BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of footwear and more specifically relates to shoe lacing systems.

2. Description of the Related Art

Shoelaces, sometimes called shoestrings or bootlaces, are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots, and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished off at both ends with stiff sections, known as aglets. Each shoelace typically passed through a series of holes, eyelets, loops or hooks on either side of the shoe. Loosening the lacing allows the shoe to open wide enough for the foot to be inserted or removed. Tightening the lacing and tying off the ends secures the foot within the shoe, but sometimes makes the wearer feel uncomfortable.

Insoles are the interior bottom of a shoe, which sits directly beneath the foot under the footbed (also known as sock liner). The purpose of insole is to attach to the lasting margin of the upper, which is wrapped around the last during the closing of the shoe during the lasting operation.

There are many shoelace accessories. There are hooks to help lace shoelaces tightly. They are especially useful for skates where tight lacing is important. Shoelace covers protect the laces, especially in some sports like wrestling. Shoelace charms are decorative, as are colored shoelaces. Some laces are colored using expensive dyes, other, more “personal” colors, are drawn-on with permanent markers. Some dress codes (especially high schools) will specifically exclude color laces and charms. Lace-locks hold laces together, eliminating the need for tying.

There are also many insole designs. Some provide extra cushioning. Others are often added for comfort to control the shape. There are some designed for moisture or smell of the shoe. There are many designed for health reasons to help deal with differences in the natural shape of the foot or positioning of the foot during standing or walking.

Many lace-lock accessories may require frequent adjustments or extra equipment in order to keep the laces in place for an extended period of time. Other lace-look accessories make it inconvenient for the user to slip their feet into and out of a shoe without additional adjustments being made for comfort. A suitable solution is desired.

Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in footwear art. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,888 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,517 to Gourley; U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,696 to Sanders; U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,519 to Ashwood, Jr.; and Publication No. 2013/0205618 to Martigny. This prior art is representative of footwear.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. Thus, a need exists for a reliable lace down insole system, and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention advantageously fills the aforementioned deficiencies by footwear shoelace accessories. The present invention is superior to other systems in that it effectively provides a shoe insole designed to hide the shoelaces underneath the insole.

The lace down insole system provides for a removable shoe insole with hook and loop fasteners on the bottom side of the insole as a method for retaining shoelaces underneath the insole. This allows an efficient way for allowing shoes to have the ability to slide on and off without the need for tying the shoelaces. The lace down insole system may be lifted towards the heel allowing the original shoelaces to hide underneath the insole. Upon pushing the insole back inside the shoe, the shoelaces will therefore be made stationary beneath the insole by means of the added hook and loop fasteners or another stationary material, thereby hiding the shoelaces and converting an ordinary shoe from needing to be tied, into a comfortable and secure slip on shoe.

The lace down insole system may be available in sizes ranging from children to large adults. There may further be different models or versions that vary in materials and dimensions for purposes of accommodating different shoe types including, but not limited to, dress shoes, work boots, tennis shoes, and other active footwear. The lace down insole system may be constructed form materials that are soft and comfortable, but strong enough to prevent the user from feeling the shoelaces that are hidden beneath the insole.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out in the specification. The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read in conjunction with both this summary, the detailed description and any preferred and/or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

