Collapsible shoe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9427042-B2
Application number	US-201313955347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2013
Priority date	Jul 18, 2002
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

An article of footwear including an upper formed of a flexible upper material and a sole formed of a flexible sole material, wherein the sole is rolled, folded, or collapsed onto itself to reduce the volume of the article of footwear. The article of footwear in a collapsed state can then be packaged in a container. This container can be dispensed by a vending machine in a convenient urban area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper;
lacing connected to the upper; and
a flexible sole fixed to the upper, wherein the sole comprises:
a plurality of longitudinally-extending flexure lines extending through at least a portion of a forefoot of the sole, and
a plurality of laterally-extending flexure lines extending through at least a portion of the forefoot of the sole,

wherein a first laterally-extending flexure line is wider than a second laterally-extending flexure line,
wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed forward of the second laterally-extending flexure line such that the first laterally-extending flexure line allows collapse of the forefoot of the sole and rolling of the article of footwear, and
wherein the lacing is configured to extend over the first laterally-extending flexure line to maintain the article of footwear in a collapsed position.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is oriented at an oblique angle to the second laterally-extending flexure line.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the second laterally-extending flexure line is oriented perpendicularly to at least one of the longitudinally-extending flexure lines.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is oriented at an oblique angle to the second laterally-extending flexure line.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sole has greater flexibility at the first laterally-extending flexure line than at the second laterally-extending flexure line.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed along a portion of the sole corresponding to the area where a wearer's toes bend at the end of a gait cycle.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein one end of the first laterally-extending flexure line is wider than the other end of the first laterally-extending flexure line.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the wider end of the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed at the medial side of the sole.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed between the second laterally-extending flexure line and a third laterally-extending flexure line.

10. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper; and
a flexible sole fixed to the upper, wherein the sole comprises:
a longitudinally-extending flexure line extending through at least a portion of a forefoot of the sole, and
a first laterally-extending flexure line, a second laterally-extending flexure line, and a third laterally-extending flexure line extending through at least a portion of the forefoot of the sole,

wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed between the second laterally-extending flexure line and the third laterally-extending flexure line at an oblique angle relative to the second laterally-extending flexure line, the third laterally-extending flexure line, and the longitudinally-extending flexure line,
wherein the second laterally-extending flexure line and the third laterally-extending flexure line extend substantially parallel to one another and extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinally-extending flexure line, and
wherein the longitudinally-extending flexure line extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal centerline of the article of footwear.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein a longitudinal distance between a lateral end of the first laterally-extending flexure line and a front end of the sole is greater than a longitudinal distance between a medial end of the first laterally-extending flexure line and the front end of the sole.

12. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line defines an obtuse angle between a first portion of the first laterally-extending flexure line and a second portion of the first laterally-extending flexure line.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line widens at its angle toward the medial side of the sole.

14. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line does not cross any other laterally-extending flexure line.

15. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed along a portion of the sole corresponding to the area where a wearer's toes bend at the end of a gait cycle.

16. A sole for an article of footwear, the sole comprising:
a plurality of laterally-extending flexure lines extending through at least a portion of the sole,
wherein a first laterally-extending flexure line is wider than a second laterally-extending flexure line and a third laterally-extending flexure line,
wherein the second laterally-extending flexure line and the third laterally-extending flexure line extend in a substantially straight line between a medial edge of the sole and a lateral edge of the sole,
wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line extends at an oblique angle to the second laterally-extending flexure line and the third laterally-extending flexure line, and
wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed forward of the second laterally extending flexure line such that the first laterally-extending flexure line allows collapse of a forefoot of the sole and rolling of the article of footwear.

17. The sole of claim 16 , wherein the sole comprises a plurality of longitudinally-extending flexure lines extending through at least a portion of the sole, and
wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line crosses each of the plurality of longitudinally-extending flexure lines.

18. The sole of claim 16 , wherein the sole has greater flexibility at the first laterally-extending flexure line than at the second laterally-extending flexure line.

19. The sole of claim 16 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed between the second laterally-extending flexure line and the third laterally-extending flexure line, and
wherein each of the first laterally-extending flexure line, the second laterally-extending flexure line, and the third laterally-extending flexure line are disposed in the forefoot of the sole.

20. The sole of claim 16 , wherein the first laterally-extending flexure line is disposed along a portion of the sole corresponding to the area where a wearer's toes bend at the end of a gait cycle.

Assignees

• Reebok Int Ltd
• Reebox Int Ltd

Inventors

• Gillespie Andrew

Classifications

• A43C1/02

  with elastic laces · CPC title

• A43B21/24

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B3/24

  Collapsible or convertible · CPC title

• A43B3/248 Primary

  Collapsible, e.g. foldable for travelling · CPC title

• A43B13/141

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