CYCLING SHOE WITH LATERAL METATARSAL EXPANSION ZONE

CHAUSSURE DE CYCLISME DOTEE D'UNE ZONE D'EXTENSION METATARSIENNE LATERALE

English Abstract

A cycling shoe comprises a sole defining an undersurface of the cycling shoe, the sole having connection holes configured for connection of a pedal cleat to the sole. An upper is connected to the sole and defining with the sole a foot-receiving cavity. An expansion zone is located in a lateral subportion of a metatarsal portion and/or toe portion of the cycling shoe and configured to be opposite a portion of at least a fifth metatarsal of a wearer of the cycling shoe, the expansion zone being entirely surrounded by a window of structural upper panelling and defined by at least one panel having a greater elasticity or expansion characteristics than the structural upper panelling of the window.

French Abstract

Une chaussure de cyclisme comprend une semelle définissant une sous-surface de la chaussure de cyclisme, la semelle comportant des trous de section configurés pour une connexion dun cale-chaussure à la semelle. La tige est reliée à la semelle et définissant avec la semelle une cavité de réception de pied. Une zone de dilatation est située dans une sous-portion latérale dune portion métatarsienne ou une portion dorteil de la chaussure de cyclisme et configurée pour être opposée à une portion dau moins un cinquième métatarse du porteur de la chaussure de cyclisme, la zone de dilatation étant entièrement entourée dune fenêtre dun panneau supérieur structurel et définie par au moins un panneau ayant des caractéristiques délasticité ou de dilatation supérieures à celles du panneau supérieur structurel de la fenêtre.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A cycling shoe comprising:
a sole defining an undersurface of the cycling shoe, the sole having
connection
holes configured for connection of a pedal cleat to the sole; and
an upper connected to the sole and defining with the sole a foot-receiving
cavity,
an expansion zone located in a lateral subportion of a metatarsal portion
and/or toe
portion of the cycling shoe and configured to be opposite a portion of at
least a fifth
metatarsal of a wearer of the cycling shoe, the expansion zone being entirely
surrounded by a window of structural upper panelling and defined by at least
one panel
having a greater elasticity or expansion characteristics than the structural
upper
panelling of the window.
2. The cycling shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one panel
comprises
a layer of stretchable fabric or material.
3. The cycling shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one panel
comprises
a layer of elastomer forming an exposed surface of the at least one panel.
4. The cycling shoe according to claim 3, wherein the layer of elastomer is
a layer
of silicone.
5. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 3 and 4, further
comprising a
layer of stretchable fabric laminated to the layer of elastomer.
6. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at
least one
panel has a plurality of perforations.
7. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the at
least one
panel is laminated to the structural upper panelling.
8. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at
least one
panel is stitched to the structural upper panelling.
9. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a
periphery of
the at least one panel is sandwiched between layers of the structural upper
panelling.
-6-

10. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the
structural
upper panelling has an exterior leather or synthetic leather layer.
11. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the
structural
upper panelling has an interior structural mesh layer.
12. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at
least
one panel is made of an undulated panel.
13. The cycling shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one panel
is made of
a perforated outer layer of the structural upper panelling, with a window
cutout in the
structural upper panelling under the perforated outer layer.
14. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the
sole is a
rigid plastomer.
15. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the
expansion
zone is located in the lateral subportion of the metatarsal portion and of the
toe portion
of the cycling shoe and configured to be opposite a portion of the fifth
metatarsal and a
portion of the fifth proximal phalanx of the wearer of the cycling shoe.
16. The cycling shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the
expansion
zone is entirely located in the lateral subportion of the metatarsal portion
of the cycling
shoe.
-7-

Description

CA 02951452 2016-12-12
CYCLING SHOE WITH LATERAL METATARSAL EXPANSION ZONE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application generally relates to shoes such as cycling
shoes, and
to a construction of an upper thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0002] Cycling shoes are used with automatic pedals as a combination
designed to
maximize the transfer of pedaling power to the transmission of the bicycle,
such as the
chainset in standard bicycles. Accordingly, cycling shoes typically have rigid
soles, i.e.
plastomeric soles, especially in the case of cycling shoes for road bikes or
racing bikes,
and are clamped by way of a cleat to the automatic pedal. Moreover, the upper
is
conventionally made of robust structural panelling materials to be secured
firmly to the
foot of the user.
[0003] However, it is known that feet are anatomically different from one
person to
another. Therefore, larger feet may not be adapted to some narrower types of
shoes,
and vice versa. This forces manufacturers to design wider and narrower shoes.
There
results stocks of shoes of different widths for a same size, and all inventory
and cost
issues related to such stocks, throughout the supply chain. It would be
desirable to
address this issue.
SUMMARY
[0004] It is therefore an aim of the present disclosure to provide a
cycling shoe that
addresses issues related to the prior art.
[0005] Therefore, in accordance with the present disclosure, there is
provided a
cycling shoe comprising: a sole defining an undersurface of the cycling shoe,
the sole
having connection holes configured for connection of a pedal cleat to the
sole; and an
upper connected to the sole and defining with the sole a foot-receiving
cavity, an
expansion zone located in a lateral subportion of a metatarsal portion and/or
toe portion
of the cycling shoe and configured to be opposite a portion of at least a
fifth metatarsal
of a wearer of the cycling shoe, the expansion zone being entirely surrounded
by a
-1-

CA 02951452 2016-12-12
window of structural upper panelling and defined by at least one panel having
a greater
elasticity or expansion characteristics than the structural upper panelling of
the window.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cycling shoe with lateral
metatarsal
expansion zone in accordance with the present disclosure;
[0007] Fig. 2 is a perspective fragmented view of another embodiment of the
cycling
shoe with lateral metatarsal expansion zone;
[0008] Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmented view of the cycling shoe of Fig.
2, with an
exterior layer of structural upper panelling removed;
[0009] Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmented view of another embodiment of the
cycling
shoe with lateral metatarsal expansion zone; and
[0010] Fig. 5 is an underside view of the cycling shoe of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring to the drawings and, more particularly, to Fig. 1, a
cycling shoe in
accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown at 10. The cycling
shoe 10
is of the type used with automatic pedals of a bicycle, and therefore has a
sole 11 with
connection holes 11A (Fig. 5), for fixing a cleat to the underside of the sole
11. The
connection holes 11A are shown as being in a triangular pattern, for cleats
such as
Look , Keoe, Shimanoe, etc. However, the connection holes 11A may have
different
shapes and configurations, for other types of cleats, such as SPD . The sole
11 in the
attached figures is of the type found in road cycling shoes, with a smooth
continuous
surface, in contrast to grooves and legs found in mountain bike shoes or
touring shoes.
However, the cycling shoe 10 may also be a mountain bike shoe or a touring
shoe, with
a sole made for rugged terrain. In the case of a road cycling shoe, the sole
11 is rigid
(i.e., substantially more rigid than elastic, with resistance to elastic
deformation), in
contrast to soles found in mountain bike shoe or a touring shoe. For instance,
the sole
11 in a road cycling shoe may be made of materials with plastomeric
properties, such
as carbon, composites, rigid plastics, in contrast to rubber or elastomers
used for
mountain bike shoes or touring shoes.
-2-

CA 02951452 2016-12-12
[0012] An upper 12 is connected to and projects upwardly from the sole 11,
and
forms therewith a foot-receiving cavity 13. The upper 12 generally consists of
structural
panelling as described hereinafter. The upper 12 may be generally separated in
three
areas, namely a toe portion 12A, a metatarsal portion 12B and a heel portion
12C.
Without being limited to a rigid boundary, and as loosely shown in the Figs.,
the toe
portion 12A generally covers the toes of the cyclist, whereas the metatarsal
portion 12B
covers the mid-portion of the foot, including the region encompassing the
metatarsal
bones of the wearer's foot, while the heel portion 120 protects and surrounds
the heel
of the wearer. The metatarsal portion 12B may be separated in an outer (or
lateral)
sub-portion and an inner (or medial) sub-portion. The outer sub-portion
generally goes
from the second metatarsal bone to the side of the fifth metatarsal bone and
is thus
laterally positioned, whereas the inner sub-portion goes from the second
metatarsal
bone to the first metatarsal bone and is medially positioned. As a general
observation,
the vamp may include the toe portion 12A and the metatarsal portion 12B, while
the
quarter may include the heel portion 120.
[0013] The cycling shoe 10 may also include a throat 14 in the upper 12,
with a
tongue 15 in the throat 14, and a closure system 16. These components may or
may
not be present, as some cycling shoes may have a clog configuration. In the
case of
the closure system, a Boa type closure system is shown, but other systems
could be
used as well, such as multiple Boa type closure systems, Velcro and ratchet
straps,
shoe laces, for example.
[0014] Referring to Fig. 1, an expansion zone 20 is shown in the upper 12.
More
particularly, the expansion zone 20 is mostly located in the metatarsal
portion 12B of
the upper 12, but may be also partially in the toe portion 12A of the upper
12. The
expansion zone 20 is located to as to be opposite the fifth metatarsal of the
wearer's
foot, and may also be opposite the fifth proximal phalanx of the wearer's
foot. The
expansion zone 20 is entirely surrounded by a window of structural panelling
of the
upper 12, delimited by window periphery 21. The expansion zone 20 is made of
one or
more panels 22 having a greater elasticity than the structural upper panelling
of the
window. Therefore, the expansion zone 20 may stretch or expand, relative to
the
surrounding structural upper panelling of the upper 12.
-3-

CA 02951452 2016-12-12
[0015] In Fig. 1, the panel 22 is made of a material with elasticity
characteristics. For
example, the panel 22 may be made a multilayer membrane. According to an
embodiment, the panel 22 is made with a rubbery elastomeric polymer, such as
silicone. The silicone layer may at least form the exposed surface of the
panel 22.
Silicone is known for its stretching capacity and for its abrasion resistance.
The panel
22 may also be made from natural rubber, with elastomers, etc. Alternatively,
the panel
22 may be a textile, such as elastane (i.e., Spandex ), namely a polyester-
polyurethane copolymer. According to another embodiment, the panel 22 may
comprises an exposed layer of silicone, and an inner layer of a stretchable
textile ¨
inner layer meaning interior of the silicone, for instance exposed in the
cavity 13 of the
cycling shoe. The layers may be laminated or connected to one another in any
appropriate way. The exposed layer of elastomer therefore provides wear
resistance
and elasticity, and some form of water repellence (although aeration holes may
be
present), while the inner layer of textile provides some structure to the
panel 22, for
example if the panel 22 is to be stitched or sewn to the surrounding
structural upper
paneling.
[0016] In contrast, the surrounding structural upper panelling may include
various
layers, such as an exterior layer of leather or synthetic leather 21A, a film
21B and a
structural mesh 21C, as one of numerous embodiments. Therefore, by being
surrounded by structural upper panelling, the expansion zone 20 has no or
limited
power dissipating impact during pedalling, in spite of its elasticity.
[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the panel 22 may have a perforated portion 22A,
provide
with aeration perforations, and an unperforated contour 22B, by which the
panel 22 is
attached to the surrounding structural upper panelling. For example, the
contour 22B
may be sandwiched between some of the layers 21A, 21B and/or 21C, and be
laminated and/or stitched to the surrounding structural upper panelling.
Hence, Fig. 2
shows the cutout in the layer 21C defining the window 21, with a periphery of
the
contour 22B being shown. The other layers 21A and 21B may then be positioned
atop
the assembly of the layer 21C and of the panel 22.
[0018] Referring to Fig. 3, the panel 22 may also consist of the same
material as the
layer 21A, or materials with similar structural rigidity, but with folds or
undulations 23, to
allow expansion of the panel 22 relative to the surrounding structural upper
panelling.
-4-

CA 02951452 2016-12-12
Referring to Fig. 4, the zone is defined by a plurality of perforations 24 in
the layer 21A
and 210, the perforations giving some elasticity to the expansion zone 20.
Alternatively,
the layer 21B and 21C, if present, may have a window 21 free of material so as
not to
add rigidity to the expansion zone 20, as in Fig. 2.
[0019] While
the present disclosure details the use of the expansion zone in a
cycling shoe 10, it is considered to provide such expansion zones in other
types of
shoes as well. According to an embodiment, the exposed surface of the panel 22
is
flush with the material of the window 21 surrounding it, to form a continuous
surface
without any raised edge.
-5-

Representative Drawing