Shoe having stiffening features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10772382-B2
Application number	US-201815996684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A shoe includes a sole and an upper. The upper has a knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine. The shoe further includes a lateral stiffening member coupled to the upper in a lateral vamp region a medial stiffening member coupled to the upper in a medial vamp region. The sole has a sole member and a molded chassis. The molded chassis has at least a midfoot region, the midfoot region extending upwardly above a portion of the upper. The lateral stiffening member is spaced from the molded chassis and the sole member and is operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region. The medial stiffening member is spaced from the molded chassis and the sole member and is operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe comprising:
a sole;
an upper secured to the sole, the upper having a knitted element being formed of a unitary one-piece construction during a knitting process on a knitting machine, the upper having a toe region, a vamp region having a lateral vamp region and a medial vamp region, a throat region, and a quarter region, the toe region extending longitudinally to the vamp region, the vamp region extending longitudinally and laterally to the throat region, the lateral vamp region extending laterally and in a lateral direction from the throat region, the medial vamp region extending laterally and in a medial direction from the throat region, the vamp region extending to the quarter region;
a lateral stiffening member coupled to the upper in the lateral vamp region, the lateral stiffening member adapted and configured to stiffen the upper and having a higher resistance to stretching than the knitted element; and
a medial stiffening member coupled to the upper in the medial vamp region, the medial stiffening member adapted and configured to stiffen the upper and having a higher resistance to stretching than the knitted element;
the sole extending longitudinally from a sole heel end to a sole toe end and extending transversely from a sole lateral edge to a sole medial edge, the sole including a heel region, a midfoot region, a ball region and a toe region, the heel region extending longitudinally from the sole heel end to the midfoot region, the midfoot region extending longitudinally from the heel region to the ball region and having a lateral midfoot region and a medial midfoot region, the lateral midfoot region extending transversely from the lateral edge to the medial midfoot region, the medial midfoot region extending transversely from the medial edge to the lateral midfoot region, the ball region of the sole extending longitudinally from the midfoot region to the toe region, and the toe region extending longitudinally from the ball region to the sole toe end, the sole having a sole member and a molded chassis, the sole member extending from the sole heel end to the sole toe end, the molded chassis coupled to the sole member, the molded chassis having at least a midfoot region, the midfoot region extending upwardly above a portion of the upper, the midfoot region of the molded chassis member being in the midfoot region of the sole, the lateral stiffening member being spaced from the molded chassis and being spaced from the sole member, the lateral stiffening member being operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region, the lateral stiffening member defining at least one opening adapted and configured to receive a shoe lace, the medial stiffening member being spaced from the molded chassis and being spaced from the sole member, the medial stiffening member being operatively connected to the molded chassis in the midfoot region, the medial stiffening member defining at least one opening adapted and configured to receive a shoe lace.

2. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the lateral stiffening member is further operatively connected to the sole member in the ball region, and wherein the medial stiffening member is further operatively connected to the sole member in the ball region.

3. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the lateral stiffening member is adjacent the throat region, and wherein the medial stiffening member is adjacent the throat region.

4. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 , the upper including a plurality of lateral reinforcing threads extending downwardly from the throat region of the upper and toward the sole member, the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads being adapted and configured to limit stretching of the knit upper in at least one direction by securing adjacent rows of knit stitches, the lateral stiffening member overlapping at least a portion of at least some of the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads where the lateral stiffening member is coupled to the upper.

5. A shoe in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the lateral stiffening member is operatively connected to the molded chassis by the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads.

6. A shoe as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads limit stretching of the knit upper in a direction parallel with one or more of the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads.

7. A shoe as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads limit stretching of the knit upper in one or more of an upward direction, a lateral direction, and a longitudinal direction.

8. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 , the upper including a plurality of lateral reinforcing threads extending downwardly from the lateral reinforcing member and toward the sole member, the plurality of lateral reinforcing threads being adapted and configured to limit stretching of the knit upper in at least one direction by securing adjacent rows of knit stitches.

9. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 , the upper including a plurality of medial reinforcing threads extending downwardly from the throat region of the upper and toward the sole member, the plurality of medial reinforcing threads being adapted and configured to limit stretching of the knit upper in at least one direction by securing adjacent rows of knit stitches, the medial stiffening member overlapping at least a portion of at least some of the plurality of medial reinforcing threads where the medial stiffening member is coupled to the upper.

10. A shoe in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the medial stiffening member is operatively connected to the molded chassis by the plurality of medial reinforcing threads.

11. A shoe in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the plurality of medial reinforcing threads limit stretching of the knit upper in a direction parallel with one or more of the plurality of medial reinforcing threads.

12. A shoe in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the plurality of medial reinforcing threads limit stretching of the knit upper in one or more of an upward direction, a lateral direction, and a longitudinal direction.

13. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 , the upper including a plurality of medial reinforcing threads extending downwardly from the medial reinforcing member and toward the sole member, the plurality of medial reinforcing threads being adapted and configured to limit stretching of the knit upper in at least one direction by securing adjacent rows of knit stitches.

14. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 , the knitted element including an integral tongue within the throat region, the integral tongue seamlessly connected with adjacent regions of the knitted element.

15. A shoe in accordance with claim 1 , the molded chassis further having a heel region and a heel end region, the heel region and the heel end region extending upwardly above a portion of the upper, the heel end region extending longitudinally from the sole heel end to the heel region of the molded chassis, the heel region of the molded chassis extending longitudinally from the heel end region of the molded chassis to the midfoot region of the molded chassis, the midfoot region of the molded chassis extending longitudinally from the heel region of the molded chassis toward the sole toe end.

16. A shoe in accordance with claim 15 , at least a portion of the heel end region of the molded chassis extending vertically from the sole member a first length, at least a portion of the heel region of the molded chassis extending vertically from the sole member a second length, the second length being lesser than the first length, at least a p

Assignees

• Cole Haan Llc

Inventors

• Fontaine Jonathan

Classifications

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• A43B23/16 Primary

  made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like {(A43B23/086 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A43B23/088

  Heel stiffeners (A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence) · CPC title

• A43B23/027

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

• A43B23/0275

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