Fabric for shoe upper, shoe upper, and shoe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12433367-B2
Application number	US-202418598745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2024
Priority date	Mar 31, 2023
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A fabric used for a tongue-integrated upper of a shoe comprises a tubular fabric element. The tubular fabric element comprises a first sock part and a second sock part, the first sock part comprises a first foot and a first leg, the second sock part comprises a second foot and a second leg, with the first foot, the first leg, the second leg, and the second foot continuously formed in this order. The central axis of the first leg and the central axis of the second leg do not coincide with each other and are not parallel to each other, and when the first sock part and the second sock part are placed one on top of the other, the first sock part forms a first layer disposed on the foot side of an upper, and the second sock part forms a second layer disposed covering the first layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric configured to be used for a tongue-integrated upper of a shoe,
wherein the fabric comprises a tubular fabric element, and the tubular fabric element comprises a first sock part and a second sock part,
the first sock part comprises a first foot and a first leg, the second sock part comprises a second foot and a second leg, and the first foot, the first leg, the second leg, and the second foot are continuously formed in this order,
a central axis of the first leg and a central axis of the second leg do not coincide with each other and are not parallel to each other,
when a shoe upper is formed from the fabric, the first sock part is moved to be within the wall defining the second sock part, the first sock part forms a first layer disposed on a foot side of an upper, and the second sock part forms a second layer disposed to cover the first layer, and
when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, a length of an upper end of the first leg is longer than a length of an upper end of the second leg.

2. The fabric configured to be used for a shoe upper according to claim 1 , wherein, when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, an upper end of a leg constituted by the first leg and the second leg has a protrusion protruding upward or a depression protruding downward, and an apex of the protrusion or a bottom point of the depression is on a boundary line between the first sock part and the second sock part.

3. The fabric configured to be used for a shoe upper according to claim 1 , wherein the first foot has a first opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, the second foot has a second opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, and the first opening and/or the second opening is closed through sewing.

4. A shoe upper comprising the fabric configured to be used for a shoe upper according to claim 1 ,
wherein the upper comprises a first layer formed of the first sock part and disposed on a foot side and a second layer formed of the second sock part and disposed covering the first layer, and
at a wearing opening formed near a boundary line between the first leg and the second leg, a heel side, an instep side, and a portion between the heel side and the instep side of a top end of the first layer are all at a higher level than a heel side, an instep side, and a portion between the heel side and the instep side of a top end of the second layer.

5. The shoe upper according to claim 4 , wherein a top end of the wearing opening has a curved shape in which the heel side and the instep side are at higher levels than a remaining portion.

6. The shoe upper according to claim 5 , wherein, a difference in vertical level between the top end of the first layer and the top end of the second layer is larger in the heel side and/or the instep side than in a portion between the heel side and the instep side of the wearing opening.

7. The shoe upper according to claim 4 , wherein the wearing opening has a four-layer folded portion formed by a double structure portion of the first leg and a double structure portion of the second leg.

8. The shoe upper according to claim 4 , wherein, when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, an upper end of a leg constituted by the first leg and the second leg has a protrusion protruding upward or a depression protruding downward, and an apex of the protrusion or a bottom point of the depression is on a boundary line between the first sock part and the second sock part.

9. The shoe upper according to claim 4 , wherein, when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, an upper end of the first leg and an upper end of the second leg have different lengths.

10. The shoe upper according to claim 4 , wherein the first foot has a first opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, the second foot has a second opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, and the first opening and/or the second opening is closed through sewing.

11. A shoe in which the shoe upper according to claim 4 and a sole are formed as a single body.

12. The shoe according to claim 11 , wherein a top end of the wearing opening has a curved shape in which the heel side and the instep side are at higher levels than a remaining portion.

13. The shoe according to claim 11 , wherein the wearing opening has a four-layer folded portion formed by a double structure portion of the first leg and a double structure portion of the second leg.

14. The shoe according to claim 11 , wherein, when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, an upper end of a leg constituted by the first leg and the second leg has a protrusion protruding upward or a depression protruding downward, and an apex of the protrusion or a bottom point of the depression is on a boundary line between the first sock part and the second sock part.

15. The shoe according to claim 11 , wherein the first foot has a first opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, the second foot has a second opening in a tiptoe or near a plantar side thereof, and the first opening and/or the second opening is closed through sewing.

16. The fabric configured to be used for a shoe upper according to claim 1 , wherein when the fabric is laid flat such that a heel of the first sock part and a heel of the second sock part are respectively disposed at opposite lateral side ends on an upper side, a crease portion is formed in a lower portion of either or both of the first leg and the second leg near a boundary line between the first sock part and the second sock part.

17. A method for producing a shoe upper using the fabric configured to be used for a shoe upper according to claim 1 , comprising: moving the first sock part to be within the wall defining the second sock part.

Assignees

• Mizuno Kk

Inventors

• Kita Kenjiro
• Oda Takao
• Hayashiguchi Mina
• Taguchi Takehiro
• Tanaka Issei

Classifications

• A43B3/0036

  characterised by a special shape or design · CPC title

• A43B1/04

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• A43B23/0245

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B9/08 Primary

  Turned footwear · CPC title