THREE-PIECE FOOTWEAR

• US 20090277041A1
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baffin Limited (Canada Goose Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baffin, Inc. (Canada Goose Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hubner, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/00 Footwear characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/02 Boots covering the lower leg

Abstract

The invention comprises an item of footwear, comprising: a) an upper sole, shaped to receive a user'"'"'s foot, and including a toe cap portion, a heel portion, and a sole portion, which is formed from a lightweight, thermally insulative plastics material; b) a lower sole, formed from a resilient plastics material, the lower sole attached to and at least partially covering the sole portion of the upper sole and operative to protect the upper sole from direct physical contact with the ground and to minimize wear on the upper sole; and c) an upper attached to the upper sole.

Claims

1. An item of footwear comprising:

a) an upper sole, shaped to receive a user'"'"'s foot, and including a toe cap portion, a heel portion, and a sole portion, which is formed by injection molding of a lightweight, thermally insulative plastics material;

b) a lower sole, formed by injection molding of a resilient plastics material, the lower sole being attached to and at least partially covering the sole portion of the upper sole and being operative to protect the upper sole from direct physical contact with the ground and to minimize wear on the upper sole; and

c) an upper attached to the upper sole.

2. An item of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the lower sole completely covers the sole portion of the upper sole.

3. An item of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the lower sole additionally at least partially covers one of:

the toe cap portion of the upper sole, the heel portion of the upper sole, and both the toe cap portion and the heel portion of the upper sole.

4. An item of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the resilient plastics material of the upper sole is made from EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate).

5. An item of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the lower sole is secured to the upper sole via thermal welding.

6. An item of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the lower sole is secured to the upper sole via an adhesive.

7. An item of footwear according to claim 6, wherein the sole portion of the upper sole and the sole portion of the lower sole are modified with surface features operative to ensure correct alignment of the upper sole with the lower sole during assembly.

8. An item of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the surface features of the sole portion of the upper sole extend through corresponding apertures in the sole portion of the lower sole.

9. An item of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising an insole mounted atop said upper sole within said upper.

10. A method of assembling an item of footwear, comprising the steps of:

a) forming by injection molding an upper sole from a lightweight, thermally insulative, plastics material, the upper sole being shaped to receive a user'"'"'s foot and having a toe cap portion, a heel portion and a sole portion;

b) securing a lower sole formed by injection molding of a resilient plastics material to the sole portion of the upper sole, the lower sole being formed to at least partially cover the sole portion of the upper sole and being operative to protect the upper sole from direct physical contact with the ground and to minimize wear on the upper sole; and

c) securing an upper to the upper sole.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the upper sole is made from EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate).

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the lower sole completely covers the sole portion of the upper sole.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the lower sole additionally at least partially covers one of:

the toe cap portion of the upper sole, the heel portion of the upper sole, and both the toe cap portion and the heel portion of the upper sole.

14. A method according to claim 10, furthering including a step of inserting an insole into the upper for mounting atop the upper sole.