Abstract:
A method for making footwear using a finished platform. The method includes providing a finished platform having a peripheral side region; providing an outsole unit; and providing an upper attached to the peripheral side region of the finished platform. The finished platform includes an insole, a sock lining unit, having a peripheral portion for seaming and stitching, which is attached to an upper surface of the insole, and a wrapper covering the peripheral side region of the finished platform, the wrapper seamed to the peripheral portion of the sock lining unit. The present method provides the advantage of having a finished platform which can readily receive an upper. This allows a simple and economical attachment of the upper to a finished platform, efficiently streamlining manufacturing and production of completed shoes, making a simple and cost-favorable shoe production possible.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    This invention relates to method of making footwear.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    A variety of constructions for making footwear are used by the footwear industry. For the most part, each footwear construction has characteristics that make it particularly well-suited for efficient manufacturing and ease of production. Typically, in an effort to improve the comfort, durability, and the aesthetic appeal of the footwear, a number of different assembly methods can be used.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0003]    In a general aspect of the invention, a method for making footwear includes providing a finished platform having a peripheral side region; providing an outsole unit; and providing an upper attached to the peripheral side region of the finished platform. The finished platform includes an insole; a sock lining unit having a peripheral portion for seaming and stitching, the sock lining unit attached to an upper surface of the insole; and a wrapper covering the peripheral side region of the finished platform, the wrapper seamed or stitched to the peripheral portion of the sock lining unit.  
           [0004]    In embodiments of the invention, one or more of the following features may also be included. The insole of the finished platform includes a foam insole cover adhesively attached to the upper surface of the insole, a fiber tuck, and a steel shank. The finished platform is molded for heel height for a heel positioned in a heel portion of the underside region of the finished platform.  
           [0005]    In certain embodiments, the wrapper forms a bottom cover having an outsole region marked for attachment of the outsole unit and a shank area for joining the bottom cover. The outsole region marked for attachment is positioned in the forepart of the bottom cover and the outsole unit is cemented and stitched to the outsole region marked for attachment. The bottom cover is seamed or stitched in the shank area of the bottom cover, and the bottom cover is further attached adhesively to the peripheral side region of the finished platform. The bottom cover is made of the same material as the upper.  
           [0006]    As yet another feature, the upper is hand-sewn around the entire periphery of the finished platform with Opanka stitch series against the peripheral side region of the finished platform, thereby joining the upper to the finished platform.  
           [0007]    Additionally, the sock lining unit comprises a sock forepart and a skeleton sock backpart, both adhesively attached to the foam insole cover. The sock lining unit further comprises a sock lining pad placed over a heel portion of the finished platform, covering the skeleton sock backpart.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect of the invention, the insole is made of molded rubber material. The insole has an insole cavity in the upper surface for attaching the sock lining unit. And a foam insole cover is placed in the insole cavity and adhesively attached to the insole cavity.  
           [0009]    In certain embodiments, the wrapper is a strip made from a same material as the upper, and the wrapper is attached to the sock lining unit by Opanka stitch series. The wrapper stitched to the sock lining forms an opening for the placement of the insole, and the wrapper is adhesively fixed to a side and a bottom periphery region of the insole.  
           [0010]    As yet another feature, the upper is marked for hand-sewing with Opanka stitch series for placement of awl, and the upper is pre-punched with dots for hand-sewing. The upper is hand-sewed to the sock lining unit by Opanka stitch series simultaneously stitching the finished platform to the sock lining.  
           [0011]    In certain embodiments, the finished platform has a plurality of cavities in the underside region for reducing the weight of the platform and giving it elasticity.  
           [0012]    In embodiments of the invention, the outsole unit is made of molded rubber and has a cavity to accommodate the finished platform and a shank cavity to fix a steel shank cavity therein.  
           [0013]    Additionally, a sole cement is applied to a bottom surface of the finished platform and an upper surface of the outsole unit for adhesively attaching the finished platform to the outsole unit.  
           [0014]    According to yet another aspect of the invention, a method for making footwear includes attaching an insole to a sock lining unit having a peripheral portion for seaming and stitching; providing and securing a wrapper covering an underside region of the insole; attaching the finished platform to an outsole unit; and, securing an upper to the peripheral side region of the finished platform. Moreover, the wrapper is seamed to the peripheral portion of the sock lining unit. The wrapper attached to the insole forms a finished platform which has a peripheral side region.  
           [0015]    Embodiments may have one or more of the following advantages.  
           [0016]    A method for making footwear using the present invention provides the benefit of having a finished platform which can readily receive an upper. This permits simple and economical attachment of the upper to a finished platform.  
           [0017]    In other words, in the process for completing the shoe, the advantage lies in providing a method of making footwear which reduces the need for complicated machinery or highly skilled workers. Given a finished platform to which an upper can be quickly attached to, the process efficiently streamlines production and manufacturing of shoes. This eliminates the need for working with various components which may delay production for the completed shoes. Thus, the method makes a simple and cost-favorable production possible.  
           [0018]    Another advantage is that the process of sewing the upper to a finished platform gives added resilience and resistance to all the components of the shoe, protecting them from deterioration and leading to prolonged life of the shoe. With prolonged wearing, the finished platform is less prone to deformation due to its resilience and strength.  
           [0019]    In addition, this method of making footwear inherently enhances the overall appearance of the footwear by permitting genuine hand-sewn seams, all around the periphery of the shoe. Another advantage of this shoe is enhanced comfort provided by the cushioned layers of the finished platform, significantly reducing foot and leg muscle fatigue, as well as the fashionable style resulting from these functional components.  
           [0020]    Thus, the upper is enhanced by hand-sewn seams all around the periphery of the shoe, giving it a finished, aesthetically superior quality. The pre-engineered apertures used for creating the hand-sewn seams ensure accuracy of seaming and wrapping locations as required for improved fitting qualities.  
           [0021]    The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a footwear.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a pictorial exploded view of the components of the footwear of FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the footwear of FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 1.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 6 is a pictorial exploded view of the components of the footwear of FIG. 5.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the footwear of FIG. 5. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0029]    Referring now to the figures in which identical elements are numbered identically throughout, a description of the embodiments of the present invention will now be provided.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 1, a sandal-type shoe  10  includes a shoe upper  12 , an outsole unit  50 , an insole  40 , and a sock lining unit  30 .  
         [0031]    Shoe upper  12  has a vamp that can have various types of designs and constructions. The shoe upper  12  is shown stitched to a finished platform  20 , forming the internal spacing where the wearer&#39;s foot is inserted (not shown). The upper  12  may include an opening for the toes. The shoe upper  12  is preferably made of leather and may also include an inner liner sewed to the inner surface of upper  12  which can be fabricated of materials (e.g., soft leather) selected to provide comfort to the wearer during walking. Prior to attachment to other components of the shoe  10 , the shoe at this stage, includes a sewed upper with bottom portions of the upper  12  open for attachment with a finished platform  20 .  
         [0032]    Shoe upper  12  is similar to conventional sandal-type uppers with a side portion  13  of the upper  12  shaped to accommodate pre-punched holes around its periphery for hand-sewing. These pre-punched holes (not shown) are used, as will be described below, for attachment to a finished platform  20  in the construction of the completed shoe  10 .  
         [0033]    Shoe upper  12  is designed such that the lower perimeter of the upper  12  will fit within the contoured perimeter of the insole  40 . The term ‘lower perimeter’ refers to the edge of the upper  12  that contacts the insole  40  in the finished platform  20 .  
         [0034]    Outsole unit  50  is formed of molded polyurethane. In other embodiments, the outsole unit can be produced of a plastic material, for example, from a vinyl polymer, polyolefin, polystyrene, or a rubber. The outsole unit  50  provides a flexible and durable structure which resists wear. Outsole unit  50  includes a bottom walking surface  52  and an opposed surface  54  opposite to the walking surface  52 . In this embodiment, outsole unit  50  includes a separate heel portion  18 . The outsole unit  50  is preferably designed to provide the silhouette and support for the shoe  10 , which is aesthetically desirable and comfortable for the wearer.  
         [0035]    In the present embodiment, the outsole unit  50  is secured to an outsole region  21  with heel  18  separately formed on the bottom walking surface  52 . The outsole unit  50  of the present invention has a desired thickness across its length.  
         [0036]    The heel  18 , illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, and  4  is attached to the insole  40 . The heel  18  includes a support base  19  to provide additional heel support, lift, and non-skidability for the wearer. Notches  17  formed on the walking surface of the support base  19  assist by providing cavities to enhance the non-skid features of the heel  18 .  
         [0037]    Referring to FIG. 2, the insole  40  and sock lining unit  30  are described.  
         [0038]    The insole  40  is a padded structure designed to provide cushioning and support to a wearer&#39;s foot. The insole  40  includes several layers: a molded insole  44 , a steel shank  60 , a fiber tuck  43 , and a foam insole cover  42 . Each of these layers may be used for alignment with the other layer components. The insole  40  also includes a peripheral insole region  47  and an underside region  49  for attachment to a wrapper  22 , described further below.  
         [0039]    The molded insole  44  is formed of a rigid fiber material and is covered by a metal reinforcement steel shank  60  which is embedded within the insole  40 . The molded insole  40  extends generally from a heel portion  62  of the shoe  10  to the edge of the toe portion  61  of the shoe  10  and provides the structural rigidity to the heel portion  62  of the shoe where it is most needed. Moreover, the molded insole  44  supports the heel  18 , which is attached to the outsole unit  50 .  
         [0040]    The insole  40  includes a foam insole cover  42  which is made of a foam cushion material with a covering of leather of suitable man-made material, in the form of a sock lining unit  30 . The foam insole cover  42  is about 3 mm in thickness. The foam insole cover  42  is cushy and covers the molded insole  44  and the steel shank  60  and is bound tightly to the molded insole  44  by an adhesive glue. Preferably, the foam insole cover  42  is shaped in conformity with the molded insole  44 , and is spaced from the stitches by about ½ inch about its periphery. When the various components of the shoe  10  are stitched together, the foam insole cover  42  is held securely at its edges by the gluing.  
         [0041]    As constructed, the foam insole cover  42  provides enhanced wearing comfort of the shoe  10 . At the same time, it is protected from wear and from being damaged while inserting or removing the foot. Depending upon the compressability of the foam, the shoe may provide different configuration and shapes, as a softer foam is used and pressed differently in different portions of the shoe  10 .  
         [0042]    In this embodiment, the sock lining unit  30  includes two components, a sock lining pad  32  and an inside layer made from a sock lining forepart  33  connected to a skeleton sock backpart  34 . The sock lining forepart  33  and the skeleton sock backpart  34  is formed of a polyester material and covered by the sock lining pad  32  made, e.g., of pigskin leather. As the shoe  10  is assembled, the sock lining unit  30  has an opening  37  formed by the skeleton sock backpart  34 . The opening  37  allows heel  18  to be securely attached to the insole  40  by either nails or other attachment means. In this embodiment, nails (not shown) are driven through an inner section  45  of the finished platform  20  and anchored into the fiber tuck  43 . The opening  37  is then covered by the sock lining pad  32  so that the pad  32  is in direct contact with and covers the foam insole cover  42 . Consequently, opening  37  allows more efficient cutting of the assembly materials such as those shown in FIG. 2 and the access to the inner section  45  of the finished platform  20  of the heel  18  is facilitated. The sock lining pad  32  is made of the same material as the upper  12  and wrapper  22 , thus giving a uniform, aesthetically pleasing look to the finished platform  20 . Although leather is the preferred material, different materials may be used. Additional padding layers may be added to the socklining unit  30 , as necessary or as desired.  
         [0043]    In some embodiments, the sock lining unit  30  may be decoratively quilted to provide an aesthetically pleasing look to the interior surface of the shoe  10 . Moreover, the sock lining unit  30  includes a peripheral portion  35  for attaching to the upper  12  and the wrapper  22  described further below. This peripheral portion  35  becomes the peripheral side region  25  of the completed finished platform  20 .  
         [0044]    Referring to FIG. 3, the underside portion  54  of the assembled shoe  10  is illustrated. The walking surface  52  has the outsole unit  50  which includes a recessed channel  51  that the contact surface of the shoe  10 . The recessed channel  51  forms a notch  41  on the outsole unit  50 . Similarly, a recessed channel  53  on the heel  18  form a notch  17 . In essence, the recessed channels  51  and  53  protect the outsole unit  50  and the heel  18 , respectively, by ensuring that the contact between the ground and these components are minimized and the shoe can be worn for prolonged duration.  
         [0045]    The walking surface  52  further includes a wrapper  22  preferably made of the same material as the upper  12 . The qualities of the material, such as leather, should be tear resistant, or high quality stitched-in textile made of strong fiber material. The wrapper  22  includes a center seam  70  having stitches  72  on a first side  74  and a second side  76  of the center seam  70 . As will be described in greater detail below, the wrapper  22  functions as a bottom cover  80  for the finished platform  20 , which is secured to the underside region  49  of the insole  40 . The bottom cover  80  covers the underside region  49  thereby forming the underside portion  54  of the shoe  10 . Specifically, the center seam  70  serves to secure the wrapper  22  to the insole  40  of the shoe  10 . FIG. 4 provides a perspective view better illustrating the stitches  72  on the first side  74  of the center seam  70  and the other components of the underside portion  54  of shoe  10 . It can be seen that the bottom cover  80  has a shank area  23  for joining the bottom cover  23 .  
         [0046]    The construction method of this embodiment will now be described in conjunction with the figures.  
         [0047]    In preparation for constructing shoe  10 , the upper  12  is cut, stitched and finished. The various components of the insole  40  are adhesively secured together. Namely, the molded insole  44  is adhesively combined with the steel shank  60  and the fiber tuck  43  in a compact fashion, securely attaching all surfaces of the these components to form a tight, well-formed insole  40 . The molded insole  40  can be molded to different shapes depending on a desired heel height.  
         [0048]    The bottom cover  80  will be marked for outsole location, and thereafter folded at the center seam  70  to be seamed and stitched. The bottom cover  23  is seamed and stitched in the shank area  23  by stitches  72 . The outsole unit  50  is then cemented and joined by stitches  59  securely attaching the outsole unit  50  to the leather bottom cover  80 .  
         [0049]    The bottom cover  80  is placed adhesively against the underside region  49  of the insole  40 , ensuring proper alignment with the insole  40 . Excess material from the bottom cover  80  is marked and trimmed so that the peripheral insole region  47  is covered adequately by the bottom cover  80 . The bottom cover  80  also serves as a “wrapping strip” in a manner that permits the strip to be wrapped, or sidelasted, onto the insole  40 . The fitting qualities are engineered into the attachment of the bottom cover  80  “wrapping strip” to the peripheral sides of the insole  40  and are dependent upon accurate stitching of this “wrapping strip” to the peripheral insole region  47  of the insole  40 .  
         [0050]    Finally, the finished platform  20  is constructed by attaching the sock forepart  33  and the skeleton sock backpart  34  of the sock lining unit  30  to the insole  40 . The sock forepart  33  and the skeleton sock backpart  34  are adhesively placed onto the foam insole cover  42 . The sock lining pad  32  may be adhesively placed over the opening  37  of the insole  40  either at this point of the construction process or after the finished platform has been secured to the outsole unit  50 . Because shoe  10  can be made more comfortable by providing as many layers of cushion or foam inserts as desired, sock lining pad  32  is inserted into the finished platform  20  so as to be disposed between the finished platform and the foot of the wearer. So that the sock lining pad  32  does not dislodge, tear or bend when inserting or removing the foot from the shoe, adhesive gluing or other secure means for attachment must be accurately performed.  
         [0051]    To form the shoe  10 , the upper  12  is now hand-sewn using pre-punched holes in the upper  12  and the peripheral portion  35  of the sock lining unit  30  thereby attaching it to the finished platform  20 . The stitching used is an Opanka stitch series. In certain embodiments, the stitching or seaming is done by passing a thread or other suitable means through pre-punched holes, forming a criss-cross stitch pattern. The stitching continues along the entire peripheral side region  25  of the finished platform, joining the upper  12  to the sock lining unit  30  and the wrapper  22 . The joining of these components by stitching creates a one-piece “cavity”, the internal spacing of the shoe  10 , which is comfortable on the foot.  
         [0052]    The heel  18  is secured and nailed to the heel region  62  of the insole  40  covered with the bottom cover  80 . Finally, the sock lining pad  32  can be inserted now or before forming the finished platform  20 , over into internal spacing of the shoe  10  created by the upper  12  within which the wearer&#39;s foot is to be inserted. The completed shoe is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.  
         [0053]    In a further embodiment as shown in FIGS.  5 - 7 , a finished platform  20  is provided which does not have a bottom cover  80 . As illustrated in FIG. 5, the shoe  10  includes a shoe upper  12 , an outsole unit  50 , an insole  40 , and a sock lining unit  30 .  
         [0054]    The shoe upper  12 , preferably made from leather, may have a vamp of various types and styles such as closed toe or open toe designs. The shoe upper  12  is attached to the insole  40 , forming what will be the internal spacing of the shoe. Shoe upper  12  may also include an inner liner sewed to the inner surface of upper  12  which can be fabricated of materials (e.g., soft leather) selected to provide comfort to the wearer during walking, in the same manner as described in connection with the previous embodiment.  
         [0055]    Shoe upper  12  is similar to conventional sandal-type uppers with a side portion  13  of the upper shaped to accommodate pre-punched holes around its periphery for hand-sewing. These pre-punched holes (not shown) are used, as will be shown later, for attachment to a finished platform  20  in the construction of the shoe  10 .  
         [0056]    Outsole unit  50  is formed of molded polyurethane. Outsole unit  50  includes a bottom walking surface  52  and an opposed surface  54  opposite to the walking surface  52  which attaches to the insole  40 . The outsole unit  50  provides a flexible and durable structure which resists wear.  
         [0057]    In this embodiment, the outsole unit  50  may be formed by a one-piece molded outsole integrated with a heel  18 , thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the shoe. The outsole unit has a desired thickness across its length and includes an integrally molded, upstanding sidewall  57  extending around its periphery.  
         [0058]    The opposed surface  54  of the outsole unit  50  is provided with an outsole cavity  55  and the open cells  56  for bonding with the underside region  49  of the insole  40 , and an additional cavity  71  to accommodate the steel shank  60  (not shown). In general, this means that the outsole unit  50  in the form of the outsole cavity  55  and the open cells  56  provides sufficient structural integrity to support the wearer&#39;s weight without being crushed, while providing a reduced amount of material compared with a completely filled supporting outsole unit structure.  
         [0059]    The outsole cavity  55  has a depth ranging from about 2 mm to about 4 mm. The outsole cavity  55  is slightly larger than the size of the insole  40  to provide a peripheral fit for adhesively securing and bonding the insole  40  to the opposed surface  54  of outsole cavity  55 .  
         [0060]    The heel  18  includes a support base  19  to provide additional heel support, lift, and non-skidability for the wearer, in the same manner as described in connection with the previous embodiment.  
         [0061]    Referring to FIG. 6, the insole  40  and sock lining unit  30  are described.  
         [0062]    The insole  40  for this embodiment has a simplified construction. It includes a molded insole  44  and a foam insole cover  42  of about 3 mm in thickness. Each of these layers may be used for alignment with the other layer. The insole  40  may also include a platform in lieu of the molded insole  44 . The molded insole  44  is then covered with foam insole cover  42 . The insole  40  also includes a peripheral insole region  47  and an underside region  49  for attachment to the outsole unit  50  and the wrapper  22 .  
         [0063]    The molded insole  44  is formed of a flexible rubber material, extending generally from the heel portion  62  of the shoe  10  to the edge of the toe portion  61  and the molded insole  44  provides a flexible structure for the shoe  10 .  
         [0064]    The insole  40  further includes a foam insole cover  42  made of a foam cushion material with a covering of leather of suitable man-made material, in the form of the sock lining unit  30 . The molded insole  44  includes a cavity  63  to accommodate the foam insole cover  42 . The foam insole cover  42  is cushy and covers the molded insole  44 . Preferably, the foam insole cover  42  is approximately ⅜″ thick and is attached securely within the cavity  63  of the molded insole  44  by gluing. Depending upon the compressability of the foam insole cover  42 , the shoe  10  may provide different configuration and shapes, as a softer foam is used and pressed differently in different portion of the shoe  10 .  
         [0065]    In this embodiment, the sock lining unit  30  includes only one component, a sock lining  32 . The sock lining  32  may be made from one piece of any suitable material or it can be made from composite parts. The sock lining  32  may be decoratively quilted to provide an aesthetically pleasing look to the interior surface of the shoe. The sock lining  32 , as well as the upper  12 , may be provided with corresponding or matching surface ornamentation in order to impart to these components a coordinated appearance or stitching pattern.  
         [0066]    Moreover, the sock lining unit  30  includes a peripheral portion  35  for attaching to the upper  12  and the wrapper  22 , described further below. This peripheral portion  35  becomes the peripheral side region  25  of the completed finished platform  20 .  
         [0067]    Referring to FIG. 7, the underside portion  49  of the insole  40  is illustrated. The underside region  49  includes a strip of the wrapper  22  folded over the underside portion  49  and seamed or adhesively glued to the peripheral edge  47  of the underside portion  49 . The strip of wrapper  22  is preferably made of the same material as the upper  12  such as leather, but any suitable material for the strip is appropriate. As desired, the wrapper  22  may be a connecting endless ring-like strip, especially in an embodiment such as that shown in FIGS.  5 - 7  rather than a strip of wrap with a finite length.  
         [0068]    The underside region  49  of the insole  40  further includes cavities  48  having a honeycomb construction. These cavities reduce the weight and provide added elasticity to the finished platform  20 .  
         [0069]    A construction method for making this embodiment will now be described in conjunction with FIGS.  5 - 7 .  
         [0070]    In preparation for constructing shoe  10 , the upper  12  is prepared as usual. The upper  12  may also include an opening for the toes as in the previous embodiment. The upper  12  is marked with pre-punched holes (not shown) for hand-sewing with Opanka stitch series of dots for placement of awl. The components of the insole  40  are adhesively secured together. Namely, the molded insole  44  is adhesively combined with the foam insole cover  42 , securely attaching them to form a tight, well-formed insole  40 . The molded insole  40  may also be formed to different shapes depending on the desired heel height. In this embodiment, the stitching is done by passing a thread through the pre-punched holes, forming a criss-cross stitch pattern.  
         [0071]    The sock lining  32  of the sock lining unit  30  is thereafter cut in order to be placed above the foam insole cover  42 . The peripheral portion  35  of the sockining unit  30  is marked with a series of dots for placement of awl or pre-punched holes may be formed for eventual hand-sewing in Opanka stitch series.  
         [0072]    Foam insole cover  42  is attached adhesively onto the cavity  57  of the insole  40 . Wrapper  22  is seamed with the peripheral portion  35  of the sock lining  32 , along the entire periphery of the sock lining  32 . In other words, the stitching continues along the entire peripheral side region  25  of the finished platform. This is achieved by forming a closing seam (not shown) joining the wrapper  22  to the sock lining unit  30  by placing the components to be seamed face to face and stitching close to the edge, which then results in a hidden seam. The closing seams can be performed by a sewing machine.  
         [0073]    Consequently, a cavity is formed by joining the sock lining unit  30  and the wrap  22  for placement of the insole  40 . The insole  40  is placed within the cavity, with the wrapper  22  adhesively fixed to the side  63  and peripheral edge  47  of the underside portion  49 .  
         [0074]    In other words, the wrapper  22  extends downwardly from the point of its attachment at the side of the insole  40  and is lasted into the underside region  49  of the insole  40 . Thus, the peripheral edge  47  of the wrap  22  terminates at a point before covering the honeycomb cavity  48 . In effect, this enables manufacture of the finished platform  20  with a minimum quantity of leather and thereby reduces the material cost of the shoe.  
         [0075]    Moreover, the strip of wrap  22  becomes almost like an extension of the sock lining unit  30  in that it serves to anchor and hold the finished platform  20  together.  
         [0076]    Once so bonded to the insole  40 , the wrap  22  is sealed securely against the penetration of moisture and is guarded against scruffing and side blows imparted to the shoe  10 .  
         [0077]    Next, the peripheral edge  47  of the wrap  22  (FIG. 7) may be roughed in order to remove the leather finish of the wrapper  22  and to allow sole cement to penetrate the wrapper leather. The finished platform  20  is now completed for this embodiment.  
         [0078]    The upper  12  is now attached to the finished platform  20 , by hand-sewing the upper  12  using pre-punched holes, to the peripheral portion  35  of the sock lining unit  30  and attaching the upper  12  to the finished platform  20  with Opanka stitch series.  
         [0079]    To complete the shoe  10 , sole cement is applied to the honeycomb cavities  48  in the underside region  49  of the insole  40 . For secure and tight bonding, sole cement is also applied in the outsole cavity  55 , including the additional cavity  71  to accommodate the steel shank  60 . This additional sole cement ensures adequate bonding of the insole  40  into the cavity  55  of the outsole unit  50 . For this purpose, a last (not shown) is then inserted into the resulting one-piece finished platform  20  and the outsole unit  10  is pressed to form the secure bond. The lasting is accomplished by slipping a last into the internal spacing where the wearer&#39;s foot is inserted. The last is used as leverage so that the outsole unit  50  can be pressed to the finished platform  20  thus completing the construction of the shoe  10 .  
         [0080]    Although the invention, preferably relates to casual sandals, other fields of application are entirely within the scope of the invention, especially in the broad sector of footwear manufacturing. Thus, a number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.