Shoe

Abstract

A shoe has a coupling element extending between the front and rear portions of the shoe to maintain the shoe in a bent position. The shoe rests stably on the ground in the bent position so that the user may simply step into the shoe. The bent position is overcome by the user's bodyweight, which overcomes a locked position of the coupling element.

1 . A shoe, comprising:
 a front portion including a front sole and a front upper, the front upper being attached to the front sole and extending over the front sole and configured to extend over a foot of a wearer;   a rear portion attached to the front portion, the rear portion having a rear sole and a rear upper attached to the rear sole, the rear upper and the rear sole configured to support a heel of the wearer, the rear sole having a bendable portion and a rear heel portion, the bendable portion being resilient and bendable from a relaxed position to a bent position so that the rear sole is bent relative to the front sole, the bendable portion being in a biased condition when in the bent position so that the bendable portion is biased toward the relaxed position when in the bent position; and   a first coupling element extending between the front portion and the rear portion, the first coupling element having a first part and a second part, the first part coupled to the rear portion and the second part coupled to the front portion, the first part and the second part sliding relative to one another when the rear sole moves from the relaxed position to the bent position, the first part and the second part automatically being in a locked position which prevents further relative sliding between the first part and the second part when the rear sole is in the bent position, the locked position being overcome when the wearer steps onto at least one of the front sole and the rear sole.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is compressed when the rear sole is in the bent position relative to the front sole and the bendable portion is in the biased condition, the first coupling being compressed between the first part and the second part by a biasing force exerted by the bendable portion of the rear sole.   
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the bendable portion positioned between the rear heel portion and the front sole, the bendable portion being bent so that the front sole and the rear heel sole portion change an angle relative to one another by at least 20 degrees when the bendable portion is in the bent position.   
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is compressed between the front portion and the rear portion by a biasing force exerted by the bendable portion of the rear sole when in the bent position.   
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the front portion is configured with the front sole including a common layer extending continuously from the front sole to the rear sole.   
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the rear sole integrally formed with the front sole.   
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured so that the first part and the second part slide against one another when the rear sole moves to the bent position from the relaxed position.   
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the bendable portion positioned between the rear heel portion and the front sole; and   the first coupling element is configured with the first part coupled to the rear sole to change orientation with the rear heel portion when the bendable portion of the rear sole is in the bent position.   
     
     
         9 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element includes a first insert and a first recess wall, the first recess wall forming a first recess which is U-shaped when viewed from a lateral direction.   
     
     
         15 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element bends outwardly in a lateral direction when the rear sole is in the bent position, the lateral direction being defined relative to a shoe orientation.   
     
     
         16 . The shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mouth into which the wearer's foot is placed, the mouth being formed between the front portion and the rear portion, the mouth being enlarged in a lateral direction by the first coupling element when the rear sole is in the bent position.   
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the rear sole being manually manipulated into the bent position.   
     
     
         18 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the rear sole and the front sole shaped to rest stably in an upright position when the rear sole is in the bent position so that the wearer may step onto the at least one of the rear sole and the front sole, wherein the locked position is automatically overcome when the user steps onto the at least one of the front sole and the rear sole.   
     
     
         19 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element includes a first insert, the first insert being U-shaped when viewed from a lateral direction.   
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second coupling element also having a first part and a second part, the first part being coupled to the rear portion and the second part coupled to the front portion;   the first coupling element extends along a lateral side between the front portion and the rear portion; and   the second coupling element extends along an opposing lateral side from the first coupling element and also extends from the front portion to the rear portion.   
     
     
         21 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured with the bendable portion positioned between the rear heel portion and the front sole, the rear upper being coupled to the rear heel portion so that the rear upper changes orientation with the rear heel portion, the front upper being coupled to the front sole so that the front upper changes orientation with the front sole when the bendable portion of the rear sole moves to the bent position.   
     
     
         25 . The shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mouth into which the wearer's foot is placed, the mouth being enlarged in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction when the rear sole is in the bent position.   
     
     
         26 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rear sole and the rear upper close around the wearer's heal when the user steps onto the front sole.   
     
     
         27 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the first part being locked to the second part in a plurality of discrete positions so that the first part and the second part are slidable to each of the plurality of locked positions by manual manipulation, wherein each of the plurality of locked positions is a stable position and each of the plurality of locked positions may be overcome to move the rear sole back toward the relaxed position when the wearer steps onto the at least one of the rear sole and the front sole.   
     
     
         28 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the second part coupled to the front portion so that the second part changes orientation with the front portion when the rear sole moves to the bent position.   
     
     
         29 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the first part having a first recess wall coupled to the rear portion, the first recess wall forming a first recess, the second part of the first coupling element having a first insert positioned in the first recess, the first insert sliding within the first recess when the rear sole moves to the bent position, the first insert being automatically locked relative to the first recess when the rear sole is moved to the bent position.   
     
     
         30 . The shoe of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the first recess wall of the first part coupled to the rear sole so that a biasing force of the rear sole when the rear sole is in the bent position is transferred from the rear sole to the first recess wall.   
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The shoe of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the first insert coupled to the front upper, wherein a biasing force of the rear sole when the rear sole is in the bent position is transferred from the front sole to the first insert through the front upper.   
     
     
         34 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured so that the first part forms a first insert coupled to the rear portion, the second part having a first recess wall coupled to the front portion and forming a first recess, the first insert being positioned and slidable within the first recess, the first insert sliding within the first recess when the rear sole moves from the relaxed position to the bent position, the first insert being automatically locked relative to the first recess when the rear sole is moved to the bent position.   
     
     
         35 . The shoe of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the first coupling element is configured with the first insert coupled to the rear sole so that a biasing force created when the rear sole is in the bent position is transferred from the rear sole directly to the first insert.   
     
     
         36 - 54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first part of the first coupling element is pivotally coupled to the rear portion.   
     
     
         56 - 61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least one of the first part and the second part of the first coupling element forms a first insert, wherein the other of the first part and the second part forms a first recess, the first insert being positioned in and slidable within the first recess when the rear sole moves to the bent position.   
     
     
         63 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first part and the second part of the first coupling element also automatically being in a second locked position when the rear sole is in the relaxed position.   
     
     
         64 . The shoe of  claim 63 , wherein:
 the rear portion is configured to be engaged by an opposing foot, wherein the bendable portion is movable to the bend position when the wearer steps on the rear portion with the opposing foot while pulling up with the foot.   
     
     
         65 . The shoe of  claim 64 , wherein:
 the bendable portion of the rear sole is configured to be moved to the bent position when removing the shoe without manual manipulation by engaging the rear portion with the opposing foot while pulling up with the foot.