Climbing Shoe

This invention is directed to a climbing shoe for rock climbing which has an engagement surface on the forward inner and/or outer part of the shoe up to the shoe mid-line for enhance grip in a crevice.

Rock climbers must feel the surfaces against which their feet engage. Therefore, climbing shoes are lightweight, uncushioned, thin-soled, extremely flexible, and tight-fitting. The soles are smooth and thin and are formed of a high-friction rubberlike material. The welt is of the same material as the sole, and in a climbing shoe extends about 3/4 inch up from the sole, all the way around the shoe. The climbing shoe upon which this sole and welt is formed is a canvas shoe trimmed with leather. Thus, the shoe upper is unprotected from abrasion and has low friction value. It is desirable to enhance the engagement characteristics of the shoe by applying additional high-friction material to those areas which may be employed in climbing.

In order to aid in the understanding of this invention, it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a climbing shoe. The climbing shoe has a thin, flexible high-friction material applied as an engagement surface on the forward upper portion of the shoe from the welt to the locking edge of the shoe on the left, right or both sides so that the user may turn his toe, insert it into a crevice and engage the rock with this engagement surface.

It is an object and advantage of this invention to provide a climbing shoe which has enhanced engagement surface for enhanced climbing capability so that the climber has greater security and greater capability.

It is another object and advantage of this invention to provide a climbing shoe which is light, flexible, close-fitting in which enhanced engagement surface permits the climber to climb more safely and engage in crevices which did not previously admit such engagement.

Other purposes and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a right side-elevational view of a climbing shoe in accordance with this invention for the right foot, without laces.

FIG. 2 is a left side-elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the toe portion thereof, with parts broken away.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 1.

The climbing shoe 10 of this invention is shown in right side elevation for a shoe for the right foot in FIG. 1 and is shown in left side elevation for the same shoe in FIG. 2. Shoe 10 has a canvas upper 12 with leather trimming 14 around the ankle and lacing openings of the shoe. Alternatively, the shoe upper may be all leather. The shoe has a sole 16 together with welt 18. The welt extends partway up the sides of the shoe upper. The sole and welt are formed of a thin, flexible, high-friction, rubberlike material. The shoe 10 is designed with as little material as possible between the foot of the wearer and the outside of the shoe so that the climber can have maximum tactile sense of the surface to which he applies the shoe. Further, the shoe 10 is close-fitting to provide for this tactile connection. From the ankle opening forward, the shoe is open over the arch substantially along its top medial center line and is provided with lacing openings 20 along lacing edges for the employment of laces to close the shoe and tighten the shoe upon the climber's foot. A tongue 22 is provided to close the shoe between the lacing edges and protect the foot from the laces.

In accordance with this invention, engagement material 24 is provided on the upper outer forward portion of the shoe to provide an engagement surface which extends from the top of the welt to the lacing edge about halfway forward along the length of the shoe or from about the point in the shoe for engagement by the ball of the foot forward to the toe cap 26 which forms part of the welt 18. The engagement material 24 is of the same class of material as the sole and the welt; that is, a thin, flexible, high-friction, rubberlike material. As is preferably the same material as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the welt is lapped over the engagement material to provide a continuous engagement surface on the forward upper outer portion of the shoe from the sole up around to the lacing edge, which extends as close to the mid-line as any portion of the upper of the shoe. The inside corresponding forward portion of the shoe may also or alternatively be provided with a panel of the same engagement material as indicated at 25 in FIGS. 2 and 3. The engagement material is permanently attached in place as by adhesive attachment by which the material is permanently molded into place. The right shoe is shown, and the left shoe is identical. It has an engagement surface on the upper forward inner and outer side of the shoe from underlapping the welt to the lacing edge. Only one of such panels may be employed. On the left shoe, the engagement material also extends from a point about halfway forward in the shoe from approximately where the ball of the foot engages in the shoe, all the way to the toe cap so that the upper inner and outer forward portions of the shoe are continuously covered with engagement material to provide a continuous engagement surface from the sole to the lacing edge, and on the forward half of the shoe.

In use, the climber wears his shoes during climbing of a rock face. When he reaches a generally upwardly directly crevice, he can turn his foot and apply it edgewise into the crevice to engage the toe and forward part of the shoe in the crevice. If the crevice is the right width, the forward part of the shoe can be wedged therein, with the sole engaging one side and the engagement surface 28 of the engagement material engaging the other side of the crevice. The engagement material prevents damage to that portion of the upper, which would otherwise be exposed, and increases the frictional engagement of the shoe within the crevice. Such insertion of the shoe into a crevice works for any angle of crevice, from horizontal to vertical, and it is mostly a question of crevice angle as to choice of which shoe will be turned which way to be engaged therein. In this way, engagement is enhanced and the shoe is protected.

This invention has been described in its presently contemplated best modes, and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.