CN1678211A - Waterproofed and ventilated item of footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

An item of footwear is described which comprises in combination: an outsole (11) having in its forepart at least a vent opening (12) which is made through the thickness of said outsole (11), a grating-like element (13) which is set into said vent opening (12) and acts as a screen by separating and protecting the inside of the footwear from the ground which comes into contact with said outsole (11), a pliable sheet insert (15) made from a breathable and waterproofed material which is embedded into the outsole (11) and is positioned inside the outsole (11) so as to overlie said vent opening (12), an insole (16) made of a breathable and waterproofed material, and an upper (17) made of a breathable and waterproofed material.

Description

A breathable and waterproof shoe

technical field

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of shoes, and in particular to a kind of shoes, which are characterized by the following important improvements: the outsole of the shoes can be made to allow the discharged foot sweat and moisture to pass through the shoes specially designed for this purpose, and at the same time Maintain effective water resistance.

Background technique

Several shoes are known in the prior art which comprise an outsole made of a sole material such as rubber, or compounds mixed with rubber, or also polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride. These sole materials used to make outsoles provide protection, traction, durability, water resistance, and also play important roles in flexibility, stability, and shock absorption.

However, an obvious disadvantage of outsoles made from these materials is the inability to penetrate the moisture formed by perspiration from the soles of the feet. Since sweaty moisture can barely leave the outsole of the shoe, it combines with the dark and warm environment inside the shoe to create a fertile breeding ground for the growth of the fungi and bacteria that normally live on our skin. The decay of the outer layer of skin caused by fungi and bacteria produces isovaleric acid with the typical foul odor of feet. Also, if moisture from foot sweat is not adequately removed from the shoe, the skin of the foot can soak and slight friction in the shoe can produce painful blisters on the skin of the foot.

In order to overcome this drawback and keep the environment in the shoe as dry and healthy as possible, various methods have been tried so that the moisture from the sweat from the foot can pass not only through the upper, but also through the outsole of the shoe, thereby evacuating the Moisture and cools the inside of the shoe.

Document EP 0121645B1 relates to a shoe designed to solve this technical problem. In particular, the shoe described in this document comprises a rubber outsole distributed with holes covered by small leather inserts arranged on the side facing the upper. The leather linings are glued and/or fixed in the holes with a suitable adhesive. The shoe also has an insole made of cork.

According to EP 0121645B1, the purpose of distributing some through holes in the outsole of the shoe is to allow moisture to escape through the outsole. However, the shoe disclosed in EP 0121645B1 also has some disadvantages, especially in its manufacturing process and ensuring durable breathability and waterproofness.

With respect to the method of making such shoes, the method comprises at least a first step for making a perforated outsole, a second step for gluing a leather lining into the hole through the outsole, and a second step for gluing the The third step where the insole and upper are attached to the top of the outsole. The efficiency of this manufacturing method is rather low, and the quality of the shoes thus produced does not meet the high standards required for shoes in the present situation.

With regard to the water resistance of such shoes, it has been found that, during normal use of the shoe, those leather linings glued into the holes in the outsole of the shoe will separate from the outsole after repeated flexing of the outsole. Therefore, in rainy weather conditions, water from the external environment can seep into the shoe through the holes, so that it is very uncomfortable. Also, said leather lining (which is inherently hydrophilic and absorbs and transports liquid water for a short period of time) cannot provide a certain level of water resistance, especially when the outsole of the shoe comes into contact with wet or muddy ground hour.

With regard to the breathability of such shoes known in the prior art, a major drawback is that the pores formed in the outsole eventually become clogged with dirt and mud, so that they can no longer wick away the moisture of the foot. This drawback can be evident especially when the shoe is used for leisure and/or sports, where it often happens that the outsole comes into contact with a dirty or muddy ground.

Contents of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoe for leisure and/or sports which has improved breathability and water resistance.

This object is achieved by a shoe comprising a combination of the following parts:

- an outsole having at its front at least one ventilation opening through the thickness of the outsole;

- a grid-like part, which is housed in said ventilation openings and isolates the interior of said shoe from the ground in contact with the outsole, thereby protecting the interior of the shoe and acting as a shield;

- a flexible lining made of waterproof and breathable material positioned inside and embedded in said outsole to cover said vents;

- Insole, which is made of waterproof and breathable material;

-The upper, which is made of waterproof and breathable material.

Description of drawings

Features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of selected embodiments of the invention by way of example, and from the description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the outsole of a shoe of the present invention having a landing pattern.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shoe of the present invention along line A-A of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the shoe of the present invention along line B-B of Fig. 1 .

Detailed ways

Referring to Figures 1-3, there is shown a shoe, generally indicated at 10, of the present invention. The shoe, known per se, has an outsole 11 manufactured by injection molding from a suitable sole material such as rubber, or a compound mixed with rubber, or also polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride .

The front part of the outsole 11 has at least one large ventilation opening 12 which passes through the thickness of the outsole 11 . Each air vent 12 is provided with a grid-like component 13, which protects the inside of the shoe by isolating the inside of the shoe from the ground contacting the tread of the outer sole 11, and plays a role of shielding. The grid-like member 13 is formed by juxtaposing straight or curved, parallel or grid-like strips 14 which are preferably integral with the outsole 11 and are formed together with it by injection moulding. manufacture. Alternatively, the strips 14 of the grid-shaped part 13 are integrated with and fixed in a lining (not shown) suitable for being embedded in the vent 12 .

The length and width of the air vent 12 provided in the outer bottom 11 are selected so that any dirt or muddy ground material that can contact the outer bottom 11 and thus enter the air vent 12 can easily pass through the natural bending movement of the outer bottom 11 ( When people are walking or running) are removed from the air vent 12. Therefore, the possibility of the air vent 12 being blocked by ground material is minimized.

There is a flexible liner 15 in the outsole 11, and it is made of suitable breathable and waterproof material, is embedded in the outsole 11. The thickness of the liner 15 is preferably 2-3mm. In order to ensure the air permeability of the shoes, the lining 15 is installed inside the outsole 11 and covers the vent 12, as shown in Fig. 2-3. The lining 15 is protected from wear and damage by the grid-shaped part 13 .

As mentioned above, the material of the lining 15 is selected from the waterproof and breathable materials available in shoe manufacturing technology. Preferably, the material used for the lining 15 is waterproof leather, ie leather that has been treated to increase its resistance to water.

Waterproofing of leather is known in the art by coating the leather with a protective hydrophobic compound (ie, a water repellent compound) formulated to have no effect on the natural breathability of the leather. This protective coating is applied to the leather during the tanning process in the tannery and the resulting leather is resistant to the absorption and transport of liquid water. Furthermore, the treated leather has greater strength and durability than other known synthetic waterproof-breathable materials suitable for shoe manufacture. The advantage of using leather is also that, because it is a natural material, it is more effective at perspiration moisture from the feet than other known synthetic materials.

The flexible lining 15 is securely fixed in the outsole 11 during injection molding manufacture. Using this method, the outsole 11 and the lining 15 embedded therein are produced in only one step, and a further step of gluing the lining 15 in the outsole 11 is not required. Thus, the described method of manufacturing a shoe is less energy-intensive and cost-effective than that required for the manufacture of other known such shoes. Furthermore, a higher quality shoe can be produced since the lining 15 is sealed along its border with the outsole 11 , thereby ensuring a durable watertight closure along the border of the ventilation openings 12 .

This shoe of the present invention also has an insole 16, on which the upper 17 is connected by sewing seams (for example, with the Strobel work method), and then the insole 16 together with the upper 17 is used as known in the field of shoemaking. The method is connected on the outsole 11.

Preferably, the inner bottom 16 is made of waterproof and breathable leather, leather cardboard or fiberboard, which is flexible and can absorb sweat and moisture from feet. Other suitable materials for the insole 16 are ethylene vinyl acetate, polyester, thermoplastics, graphite and foamed polymers which provide shock absorption and support in addition to moisture control. In fact, as shown in FIGS. 2-3 , said insole 16 has in its front part through holes 18 which contribute to the moisture vapor permeability of the insole. The thickness of the inner sole 16 is usually 1.8-2.0 mm.

Said insole 16 may suitably be covered by a layer of inner lining 19 for concealing possible protruding seams. Preferably, the lining 19 is formed from layers of different materials joined together by sewn seams. Said lining 19 comprises at least one top layer made of leather combined with a bottom layer made of ethylene vinyl acetate. The liner 19 also has a heel cushion 20 at its rear, which can be integrated with the bottom layer and protrudes through an opening in the top layer to contact the heel portion of the foot. Alternatively, the heel cushion 20 may be a separate cushion attached to the top layer of the liner 19 and filled with a gel-like filler. The inner liner 19 also has through holes 21 at its front which contribute to the moisture vapor permeability of the inner liner.

The upper 17 of this shoe 10 is made of a waterproof breathable material (for example, waterproof leather, or a combination of the following materials: waterproof leather, foam polymer and nylon, or polyester mesh material, which are joined together in laminated form) Made to ensure the breathability and waterproofness of the upper.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the shoe of the present invention eliminates the drawbacks of other similar shoes known in the prior art. In fact, the shoe of the present invention can be manufactured with a more efficient manufacturing method (requiring fewer steps). In addition, the shoe of the present invention optimizes the breathability of the shoe interior by using high performance waterproof breathable leather and synthetic materials combined with a novel outsole structure to keep the environment around the foot cool, dry and healthy.

Claims (12)

1. A shoe (10) comprising a combination of the following components: - an outsole (11) having at its front at least one ventilation opening (12) through the thickness of said outsole (11); - a grid-like part (13), housed in said ventilation openings (12), which protects the interior of the shoe by isolating it from the ground contacting the outer sole (11), acting as a shield effect; - a flexible lining (15) made of waterproof and breathable material, located inside said outsole (11) and embedded in said outsole (11) to cover said air vents (12); - Insole (16), which is made of waterproof and breathable material; - The upper (17), which is made of waterproof and breathable material. 2. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said grid-like part (13) is formed by juxtaposed straight or curved, parallel or grid-like strips (14), said strips (14) Integral to and manufactured with said outsole (11). 3. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said grid-like part (13) is formed by juxtaposed straight or curved, parallel or grid-like strips (14), said strips (14) Integral with the lining of the air vent (12) to be embedded in said outsole (11) and fixed therein. 4. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the lining (15) is waterproof leather. 5. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that the material of the inner bottom (16) is waterproof leather, leather cardboard or fiberboard. 6. A kind of shoe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, said insole (16) has some through holes (18) in its front part, and these through holes contribute to the moisture permeability of said insole Transsexual. 7. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said insole (16) is covered by an inner lining (19). 8. A shoe according to claim 7, characterized in that said inner lining (19) is formed of different material layers joined together by sewing seams. 9. A shoe according to claim 8, characterized in that said inner lining (19) comprises at least a top layer made of leather and a bottom layer made of ethylene vinyl acetate. 10. A shoe according to claim 8, characterized in that said inner liner (19) has a heel cushion (20) at its rear. 11. A shoe according to claim 8, characterized in that said inner liner (19) has some through holes (21) in its front part, these through holes contribute to the moisture permeability of said inner liner Transsexual. 12. A shoe according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper (17) is made of waterproof leather, or it is laminated with synthetic materials, such as foamed polymers and nylon or polyester mesh made by linking together.

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