GB1578795A - Shoes - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOES (71) We, ANTONIO NOVA S.r.l., an Italian Limited Company of Legnano (Milan), 11, Via Brescia, Italy, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a shoe, which is intended particularly but not exclusively for sporting activities, and which has an upper, for example of textile material or natural or synthetic leather, and a multilayer sole of plastics materials, each layer differing in hardness and flexibility from the next adjacent layer, the said sole being produced by injection moulding.

In accordance with the known, conventional technique, the sole of a shoe intended mainly for sporting activities has a peripheral edging which extends upwardly to cover the lowermost part of the upper. At the toe end of the shoe the said edging is sometimes extended over the toe, with partial reinforcing to act as a toe protector.

At the heel end of the shoe, the sole is sometimes extended by an upwardly inclined portion which constitutes a rear reinforcement referred to as a heel backing.

Furthermore, it is known to make the sole in two parts, namely an inner sole integral with the peripheral edging and an outer sole providing a tread surface. The two parts are sometimes made of plastics materials of different colours. It has also been proposed that the inner sole and its peripheral edging should be made of harder or stiffer material than the outer sole.

In connection with shoes of the kind indicated above it has been found that the use, for the inner sole and its peripheral edging together with the toe protector when provided, of a plastics material which has the same flexibility as, or is harder than, the plastics material used for forming the tread part of the sole together with the heel backing when applicable, gives rise to certain disadvantages.

If in fact the edging is made of a relatively hard or stiff plastics material in order to comply with the requirements of resistance to the abrasion to which the tread part of the sole is subjected, the shoe will become excessively rigid and therefore not very serviceable for sporting activities.

If on the other hand, in order to comply with the flexibility requirements of the edging, the latter and the tread part of the sole are made of the same relatively soft material, the life of the shoe is too short because of the rapid wear of the tread part.

The use of one and the same kind of plastics material for both inner and outer soles, or of a harder material for the inner sole, consequently does not fulfil the requirements for this kind of shoe.

According to the present invention there is provided a shoe comprising an upper, an outer sole providing a tread surface and an inner sole joining the outer sole to the upper, the inner sole having a peripheral edging integral with it and extending up wardly to surround a marginal portion of the upper adjacent the inner sole, wherein the outer sole is made of a relatively hard abrasion-resistant plastics material, and the inner sole and its peripheral edging are made of a softer flexible plastics material to provide the desired flexibility of the shoe.

The outer sole may have a toe portion which extends upwardly to cover at least part of the peripheral edging of the inner sole. The outer sole may also have a rear heel portion sloping upwardly towards the upper to act as a heel backing.

The shoe may also have a toe protector portion which extends from the peripheral edging of the inner sole to partially cover the upper. The toe protector portion may, if desired, be of the same plastics material as the peripheral edging.

The material used for the inner sole. may be of a colour different from that of the material used to form the outer sole.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a shoe according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the shoe, viewed from the rear; Figure 3 is a side view of the shoe; Figure 4 is a partial section taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partial section taken on the line V-V in Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a partial section taken on the line VI-VI in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the upper 1 is of conventional kind.

The sole comprises an outer sole 2 and an inner sole 3a having a peripheral edging 3 which surrounds a marginal portion of the upper 1 adjacent the sole.

At the heel end of the shoe the outer sole 2 is extended upwards by a heel portion 2a, which serves as a heel backing.

At the toe end, the outer sole 2 is extended upwards, with a consequent reduction of the visible portion of the peripheral edging 3, by a toe portion 2b which at least partially covers the edging 3.

The upper 1 is connected to the outer sole 2 by the inner sole 3a to which the ends la and lb of the upper are secured (Figures 4 to 6).

Likewise at the toe end of the shoe the peripheral edging 3 is provided with an auxiliary portion 3b which partly covers the upper and serves as a toe protector.

The outer sole 2, together with its extension. 2a which forms the heel backing and the portion 2b which forms a partial covering for the toe portion of the peripheral edging 3, is made by injection moulding in a suitable conventional mould, and is made of a plastics material having sufficient resistance to abrasion and therefore sufficiently hard to give the shoe a good life.

The inner sole with the peripheral edging 3 and the auxiliary portion 3b forming the toe protector is on the other hand made of a sufficiently soft plastics material, also by injection moulding, so as to provide the necessary flexibility of the shoe and therefore to ensure good efficiency for the sporting activities for which it is particularly intended.

The material used to form the outer sole, together with the heel backing, when provided, may have a colour different from that of the material used to form the peripheral edging and toe protector, when provided.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A shoe comprising an upper, an outer sole providing a tread surface and an inner sole joining the outer sole to the upper, the inner sole having a peripheral edging integral with it and extending upwardly to surround a marginal portion of the upper adjacent the inner sole, wherein the outer sole is made of a relatively hard abrasionresistant plastics material, and the inner sole and its peripheral edging are made of a softer flexible plastics material to provide the desired flexibility of the shoe.

2. A shoe according to Claim 1, wherein the outer sole has a toe portion which extends upwardly to cover at least a part of the peripheral edging of the inner sole.

3. A shoe according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the outer sole has a rear heel portion sloping upwardly towards the upper to act as a heel backing.

4. A shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a toe protector portion extends from the peripheral edging of the inner sole to partially cover the upper.

5. A shoe according to Claim 4, wherein the toe protector portion is made of the same plastics material as the peripheral edging.

6. A shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner sole material is of a colour different from that of the outer sole material.

7. A shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. portion which extends from the peripheral edging of the inner sole to partially cover the upper. The toe protector portion may, if desired, be of the same plastics material as the peripheral edging. The material used for the inner sole. may be of a colour different from that of the material used to form the outer sole. The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a shoe according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the shoe, viewed from the rear; Figure 3 is a side view of the shoe; Figure 4 is a partial section taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a partial section taken on the line V-V in Figure 3; and Figure 6 is a partial section taken on the line VI-VI in Figure 3. Referring to the drawings, the upper 1 is of conventional kind. The sole comprises an outer sole 2 and an inner sole 3a having a peripheral edging 3 which surrounds a marginal portion of the upper 1 adjacent the sole. At the heel end of the shoe the outer sole 2 is extended upwards by a heel portion 2a, which serves as a heel backing. At the toe end, the outer sole 2 is extended upwards, with a consequent reduction of the visible portion of the peripheral edging 3, by a toe portion 2b which at least partially covers the edging 3. The upper 1 is connected to the outer sole 2 by the inner sole 3a to which the ends la and lb of the upper are secured (Figures 4 to 6). Likewise at the toe end of the shoe the peripheral edging 3 is provided with an auxiliary portion 3b which partly covers the upper and serves as a toe protector. The outer sole 2, together with its extension. 2a which forms the heel backing and the portion 2b which forms a partial covering for the toe portion of the peripheral edging 3, is made by injection moulding in a suitable conventional mould, and is made of a plastics material having sufficient resistance to abrasion and therefore sufficiently hard to give the shoe a good life. The inner sole with the peripheral edging 3 and the auxiliary portion 3b forming the toe protector is on the other hand made of a sufficiently soft plastics material, also by injection moulding, so as to provide the necessary flexibility of the shoe and therefore to ensure good efficiency for the sporting activities for which it is particularly intended. The material used to form the outer sole, together with the heel backing, when provided, may have a colour different from that of the material used to form the peripheral edging and toe protector, when provided. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A shoe comprising an upper, an outer sole providing a tread surface and an inner sole joining the outer sole to the upper, the inner sole having a peripheral edging integral with it and extending upwardly to surround a marginal portion of the upper adjacent the inner sole, wherein the outer sole is made of a relatively hard abrasionresistant plastics material, and the inner sole and its peripheral edging are made of a softer flexible plastics material to provide the desired flexibility of the shoe.

2. A shoe according to Claim 1, wherein the outer sole has a toe portion which extends upwardly to cover at least a part of the peripheral edging of the inner sole.

3. A shoe according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the outer sole has a rear heel portion sloping upwardly towards the upper to act as a heel backing.

4. A shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a toe protector portion extends from the peripheral edging of the inner sole to partially cover the upper.

5. A shoe according to Claim 4, wherein the toe protector portion is made of the same plastics material as the peripheral edging.

6. A shoe according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner sole material is of a colour different from that of the outer sole material.

7. A shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.