claim 8 , wherein each male fastening device has a narrow shank and a ball at an end of the shank remote from the elongated elastic member, each female fastening device having a tube with an open end and a slot extending from the open end, an enlarged hole extending into the tube at an end of the slot remote from the open end of the tube, the ball of the male fastening device being cross-sectionally smaller then the hole in the tube and cross-sectional a larger than a width of the slot in the tube, the shank of the male fastening device being cross-sectionally smaller than the width of the slot. 
     
     
         10 . The closure system of  claim 9 , wherein the shank and the tube are aligned substantially coaxially when the male and female fastening devices are connected to one another. 
     
     
         11 . The closure system of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening devices are crimped into engagement with the respective ends of the elongated elastic member. 
     
     
         12 . A shoe system, comprising:
 a shoe having an upper, a tongue and a U-shaped opening in the upper above the tongue, the U-shaped opening having opposite first and second sides, a plurality of first eyelets and a plurality of second eyelets formed through the upper at locations in proximity to the respective first and second sides of the U-shaped opening, the eyelets being disposed in pairs with each pair having one first eyelet and an opposed second eyelet, the pairs of eyelets being spaced apart from one another in a heel-to-toe direction, each of the eyelets having and inner diameter; and   a plurality of fasteners, each of the fasteners having an elongated resilient material with opposite first and second ends, first and second fastening devices secured respectively to the first and second ends of the elongated resilient material of each of the fasteners, the first and second fastening devices being releasably engageable with one another, the elongated resilient material and the first and second fastening devices having cross-sectional dimensions to fit through each of the eyelets so that in the first fastening device of one of said fasteners can be passed through the first eyelet in one of said pairs and so that the second fastening device of the respective fastener can be passed through the second eyelet in the respective pair with the first and second fastening devices being releasably connected to one another above the tongue to hold the first and second sides of the U-shaped opening in proximity to one another.   
     
     
         13 . The shoe system of  claim 12 , wherein the elongated resilient material is an elastic material. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe system of  claim 13 , wherein the elongated elastic material has a thickness and a width that exceeds the thickness, the elongated elastic material having indicia thereon along at least one surfaces defining the width. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe system of  claim 14 , wherein the width of the elongated elastic material exceeds a maximum cross-sectional dimension of the fastening devices. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe system of  claim 15 , wherein the indicia is printed or embroidered on the elastic material 
     
     
         17 . The shoe system of  claim 13 , wherein each of the fasteners has a length selected to hold the sides of the U-shaped opening in a selected proximity to one another. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe closure system of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of fasteners corresponds in number to the plurality of pairs of eyelets. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe system of  claim 13 , wherein each first fastening device is a male fastening device and wherein each second fastening device is a female fastening device, each male fastening device having a narrow shank and a ball at an end of the shank remote from the elongated elastic member, each female fastening device having a tube with an open end and a slot extending from the open end, an enlarged hole extending into the tube at an end of the slot remote from the open end of the tube, the ball of the male fastening device being cross-sectionally smaller then the hole in the tube and cross-sectional a larger than a width of the slot in the tube, the shank of the male fastening device being cross-sectionally smaller than the width of the slot, the shank and the tube being aligned substantially coaxially when the male and female fastening devices are connected to one another. 
     
     
         20 . The closure system of  claim 13 , wherein the fastening devices are crimped into engagement with the respective ends of the elongated elastic member.