Adaptive footwear closure

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided. The article of footwear includes an upper and an adjustable strap assembly circumferentially surrounding the upper. The adjustable strap assembly includes a fixed portion fixedly coupled at a first longitudinal end to a first loop of an adjustable double ring, and a variable portion looped through a second loop of the adjustable double ring. A first longitudinal end of the variable portion is reversibly coupled to a second longitudinal end of the fixed portion.

1 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper; and   an adjustable strap assembly circumferentially surrounding the upper;   wherein the adjustable strap assembly includes a fixed portion fixedly coupled at a first longitudinal end to a first loop of an adjustable double ring, and a variable portion looped through a second ring of the adjustable double ring, wherein a first longitudinal end of the variable portion is reversibly coupled to a second longitudinal end of the fixed portion.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the variable portion looped through the second ring of the adjustable double ring decreases and increases a circumference of the adjustable strap assembly when a second longitudinal end of the variable portion is moved towards and away from the first longitudinal end of the variable portion. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a fixed strap loop positioned on a medial side of the upper and including a crease configured to support the fixed portion. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a free floating loop circumferentially surrounding the variable portion and configured to support a second end of the variable portion. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear loop extending from a heel cap to above the upper, and wherein the variable portion is positioned between the rear loop and the upper. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a tongue and wherein the tongue is a split tongue and includes a lateral section and a medial section, the lateral section and the medial section not coupled to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable strap assembly does not cross from a medial side of the upper to a lateral side of the upper more than once. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising an edge closure positioned on the upper and configured to adjust a longitudinal tension of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the edge closure is independent of and not coupled to the adjustable strap assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the edge closure does not extend to a heel region or a forefoot region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper coupled to a sole; and   an adjustable strap assembly circumferentially surrounding the upper, the adjustable strap assembly including an adjustable double ring, a fixed portion coupled to a first loop of the adjustable double ring, and a variable portion looped through a second loop of the adjustable double ring, configured to adjust a circumference of the adjustable strap assembly when a second longitudinal end of the variable portion is moved towards a medial side of the upper and towards a lateral side of the upper.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the article of footwear further comprises gore bands coupled at a first longitudinal end to the medial side of the upper and at a second longitudinal end to the lateral side of the upper, and wherein the gore bands are formed of elastic material. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , the upper further comprising a vamp extending from a forefoot region to a midfoot region and positioned at least partially under the gore bands, and wherein a portion of the vamp underneath the gore bands is split into a lateral portion and a medial portion. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 12 , further comprising a zipper configured to adjust a tension of the gore bands, wherein the zipper includes a first member and a second member, and the tension of the gore bands is greater when the first member is coupled to the second member than when the first member is decoupled from the second member, and wherein the zipper is parallel to the second longitudinal end of the gore bands. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the gore bands are coupled to the lateral side of the upper at a lateral gore support and the first member is directly coupled to an edge of the lateral gore support. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 11 , wherein the adjustable double ring is positioned at the lateral side of the upper. 
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear, comprising:
 an upper and a tongue together defining an opening of the article of footwear; and   an adjustable strap assembly circumferentially surrounding the upper; the adjustable strap assembly comprising an adjustable double loop positioned at a lateral side of the upper, a fixed portion coupled at a first longitudinal end to the upper and fixedly coupled at a second longitudinal end to a first loop of the adjustable double loop, and a variable portion looped through a second loop of the adjustable double loop, and wherein the variable portion is configured to cross once over the tongue.   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 17 , wherein a first longitudinal end of the variable portion is reversibly coupled to the second longitudinal end of the fixed portion. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 17 , wherein an edge closure extends away from a heel region of the article of footwear and laterally along a quarter in a midfoot region of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 19 , wherein the edge closure is positioned on the lateral side of the upper in the midfoot region of the article of footwear, and wherein the edge closure does not extend past the lateral side of the upper.