Patent Application
20130025161
The present invention relates to a line of footwear and, more specifically, to a footwear product line having multiple sizes and differing levels of firmness and a method of merchandising the same.
Footwear such as slippers is typically manufactured and sold only by size. While shoes are manufactured and sold in a wide variety of sizes, slippers and similar types of footwear are usually only manufactured and sold in a limited number of sizes (e.g., small, medium and large). In addition, most retailers only sell one or two varieties of slippers, thus further limiting the options available to consumers. The result is that consumers must often either visit several retailers to find their preferred type of slippers, or must purchase slippers which do not necessarily meet their needs and desires.
In one embodiment, the present invention may comprise a slipper product line having at least nine models of slippers. The slippers may have three different sizes with each size having at least three levels of firmness. Each slipper model may comprise a sole portion, an upper portion attached to the sole portion and configured for retaining the slipper on a wearer's foot, and a support portion located within the sole portion. The models of slippers within the product line may differ in size and the cushioning properties of the support portion.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for merchandising footwear. The method may comprise providing footwear in two or more sizes with each size having two or more levels of firmness. The footwear may be displayed such that indicia of the levels of firmness of the footwear is visible to the consumer.
Another aspect of the present invention is a slipper. The slipper may comprise an upper attached to a sole, the sole having an insole, an outsole, and a support portion. The support portion may have three levels of firmness, specifically soft, medium, and firm.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for merchandising footwear. As used herein, “footwear” and “footwear products” are used in their common usage as apparel worn on the feet. Examples of footwear include, for illustration and without limitation, shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, and the like. While specific description is made herein to slippers, it should be understood that any of the various footwear products may incorporate the elements described herein with respect to slippers. In one embodiment, the footwear 10 may comprise slippers having a plurality of levels of firmness. Other embodiments may provide a collection (i.e., a product line) of slippers in a predetermined number of sizes and a predetermined number of levels of firmness. As discussed later herein, except for size and the particular type of support portion (e.g., type of foam), the slippers in such collection may be virtually identical in construction. Another embodiment may provide a slipper having different levels of firmness.
Typically, slippers will vary in firmness from one brand to another. One embodiment of the present invention provides systems and methods for merchandising slippers wherein not only are the slippers provided in a plurality of sizes, but also in a plurality of levels of firmness. By way of example, the slippers may be provided in three or more sizes (e.g., small, medium and large, and possibly a fourth size of extra large) and three or more levels of firmness for each size (e.g., soft, medium and firm). The slippers may be merchandized such that indicia identifying the level of firmness are visible to consumers.
The level of firmness of, and support provided by, a slipper will often depend primarily on the thickness and material of the support portion 17. In the case of foam, a variety of factors dictate the level of firmness, such as the chemical composition, the size of the cells within the foam, and the foam density. Firmness can also be quantified in a variety of ways, such as Indention Force Deflection (IFD), Compression Force Deflection (CFD) or Compression Modulus. These are well-known tests which generally measure the amount of force needed to compress the foam.
In embodiments of the present invention, the construction of the slippers may be the same across the various sizes and levels of firmness. The level of firmness may be controlled, in whole or in part, by varying the thickness of the support portion 17. In other embodiments, the support portion 17 may have approximately the same thickness (e.g., about one inch) regardless of slipper size or level of firmness. In these embodiments, the level of firmness may be varied by selecting a foam (or other material) for the support portion 17 which has different compression properties, rather than by changing the thickness of foam. In this manner, for a given slipper size, one aspect that can change in order to provide a different firmness is the properties of the foam or other material used for the support portion 17 (as further described herein). This aspect of embodiments of the present invention simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs.
The level of firmness best suited for a particular consumer will depend on a variety of factors such as the consumer's weight, intended use of the slippers, and personal preferences. In order to facilitate a consumer's selection of slippers which meet their needs and/or desires, the slippers may be merchandised such that visible indicia of the size and level of firmness is provided. As used herein, the term “merchandise” refers to the display or presentation of slippers (or other footwear) for sale to consumers. Merchandising may be accomplished using any of a variety of well-known means, such as display racks or even using an online webpage depicting the slippers.
Visible indicia of slipper size and firmness may be provided in a variety of ways. By way of example, a color coded system may be employed in order to indicate the level of firmness of the slippers. Each level of firmness may be identified by a predetermined color assigned to each level (e.g., green=soft, yellow=medium, blue=firm). Firmness may also be indicated using alphanumeric characters, such as the words “soft”, “medium”, and “firm”, or letters (e.g., S, M and F) and/or numbers identifying firmness. Other non-alphanumeric or visual indicators of firmness may also be used. The color, symbol and/or alphanumeric characters indicating firmness may be associated with the slippers in a variety of manners. For example, the visible indicia of firmness may be provided on a size tag, price tag, a tag attached to the slippers or slipper packaging, and/or provided on a merchandising rack or other structure associated with a retail display of slippers. A merchandising rack may even be structured so as to provide a means for segregating slippers by firmness and/or size (e.g., separate cubby holes or other discrete locations for each size and firmness). When slippers are merchandised online, similar techniques may be used in order to provide visible indicia of firmness and size to consumers (e.g., color-coding for firmness and/or alphanumeric characters indicating firmness and/or size).
As mentioned previously, a variety of materials may be used in the construction of the slippers (or other footwear) according to various embodiments. For example, the sole portion 12 may be made from natural (e.g., leather) and/or man-made materials (e.g., synthetic rubber or other polymer). The insole 13 and outsole 15 surfaces of the sole 12 portion may be the same or different. By way of example, a second material may be attached to the sole portion 12 in order to provide a more comfortable insole 13 (e.g., felt, wool, or other soft material). Similarly, the outsole 15 may be of a different material than the other portions of the sole 12 (e.g., leather, rubber or other polymeric material to improve grip). The upper 14 may likewise be made from a variety of materials, such as leather, polyester, and/or other natural or man-made materials.
Likewise, any of a variety of materials may be used for the support portion 17, particularly foams which provide the desired level of cushioning (e.g., predetermined compression parameters such as IFD, CFD and/or Compression Modulus). Suitable foams include open-cell and/or closed-cell polyurethane. One example of a suitable foam material is an open-cell polyurethane which is available from Illbruck Foamtec, Inc. in a variety of densities and compression parameters. Such foams are available with a variety of properties, each having a different product name.
In one embodiment, one (1) inch thick foam can be utilized. The foam can be provided in three (3) different densities in order to provide varying levels of compression based on the weight applied to the surface area of the product. Table 1 provides technical data for three examples of foams that can be utilized to provide three varying levels of firmness. Foams from Illbruck Foamtec, Inc. may be used in some embodiments, such as an open-cell foam product for instance. However, closed-cell foam may be utilized in other embodiments to provide desired wear and rebound characteristics.
A color coded system can also be provided in some embodiments, and it can be allocated to the size tag, price tag or separately tagged to the slippers indicating the level of firmness. The consumer may then be free to select any “color” or firmness it desires based on personal preferences.
For example, the following system can be utilized:
Additionally, in some embodiments, the manufacturing process and the system can be optimized by providing firmness choices of the slippers in three (3) general sizes: small, medium, and large, and these sizes may correspond to the following approximate lengths of foam to be used in the slippers;
However, other sizes of slippers may be utilized, and the length of foam inside the slippers might vary. In some embodiments, the widths could vary as the length varies between slippers, and widths such as A, EEE, narrow, wide, etc. could be provided in one or more of the sizes
Various shapes, soles (rubber, leather, etc), outer materials (leather, polyester, cotton, blends, etc.) can be utilized, depending on the embodiment. Celebrities such as sports personalities and the like could be utilized in the marketing and advertising of the product.
Table 1 illustrates specifications of examples of foams that could be utilized for the slippers described herein. Such slippers could utilize foams having one or more of the specifications shown. For example, the foam for a soft firmness slipper in the product line may have a firmness of between 0 and 6 (using the ASTM D2240 test method), a foam for a medium firmness slipper in the product line may have a firmness of between 6 and 10, and a foam for a hard firmness slipper in the product line may have a firmness of greater than 10 (e.g., 20). As one example, the soft firmness slipper may utilize Illbruckfoamtec material HD1506RE, the medium firmness slipper may utilize Illbruckfoamtec material HD0807RE, and the hard firmness slipper may utilize Illbruckfoamtec material HD0820RE.
The foregoing description of various embodiments and principles of the inventions has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventions to the precise form disclosed. Many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Moreover, although multiple inventive aspects and principles have been presented, such aspects need not be utilized in combination, and various combinations of inventive aspects and principles are possible in light of the various embodiments provided above. Accordingly, the above description is intended to embrace all possible alternatives, modifications, aspects, combinations, principles, and variations that have been discussed or suggested herein, as well as all others that fall within the principles, spirit and broad scope of the inventions as defined by the claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/894517, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/913,106 filed Apr. 20, 2007.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11894517 | Aug 2007 | US |
| Child | 13644557 | US |
