Lottery shoe and method of making same

• US 6,154,983 A
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Basketball Marketing Co., Inc. (Sequential Brands Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Basketball Marketing Co., Inc. (Sequential Brands Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Le, Tuan, Austin, Thomas, Yeh, Chin Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US09/223,551
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 39/91, 39/12, 39/14, 39/28, 39/55, 39/50.1, 39/31
• US Class Current: 36/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/28 characterised by their attachment, also attachment of combined soles and heels
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics

Abstract

A shoe and an improved method of shoe construction comprising an upper, an insole, a midsole, and an outsole, that are coupled together to form a housing for receiving a foot, and wherein the midsole is enveloped by the bottom ends of the upper, the insole, and the outsole to provide a more secure and stable fit of the shoe to the foot. The shoe is constructed to have the midsole of the shoe enveloped by the combination of the upper, insole, and outsole. This method of shoe construction results in a shoe having an improved fit because the midsole is pulled from the top and the bottom to provide improved fit, support, stability, and cushioning characteristics.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising:

an upper comprising a top end having a wrap around construction forming a foot opening, a bottom end, and a side panel connecting said top end to said bottom end;

said side panel further comprising an inner side panel and an outer side panel each having a top end and a bottom end, said inner side panel and said outer side panel being connected together proximate said top ends;

a midsole having a body, a top side, a bottom side, and a peripheral edge;

wherein said bottom of said inner side panel is connected to said topside of said midsole proximate said peripheral edge, and said outer side panel is disposed about and envelopes said inner side panel and at least a portion of said bottom side of said midsole, said bottom of said outer side panel being connected to said bottom side of said midsole; and

a closure system disposed proximate said top end of said upper, wherein said closure system pulls on said inner side panel and said outer side panel of said upper, said side panels pull on said topside and said bottom side of said midsole to couple said shoe to a foot.

2. The shoe of claim 1 further comprising an insole having a body, a bottom surface, a top surface, and an outer peripheral edge, wherein said bottom of said inner side panel is connected proximate to said peripheral edge of said insole, and said topside of said midsole is disposed proximate said bottom surface of said insole.

3. The shoe of claim 2 further comprising an outsole having a base, a top, a bottom, and upwardly extending sidewalls positioned at a peripheral edge of said base, said sidewalls further having a wrap around construction about said peripheral edge of said base, thereby forming a cavity, the combination of said upper, said insole, and said midsole being disposed in and connected to said cavity of said outsole.

4. The shoe of claim 3 wherein said shoe further comprises:

an inner bootie comprising a combination of said inner side panel of said upper and said insole;

an outer shoe structure comprising a combination of said outer side panel, said midsole, and said outsole; and

wherein said outer shoe structure is connected about said inner bootie.

5. The shoe of claim 4, wherein said outer shoe structure is connected to said inner bootie by connecting said top of said outer side panel of said outer shoe structure to said top of said inner side panel of said inner bootie proximate said top end of said upper, connecting said topside of said midsole to said bottom surface of said insole, wrapping said outer side panel around said inner side panel and at least a portion of said midsole and connecting said bottom of said outer side panel to said bottom side of said midsole, connecting said top of said outsole of said outer shoe structure to said bottom of said outer side panel and said bottomside of said midsole.

6. A shoe comprising:

an upper having an inner bottom end, an outer bottom end, a top end having a wraparound design forming a foot opening, a side panel having an inner side panel and an outer side panel, said inner side panel disposed between and connecting said inner bottom end and said top end and said outer side panel disposed between and connecting said outer bottom end and said top end, and a closure system for coupling said shoe to a foot;

an insole coupled to said upper proximate to said inner bottom ends of said upper;

a midsole having a topside, a bottom side, and a peripheral edge, said inner bottom end of said upper being coupled to said topside of said midsole proximate to said peripheral edge and said outer bottom end of said upper being coupled to said bottom side of said midsole proximate to said peripheral edge of said midsole;

an outsole having a base and upwardly extending sidewalls at a peripheral edge of said base, said sidewalls having a wraparound construction about said base thereby forming a cavity, said cavity of said outsole being coupled about the combination of said upper, said insole, and said midsole; and

wherein said upper, said insole, said midsole, and said outsole define a housing for receiving a foot, wherein said midsole is enveloped by the combination of said upper, said insole, and said outsole, and wherein said midsole is pulled from said bottom side as said closure system is activated to fit said shoe to a foot.

7. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said shoe further comprising an athletic shoe.

8. The shoe of claim 7 wherein said athletic shoe further comprises a sneaker.

9. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said midsole is encapsulated by said upper being disposed about a portion of said peripheral of said bottom side and said topside of said midsole, said outsole being disposed about said bottom side of said midsole and a portion of the overlap of said outer bottom end of said upper and said midsole, and said insole being disposed over said topside of said midsole, to substantially cover said topside of said midsole.

10. The shoe of claim 9 wherein said inner bottom end of said upper is coupled to said topside of said midsole and said outer bottom end of said upper is coupled to said bottom side said midsole.

11. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said bottom ends of said upper are disposed around said topside and said bottom side of said midsole and said closure system pulls the material of said shoe from the bottom of said shoe.

12. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said upper is stitched to said insole using a thread material.

13. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said bottom ends of said upper being coupled about said midsole by one of cementing, vulcanizing, bonding, sewing, glueing, welding, heat treatment, adhesively and flexibly bonded together, direct attachment through a molding process that captures the upper in the molded midsole.

14. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said closure system for coupling said shoe to a foot further comprises a lace threaded through a plurality of holes proximate said top end of said upper.

15. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said midsole further comprises upwardly extending outer peripheral support side rims having a wrap around construction, and wherein said inner bottom end of said upper is disposed around an inside of said side rims and said outer bottom end of said upper is disposed around an outside of said side rims.

16. The shoe of claim 15 wherein said upwardly extending outer peripheral support side rims are tapered, wherein said side rims are wider at the base of the side rims than at the top.

17. The shoe of claim 6 wherein said bottom side and said topside of said midsole have recesses formed proximate to and around said peripheral edge of said midsole and extending inwards some distance toward a middle of said midsole to accommodate said bottom ends of said upper.

18. The midsole of claim 6 wherein said body further comprises a plurality of densities to prevent it from being crushed during said method of construction.

19. The midsole of claim 18 wherein said peripheral edge of said midsole body has a higher density than the interior portion of said midsole body.