Patent Application
20190166950
This invention relates generally to footwear, and in particular to an elastic woven footwear.
Woven shoes (or weave shoes) are well known in the shoe industry. These woven shoes may also be referred to as basketweave shoes, since the weave consists of warp (conventionally known as lengthwise) strands and weft strands. Warp and weft strands are interlaced so that they form a simple crisscross pattern. For the purposes of forming a basketweave for a shoe, the concepts of length strands and width strands are not relevant, and the terms warp strand and weft strand may be used for the purpose of distinguishing between the two intersecting directions of the strands.
Woven shoes generally provide the advantages of being comfortable and lightweight. With the proper weave material, the woven uppers of a shoe can expand to keep swollen feet comfortable. Using a stretchy, elastic type material for the woven upper of a shoe allows for the shoe to expand. This enhances comfort for the wearer.
Woven shoes also have an appearance that many consumers desire. The weave can be configured in a variety of patterns, and with a variety of materials. Woven shoes are often used for casual footwear, but can also be elaborate enough to accommodate the dress look. To further vary their appearance and styles, woven shoes can have a variety of heels and soles.
A popular style of woven shoes are flats for women. Woven flats blend casual style with comfort. Many woven flats have the entire upper of the shoe comprised of a woven upper. To increase comfort, the woven upper is made of an elastic material. A disadvantage of having the entire upper made of an elastic woven material is that the shoe may not have enough structure and rigidity to securely stay on the foot. This can especially be a problem during rigorous foot motion. This can also become an issue over time, when the elastic material loses its elasticity and becomes stretched.
There is a need for an elastic woven shoe to provide improved structure, form, and rigidity to enhance how the shoe secures to the foot. There is also a need to improve the longevity of the shoe, as the elastic material may lose its elasticity over time.
A woven shoe with an elastic weave portion, attached to a non-elastic section is described herein. A weave that is elastic provides increased comfort for the wearer, especially if the elastic weave portions are positioned at common stress points. Also, elasticity naturally helps to fit better to the variety of foot shapes and sizes. An elastic weave portion will have the natural disadvantage of not having as much form, structure, or rigidity. The elastic weave portion is complemented with a non-elastic reinforcement section to improve it's form, structure, and rigidity.
The elastic weave portion has a basketweave pattern, and as is conventional with a basketweave, is comprised of warp strands and weft strands interlaced to form a crisscrossed pattern. The elastic weave portion is attached to the reinforcement section by interlacing and wrapping through a slit in the reinforcement section. This attachment provides a superior hold for the purposes of improving the elastic weave portion's form, structure, and rigidity.
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Each elastic weave portion is attached to a corresponding reinforcement section. A reinforcement section is not elastic, and serves to provide more stability and form to the elastic weave portions. The reinforcement section complements the elastic weave portion to improve the longevity and performance of the shoe. The reinforcement section may be comprised of a variety of non-elastic material, such as leather or PU (polyurethane). The reinforcement section may also be comprised of fabric in various shapes. In this embodiment, the elastic weave heel counter portion 120 is attached to the heel counter reinforcement section 130, and the elastic weave vamp portion is attached to the vamp reinforcement section 140. The elastic weave vamp portion 110 is attached to the vamp reinforcement section 140.
The heel counter reinforcement section 130 is a strip that has both ends anchored at the sole of the shoe. The vamp reinforcement section 140 is a strip that also has both ends anchored at the sole of the shoe. Both the strips 120140 have their two ends on opposing sides of the shoe from one another. These reinforcement sections may be anchored at the sole of the shoe with or without glue. When anchored to the sole of the shoe without glue, they may be secured by stitching to the midsole.
The elastic weave portions are attached to the reinforcement sections without the need for adhesive or conventional stitching. Rather, the elastic weave is attached to the reinforcement section by extending the interlacing nature of the weave strands through the reinforcement section. This attachment is far superior and elegant over the conventional methods of adhesive or stitching. The use of adhesive or conventional stitching may be employed to complement the interlacing attachment.
This style of attachment interlaces the weave with the reinforcement section, and provides a very strong, and consistent attachment for the elastic weave portion with the reinforcement section. The warp weave strand itself is able to be one continuous strand through the slit, allowing for the natural strength of the strand to form the attachment. Also, when the elastic weave pulls against the reinforcement section, through natural foot motion, this design allows the entire elastic weave portion to be better secured, since all the attached warp strands collectively be secured through this attachment.
The attachment between the elastic weave portion 310 and reinforcement section 320 is arguably stronger than the first embodiment. As before, this style of attachment does not require adhesive or conventional stitching, and provides a superior hold. Further, when the elastic weave portion 310 is stressed from natural foot motion, the entire elastic weave portion 310 is better secured by the reinforcement section 320 since the many attached warps and wefts are directly held through interlacing with the reinforcement section 320.
Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to certain embodiments and examples, variations and modifications exist which are within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.
