US20110005105A1

US20110005105A1 - Five toe shoes

Info

Publication number: US20110005105A1
Application number: US12/933,683
Authority: US
Inventors: Soon Kyung Hong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-03-19
Filing date: 2009-03-19
Publication date: 2011-01-13
Also published as: WO2009116818A1; WO2009116818A9; KR100869451B1

Abstract

The invention relates to five toe shoes for protecting feet while working or taking part in leisure activities on land or water and in the mountains. In particular, a five toe shoe comprises: an upper which is made out of a moisture-permeable fiber material and has a toe area to encase each toe separately according to the shape; an insole which is made out of a porous material; a midsole which is placed underneath the insole and has a metal mesh to allow water in the shoe to exit therethrough; and an outsole which has a drain formed in coincidence with the metal mesh of the midsole and a toe area for each toe separately according to the shape, being connected to the toe area of the upper in a one-to-one correspondence therebetween. Thus, five toe shoes may contribute greatly to foot health of wearers by improving breathability as water from the inside of the shoes drains naturally by gravity via the insole, midsole and outsole and evaporates quickly through the upper at the same time, and offer more convenience in activities with the toe area encasing each toe separately according to the shape.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to five toe shoes for working or taking part in leisure activities on land or water and in the mountain, in detail, five-toe shoes that can contribute healthy of the wearer's toes and provide convenience in activities, because water in the shoe can be rapidly discharged through the insole, midsole, and outsole and effectively evaporates through the upper of this five toe shoes.

BACKGROUND ART

It is inconvenient to walk with naked feet when working or taking part in leisure activities on land or water and in the mountain and the feet are frequently hurt by various causes. However, it is difficult to walk wearing common shoes on in leisure activities in water to prevent the feet from being hurt, and also water is not rapidly discharged and evaporated out of the shoes, such that it has an adverse effect on the feet of the wearer's feet.
In order to solve the problem, a study for developing five-toe shoes worn on feet for water activities has been greatly conducted. For example, beach shoes with the bottom made of polyurethane and a zipper at the joint has been disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-12697 (titled, Sea Shoes). The beach shoes can relatively safely protect the feet, reduce inconvenience felt from the bottom under the water, and provide buoyancy, but the toe portion is not divided for the individual toes, such that the toes are frequently hurt in the water activities. Further, water is not rapidly discharged and evaporated from the shoes, such that the wearer gets a blister on the feet and has athlete's feet, or the feet becomes cold, such that it has an adverse effect on the health of the feet.
Further, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-0433258 discloses shoes with five divided toe portions at the front end of the shoes (titled, Five-finger footwear). The five-finger footwear has separate toe portions and the toes are inserted in corresponding toe portions, such that it can prevent the toes from being hurt and provide convenience in walking in water activities, but it is not provided with a means for discharging and evaporating water out of the shoes. Therefore, since the water cannot be rapidly discharged and evaporated out of the shoes, such that it also has an adverse effect on the health of the wearer's toes.
Further, other than the shoes for water activities, a study for developing shoes that can keep the wearer's toes healthy and improve the wearing comfort by rapidly discharging water out of the shoes has been increasingly conducted. For example, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-042202 (titled, “Shoes for Aquatic Leisure”) discloses shoes for aquatic leisure having a plurality of through-holes around the surface. Although the upper of the shoes is designed to rapidly evaporate and discharge water, since the outsole is not provided with a means for discharging or evaporating water, water cannot rapidly discharged and evaporated out of the shoes, such that it also has an adverse effect on the wearer's feet.
Further, Korean Patent Publication No. 1990-0002732 (titled, “Shoes for Ship”) discloses shoes for ship that is provide with an outsole having a water discharging portion at the front and rear of the midsole to collect water in the shoe and water channels at the sides and rear from the water discharging portion in the shoe. The shoes for ship can theoretically discharge water out of the shoes through the water channel, but the outlet of the water channel is formed at not the bottom of the outsole of the shoes that is influenced by gravity, but at the sides and rear of the outsole of the shoes that is not influenced by gravity, such that water cannot substantially discharged out of the shoes. Further, the water cannot be rapidly evaporated out of the shoes through the uppers.
Further, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1992-1878 (titled, “Water Supply Shoes”) discloses shoes having a function of discharging water at the bottom to discharge water out of the shoes by forming water-discharging holes at the upper bottom, the middle bottom, and the lower bottom. Although the shoes having the function of discharging water at the bottom can discharge water out of the shoes to the ground through the water-discharging holes at the upper bottom, middle bottom, and lower bottom, it is not provided with a means for blocking foreign substances flowing into the shoes from the ground, such that the foreign substances on the ground are likely to flow into the shoes through the water-discharging holes at the upper bottom, middle bottom, and lower bottom, while the water cannot be rapidly evaporated out of the shoes through the upper.
Further, Korean Patent Publication No. 2005-009873 (titled, “The Structure of Shoes' Sole having Air Vent”) discloses shoes' sole having air vents which includes a double midsole having a plurality of through-holes and an outsole having a plurality of air vents, divided up and down, and a waterproof plate inserted therebetween. Although it may be considered that the outsole of the shoes can discharge water through the through-holes in the midsole and the air vent in the outsole, the waterproof plate of the outsole is designed to transmit only moisture or air and not transmit water, such that, substantially, the water cannot be rapidly discharged out of the shoes through the waterproof plate of the outsole.
Further, according to the shoes according to the related art, the inside skin and the outside skin are not divided and some of the shoes uses only porous fibers that can easily transmit only moisture. Accordingly, the uppers made of only the porous fiber have low durability and reduce the lifespan of the shoes. Further, the porous fiber of the uppers is lack of elasticity and flexibility, such that the wearers of the shoes feel inconvenience, and accordingly the shoes are difficult to be made practicable.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide five-toe shoes that can be conveniently used for activities in land, water, and mountain, by providing a means for rapidly discharging and evaporating water out of the shoes such that water is naturally discharged out of the shoes through the insole, midsole, and outsole by gravity and rapidly evaporated through the upper, thereby improving ventilation, while separating the toe portions taking the shape of toes.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides five-toe shoes including an upper that is made of water-permeable fiber and divided at the toe portion in toe shapes; an insole that is made of a porous material; a midsole that is formed under the insole and has a metal mesh portion through which water is discharged out of the shoes; an outsole that has a drain corresponding to the metal mesh portion of the midsole and is divided at the toe portion in toe shapes to be connected with the toe shapes of the upper; and a ventilating portion that is made of hydrophobic textile, between the toe sections formed by connecting the toe portion of the upper and the toe portion of the outsole.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

Five-toe shoes according to the present invention naturally discharges water out of the shoes through the insole, midsole, and outsole, using gravity, while rapidly evaporating the water through the upper to improve porosity, such that it considerably contributes health of the wearer's feet. Further, since the toe portion is divided in toe shapes, such that it largely improves activity and landing performance in walking in the water, and accordingly, it provides convenience in activities and makes it easy to move in water. Therefore, the five-toe shoes can be used in various activities, in land and mountain as well as in water.
Further, the five-toe of the present invention prevents foreign substances on the ground from flowing into the shoes by forming a metal mesh portion at the hole of the bottom through which water is naturally discharged out of the shoes by gravity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing the outer shape of a five-toe shoes according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the structure of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a structural view showing when the insole of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention is separated.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure of the bottom of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the outer shape of a five-toe shoes according to another embodiment of the present invention.


<Reference Numeral>

	1: Upper (a, b)	2: Insole
	3: Midsole	4: Outsole
	5: Ventilating portion	6: Metal mesh portion
	7: Drain	8: Ventilating net
	9: Ventilation hole

MODE FOR INVENTION

A five-toe shoes according to the present invention is described in detail with reference to embodiments and the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the entire outer shape of a five-toe shoes according to the present invention, FIG. 2 shows a side of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention, FIG. 3 shows the plan structure of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention, FIG. 4 shows the separating structure of the insole of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention is separated, and FIG. 5 shows the structure of the bottom of the five-toe shoes according to the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the five-toe shoes according to the present invention the toe portion of the shoe is separated for individual toes, such that the toes are individually inserted in the toe section when wearing the shoe.
For this configuration, the five-toe shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention has an upper 1 a that is made of a water-permeable fiber and having toe sections divided in accordance with the toe shapes.
That is, the toe-shoe is largely composed of the upper 1 a and a bottom and the bottom is composed of an insole 2, a midsole 3, and an outsole 4. The upper 1 a covering the entire instep of the wearer is divided at the toe portion, that is, at the front end portion into five sections, similar to the shapes of the five toes, and the divided toe shapes are individually connected with the divided toe shapes of the outsole 4, such that the toe portion of the five-toe shoe is divided into individual toe sections.
The upper 1 a that is divided at the toe portion into the toe shapes is composed of an outer skin, a middle skin, and an inner skin, in which the outer skin is made of spandex fiber having excellent elasticity, the middle skin is made of rubber, and the inner skin is made of spandex fiber, such that the upper 1 a is formed in a triple-layer structure of textile fabrics. The five-toe shoe having the upper 1 a formed in the triple-layer structure of spandex fiber, rubber, and spandex fiber has increased elasticity and flexibility, such that the wearing comfort of the wearer is significantly increased.
Further, it is preferable that one or more ventilating nets 8 made of net fiber having excellent air/moisture-permeability are formed at predetermined portions of the upper 1 a, as described above, in the view of that the upper 1 a can be additionally provided with porosity.
In detail, a portion of the upper 1 a having the triple-layer structure is cut off, net fiber covers the cut-off opening to form one or more ventilating net 8 easily transmitting air and moisture, such that air can smoothly flow into/out of the five-toe shoe through the one or more ventilating nets 8 of the upper 1 a, thereby easily discharging moisture out of the shoe.
Further, the five-toe shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insole made of a porous material.
The bottom of the five-toe shoe is composed of the insole 2, the midsole 3, and the outsole 4, in which the insole 2 contacting the wearer's foot at the uppermost portion of the bottom is made of a porous material to easily transmit water out of the shoe.
In detail, the insole 2 is made of a material selected from a group of porous fiber, synthetic resin, and synthetic rubber. When the insole 2 is made of porous fiber, the insole 2 itself easily transmits water, and when the insole 2 is made of synthetic resin or synthetic rubber, it is preferable to form a plurality of ventilating holes 9 through the insole 2 in order to help discharge water out of the shoe.
The water is easily discharged to the midsole 3 and the outsole 4 by the insole 2 in the shoe, which largely improves the wearing comfort of the wearer of the five-toe shoe, and considerably contributes health of the foot.
Further, the five-toe shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the midsole formed under the insole, having a metal mesh portion through which water in the shoe is discharged.
In the bottom of the five-toe shoe, the midsole 3 disposed between the insole 2 and the outsole 4 has at least one metal mesh portion 6 to discharge the water in the shoe.
In detail, a portion of the midsole 3 made of natural rubber or synthetic rubber is bored to form at least one or more holes and foreign substances on the ground may flow into the shoe through the holes. In the present invention, the metal mesh portion 6 having a mesh made of metal to cover the hole and transmit air is provided to prevent the foreign substances on the ground from flowing into the shoe, such that the water passing through the insole 2 is discharged out of the shoe through the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3. Further, since the metal mesh portion 6 is formed in the midsole 3, water is discharged out of the shoe while the foreign substances on the ground are prevented from flowing into the shoe.
Further, the five-toe shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention has includes the outsole having a drain corresponding to the metal mesh portion, divided in the toe shapes at the toe portion to be connected to the toe shapes of the upper.
In the bottom of the five-toe shoe, the outsole 4 disposed under the midsole 3 to support the midsole 3 is divided in the toe shapes, similar to the upper 1 a, such that the toe shapes of the divided outsole 4 is individually connected with the toe shapes of the upper 1 a, and accordingly, the toe portion of the five-toe shoe is divided into individual sections.
However, water can be easily collected between the toe sections formed by connecting the toe portion of the upper and the toe portion of the outsole 4 in the shoe. Therefore, it is preferable to form a ventilating portion 5 made of hydrophobic textile between the toe sections in order to easily evaporate water between the toe sections, in the view of improving porosity of the five-toe shoe. The ventilating portion 5 providing the five-toe shoes with porosity is made of a common material used for shoes, but the material is not composite fiber of polyester and cotton containing cotton having large hydrophilicity and being lack of drainability, but hydrophobic textile woven with hydrophobic fiber having preventing water. The water between the toe sections easily vaporizes through the ventilating portion 5 made of the hydrophobic textile.
The ventilating portion of the five-toe shoe can be made of textile woven with common synthetic fiber having high drainability, but is preferably made of textile woven with hydrophobic fiber selected from a group of a polyester fiber having high drainability and water-proofness, nylon fiber having high elasticity, and composite fiber of polyester and nylon, in synthetic fiber.
At least one drain 7 for discharging water passing through the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3 to the outside of the shoe is formed in the outsole 4 having the shape and structure described above.
In detail, since the drain 7 of the outsole 4 is formed by forming the outsole 4 at the same position and shape as the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3, the water is naturally discharged out of the shoe by gravity, through the insole 2, the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3, and the drain 7 of the outsole 4.
Further, in a second embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, an upper 1 b made of textile having a double raschel structure in which a cushion material on the inner skin and porous fiber is formed on the outer skin is used, and there is provided a five-toe shoe including an insole 2 made of a porous material and covered with the upper 1 b, a midsole 3 having a metal mesh portion 6 for discharging water out of the shoe, and an outsole 4 having a drain 7 corresponding to the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3 and a toe portion divided in the toe shapes and connected with the toe shapes of the upper 1 b.
According to the shoes of related art, the inner skin and the outer skin are not divided and made of only porous fiber that can easily transmit only moisture; however, the upper made of the porous fiber has low durability, such that it considerably reduces the lifespan of the shoe. Further, the porous fiber of the upper is lack of elasticity and flexibility, such that the wearers of the shoes feel inconvenience, and accordingly the shoes are difficult to be made practicable.
In order to solve the problems, the upper 1 b is made of water-permeable fiber that is double raschel structure textile having a double structure composed of porous fiber providing the upper 1 b with water permeability because porosity is excellent and a cushion material formed on one surface of the porous fiber.
The five-toe shoe having the upper 1 b made of the double raschel structure textile having a double structure composed of porous fiber and the cushion material, as described above, easily evaporates water in the shoe and the upper 1 b has largely increased elasticity and flexibility, such that wearing comfort of the person wearing the shoes is considerably improved.
There is provided a five-toe shoe composed of the upper made of double raschel structure textile, the insole 2 made of a porous material, the midsole 3 having the metal mesh portion 6 discharging water in the shoe, and the outsole 4 having the drain 7 corresponding to the metal mesh portion 6 of the midsole 3 and the toe portion divided in the toe shape and connected with the toe shapes of the upper 1 b.
Although the configuration of a five-toe shoe of the present invention was described in detail in the above, only a shoe including all of the components described above can naturally and rapidly discharge water out of the shoe by gravity through the insole, the midsole, and the outsole. Further, since the water is effectively evaporated through the upper, such that porosity is improved and it is possible to significantly contribute health of the wearer's feet. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the object of the present invention, for providing convenience in activities by dividing the toe portion in toe shapes. It should be understood that a shoe not including all of the components cannot achieve the present invention.
The five-toe shoes according to the present invention may be changed and modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments are provided only to explain in detail the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention, such that the spirit and scope of the present invention should be determined, including the following claims and the equivalents.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, it is possible to be conveniently used for activities in land, water, and mountain, by providing a means for rapidly discharging and evaporating water out of the shoes such that water is naturally discharged out of the shoes through the insole, midsole, and outsole by gravity and rapidly evaporated through the upper, thereby improving ventilation, while separating the toe portions taking the shape of toes.

Claims

1. Five-toe shoes comprising:

an upper that is made of water-permeable fiber that is triple-layer structure textile composed of an outer skin made of spandex fiber, a middle skin made of rubber, an outer skin made of spandex fiber, or double raschel structure formed in a double structure composed of porous fiber and a cushion material, divided in the toe shapes at the toe portion, and has a ventilating net made of a fiber net to allow air to flow in/out through a portion;

an insole that is made of a porous material selected from a group of porous fiber, synthetic resin, and synthetic rubber, and having a plurality of ventilating holes when being made of the synthetic resin or the synthetic rubber;

a midsole that is formed under the insole and has a metal mesh portion through which water is discharged in the shoes;

an outsole that has a drain corresponding to the metal mesh portion and is divided at the toe portion in the toe shapes to be connected with the toe shapes of the upper; and

a ventilating portion that is made of hydrophobic textile selected from a group of polyester fiber, nylon fiber, and composite fiber of polyester and nylon, between the toe sections formed by connecting the toe portion of the upper and the toe portion of the outsole.