Open-heel shoe swim fin

Abstract

An open-heel shoe swim fin includes a paddle portion and a shoe portion. The shoe portion has a sole portion made as one piece with the paddle portion, and a first coupling system for a strap is arranged on the sides of the shoe portion. The strap is connected to a heel member and the sole portion has a second coupling system for the strap provided in proximity of the end opposite the end facing the paddle portion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An open-heel shoe swim fin, comprising:
 a paddle portion; and   a shoe portion, the shoe portion comprising a sole portion made in one piece with the paddle portion;   a first coupling system of a strap provided on each side of the shoe portion, the strap being connected to a heel member; and   a second coupling system of the strap provided in proximity of a first end of the sole portion opposite to a second end of the sole portion facing the paddle portion.   
     
     
         2 . The open-heel shoe swim fin according to  claim 1 , wherein the strap extends from the heel member and returns to the heel member by having the strap extend from an upper end of the second coupling system, couple to the first coupling system, and terminate at the upper end of the second coupling system. 
     
     
         3 . The open-heel shoe swim fin according to  claim 1 , wherein the strap extends from the heel member and returns to the heel member by having the strap extend from an upper end of the heel member, coupling to the first coupling system, and terminate at a lower end of the second coupling system. 
     
     
         4 . The open-heel shoe swim fin according to  claim 1 , wherein the first coupling system and the second coupling system comprise flaps radially projecting from the shoe portion, which are substantially oriented to be parallel to a sole plane and provided with at least one through-slot configured to receive the strap. 
     
     
         5 . The open-heel shoe swim fin according to  claim 4 , wherein the slot is defined on a wall extending from the second coupling system that is inclines to favor a connection with the strap. 
     
     
         6 . A heel member for an open-heel shoe swim fin, comprising:
 a loop-shaped body having a substantially parabolic profile that defines a cavity of a substantially parabolic shape, wherein the cavity is adapted to house an ankle of a user,   wherein the loop-shaped body has two arms each provided with a first axial duct adapted to house a strap for coupling with a shoe of the open-heel shoe swim fin.   
     
     
         7 . The heel member according to  claim 6 , wherein each of the two arms is provided with a radial cavity communicating with the first axial duct. 
     
     
         8 . The heel member according to  claim 7 , wherein the two arms are each provided with a second axial duct parallel to the first axial duct, each radial cavities being in communication with the first or the second duct. 
     
     
         9 . The heel member according to  claim 6 , wherein the heel member is made as one piece of an elastically yielding material. 
     
     
         10 . The heel member according to  claim 9 , wherein the elastically yielding material is an expanded polymeric material. 
     
     
         11 . The heel member according to  claim 9 , wherein the elastically yielding material is an expanded closed cell polymeric material. 
     
     
         12 . The heel member according to  claim 6 , wherein the loop-shaped body of the member is made as one piece of thermoplastic rubber, natural rubber, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The heel member according to  claim 6 , wherein the loop-shaped body is provided with gripping means on an outer wall of a vertex of the loop-shaped body. 
     
     
         14 . An open-heel shoe swim fin, comprising:
 a paddle portion; and   a shoe portion, the shoe portion comprising a sole portion made in one piece with the paddle portion;   a first coupling system of a strap provided on each side of the shoe portion, the strap being connected to a heel member; and   a second coupling system of the strap provided in proximity of a first end of the sole portion opposite to a second end of the sole portion facing the paddle portion   wherein the heel member comprises a loop-shaped body having a substantially parabolic profile that defines a cavity of a substantially parabolic shape,   wherein the cavity is adapted to house an ankle of a user, and   wherein the loop-shaped body has two arms each provided with a first axial duct adapted to house the strap for coupling with the shoe portion of the open-heel shoe swim fin.