WO2004066770A1

WO2004066770A1 - Footwear

Info

Publication number: WO2004066770A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/000355
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sven Christian Morris; Elizabeth Mary Ratcliffe
Original assignee: Ellesse Limited
Priority date: 2003-01-28
Filing date: 2004-01-28
Publication date: 2004-08-12
Also published as: GB0301970D0; GB2398722A

Abstract

The application describes a collapsible boot with a soft, rollable rubber or plastics sole unit (1) and a textile upper (2). The upper extends up to form an enclosed boot and is a waterproof fabric incorporating insulation between inner and outer textile layers. A top cuff (24) is provided, also a front gusset opening (91) making it easier to put the boot on. A fastener cord (64) is anchored at the boot heel and can be used to hold the boot in its rolled-up condition. The back of the boot may have a pocket (5) to hold a bag (7); the bag in turn can be used to hold the pair of boots when they are rolled up.

Description

FOOTWEAR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application has to do with footwear, of a type which can be folded or rolled up for storing or carrying. BACKGROUND

Outdoor leisure shoes having flexible plastic soles which can be rolled into a compact form are known. One type available at present has a treaded flexible plastic sole, a lightweight textile upper and a closed-loop lace which when the shoe is rolled up can be wound around to keep it that way. Some training shoes are adapted to be squashed together upper-to-upper as a pair and held together by retaining loops on the heels hooking over formations on the opposing toes. These trainers do not roll up, but fixing them together keeps them compact and stops them from swinging around separately when they are carried. WO 02/74117 and US 6298583 describe leisure shoes with collapsible uppers. THE INVENTION

We are now proposing new developments applicable to rollable footwear, that is to say footwear adapted to be compacted - with rolling, folding or crumpling of ts sole - to a compact form for transport or storage. Preferably the compaction entails rolling the sole in the end-to-end sense. The sole may be an outdoor sole, i.e. an impermeable rubber or plastics sole unit, sufficiently tough and strong for outdoor use. Preferably the sole is at least 5mm thick; it may have thickest tread portions 7mm thick or thicker. Preferably the sole rolls at least one full turn, i.e. one end can meet the other pointing in the opposite direction.

One distinct concept proposed now is to combine a sole of this kind with a textile upper which extends up to form an enclosed boot leg. Another proposal is to combine the sole with a waterproof upper, preferably a textile upper forming a boot leg as mentioned. A further proposal is for the upper - preferably having any one or more of the features already mentioned - to contain an insulating layer. Preferably it contains insulation material (down, foam or the like) between textile layers. One good construction for protecting the ankle has a boot leg portion with an elasticated or otherwise tightenable top cuff. Another desirable feature, preferably integral with such a top cuff, is an inner layer which extends down behind a front opening of an outer layer, forming a gusset which can be waterproof. The front opening eases insertion and removal of the foot; it may have any kind of fastener but a zip fastener is most preferred.

A further independent aspect of our proposal is for collapsible footwear to be provided with a carrying bag - preferably a textile bag, preferably waterproof - and for the footwear to have an integral pocket, preferably with a closure fastener such as a zip, to hold the bag. The pocket should be able to hold the bag folded or crumpled away even when the footwear is being worn. A preferred, location for the pocket is above the heel, e.g. on a c If or ankle portion of a boot. However the pocket might be positioned elsewhere, according to the particulars of the design. Preferably the bag is big enough to hold both left and right shoes/boots together. Other preferred features for the bag include, independently, a tightenable or closable opening and one or more carry straps, loops, buckles or the like by means of which the bag containing the footwear may be carried or joined on to other items, e.g. a coat, case or rucksack. Another preferred feature is a fastener, particularly a flexible fastener element such as a strap, loop or cord, formed integrally with the footwear and adapted to hold it in its folded or compacted form. A preferred form has the fastener extending from an anchor at or adjacent the heel, with a retaining formation adjacent the anchor so that the fastener can make a complete turn (usually one is enough) around the compacted shoe/boot and be joined at the retaining formation, e.g. looped over a hook. Desirably the anchor/retaining formations are integral with the sole. In a possible refinement, where a pocket for a bag is formed above the heel as mentioned above, the opening of this pocket may also support a retention for the free part of the fastening element, to keep it tidied out of the way while the footwear is being worn.

Drawing together these aspects, a preferred embodiment of our proposals is a collapsible boot having a sole which is rollable end-to-end, the sole being joined directly to a textile upper which extends up to form a boot leg with a closure cuff at the top and a gusset closure down the front (or it could be down the side) . The fabric of the boot is a waterproof textile, at least on the outside, and there is at least one inner textile layer preferably also waterproof. Treated nylon fabrics are suitable. Insulation materials preferably extend substantially all over the textile upper in its internal cavity, and may be held in position by stitching or adhesion. The sole of the boot - e.g. an insole layer - may also have an insulative or thermal isolation layer e.g. a heat-reflective foil film. A pocket is provided at the back of the boot to hold a carrying bag, which can contain the rolled up boot. The pocket can be zip- fastened . The boot as described is a valuable accessory to skiing, snowboarding or the like: it can be worn instead of the heavy boots required for skiing on the way and from skiing locations and is sufficiently robust to withstand walking out of doors, while its insulation, waterproofing and boot form protect the feet against the snow. Once taken off, it is light and compact to carry e.g. in a bag as described.

A skilled person will appreciate that variants can be made omitting various of these characteristics according to the different use, e.g. waterproofing is not needed in predictably dry conditions, insulation is not needed in predictably warm conditions. Also, while a carrying bag is a desirable adjunct, the bag might be carried separately rather than in a pocket integrated with the footwear. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The ideas will be illustrated with reference to an example, shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a boot embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the sole;

Fig. 3 is a schematic partial cross section at 'A' of Fig. 1; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show stages in collapsing, rolling and securing the boot;

Fig. 7 shows a bag, carried with one of the boots, which holds both of them, and

Fig. 8 is a front view, showing a waterproof gusset. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a boot intended as ancillary winter sports equipment has a textile upper 2 and a foldable rubber sole 1. To make the sole foldable, so that it can be fully rolled up on itself without damage, it is made from rubber with a lower than usual degree of cure to reduce its stiffness .

Also, the thinner parts 15 of the sole between the tread cleats 16 all extend from side to side in a parallel array. Although rollable, the sole is tough and resilient; the thin parts 15 being about 5mm thick and the thick parts about 8mm. These dimensions are not critical. A further feature for rollability is that the side edges of the sole are not built up; the only raised portions are a toe protector 17 at the extreme front (past line 'Y' in Fig. 2) and a solid heel module 62 (behind line 'X' in Fig. 2) which protects the heel and has other functions described later.

The upper of the boot is a layered construction, mostly of waterproof nylon fabric. As shown m Fig. 3 an outer layer 21 is bonded directly to the top surface of the rubber outsole 1. It may have edges where it 301ns the sole or may extend continuously across in a 'moccasin' construction. A middle layer 22, also of waterproof nylon, extends over almost the entire interior of the boot except for a front gusset region 9 (Fig. 8: discussed later) and a top cuff surround 25. The space between the outer and middle layers 21,22 is to hold thermal insulation, provided in this embodiment as shaped capsules 3 holding duck down or other suitable insulating substance. The capsules 3 are shaped to fit the contour of the boot's interior cavities, and stitched in place through the fabric layers. Lines of stitching are shown at 83 in Fig. 1; these can also 30m outer layer panels of different colours for a good appearance. Where seams are exposed, they are proofed behind using tape. This is known in itself. The boot leg part 28 of the boot terminates in a top elasticated cuff 24, which is close <d (see also Fig. 8) to fit snugly around the wearer's cal f. The elastic could be replaced or supplemented with a drawstring if desired. A circular collar 25 of smgle- thickness waterproof nylon connects the cuff to the multiple-thickness boot below, at seams 83 (Tig. 8).

Fig. 3 also indicates an inner liner or bootee 23, again of waterproof nylon, lining the entire boot interior. A resilient insole or footbed 12 lies on the bottom of this, sandwiching it against the outsole. As well as a resilient pad for comfort (e.g. of EVA foam), the footbed 12 has a covering textile layer 14 on top and a foil film 13 - for thermal insulation - on the bottom. This is to reduce heat conduction through the relatively thin sole, so that the wearer does not feel cold ground. Fig. 8 shows how the front of the boot opens along a zip 91, with a waterproof nylon gusset layer 9 sewn in behind between left and right closure flaps 93 which are continuations of the main wall. With this construction the boot is easy to pull on and off, but snug and water resistant once the zip fastener slide 92 is pulled up. With reference to Figs. 4 to 6, the boot leg portion

28 of the boot is readily collapsed down on to the shoe portion 29. There are no stiff components in the upper construction. The sole 1 can then be rolled up around the collapsed upper. To hold it in the rolled condition, a fastening cord 64 is provided. In this example it is connected at an anchor point 63 inside the top of the rubber heel module 62, and is a loop of elasticated co-rd which when the boot is worn can be hooked over a retaining hook 65 on the rear face of the boot, to keep it from flapping around. With the boot rolled up (Figs 5, 6) the retaining cord is pulled around the whole and its end looped over a hook formation 61 formed integrally with the heel formation 62 of the sole. This keeps the boot rolled up - Fig. 6. The pair of rolled boots fit together in a carrying bag 7 (Fig. 7), preferably also of waterproof nylon or other suitable fabric. In this example the bag has a drawstring 74 to close its opening, with a locking toggle 72. A support strap 73 extends around the body of the bag to give it strength and extends continuously as a carrying loop 74 above the top of the bag. A carrying clip 76 is incorporated as an alternative support.

A good feature here is the provision of a pocket 5 m the back wall of the boot, inside the outer fabric layer 21 and having a horizontal slit opening 51 with a zip fastener 52. The outline of this (internal) pocket is shown m broken lines m Fig. 1. When the boot is being worn, the bag 7 can be folded up and slid into the pocket 5 out of the way (its folded outline is indicated here m dotted lines) . Thus in one situation the boot carries the bag so that it is not mislaid, while the bag carries the boots when they are not needed.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A collapsible boot having a sole unit and a textile upper, the sole unit being of rubber or plastics and rollable to a compacted form, and the textile upper being an enclosing upper extending up to form a boot leg portion, and being collapsible to roll up with the sole

2. A collapsible boot according to claim 1 in which the upper incorporates an insulation layer.

3. A collapsible boot according to claim 2 in which the insulation layer comprises insulation material held between inner and outer textile layers of the upper.

4. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims in which the boot leg portion has an elasticated or tightenable top cuff.

5. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims in which the boot leg portion has an inner layer extending down behind an outer layer which defines a front opening, together forming a gusset.

6. A collapsible boot according to claim 5 in which the front opening has a zip fastener.

7. A collapsible boot according to claim 5 or 6, the gusset-forming inner layer being integral with a cuff as defined in claim 4.

8. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims in which the textile of the upper is waterproof .

9. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a fastener formed integrally with the boot and adapted to hold it in its compacted form.

10. A collapsible boot according to claim 9 in which the fastener is a strap or cord anchored adjacent the heel of the boot, with a retaining formation also adjacent the heel to hold the other end of the strap or cord after at least a complete turn thereof around the compacted boot.

11. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims in which the sole unit includes a thermal insulation layer.

12. A collapsible boot having a flexible sole which is rollable end-to-end to a compacted form, joined directly to a textile upper which extends up to form a boot leg with a closure cuff at the top and a gusset closure down the front or side, the textile of the upper being waterproof at least on the outside, and there being at least one inner textile layer, with insulation material extending substantially over the textile upper in an internal cavity between outer and inner textile layers .

13. A collapsible boot according to any one of the preceding claims in which the textile upper has a pocket to hold a removable bag which can hold the boot in its compacted form.

14. A collapsible boot according to claim 13, in combination with said bag for holding the boot .

15. A collapsible boot and bag according to claim 14 in which the bag can hold a pair of such boots (only one of which need have a pocket) together.

16. A collapsible boot and bag according to claim 14 o r 15 in which the bag has a tightenable opening and a carrying strap or loop.