Patent Application
20150257487
The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear that optionally provides proprioceptive feedback to a wearer's foot.
A variety of footwear exists that cater to the specific needs of a particular user. Sometimes footwear is designed with a particular age group in mind. For example, some footwear are designed for children to assist them in learning to walk, stand, turn and/or climb. Such footwear can be specially constructed for particular age groups of children. For example, pre-school children, ages 2-6 years, generally benefit from footwear that provide natural or complimentary movement of the feet. This allows them to sense—via proprioceptive feedback—the ground, stairs, ladders, bike pedals and varying terrain under their feet. In turn, this provides them with a high level of stability and agility for performing a wide range of activities.
As another example, post pre-school children, ages 6 years and older, as well as adults, also benefit from footwear that provide complimentary movement to allow proprioceptive feedback through the footwear. Such footwear usually aids post pre-school children, as well as adults, in activities including playground activities, rock climbing, wall climbing, balancing, running over varied terrain and the like.
There are a variety of footwear constructions that allegedly enhance proprioceptive feedback to a user's foot. These constructions typically include an upper joined with an outsole. The outsole can be relatively thin so that surface features of the ground underneath can be felt through the outsole to some degree. This type of footwear can include a footbed, which is a piece of cushioning material placed on the interior of the upper generally over the outsole, under a wearer's foot. Many of the constructions including a footbed, however, impair the ability of a child or other user to feel underfoot surface features through the excessive cushioning of the footbed.
In other constructions, the footwear includes a lining disposed in an upper. A firm lasting board is cemented over a bottom piece of the liner. The upper material is pulled to extend completely over the firm lasting board to close the upper. While this effectively closes off the bottom of the footwear, it also adds yet another rigid component (the firm lasting board) immediately under the wearer's foot. In turn, this acts to impair the sensation of forces and features transmitted through the outsole, the lasting board, and the like to the wearer. With this reduced sensation, the user (especially when a child) is not assisted in learning how to walk or otherwise traverse a surface.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement to provide footwear with an enhanced construction that optionally increases proprioceptive feedback to the wearer.
A footwear construction and related method of manufacture are provided. In one embodiment, the footwear can include an upper with a closed liner disposed in an interior of the upper, a flexible Strobel board closing the bottom of the upper and an outsole joined with the upper.
In another embodiment, the footwear can include an upper including an interior, an open bottom and an upper lowermost peripheral allowance. A lining can be secured in the interior of the upper. A liner bottom closure can be joined with the liner to close the liner bottom, without closing the open upper bottom.
In still another embodiment, a flexible Strobel board can be joined with the upper lowermost peripheral allowance to close the upper bottom with a Strobel construction.
In yet another embodiment, an outsole can be secured to the upper and Strobel board. Optionally, the outsole can include a proprioceptive configuration to provide enhanced sensory feedback to the wearer of the footwear.
In another embodiment, the Strobel board can define one or more apertures to ensure that the lining is prevented from wrinkling after the Strobel construction is created. Optionally, the apertures can form tabs. The tabs can be movable, for example, foldable, in a direction outward from the remainder of the Strobel board. When folded out, cement can be applied to the temporarily exposed upper surface of the Strobel board. When the tab is folded or otherwise moved to close the aperture, the cement can engage and secure the liner bottom closure to the upper surface of the Strobel board via the tab. Accordingly, the liner bottom closure is not loose in the bottom of the footwear.
In even another embodiment, the proprioceptive configuration of the outsole can include a base that interconnects multiple ground contact pads configured to move relative to one another. Each ground contact pad can move substantially independently of the other ground contact pads relative to the base.
In a further embodiment, the outsole includes a flex portion at least partially surrounding each ground contact pad and attaching each ground contact pad to the base. The flex portion can define a substantially corrugated shape having undulations, allowing each ground contact pad to move substantially independently of the other and relative to the base.
In still a further embodiment, the proprioceptive configuration of the outsole can include a bottom surface that defines multiple nested elliptical grooves substantially in the forefoot region. The bottom surface can define multiple nested, substantially circular grooves generally in the heel region. Further optionally, at least some of the elliptical grooves can intersect at least some of the substantially circular grooves to provide additional multi-axis flexibility.
In yet a further embodiment, a method of manufacturing footwear is provided. The method can include: providing an upper having a liner secured therein, closing an open bottom of the liner with a bottom closure—without closing an open bottom of the upper, Strobel stitching a flexible Strobel board to the upper to close the upper bottom, placing the upper with the lining secured thereto on a last, and joining an outsole with the upper, optionally in the foregoing order.
In even a further embodiment, the liner bottom closure and Strobel board can be of a thickness and flexibility so that a wearer can perceive movement of the outsole under these components. Thus, the footwear can provide enhanced proprioceptive feedback from a surface being traversed by the wearer.
In another further embodiment, the method includes defining an aperture in the Strobel board in one or more locations, before the Strobel board is secured to the upper. The aperture optionally can form one or more tabs that can be moveable, for example via a folding action.
In still another further embodiment, cement can be applied to the Strobel board, optionally when securing the Strobel board and the upper to the outsole. The cement can extend through the aperture, or can be placed on an exposed tab surface of the Strobel board when the tab is moved to an open or exposed position. The tab can be folded or moved closed after cement application. When the tab is closed or moved toward the liner, the previously applied cement can contact or otherwise engage the lower surface of the liner bottom closure or liner in general. This can secure the liner bottom closure to the Strobel board so that the lining is not loose in the bottom of the footwear, and to ensure that the lining is prevented from wrinkling after the Strobel construction is created.
The current embodiment provides a simple and effective footwear construction and related method that are well suited for use with outsoles having proprioceptive configurations, as well as other outsole configurations. Where the footwear includes an inner liner bottom closure and Strobel board that are thin enough to flex, deform and/or move these components sufficiently allow an underlying outsole to transfer forces and sensations from an underfoot surface to the foot of the wearer. In turn, the wearer can attain a greater sensory understanding of the surface, which can enhance their ability to effectively traverse the surface. Where the user is an infant, toddler or young child, the footwear can improve their walking, crawling, standing, turning, cruising and climbing. For example, an infant relies on the sensations felt by their feet to learn to walk. Where the footwear is constructed according to the current embodiments, it promotes, rather than masks, translation of ground contours and contact forces. In turn, this can assist the child in learning to walk while still providing a protective covering over their foot.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the current embodiments will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiments and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
A footwear construction of a current embodiment is illustrated in
Optionally, the current embodiment can be incorporated in any style of footwear, including but not limited to performance shoes, running shoes, athletic shoes, hiking shoes, trail shoes and boots, hiking boots, all terrain shoes, barefoot running shoes, sneakers, conventional tennis shoes, walking shoes, multi-sport footwear, casual shoes, dress shoes or any type of footwear or footwear components.
It also should be noted that directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. Further, the terms “medial,” “lateral” and “longitudinal” are used in the manner commonly used in connection with footwear. For example, when used in referring to a side of the shoe, the term “medial” refers to the inward side (that is, the side facing the other shoe) and “lateral” refers to the outward side. When used in referring to a direction, the term “longitudinal direction” refers to a direction generally extending along the length of the shoe between toe and heel, and the term “lateral direction” refers to a direction generally extending across the width of the shoe between the medial and lateral sides of the shoe. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientation.
In addition, as used herein, the term “arch region” (or arch or midfoot) refers generally to the portion of the footwear or sole assembly corresponding to the arch or midfoot of the wearer's foot; the term “forefoot region” (or forefoot) refers generally to the portion of the footwear partly within and/or forward of the arch region, lying corresponding to the metatarsals and/or the ball of a wearer's foot; and the term “heel region” (or heel) refers generally to that portion of the footwear rearward of the arch region corresponding to the heel of the wearer's foot. The forefoot region 91, arch or midfoot region 92 and the heel region 93 are generally identified in
As illustrated in
A lining 30 is attached to the upper 20, and generally disposed on the interior of the upper. This lining can buffer the wearer's foot from the potentially rough inside surfaces of the upper facing the wearer's foot. The lining 20 can be constructed from a soft woven or non-woven material, such as a fabric and/or weaved material. Optionally, the lining 30 can be fastened using stitching, cement or other fastening devices to the upper. For example, the lining can be stitched around the ankle collar 21 and/or along the vamp or quarters in some cases. Before installation of the outsole or Strobel board as described below, this lining 30 can generally rest loosely on the interior 14 of the upper 20.
As mentioned above, the upper 20 includes an interior 14. The interior 14 generally can be in the shape of the intended wearer's foot WF (
The upper 20 includes an upper lowermost peripheral allowance 25, which generally terminates at the bottom 26 of the upper. The upper bottom 26 and upper lowermost peripheral allowance form a generally open bottom 27 before attachment of the Strobel board. The open bottom 27 generally is illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
The liner bottom closure 40, when formed from memory foam, can be of a thickness T as shown in
Optionally, the liner bottom closure 40 can be constructed in the form of a laminate. As an example, the liner bottom closure 40 can include a memory foam core. On the interior facing part of the memory foam core, a face lining can be disposed. This face lining can be in the form of a fabric or other material that is designed to provide an aesthetic feature on the interior of the upper. On a surface of the memory foam core opposite the face lining, a backing fabric can be disposed. This backing fabric generally can hold together the foam and provide some tensile strength to withstand excessive forces or stresses due to flexing movement of the foam or other cushioning material of the liner bottom closure.
The liner bottom closure 40 can include an outer perimeter 45 that approximates the shape of the bottom of the footwear and/or the wearer's foot. This perimeter 45 is fastened directly to the liner bottom 36 at the liner lowermost peripheral allowance 35 to effectively close the liner bottom 36. With this construction, substantially only the ankle opening provides access to the inside or interior of the lining. This fastening of the liner bottom closure 40 can be achieved by stitching the perimeter 45 and the liner bottom closure 40 to the liner lowermost peripheral allowance, again to optionally completely close the liner bottom.
As shown in
As shown in
Generally, the Strobel board 60 can be a flexible, nonwoven, easily deformable and somewhat thin material. The thickness of the Strobel board 60 can be selected so that it can complement the properties of the material and allow a wearer to better perceive movement of different components of the outsole and underfoot surfaces as described below. The thickness T1 of the Strobel board can be selected to provide desired sensory feedback through it and through the memory foam to the bottom of the wearer's foot from the outsole or an underlying surface. For example, the Strobel board can be optionally about 0.1 mm to about 1.0 mm, further optionally about 0.6 mm to about 0.8 mm, and even further optionally about 0.7 mm. Of course, other thicknesses can be selected depending on the particular application. Optionally, the material from which the Strobel board is constructed is very flexible, in which case the thickness might not influence the proprioceptive feedback through the Strobel board.
As shown in
The Strobel board apertures 67 and 68 can be linear apertures in the form of lines, slits or slots. They can be of curved “S” s or other configurations. As shown in
The apertures 67 and 68 can be in several configurations and can be increased in number depending on the particular application. Further, although shown as an aperture with a foldable tab 68T, the apertures 67 and 68 can be in the form of parallel slits along the bottom of the Strobel board. With this slit reconstruction, the central portion of a strip defined between the parallel slits can be raised (by pulling it away from the closure 40), and a cement 99 can be applied thereunder to bond the liner bottom closure 40 to the Strobel board 60.
As mentioned above, the Strobel board 60 is joined with the upper 20 and in particular the upper lowermost peripheral allowance 25 to close the upper bottom 26 with a Strobel construction. Generally, this attachment is facilitated via a stitching of the respective edges of the Strobel board around its perimeter 65. In turn, this generally closes the upper bottom.
The Strobel construction is illustrated in the cross section of
As shown in
The footwear 10 can be outfitted with an outsole 50 as shown in
As shown in
For example, as shown in
As mentioned above, the footwear 10 and more particularly the combined upper, lining and Strobel board assembly can be joined with a variety of outsoles. These outsoles can be generally flat outsole, outsoles with tread or lugs, heeled outsoles or other outsoles of virtually any configuration.
One suitable type of outsole is an outsole including a proprioceptive configuration. Outsoles including a proprioceptive configuration are disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 8,333,022 to Crowley, I I et al, entitled Articles of Footwear, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,281 to Loverin et al, entitled Articles of Footwear, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
An outsole with a proprioceptive configuration is illustrated in
The proprioceptive configuration of the outsole 50′ is designed to allow the user to experience the contours of an underfoot surface and feel localized forces across the outsole 50′, for example, in the forefoot region 91 and/or heel region 93 in particular. This can aid in the development of proper gait and feel of the ground surface for balance while performing particular activities.
As shown in
The ground contact pads 52′ can be elliptical in shape, but may be of any shape, such as circular, rectangular, polygonal, or the like, and can be of various thicknesses and sizes. Relatively larger ground contact pads 52′ may be positioned under locations in the foot that generally experience larger impact forces, or more contact frequency, for example, under the ball of the foot. Relatively smaller ground contact pads can be positioned under areas of the foot that experience relatively smaller impact forces, or less contact frequency, thereby providing localized load points for sensory feedback to the wearer's foot WF.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As further shown in
Another outsole with a proprioceptive configuration suitable for use with the footwear 10 of the current embodiment as illustrated in
In the current embodiments, the outsoles can be constructed to be relatively supple, flexible and can have a thickness of optionally about 0.5 mm to about 8 mm, and further optionally about 3 mm to about 5 mm, to allow a child or other wearer to substantially feel the contours of a supporting surface through the outsole, the flexible Strobel board 60 and liner bottom closure 50, while standing and/or walking on a supporting surface. A construction including an outsole including a proprioceptive configuration is believed to allow the footwear 10 to be flexible, pliable, compliant and fit around the geometry of the wearer's foot. In turn, this can allow tactile sensation and proprioceptive feedback of a supporting surface through the footwear 10. The ability to feel the supporting surface through the footwear 10 can enable the wearer to learn to use or enhance their sensory feedback from their feet and aid in development of a proper gait.
A method of manufacturing the footwear will be described with reference to
The assembled upper 20, lining 30, and liner bottom closure 40 are then joined with the Strobel board. In particular, the Strobel board 40 is secured directly to the upper lowermost peripheral allowance 25 to close the bottom 26 of the upper 20. When joining the Strobel board with the upper 20, the edges 65E of the Strobel board 60 are generally secured to the edges 25E of the upper along the a common plane P. Where the Strobel board 60 includes apertures 67, 68 the cement 99 can leak therethrough and secure the liner bottom closure to the Strobel board 60. Optionally, the tabs 68T can be folded or moved to apply the cement and secure the lining to the Strobel board as explained above. Generally, the combined thickness T2 (
With the Strobel board attached to the upper via the Strobel construction, the components are placed on a last as shown in
Directional terms, such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “inwardly,” “outer” and “outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientations.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual elements of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular. Any reference to claim elements as “at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, and any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; and Y, Z.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61952966 | Mar 2014 | US |
