Patent Application
20130305566
This disclosure relates to infant footwear.
In general, shoes, a type of articles of footwear, include an upper secured to a sole. The upper and the sole together define a void that is configured to hold a human foot. Often, the upper and/or the sole are/is formed from multiple layers that can be stitched or adhesively bonded together. For example, the upper portion can be made of a combination of leather and fabric, or foam and fabric, and the sole can be formed from at least one layer of natural rubber. Often materials are chosen for functional reasons, e.g., water-resistance, durability, abrasion-resistance, and breathability, while shape, texture, and color are used to promote the aesthetic qualities of the shoe.
This disclosure provides an article of footwear that compliments the changing size and shape of an infant foot by providing an adjustable fit around the infant foot (e.g., by swaddling the infant foot). Moreover, the infant footwear promotes complimentary movement and/or proprioceptive feedback of the infant's foot for a range of activities that may include walking, crawling, standing, turning, cruising (e.g., walking while holding onto a support object), climbing, etc. An infant relies on the sensations felt by his/her feet to learn to walk and an article of footwear that promotes, rather than masks, translation of the ground contours and contact forces helps the infant learn to walk while still providing a protective covering over the infant's foot. Therefore, the article of footwear needs to be flexible for bending with the foot and the sole needs to be thin enough to allow translation of ground contact forces. Besides providing a protective covering, the article of footwear may also provide a certain degree of stability and agility to the infant's foot, such as ground contact conformability, bending, complimentary movement, and a proper fit around the infant foot.
One aspect of the disclosure provides an article of infant footwear. The article of footwear includes a sole made of a flexible, compliant layer of material with a thickness between about 1 mm and about 3 mm. The footwear article also includes an upper attached to the sole, the upper and the sole together define a void to receive an infant foot. The upper has a heel cap that independently moves relative to a remaining portion of the upper. The footwear article further includes lateral and medial expanders. The lateral expander has a first end attached to a lateral heel portion of the upper and a second end attached to the heel cap. The medial expander has a first end attached to a medial heel portion of the upper and a second end attached to the heel cap. Each expander independently moves between a relaxed state and a stretched state to accommodate receipt of the infant foot.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following features. In some implementations, the upper defines lateral and medial pockets in the corresponding lateral and medial heel portions of the upper. The pockets are arranged to receive the corresponding lateral and medial expanders. Each pocket may substantially fully receive the corresponding expander in its relaxed state. The heel cap may abut the remaining portion of the upper, and conceal the expanders, when the expanders are in their relaxed states. Each expander moves out of its corresponding pocket when moving from its relaxed state to its stretched state. The upper may have an outer layer disposed on an inner layer, where the inner and outer layers define the lateral and medial pockets. A lower end portion of the heel cap may connect to the sole, allowing the heel end to pivot about its lower end. Alternatively, a lower end portion of the heel cap may move freely relative to the sole. A closure with a first end attached to one of a lateral portion and a medial portion of the upper and a free second end is releasably securable to the other of the lateral and medial portions of the upper. The closure moves between an open position and a closed position. The open position exposes the void which is defined by the upper and the sole, and the closed position secures the received infant foot in the void. Furthermore, a hook and loop fasteners may be arranged for releasably securing the closure. The sole may be made with, but not limited to, a fabric and/or a leather material.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides an upper for an article of infant footwear. The upper includes a heel cap which moves independently relative to a remaining portion of the upper. The upper further includes lateral and medial expanders. The lateral expander has a first end attached to a lateral heel portion of the upper and a second end attached to the heel cap. The medial expander has a first end attached to a medial heel portion of the upper and a second end attached to the heel cap. Each lateral expander independently moves between a relaxed state and a stretched state to accommodate receipt of an infant foot. The upper further includes a closure with a first flap and a second flap. The first flap extends from one of a lateral portion and a medial portion of the upper, and the second flap extends from the other of the lateral and medial portions of the upper. The first and second flaps overlap and releasably attach to each other for securing the received infant foot.
Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following features. In some implementations the upper defines lateral and medial pockets in the corresponding lateral and medial heel portions of the upper. The pockets are arranged to receive the corresponding lateral and medial expanders. Each pocket may substantially fully receive the corresponding expander in its relaxed state. The heel cap may abut the remaining portion of the upper, and conceal the expanders, when the expanders are in their relaxed states. Each expander moves out of its corresponding pocket when moving from its relaxed state to its stretched state. The upper may have an outer layer disposed on an inner layer, where the inner and outer layers defining the lateral and medial pockets. The heel cap may pivot about a lower end portion of the heel cap. Alternatively, upper and lower portions of the heel cap may move freely relative to the remaining portion of the upper. The first and second flaps may overlap in a swaddling configuration. Furthermore, hook and loop fasteners may be arranged for releasably securing the first and second flaps of the closure together. At least one of the first and second flaps may extend between a foot opening defined by the upper and a toe box portion of the upper.
The details of one or more implementations of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
Infants (e.g., babies) have substantially rounded feet, unlike adolescents and adults whom have relatively elongated feet with pronounced arch development. Infants generally experience relatively quick muscle growth and coordination development. As a result, the size and shape of an infant's foot can change relatively quickly. An infant learns to walk and develops a gait through coordination development and receiving proprioceptive feedback from nerve endings in its feet. The most influential time for gait development is between about 9 and 24 months of age. As a result, an infant shoe configured to allow or promote complimentary movement and proprioceptive feedback while donned on an infant's foot will likely aid the infant in learning to walk, development of a natural gait, and reduce stubbles and falls. Furthermore, an infant shoe configured to cradle and swaddle around an infant's foot and mimic the infant foot shape is advantageous, for movement, comfort, and fit.
Referring to
The upper 100 may include one or more layers of materials. In the example shown, the upper 100 includes an outer layer 110 (e.g., made of leather) disposed on an inner layer 120 (e.g., a lining made of fabric). The outer layer 110 may be connected (e.g., stitched, glued, etc.) to the inner layer 120. A fabric is a textile or cloth made by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers. A woven fabric includes a network of natural or artificial fibers often referred to as thread or yarn. A nonwoven fabric is a fabric-like material made from fibers autogenously bonded together by a chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. For example, a felt, which is neither woven nor knitted, is a nonwoven fabric. Nonwoven materials typically lack strength unless densified or reinforced by a backing material. Leather is a durable and flexible material created by the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattle hide.
Referring to
In some implementations, the lateral expander 130a has a first end 132a attached to a lateral heel portion 104l of the upper 100 and a second end 134a attached to the heel cap 140. The medial expander 130b has a first end 132b attached to a medial heel portion 104m of the upper 100 and a second end 134b attached to the heel cap 140. Each expander independently moves between a relaxed state and a stretched state to accommodate receipt of the infant foot. In the example shown, the lateral and medial heel portions 104l, 104m of the upper 100 receive the second end portions 134a, 134b of the expanders 130a, 130b in corresponding lateral and medial pockets 115a, 115b defined between the outer and inner layers 110, 120 of the upper 100. The pockets 115a, 115b may completely or substantially completely receive and conceal the respective expanders 130a, 130b in their relaxed states. As a result, the heel cap 140 abuts or nearly abuts the remaining heel portion 104r when the expanders 130a, 130b are in their relaxed states, as shown in
In some implementations, a lower end portion 140a of the heel cap 140 connects to the sole 200 (e.g., by stitching and/or an adhesive), allowing the heel end to pivot about its lower end portion 140a. In other implementations, the lower end portion 140a of the heel cap 140 moves freely relative to the sole 200. Additionally or alternatively, lower and upper portions 140, 140b of the heel cap 140 may move freely relative to the remaining heel portion 104r of the upper 100.
Referring to
Referring to
In the examples shown, hook and loop fasteners 156 releasably secure the closure 150 to the upper 100; however, other types of fasteners for the closure 150 may include, but are not limited to, zippers, buttons, low profile hook and loop, and snaps.
The sole 200 may be made of a flexible, compliant layer of material that moves with the received foot, such as leather and/or a fabric. In some implementations, the sole 200 includes one or more fabric or leather layers to allow flexible, compliant motion of the infant foot and to promote proprioceptive feedback from ground contact forces received through the sole 200. The flexible, compliant material has a thickness between about 1 mm and about 3 mm.
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
