Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02448461 2003-11-06
SLIP-ON FOOTWEAR SYSTEM
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to footwear and, more particularly, to a slip-on
footwear construction and a method for making the same.
Many conventional footwear designs, including work, walking and athletic
designs, enable a user to easily don the footwear without substantial use of
their hands. These
designs are generally referred to as "slip-on" designs. Typically, a user puts
on slip-on footwear
simply by inserting their foot through an opening in the footwear and pushing
the foot forward.
A popular slip-on design is the "twin gore" design. Footwear with this design
defines single gores on opposite sides of the foot in the forefoot region of
the footwear.
Specifically, the gores are defined by a void between the vamp (i.e., the
portion of the footwear
that covers the toes and upper portion of the forefoot) and the side panels
(i.e., the portions of the
footwear in the forefoot that cover the medial and lateral sides the foot).
Within tlxe gores, a
piece of elastic is secured to the vamp and the respective side panels. The
elastic is clearly
visible between the vamp and respective side panels.
Twin gore footwear is easy to put on the foot because as the foot is inserted
into
the footwear, the elastic allows the vamp to move away from the side panels,
thereby providing
more room for the upper portion of the forefoot, and subsequently the
remainder of the foot, to
slide into the shoe. After the foot is fully inserted in the footwear, the
elastic retracts to conform
the vamp to the upper forefoot.
Although the twin gore design enables users to easily put on footwear, it
suffers a
number of shortcomings. First, footwear with the twin gore design frequently
feels like it is
poorly secured to the wearer's feet. It is believed that this feeling is the
result of the forefoot
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stretching the elastic within the gore and moving the vamp away from the side
panels. As a
result, the user's heel comes partially out of the shoe during the push-off
portion of a wearer's
stride. This characteristic reduces the wearer's confidence in the footwear,
particularly when
conducting rigorous activity. Second, in some twin gore designs, the elastic
visible within the
gore detracts from the aesthetics of the footwear. Third, if not well-
protected, the elastic within
the gores may tear or abrade with repeated exposure to obstacles that the
wearer may encounter
with the upper part of their forefoot. As a result, the vamp may permanently
separate from the
side panels, thereby rendering the footwear unsafe. Fourth, wearers with
relatively long forefeet
frequently discover that with the twin gore design, the vamp does not separate
far enough from
the side panels to allow their foot to be easily inserted into the shoe.
Therefore, the wearer must
manually pull the shoe onto the foot with significant force. In effect, this
defeats the purpose of
the twin gore design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned problems are overcome in the present invention that
provides
a slip-on footwear including an elasticized gore defined in the heel portion
of the footwear. A
footwear upper defines a gore in the heel portion of the upper and a resilient
and flexible material
is secured to the upper within the gore. The material is stretchable to enable
an opening defined
by the upper to enlarge so that a user may easily insert their foot into the
footwear.
In one embodiment, the footwear upper includes side panels that are secured to
one another and cooperate to define a recess or gore in the heel of the
footwear upper. An elastic
material is secured to edges of the side panels within the gore. Optionally,
where a single heel
panel is substituted for or secured to the side panels in the heel portion,
the heel panel defines a
gore and the elastic material is secured to the heel panel. The elastic
material allows the side
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panels to move away from one another and thereby facilitate insertion of a
wearer's foot into the
footwear.
In a specific embodiment, a heel flap, also referred to as a cover panel, is
disposed
over the elastic material and secured to the upper. The heel flap conceals at
least a portion of the
elastic material and the gore without inhibiting the ability of the elastic
material to stretch and
facilitate insertion of the foot into the footwear. Optionally, the heel flap
is secured to an
exterior of the upper, folds over the elastic material, and is secured again
to the upper on an
interior of the upper.
In a more specific embodiment, the heel flap is secured to the upper in an
area
to beneath the gore in the heel portion of the footwear to increase rigidity
of the footwear in the
heel portion.
Footwear incorporating the slip-on system of the present invention preferably
is
manufactured using the general steps of (a) providing an upper that defines an
opening and
defines a gore in the heel portion of the upper, (b) securing an elastic
material to the upper within
the gore, and (c) joining the upper with an outsole. Optionally, a heel flap
is disposed over the
elastic material to conceal all or part of the material without restricting or
preventing the material
from stretching so that the opening enlarges when a foot is inserted through
the opening.
The present invention provides a unique slip-on footwear construction having a
previously unachieved combination of being easy to put on the foot and feeling
well-secured to
2o the foot when worn. With the elasticized gore in the heel region of the
upper, panels in the
forefoot of the footwear remain relatively immovable in relation to one
another, even in
strenuous activity. Therefore, the wearer's heel is less likely to come up and
out of the heel
portion of the footwear. Additionally, with the elastic material positioned in
the heel of the
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footwear, it is less likely to abrade or be torn by obstacles that the wearer
may walk through.
Furthermore, in footwear of the present invention including a heel flap that
covers the elastic
material, the elastic material is further protected and prevented from
interfering with insertion of
a foot into the footwear. Moreover, with the heel flap covering the gore, the
footwear has a clean
and streamlined look. Finally, where the heel flap is secured to the upper
below the gore in the
heel portion of the footwear, the footwear exhibits good structural rigidity.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more
readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of
the invention and
the drawings.
to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of an article of footwear incorporating the
slip-on
system of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the article of footwear;
Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the article of footwear showing an
elasticized
gore of the slip-on system;
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the article of footwear;
Fig. 5 is a front perspective of the article of footwear; and
Fig. 6 is a left side elevational of the article of footwear, the right side
being a
2o mirror image thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I. Overview
Footwear constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
is shown in Figs. 1-6 and generally designated 10. The shoe 10 includes an
upper 20 joined with
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an outsole 30. The upper 20 defines an opening 40 through which a foot is
placed to slip the
wearer's foot into the shoe 10. The upper 20 and shoe 10 are divided generally
into a forefoot
section 28 and a heel section 26. A slip-on system 50 is incorporated into the
heel portion 26,
and generally includes a recess or gore 54 that is defined in the heel portion
26 of the upper. A
flexible and resilient material 156 is secured to the upper 10 within the gore
54.
For purposes of disclosure, the present invention is described in connection
with a
casual shoe that includes an upper constructed from an integral panel. For
example, the vamp 23
and the side panels 22 and 24 of the shoe are constructed from one piece of
material. As will be
appreciated, the present invention is well suited for use with other types of
soled footwear, and
1o mufti-paneled uppers as the application requires.
II. Structure
The components of the shoe 10 of the present invention will now be described
in
more detail. The upper 20 includes a slip-on system SO and is secured to the
outsole 30 in a
conventional manner.
As shown in Figs. 1-3, the upper 20 generally includes one piece of material
that
forms the vamp 23 and the side panels 22 and 24. However, the upper may be
divided into
separate panels constructed of different materials and secured to one another
in a conventional
manner. Optionally, the vamp and side panels as shown may be substituted with
other
conventional footwear panels, for example, the vamp 23 may be replaced with a
panel. or panels
2o that include a lacing system.
The upper 20 also defines an opening 40 that is bounded by a perimeter 42. The
opening 40 provides an entrance to the upper through which a foot may be
inserted to place the
foot within the upper 20 and effectively don the footwear 10. As shown, the
vamp 23 and side
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CA 02448461 2003-11-06
panels 22 and 24 form a portion of the perimeter, and the flexible panel 56 of
the slip-on system
50, described below, forms another portion of the perimeter 42. Optionally,
the perimeter may
include cushioning.
The upper 20, as well as the footwear 10 in general, is divided into a heel
portion
26 and a forefoot portion 28. Depending on the configuration of the shoe, and
the actual
boundary of the heel portion 26 and forefoot portion 28 may vary from that
shown in the figures
as the application requires. As shown in Fig. 4, the heel portion 26 of the
upper 20 also includes
an apex 27, which defines the rearmost portion of the footwear, adjacent the
heel.
The upper 20 components may be manufactured from leather, canvas, nylon or
to other suitable materials and may include a liner (not shown) or other
conventional accessories.
The outsole 30 may be a conventional solid outsole secured to the upper in a
conventional manner such as by stitching, gluing, stapling or securing with
other fastening
elements. Optionally, the outsole 30 may be an outsole shell within which a
foot bed (not
shown) is disposed.
With reference to Figs. l and 3, the slip-on system SO is included in the shoe
10,
preferably within the heel portion 26. The slip-on system 50 enables the side
panels to move
away from one another, at least in the portion of the depth D of the upper 20
within which gore
54 is defined. More generally, the slip-on system 50 allows the opening 40 to
enlarge when a
foot is inserted through it.
2o In the slip-on system, the upper 20 in the heel portion 26 defines a
recess, also
referred to as a gore or opening 54, which is bounded by the edge 55, also
referred to as a
perimeter or boundary. In a specific embodiment, the upper 20 defines the gore
in the apex 27 of
the heel portion 26, shown in Fig. 4; however, the gore may extend beyond the
apex 27 within
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the heel portion as the application requires. Optionally, the gore may be
defined substantially
only in the heel portion of the footwear, and in another embodiment, the gore
may be defined
substantially only in the apex region. In a more specific embodiment, the gore
is defined in the
upper half of depth D, and in an even more specif c embodiment, the gore is
defined in the upper
two-thirds of the depth D. However, the gore may be defined in any portion of
the depth D of
the upper 20 as desired.
As shown in Figs. l and 3, the gore 54 is rounded in the lower portion,
nearest the
outsole 30, and tapers outward in the upper portion of the depth D of the
upper 20. Optionally,
the gare may be of any shape or configuration, including but not limited to, a
square shape, a
1o rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a V-shape, and the like.
With reference to Fig. 3, the free end portions of side panels 22 and 24
within the
gore define the edge 55 and the end portions of the side panels 22 and 24 are
joined to one
another beneath the gore 54. In one embodiment, the panels are joined in the
lower half of the
depth D of upper 20, and in another embodiment, in the lower one-third of the
depth D; however,
the panels may be joined in and form any portion of the depth D as desired.
Moreover, the
panels may be joined with any conventional fastening means, such as stitching,
staples, rivets,
glue and the like. Optionally, in an embodiment where a heel panel (not shown)
joins or is
joined with the side panels 22 and 24, that heel panel may define the gore and
form the edge 55.
A panel or material 56 is secured to the edge 55 of the gore 54 with
conventional
2o fastening means, for example with stitching 57 as shown, or other fastening
means such as glue,
rivets, staples and the like. The panel is constructed of a flexible and
resilient material, for
example, elastic, neoprene, synthetic rubber, rubber, and the like. The panel
56 preferably is
resilient and flexible to allow the panels 22 and 24 to move away from each
other in the
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directions shown with the arrows in Fig. 3 as a foot is inserted through the
opening 40.
Optionally, the panel 56 also pulls the panels 22 and 24 bacl~ toward one
another after a foot is
fully inserted into the footwear 10.
As shown in Figs. l and 3, the panel is secured to the edge of the gore 54
along
the entire edge, and generally is of the same shape of the gore. As the
application requires,
however, the elastic panel may be of a different shape than the gore.
Moreover, the panel 56
may be secured to portions of the edge on opposite sides of the gore. For
example, the panel 56
may be secured to the edge 55 adjacent the perimeter 42, but not secured to
the edge 55 in the
lowermost, rounded portion of the gore 54.
to Referring to Figs. 1-3, the gore 54 may be coincident with the perimeter 42
of the
opening 40 defined by the upper so that the panel 56 forms a portion of the
perimeter 42.
Additional stitching (not shown) may be added to the panel 56 adjacent the
perimeter to secure
the panel 56 to the perimeter 42 and increase durability.
With reference to Figs. 3-5, the slip-on system 50 optionally includes a heel
flap
52, also referred to as a cover or cover panel. The cover panel 52 generally
is disposed over the
gore 54 and elastic panel 56. Preferably, the cover panel conceals
substantially all of the gore 54
and cover panel 56. The elastic panel 56 may be exposed when the panels 22 and
24 are pulled
away from one another a significant distance so that the panel 56 stretches
beyond the edges of
the cover panel 52; however, it is preferred that significant stretching of
the panel 56 is required
2o for this to occur.
In one embodiment, the cover panel 52 extends upward from the outsole 30 on
the
exterior of the upper 20 over the elastic panel 56, and then downward toward
the outsole 30 on
the interior of the upper. The cover panel may be secured to the exterior
and/or interior of the
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upper with stitching 51 or any other conventional fastening means such as
staples, glue, rivets
and the like. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, stitching 51 extends along the edges
of cover panel 52
from the outsole upwardly along the depth D of the upper 20, then traverses
the width of the
cover panel 53 and continues back downward to the outsole 30 along the edge of
the cover panel.
The cover panel 52 may be stitched to the interior of the upper in a similar
manner and, if
desired, the stitching may pass completely through the cover panel 52 on the
exterior of the
upper, the upper 20, and the cover ;panel 52 on the interior of the upper.
In the region where the cover panel 53 and upper 20 are joined, an additional
heel
panel is effectively formed. This heel panel may enhance the rigidity of the
shoe 10 and the
1o structural support provided in the heel portion 26 of the shoe. In an
optional embodiment,
however, the cover panel extends below the lowermost portion of the gore 54 a
distance
sufficient to fasten the cover panel 52 to the upper 20.
With reference to Figs. l and 3, the stitching 51, does not extend above that
portion of the depth D of the upper that corresponds to the gore 54. With this
stitching pattern,
or other, similar securing patterns implemented with other fastening means,
the gore is allowed
to open-up when side panels 22 and 24 are pulled apart, for example, when a
foot is inserted into
the opening 40. Accordingly, the opening 40 enlarges.
In the embodiments shown, the cover panel is not secured to the portion of the
upper 20 axound the gore 54 and/or the elastic panel 56. Thus, even with the
cover panel 52
2o disposed over the elastic panel 56, the elastic panel may be stretched, and
the panels 22 and 24
may be pulled in the direction of the arrows as shown, without the cover panel
20 inhibiting or
restricting the stretch or movement.
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The cover panel 53 may be constructed from the same materials as the upper, or
other materials as desired. Additionally, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the cover
panel optionally is
contoured to hug the heel of a wearer to increase comfort and to further
secure the shoe to the
foot of the wearer.
Optionally, webbing 44 may be secured to the cover panel or other portion of
the
upper 20 as desired to provide a grasping loop so the user may pull the shoe
over their heel.
III. Manufacture and Assembly
The manufacture and assembly of the footwear 10 will now be described.
Generally, the footwear is manufactured using the steps of (a) providing an
upper that defines an
opening and includes a gore defined in a heel portion of the upper, (b)
securing a flexible and
resilient material to the upper within the gore, and (c) joining the upper
with an outsole.
Optionally, a heel flap is disposed over the elastic material to conceal all
or part of the material
without restricting or preventing the material from stretching so that the
opening enlarges when a
foot is inserted through the opening.
More specifically, the desired upper material is cut to form the various
elements
of the upper, including the vamp 23, the side panels 22 and 24. In the heel
portion, the upper is
cut to define a gore 56, which is bounded by edge 55. The elements of the
upper are then fitted
and sewn together. In the heel portion 26, the ends of the side panels 22 and
24 are sewn
together along seam 23 with stitching 25. The ends of the panels in the upper
portion of the
2o depth D remain free to define the gore 54. A lining (not shown) may be sewn
within the upper
during the fitting step.
In another step, the panel 56 is secured to the edge 55 of the gore. As shown
in
Fig. 3, the panel 56 is secured to the edge 55 with stitching 57.
Specifically, the panel is sewn to
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CA 02448461 2003-11-06
the free ends of the side panels 22 and 24. Where the panel is secured to only
portions of the
edge, the stitching is disposed only in those respective portions. Where the
gore is optionally
defined by a one heel panel (not shown), rather than multiple side panels, the
elastic panel is
sewn directly to the heel panel.
The cover panel shown in Figs 1 and 3 is secured in place in another step.
Specifically, the cover panel is positioned over the gore 54 and elastic panel
56 so that a portion
of the panel folds down against the interior of the upper 20 and another
portion folds down
against the exterior of the upper 20. The cover panel is secured to the
interior and/or exterior of
the upper with conventional fastening means. In one embodiment, the cover
panel is secured to
to the upper in an area below the gore 54 to form a rigid heel panel in the
area. Optionally, a
grasping loop 44 is secured to the cover panel 52.
In yet another step, the outsole 30, which is manufactured using conventional
techniques and apparatus, is secured to the outsole. For example, in one
embodiment, the
outsole and upper are stitched to one another. In another embodiment, the
upper is secured to a
is midsole and the outsole is molded to the upper and midsole. In yet another
embodiment, the
upper is secured to an outsole shell (not shown) and a footbed (not shown) is
positioned in the
outsole shell.
Finally, a number of conventional finishing operations are performed on the
shoe
10. For example, the edges of the outsole 30 are trimmed and shaped and the
upper is cleaned
20 and treated as necessary.
The above descriptions are those of the preferred embodiments of the
invention.
Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit
and broader
aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be
interpreted in
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accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of
equivalents. Any
references to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles
"a," "an," "the," or
"the," is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
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