GB2068211A

GB2068211A - An article of footwear and a kit of parts therefor

Info

Publication number: GB2068211A
Application number: GB8102955A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Clarks Ltd
Current assignee: Clarks Ltd
Priority date: 1980-01-31
Filing date: 1981-01-30
Publication date: 1981-08-12

Abstract

A kit of parts which can be secured together by thongs to form a shoe includes an upper 15 having pre-punched holes adjacent the lower edge, and a moulded sole unit 10 which has a peripheral flange with preformed holes in it. The upper components are also pre- punched along their edges to receive the thongs, and include side panels, a heel panel and an apron. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An article of footwear and a kit of parts therefor This invention relates to an article of footwear and more particularly to one intended to be constructed from a kit of parts, and to a kit of parts for such an article.

According to this invention there is provided a kit of parts for making an article of footwear, comprising a component or set of components to form an upper, and a moulded sole unit having a flange extending about its periphery, the flange and the upper having holes pre-formed in them for enabling the upper to be attached by a lace, thong or other thread to the flange.

The invention also provides an article of footwear made from a kit of parts as set forth in the preceding paragraph.

The flange may be directed substantially vertically upward or laterally or may be inclined upward and laterally.

Preferably, the upper is in the form of a set of component panels, a line of pre-formed holes being provided extending generally along each edge of each panel by which the panel is to be joined by a lace, thong or thread to another of the panels. The set of component panels may include a heel panel having pre-formed holes along both of its side edges.

The kit may further comprise a sock for disposition on the upper surface of the sole unit within the area bounded by the flange.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 respectively show two intermediate stages in the construction of a shoe from a kit of parts according to the invention, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, Figure 4 shows the completed shoe, and Figure 5 illustrates a modification.

The kit of parts includes a set of upper components, a moulded polyurethane sole unit 10, a stiffened sock 11, thread and a lace, together with a needle for use with the thread in securing the upper components and the sole unit together. The upper components comprise a heel panel 14, two side panels 15, an apron 1 6 and a collar 18, the edges of these components which are to be secured together or to to the sole unit having holes pre-punched along their length.

The two side panels 1 5 are first sewn together by thread passed through the prepunched holes at their forward edges, forming an out-turned seam as indicated at 20 in Fig.

1, and at their rearward edges are sewn to the two side edges of the heel panel 14, forming out-turned seams 21. The moulded sole unit 10 has a substantially vertical upwardly-directed flange 22 extending along its periphery and holes are pre-punched along the flange so that the closed upper can be secured to the flange by stitching 23. The bottom edge of the upper is substantially in abutment with the top surface of the sole unit at the inner side of the flange. Next, the sock 11 is positioned on the top surface of the sole unit and secured by an adhesive, as shown in Figure 3. The collar 18, which is formed with two parallel lines of holes, is now folded along its longitudinal centre-line and is wrapped about and stitched to the top-line of the shoe as seen in Fig. 3.Finally the apron 16, which has two parallel lines of holes punched along part of its periphery, is folded about and stitched to the punched edges of the two side panels. It will be clear that the order of assembly can be varied.

The shoe can thus be assembled without any machinery and, by reason of the provision of the pre-punched flange on the sole unit, without any necessity for bonding of the upper to the sole unit, which would involve specialised bonding techniques.

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically how the line of pre-punched holes in the side panels 15, for securing the panels to the sole unit, may be spaced away from the lower edge of the panels at 25 just forward of the heel in order to provide a waist bulk.

It will be apparent that the upper components can be made in a wide variety of forms, and that the flange on the sole unit may be generally vertical, or horizontal or may be inclined.

1. A kit of parts for making an article of footwear, comprising a component or set of components to form an upper, and a moulded sole unit having a flange extending about its periphery, the flange and the upper having holes pre-formed in them for enabling the upper to be attached by a lace, thong or other thread to the flange.

2. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange is directed substantially vertically upward.

3. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange is inclined upwardly and outwardly.

4. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper is in the form of a set of component panels, a line of pre-formed holes being provided extending generally along each edge of each panel by which the panel is to be joined by a lace, thong or other thread to another of the panels.

5. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 4, wherein said set of component panels includes a heel panel having pre-formed holes

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An article of footwear and a kit of parts therefor This invention relates to an article of footwear and more particularly to one intended to be constructed from a kit of parts, and to a kit of parts for such an article. According to this invention there is provided a kit of parts for making an article of footwear, comprising a component or set of components to form an upper, and a moulded sole unit having a flange extending about its periphery, the flange and the upper having holes pre-formed in them for enabling the upper to be attached by a lace, thong or other thread to the flange. The invention also provides an article of footwear made from a kit of parts as set forth in the preceding paragraph. The flange may be directed substantially vertically upward or laterally or may be inclined upward and laterally. Preferably, the upper is in the form of a set of component panels, a line of pre-formed holes being provided extending generally along each edge of each panel by which the panel is to be joined by a lace, thong or thread to another of the panels. The set of component panels may include a heel panel having pre-formed holes along both of its side edges. The kit may further comprise a sock for disposition on the upper surface of the sole unit within the area bounded by the flange. One embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 respectively show two intermediate stages in the construction of a shoe from a kit of parts according to the invention, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, Figure 4 shows the completed shoe, and Figure 5 illustrates a modification. The kit of parts includes a set of upper components, a moulded polyurethane sole unit 10, a stiffened sock 11, thread and a lace, together with a needle for use with the thread in securing the upper components and the sole unit together. The upper components comprise a heel panel 14, two side panels 15, an apron 1 6 and a collar 18, the edges of these components which are to be secured together or to to the sole unit having holes pre-punched along their length. The two side panels 1 5 are first sewn together by thread passed through the prepunched holes at their forward edges, forming an out-turned seam as indicated at 20 in Fig. 1, and at their rearward edges are sewn to the two side edges of the heel panel 14, forming out-turned seams 21. The moulded sole unit 10 has a substantially vertical upwardly-directed flange 22 extending along its periphery and holes are pre-punched along the flange so that the closed upper can be secured to the flange by stitching 23. The bottom edge of the upper is substantially in abutment with the top surface of the sole unit at the inner side of the flange. Next, the sock 11 is positioned on the top surface of the sole unit and secured by an adhesive, as shown in Figure 3. The collar 18, which is formed with two parallel lines of holes, is now folded along its longitudinal centre-line and is wrapped about and stitched to the top-line of the shoe as seen in Fig. 3.Finally the apron 16, which has two parallel lines of holes punched along part of its periphery, is folded about and stitched to the punched edges of the two side panels. It will be clear that the order of assembly can be varied. The shoe can thus be assembled without any machinery and, by reason of the provision of the pre-punched flange on the sole unit, without any necessity for bonding of the upper to the sole unit, which would involve specialised bonding techniques. Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically how the line of pre-punched holes in the side panels 15, for securing the panels to the sole unit, may be spaced away from the lower edge of the panels at 25 just forward of the heel in order to provide a waist bulk. It will be apparent that the upper components can be made in a wide variety of forms, and that the flange on the sole unit may be generally vertical, or horizontal or may be inclined. CLAIMS

5. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 4, wherein said set of component panels includes a heel panel having pre-formed holes along both of its side edges.

6. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a sock for disposition on the upper surface of the sole unit within the area bounded by the flange.

7. A kit of parts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 or Figs. 1 to 4 as modified by Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

8. An article of footwear made from a kit of parts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7.