Patent Application
20220312884
The present disclosure relates to footwear. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to flexible footwear.
According to the present disclosure, a flexible shoe includes an under sole formed of ballistic nylon, a foot bed arranged on an upper surface of the under sole, a first over-foot portion attached to the under sole and configured to flexibly overly an instep of a foot of a user forward of an ankle of the user, and a second over-foot portion configured to flexibly wrap around a heel of the user rearward of the ankle of the user.
In the illustrative embodiments, the under sole, the first over-foot portion, and the second over-foot portion define a cavity configured to enclose the foot of the user. The foot bed is positioned entirely within the cavity.
In at least some embodiments, an outer perimeter edge of the first over-foot portion that corresponds to an outer perimeter edge of the under sole is fixedly attached to an entirety of a first portion of the outer perimeter edge defined by a forward two-thirds of a forward to rearward length of the under sole.
In some embodiments, a first outer side edge and a second outer side edge of the second over-foot portion that correspond to a first outer side perimeter edge and a second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole are fixedly attached to the first and second outer side perimeter edges, respectively, such that a gap is formed between a bottom edge of the second over-foot portion and a heel portion of the outer perimeter edge of the under sole.
In the illustrative embodiments, the second over-foot portion is sized to extend from a top of a heel bone of the user to the heel portion of the outer perimeter edge of the under sole in response to the foot of the user being arranged in the flexible shoe.
In at least some embodiments, a height of the second over-foot portion defined by a distance between a center point of a top edge of the second over-foot portion and a center point of the bottom edge of the second over-foot portion is equal to one-quarter of the forward to rearward length of the under sole.
In some embodiments, the first over-foot portion and the second over-foot portion are flat-stitched to the outer perimeter edge of the under sole with a stitching material, the stitching material being resiliently expandable and contractible.
In the illustrative embodiments, a rear edge of the first over-foot portion that extends from the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is configured to flexibly surround a forward portion of the ankle of the foot of the user, and wherein a top edge of the second over-foot portion that extends from the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is configured to flexibly surround a rear portion of the ankle of the foot of the user.
In at least some embodiments, a rearmost point at which the rear edge of first over-foot portion attaches to the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is located rearward of a forwardmost point at which the top edge of the second over-foot portion attaches to the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole, and wherein a rearmost point at which the rear edge of first over-foot portion attaches to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is located rearward of a forwardmost point at which the top edge of the second over-foot portion attaches to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole.
In some embodiments, the foot bed is formed of neoprene.
In the illustrative embodiments, the first over-foot portion and the second over-foot portion are formed of stretch-fit rubber.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an under sole, a foot bed arranged on an upper surface of the under sole, a first over-foot portion attached to the under sole and configured to flexibly overly an instep of a foot of a user forward of an ankle of the user, an outer perimeter edge of the first over-foot portion that corresponds to an outer perimeter edge of the under sole being fixedly attached to an entirety of an outer perimeter edge of a forward two-thirds of a forward to rearward length of the under sole, and a second over-foot portion configured to flexibly wrap around a heel of the user rearward of the ankle of the user, a first outer side edge and a second outer side edge of the second over-foot portion that correspond to a first outer side perimeter edge and a second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole being fixedly attached to the first and second outer side perimeter edges, respectively, such that a gap is formed between a bottom edge of the second over-foot portion and a heel portion of the outer perimeter edge of the under sole.
In at least some embodiments, the under sole, the first over-foot portion, and the second over-foot portion define a cavity configured to enclose the foot of the user, the foot bed is positioned entirely within the cavity, and the second over-foot portion is sized to extend from a top of a heel bone of the user to the heel portion of the outer perimeter edge of the under sole in response to the foot of the user being arranged in the flexible shoe.
In some embodiments, a height of the second over-foot portion defined by a distance between a center point of a top edge of the second over-foot portion and a center point of the bottom edge of the second over-foot portion is equal to one-quarter of the forward to rearward length of the under sole.
In the illustrative embodiments, the under sole is formed of ballistic nylon.
In at least some embodiments, the foot bed is formed of neoprene.
In some embodiments, the first over-foot portion and the second over-foot portion are formed of stretch-fit rubber.
In the illustrative embodiments, the first over-foot portion and the second over-foot portion are flat-stitched to the outer perimeter edge of the under sole with a stitching material, the stitching material being resiliently expandable and contractible.
In at least some embodiments, a rear edge of the first over-foot portion that extends from the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is configured to flexibly surround a forward portion of the ankle of the foot of the user, and wherein a top edge of the second over-foot portion that extends from the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is configured to flexibly surround a rear portion of the ankle of the foot of the user.
In some embodiments, a rearmost point at which the rear edge of first over-foot portion attaches to the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is located rearward of a forwardmost point at which the top edge of the second over-foot portion attaches to the first outer side perimeter edge of the under sole, and wherein a rearmost point at which the rear edge of first over-foot portion attaches to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole is located rearward of a forwardmost point at which the top edge of the second over-foot portion attaches to the second outer side perimeter edge of the under sole.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for forming a flexible shoe includes forming an under sole from ballistic nylon, forming a foot bed, positioning the foot bed on an upper surface of the under sole, forming a first over-foot portion configured to flexibly overly an instep of a foot of a user forward of an ankle of the user, attaching the first over-foot portion to the under sole, and forming a second over-foot portion configured to flexibly wrap around a heel of the user rearward of the ankle of the user, the under sole, the first over-foot portion, and the second over-foot portion define a cavity configured to enclose the foot of the user. The foot bed is positioned entirely within the cavity.
In at least some embodiments, the method further includes flat-stitching the first over-foot portion and the second over-foot portion to the outer perimeter edge of the under sole with a stitching material, the stitching material being resiliently expandable and contractible.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
A first embodiment of a flexible shoe 10 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the first over-foot portion 40 and the second over-foot portion 50 are formed of stretch-fit rubber. As a result, the first over-foot portion 40 and the second over-foot portion 50 are flexibly resilient in the plane of the material in that the stretch-fit rubber conforms to the foot 100 of the user when the foot 100 is inserted into the flexible shoe 10. For example, as can be seen in
In the illustrative embodiment, the under sole 20 is formed of ballistic nylon material. Ballistic nylon material is a flexible, thick nylon fabric that provides significant abrasion resistance and durability. As a result, the bottom of the flexible shoe 10 is capable of withstanding interactions with highly abrasive, rough surfaces, thus allowing a user to traverse such surfaces with minimal wear on the flexible shoe 10. This, along with the increased durability of ballistic nylon, advantageously increases the longevity of the flexible shoe 10. Moreover, ballistic nylon is resiliently flexible so as to allow the under sole 20 and thus the foot 100 of the user to conform to irregularities of the surface being traversed, thus improving the user's ability to balance on and grip such surfaces. Even further, the thickness and flexibility of the under sole 20 allows the user to more clearly feel the features of the surface being traversed, giving the user a better sense of what he or she is walking over and how to effectively negotiate the surface.
The flexibility of the shoe 10 provided by the stretch-fit rubber and ballistic nylon, as well as the abrasion resistance and durability provided by the ballistic nylon, makes the flexible shoe 10 especially useful for wet or moist environments, in particular for underwater use. The flexibility of the materials enables the shoe to conform to the uneven surfaces typical of underwater environments, while the ballistic nylon provides for increased abrasion resistance and durability when the shoe 10 is used in environments with rough and uneven surfaces. Moreover, the stretch-fit rubber provides a tight, conforming fit to the user's foot 100, ensuring that the shoe 10 will not become dislodged from the user's foot 100 during use in such environments.
The flexible shoe 10 according to the present disclosure includes the under sole 20, the foot bed 30, the first over-foot portion 40, and the second over-foot portion 50, as shown in
The under sole 20 defines an outer perimeter edge 22 around the outside of the under sole 20, as shown in
As discussed above, the under sole 20 is formed of ballistic nylon material. Ballistic nylon is manufactured using a very high-denier nylon thread. Thread denier is a unit of weight used to measure the linear mass density of fibers, defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of thread. Ballistic nylon is typically manufactured from thread having above a 1000 d thread denier. Moreover, a “ballistic weave” is used to weave the thread into a fabric. Ballistic weave is a very tight and dense weave that maximizes the fabric's durability and tear resistance. Most commonly, a ballistic weave will utilize a 2×2 basket weave. The weave pattern is extremely resistant to tearing, while the high thread denier provides highly efficient abrasion resistance.
In addition to ballistic nylon, the under sole 20 may be formed of materials similar to ballistic nylon. For example, the under sole 20 may be formed of ripstop nylon, which includes reinforcement yarns that are interwoven at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern. The intervals are typically 0.2 to 0.3 inches. The under sole 20 may also be formed of Cordura nylon, which includes nylon fabrics having 1000 d thread denier and a plain 1 over 1 weave. The under sole 20 may also be formed of Kodra nylon.
In addition to providing abrasion resistance and durability, the ballistic nylon material also allows for the under sole 20 to be resiliently flexible so as to accommodate various shapes of human feet as well as being able to conform to uneven surfaces upon which the user is walking. For example, as can be seen in
As can be seen in
In the illustrative embodiment, the foot bed 30 is formed of neoprene. Neoprene is a strong synthetic rubber that is more resistant to water, oils, and other solvents than natural rubber. As such, the foot bed 30 is capable of being flexed so as to conform to various foot and surface shapes, similarly to the under sole 20. Similarly to the ballistic nylon material of the under sole 20, the neoprene material of the foot bed 30 is configured to return to original form after being flexed. Moreover, neoprene provides increased comfortability, particularly in scenarios in which a user will use the flexible shoe 10 in water. Specifically, a user will typically insert his or her bare foot 100 into the shoe such that the skin of the foot 100 directly contacts the upper surface of the foot bed 30. Neoprene provides extra comfort for the user when placed in direct contact with skin, in particular because the neoprene material does not irritate skin like other materials typically used in footwear. In some embodiments, the neoprene material may be GlideSkin neoprene. In other embodiments, the foot bed 30 may be formed of a material or materials similar to neoprene.
In the illustrative embodiment, the first over-foot portion 40 is fixedly attached to the under sole 20 and has an outer contour that substantially matches the outer contour of the under sole 20, as shown in
In at least some embodiments the outer perimeter edge 41 is flat-stitched to the outer perimeter edge 22 of the under sole 20 with a stitching material, the stitching material being resiliently expandable and contractible. In some embodiments, the outer perimeter edge 41 is reverse overlock stitched onto the outer perimeter edge 22 of the under sole 20. In some embodiments, the outer perimeter edge 41 is over-stitched onto the outer perimeter edge 22 of the under sole 20. In some embodiments, the front edges of the flexible shoe 10 include a rubberized edge. A rubberized coating is applied over the stitching at the joint of the outer perimeter edge 41 and the outer perimeter edge 22 of the under sole 20. The rubberized coating hardens and forms a rubber seam that protects the stitching in high-stress environments.
The first over-foot portion 40 further includes a rear edge 42 that extends substantially transversely across the under sole 20 from the first outer side perimeter edge 23 of the under sole 20 to the second outer side perimeter edge 24, as well as a first outer side edge 43 and a second outer side edge 44, as shown in
The first over-foot portion 40 is formed of stretch-fit rubber such that the first over-foot portion 40 is flexibly resilient in the plane of the material. Specifically, the stretch-fit rubber of the first over-foot portion 40 conforms to the foot 100 of the user when the foot 100 is inserted into the flexible shoe 10. The stretch-fit rubber has a biasing rate that biases the stretch-fit rubber to return to a neutral, unstretched state when not being stretched by the foot 100 of the user. The type of stretch-fit rubber used for the first over-foot portion 40 may be selected based on the necessary biasing rate of the application. As the stretch-fit rubber of the first over-foot portion 40 is stretched further away from its neutral, unstretched state, for example upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the resting plane of the first over-foot portion 40, the bias force forcing the material toward its unstretched state increases. Thus, the first over-foot portion 40 is configured to conform to any shape of foot 100 while contributing to securely holding the foot 100 in the flexible shoe 10.
In the illustrative embodiment, the second over-foot portion 50 is fixedly attached to the under sole 20 and has an outer contour that substantially matches the outer contour of the under sole 20, as shown in
In at least some embodiments the first and second outer side edges 51, 52 are flat-stitched to the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20 with a stitching material, the stitching material being resiliently expandable and contractible. In some embodiments, the first and second outer side edges 51, 52 are reverse overlock stitched onto the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20. In some embodiments, the first and second outer side edges 51, 52 are over-stitched onto the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20. In some embodiments, the rear edges of the flexible shoe 10 include a rubberized edge. A rubberized coating is applied over the stitching at the joint of the first and second outer side edges 51, 52 and the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20. The rubberized coating hardens and forms a rubber seam that protects the stitching in high-stress environments.
The second over-foot portion 50 further includes a top edge 54 that extends substantially transversely across the under sole 20 from the first outer side perimeter edge 23 of the under sole 20 to the second outer side perimeter edge 24, as well as a bottom edge 53, as shown in
As can be seen in
The bottom edge 53 of the second over-foot portion 50 is curved toward the top edge 54, as shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, a height 55 of the second over-foot portion 50 is defined by a distance between the center point of a top edge 54 of the second over-foot portion 50 and the center point of the bottom edge 53 of the second over-foot portion 50, as shown in
Similar to the first over-foot portion 40, the second over-foot portion 50 is formed of stretch-fit rubber such that the second over-foot portion 50 is flexibly resilient in the plane of the material. Specifically, the stretch-fit rubber of the second over-foot portion 50 conforms to the foot 100 of the user when the foot 100 is inserted into the flexible shoe 10. The stretch-fit rubber also has a biasing rate that biases the stretch-fit rubber to return to a neutral, unstretched state when not being stretched by the foot 100 of the user. The type of stretch-fit rubber used for the second over-foot portion 50 may be selected based on the necessary biasing rate of the application. In some embodiments, the biasing rate of the second over-foot portion 50 is greater than the biasing rate of the first over-foot portion 40 such that more force may be applied to the smaller area of the rear of the foot 100 in order to hold the shoe 10 in place.
As the stretch-fit rubber of the second over-foot portion 50 is stretched further away from its neutral, unstretched state, for example upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the resting plane of the second over-foot portion 50, the bias force forcing the material toward its unstretched state increases. Thus, the second over-foot portion 50 is configured to conform to any shape of foot 100 while contributing to securely holding the foot 100 in the flexible shoe 10.
In the illustrative embodiment, the rearmost attachment points 70, 74 at which the rear edge 42 of first over-foot portion 40 attaches to the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20 are located rearward of the forwardmost attachment points 72, 76 at which the top edge 54 of the second over-foot portion 50 attaches to the first and second outer side perimeter edges 23, 24 of the under sole 20, as shown in
In operation, the user inserts his or her foot 100 into the opening defined between the rear edge 42 of the first over-foot portion 40 and the top edge 54 of the second over-foot portion 50 when the first and second over-foot portions 40, 50 are in the unstretched position, as shown in
The user may then grip the second over-foot portion 50 and adjust the second over-foot portion 50 to wrap around the user's heel 106. The second over-foot portion 50 further secures the flexible shoe 10 to the user's foot 100. If the positioning of the second over-foot portion 50 is not ideal for the user, the user may adjust the second over-foot portion 50 upwardly or downwardly.
In at least one embodiment, the flexible shoe 10 is sized to fit a U.S. size 12 foot. In this embodiment, the length 26 of the under sole 20 is 11.5 inches. A first side length of the first over-foot portion 40 as measured from a front tip of the first over-foot portion 40 to the attachment point 70 is 7.5 inches, and a second side length of the first over-foot portion 40 as measured from a front tip of the first over-foot portion 40 to the attachment point 74 is 7.75 inches. A length of the second over-foot portion 50 as measured from rearmost attachment points of the second over-foot portion 50 to the attachment points 72, 76 is 5 inches. The instep width of the foot bed 30 as measured at the widest point of the instep portion is 5 inches. The width of the foot bed 30 as measured at the arch of the foot bed 30 is 4 inches. The width of the foot bed 30 as measured between the points at which the heel portion of the foot bed 30 begins is 3.25 inches.
A method 200 for forming the flexible shoe 10 described above is shown in
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the foregoing drawings and description, the same is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments thereof have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
