Patent Application
20100126039
The invention relates to a shoe having an improved shoe construction, resulting in reduced manufacturing costs, durability, and an attractive appearance.
A variety of different sole constructions are used by the footwear industry. For the most part, each sole construction has characteristics that make it particularly well-suited for specific applications. For example, some sole constructions are selected for their durability, others for their flexibility and comfort, while still others are selected for their aesthetic appeal.
One well-known type of shoe construction is referred to as a welt construction, which is typically a strip of material such as leather or hard rubber used to secure the sole and the upper together. Welt constructions generally provide durability and aesthetic appeal.
Welt construction typically involves a number of manufacturing operations or steps. Normally, the upper is wrapped around a last and secured to the insole by stapling, stitching, or other fastening mechanism. This step typically provides the upper with a desired shape and is commonly referred to as lasting. Once lasted, the welt is usually secured to the upper and insole by stitches or staples that extend through downwardly extending rib 19, the bottom periphery of the upper 12, and the insole rib 26. The midsole may be secured to the bottom of the upper/insole assembly. Typically, the midsole is attached to the upper/insole assembly by stitching that extends through the base portion 16 of the welt 10 and the midsole 22. Although this construction is believed to be durable and aesthetically appealing, it is generally a heavy construction and typically does not provide flexibility relative to other shoe constructions. Moreover, due to the number of manufacturing operations specified above, the cost of providing a welt construction shoe may be higher than other shoe constructions.
Cementing components of a shoe, such as the upper to the midsole or outsole, also often involves a number of manufacturing operations. Typically, there is a surface preparation step where the surfaces to be cemented, or glued, are clean of debris and readied, which may also include roughening. Further, there may be an application step where the cement is applied to the surfaces. This step may also involve measuring and evenly distributing the glue over the surface.
Further, there may be a pressing step where the surfaces are pressed together. Pressing is believed to reduce air that may be trapped between the surfaces and enhances adhesion. Pressing may also include aligning the surfaces so that the peripheries of the components are flush with one another. Once the components are pressed together, cementing often requires a waiting period for the cement to cure, or dry. Generally, not only does cementing involve some or all of the above mentioned manufacturing operations, it also involves time, particularly the curing time.
It is believed that the number of steps and time involved, especially if user intervention is required, negatively affects cost and efficiency. The cementing process may be further complicated if the surfaces to be glued are uneven or difficult to reach.
It is also well-known to construct shoes using an Opanka construction. In an Opanka construction, the outsole of the shoe is sewed to the upper of the shoe along an outer periphery of the outsole. The Opanka construction is described in currently pending U.S. Application Publication No. 2007/0062064.
In the example shown in
When constructing certain types of shoes, it is often desirable to vary the stitching pattern or the way in which the upper and outsole are joined between the front of the shoe and the back of the shoe. For example, in shoes that are intended for hiking or heavier outdoor use, it is often desirable to protect the stitching in the toe area from abrasion and wear. At the same time, it may be desirable to utilize an Opanka stitch wherein both an upper row and a lower row of the stitching are readily accessible on the outside of the shoe. Alternatively, it may be desirable for the upper to be folded inwards as it is joined to the outsole in the toe region and outwards as it joins the outsole in the heel region. Such variation between the toe of the shoe and the heel of the shoe may be desirable for various reasons, including, simplicity of design, simplicity of manufacturing, aesthetic appeal, and the like.
Previously, accomplishing such variation in a shoe caused a substantial increase in the cost of manufacturing such a shoe. This increase in cost was often due to the need to utilize two or more stitching techniques to accomplish the variation in shoe construction from the front of the shoe to the back of the shoe. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,638 to Linnemann appears to disclose a shoe construction in which the upper is folded inwards in the heel area and folded outwards in throughout the rest of the shoe. However, the upper is secured by a different stitch in each of the two different areas of the shoe: a backstitch is used in the heel and a pricking stitch is used around the rest of the shoe.
What is needed, therefore, is a shoe that may be constructed in a more efficient manner, by reducing manufacturing costs and involving fewer manufacturing operations, but that permits variation in the shoe construction in different portions of the shoe where the upper meets the outsole.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe that has a varying construction in different portions of the shoe.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe having a construction that varies in different portions of the shoe that is constructed in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shoe construction wherein the stitching used to secure the upper to the outsole is protected from wear and abrasion in areas that are particularly susceptible to wear and abrasion, such as the toe area.
These and other objects are accomplished according to the present invention by provision of a shoe comprising: an outsole having a lip extending around a periphery of the outsole; an upper having an inside and an outside for securing to the outsole adjacent to the lip; wherein the outside is facing and is secured to the outsole by a stitch in a first portion of the periphery; and wherein the inside is facing and is secured to the outsole by the stitch in a second portion of the periphery.
In some embodiments, the outsole includes a first hole, a second hole, a third hole, and a fourth hole; the upper includes a right hole and a right center hole aligned with the first and second holes and a left center hole and a left hole aligned with the third and fourth holes; and a first thread extending from the first hole, through the right hole, through the right center hole, through the second hole, and through the third hole; and a second thread extending from the right hole, through the first hole, through the second hole, through the left center hole, and through the third hole.
In some embodiments, the shoe comprises a socklining beneath the outside and the inside but above the outsole. In some embodiments, the outsole of the shoe includes a side surface, a top surface, and a lip surface; the outside is facing and is secured to the lip surface; and the inside is facing and is secured to the top surface. In some embodiments, the first hole and the second hole extend from the top surface to the side surface; and the third hole and the fourth hole extend from the lip surface to the side surface.
In some embodiments, the inside is facing and is secured to the top surface in a rear part of the shoe and the outside is facing and is secured to the lip surface in a front part of the shoe. In some embodiments, the stitch comprises an upper row of stitching on the upper and a lower row of stitching on the side surface of the outsole; the lower row of stitching is visible on the side surface of the outsole in the first and second portions of the periphery; and the upper row of stitching is visible on the outside of the upper in the second portion of the periphery and the upper row of stitching is not visible in the first portion of the periphery.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, a shoe is provided, comprising: an outsole that includes a lip extending around a periphery of the outsole and an upper including a right hole, a right center hole, a left center hole, and a left hole. The outsole includes a side surface, a top surface, and a lip surface and a first hole and a second hole extending from the top surface to the side surface and a third hole and a fourth hole extending from the lip surface to the side surface. A first thread extends from the first hole, through the right hole, through the right center hole, through the second hole, and through the third hole. A second thread extends from the right hole, through the first hole, through the second hole, through the left center hole, and through the third hole.
In some embodiments, the upper has an inside and an outside; the inside is facing and secured to the top surface by the first thread; and the outside is facing and secured to the lip surface by the second thread. In some embodiments, the shoe further includes a channel in the side surface extending around the periphery of the outsole.
According to a third embodiment of the present invention, a method for constructing a shoe is provided, comprising the steps of: providing an outsole comprising a lip that extends around a periphery of the outsole; creating a first hole and a second hole in a first portion of the periphery; creating a third hole and a fourth hole in a second portion of the periphery; providing an upper with a left hole, a left center hole, a right center hole, and a right hole, the upper having an inside and an outside; and securing the upper to the outsole by a stitch. The securing step comprises extending a first thread from the first hole, through the right hole, through the right center hole, through the second hole, and through the third hole; and extending a second thread from the right hole, through the first hole, through the second hole, through the left center hole, and through the third hole.
In some embodiments, the securing step further comprises: securing the inside against the outsole; and securing the outside against the outsole. In some embodiments, the step of providing an outsole further comprises forming a side surface, a top surface, and a lip surface around the periphery of the outsole. In some embodiments, the step of creating a first hole and a second hole further comprises extending the first hole and the second hole from the top surface to the side surface; and the step of creating a third hole and a fourth hole further comprises extending the third hole and the fourth hole from the lip surface to the side surface.
In some embodiments, the upper has an inside and an outside, and the securing step further comprises: securing the inside against the top surface of the outsole; and securing the outside against the lip surface of the outsole.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a simple, cost-effective construction of a shoe that allows variation in the manner in which the upper is secured to the outsole, so that the stitching can be protected from wear and abrasion in the areas of the shoe most susceptible to wear and abrasion.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
The outsole 101 is provided with a channel 105 on its side surface 106. The lower row 104b of the stitch 104 is disposed within the channel 105 to protect the thread from abrasion and wear. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
Some of the holes that line the peripheries of the outsole 101 are shown. First hole 121 and second hole 122 extend from the top surface 129 through to the side surface 106 of the outsole 101. Third hole 123 and fourth hole 124 extend from the lip surface 130 through to the side surface 106 of the outsole 101. All of these holes open into the channel 105 on the side surface 106.
The upper 102 has holes that correspond to and align with the first, second, third, and fourth holes 121-124 in the outsole 101. Upper 102 has right hole 125, right center hole 126, left center hole 127, and left hole 128. Through these holes a first thread 131 and a second thread 132 are stitched to secure the upper 102 to the outsole 101. The first thread 131 is extended through first hole 121, through right hole 125, through right center hole 126, through second hole 122, through third hole 123, through left center hole 127, through left hole 128, and then through fourth hole 124. The second thread 132 is extended through right hole 125, through first hole 121, through second hole 122, through left center hole 127, through third hole 123, through fourth hole 124, and then through left hole 128. Of course, one of skill in the art will recognize that this pattern of stitching is used around the entire periphery of the shoe. The loops of stitching that form the upper and lower rows of stitching 104a and 104b that are visible are loops of the first thread 131 alternating with loops of the second thread 132. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the first thread 131 and the second thread 132 are merely different portions of a single thread. In other embodiments, more than two threads are used to comprise the stitch 104 around the periphery of the shoe 100.
The exception to this pattern, as shown in
The stitching pattern shown in
One of ordinary skill in art will appreciate that the exact features of the outsole 101 depicted in the FIGs. are not a necessary part of the present invention and that alternative shapes in the region of the lip 120 are employed in other embodiments. For example, the top surface 129 may be present around the entire periphery of the outsole 101, including both the first portion 110 and the second portion 111. The top surface 129 may also be disposed at an angle different than that shown in
In
Thus, the present invention provides a simple, cost-effective shoe construction and method for constructing shoes that allows for variability in the appearance from one portion of the shoe to another. Although the invention has been described with reference to embodiments with certain constructions, structures, ingredients and formulations and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.
