WO2007096914A1

WO2007096914A1 - Shoe with vamp of changeable appearance

Info

Publication number: WO2007096914A1
Application number: PCT/IT2006/000107
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Mark Sheridan
Original assignee: Fila Luxembourg S.A.R.L.
Priority date: 2006-02-27
Filing date: 2006-02-27
Publication date: 2007-08-30

Abstract

A shoe (1) comprises a sole (2) and a vamp (3), said vamp (3) comprising a plurality of removable parts (11) enabling the appearance of said vamp (3) and of the entire shoe (1) to be changed, the various separable portions (11) forming a single layer (6) of the vamp (3) itself and being associated with each other by breakable weakened lines.

Description

SHOE WITH VAMP OF CHANGEABLE APPEARANCE

The present invention relates to a shoe in accordance with the introduction to the main claim.

Shoes have been known for some time comprising a vamp provided with parts which can be removed from it or applied to it to change the shoe appearance. For example US2068946 discloses a shoe equipped with studs extending around the tip and the vamp of the shoe contiguous to the shoe welt. A cap (made of leather or other materials) comprises a toe portion and a vamp portion. The cap has sockets adapted to snap over the studs. Since the cap may have different colours, its change allows the appearance of the shoe to be changed.

Another US patent (No. 3119191) describes a footwear which is adaptable to match changes in costume. In the patent, it is disclosed that shoe covers are known in order to give a new look to the shoe and a particular solution is described according to which a shoe upper can be covered with many removable covers suitable for allowing the appearance of the shoe to be changed. The covers may be attached to the upper by means of a material which can be considered the same now known with the trademark of "VELCRO".

Hence, the known solutions comprise a shoe presenting a vamp on which cover elements are fixed by means for their connection to the vamp and separable from this latter to change the shoe appearance. However, these solutions present various drawbacks. For example, that shoe with studs to which connection elements rigid with each other are connected between the vamp and each cap have a bulky appearance, a considerable structural rigidity, are heavy and are difficult and costly to produce. The solutions in which each cover is associated with the vamp by Velcro (or similar coupling and securing members) also present a bulky appearance because of the mutual superposing of several parts (vamp, coupling members and cover). Moreover all the known solutions can become unusable by the deposition of dust, earth, etc. on the various parts of these coupling members, a very probable occurrence (and in particular for the Velcro parts) because of the position of said members on the shoe. Finally, these shoes can only be used if complete with the vamp covers, as the absence of these latter would expose the coupling members to view, which would negatively affect the appearance of the shoe.

An object of the present invention is to provide a shoe, the appearance of which can be even radically changed, and which represents an improvement on the corresponding known shoes.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a shoe, the vamp of which has a uniform conformation and small thickness, totally comparable with those of shoes with a vamp of unalterable conformation. Another object is to provide a shoe of the stated type which is very light in weight and can be easily compressed or squashed to reduce its dimensions without the vamp undergoing permanent damage.

A further object is to provide a shoe of the stated type the vamp of which, although being of changeable type or appearance, presents considerable mechanical strength, comparable to that of vamps of unalterable conformation or appearance.

These and other objects which will be apparent to the skilled person are attained by a shoe in accordance with the accompanying claims.

An object of the invention is also to provide a method for producing a shoe having a vamp of changeable appearance in accordance with the accompanying claims. The present invention also provides a method for changing the appearance of a shoe in accordance with the corresponding accompanying claims.

The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawing, which is provided by way of non-limiting example, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a shoe of the invention shown in a first utilization form;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shoe of Figure 1, but shown in a different utilization form;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the shoe of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a different shoe, shown in a first utilization form;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the shoe of Figure 4, but shown in a different utilization form;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 5; Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of two further embodiments of the invention; and

Figure 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Figure 8.

With reference to Figures from 1 to 4, these show a shoe 1 having a sole 2 and a vamp 3. Figure 3 also shows an innersole 4 superposed on the sole 2. According to the invention, the vamp 3 is of the changeable appearance type.

More particularly, in the embodiment of the figures under examination, the vamp comprises (see Figure 3) a first layer or outer layer 6 and a second layer or inner layer 7 joined together, for example by stitching 10 or other known joining means. The inner layer 7 is defined by a netlike structure (as visible in Figure 3) or a structure of known transparent material. The layer 7 can however also be formed of a continuous material such as leather or plastic.

The outer layer 6 comprises a plurality of portions 11 (in all cases, at least one portion 11) separable from a continuous body or matrix 12 of said layer 6. The portions 11 are connected to said body or matrix 12 by a weakened line or by perforations 14 (as in Figures 1-4). Each portion 11 advantageously presents a tab or end portion 16 (see Figure 3) not connected to the body or matrix 12. By acting on said tab 16 the portion 11 can be separated from the body or matrix 12 to create in the layer 6 a corresponding window 20 through which the underlying layer 7 can be seen. In this manner, by creating in the layer 6 a plurality of portions 11 disposed to define thereon a particular decoration or visual effect, the removal of said portions 11 from said layer displays the window 20 in this latter, through which the underlying layer 7 can be seen. In this manner a vamp is formed, having a particular decoration defined at will by the user on the basis of the portions 11 removed from the layer 6.

If, in addition to this, the layer 7 is also formed with a structure and/or decorations and/or colours which differ within the different portions of the vamp (for example that close to the toe or that on the side of the foot or that in proximity to the instep), the vamp 3 can overall assume different colours and appearances based on the portion or portions 11 which the user removes from the layer 6. As stated, each portion 11 is defined by an edge obtained by a weakened or perforation line which separates it from_, the body or matrix 12 of the layer 6. Each portion is hence defined as an actual part of the layer 6, which hence has a substantially uniform conformation and thickness, being in one piece. In this respect, each portion 11 is prepared on the actual layer 6 after this has been produced, in other words after the layer 6 has been formed and before it is joined (in known manner) to the sole 2; on the layer 6 each portion 11 is defined by bounding it for example with perforations 14. These are made by known methods, for example using needle punches or using lasers to perforate the layer 6 and define thereon the portion 11 and the body or matrix 12.

By virtue of this method of formation, the layer 6 has the consistency and thickness of an equivalent layer 6 without separable portions 11 , said layer also having high mechanical strength with these portions present, before they are removed.

If made from transpirable or netlike material, the layer 7 enables facilitated transpiration regions to be created in the vamp when the portions 11 are removed from the layer 6. In an alternative embodiment shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 (in which parts equal to those of the already described figures are indicated by identical reference numerals), the vamp 3 is without the inner layer 7, being defined by only the outer layer 6 provided with removable portions 11. Hence, in this embodiment, the removal of said portions creates true apertures in the vamp 3, facilitating aeration of the foot wearing the shoe. The embodiment of the figures under examination can hence be validly applied to a shoe usable in different periods of the year in which the ambient temperature differs: when the temperature is lower, the user uses the shoe with the vamp 3 (defined by just the layer 6) completely closed, and with the ambient temperature increasing as the months pass the user can separate one or more portions 11 of the body or matrix 12, to create corresponding apertures in the vamp and facilitate foot respiration.

It should be noted that in the embodiment under examination, the vamp 3 always possesses its intrinsic consistency and mechanical strength offered by the layer 6, which at most is defined by the body or matrix 12 alone when all the portions 11 have been removed. Further variants of the invention are shown in Figures from 8 to 10 in which parts equal to those already described are indicated by the same reference numerals. In the figures under examination the shoe comprises a base structure 100 defined by the sole 2 and by a body 110 rising from said sole (represented by full lines), for example of the type defining a sandal or the like. On said body there is placed a vamp 3 (represented by dashed lines) defined by a plurality of portions 11 which, in contrast to the already described embodiments, are directly connected together in a separable manner via the perforations 14. In other words, the layer 6 defining the vamp 3 is not provided with the body or matrix 12. This layer 6 defining the vamp 3 is joined to the body 100 in any known manner, for example glued, making it possible to separate all the portions 11 from the shoe in order to free the body 100 and transform the shoe from a closed shoe provided with a vamp into a sandal. A shoe formed in this manner is very light and can be used either as a closed shoe or as a sandal depending on the ambient temperature.

In a further variant, the whole or part of the body 100 can be a portion of the vamp.

By virtue of the invention a shoe can be formed having an appearance which can be changed by the user on the basis of user requirements and need.

This is achieved by separating the portions 11 from the vamp. The shoe obtained in this manner is light, and can be folded or squashed at the vamp in order to be compacted for transportation in the simplest manner, without breakage of the various parts of the vamp.

The shoe appearance is easily and quickly changed by removing one or more portions of the vamp, these portions forming a single layer possibly also presenting a body or matrix to which these portions are connected by edges defined by breakable lines.

Some embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated.

Others are however possible while remaining within the scope of the present document.

Claims

1. A shoe (1) comprising a sole (2) and a vamp (3), said vamp (3) presenting a plurality of removable parts (11) enabling the appearance of said vamp (3) and of the entire shoe (1) to be changed, characterised in that the various separable portions (11) form the vamp (3) itself.

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the separable portions (11) forming the vamp (3) define a single layer (6) of this latter.

3. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the vamp (3) comprises only the layer (6) with the separable portions (11).

4. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the layer (6) with the separable portions (11) is superposed on another layer (7) of the vamp (3), the layer (6) with said portions (11) being the outer layer of the vamp, the other layer (7) being the inner layer of the vamp.

5. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the separable portions (11) are directly connected together when defining the layer (6) of the vamp (3).

6. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the layer (6) of the vamp (3) comprises a body or matrix (12) to which the separable portions (11) are connected.

7. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that the separable portions are bounded by a perimetral edge defined by a breakable line.

8. A shoe as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the breakable line is defined by a succession of perforations (14).

9. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the separable portions (11) define a decoration on the vamp (3).

10. A shoe as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the vamp layer (6) with the separable portions (11)) cooperates with a fixed structure of the shoe (1) defining a sandal when the portions (11) are completely separated.

11. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the vamp inner layer (7) has a netlike conformation.

12. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the vamp inner layer (7) has a different colouration at different positions thereof within the shoe.

13. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the vamp inner layer (7) has a different colour at different positions thereof within the shoe.

14. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the vamp inner layer (7) has a different structure at different positions thereof within the shoe.

15. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 , characterised in that the separable portions comprise a tab (16) for their gripping and removal.

16. A method for producing a shoe comprising a sole (2) and a vamp (3), this latter presenting a plurality of separable portions (11), said method including forming the sole, characterised by forming the vamp (3) by producing a layered body or layer (6), forming in said layer a plurality of portions bounded by a breakable edge and defining the separable portions (11), and joining said layer (6) to said sole, said separable portions (11) defining the vamp (3) itself.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that the breakable edge is obtained by a succession of cuts in the layer (6) of the vamp (3).

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the cuts are made by laser.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the cuts are made by needle punches.

20. A method as claimed in claim 16, characterised in that the layer (6) with the separable portions (11) is associated with a further layer (7) defining an inner layer of the vamp (3), the layer (6) with said portions defining the outer layer of this latter.

21. A method for changing the appearance of a shoe of the type comprising a sole (2) and a vamp (3), said vamp comprising a plurality of separable portions, said portions defining the vamp (3) itself, characterised by selectively removing said portions of said vamp (3), to define apertures (20) therein.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 , in which the vamp comprises an outer layer (6) with the separable portions (11) and an inner layer (7), characterised by forming said inner layer with its own characterisation such as a design, a colour or a structure, said characterisation being visible through the aperture created in the outer layer (6) by removing each separable portion (11).

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that by acting on a tab (16) of each separable portion (11), this latter is completely separated from every adjacent vamp part in order to remove the separable portion (11) from the vamp.

24. A method as claimed in claim 21, characterised in that each separable portion (11) is removed by tearing a breakable edge of said portion.