Patent Publication Number: US-2011061266-A1

Title: Article of footwear that is waterproof, wear-resistant, and lightweight

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 098131064, filed on Sep. 15, 2009. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an article of footwear, more particularly to an article of footwear that is waterproof, wear-resistant, and lightweight. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many kinds of foot arch correction devices are known for correcting foot arches of the users. For example, Taiwanese Patent Nos. 1289055, M244062, and M249630. The foot arch correction device generally has a special curved body. When the user&#39;s foot steps on the foot arch correction device, the user&#39;s foot is forced to press against the curved body of the foot arch correction device to improve dynamic mechanism of the foot portion to thereby restore the user&#39;s foot to normal foot arch. 
     The foot arch correction device is usually installed in shoes having a solid and thick sole that can provide a stable supporting force, such as casual shoes and leather shoes. However, casual and leather shoes are not suitable for use in wet or muddy places, such as in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor vegetable gardens or farms, etc. Slippers are often used for such areas because they are light and waterproof, and are conveniently slipped on and off. To allow an article of footwear to be wearable in different kinds of settings and work requirements, the applicant has installed the foot arch correction device in conventional footwear that is waterproof and lightweight, such as the locally known “Bush shoes” which are made of soft plastic foamed material. However, the applicant found that because the material of such conventional footwear is soft, the foot arch correction device is not well supported, so that the correction function of the foot arch correction device cannot be utilized. Hence, conventional waterproof and lightweight footwear cannot be directly installed with the foot arch correction device. If the foot arch correction device is to be directly installed into conventional footwear, because it occupies a substantial space, a space for insertion of the user&#39;s foot is minimized. As a result, it becomes uncomfortable to wear such conventional footwear. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an article of footwear that is waterproof and wear-resistant, that is lightweight, and that can be suitably installed with a foot arch correction device. 
     According to this invention, an article of footwear comprises a sole body, an upper, an instep strap, and a foot arch correction device. The sole body is made of a lightweight, wear-resistant, waterproof material, and has a front region, a heel region, and a middle region between the front and heel regions. The sole body includes a support plate made of a material harder than the sole body and disposed in the sole body, a filling pad disposed in the sole body and covering the support plate, and front and rear tread members respectively attached to front and rear bottom faces of the sole body. The sole body further has amounting groove that is formed in a top surface thereof and that has a groove bottom wall, and a retaining groove formed in the groove bottom wall. The support plate is disposed in the retaining groove. The filling pad is disposed in the mounting groove. The upper is integrally connected as one piece with the sole body, and includes a vamp part connected to and extending above the front region and having a rear edge, a rear wall extending upwardly from the heel region, and left and right sidewalls extending upwardly and respectively from left and right ends of the sole body and having front ends connected to the rear edge of the vamp part, and rear ends connected to the rear wall. The instep strap is disposed rearwardly of the upper, and includes an instep abutment strap section extending convexedly from one of the left and right sidewalls toward the other one of the left and right sidewalls and having first and second ends. One of the first and second ends is integrally connected as one piece with one of the left and right sidewalls. The instep abutment strap section is spaced apart from the rear edge of the vamp part. The foot arch correction device is supported by the support plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an article of footwear according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional side view of the first preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional rear view of the first preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional top view of the first preferred embodiment; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional top view of an article of footwear according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , an article of footwear according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to comprise a sole body  2 , an upper  3 , an instep strap  4 , a heel strap  5 , and a foot arch correction device  6 . 
     The sole body  2  is shaped to correspond to that of a user&#39;s foot  1  (see  FIG. 2 ), and is made of a lightweight, wear-resistant, and waterproof material. In this embodiment, the sole body  2  is made of an ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) foam material. The sole body  2  has a front region (FR), a heel region (HR), a middle region (MR) between the front and heel regions (FR, HR), and a mounting groove  211  formed in a top surface thereof at the middle region (MR). The mounting groove  211  has a groove bottom wall  213  formed with a retaining groove  212  at the center thereof. The sole body  2  includes a support plate  22 , a filling pad  23 , and front and rear tread members  24 ,  24 ′. The support plate  22  is embedded in the retaining groove  212 , extends in a front-rear direction, has a raised central portion  221  adapted to match the shape of a foot arch of the user&#39;s foot  1 , and is made of a material harder than that of the sole body  2 . In this embodiment, the support plate  22  is made of metal, and can provide a hard support function. The filling pad  23  is embedded in the mounting groove  211 , covers the support plate  22 , and is made of an ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) foam material. The front and rear tread members  24 ,  24 ′ are attached respectively to front and rear bottom faces of the sole body  2 . Each of the front and rear tread members  24 ,  24 ′ may be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a rubber material which has a good anti-slip characteristic. 
     The upper  3  is integrally connected as one piece with the sole body  2 , is made of an ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) foam material, and includes a vamp part  31  connected to and extending above the front region (FR) and having a rear edge  312 , a rear wall  34  extending upwardly from the heel region (HR), and left and right sidewalls  32 ,  33  that extend upwardly and respectively from left and right ends of the sole body  2 , that are located respectively on two opposite sides of the user&#39;s foot  1 , and that respectively have front ends connected to the rear edge  312  of the vamp part  31 , and rear ends connected to the rear wall  34 . The vamp part  31  and the sole body  2  cooperatively define a foot-receiving opening  311 . The vamp part  31  is not limited to that illustrated in the drawings. The vamp part  31  may be designed differently according to one&#39;s desire. For example, the vamp part  31  may be provided with a hole (not shown) that communicates spatially with the foot-receiving opening  311 , or a plurality of decorative pieces (not shown) may be adhered to an outer surface of the vamp part  31 . The sidewalls  32 ,  33  further have upwardly extending protrusions  321 ,  331  projecting upwardly and respectively therefrom. The upper  3  further includes a protective piece  35  connected to a top face of the vamp part  31  and having a tough body made of reinforcing fibers. The protective piece  35  can strengthen the protective covering of the vamp part  31  so as to prevent injury of the user&#39;s foot  1 . 
     The instep strap  4  is disposed rearwardly of and is spaced apart from the upper  3 , and is spaced apart from the rear edge  312  of the vamp part  31  at a distance ( 47 ). The instep strap  4 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , includes an instep abutment strap section  41 , an extension strap section  43 , and a buckle  42 . The instep abutment strap section  41  extends convexedly from the left sidewall  32  toward the right sidewall  33 , and has a plurality of loop fasteners  44  provided on an outer surface thereof, a first end  411  connected integrally as one piece with the left sidewall  32  at the protrusion  321 , and a second end  412  opposite to the first end  411 . In this embodiment, the extension strap section  43  is connected integrally as one piece with the second end  412  of the instep abutment strap section  41 , and has a plurality of hook fasteners  45  to engage releasably the loop fasteners  44 . A soft pad  46  is mounted to an inner surface of the instep abutment strap section  41 . The buckle  42  is connected to the protrusion  331 . The extension strap section  43  extends through the buckle  42 , and is folded back over the instep abutment strap section  41  so as to inter-engage the hook and loop fasteners  45 ,  44 . 
     Since the instep abutment strap section  41 , the upper  3 , and the sole body  2  are made integrally as a one-piece body, the manufacture thereof is easy. Further, when the user&#39;s foot  1  is in contact with the instep abutment strap section  41 , the presence of the soft pad  46  on the inner surface of the instep abutment strap section  41  provides a protective cushion to the user&#39;s foot  1 . In this embodiment, the extension strap section  43  is connected integrally as one piece with the second end  412  of the instep abutment strap section  41 . However, in an alternative embodiment, the extension strap section  43  may be a separate single strap that is connected to the second end  412  of the instep abutment strap section  41 . 
     In use, the extension strap section  43  is passed through the buckle  42 , and is folded back over the instep abutment strap section  41  to lock the instep strap  4  to a selected adjustment length and to position the user&#39;s foot  1  in the foot-receiving opening  311 . At this time, the instep abutment strap section  41  abuts and surrounds the cuneiform bone  11  of the user&#39;s foot  1  in proximity to the rear edge  312  of the vamp part  31 . 
     The heel strap  5  extends above the rear wall  34 , and includes a heel abutment strap section  51  and an extension strap section  52 . The heel abutment strap section  51  has a plurality of loop fasteners  53 , a first end  511  fixed to a buckle  42 ′ provided on the protrusion  321 , and a second end  512  opposite to the first end  511 . The extension strap section  52  is connected integrally as one piece with the second end  512  of the heel abutment strap section  51 , and is provided with a plurality of hook fasteners  54 . A soft pad  55  is mounted to an inner surface of the heel abutment strap section  51 . The extension strap section  52  extends through the buckle  42 ′, and is folded back over the heel abutment strap section  51  so as to inter-engage the hook and loop fasteners  54 ,  53 , thereby locking the heel strap  5  to a selected adjustment length. 
     The foot arch correction device  6  is supported by the support plate  22 , and is connected detachably to the sole body  2  through hook and loop fasteners  25 ,  62  provided respectively on the top surface of the sole body  2  at the heel region (HR) and a bottom surface of the foot arch correction device  6 . The foot arch correction device  6  can be made and sold separately from the other components of the article of footwear of the present invention. 
     In use, when the user&#39;s foot  1  is inserted into the foot-receiving opening  311 , and steps on the foot arch correction device  6 , the instep strap  4  is adjusted so that the instep abutment strap section  41  abuts and surrounds the cuneiform bone  11  of the user&#39;s foot  1 , and the heel strap  5  is adjusted so that the heel abutment strap section  51  abuts and surrounds the heel portion of the user&#39;s foot  1 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 , thereby positioning the user&#39;s foot  1  on the article of footwear of the present invention. Through the rigidity of the support plate  22  to support the foot arch correction device  6 , when the user steps on the ground, the correction function of the foot arch correction device  6  can be effectively utilized. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , an article of footwear according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first preferred embodiment. The difference between the first and second preferred embodiments resides in the configuration of the support plate  22 . In this embodiment, the support plate  22  includes a longitudinal strip  221 , and a plurality of transverse parts  222  projecting transversely and respectively from left and right sides of the longitudinal strip  221 . The number of the transverse parts  222  may be increased or decreased according to the requirement. Through the presence of the transverse parts  222 , the rigidity of the sole body  2  can be further enhanced. 
     From the aforementioned description, it is apparent that the article of footwear of the present invention has the support plate  22  embedded within the sole body  2  so as to increase the longitudinal rigidity of the sole body  2  at the center thereof, after which the filling pad  23  covers the support plate  22 . The foot arch correction device  6  can then be connected detachably to the sole body  2 , and is supported by the support plate  22 , so that the correction function thereof can be effectively utilized. Hence, the foot arch correction device  6  can be mounted suitably to the article of footwear of the present invention. Further, the article of footwear of the present invention is provided with the adjustable instep strap  4  to suit the feet of different users, and the instep strap  4  is provided with the soft pad  46  on the inner surface thereof to thereby provide comfort during wear of the article of footwear of the present invention. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.