WO2012103311A1 - Footwear with expansion joint - Google Patents
Footwear with expansion joint Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2012103311A1 WO2012103311A1 PCT/US2012/022691 US2012022691W WO2012103311A1 WO 2012103311 A1 WO2012103311 A1 WO 2012103311A1 US 2012022691 W US2012022691 W US 2012022691W WO 2012103311 A1 WO2012103311 A1 WO 2012103311A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- shaft
- expansion joint
- wearer
- footwear
- foot
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
- A43B23/02—Uppers; Boot legs
- A43B23/04—Uppers made of one piece; Uppers with inserted gussets
- A43B23/045—Uppers with inserted gussets
- A43B23/047—Uppers with inserted gussets the gusset being elastic
Definitions
- the field of the present invention generally relates to footwear and, more particularly, to footwear including a unlaced shaft for covering a portion of the wearer's leg.
- boot jack which is an implement having an inclined ramp or platform having a U-shaped recess or cut out at one end.
- the wearer inserts the heal of the footwear to be removed into the U-shaped recess and applies a downward force on the lower end of the ramp.
- the recess grips the heal area and the wearer can withdraw their foot as the bootjack is held in place with the wearer's other foot.
- the bootjack may be helpful, it is not always effective because the boot may slip from the recess as the foot is attempted to be withdrawn.
- the bootjack can scuff or damage the heal area of the boot.
- a bootjack may not be available at the location the wearer wants to remove their footwear.
- footwear that overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art described above.
- footwear for covering a foot and a portion of a lower leg of a wearer comprises, in combination, a sole and an upper comprising an unlaced shaft for covering the portion of the lower leg of the wearer.
- An expansion joint is provided in the shaft and is adapted to expand a local circumference of the shaft at the expansion joint when the wearer's foot passes through the shaft at the expansion joint to ease putting the footwear onto the wearer's foot and removing the footwear from the wearer's foot.
- footwear for covering a foot and a portion of a lower leg of a wearer.
- the footwear comprises, in combination, a sole; and an upper comprising an unlaced shaft for covering the portion of the lower leg of the wearer.
- the shaft comprises a forward and rearward portions secured together at substantially vertically extending seams at lateral sides of the upper.
- An expansion joint is provided in the shaft and is adapted to expand a local circumference of the shaft at the expansion joint when the wearer's foot passes through the shaft at the expansion joint to ease putting the footwear onto the wearer's foot and removing the footwear from the wearer's foot.
- the expansion joint comprises a substantially vertical slit located along the seam between the forward and rearward portions and which is normally closed and opens in a horizontal direction to expand the circumference of the shaft when the wearer's foot passes through the shaft at the expansion joint.
- footwear for covering a foot and a portion of a lower leg of a wearer.
- the footwear comprises, in combination, a sole and an upper comprising an unlaced shaft for covering the portion of the lower leg of the wearer.
- the shaft comprises a forward and rearward portions secured together at substantially vertically extending seams at lateral sides of the upper.
- An expansion joint is provided in the shaft and is adapted to expand a local circumference of the shaft at the expansion joint when the wearer's foot passes through the shaft at the expansion joint to ease putting the footwear onto the wearer's foot and removing the footwear from the wearer's foot.
- the expansion joint comprises a substantially vertical slit located along the seam between the forward and rearward portions and which is normally closed and opens in a horizontal direction to expand the circumference of the shaft when the wearer's foot passes through the shaft at the expansion joint.
- the expansion joint comprises an elastic material secured to an inner side of the shaft and covering the seam so that the seam is resiliently expandable at the expansion joint.
- the expansion joint is located at an inner lateral side of the shaft and near a bottom of the shaft.
- FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of footwear having an expansion joint according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a enlarged, fragmented elevational view of an inner side of the expansion joint of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is cross section view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and [0013] FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmented view of an outer side of the expansion joint of FIG. 1 when the expansion joint is expanded.
- front or forward generally refers to a direction toward the left within the plane of the paper in FIG.l and rear or rearward generally refers to a direction toward the right within the plain of the paper in FIG. 1.
- FIGS. 1-10 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, to those who have knowledge or experience in this area of technology, that many uses and design variations are possible for the footwear disclosed herein.
- the following detailed discussion of various alternative and preferred embodiments will illustrate the general principles of the invention with regard to a roper-style boot.
- Other embodiments of the present invention suitable for other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure.
- the present invention is suitable for other types of footwear such as, for example, western-style boots, work boots, and the like.
- FIG. 1 to 4 show a boot 10 having an expansion joint 12 according to the present invention to ease putting the boot 10 on the wearer's foot and/or removing the boot 10 from the wearer's foot.
- the illustrated boot 10 is adapted for use on a right foot but it is noted that a similar but mirror image boot adapted for the left foot is used in conjunction with the illustrated boot 10 for form a pair of the boots 10,
- the illustrated boot 10 includes a sole 14 having a heal 16 at its rearward end to form the bottom of the boot 10 and an upper or quarter 18 extending upward from the sole 14 to cover the wearer's foot and a portion of their lower leg.
- the illustrated upper 18 includes a vamp 20 which covers the top and front portion of the wearer's foot, a counter 22 that encloses the heal and rear portion of the wearer's foot and is secured to the rear end of the vamp 20, and a shaft 24 which fits around the lower shin of the wearer and is secured to the top of the vamp and. counter 20, 22.
- the illustrated upper 18 is secured to the sole 14 with a welted construction where the upper 18 is stitched to the sole 14 using a welt 26.
- the welt 26 is a strip of leather or synthetic material which extends about the periphery of the upper 18 at the interface with the sole 14.
- the vamp and counter 20, 22 are stitched to the welt 26 and the welt 26 is in turn stitched to the sole 14.
- upper 18 can alternatively be secured to the sole 14 using any other suitable construction such as, for example, a cemented construction where the upper 18 is glued to the sole 14 with adhesive.
- the illustrated sole 14 includes an outsole 28 forming an exterior bottom surface for the sole 14, insole (not visible) located above the outsole 28 and forming an upper interior surface of the sole 14, a midsole located between the outsole 28 and the insole, and a shank (not visible) forming an arch support within the sole 14.
- the outsole 28 is the outermost portion of the sole 14 of the boot 10 and forms the bottom surface of which is exposed to wear.
- the illustrated outsole 28 is molded of synthetic material but can alternatively can comprise any other suitable material such as, for example, leather and the like.
- the insole can be attached directly to the boot upper 18 and welt 26 or it can be removable and/or replaceable .
- the insole can form the upper most surface on the inside of the bottom of the boot or it can be covered with a sock lining of suitable material.
- the midsole 30 is located between the outsole 28 and the insole.
- the illustrated midsole 30 is molded of synthetic material but can alternatively can comprise any other suitable material.
- the midsole 30 is designed to provide the boot 10 with desired characteristics of cushioning, support, and flexibility.
- the shank forms the arch support which supports the arch of the wearer's food and can comprise steel, fiber, wood, and/or plastic. It is noted that the sole 14 can alternatively have any other suitable construction within the scope of the present invention.
- the illustrated upper 18 includes the vamp 20, the counter 22, and the shaft 24.
- the illustrated shaft 24 comprises forward and rearward portions 24a, 24b that together form a cylindrical shape that encircles the lower portion of the wearer's leg.
- the shaft 24 also has an upper edge which forms an upper opening through which the wearer's foot enters the boot 10.
- the illustrated shaft 24 includes pull tabs or loops 31 located near the upper edge on opposed lateral sides of the shaft 24 which allow for ease in pulling on the boot 10 by putting fingers through the tabs 31. Alternatively, pull hole, "mule ears", and the like can alternatively be utilized.
- the illustrated vamp 20 and shaft 24 are continuous in that they are "unlaced".
- the illustrated components 20, 22, 24 of the upper 18 comprise leather such as, for example, cowhide, pigskin, horsehide, kangaroo skin, and the like but any other suitable material can alternatively be utilized such as, for example exotic leathers or skins, synthetic materials, and the like.
- the illustrated components 20, 22, 24 of the upper 18 are secured together by stitching but any other suitable means can alternatively be utilized.
- the illustrated vamp and counter 20, 22 are secured together at substantially vertical stitched seams 32 on opposed lateral sides of the upper 18.
- the illustrated portions 24a, 24b of the shaft 24 are secured together at substantially vertical stitched seams 34 on opposed lateral sides of the upper 18 which are aligned with the seams 32 of the vamp 20 and counter 22 such that they appear to be vertical extensions thereof.
- the illustrated shaft 24 is secured to the vamp and counter 20, 22 with generally horizontal stitched seams 36 at the interfaces.
- the illustrated seams are provided with seem binder 38 located on the interior side of the seams 32, 34, 36.
- the seam binder 36 can be of any suitable material to rigidly connect the components to prevent relative movement therebetween. It is noted thai the upper 18 can also comprise a lining within its interior.
- the lining typically comprises pigskin, glove leathers, a heavy twilled cotton or linen fabric, and the like. Additionally, the lining can comprise synthetics such as, for example, Gortex, Sympatex, and the like to provide waterproof and/or sweat dissipating characteristics to the boot 10.
- the illustrated expansion joint 12 comprises a substantially vertical slit 40 in the shaft 24 of the upper 18 that is spaced below the upper edge of the shaft 24 and located near the bottom of the shaft 24 so that shaft circumference at lower end of the shaft 24 can expand as needed as the wearer's foot passes therethrough so that the wearer's foot more easily passes through.
- the slit 40 is closed (as best shown in FIGS 1, 2 and 3) but the slit 40 opens in the horizontal direction (best shown in FIG.
- the slit 40 preferably has a length of about 1.5 inch to about 3.5 inches and more preferably has a length of about 2.5 inches.
- the illustrated boot 10 has a single slit 40 located at the inner lateral side of the boot 10, centrally located on the shaft 24 in the forward/rearward direction, and located at the bottom edge of the shaft so that it is located near the wearer's ankle when the boot 10 is worn. It is noted however, that alternatively there can be other suitable quantities of the slit 40 and/or the slit 40 can be at other suitable locations.
- the illustrated expansion joint 12 further includes a closure 42 that closes the slit 40 to prevent entry of undesired material therethrough regardless of whether the slit 40 is open or closed.
- the illustrated closure 42 comprises a web of fabric material secured to the inside of the shaft 24 and covering the slit 40.
- the illustrated fabric material is an elastic material such that the fabric material stretches or expands as the slit expands and then resiliently returns as the slit 40 closes. It is noted however, that any other suitable material and/or suitable configuration of material can alternatively be utilized.
- the illustrated closure 42 is secured to the shaft 24 by two rows of stitching 44 that extend along the entire periphery of the closure 42 but any other suitable attaching means can alternatively be utilized such as, for example, adhesive, and the like.
- the illustrated expansion joint 12 is a "stretch seam" located along the seam between the forward and rearward portions 24a, 24b of the shaft 24. That is, the illustrated slit 40 is formed by not securing a portion of the shaft portions 24a, 24b together as they are otherwise rigidly secured together.
- the seem binder 38 of the seams 32, 34 is interrupted and replaced with the closure 42.
- the seem can stretch open at the slit 40 when the wearer's foot is passing therethrough. It is noted that by utilizing such a stretch seam, the expansion joint is unnoticeable during normal wearing except for the different stitching 44 at the expansion joint. Also, the expansion joint 12 is further hidden by locating the expansion joint 12 at the inner side of the boot 10.
Landscapes
- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BR112013019375A BR112013019375A2 (en) | 2011-01-26 | 2012-01-26 | footwear with expansion joint |
MX2013008731A MX2013008731A (en) | 2011-01-26 | 2012-01-26 | Footwear with expansion joint. |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/013,896 US20120186106A1 (en) | 2011-01-26 | 2011-01-26 | Footwear with expansion joint |
US13/013,896 | 2011-01-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2012103311A1 true WO2012103311A1 (en) | 2012-08-02 |
Family
ID=46543042
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2012/022691 WO2012103311A1 (en) | 2011-01-26 | 2012-01-26 | Footwear with expansion joint |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120186106A1 (en) |
BR (1) | BR112013019375A2 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2013008731A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2012103311A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
PL3032979T3 (en) * | 2013-08-12 | 2021-07-05 | Tera Boots Pty Ltd | Boot and boot fitting system |
US9254014B2 (en) * | 2013-12-23 | 2016-02-09 | Stuart Weitzman Ip, Llc | Boot with stretchable opening |
US11672306B2 (en) * | 2017-11-06 | 2023-06-13 | Boot Royalty Company, L.P. | Upper for a shoe |
US11564450B2 (en) * | 2019-01-11 | 2023-01-31 | Boot Bam, Inc. | Systems and methods for enhancing boot comfort and style |
US10517353B1 (en) * | 2019-04-08 | 2019-12-31 | Rocky Brands, Inc. | Footwear with dual shanks |
FR3109277B1 (en) * | 2020-04-17 | 2022-04-15 | Horse Pilot | Footwear suitable for horse riding and comprising an outer sole made of elastically deformable material stiffened by stiffening means |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2164465A (en) * | 1936-12-03 | 1939-07-04 | United Shoe Machinery Corp | Shoe with extensible upper margin |
USD426942S (en) * | 1999-08-24 | 2000-06-27 | Pair of football-style cowboy boots | |
US20100031534A1 (en) * | 2008-08-06 | 2010-02-11 | Ariat International, Inc. | Footwear with expandable entry and exit feature |
Family Cites Families (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2343477A (en) * | 1941-11-24 | 1944-03-07 | Ross Michael Paul | Boot sock |
DE3247516A1 (en) * | 1982-12-22 | 1984-06-28 | Josef 8069 Jetzendorf Lederer | SKI BOOT (KEYWORD: SWIVELING AND SLIDING ANKLE CUFF) |
US5222313A (en) * | 1991-05-07 | 1993-06-29 | Dowdy Steven F | Slipper and method for application and removal of water sports apparel |
US6205686B1 (en) * | 1999-07-22 | 2001-03-27 | Merwyn C. Davis | Footwear attachment |
US6367171B1 (en) * | 2000-02-07 | 2002-04-09 | Salomon S.A. | Shoe |
US20040088890A1 (en) * | 2002-11-12 | 2004-05-13 | Matis Clark A. | Slip-on footwear system |
US7055267B2 (en) * | 2003-04-30 | 2006-06-06 | Bha Technologies, Inc. | Waterproof footwear construction |
US20070039205A1 (en) * | 2005-08-22 | 2007-02-22 | Fila Luxembourg S.A.R.L. | Method and system for identifying a kit of footwear components used to provide customized footwear to a consumer |
US8453352B2 (en) * | 2009-01-16 | 2013-06-04 | Perfect Storm Sports Technology, Llc | Supportive sport boot made of rigid materials |
-
2011
- 2011-01-26 US US13/013,896 patent/US20120186106A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2012
- 2012-01-26 WO PCT/US2012/022691 patent/WO2012103311A1/en active Application Filing
- 2012-01-26 BR BR112013019375A patent/BR112013019375A2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2012-01-26 MX MX2013008731A patent/MX2013008731A/en unknown
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2164465A (en) * | 1936-12-03 | 1939-07-04 | United Shoe Machinery Corp | Shoe with extensible upper margin |
USD426942S (en) * | 1999-08-24 | 2000-06-27 | Pair of football-style cowboy boots | |
US20100031534A1 (en) * | 2008-08-06 | 2010-02-11 | Ariat International, Inc. | Footwear with expandable entry and exit feature |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
MX2013008731A (en) | 2014-03-27 |
US20120186106A1 (en) | 2012-07-26 |
BR112013019375A2 (en) | 2019-09-24 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
EP3576560B1 (en) | Footwear with closing mechanism permitting easy donning and doffing | |
EP2320761B1 (en) | Footwear with expandable entry and exit feature | |
US20080263896A1 (en) | Footwear | |
US20090188130A1 (en) | Slip On Athleisure Shoe | |
EP3357368A1 (en) | Heel-end slip shoe | |
US9204681B2 (en) | Hybrid boots | |
US20120186106A1 (en) | Footwear with expansion joint | |
EP3801104A1 (en) | Article of footwear with enlarged throat opening and selective ventilation | |
US11122864B2 (en) | Footwear with dual shanks | |
US9468260B2 (en) | Footwear with external heel counter | |
US6094841A (en) | Tongue for footwear | |
US6029301A (en) | Method for construction of footwear | |
JP2004160234A (en) | Footwear product upper, footwear structure and method for manufacturing footwear upper and footwear | |
US20190387836A1 (en) | Footwear with External Safety Toe Cap | |
WO2011056284A1 (en) | Article of footwear inclucing improved lace keeper | |
US20120186110A1 (en) | Footwear with heel lift | |
US3388486A (en) | Foot covering | |
JP3748833B2 (en) | Work boots | |
US1413888A (en) | Shoe | |
AU2004203531B9 (en) | New method for constructing footwear | |
GB2315980A (en) | Sports shoe | |
JP2010162268A (en) | Footwear | |
KR20130136069A (en) | Shoes having hiking sole | |
GB2470907A (en) | A height adjustable boot | |
JPH0833508A (en) | Shoes provided with flexible instep leather |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 12739257 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: MX/A/2013/008731 Country of ref document: MX |
|
REG | Reference to national code |
Ref country code: BR Ref legal event code: B01A Ref document number: 112013019375 Country of ref document: BR |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 12739257 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 112013019375 Country of ref document: BR Kind code of ref document: A2 Effective date: 20130730 |