SHOE COMPONENT AND SHOE

A shoe component includes a tongue covering an instep of a foot of a wearer, a medial wing covering a medial midfoot of the wearer, and a lateral wing covering a lateral midfoot of the wearer, in which a part of the tongue on a medial foot side from a center in a foot width direction and the medial wing constitute a medial-foot tongue portion, a part of the tongue on a lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction and the lateral wing constitute a lateral-foot tongue portion, and at least one of the medial-foot tongue portion and the lateral-foot tongue portion is provided with a tongue eyelet through which a shoelace is threaded.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-162466 filed in Japan on Oct. 1, 2021.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe component to be used for an upper of a shoe and a shoe including the upper using the shoe component.

2. Description of the Related Art

A shoe includes an upper that covers a foot of a wearer, and a sole that covers the sole of the foot of the wearer. When the wearer kicks the ground during walking or running, the MP joint of the foot of the wearer flexes, and the foot of the wearer tends to escape from the upper. Therefore, the upper of the shoe is required to fit the foot of the wearer and to prevent the foot of the wearer from escaping even if the MP joint of the foot of the wearer flexes at the time of kicking the ground.

In order to enhance the fit of an upper to the foot of a wearer, a lacing fitting structure is provided on the upper. JP 5444558 B discloses a shoe in which eyelets are provided on a side panel that is not surface-jointed to an exterior material of a main upper. The shoe disclosed in JP 5444558 B allows a wearer to select whether to fit the side panel or to fit both the side panel and the main upper to the foot of the wearer in order to adjust the fit according to the preference of the wearer.

A shoe having a lacing fitting structure includes a tongue that covers an instep of a foot of a wearer. The shoe disclosed in JP 5444558 B cannot adjust the fit of the tongue to the instep of the foot of the wearer, and there is room for further improving the fit to the foot of the wearer.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and a purpose of the present invention is to obtain a shoe component capable of forming an upper that is highly fitted to a foot of a wearer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of a shoe component and a shoe according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments. In the following embodiments, the same or common parts are denoted by the same reference signs, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

In the following embodiments, a direction in which a heel center axis, which is a perpendicular line passing through the heel center of a sole in a plan view of a shoe, extends is referred to as a front-rear direction, and a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction in a plan view of the shoe is referred to as a foot width direction.

In addition, a direction from the heel toward the toe of the shoe in the front-rear direction is referred to as a front, and a direction from the toe toward the heel of the shoe in the front-rear direction is referred to as a rear.

In addition, a median side of a foot in the anatomical position is referred to as a medial foot side, and the side opposite to the median side of the foot in the anatomical position is referred to as a lateral foot side. That is, the side closer to the median line in the anatomical position is referred to as the medial foot side, and the side farther from the median line in the anatomical position is referred to as the lateral foot side.

Furthermore, a height direction means a direction orthogonal to both the front-rear direction and the foot width direction unless otherwise specified, and a thickness means a dimension in the height direction unless otherwise specified.

First Embodiment

FIG.1is a perspective view of a shoe according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A shoe50includes an upper1that covers a foot of a wearer, and a sole2that covers a sole of the foot of the wearer. The upper1includes a main upper11that covers the forefoot, the midfoot, and the heel of the wearer, and a shoe component12A that covers the instep of the foot of the wearer.

The main upper11is formed with a first opening1A into which the foot of the wearer is inserted and a second opening1B connected to the first opening1A in front of the first opening1A. The main upper11is provided with upper eyelets111through which a shoelace3is threaded at an edge of the second opening1B. The main upper11includes an insole that is not illustrated.

FIG.2is a plan view of the shoe component according to the first embodiment. The shoe component12A includes a tongue121that covers the instep of the foot of the wearer, a medial wing122that covers the medial midfoot of the wearer, and a lateral wing123that covers the lateral midfoot of the wearer. A part of the tongue121on the medial foot side from the center in the foot width direction and the medial wing122constitute a medial-foot tongue portion21. The medial wing122is a tongue-shaped member extending from the tongue121to protrude toward the medial foot side in the foot width direction. In addition, a part of the tongue121on the lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction and the lateral wing123constitute a lateral-foot tongue portion22. The lateral wing123is a tongue-shaped member extending from the tongue121to protrude toward the lateral foot side in the foot width direction. The medial-foot tongue portion21and the lateral-foot tongue portion22are provided with tongue eyelets23through which the shoelace3is threaded. The shoe component12A may include the medial wing122and the lateral wing123that are seamlessly connected to the tongue121or include the medial wing122and the lateral wing123that are separate members and sewn to the tongue121.

The tongue eyelets23are provided in a part of the tongue121on the medial foot side from the center in the foot width direction and a part of the tongue121on the lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction. The tongue eyelets23include two tongue eyelets provided in the medial-foot tongue portion21and one tongue eyelet provided in the lateral-foot tongue portion22. The tongue eyelets23formed in the medial-foot tongue portion21and the tongue eyelet23formed in the lateral-foot tongue portion22are alternately arranged in the front-rear direction. The shoe component12A is formed of a material having different stretchability from the main upper11.

The tongue121, the medial wing122, and the lateral wing123each have an outer surface material serving as an outer surface and an inner surface material serving as an inner surface. The inner surface is a surface that contacts the foot of wearer, and the outer surface is a surface on the back side of the inner surface. Each tongue eyelet23is formed by a part of the outer surface material sandwiched between slits24formed in parallel in the outer surface material. In the tongue eyelet23, the shoelace3is drawn between the outer surface material and the inner surface material through one slit24, and the shoelace3is drawn out from between the outer surface material and the inner surface material through the other slit24. By using a part of the outer surface material of the shoe component12A as the tongue eyelet23, it is possible to achieve a parts-less structure as compared with a structure in which ring-shaped components are attached to the outer surface material to form the tongue eyelet23. However, the tongue eyelet23is not limited to the part sandwiched between the slits24formed in parallel in the outer surface material. That is, a ring-shaped component may be attached to each of the medial-foot tongue portion21and the lateral-foot tongue portion22to be used as the tongue eyelet23. The slits24extend in the foot width direction. Since the slits24extend in the foot width direction, it is possible to reduce resistance when the shoelace3is threaded through the tongue eyelets23. Note that, the slits24may extend in the front-rear direction.

FIG.3is a top view of the shoe according to the first embodiment. As described above, the upper eyelets111are provided at the edge of the second opening1B of the main upper11, but no upper eyelet111is provided at the same position at the edge on the medial foot side of the second opening1B in the front-rear direction as the tongue eyelet23provided in the medial-foot tongue portion21. In addition, no the upper eyelet111is provided in the main upper11at the same position at the edge on the lateral foot side of the second opening1B in the front-rear direction as the tongue eyelet23provided in the lateral-foot tongue portion22. The shoelace3is alternately threaded through the tongue eyelets23provided in the medial-foot tongue portion21and the tongue eyelet23provided in the lateral-foot tongue portion22, and then threaded through the upper eyelets111. Here, when the shoelace3is divided into two parts from an intermediate point between a part threaded through the foremost upper eyelet111on the medial foot side and a part threaded through the foremost upper eyelet111on the lateral foot side, a half threaded through only the upper eyelets111is referred to as a first part31, and the other half passing through the upper eyelets111and the tongue eyelets23is referred to as a second part32.

FIG.4is a view showing a fixed state of the shoe component, the main upper, and the sole according to the first embodiment. The front edge of the tongue121of the shoe component12A is connected to the front edge of the second opening1B of the main upper11by sewing or welding. The tip of the lateral wing123of the shoe component12A is sewn to the lower end of the midfoot portion of the main upper11and the insole. The reference sign A inFIG.4shows a position where the front edge of the tongue121of the shoe component12A is sewn to the front edge of the second opening1B of the main upper11. The reference sign B inFIG.4shows a position where the tip of the lateral wing123of the shoe component12A is sewn to the lower end of the midfoot portion of the main upper11and the insole. Although not illustrated inFIG.4, the tip of the medial wing122of the shoe component12A is sewn to the lower end of the midfoot portion of the main upper11and the insole. Therefore, the shoe component12A forms an arch in the foot width direction.

When the wearer wears the shoe50and then pulls the first part31of the shoelace3, the edge on the medial foot side and the edge on the lateral foot side of the second opening1B of the main upper11are drawn toward the center in the foot width direction, and the main upper11tightens the foot of the wearer from the foot width direction. On the other hand, when the wearer pulls the second part32of the shoelace3, the edge on the medial foot side and the edge on the lateral foot side of the second opening1B of the main upper11are drawn toward the center in the foot width direction, and the medial-foot tongue portion21and the lateral-foot tongue portion22of the shoe component12A are also drawn toward the center in the foot width direction. Since the tips of the medial wing122and the lateral wing123of the shoe component12A are sewn to the insole, when the medial-foot tongue portion21and the lateral-foot tongue portion22are drawn toward the center in the foot width direction, the arch formed by the shoe component12A is lowered, and the shoe component12A holds the instep of the foot of the wearer. Therefore, when the second part32of the shoelace3is pulled, the shoe component12A holds the instep of the foot of the wearer, and the main upper11tightens the foot of the wearer from the foot width direction. Since the shoe component12A is formed of a material having different stretchability from the main upper11, the wearer feels a difference in the hold on the foot when the first part31of the shoelace3is pulled and when the second part32is pulled.

In the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment, the number of the tongue eyelets23of the medial-foot tongue portion21is greater than the number of the tongue eyelets23of the lateral-foot tongue portion22. For this reason, when the second part32of the shoelace3is pulled, the medial-foot tongue portion21is more strongly drawn to the center in the foot width direction than the lateral-foot tongue portion22. Therefore, the shoe50using the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment can hold the foot of the wearer on the medial foot side more strongly than on the lateral foot side when the second part32of the shoelace3is pulled.

In this manner, the shoe50using the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment fits the foot of the wearer differently when the first part31of the shoelace3is pulled and when the second part32is pulled. Therefore, the wearer of the shoe50using the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment can wear the shoe with the tightness that suits the preference of the wearer. In addition, since the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment includes the medial wing122and the lateral wing123in addition to the tongue121, the shoe component12A can hold the instep of the foot of the wearer in a wrapping manner. In this manner, by using the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment, it is possible to form the upper1that is highly fitted to the foot of the wearer.

Although the structure in which two tongue eyelets23are provided in the medial-foot tongue portion21and one tongue eyelet23is provided in the lateral-foot tongue portion22has been exemplified, the number of tongue eyelets is not limited to the exemplified numbers. For example, the number of tongue eyelets23can be different from the exemplified numbers, such as three tongue eyelets in the medial-foot tongue portion21and two tongue eyelets in the lateral-foot tongue portion22.

Second Embodiment

FIG.5is a plan view of a shoe component according to a second embodiment. A shoe component12B according to the second embodiment is different from the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment in that one tongue eyelet is formed in a medial-foot tongue portion21and two tongue eyelets23are formed in a lateral-foot tongue portion22.

In the shoe component12B according to the second embodiment, the number of the tongue eyelets23of the lateral-foot tongue portion22is greater than the number of the tongue eyelets23of the medial-foot tongue portion21. For this reason, when a second part32of a shoelace3is pulled, the lateral-foot tongue portion22is more strongly drawn to the center in the foot width direction than the medial-foot tongue portion21. Therefore, a shoe50using the shoe component12B according to the second embodiment can hold a foot of a wearer on the lateral foot side more strongly than on the medial foot side when the second part32of the shoelace3is pulled.

Third Embodiment

FIG.6is a plan view of a shoe component according to a third embodiment. A shoe component12C according to the third embodiment is different from the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment in that a tongue eyelet23is provided in a lateral wing123of a lateral-foot tongue portion22.

In the shoe component12C according to the third embodiment, the tongue eyelet23is provided in the lateral wing123of the lateral-foot tongue portion22, and the tongue eyelet23of the lateral-foot tongue portion22is away from the center in the foot width direction. Therefore, in a shoe50using the shoe component12C according to the third embodiment, when a second part32of a shoelace3is pulled, the lateral wing123of the lateral-foot tongue portion22of the shoe component12C is drawn toward the center in the foot width direction, and the instep of a foot of a wearer is not pressed by a part of the tongue121on the lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction. For this reason, the shoe50using the shoe component12C according to the third embodiment makes the contact with the instep of the foot of the wearer softer and improves the comfort of the wearer.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG.7is a plan view of a shoe component according to a fourth embodiment. In a shoe component12D according to the fourth embodiment, a plurality of tongue eyelets23is provided at positions that are the same in the front-rear direction and different in the foot width direction. Specifically, in the shoe component12D according to the fourth embodiment, tongue eyelets23are provided, in a medial-foot tongue portion21, side by side in the foot width direction in a part of a tongue121on the medial foot side from the center in the foot width direction and in a medial wing122. In the shoe component12D according to the fourth embodiment, tongue eyelets23are provided, in a lateral-foot tongue portion22, side by side in the foot width direction in a part of the tongue121on the lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction and in a lateral wing123.

A shoe50using the shoe component12D according to the fourth embodiment can allow a wearer to select which of the tongue eyelets23arranged in the foot width direction to thread a shoelace3. When the shoelace3is threaded through the tongue eyelets23close to the center in the foot width direction among the tongue eyelets23arranged in the foot width direction, the hold on the instep of the foot of the wearer becomes stronger, and when the shoelace3is threaded through the tongue eyelets23away from the center in the foot width direction, the hold on the instep of the foot of the wearer becomes weaker. For this reason, the wearer of the shoe50using the shoe component12D according to the fourth embodiment can customize the hold on the instep of the foot. In addition, by changing the tongue eyelets23through which the shoelace3is threaded in the front-rear direction, it is possible to change the hold on the instep of the foot of the wearer in the front-rear direction. For example, the wearer can customize the hold by making the hold on the instep near the toe weaker and the hold near the ankle stronger.

Fifth Embodiment

FIG.8is a plan view of a shoe component according to a fifth embodiment. A shoe component12E according to the fifth embodiment is different from the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a tongue121and a medial wing122and does not include a lateral wing123. A shoe50using the shoe component12E according to the fifth embodiment can enhance the hold on the instep of a foot of a wearer on the medial foot side from the center in the foot width direction. Since the shoe component12E includes no lateral wing123, the shoe50using the shoe component12E according to the fifth embodiment can reduce the weight.

Here, the shoe component12E having a structure including the tongue121and the medial wing122without including the lateral wing123has been described, but the shoe component12E may have a structure including the tongue121and the lateral wing123without including the medial wing122. Since the shoe component12E has a structure including the tongue121and the lateral wing123, the shoe50using the shoe component12E can enhance the hold on the instep of the foot of the wearer on the lateral foot side from the center in the foot width direction.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG.9is a plan view of a shoe component according to a sixth embodiment. A shoe component12F according to the sixth embodiment is different from the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment in that tongue eyelets23are formed only in a medial-foot tongue portion21and no tongue eyelet23is formed in a lateral-foot tongue portion22. In a shoe50using the shoe component12F according to the sixth embodiment, when a second part32of a shoelace3is pulled, the medial-foot tongue portion21is drawn toward the center in the foot width direction, and the shoe component12F holds the instep of a foot of a wearer on the medial foot side.

In the shoe50using the shoe component12F according to the sixth embodiment, since a lateral wing123and a medial wing122are fixed to a main upper11and an insole similarly to the shoe50using the shoe component12A according to the first embodiment, the position of the shoe component12F is hardly displaced.

A shoe component according to the present invention has an effect of forming an upper that is highly fitted to a foot of a wearer.

The configurations described in the above embodiments merely show examples of the present invention and can be combined with another known technique, and a part of each configuration can be omitted or changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.