Easy-entry shoe

Abstract

A shoe including a sole and an upper, the upper including a shoe opening defined by a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part and a front part, where the top portion of the rear part is curved backward and diagonally upward relative to the bottom portion of the rear part, to facilitate forward sliding of a user's foot into the shoe when the foot enters the s

1 . A shoe comprising:
 a sole; and   an upper, the upper:
 being fabricated, at least in part, from an elastic material; and 
 comprising a single structure that integrates a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part and a front part in the single structure and which defines a shoe opening for receiving an object into an interior of the shoe; 
   wherein the rear part comprises a firm material reinforcing at least a portion of the rear part of the shoe, including a top portion of the rear part, whereby the rear part is prevented from bending forward and deforming under a downward force caused by inserting the object into the shoe;   wherein the top portion of the rear part is curved diagonally backward and upward, whereby facilitating forward sliding of the object into the shoe when the object is being entered into the shoe.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The shoe according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one of the rear part, medial part, lateral part and front part being at least partially fabricated from an elastic material, the elastic material adapted to allow the shoe opening to expand, whereby when the object is forced into the shoe opening, the force of the object causes the elastic material to expand such that the shoe opening is adapted to provide enough space for the object to enter the shoe, and whereby once the object enters the shoe, the elastic material is adapted to contracts and reduces the size of the shoe opening to secure the object inside the shoe.   
     
     
         4 . The shoe according to according to  claim 1 , additionally comprising:
 a support element being fixedly attached externally to the top portion of the rear part of the shoe opening;   wherein the support element is shaped to conform to the top portion of the rear part, with an upper part of the support element curved backward and diagonally upward.   
     
     
         5 . A method for entering a shoe, comprising the steps of:
 providing a shoe comprising a sole and an upper, wherein the upper is fabricated, at least in part, from an elastic material and comprises a rear part, a medial part, a lateral part and a front part that together define a shoe opening for inserting a foot into the shoe, and   wherein the rear part comprises:
 a top portion that is curved backward and diagonally upward relative to a bottom portion of the rear part, whereby forward sliding of a user's foot into the shoe is facilitated when the foot is being entered into the shoe; 
 a firm material reinforcing the top portion of the rear part whereby the rear part is prevented from at least one of: bending forward and deforming under foot downward force when the foot enters the shoe; and 
 inserting a foot into the shoe via the shoe opening by sliding the foot forward over the top portion of the rear part. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method for entering a shoe according to  claim 5 , additionally comprising:
 at least a portion of at least one of the rear part, medial part, lateral part and front part being fabricated of elastic material, wherein the action of inserting the foot into the shoe comprises expanding the elastic material whereby the shoe opening is expanded when the foot is being entered into the shoe, providing enough space for the foot to enter the shoe; and   inserting the foot into the shoe via the opening by expanding the elastic material, wherein once the foot enters the shoe, the elastic material contracts and reduces the size of the shoe opening to keep the foot secured inside the shoe.   
     
     
         7 . The method for entering a shoe according to  claim 5 , additionally comprising:
 attaching a support element to the top portion of the rear part of the shoe; and   wherein the support element is shaped to generally conform to the top portion of the rear part, with its upper part curved backward and diagonally upward.