GB2151905A

GB2151905A - Footwear

Info

Publication number: GB2151905A
Application number: GB08334041A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Roy Cooper
Original assignee: P R Cooper
Current assignee: P R Cooper
Priority date: 1983-12-21
Filing date: 1983-12-21
Publication date: 1985-07-31
Also published as: GB8334041D0

Abstract

An article of footwear comprises a sole 2 and a heel supporting member 12, with an upper 10 comprising a sleeve of flexible material having a first-end portion secured at margins thereof to marginal portions of the sole 2, a second end portion of the sleeve being open to receive the wearer's foot, and a fastening means adapted in use to gather or pleat material of the upper against the front of the wearer's foot in the region of the instep and heel end thereof without imposing any predetermined shape on the upper in the region of the toe end portion of the foot. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Footwear The invention is concerned with articles of footwear, particularly casual or easy-fitting footwear.

The invention provides an article of footwear comprising a sole member and a heel supporting member, wherein there is provided an upper member comprising a sleeve of flexible upper material having a first-end portion secured at margins thereof to marginal portions of the sole member, a second end portion of the sleeve being open to receive the wearer's foot, and a fastening means adapted in use to gather or pleat material of the upper against the front of the wearer's foot in the region of the instep and heel end thereof without imposing any predetermined shape on the upper in the region of the toe end portion of the foot.

It will thus be appreciated that the upper will conform to the shape of the toe end portion of the foot and will flex sufficiently to follow the changes in shape of the foot due to movement of the wearer's toes. Thus the risks of pressure points occurring at the toe end of the article of footwear during wear are obviated.

Advantageously, the fastening means is a strap or similar band member which co-operates with the sole member and/ or the upper to encircle the wearer's foot in use. The strap may be two-part, each part mounted adjacent the sole member, at the featherline thereof at opposite sides in the waist region, or the upper may be reinforced by a forward extension of the heel support member to include the instep or such region of the foot. In the latter case the fastening means may extend only over the front of the wearer's foot, if desired.

It will be apparent that an article of footwear according to the invention will be particularly comfortable for wear by persons having foot abnormalities which make it impractical to wear conventional shoes or boots. However, the use of these articles of footwear is by no means restricted to this class of wear.

In examples to be described below, there is also provided means to gather or pleat the upper about the wearer's leg or ankle in the region of the second end portion of the sleeve. The sleeve may be of constant width or may taper inwardly slightly towards the second end portion.

There will now be described three examples of footwear according to the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is to be read with reference to the drawings, is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a first example of an article of footwear before wear; Figure 2 shows the article of Figure 1 in wear; Figure 3 shows a second example of an article of footwear as in wear; and Figure 4 shows a third example thereof.

The article of footwear shown in Figure 1 comprises a sole member 2 comprising forepart,instep and heel end portions 4, 6, 8, respectively. Margins of an upper 10, formed by a sleeve of soft flexible leather, are secured to marginal portions of the sole member in a suitable conventional manner, in the present example by adhesive, with the insertion of an insock (not shown). The upper 10 and sole member 2 when assembled resemble a bag into which the foot is placed.

Also provided in the present example is a heel supporting member 12 comprising a conventional counter of shaped stiff material, arranged to grip the heel of the wearer.

To fasten the footwear upon the foot, it is necessary to gather or pleat the material of the upper about the instep of the foot, that is, in the region of the line A-A shown in chain dot. The effect of this is shown in Figure 2, where the upper 10 may be seen to conform loosely to the contours of a foot.

For convenience, the second end portion 14 of the sleeve 10 through which the wearer's foot is inserted is also gathered, by a drawstring 16 in the present example, so as to fit snugly about the wearer's leg 18.

It will be observed that, in wear, the article gives firm support to the foot in the region of the heel and instep, but in the region of the toes, there is freedom of movement and no occurrence of pressure points in the region of foot abnormalities.

Figure 3 shows a second example in which the gathering of the upper 10 along the line A-A is secured by a two-part strap 20 fastened by a contact fastener device such as Velcro (R.T.M.) material.

The upper is provided with a reinforcement portion 22 at the extreme toe end, but this is merely a protection against scuffing and is not intended to function as a toe-puff. The gathering of the upper by a drawstring 16' is enhanced by the provision of vertical leather reinforcement strips 24, which minimise any tendency for the upper to slip downwardly on the leg due to the suppleness of the leather.

Figure 4 shows a third example, in which the heel supporting member 12' is extended in length at 26, forwardly of the article of footwear, so as to include the arch region of the foot adjacent the instep portion 6 of thd sole member 2. For added support, the sole member itself may be contoured or otherwise reinforced to give an arch support (indicated at 28 in dotted line) thus enhancing the firm yet comfortable grip about the foot which does not in anyway restrict the toe region. The present example illustrates the fastening means as a two-part buckled strap 30 secured to the upper at an end region of the heel supporting member extension 26.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

1. An article of footwear comprising a sole member and a heel supporting member, wherein there is provided an upper member comprising a sleeve of flexible upper material having a first-end portion secured at margins thereof to marginal portions of the sole member, a second end portion

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Footwear The invention is concerned with articles of footwear, particularly casual or easy-fitting footwear. The invention provides an article of footwear comprising a sole member and a heel supporting member, wherein there is provided an upper member comprising a sleeve of flexible upper material having a first-end portion secured at margins thereof to marginal portions of the sole member, a second end portion of the sleeve being open to receive the wearer's foot, and a fastening means adapted in use to gather or pleat material of the upper against the front of the wearer's foot in the region of the instep and heel end thereof without imposing any predetermined shape on the upper in the region of the toe end portion of the foot. It will thus be appreciated that the upper will conform to the shape of the toe end portion of the foot and will flex sufficiently to follow the changes in shape of the foot due to movement of the wearer's toes. Thus the risks of pressure points occurring at the toe end of the article of footwear during wear are obviated. Advantageously, the fastening means is a strap or similar band member which co-operates with the sole member and/ or the upper to encircle the wearer's foot in use. The strap may be two-part, each part mounted adjacent the sole member, at the featherline thereof at opposite sides in the waist region, or the upper may be reinforced by a forward extension of the heel support member to include the instep or such region of the foot. In the latter case the fastening means may extend only over the front of the wearer's foot, if desired. It will be apparent that an article of footwear according to the invention will be particularly comfortable for wear by persons having foot abnormalities which make it impractical to wear conventional shoes or boots. However, the use of these articles of footwear is by no means restricted to this class of wear. In examples to be described below, there is also provided means to gather or pleat the upper about the wearer's leg or ankle in the region of the second end portion of the sleeve. The sleeve may be of constant width or may taper inwardly slightly towards the second end portion. There will now be described three examples of footwear according to the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is to be read with reference to the drawings, is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a first example of an article of footwear before wear; Figure 2 shows the article of Figure 1 in wear; Figure 3 shows a second example of an article of footwear as in wear; and Figure 4 shows a third example thereof. The article of footwear shown in Figure 1 comprises a sole member 2 comprising forepart,instep and heel end portions 4, 6, 8, respectively. Margins of an upper 10, formed by a sleeve of soft flexible leather, are secured to marginal portions of the sole member in a suitable conventional manner, in the present example by adhesive, with the insertion of an insock (not shown). The upper 10 and sole member 2 when assembled resemble a bag into which the foot is placed. Also provided in the present example is a heel supporting member 12 comprising a conventional counter of shaped stiff material, arranged to grip the heel of the wearer. To fasten the footwear upon the foot, it is necessary to gather or pleat the material of the upper about the instep of the foot, that is, in the region of the line A-A shown in chain dot. The effect of this is shown in Figure 2, where the upper 10 may be seen to conform loosely to the contours of a foot. For convenience, the second end portion 14 of the sleeve 10 through which the wearer's foot is inserted is also gathered, by a drawstring 16 in the present example, so as to fit snugly about the wearer's leg 18. It will be observed that, in wear, the article gives firm support to the foot in the region of the heel and instep, but in the region of the toes, there is freedom of movement and no occurrence of pressure points in the region of foot abnormalities. Figure 3 shows a second example in which the gathering of the upper 10 along the line A-A is secured by a two-part strap 20 fastened by a contact fastener device such as Velcro (R.T.M.) material. The upper is provided with a reinforcement portion 22 at the extreme toe end, but this is merely a protection against scuffing and is not intended to function as a toe-puff. The gathering of the upper by a drawstring 16' is enhanced by the provision of vertical leather reinforcement strips 24, which minimise any tendency for the upper to slip downwardly on the leg due to the suppleness of the leather. Figure 4 shows a third example, in which the heel supporting member 12' is extended in length at 26, forwardly of the article of footwear, so as to include the arch region of the foot adjacent the instep portion 6 of thd sole member 2. For added support, the sole member itself may be contoured or otherwise reinforced to give an arch support (indicated at 28 in dotted line) thus enhancing the firm yet comfortable grip about the foot which does not in anyway restrict the toe region. The present example illustrates the fastening means as a two-part buckled strap 30 secured to the upper at an end region of the heel supporting member extension 26. Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. CLAIMS

1. An article of footwear comprising a sole member and a heel supporting member, wherein there is provided an upper member comprising a sleeve of flexible upper material having a first-end portion secured at margins thereof to marginal portions of the sole member, a second end portion of the sleeve being open to receive the wearer's foot, and a fastening means adapted in use to gather or pleat material of the upper against the front of the wearer's foot in the region of the instep and heel end thereof without imposing any predetermined shape on the upper in the region of the toe end portion of the foot.

2. Footwear as claimed in claim 1 in which the fastening means is a strap or similar band member which co-operates with the sole member and/or the upper to encircle the wearer's foot in use.

3. Footwear as claimed in claim 2 in which the fastening means comprises a two-part strap each part mounted adjacent the sole member, at the featherline thereof at opposite sides in the waist region.

4. Footwear as claimed in claim 2 in which the fastening means comprises a two part strap secured to a forward extension of the heel support member to include the instep or such region of the foot.

5. Footwear as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the sleeve is of constant width.

6. Footwear as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the sleeve tapers inwardly slightly towards the second end portion.

7. An article of footwear substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.