STEALTH FOOTWEAR

A stalking shoe includes an upper portion and a sole portion that together define a foot pocket. The foot pocket is configured to surround a user's foot. The upper portion defines a foot opening and includes a stretch portion and a reinforcement portion. The reinforcement portion extends about a toe region at a front of the stalking shoe. The reinforcement portion fortifies the toe region against puncture and tearing and is configured to protect the user's foot. The stretch portion is configured to reduce weight of the stalking shoe and to provide elastic conformance between the upper portion and the user's foot. The sole portion includes a stealth portion where the stealth portion extends about a bottom surface of the stalking shoe. The stealth portion is formed of noise reducing material.

BACKGROUND

Traditional hunting footwear has prioritized ruggedness and protection, incorporating stiff materials and heavy-duty construction to withstand harsh outdoor environments. However, these characteristics often come at the expense of stealth which is critical for the effectiveness of the hunter in hunting certain types of prey. Existing footwear solutions typically feature thick soles for durability and protection, which can produce considerable noise when traversing over dry leaves, twigs, and uneven terrain, thereby alerting prey to the hunter's presence. There remains a need for improvements to footwear.

SUMMARY

In general terms, this disclosure is directed to stealth footwear. In some embodiments, and by non-limiting example, a stalking shoe includes an upper portion and a sole portion that together define a foot pocket. The foot pocket is configured to surround a user's foot. The upper portion defines a foot opening and includes a stretch portion and a reinforcement portion. The reinforcement portion extends about a toe region at a front of the stalking shoe. The reinforcement portion fortifies the toe region against puncture and tearing and is configured to protect the user's foot. The stretch portion is configured to reduce weight of the stalking shoe and to provide elastic conformance between the upper portion and the user's foot. The sole portion includes a stealth portion where the stealth portion extends about a bottom surface of the stalking shoe. The stealth portion is formed of noise reducing material.

In certain embodiments, a stalking shoe includes an upper portion configured to surround a user's foot. The upper portion includes a stretch portion including an elastic material configured to conform to a user's foot, and a reinforcement portion having greater durability and tear resistance than the stretch portion. The stalking shoe includes a sole portion connected to the upper portion. The sole portion extends about a bottom of the stalking shoe. The sole portion includes a stealth portion configured to dampen noise and vibrations during movement, and the stealth portion is made from felt.

In certain embodiments, an article of footwear includes a stretch portion, a reinforcement portion, and a stealth portion. The stretch portion extends at least partially across a top foot region. The stretch portion includes an elastic material configured to provide conformance between the stretch portion and the top foot region. The reinforcement portion extends at least partially across the top foot region. The reinforcement portion is connected to the stretch portion. The reinforcement portion has greater stiffness and tear resistance than the stretch portion. The stealth portion extends at least partially about a bottom exterior surface of the article of footwear. The stealth portion includes a material with a porous structure. The stealth portion is configured to contact the ground and dampen noise transmission.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Backcountry hunting often requires many miles of hiking with heavy gear. Conventional hiking boots, while excellent for covering long distances across rugged landscapes, hinder the hunter's ability to close in on their target undetected due to their bulk and the noise generated by their heavy tread. Successfully stalking wildlife demands a specialized shoe that allows for a delicate and nearly silent footfall, enabling the hunter to maintain a low profile when closing the final distance to the animal. The present disclosure describes a stalking shoe that is designed for lightweight packability in the backcountry.

FIGS. 1 through 9 show an example stalking shoe 100 having an upper portion 200 and a sole portion 300. The upper portion 200 and the sole portion 300 combine to form a foot pocket 110, with the upper portion 200 including a foot opening 120 for insertion of the foot. The foot pocket 110 is designed to surround the foot such that the upper portion 200 covers the top of the foot and the sole portion 300 generally covers the bottom of the foot. The stalking shoe 100 includes an exterior surface 102 and an interior surface 104. Each of the different parts of the stalking shoe 100 will be discussed in turn.

In certain examples, and as shown in FIGS. 1-9, the upper portion 200 includes a stretch portion 210 and a reinforcement portion 240. The upper portion 200 may also include other features such as a heel portion 260, a tightening structure 280, a front pull tab 202, a rear pull tab 204, and/or a protective section.

The stretch portion 210 is designed to provide lightweight shape conformance to the user's foot. The stretch portion 210 provides the stalking shoe 100 an ability to expand to a stretched state as the user's foot is being inserted, while also returning to a reduced stretch or unstretched state once the foot is seated in the stalking shoe 100. The stretch portion 210 also facilitates weight reduction for the stalking shoe 100. The stretch portion 210 is designed to minimize weight on the stalking shoe 100 by using minimal, lightweight, elastic material in areas of the stalking shoe 100 that do not require additional structure to maintain functionality. In certain areas, a subset of the stretch portion 210 may overlap with another material or region of the stalking shoe 100. For instance, the stretch portion 210 may partially overlap with the reinforcement portion 240 and/or the heel portion 260. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 extends about a majority of the upper portion 200. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 extends about a length of the stalking shoe 100 in one or more stretch sections. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 extends about the entirety of the upper portion 200. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-9, the stretch portion 210 extends from a first side 130 to a second side 140 of the stalking shoe 100, such that the stretch portion 210 borders the sole portion 300. The stretch portion 210 also extends between the reinforcement portion 240 at a toe region 150 and continues to the heel portion 260. The stretch portion 210 shown in FIGS. 1-9 also defines the foot opening 120. The stretch portion 210 may partially overlap with the sole portion 300 such that the stretch portion 210 may be bonded or otherwise secured to the sole portion 300 of the stalking shoe 100. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 has a thickness that extends between the exterior surface 102 and the interior surface 104. The stalking shoe 100 has a width W that extends between the first and second sides 130, 140.

The stretch portion 210 may be made from any suitable material providing elastic stretch. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 is made from an elastic polymeric material. In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 is made from polyester. In certain examples the stretch portion 210 includes a knit design. K nit designs may incorporate different ways of weaving thread, forming varying knit patterns such that certain zones of the stretch portion 210 have more breathability, support, or more stretch than other zones, all while being part of the same stretch portion 210. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a high breathability zone 212 is included at the first side 130 of the stalking shoe 100 which helps provide additional airflow and breathability to the side and underside of a user's foot. The high breathability zone 212 includes breathing holes 214. The breathing holes 214 may be openings extending between the exterior 102 and interior 104 or areas of less/thinner material that enable better moisture transfer. Also shown in FIG. 2 is a support zone 220 that helps provide structure to the upper portion 200 of the stalking shoe 100 without needing additional materials or having excessive weight. The support zone 220 features a thicker weave or knit than neighboring zones. The thicker knit provides additional structure for shaping the stalking shoe 100 and adding increased stiffness or rigidity in areas where additional support is desired. The use and placement of different zones maximizes performance of the stalking shoe 100 while minimizing the material needed. Also shown in FIG. 5 is a foot opening edge 230 that is part of the stretch portion 210 and provides improved durability with increased material thickness in order to withstand the repeated stresses of a user's foot entering and exiting the stalking shoe 100.

The reinforcement portion 240 provides additional structure to improve durability and tear resistance during use. The reinforcement portion 240 provides structural integrity to the stalking shoe 100 in a region that encounters significant stresses during use. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-9, the reinforcement portion 240 is located at the toe region 150 of the upper portion 200 of the stalking shoe 100. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 extends between the sole portion 300 and the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 extends between the first side 130 and the second side 140. The reinforcement portion 240 may partially overlap with the stretch portion 210 or other parts of the upper portion 200 in order to form a connection between the two. In certain examples, as shown in FIGS. 1-9, the reinforcement portion 240 includes a curved border 242 along the stretch portion 210 where the stretch portion 210 connects to the reinforcement portion 240. The curved border 242 includes multiple intersecting curves along its length. The curved border 242 follows a contour similar to an outline of the toes of a user's foot. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 has a thickness that extends between the exterior surface 102 and interior surface 104. The reinforcement portion 240 may have a greater thickness than the stretch portion 210. In the example shown on FIGS. 1-9, the reinforcement portion 240 borders the sole portion 300 at the first and second sides 130, 140 and continues about a front end 180 of the stalking shoe 100. The reinforcement portion 240 may partially overlap the sole portion 300 in order to form a connection between the two. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 protects the user's toes from the surrounding environment. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 covers a minimum area to achieve the necessary structural integrity to prevent tearing during use. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 ranges between 1 and 2 inches in length as measured from the front end 180 toward a back end 190 of the stalking shoe 100.

The reinforcement portion 240 may be made from a different material than the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 is stiffer than the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 has a greater resistance to tearing than the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 is made from leather. In certain examples, the leather is goat skin. The reinforcement portion 240 may connect to the stretch portion 210 any number of ways. For example, the reinforcement portion 240 may be sewn or adhesively connected. Examples of different sewing/stitching techniques include line stitching, zig zag stitching, or bartacking. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-9, the stretch portion 210 and reinforcement portion 240 are connected by a line stitch. The reinforcement portion 240 may connect to the sole portion 300 in any number of ways, as previously discussed with respect to the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 connects to the sole portion 300 with adhesive. In certain examples, the reinforcement portion 240 connects to the sole portion 300 with a combination of adhesive and stitching.

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, the stalking shoe 100 includes a heel portion 260 as part of the upper portion 200. The heel portion 260 is optionally included to provide additional structural support at a heel region 170 of the stalking shoe 100. The heel region 170 is located adjacent the back end 190. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 extends between the sole portion 300 and the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 extends between the first side 130 and the second side 140. The heel portion 260 may partially overlap with the stretch portion 210 or other parts of the upper portion 200 in order to form a connection between the two. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 has a thickness that extends between the exterior surface 102 and the interior surface 104. The heel portion 260 may have a greater thickness than the stretch portion 210. In the example shown on FIGS. 1-9, the heel portion 260 borders the sole portion 300 at the first and second sides 130, 140 and continues about the back end 190 of the stalking shoe 100. The heel portion 260 may partially overlap the sole portion 300 in order to form a connection between the two. The heel portion 260 may partially define or be adjacent to part of the foot opening edge 230.

The heel portion 260 may be made from a different material than the stretch portion 210. The heel portion 260 may be made from the same material as the reinforcement portion 240. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 is stiffer than the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 has a greater resistance to tearing than the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 is made from leather. In certain examples, the leather is goat skin. The heel portion 260 may be made from multiple pieces of material connected together. The heel portion 260 may connect to the stretch portion 210 any number of ways. For example, the heel portion 260 may be sewn or adhesively connected. The heel portion 260 may connect to the sole portion 300 in any number of ways, as previously discussed with respect to the stretch portion 210. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 connects to the sole portion 300 with adhesive. In certain examples, the heel portion 260 connects to the sole portion 300 with a combination of adhesive and stitching.

In certain examples, the stretch portion 210 provides sufficient conformance, fit, adjustability, stability, support, and/or security between the interior surface 104 of the stalking shoe 100 and the foot such that a tightening structure 280 is not needed or present. In certain examples, a tightening structure 280 is included to provide additional conformance, fit, adjustability, stability, support, and security between the stalking shoe 100 and the user's foot. In the example shown in FIGS. 1-9, the tightening structure 280 is a plurality of tightening straps and buckles. The tightening structure 280 includes a heel strap 282 with a first buckle and a second buckle 284, 286. The first buckle 284 is connected to the stretch portion 210 on the first side 130 and the second buckle 286 is connected to the stretch portion 210 on the second side 140. The heel strap 282 extends between the first and second buckles 284, 286 passing over the heel region 170 on the exterior surface 102. The heel strap 282 extends through an opening 206 formed by the rear pull tab 204. The heel strap 282 may be tightened, thereby decreasing the foot opening 120, by pulling the heel strap 282 through either the first or second buckle 284, 286. Both ends of the heel strap 282 are free ends. A top foot strap 288 extends in a crisscross pattern about the exterior 102 of a top foot region 160. The top foot strap 288 has a first end 290 that is fixed to the stretch portion 210 at the first side 130 and may extend to overlap between the sole portion 300 and the stretch portion 210. The top foot strap 288 extends from the first side 130 to the second side 140 and extends through a second loop 292. The second loop 292 is connected to the stretch portion 210 on the second side 140. The top foot strap 288 extends from the second loop 292 back over the top foot region 160 and through a first loop 294. The first loop 294 is connected to the stretch portion 210 on the first side 130. The top foot strap 288 continues back over the top foot region 160 through an opening 207 formed by the front pull tab 202, to a third buckle 278. The third buckle 278 is connected to the stretch portion 210 on the second side 140. The top foot strap 288 terminates at a second end 296. When the second end 296 is pulled through the third buckle, the top foot strap 288 begins to tighten the upper portion 200 of the stalking shoe 100 against the user's foot. The second end 296 of the top foot strap 288 is a free end. The free ends of the tightening straps may include pull assisting tabs 298 to aide in pulling the free ends of the tightening straps. The pull assisting tabs 298 may be made from silicone or other material providing suitable thickness and grip to facilitate tightening. The tightening straps may be made from a material such as nylon or polyester. In other examples, laces, zippers, elastic bands, Velcro, etc. may be used to suitably tighten the stalking shoe 100.

Front and rear pull tabs 202, 204 may also be included on the stalking shoe 100. In the example shown on FIGS. 1-9, the front pull tab 202 extends partially along a length L of the stalking shoe 100, extending past the foot opening 120 such that a front pull loop 208 is positioned freely above the foot opening 120 for a user to grasp when putting the stalking shoe 100 is on their foot. The front pull tab 202 is connected to the upper portion 200/stretch portion 210 such that pulling on the front pull loop 208 moves the upper portion 200 of the stalking shoe 100 about the top foot region 160. The front pull tab 202 may include an opening 206 formed between the front pull tab 202 and the upper portion 200 by connecting the front pull tab 202 to the upper portion 200 on both sides of the opening. The opening may be used to loop the top foot strap 288 through, as described above. The front pull tab 202 may be connected to the upper portion 200 in any number of ways, including stitching and adhesive. In the example shown, the front pull tab 202 is connected by line stitching. The rear pull tab 204 extends partially along a height H of the stalking shoe 100 about the heel region 170, extending past the foot opening such that a rear pull loop 209 is positioned freely above the foot opening 120 for a user to grasp when putting the stalking shoe 100 on their foot. The rear pull tab 204 is connected to the upper portion 200/heel portion 260 such that pulling on the rear pull loop 209 moves the upper portion 200 of the stalking shoe 100 about the heel region 170. The rear pull tab 204 may include an opening formed between the rear pull tab 204 and the upper portion 200 by connecting the rear pull tab 204 to the upper portion 200 on both sides of the opening. The opening may be used to loop the heel strap 282 through, as described above. The rear pull tab 204 may be connected to the upper portion 200 in any number of ways, including stitching and adhesive. In the example shown, the rear pull tab 204 is connected by line stitching and bartacking.

In certain examples, and as shown in FIGS. 1-9, the sole portion 300 includes a stealth portion 320. In certain examples, the sole portion 300 includes a stealth portion 320, grip features 350, and/or an insole portion 380. The stealth portion 320 provides a quieting, sound dampening effect when the user travels over the ground, especially when the surface includes debris such as twigs and leaves. Specifically, the stealth portion 320 provides improved vibration absorption and sound diffusion by leveraging materials with soft, fibrous, porous, and flexible attributes. In certain examples, the stealth portion 320 covers the entirety of an exterior bottom surface 106 of the stalking shoe 100. In certain examples, the stealth portion 320 covers a majority of the exterior bottom surface 106 of the stalking shoe 100. In certain examples, the stealth portion 320 covers the entirety of the bottom exterior surface 106, but also includes grip features 350 that protrude from the stealth portion 320.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1-9, the stealth portion 320 extends between the front end 180 and back end 190 and between the first side 130 and second side 140 of the stalking shoe 100. The stealth portion 320 forms the entirety of the exterior surface 102 of the sole portion 300. The stealth portion 320 may have a thickness X that ranges between 0.25 and 1 inch. In certain examples, the thickness X is about 2 centimeters. The stealth portion 320 may be made from a variety of different materials that achieve the sound dampening effect. Specifically, the stealth portion 320 is designed to provide improved vibration absorption and sound diffusion over conventional outsole materials by leveraging materials with soft, fibrous, porous, and flexible attributes. Where conventional outsoles often have rugged hard molded rubber, or other polymeric materials, the stalking shoe 100 avoids the heavy and loud molded rubber for a much lighter, more packable, and quieter material. In certain examples, the stealth portion 320 is made from felt or wool. Felt has a dense yet porous structure, which allows it to absorb and dissipate sound waves. When the foot makes contact with the ground, the porous nature of felt disrupts the transmission of sound, converting some of the sound energy into small amounts of heat through friction within the material's fibers. The softness of felt provides a gentle contact surface, reducing the impact noise that is typically generated by harder materials. This soft texture means that footsteps are less likely to produce a sharp, distinct sound that could alert wildlife to the hunter's presence. Felt has natural vibration-damping qualities. When walking, vibrations caused by footfalls are absorbed by the felt before they can reverberate and create noise. Felt can conform to the irregularities of natural terrain, such as rocks, twigs, and leaves, allowing for softer footsteps that produce less noise compared to rigid soles that might snap twigs or crunch loudly on debris. The non-uniform texture and fibrous nature of felt can help to scatter sound waves, reducing the direct path of sound transmission to the surrounding environment. In certain examples, the stealth portion 320 and/or the sole portion 300 is secured to the upper portion 200 by adhesive and/or stitching.

The grip features 350 may be added over the stealth portion 320 in a dispersed way that provides additional grip without sacrificing noise reduction. In certain examples, the grip features 350 may be spaced between 0.5 and 1 inch between neighboring grip features 350. In other examples, the grip features 350 are spaced between 1 and 1.5 inches between neighboring grip features 350. In certain examples, the grip features protrude from the stealth portion 320 between 0.083 and 0.25 inches. In certain examples, there may be between twenty and thirty grip features 350 applied to the bottom exterior 106 of the stalking shoe 100. The grip features 350 may be made from durable rubber or similar material having improved grip over the stealth portion 320.

The sole portion 300 may also include an insole portion 380 extending at least partially along the length L within the interior 104 of the stalking shoe 100. The insole portion 380 is designed to provide padding for the user's foot for improved comfort. The insole portion 380 may be made from a polymer foam or sewn mesh.

The sole portion 300 may connect to the upper portion 200 in a number of ways including adhesive and stitching. In certain examples, both adhesive and stitching are used to secure the upper portion 200 to the sole portion 300. The grip features 350 may be adhesively secured to the stealth portion 320 of the stalking shoe 100. The insole portion 380 may also be adhesively secured to the stealth portion 320.

The structure of the stalking shoe 100 is designed to minimize weight and maximize packability while maintaining the functionality to stalk animals. The combination of the stretch portion 210, reinforcement portion 240, and stealth portion 320 provides a stalking shoe 100 that covers the entire user's foot while having minimal weight and maximum packability. In certain examples, the stalking shoe 100 may be compressed to a height H of less than 1 inch about the entire length of the stalking shoe 100. In certain examples, the stalking shoe 100 may be compressed to fit in a pocket, such as a rear pocket of pants.

In certain examples, the upper portion 200 may further include a protective section (not shown) that extends at least partially about the length along the first side 130, running along the outside of the user's foot, such that contact with brush, cacti, etc., does not puncture the neighboring or overlapping stretch portion 210. The protective section may be on the interior 104 or exterior 102 of the stalking shoe 100.

FIGS. 10-11 show another example stalking shoe 400. The stalking shoe 400 includes many of the same features and inventive concepts as the stalking shoe 100. For conciseness, these features are not repeated. Relevant differences are described below. The stalking shoe 400 includes an upper portion 500 with a stretch portion 510 and reinforcement portion 540. In certain examples, the stretch portion 510 includes multiple stretch sections. The multiple stretch sections may be used to leverage the weight saving and foot conforming benefits, while having a more durable or protective shoe. The stretch sections may be placed in multiple different parts of the stalking shoe 400. In certain examples, the stretch sections are strips or segments extending at least partially along a length of the stalking shoe. As shown, the stretch portion 510 includes a first stretch section 512 and a second stretch section 514. The first and second stretch sections 512, 514 extend from the foot opening toward a sole portion 600 about a height of the stalking shoe 400. The reinforcement portion 540 extends about a majority of the upper portion 500.

The inventive concepts disclosed above may apply equally to other types of footwear. For instance, an article of footwear may include a stealth portion, a stretch portion, and a reinforcement portion, sharing many of the features of the stalking shoe 100, but in a different form, such as a toe covered sandal, a climbing shoe, a trail shoe, a tennis shoe, etc.