foot-clamping structure for shoes and boots

Claim 1

A foot clamping structure for a boot, comprising: a rigid shell having a bottom; an inner liner; an inner sole disposed between said bottom and said liner and fixed to said shell; at least one band member having one end connected to said shell immediately beneath the malleolus articulation of a foot present in the boot, said band member being engageable with the dorsum of the foot; clamping means connected to said at least one band member and actuable from outside the boot for clamping said at least one band member against the dorsum of the foot, said clamping means being positioned towards an upper front part of the boot, said clamping means being actuable between a first open position in which at least one band member does not press against the foot dorsum and a second clamping position in which said at least one band member is adjustably pressed against the foot dorsum, said clamping means comprising a flexible element having a first end integral with a fixing element secured to a terminal edge of one of said band members and a second end integral with a pivot pin of a control lever operable between an open and a closed position, a sleeve element rigidly fixed to a terminal edge of another band member and mounted to extend axially with respect to said flexible element, said control lever being provided with a cam part for engaging one end of said sleeve element to push said sleeve element towards said fixing element when said control lever is in said closed position; a first tie cable fixed to an anchoring member of said clamping means, the other end of said at least one band member being connected to said first tie cable, said first tie cable being engageable with a movable member of said clamping means, said movable member being removable from said anchoring member of said clamping means when said clamping means is brought into said clamping position, whereby tension is applied to said first tie cable and said band member is clamped against said foot dorsum; and a second tie cable connected at one end to said movable member of said clamping means, said second tie cable being connected at the other end to a first edge of a band member, the other edge of which is anchored to said inner sole, said band member embracing a part of the foot before the big toe, whereby said band member, when clamped by said clamping means, clamps the foot to said inner sole.