Shoe having features for increased flexibility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624418-B2
Application number	US-201615005113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Jan 25, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A shoe includes a sole, an upper, and a welt. The sole and upper define a seam. The welt overlies the seam. The sole includes flex grooves. The upper includes perforations. The welt includes flex slits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe comprising:
a sole comprising a sole bottom surface, a sole lateral side surface, a sole medial side surface, a sole heel end surface, and a sole toe end surface, the sole bottom surface extending transversely from the sole lateral side surface to the sole medial side surface, the sole lateral side surface and the sole medial side surface extending upwardly from the sole bottom surface, the sole extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole toe end surface, the sole including a sole heel region, a sole midfoot region, a sole metatarsal region, a sole ball region, and a sole toe region, the sole heel region extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole midfoot region, the sole midfoot region extending longitudinally from the sole heel region to the sole metatarsal region, the sole metatarsal region extending from the sole midfoot region to the sole ball region, the sole ball region extending longitudinally from the sole metatarsal region to the sole toe region, and the sole toe region extending longitudinally from the sole ball region to the sole toe end surface, the sole ball region including a sole medial ball region and a sole lateral ball region;
an upper operatively secured to the sole, the upper comprising an upper heel region, an upper lateral midfoot region, an upper medial midfoot region, an upper metatarsal region, an upper lateral ball region, an upper medial ball region, and an upper toe region, the upper metatarsal region including an upper lateral metatarsal region and an upper medial metatarsal region, the upper having an upper lateral side region and an upper medial side region, the upper lateral side region including the upper lateral midfoot region, the upper lateral metatarsal region and the upper lateral ball region, the upper medial side region including the upper medial midfoot region, the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper medial ball region; and
a welt;
the sole and the upper collectively defining a seam, the seam having a seam heel region, a seam lateral midfoot region, a seam lateral metatarsal region, a seam lateral ball region, a seam toe region, a seam medial ball region, a seam medial metatarsal region, and a seam medial midfoot region, the seam heel region extending from the seam medial midfoot region to the seam lateral midfoot region, the seam lateral midfoot region extending from the seam heel region to the seam lateral metatarsal region, the seam lateral metatarsal region extending from the seam midfoot region to the seam lateral ball region, the seam lateral ball region extending from the seam lateral metatarsal region to the a seam toe region, the seam toe region extending from the seam lateral ball region to the seam medial ball region, the seam medial ball region extending from the seam toe region to the seam medial metatarsal region, the seam medial metatarsal region extending from the seam medial ball region to the seam medial midfoot region, and the seam medial midfoot region extending from the seam medial metatarsal region to the seam heel region;
the welt comprising at least one piece separate from the sole and separate from the upper, the welt being secured to at least one of the sole and the upper, the welt covering at least part of the seam lateral side region and at least part of the seam medial side region;
the sole including a first plurality of flex grooves in the sole bottom surface, the first plurality of flex grooves extending transversely from the sole medial side surface toward the sole lateral side surface;
the welt including a first plurality of welt slits, at least some of the welt slits of the first plurality of welt slits being adjacent at least some of the flex grooves of the first plurality of flex grooves.

2. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of at least some of the slits of the first plurality of welt slits is aligned with a corresponding one of the flex grooves of the first plurality of flex grooves.

3. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sole further includes a second plurality of flex grooves in the sole bottom surface and the welt further includes a second plurality of welt slits, the second plurality of flex grooves extending transversely from the sole lateral side surface toward the sole medial side surface, at least some of the slits of the second plurality of welt slits being adjacent at least some of the flex grooves of the second plurality of flex grooves.

4. A shoe as set forth in claim 3 wherein at least some of flex grooves of the first plurality of flex grooves are in the sole medial ball region and at least some of the flex grooves of the second plurality of flex grooves are in the sole lateral ball region.

5. A shoe as set forth in claim 4 wherein the sole further includes a third plurality of flex grooves in the sole bottom surface, the third plurality of flex grooves extending transversely between the sole lateral side surface and the sole medial side surface, each of the flex grooves of the third plurality of flex grooves being transversely spaced from the sole medial side surface and transversely spaced from the sole lateral side surface.

6. A shoe as set forth in claim 5 wherein each flex groove of the first plurality of flex grooves is aligned with and transversely spaced from a corresponding flex groove of the second plurality of flex grooves.

7. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 wherein one of the flex grooves of the first plurality of flex grooves and one of the flex grooves of the second plurality of flex grooves is longitudinally between each adjacent pair of the third plurality of flex grooves.

8. A shoe as set forth in claim 7 wherein the sole further includes a longitudinal flex groove in the sole bottom surface, the longitudinal flex groove extending longitudinally between the sole heel end surface and the sole toe end surface.

9. A shoe as set forth in claim 8 wherein each flex groove of the first plurality of flex grooves is transversely spaced from the longitudinal flex groove, and wherein each flex groove of the second plurality of sole flex grooves is transversely spaced from the longitudinal flex groove.

10. A shoe as set forth in claim 9 wherein the longitudinal flex groove intersects each flex groove of the third plurality of flex grooves.

11. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein the welt constitutes a single, one-piece member.

12. A shoe comprising:
a sole comprising a sole bottom surface, a sole lateral side surface, a sole medial side surface, a sole heel end surface, and a sole toe end surface, the sole bottom surface extending transversely from the sole lateral side surface to the sole medial side surface, the sole lateral side surface and the sole medial side surface extending upwardly from the sole bottom surface, the sole extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole toe end surface, the sole including a sole heel region, a sole midfoot region, a sole metatarsal region, a sole ball region, and a sole toe region, the sole heel region extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole midfoot region, the sole midfoot region extending longitudinally from the sole heel region to the sole metatarsal region, the sole metatarsal region extending from the sole midfoot region to the sole ball region, the sole ball region extending longitudinally from the sole metatarsal region to the sole toe region, and the sole toe region extending longitudinally from the sole ball region to the sole toe end surface, the sole ball region including a sole medial ball region and a sole lateral ball region;
an upper operatively secured to the sole, the upper comp

Assignees

• Cole Haan Llc

Inventors

• Mokos Jeffrey
• Patt Scott

Classifications

• A43B23/027

  with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B21/20

  plastics · CPC title

• A43B13/141 Primary

  with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B7/085

  in the upper · CPC title

• A43B3/0036

  characterised by a special shape or design · CPC title