Shoe having features for increased flexibility

• US 10,238,171 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cole Haan LLC
• Original Assignee: Cole Haan LLC
• Inventors: Mokos, Jeffrey, Patt, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US15/284,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20170208896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 36 3 A
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/226 the profile being made in the foot facing surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 15/00 Welts for footwear
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/021 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/027 with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0036 characterised by a special shape or design
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/085 in the upper
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/04 Welted footwear welts A43B15/00

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.

Claims

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 forward from the sole heel end surface to the sole toe end surface and extending longitudinally rearwardly from the sole toe end surface to the sole heel 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; and

an upper operatively secured to the sole, the upper comprising an upper outer layer of unitary one-piece leather construction, the upper outer layer comprising an outer layer heel region, an outer layer lateral midfoot region, an outer layer medial midfoot region, an outer layer metatarsal region, an outer layer lateral ball region, an outer layer medial ball region, and an outer layer toe region, the outer layer metatarsal region including an outer layer lateral metatarsal region and an outer layer medial metatarsal region, the outer layer having an outer layer lateral side region and an outer layer medial side region, the outer layer lateral side region including the outer layer lateral midfoot region, the outer layer lateral metatarsal region, and the outer layer lateral ball region, the outer layer medial side region including the outer layer medial midfoot region, the outer layer medial metatarsal region, and the outer layer medial ball region, the outer layer comprising a first area and a second area, the second area extending longitudinally rearwardly from the first area, the first area having a rear boundary, the second area having a forward boundary, the rear boundary of the first area and the forward boundary of the second area being coincident and coextensive with each other and defining a boundary line between the first and second areas, the outer layer including a plurality of columns of through perforations, each of the plurality of columns extending rearwardly from the forward boundary line and including a plurality of through perforations, each column of the plurality of columns including a forward-most perforation longitudinally forward of all of the other perforations of said each column, each forward-most perforation of each column of the plurality of columns being at the forward boundary of the second area, the forward-most perforations in combination defining a boundary line of a wingtip shape, the boundary line having a medial boundary line and a lateral boundary line, the medial boundary line comprising a wing-shaped curved line having a medial side portion extending forward from at least the upper medial metatarsal region to the upper toe region and a central portion extending rearward from the upper toe region, the lateral boundary line comprising a wing-shaped curved line having a lateral side portion extending forward from at least the upper lateral metatarsal region to the upper toe region and a central portion extending rearward from the upper toe region, the rearwardly extending central portion of the medial boundary line converging toward the rearwardly extending central portion of the lateral boundary line.

2. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first area is devoid of through perforations in the vicinity of the rear boundary of the first area.

3. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first area is devoid of through perforations.

4. A shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein the medial boundary line and the lateral boundary line meet at a rearwardly pointing apex.