EP1042967A1 - Article chaussant - Google Patents

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Publication number
EP1042967A1
EP1042967A1 EP00301596A EP00301596A EP1042967A1 EP 1042967 A1 EP1042967 A1 EP 1042967A1 EP 00301596 A EP00301596 A EP 00301596A EP 00301596 A EP00301596 A EP 00301596A EP 1042967 A1 EP1042967 A1 EP 1042967A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
insert
outsole
footwear
slipper
resilient insert
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00301596A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Michael H. Ganon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Totes Isotoner Corp
Original Assignee
Totes Isotoner Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Totes Isotoner Corp filed Critical Totes Isotoner Corp
Publication of EP1042967A1 publication Critical patent/EP1042967A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
    • A43B7/142—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B17/00—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
    • A43B17/02—Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined wedge-like or resilient
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
    • A43B3/10—Low shoes, e.g. comprising only a front strap; Slippers
    • A43B3/108—Low shoes, e.g. comprising only a front strap; Slippers characterised by the sole
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
    • A43B7/143—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43—FOOTWEAR
    • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
    • A43B7/145—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the toes, i.e. the phalanges

Definitions

  • This invention relates to footwear. More specifically, this invention relates to footwear having an outsole and a resilient insert.
  • Footwear known in the prior art often compromises foot comfort in order to create a more durable product, or sacrifices product durability in order to create a more comfortable product.
  • a boot intended for rigorous hiking and mountaineering must have a durable and rigid sole to provide traction and also to prevent injury to a user's foot from stepping on irregular surfaces.
  • a slipper dedicated to indoor use may sacrifice all but a minor amount of protection to the sole of the user's foot in order to maximize the comfort desired.
  • factors such as weight, aesthetic design and support are taken into account when designing footwear, and the final design of the footwear product is primarily dependent on the intended use of the product.
  • Slipper manufacture in particular, is generally focused on the comfort of the footwear. Slippers are generally worn inside the house, and are not often subjected to the abuses of outside-wear where a user treads on hard and abrasive surfaces such as blacktop and concrete, and irregular and potentially injurious surfaces such as sticks, rocks, broken glass, or the like. Slippers designed for comfort rather than durability would quickly wear out if subjected to hard use outside the home.
  • slippers that attempt to provide a durable outsole for outside wear, the basic problem is that while they incorporate a relatively durable outsole with a tread pattern for traction, the slippers, by virtue of their hard outsole, sacrifice that quantum of comfort desired in slippers designed to be worn primarily inside.
  • Slippers with relatively hard outsoles often have only a foam and/or cloth insole to absorb the shock created by a user's foot falls, and this insole is adhered to the inner surface of the hard outsole.
  • the cloth insole does not offer any effective resilience for the user's foot.
  • the foam insole often loses its resilient properties after prolonged use, and often does not even offer much comfort to a user when puchased new. Also, and because such insoles deform easily, a user's foot can press forward into the toe of the slipper, not only further deforming and eventually tearing the insole, but also prematurely wearing out the slipper toe by wearing a hole in it.
  • this invention provides in a preferred embodiment footwear, e.g., a slipper, that will overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages by pairing a durable outsole with a separate resilient insert to create a footwear product that is both durable and comfortable.
  • the footwear includes a vamp attached to the durable outsole around the outer margin thereof, the outsole having a sole bed and a peripheral rim integral therewith.
  • the separate resilient insert is seated on the inside surface of the outsole, and is confined laterally in assembly therewith by the outsole's peripheral rim.
  • the separable resilient insert is relatively softer than the durable outsole, and has a bottom surface in which a matrix of recesses is defined.
  • the recess matrix reduces the weight of the insert to make the slipper lighter, and also adds to the slipper's comfortable feel by enhancing the slipper sole's resilience when worn by a user.
  • the separable resilient insert variably compresses in proportion to the user's weight and walking forces applied upon the insert when the slipper is worn, thereby giving the feel of a custom fit to the user.
  • the peripheral margin of the resilient insert is similar in shape to, but slightly smaller than, the peripheral margin of the outsole in which it is received so that when a user wears the slipper there is permitted relative separation between the outsole and resilient insert, thereby providing the resilient insert with a limited degree of movement inside the outsole as the user walks in the slipper.
  • an insole may be provided on top of the resilient insert to enhance further the user's comfort.
  • the slipper has a durable outsole and a compliant and comfortable resilient insert that is separable from and movable relative to the outsole as the user walks, thereby creating a durable and comfortable slipper for both outdoor and indoor wear.
  • a slipper 10 which may be either of a ballerina style as shown in Fig. 1, or a mule style as shown in Fig. 4, includes a vamp 12 attached to an outsole 20.
  • the vamp 12 defines a foot hole 14 bordered by a collar 16 through which a user may insert a foot in order to wear the slipper 10.
  • the outsole 20 generally is contoured to have a toe 22, heel 24, instep 26, and outer edge 28, so as to generally mimic the contours of a human foot.
  • the outsole 20 further has a sole bed 30 with an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34.
  • a peripheral rim 36 integral with the sole bed's margin rises above the sole bed inner surface 32.
  • the outsole 20 preferable is made of thermoplastic rubber with a durometer in the range of about 55 to about 70. It will be understood by those in the art that other materials may be used that provide both good traction and durability characteristics suitable for use in footwear.
  • the slipper 10 has a separable resilient insert 38 seated on or placed against, but not adhered to, the inner surface 32 of the outsole 20, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5.
  • the resilient insert 38 generally has a toe 40, a heel 42, an instep 44, and an outer edge 46 which are similar to, but define a contour slightly smaller than, the contour of the outsole 20, see Fig. 7.
  • This insert 38/outsole 20 structure results in a slight gap G between the insert's periphery 46 and outsole's rim 36 which preferably is of substantially the same width around the insert's periphery. Since the insert 38 is separable from, i.e., not adhered to, the outsole 20, this gap G permits limited relative movement between the insert and the outsole as a user walks in the slipper, thereby enhancing the comfort of this slipper.
  • the resilient insert 38 has a substantially planar bottom surface 50, and a top surface 48 that is contoured for comfort to generally mimic the contours of the sole of a human foot. As is best seen in Figs. 2 and 5, the resilient insert varies in thickness T from the insert toe 40 to the insert heel 42.
  • the insert 38 preferably has a thickness in the range of between about 60 mm and about 160 mm.
  • the insert 38 is thickest in the regions that will bear the greatest proportion of the user's weight, and therefore also provide areas of the greatest shock absorption when a user walks in the slipper 10 and, as a result, compresses the resilient insert 38.
  • the resilient insert 38 defines a matrix of recesses 54 in the insert bottom surface 50, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7.
  • the combined surface area of all recesses 54 at the insert's bottom surface 50 preferably is between about 50% and about 50% of the entire surface area of the insert's bottom surface.
  • No recess 54 extends through the top surface 48 of the resilient insert 38, thereby leaving a ceiling 56 at the top of each recess 54.
  • the ceiling's thickness C is dependent on the recess height H subtracted from the resilient insert thickness I at any point on a recess ceiling 56. In the preferred embodiment, the ceiling thickness C is in the range of about 1.2 mm to about 2.5 mm.
  • the resilient insert 38 is made from a thermoplastic rubber, such as compound TPR-1045S available from J-Von N.A. LLC, 25 Litchfield St., Leominster, MA 01453.
  • the resilient insert 38 is relatively soft compared to the outsole 20, and has a durometer in the range of between about 35 and about 40.
  • the recesses 54 defined in the bottom surface 50 of the resilient insert 38 subtract material from the resilient insert 38, thereby making the resilient insert 38, and therefore the slipper, lighter.
  • the relatively low durometer of the preferred resilient insert 38 allows the insert 38, the recess matrix 54, and the varying thickness T of the insert, to be variably compressed when in use depending on factors such as the user's weight, thereby providing an insert 38 that is resiliently shaped to the contours of a user's foot as the slipper is used which promotes a custom made feel of the slipper 10.
  • the slipper 10 of both the ballerina style shown in Fig. 1, and the mule style shown in Fig. 4, has an insole 62 and 62a respectively, received against the top surface 48 of the resilient insert 38.
  • the ballerina style slipper 10 embodiment as can be seen in Fig. 2, has an insole 62 that is attached (e.g., by stitching) along the bottom margin 18 of the vamp 12.
  • the vamp 12 and insole 62 are then attached (e.g., by stitching) along the top edge margin of the outsole's peripheral rim 36, thus creating a closed pocket 64 in which the separable resilient insert 38 is captured and in which the insert 38 is permitted limited vertical movement when the slipper is worn.
  • the resilient insert 38 is attached to neither the insole 62 nor the outsole 20 and is, therefore, permitted to separate relative to the outsole 20 and the insole 62 when being worn during use.
  • the mule style slipper 10 embodiment has a resilient insert 38 selectively removable from the outsole 20.
  • the mule style slipper 10 has an insole 62a adhered to the top surface 48 of the resilient insert 38 with any adhesive known to those in the art.
  • the resilient insert 38 in the mule style slipper 10 is not captured in a closed pocket.
  • the bottom surface 50 of the resilient insert 38 is not adhered to the inner surface 32 of the outsole 20 so as to allow relative separation between the resilient insert 38 and the outsole 20 when being worn during use.
  • the vamp 12 and the collar 16 are made of a terry cloth-like material.
  • the vamp 12 and the collar 16 are made of a stretchable synthetic textile. It will be understood by those in the art that other materials may be used to provide the desired comfort and wear characteristics for the slipper 10.
  • the insole 62 may be made from a terry cloth and foam composite.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
EP00301596A 1999-04-09 2000-02-29 Article chaussant Withdrawn EP1042967A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US28905599A 1999-04-09 1999-04-09
US289055 1999-04-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1042967A1 true EP1042967A1 (fr) 2000-10-11

Family

ID=23109844

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00301596A Withdrawn EP1042967A1 (fr) 1999-04-09 2000-02-29 Article chaussant

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1042967A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103190729A (zh) * 2013-04-10 2013-07-10 徐贤 可调节拖鞋

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1881926U (de) * 1963-08-16 1963-10-31 Georg Schueller Zweiseitig waermeisolierende schuheinlage.
FR1368095A (fr) * 1963-09-06 1964-07-24 Première de montage pour article chaussant, et article chaussant muni de ladite première de montage ou similaire
FR1382527A (fr) * 1964-02-11 1964-12-18 Raoul Lalet S A Article chaussant notamment pour appartement, ou autres applications
US4619055A (en) * 1984-10-29 1986-10-28 Davidson Murray R Cushioning pad
US4881328A (en) * 1987-02-20 1989-11-21 Autry Industries, Inc. Custom midsole
US5619809A (en) * 1995-09-20 1997-04-15 Sessa; Raymond Shoe sole with air circulation system

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1881926U (de) * 1963-08-16 1963-10-31 Georg Schueller Zweiseitig waermeisolierende schuheinlage.
FR1368095A (fr) * 1963-09-06 1964-07-24 Première de montage pour article chaussant, et article chaussant muni de ladite première de montage ou similaire
FR1382527A (fr) * 1964-02-11 1964-12-18 Raoul Lalet S A Article chaussant notamment pour appartement, ou autres applications
US4619055A (en) * 1984-10-29 1986-10-28 Davidson Murray R Cushioning pad
US4881328A (en) * 1987-02-20 1989-11-21 Autry Industries, Inc. Custom midsole
US5619809A (en) * 1995-09-20 1997-04-15 Sessa; Raymond Shoe sole with air circulation system

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103190729A (zh) * 2013-04-10 2013-07-10 徐贤 可调节拖鞋

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