EP3387935B1

EP3387935B1 - Climbing shoe

Info

Publication number: EP3387935B1
Application number: EP18167120.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heinz Mariacher; Davide Parisotto; Renzo MARCOLIN
Original assignee: Calzaturificio SCARPA SpA
Current assignee: Calzaturificio SCARPA SpA
Priority date: 2017-04-12
Filing date: 2018-04-12
Publication date: 2019-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2038-04-12
Also published as: ES2770611T3; EP3387935A1; IT201700040806A1

Description

The present invention relates to a climbing shoe.
As is known, most climbing shoes is usually made up of an leather shoe-upper which is substantially sock-shaped so as to enclose and completely cover the foot, including the sole of the foot; of a front tensioning band which is substantially U-bent and is fixed by gluing to the tip of the shoe-upper so as to surround the tarsus-phalangeal region of the sole of the foot; of a rear tensioning band which is substantially U-bent and is fixed by gluing to the rear part of the shoe-upper so as to cover the area above the heel of the foot, and then extend along the two lateral sides of the shoe-upper up to reach and join with the front tensioning band; and of a vulcanised-rubber sole which is fixed by gluing to the bottom of the shoe-upper, over the front and rear tensioning bands, so as to cover the whole sole of the foot.
The front and rear tensioning bands, in addition, are made of highly elastic rubber and are suitably pre-tensioned so as to embrace and tighten the user's foot to the limit of physical pain, generally also arching the foot downwards.
Unfortunately, the climbing shoes described above ensure very high grip and adhesion capability only in the area of the toe of the shoe.
US patent application US2003/196354 describes a climbing shoe having, in the heel area, a series of transversal protruding ridges that allow the user to grip on rocks and similar footholds, and EP1880622A1 discloses a shoe according to the preamble of claim 1.
Unfortunately, climbing shoes with protruding ridges on the heel have never been put on the market because the protruding ridges, being made of the same material as the sole, unfortunately tend to deform excessively when subjected to a strong tangential force, thus suddenly compromising the grip on the foothold and putting the user in serious danger.
Aim of the present invention is therefore to realize a climbing shoe free from the drawbacks described above.
In compliance with this aims, according to the present invention there is provided a climbing shoe as defined in Claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the depending claims.
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting embodiment example, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a climbing shoe realized according to the teachings of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear part of the climbing shoe shown in Figure 1; whereas
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are further perspective views of the climbing shoe shown in Figure 1, with parts removed for sake of clarity.

With reference to Figures 1 to 7, number 1 denotes as a whole a climbing shoe that may be particularly advantageously used for climbing in indoor climbing walls.
The climbing shoe 1 basically comprises: a shoe-upper 2 preferably made of leather, which is shaped substantially like a sock so as to completely cover the user's foot, including the sole of the foot; and a front sole 3 made of high-grip vulcanised rubber or other similar soft elastomeric material (such as, for example, the XS Edge compound or the GRIP 2 compound produced by VIBRAM), which is firmly fixed, preferably by gluing, to the bottom or insole 4 of the shoe-upper 2, and is shaped/structured so as to cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 which is located below the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a of the user's foot, more or less up to the boundary with the plantar-arch region 4b.
In addition, the climbing shoe 1 moreover comprises one or more tensioning bands that are made of elastic material, are firmly fixed to the shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing, and are adapted to embrace and tighten the shoe-upper 2 against the user's foot.
Preferably, the elastic-material tensioning band or bands is/are furthermore suitably pre-tensioned so as to embrace and strongly tighten the shoe-upper 2 against the user's foot, and optionally also so as to bend the foot downwards.
In greater detail, the climbing shoe 1 is preferably provided with at least one front tensioning band 5 and at least one rear tensioning band 6, both preferably pre-tensioned, which are preferably made from high-elasticity rubber or other elastomeric material with an elastic modulus significantly less than that of the sole 3, and are finally firmly fixed to the shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing.
With particular reference to Figure 5, the front tensioning band 5 is placed at the tip 7 of shoe-upper 2, and is substantially U-bent so as to surround and cover the tip 7 of shoe-upper 2 in the area surrounding the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a of the sole of the foot of the user, preferably also extending/prolonging on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 below the front sole 3.
Preferably, the two ends 5a of front tensioning band 5 are additionally joined/connected to each another on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, preferably in the portion of bottom 4 located immediately beneath the border between the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and the plantar-arch region 4b.
In greater detail, the two ends 5a of front tensioning band 5 are preferably overlapped and glued one over the other, directly on the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located astride of the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and the plantar-arch region 4b.
Preferably, the central portion 5b of front tensioning band 5 is additionally substantially cap-shaped, so as to cover and protect both the sides and the upper part of the tip 7 of shoe-upper 2, i.e. the part opposite the sole 3.
In the example shown, in addition, the central portion 5b of front tensioning band 5 preferably also extends over the part of shoe-upper 2 covering the user's instep.
With reference to Figures 4 and 5, the rear tensioning band 6, on the other hand, is placed on the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2, and is substantially U-bent so as to cover the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2 in the area immediately above the heel of the foot, and then extend along the two inner and outer lateral sides 9 of shoe-upper 2 up to reach and join, preferably by gluing, with the front tensioning band 5.
In greater detail, the rear tensioning band 6 is preferably structured so as to reach and join with the front tensioning band 5 along the lateral sides 9 of shoe-upper 2, close to the bottom 4 of the shoe-upper 2 and near the border between the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and the plantar-arch region 4b.
Preferably, the two ends 6a of rear tensioning band 6 moreover are joined/connected, preferably by gluing, to each other and/or with the two ends 5a of front tensioning band 5 on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, substantially in the area of the plantar-arch region 4b.
In the example shown, in particular, the two ends 6a of rear tensioning band 6 preferably extend on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, in the plantar-arch region 4b and optionally also in the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and/or in the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot, so as to cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 which is located immediately beneath the plantar-arch region 4b and optionally also beneath a small part of the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and/or a small part of the talus-calcaneal region 4c.
In greater detail, with reference to Figure 5, in the example shown the two ends 6a of rear tensioning band 6 are preferably dimensioned so as to substantially completely cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 which is below the plantar-arch region 4b, optionally also with the addition of a small sector of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 beneath the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a of the sole of the foot.
Preferably, the two ends 5a of front tensioning band 5, in turn, extend on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 so as to cross the borderline between the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a and the plantar-arch region 4b, at least partially covering the plantar-arch region 4b while locally overlapping the two ends 6a of rear tensioning band 6.
With reference to Figures 1 to 7, preferably the climbing shoe 1 is furthermore provided with a protective insert 10 made of rubber or other elastomeric material, which is substantially seashell-shaped and is fixed, preferably by gluing, directly on the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2, in the area delimited at the top by the rear tensioning band 6, so as to cover the portion of shoe-upper 2 located in the heel area.
In greater detail, protective insert 10 is preferably shaped/dimensioned so as to cover and protect the lateral sides of the calcaneus, preferably also extending on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, to totally or partially cover the portion of the bottom 4 which is immediately underneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot.
In the example shown, in particular, the protective insert 10 is preferably shaped/dimensioned so as to cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located beneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot, preferably up to the border with the plantar-arch region 4b.
Optionally, the protective insert 10 is moreover shaped /dimensioned so as to extend on the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 up to reach the plantar-arch region 4b, thus to reach/join with the two ends 6a of tensioning band 6.
In greater detail, in the example shown, the protective insert 10 is preferably shaped/dimensioned so as to cover substantially the entire portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located beneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot, and to additionally extend on the portion of the bottom 4 located beneath the plantar-arch region 4b, underneath the two ends 6a of rear tensioning band 6.
With reference to Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7, the climbing shoe 1 furthermore comprises a rear sole 11 made of high-grip vulcanised rubber or other similar soft and flexible elastomeric material (such as, for example, the XS Edge compound or the GRIP 2 compound produced by VIBRAM), which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2 in the heel area preferably by gluing, and is shaped/dimensioned so as to at least partially cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located beneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot, and also the rear part 8 of the shoe-upper 2 at the heel area, preferably up to the rear tensioning band 6.
In greater detail, the rear sole 11 is preferably shaped /dimensioned so as to cover the portion of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2 located beneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c of the sole of the foot, approximately up to the border with the plantar-arch region 4b, additionally locally overlapping the protective insert 10 if present.
The rear sole 11 is thus separated and spaced from the front sole 3.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the rear sole 11 moreover includes at least one transversal protruding ridge or rib 12, which extends over the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2, straddling and substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the shoe, i.e. locally substantially parallel to the bottom or insole 4 of the shoe-upper 2; and a reinforcing core 13 that extends into the protruding ridge 12, preferably substantially for the whole length of the transversal protruding ridge 12, and is made of a material which is more rigid than the elastomeric material forming the exterior of the transversal protruding ridge 12, so as to locally stiffen the protruding ridge 12.
In greater detail, the transversal protruding ridge or rib 12 is preferably located on the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2, straddling the midplane of the shoe, substantially at the point where the Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneus.
Preferably, the protruding ridge or rib 12 is moreover externally made of a high-grip vulcanised rubber or other similar soft and flexible elastomeric material (such as, for example, the XS Edge compound or the GRIP 2 compound produced by VIBRAM) like the rest of the rear sole 11.
The reinforcing core 13, in turn, is preferably made of a polymeric material, preferably of an elastomeric type, having density and/or hardness greater than that of the elastomeric material forming the rest of rear sole 11 and protruding ridge 12, and preferably via injection moulding.
In greater detail, the material forming the outer part of protruding ridge or rib 12 has a density (UNI 7092) preferably ranging between 1.15 and 1.19 g/cm3 (grams per cubic centimetre), and a hardness (UNI 4916) preferably ranging between 69 and 73 Shore A.
The material forming the reinforcing core 13, in turn, has a density (UNI 7092) preferably ranging between 1.16 and 1.20 g/cm³ (grams per cubic centimetre), and a hardness (UNI 4916) preferably ranging between 87 and 91 Shore A.
Preferably, the rear sole 11 is also injection moulded directly over and onto the reinforcing core 13.
In the example shown, in particular, the transversal protruding ridge 12 preferably has a cross-section substantially semicircular or trapezoidal in shape, and a height preferably ranging between 5 and 15 mm (millimetres).
The reinforcing core 13, in turn, preferably has a monolithic profile with a substantially semicircular or trapezoidal cross-section.
The reinforcing core 13 is furthermore made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), preferably via an injection moulding process.
With reference to Figures 1, 6 and 7, the climbing shoe 1 preferably additionally includes a substantially ribbon-like medial tensioning band 14 which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2 preferably by gluing, and extends on the area of bottom 4 covered by the front sole 3 up to the area of bottom 4 covered by the rear sole 11 while remaining more or less straddling the midplane of the bottom 4.
The medial tensioning band 14, therefore, connects the front sole 3 to the rear sole 11 and is adapted to prevent the stretching of the shoe-upper 2.
In greater detail, likewise the other tensioning bands, the medial tensioning band 14 is preferably made of a high-elasticity rubber or other similar elastomeric material, and is preferably pre-tensioned.
The medial tensioning band 14 moreover has a width preferably always less than the width of the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, and extends along the bottom 4 of shoe-upper 2, from the portion beneath the tarsus-phalangeal region 4a of the sole of the foot up to the portion beneath the talus-calcaneal region 4c, preferably overlapping the two ends 5a of front tensioning band 5 and the two ends 6a of the rear tensioning band 6.
Functioning of climbing shoe 1 is easy inferable from what is written above, and therefore does not require further explanation.
The advantages resulting from the particular structure of shoe 1 are remarkable. Firstly, the protruding ridge 12 made in one piece with the rear sole 11 avoids to excessively overstress, during heel-hocking, a small part of the shoe-upper 2.
In addition, the presence of the reinforcing core 13 prevents the protruding ridge or rib 12 of rear sole 11 from deforming under heavy tangential loads, thus allowing the user to grip with the heel on any rock or other foothold without any risk of sudden failure.
For example, in an alternative embodiment, the rear sole 11 is made in one piece with the front sole 3 so as to form a large monolithic sole of high-grip vulcanized rubber or other similar soft and flexible elastomeric material, which is firmly fixed to the bottom or insole 4 of shoe-upper 2, preferably by gluing, to cover the whole bottom 4, and moreover extends also along the rear part 8 of shoe-upper 2 preferably up to the rear tensioning band 6.
In this alternative embodiment, transversal protruding ridge or rib 12 is thus incorporated into the large monolithic sole, approximately at the point where the Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneus, together with the reinforcing core 13.
Obviously, in this embodiment the climbing shoe 1 lacks the medial tensioning band 14.

Claims

A climbing shoe (1) comprising: a substantially sock-shaped shoe-upper (2) which is shaped so as to completely cover the foot of the user; a front sole (3) made of elastomeric material and which is fixed to the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) so as to cover at least the tarsus-phalangeal region (4a) of the sole of the foot; a rear sole (11) made of elastomeric material and which is fixed to the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) so as to at least partially cover the talus-calcaneal region (4c) of the sole of the foot; and at least one tensioning band (5, 6) made of an elastic material and which is firmly fixed to the shoe-upper (2) so as to tighten the shoe-upper (2) against the foot of the user; wherein the rear sole (11) additionally covers the rear part (8) of the shoe-upper (2) at the heel, the climbing shoe being characterised in that it further includes: at least one transversal protruding ridge or rib (12) which extends on the rear part (8) of the shoe-upper (2), straddling and substantially perpendicular to the midplane of the shoe; and a reinforcing core (13) which extends inside said protruding ridge or rib (12), and is made of a material which is more rigid than the elastomeric material forming the outer part of the transversal protruding ridge or rib (12).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 1, characterised in that the transversal protruding ridge or rib (12) is located on the rear part (8) of the shoe-upper (2) substantially at the point where the Achilles tendon is attached to the calcaneus.
Climbing shoe according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the reinforcing core (13) extends inside the transversal protruding ridge or rib (12) for substantially the whole length of said transversal protruding ridge or rib (12) .
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the reinforcing core (13) is made of a polymeric material with density and/or hardness greater than that of the elastomeric material forming the outer part of the transversal protruding ridge or rib (12).
Climbing shoe according to claim 4, characterised in that the reinforcing core (13) is made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), preferably via an injection moulding process.
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transversal protruding ridge or rib (12) has a substantially semicircular-shaped or trapezoidal- shaped cross-section.
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rear sole (11) is over-moulded directly onto the reinforcing core (13).
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by additionally comprising a front tensioning band (5) which is made of an elastic material, is fixed on the tip (7) of the shoe-upper (2), and is substantially U-bent so as to cover the tip (7) of the shoe-upper (2) in the area surrounding the tarsus-phalangeal region (4a) of the sole of the foot.
Climbing shoe according to Claim 8, characterised in that the two ends (5a) of the front tensioning band (5) are joined/connected to each other on the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2), substantially below the border between the tarsus-phalangeal region (4a) and the plantar-arch region (4b).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the central portion (5b) of the front tensioning band (5) is substantially cap-like shaped, so as to cover and protect both the sides and the upper part of the tip (7) of the shoe-upper (2).
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised by additionally comprising a rear tensioning band (6) which is made of an elastic material, is fixed on the rear part (8) of the shoe-upper (2), and is substantially U-bent so as to cover the rear part (8) of the shoe-upper (2) in the area immediately above the heel, and then extends/ prolongs along the two lateral sides (9) of the shoe-upper (2) .
Climbing shoe according to Claim 11, characterised in that the rear tensioning band (6) extends along the two lateral sides (9) of the shoe-upper (2) up to reach and connect to the front tensioning band (5).
Climbing shoe according to Claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the two ends (6a) of the rear tensioning band (6) extend on the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) below the plantar-arch region (4b) so as to at least partially cover the portion of the bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2) beneath the plantar-arch region (4b) and preferably to join with the two ends (5a) of the front tensioning band (5).
Climbing shoe according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rear sole (11) is separate and spaced apart from the front sole (3), or is made in one piece with the front sole (3) so as to form a large monolithic sole that substantially covers the entire bottom (4) of the shoe-upper (2).