Patent ID: 6044497
Filing Date: 2000-04-04
Classification: A41B

Abstract:
An article of apparel comprising a half sock which, in general, can cover the anterior limb of a foot, leaving the heel bare, said half sock including a sock housing with a rear opening for insertion of the foot therein, and a front part; and being made of a suitably cushioning, durable, flexible, thermally-insulating and physically-proportioned material, wherein:the half sock has, in essence, mirror image symmetry through an imaginary plane bisecting ton and bottom portions thereof;said sock housing includes inwardly-directed front tapers to accommodate big and smaller toes of the foot, and inwardly-directed rear tapers to accommodate an arch of the foot, with at least two of the set of said tapers being of a shape and size different from each other, wherein said tapers are present even when the article is not worn on the foot by a user, andsaid sock housing is made of a one-piece web in a clamshell like pattern, having upper and lower portions to the one-piece web which are interconnected through the front part of said housing, and two side portions taken from edges of the upper and lower portions to the one-piece web which are butted and sewn together to form two opposing side seams in which there is little or no bump.