Shoes

Separation of the upper from the midsole, and separation of the midsole from the main sole, of shoes resulting from the kind of forces that are applied during the practice in bowling and other sports is minimized or prevented by the use of a wrap-around member in the toe region of the shoe. The lower margin of that wrap-around member is sandwiched between the midsole and the sole of the shoe, and it is wrapped around and over the midsole and up the side of the upper where it is fastened in a way that combines with a lock stitch that binds together the wrap-around member, the midsole, and the sole so that forces that would otherwise tend to separate midsole from the upper tend, if anything, to relieve pressure on that juncture. A cap over the toe area, the lower portion of which forms the outer margin of the main sole, has an upper portion which is included in the materials that are held together with the lock stitch whereby to protect the juncture between the wrap-around member and the sole, or the midsole and the sole, from forces that might tend to separate them.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to improvements in shoes, and it relates in 
particular to methods and means for preventing separation of shoe uppers 
from the slipsole and the slipsole from the sole. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The problem of toe damage in shoes is often severe. Certain kinds of 
activities, those in which the toe end of the wearer's shoes in kicked 
against some article or obstacle or is dragged over the ground or floor 
tends to cause separation of shoe components in the region of the toe. 
This problem is particularly prevalent in shoes that are worn in the 
conduct of sports activities. One example is socker playing. In that game, 
the shoe toe is used again and again to kick a ball. Another example is 
the sport of bowling. Bowlers usually drag the toe of one shoe over the 
floor as a part of throwing the ball. That practice, and the economic 
circumstances that attend the sport, combine to make shoe damage a major 
and expensive problem. 
It is customary for bowlers to wear leather soled shoes similar to men's 
street shoes and designed to facilitate ball throwing and protection of 
the bowling alley and bowling alley floor area at the head of the alley. 
Many bowlers provide their own bowling shoes, but almost all bowling alley 
establishments maintain a supply of bowling shoes that patrons can rent 
and, lacking a suitable pair of their own, are required to rent. 
The need to discourage theft, the desire to minimize the investment in a 
stock of shoes, and other factors combine to the end that almost all 
rental shoes are less than maximum quality products. Rental shoes receive 
hard use and the result, more often than not, is limited life because of 
damage in the region of the toe. The upper separates from the slipsole, 
the slipsole separates from the sole, or both. The former defect is the 
most difficult to repair. 
The need to minimize the cost of bowling shoes and the low volume of 
bowling shoes relative to street shoes have tended to make the production 
of special designs economically unattractive. Men's shoe making machinery 
is made to produce what have become conventional shoe forms. The prospect 
of increased cost discourages the adoption of any design which requires 
the use of different machines, either at the time of original production 
or at the time of repair. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The need for shoe improvement is most acute in the case of rental bowling 
shoes. It is for that reason, and the reason that the preferred mode for 
practicing the invention is found in its application to bowling shoes, 
that the invention is described below in relation to that application. 
It is a specific object of the invention to provide an improved bowling 
shoe and it is an object to provide an improved bowling shoe suitable for 
use as a rental shoe. 
A more general object is to provide an improved shoe for any purpose and to 
provide a shoe in which separation of sole and slipsole, or midsole, from 
other parts of the shoe is minimized. 
These and other objects and advantages of the invention which will become 
apparent upon a reading of the matters set out below are realized, at 
least in part, by the inclusion of a warp-around member which extends, in 
the toe area, from the region of the upper side of the midsole, around the 
outer edge of the midsole and then between the midsole and sole, and which 
is stitched to the midsole by stitches that sew together the combination 
of the upper part of that wrap-around member and the midsole and the lower 
part of that member. In a preferred form, the lower part of the 
wrap-around member, the midsole and the upper are joined by a McKay, or 
"little way," stitch. In another preferred form, the inner sole is joined 
by the McKay stitch. 
In one form of the invention the under part of the wrap-around member forms 
part of the sole and is bonded, usually with an adhesive, to the remainder 
of the sole and/or the midsole. 
Alternatively, the wrap-around member extends up along the side of the 
upper and is stitched to the upper. The composite is envisioned by the 
invention in that the wrap-around member can extend over and from the side 
of the upper, down to and around the midsole, and then under the midsole 
to form a part of the main sole. 
The best form for hard rental service uses two wrap-around members. One, an 
upper member of relatively pliant material, overlies the upper in the 
region of the toe and back along the lower sides where some bowlers apply 
a force with the side of the foot adjacent the ball. That upper member 
extends down the upper to its juncture with the midsole and thence 
outwardly over, around and then under the midsole, there to be sewn with 
the little way stitch to the midsole, the upper, and to the inner sole. 
The other wrap-around member is formed of an abrasion resistant material 
that exhibits relatively low sliding friction and, in preferred form, is 
molded to near final shape to be placed over the upper wrap-around member 
in the toe region and then fastened in place. The lower member is 
generally U-shaped in cross section. The bottom of the U is generally 
vertical and lies adjacent the edge of the sole pieces. The upper arm of 
the U overlies that part of the upper wrap-around member that overlies the 
midsole. The lower part of the U underlies that part of the upper 
wrap-around member that underlies the midsole. At its inner margin the 
lower part of the U-shaped wrap-around member is bonded to the main sole. 
A lock stitch joins the upper arm of the U, the upper layer of the upper 
wrap-around member, the midsole, the lower layer of the upper wrap-around 
member, and the lower arm of the U. In the preferred arrangement the lock 
stitch lies in a groove that is molded in the lower face of the lower arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The shoe 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is the right shoe of similarly constructed 
pair of bowling shoes. Except for inclusion of the invention, they are 
representative of the kind and quality of shoe that is available for rent 
at bowling alley enterprises across the nation. 
The upper 12 is made of leather, as is the heel counter 14, the tongue 16, 
what appears to be the upper wing 18, and most of the sole 20. The midsole 
22 is made of a plastic material, and the inner sole 24 is made of treated 
paperboard. Plastisized cloth might be substituted for the leather upper 
and the heel piece, and it is not uncommon that the inner side and the 
outer side of the upper be separated at the toe. Interconnection is 
completed by sewing both sides to a bridging piece which may be an 
extension of the tongue. 
Rental shoes are usually colored distinctively to discourage theft, and 
provision is made for attaching or otherwise applying a shoe size number 
to the exterior of the heel piece. A circular opening 26 in the heel marks 
the place where the size number is placed. In a typical case, and in this 
shoe, part of the upper might be colored maroon and part might be colored 
green. The heel 28 is made of white rubber. 
The wing part 18 of the upper is not conventional. It overlies the lower 
surfaces of the upper instead of forming the lower part of the upper. That 
is shown best in FIG. 5 where the wing 18 is seen to be the upper part of 
a member for which the shoe art has no name and is here called a 
"wrap-around" member 30. From the junction of the upper 12 and the midsole 
22, the wrap-around member 30. The junction of wrap-around member 30 
extends outwardly over the upper surface of the midsole, then down over 
the outer edge of the midsole, the finally back under the midsole to a 
point underlying both the midsole and the lower margin 32 of the upper 12. 
The portion of the wrap-around member 30 that overlies the upper margin of 
the midsole is identified by the reference numeral 34. The portion that 
covers the outer edge is numbered 36, and the underlying portion is 
numbered 38. The underlying portion is sandwiched between the midsole and 
the main sole. 
The space between the midsole and main sole, inside the portion 38 of the 
wrap-around member, is filled with a cork filler sheet 40 which is glued 
to the underside of the midsole. A conventional inner sole 42 overlies and 
is glued to the midsole at the interior of the shoe. In this embodiment, a 
little way stitch (the name given by the shoe industry) binds together the 
inner margin of portion 38 of the wrap-around member, the midsole 22, the 
lower margin 32 of the upper, and the inner sole. One stitch is visible in 
FIG. 5 where it is numbered 44. 
Another stitch 46 binds the upper edge of wing 18 to the upper 12 and a 
lock stitch 48 binds the sole, the wrap-around member 30 and the midsole 
together outside of the upper. In this preferred form, a second 
wrap-around member 50 is included. It is preformed and serves as a cap 
over the portions 34, 36 and 38 of the wrap-around member 30 in the toe 
region of the shoe. The outer margin of the main sole is cut away and is 
replaced by the lower part of the cap 50. 
The cap is shown in cross-section in FIG. 7. The lower section 52 serves as 
part of the main sole. The inner edge is wedge-shaped to match a 
complementary shape at the edge of the leather portion of the main sole to 
which it is glued. The wedge shape increases the area of the glue surface 
and any shape that will result in a good bond may be used. The upper part 
54 of the cap is made to overlie portion 34 of member 30. The connecting 
part 56 of the cap abuts the vertical portion 36 of member 30. Two grooves 
are formed in the cap to accommodate the loops of the lock stitch. They 
are not visible in FIG. 5 where they are hidden by stitch 48. The upper 
groove 60 is formed in the upper face of upper part 54 of cap 50. Its 
function is to serve as a guide for the sewing needle. The primary purpose 
of groove 62 in the lower face of the lower part of the cap is to remove 
most of the stitching from the sole surface and to protect it from being 
worn away. 
The manner in which the several elements of the forward part of the shoe 
are assembled is illustrated in the exploded view, FIG. 4. The inner sole 
42 is disposed within the upper 12 and above the lower margin 32 of the 
upper. The lower margin is not visible in FIG. 4, but its presence is 
indicated by the broken line 70. The manner in which the inner sole and 
the upper are related is illustrated in FIG. 5. The inwardly turned lower 
margin 32 of the upper is glued to the upper surface of the midsole 22, 
and the lower surface of the inner sole is glued to the upper surface of 
the midsole and, at its margins, is glued to the upper surface of the 
lower margin 32 of the upper. In an alternative procedure, the inner sole 
is added at a later stage. For this preferred embodiment, it is more 
convenient to add it prior to addition of the wrap-around member 30 which 
is shown as the upper element in FIG. 4. 
The lower margin of member 30 is placed upon the outer margin of the lower 
side of the midsole so that it extends rearwardly for a like distance on 
both sides of the shoe. The forward peak 72 serves as a convenient guide 
for properly locating that member. The inner side of the lower portion 38 
of member 30 is placed against, and is secured to, the lower outer margin 
of the midsole. That can be done by gluing or with a little way stitch, or 
both. Gluing is not essential if the little way stitch is used, but the 
addition of a glue bonding may facilitate holding the parts together for 
the stitching operation. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the little way 
stitch extends through the inner sole. That is not essential, but it is 
preferred. 
The little way stitch having been completed, the wrap-around member 30 is 
formed around the slipsole and the upper in the manner shown in FIG. 5. In 
the preferred procedure, the next step is to sew the upper edge of the 
member 30 to the upper along its entire length. As best shown in FIGS. 1 
and 2, the member 30 extends along the sides of the shoe past the ball of 
the foot to the instep. It is not essential that the wrap-around member 
extend that far to the rear of the shoe to perform its function of 
preventing separation between the upper sole and the midsole. Extension 
past the ball of the foot, however, is preferred because the addition of 
another layer of material adjacent the sides of the foot in the region of 
the ball of the foot provides additional protection against the breakage 
of the upper which sometimes occurs because of the force that is applied 
to a bowling shoe. The problem is particularly severe in the case of 
plastic uppers, and it is for that reason that the length of the upper 
wrap-around member 30 is extended in the preferred embodiment. 
The next step in assembling the shoe is to add the cork filler layer 40. It 
is glued to the central part of the midsole, and its thickness corresponds 
to the thickness of portion 38 of the member 30. It is used to fill the 
space that would otherwise be left between the central forward area of the 
midsole 22 and the central forward area of the main sole 18. That spacing 
results because of the introduction of portion 38 of member 30 between the 
midsole and main sole so that the cork filler need extend rearwardly only 
as far as does the member 30. 
The next step is to apply the chrome leather sole 18. The forward part of 
that leather sole has been cut away and shaped to accommodate the lower 
portion 52 of the cap 50. The glue is applied to the joining surfaces of 
the chrome leather sole and the cap, and the cap is forced into place so 
that its lower portion forms part of the sole and so that its upper 
portion 54 overlies member 30 and the midsole 22. Assembly of the cap 50 
on the toe of the shoe forces the wrap-around member 50 into the V-shaped 
region at the juncture of the upper and the midsole in the manner depicted 
in FIG. 5. When the cap is in place, the lock stitch is shown to bind 
together the two wrap-around members and the midsole. 
A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. This embodiment 
employs only the upper wrap-around member. The lower wrap-around member, 
the cap of FIGS. 1 through 5 and FIG. 7, is omitted. In FIG. 6, the sole 
74 is conventional and it extends over the entire bottom of the shoe. The 
little way stitch 76 in this case does not extend through the inner sole. 
It extends only through the lower margin 80 of the upper 82 and the 
midsole 84 and the lower portion of the wrap-around member 86. The member 
86 corresponds to, and may be exactly like, the wrap-around member 30 of 
the first described embodiment. In this case, the lock stitch 90 holds 
together the combination of one thickness of the member 86, the midsole 
76, another layer of the wrap-around member 86, and the main sole 74. The 
upper margin of the wrap-around member 86 is sewn to the upper by a line 
of stitches one of which is shown and is numbered 92. 
Cap 50 is relatively long and curved. In preferred form it is formed of a 
plastic material which has a relatively low coefficient of surface 
friction, which is scuff resistant and which can be effectively bonded 
with leather with a relatively inexpensive adhesive material. Rather than 
being made rigid, the cap is made so that it exhibits some resilience. It 
must bend during use, and that characteristic makes it possible to use one 
cap size to make a wide range of shoe sizes. The cap will cover a smaller 
proportion of the periphery of a large shoe than it will cover in a shoe 
of smaller size. The difference is small, and is accommodated by 
adjustment of the cutout that is formed in the chrome leather of the sole. 
Except for the step of molding the cap, all of the other processes that are 
employed to make a shoe according to the invention correspond to processes 
that are already used in the shoe making industry. The shoe embodying the 
invention can be made with existing, conventional machinery, and nothing 
special is required. In the case of the modification shown in FIG. 6, 
there is nothing that cannot be accomplished with conventional methods and 
tools. However, while practicing the invention requires no special 
machinery or tools or skill, the result produced by the invention differs 
widely from the result of previous practice. 
The need for the invention arises out of the fact that in certain 
applications a force is applied to the upper surface of a midsole in a 
direction to tear it away from the upper of the shoe. In the past, the 
answer to that problem has been to increase the strength of the bond 
between the lower margin of the upper and the midsole. That approach has 
been seen as both logical and direct. The little way stitch is made 
heavier, and the glue bond is made stronger. Certainly those effects have 
contributed to a reduction in the instances of midsole and upper 
separation. What Applicant has done provides a better and more effective 
solution to the problem because it uses forces applied to the upper side 
of the midsole at the exterior of the shoe to relieve and to prevent the 
imposition of forces that would tend to separate the lower margin of the 
upper from the midsole. That is done by transmitting that force through 
the wrap-around member to the point at which the wrap-around member is 
stitched to the upper at a point well removed from the junction of the 
lower margin of the upper and the midsole. That same action occurs in the 
embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6, although it may be easier to envision it in 
connection with FIG. 6. The strain is taken by the lock stitch rather than 
by the little way stitch. Extending the wrap-around member down around the 
midsole and then under it prevents the application of upward forces to the 
wrap-around member which would tend to separate it from the midsole. 
Finally, extension of the lower portion of the wrap-around member under 
the lower margin of the upper provides an opportunity to include it in the 
material layers that are joined by the little way stitch to the end that 
that bond is strengthened. 
In the absence of the wrap-around member, there are two junctures that are 
exposed to the exterior of the shoe where they can be exposed to forces 
tending to separate them. One of those junctures occurs at the interface 
of the midsole and the main sole, and the other occurs at the juncture of 
the midsole and the upper. Addition of the wrap-around member eliminates 
the latter. Only the juncture between the wrap-around member and the sole 
remains exposed. The inner connection between the wrap-around member and 
the upper occurs at a point where separating forces are rarely applied, 
and are not applied in the ordinary use of a bowling shoe. Because the 
main stitch is more effective in its bonding task than is the little way 
stitch (because the lower end of the upper is so thin), addition of the 
one wrap-around member, as illustrated in FIG. 6, solves most of the 
problem. Addition of the cap in the preferred embodiment eliminates the 
juncture between the midsole and the main sole, or between the upper 
wrap-around member and the main sole. Drag his toe as he will, the bowler 
simply cannot pull the main sole from the midsole. Inclusion of the upper 
portion, part 54 of the cap 50, permits a forcing of the upper wrap-around 
member into the V-shaped space at the juncture of the upper and the 
midsole in a way that aids the transfer of downward forces in the 
direction of the upper side of the midsole, to the stitch 46 in FIG. 5. At 
this point, attention is invited to the toe end of FIG. 1, at the very 
front of the shoe where the forces are greatest that tend to separate the 
shoe. Here, the wrap-around member 30 is extended to a point relatively 
high on the toe. Because of that, forces applied to the member 30, as a 
consequence of downward force at the very front of the shoe, need not be 
borne entirely by the stitching of the wrap-around member and the upper. 
Frictional engagement of the wrap-around member with the forward part of 
the upper results in a distribution of those forces over a relatively wide 
area. There is, in fact, no need for the stitching between the wrap-around 
member and the upper to be any heavier or stronger than what is normally 
used in the construction of conventional shoes. 
Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my 
invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. 
My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is 
necessitated by the prior art.