MATERNITY FOOTWEAR

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The subject application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application Serial No. CN202010088899.2, filed on Feb. 12, 2020 entitled “MATERNITY FOOTWEAR”, the content and teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the technical field of footwear, in particular to maternity footwear.

BACKGROUND

There are many physiological changes in the feet of pregnant women, with differences in foot circumference (swelling) between 10-25 mm during the day. The change of the foot shape of the pregnant woman may include changes in foot girth (e.g., fatness) and a change of foot length that varies with the posture (the sitting posture, the standing posture, and the walking posture). The average difference of the sitting posture and the standing posture is about 4-7 mm, and the average change of the standing posture and the walking posture is about 3-6 mm. Therefore, during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy, the demand for special shoes for pregnant women is significant.

First of all, flat shoes do not provide sufficient support force, and the weight of the pregnant woman mostly presses on the heels, which may cause heel injury if the support force is insufficient.

Furthermore, the months of pregnancy can be divided into an early stage (i.e., 0-6 months) and a late stage (i.e., 6-10 months). In the early stage, some pregnant women may think that the feet will become larger and swollen so that they cannot wear shoes easily and may end up selecting larger shoes to wear. However, it is extremely easy to fall and cause danger with shoes that are too large. The current solution is that the pregnant woman wears different shoes—early-stage shoes and late-stage shoes.

SUMMARY

In view of the above problems, an object of the present application is to provide maternity footwear, which can provide pregnant women with increased walking safety and comfort.

The shoe or maternity footwear according to the present application comprises a sole, and an upper portion connected to the sole and configured to wrap a foot in combination with the sole. The sole includes a midsole and an outsole. A space for accommodating the outsole is provided on the midsole on the side near the ground, and the shape of the outsole is consistent with the pressure region of the foot.

With the partitioning of the sole, the outsole is compatible with the pressure region (high impact areas) of the foot, the overall structure of the sole of the maternity footwear is strengthened, and increased walking safety and comfort can be achieved for pregnant women.

The sole can also be partitioned with different materials. For example, the outsole can be made of oil-resistant, lightweight skid-resistant rubber. By providing an oil-resistant and anti-slip area, which is consistent with the pressure region (high impact areas) of the foot, excellent stability and anti-slip grip are achieved.

In some embodiments, the sole and/or the upper portion further may comprise a pull portion.

In the present application, the pull portion is provided on the sole and/or the upper portion to facilitate easy-grab, thus integrally enhancing the convenience of putting on and taking off the maternity footwear. In some embodiments, the pull portion is a pull ring, and in one example, it is provided at the heel portion and/or the instep portion of the maternity footwear.

A toe box may be wider than usual considering the characteristics of high insteps, so that the space inside the shoe is integrally increased to cope with the swelling of feet of pregnant women, which can provide pregnant women with maximized comfort.

In some embodiments, the upper portion further comprises elastic lacing above the instep to provide support for the upper portion as well as to reserve space for changes in the girth of the feet.

In some embodiments, an insole made of EVA and/or an insole made of cork may also be included to provide support and cushioning for different stages of pregnancy.

Given different stages of pregnancy, the typical EVA insole can be used for cushioning in the early stage (0-6 months), and the cork insole can be used for extra support in the late stage (6-10 months). By using interchangeable insoles, different needs at different stages of pregnancy can be met, which will improve safety and walking stability.

In one example, the insole is an arch support insole. By using the arch support insole and arranging an arc-shaped contour for supporting at the arch of the foot, the support force of the maternity footwear is strengthened in general, and safety and the walking stability for pregnant women is improved.

In some embodiments, the sole has a plurality of protrusions, and grooves are formed correspondingly between the plurality of protrusions. Thereby, safe and secure grip can be achieved, and the walking stability of pregnant women can be improved.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an overall structure of a shoe or maternity footwear according to a first embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a tooling structure of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a tooling structure of maternity footwear according to a second embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a midsole of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application.

FIGS. 6-9 are cross-sectional views of A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D in the tooling of the maternity footwear according to the second embodiment of the present application shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

FIG. 10 shows an overall structural view of the maternity footwear according to the second embodiment of the present application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The application is further described below with reference to the drawings and the following embodiments. It should be appreciated that the particular implementations shown and described herein are representative of the application and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an overall structure of maternity footwear according to a first embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 shows a top view of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application.

As shown in FIG. 1, the maternity footwear 1 of this embodiment may comprise a sole (e.g., sole 2) and an upper portion connected to the sole 2 and configured to wrap a foot in combination with the sole. In some embodiments, the upper portion may include a heel portion (e.g., heel portion 3) extending upward from the sole (e.g., sole 2) and covering the heel, a knit upper (e.g., knit upper 4) configured to cover the upper surface and the sides of the foot, and an eyestay (e.g., eyestay 5) connecting the knit upper (e.g., knit upper 4) and the heel portion (e.g., heel portion 3).

In some embodiments, heel portion 3 may be made of microfiber leather via a hot-melt process. In some embodiments, this can increase the support, stability and overall texture of the upper portion of the maternity footwear. In some embodiments, one end of eyestay 5 may be connected to heel portion 3, and may extend from heel portion 3 towards the direction of the toe. In some embodiments, the other end of eyestay 5 may be connected to sole 2 to improve the support of the upper portion and provide sufficient lateral support and extra stability.

In some embodiments, the other end of eyestay 5 may connect with sole 2 at e.g., ⅕ to ⅓ of the total sole length from the front. In one example, the other end of eyestay 5 may be located at ⅕ of the total sole length from the front of sole 2. However, it will be appreciated that eyestay 5 may be connected with sole 2 at other locations within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, eyestay 5 may be made of microfiber leather via a hot-melt process. Therefore, the thickness of the upper portion may be reduced. Meanwhile, enough lateral support is provided without appearing bulky, and the aesthetic is improved.

In some embodiments, knit upper 4 may be a mesh structure, which may be lightweight, soft, breathable and comfortable. In some embodiments, knit upper 4 may not only fit a foot, but may also provide a margin for foot swelling and/or toe swelling, so as to adapt to a change of foot girth and provide a dynamic, stretchy fit (e.g., such as during pregnancy when foot and/or toe swelling is common). In some embodiments, knit upper 4 may be formed by weaving yarns, and the yarns may be nylon/terylene hot melt yarns, elastic yarns, bamboo charcoal fibers, cool yarns, AB yarns, high elastic yarns, and the like. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that knit upper 4 may be made from various materials within the scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, the above knit upper 4 may also be replaced by mesh fabric. In some embodiments, the mesh fabric may be a mesh structure that is lightweight and soft, breathable and comfortable, to enhance the aesthetics of the appearance. The mesh fabric may provide space for foot swelling and make the feet more comfortable (e.g., such as during pregnancy when foot and/or toe swelling is common).

In some embodiments, the maternity footwear 1 as shown in FIG. 1 may further include an elastic lacing 8 (see FIG. 2) provided above the foot surface. For example, a plurality of elastic lacings (e.g., elastic lacings 8) may be provided and fixed by a plurality of elastic lacing fixing portions (e.g., elastic lacing fixing portions 7) on the eyestays 5 on both sides, so that the eyestays 5 on both sides may be connected, and a space may be reserved within the upper portion for changes in foot girth (e.g., such as during pregnancy when foot swelling is common), and so that adequate support for the upper portion is provided to better cope with any swelling. In one example, maternity footwear 1 may include e.g., three elastic lacings (e.g., elastic lacings 8) disposed on the tongue. While an example of e.g., three elastic lacings has been provided, it will be appreciated that various numbers of elastic lacings may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the size of a toe box of maternity footwear 1 may be adjusted for various instep characteristics or requirements. For example, the maximum width of the toe box (e.g., the maximum distance from the innermost to the outermost part of the upper portion) may be about 70 mm, and the height of the instep (e.g. the distance from the highest point of the tongue to the tooling 2 in FIG. 1) may be up to 65 mm. However, it will be appreciated that the toe box width and/or height may be adjusted to any size within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the maternity footwear of the present application may further include a pull portion (e.g., pull portion 6) for easy-grab and easier on and off. For example, FIG. 1 shows a pull tab (e.g., pull ring) as pull portion 6. In some embodiments, a user (e.g., a pregnant woman) may easily put on maternity footwear by simply inserting their fingers into the pull tab (e.g., pull portion 6). In some embodiments, the pull tab may be woven, which is generally soft and configured not to hurt a user's hands. In the maternity footwear 1 of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the pull portion 6 may be located at both the tongue and the heel portion. Pull portion 6 may also be located on the front side of the instep or any of the preceding positions. In some embodiments, pull portion 6 located at heel portion 3 may be connected to sole 2 at one end, or may extend obliquely upward from the heel portion 3. In some embodiments, pull portion 6 may also be in the form of a strip or the like that can be easily pulled.

In some embodiments, the sole of maternity footwear according to the present application may include a plurality of protrusions, and corresponding grooves may be positioned between the plurality of protrusions, thereby enhancing overall grip of the maternity footwear. For example, FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a sole structure of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application. As will be discussed in greater detail below, FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a sole structure of maternity footwear according to a second embodiment of the present application.

As shown in the example of FIG. 3, the protrusions (e.g., plurality of protrusions 21) of maternity footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present application may enable the grooves (e.g., plurality of grooves 22) between the plurality of protrusions 21 to be formed into e.g., a plurality of rows of repeatedly arranged quadrangles. In the example embodiment of FIG. 3, grooves 22 may be diamond-shaped. In one example, the spacing between quadrangles may be 3.5 mm and the area of each quadrangle may be 80 mm². However, it will be appreciated that various spacings and groove areas may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, plurality of protrusions 21 may also be in the form of wavy strip-shaped protrusions, as shown in FIG. 4, and accordingly, plurality of grooves 22 may be formed between plurality of strip-shaped protrusions 21. As shown in the example of FIG. 4 and in some embodiments, the interval between the plurality of strip-shaped protrusions 21 may be 6.5 mm and the width of strip-shaped protrusions 21 may be 6 mm at the narrowest region and 12 mm at the widest region. However, it will be appreciated that various intervals and widths may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, strip-shaped protrusions 21 may widen gradually from the heel side towards the toe box side. Accordingly, the technical effect may be that such a configuration may provide support in accordance with the shape of human feet. In some embodiments, plurality of protrusions 21 may be fully transparent rubber, translucent rubber, or ordinary rubber instead, as long as it is aesthetically pleasing and has a certain antiskid performance.

In some embodiments, sole 2 of maternity footwear 1 according to the present application may include a midsole (e.g., midsole 23) and an outsole (e.g., outsole 24). In some embodiments, a space for accommodating outsole 24 may be provided on the lower side or ground side (i.e., the side near the ground) of midsole 23. In some embodiments, outsole 24 may cover the pressure region (i.e., high impact areas) of the feet (as shown by the thick solid lines in FIG. 3, similar to the shape of images generated by pedobarographic systems). In some embodiments, outsole 24 may be formed in a shape similar to a hippocampus, and substantially covers the total area including the toe area, the ball area, the outer arch area, and the heel area. In other words, what is referred to herein as a “pressure region” or “high impact areas” may generally refer to a region or regions surrounding the medial arch that approximate the shape of the hippocampus. In some embodiments, the shape of outsole 24 may be consistent with and/or correspond to the pressure region of the foot and provide support force. In some embodiments, the shape of outsole 24 may be consistent with and/or correspond to the pressure region of a foot of a pregnant woman. In this manner, the overall shape conforms to the human foot structure, which strengthens the structure of sole 2 of the maternity footwear, which can provide pregnant women with increased walking safety and comfort. In some embodiments, midsole 23 and outsole 24 may be adhesively attached, or connected in an inserted manner, or both, to enhance the firmness.

In some embodiments and in order to enhance the anti-slip grip, a rubber material may be used for outsole 24. The rubber material can provide effective non-slip and comfort. In some embodiments, the entire length of outsole 24 may be made of rubber. In some embodiments, the full-length rubber outsole may provide excellent stability and anti-slip grip. In some embodiments, outsole 24 may be made of rubber materials with good oil resistance and anti-slip properties, such as oil-resistant rubber: fluorocarbon rubber (FPM), flurosilicone (FVMQ), alkyl acrylate copolymer (ACM), ethylene acrylate copolymers (AEM), hydrogenated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR), nitrile rubber (NBR), CO, epichlorohydrin rubber (ECO), chlorosulphonated polyethylene rubber (CSM), chloroprene rubber (CR), etc., or common anti-slip rubber in the market. However, it will be appreciated that any material may be used for outsole 24 within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the height of outsole 24 may be between e.g., 4 mm to 7 mm. In one example, outsole 24 may have a height of 5 mm. However, it will be appreciated that outsole 24 may be of any height within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, a footbed (e.g., footbed 25) may be embedded on a foot side (e.g., side opposite the ground and towards the foot) of midsole 23. In some embodiments, footbed 25 may provide cushioning. FIG. 5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a midsole of the maternity footwear according to the first embodiment of the present application. The component illustrated with diagonal lines indicates the footbed 25. Example dimensions of sole 2 (e.g., midsole 23) are shown in FIG. 5. In one example, footbed 25 may be made of phylon. Although not shown and in some embodiments, footbed 25 may have a plurality of holes on a side close to the foot to create deformation space, which may improve vibration damping and cushioning effects, and may provide dynamic adaptation to accommodate foot swelling. In some embodiments, footbed 25 may substantially cover the total length of the midsole.

In the present application, the material of the midsole 23 may be selected from rubber, leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane material, and synthetic resin material. However, it will be appreciated that midsole 23 may be made of various materials within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring again to the example of FIG. 1, the rear half (the region near the heel) of the lower surface of sole 2 may be formed substantially horizontally, and the front half may be formed to be gently or slightly inclined upward. For example, the weight of a pregnant woman may be mostly pressed on the heel. Therefore, enough heel support force can be provided to avoid heel injury, and also the stability during walking can be improved, and accidental falling can be avoided.

Specifically, in the first embodiment, and referring again to the example of FIG. 5, the maximum height from the heel end of sole 2 (midsole 23) to the lower surface of sole 2 may be e.g., 37.4 mm, and the maximum height from the toe end of sole 2 to the lower surface of the sole 2 may be 47.2 mm. However, it will be appreciated that various heights may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring also to FIGS. 6-9, cross-sectional views of A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D in the sole of the maternity footwear according to the second embodiment of the present application shown in FIG. 4, respectively, may be shown. The component illustrated with diagonal lines may indicate the footbed 25. In this embodiment, the thickness of the footbed 25 may be 8 mm, and dot-like protrusions may be formed in the footbed on the foot side (e.g., the side close to the foot) as shown in FIG. 4 to increase the friction with the foot and provide an anti-slip function. While an example footbed thickness of 8 mm has been provided, it will be appreciated that any footbed thickness may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, a plurality of grooves may be correspondingly formed due to the gaps of the protrusions. That is, deformation spaces may be generated and vibration damping and cushioning effects may be improved.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 6-9, the heel height H1 (i.e., the maximum height from the heel portion of footbed 25 to the ground contact portion) may be about 40.0 mm. In some embodiments, forefoot thickness H2 (i.e., the minimum height from the forefoot portion of footbed 25 to the ground contact portion) may be 27.0 mm. The height H3 of protrusions 21 may be 4.0 mm. The height H4 of corresponding protrusions 21 in outsole 24 may be 2.0 mm. While various example heel heights, forefoot thicknesses, and protrusion heights have been provided, it will be appreciated that any height may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows an overall structural view of the maternity footwear according to the second embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 10, the maternity footwear according to this embodiment comprises a sole (e.g., sole 2) and an upper portion connected to sole 2 and configured to wrap a foot in combination with the sole.

In this embodiment and unlike the first embodiment, the upper portion may partially wrap the instep and both sides of the foot and the heel, but may expose the toes of a foot. That is, in this embodiment, the upper portion may exclude the part near the toe, thereby reserving a space on the front side for the foot to better cope with swelling of the foot (e.g., such as during pregnancy when foot and/or toe swelling is common). In addition, the entire upper portion in this embodiment may be integrally formed by knit upper 4 to improve the breathability. However, knit upper 4 may be replaced by terry cloth or can be provided with a terry cloth lining. In some embodiments, the heel portion of the upper portion may have a heel strap (e.g., heel strap 11), which may improve support on the heel. Heel strap 11 and pull portion 6 as described above may also be formed as one part, thereby providing a structure convenient to put on and take off maternity footwear 1 while improving heel support at the same time.

In some embodiments, the upper portion may extend from the rear end of sole 2 to a position on sole 2 at e.g., ⅕ to ⅓ of the total length of the sole from the front. However, it will be appreciated that the upper portion may extend from the rear end of sole 2 to any positon on sole 2 within the scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, besides being made of a rubber with good oil resistance and skid resistance, sole 2 may be made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and sole 2 may have the technical effects of being lightweight and shock absorption. Sole 2 of this embodiment may also be provided with a medial arch support (e.g., medial arch support 26) at the medial arch, which forms along the contour of the arch of the human foot to provide additional arch support (e.g., especially for pregnant women). However, it will be appreciated that sole 2 may be made of various materials within the scope of the present disclosure.

The present application may further include an insole. In some embodiments, the insole may follow the shape of the arch, and upturned support is provided at the arch, so that the insole can closely fit the arch of the foot and provide support. The application also provides a technical solution that the insoles can be interchangeable according to different stages of pregnancy (i.e., interchangeable insoles). Specifically, for different stages of pregnancy, the standard EVA insole may be used in the early stage (i.e., 0-6 months), and the cork insole may be used in the late stage (i.e., 6-10 months), so that increased walking safety and comfort can be provided for pregnant women for various stages of pregnancy. The reason is that the applicant found that the EVA material is soft, and the cushioning limit used on the insole is about 3 mm, which can provide effective cushioning. On the other hand, the cork material may be hard in texture, which is desirable for providing support. In some embodiments, the cushioning limit may be about 2 mm and capable of providing increased support while providing desirable cushioning.

In addition, according to one embodiment of the application, an Achilles tendon pad may be further provided at the heel lining, which may be a foam filler. The breathable knit upper and foam filler may integrally improve the comfort of the Achilles tendon of feet. Extra stability may be brought by the supportive, sturdy heel design. In some embodiments, a dynamic, stretchy fit is provided by a breathable knit upper and resilient foam, and a user's comfort level may be enhanced with full-length phylon foam cushioning.

The descriptions used above refer to maternity footwear and the advantages for pregnant women. However, the present invention is not limited to providing shoes for pregnant women, and would be applicable and advantageous to others who may have issue with swollen feet, especially people who have varied swelling that changes over time.

Those skilled in the art can understand various improvements or other embodiments of the present invention based on the foregoing description. The specification and figures are to be considered in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one and all modifications described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the invention claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the claims appended hereto or later amended or added, and their legal equivalents rather than by merely the examples described above.

MATERNITY FOOTWEAR

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