Shoe lacing apparatus

Claim 1

A shoe lacing apparatus for directing opposed shoe lace apertures of an associated shoe together, comprises: an elongate housing, with the elongate housing having a housing first end and a housing second end, a housing top wall and spaced housing side walls, and the housing having a housing bore directed into the housing first end oriented longitudinally of the housing intermediate the housing side walls, and a pull ring, the pull ring positioned exteriorly of the housing adjacent the housing first end, and a first pull rod mounted to the pull ring and extending into the housing bore through the housing first end, and a slide block slidably mounted within the housing intermediate the housing first end and the housing second end, with the first pull rod mounted to the slide block, and the slide block including a second pull rod, the second pull rod longitudinally aligned with the first pull rod and extending from the slide block through the elongate housing intermediate the housing side walls, and the slide block having latch means cooperative with the housing top wall for selective latching of the slide block relative to the housing top wall, and the second pull rod having a plurality of hook rods directed from the second pull rod through each of the side walls, wherein the pull rods are spaced apart a predetermined spacing along each of the side walls, and each of the hook rods includes a hook rod first end mounted to the second pull rod, and each hook rod having a hook rod second hook end having a hook, with each hook arranged for reception within one of the shoe lace openings of said shoe, and manual pulling of the pull ring effects pulling and tensioning of the hook rods within the housing, wherein each hook rod is formed of a flexible material.