Patent Publication Number: US-7913420-B2

Title: Skateboard shoe with textured surface

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/761,847, entitled “Skateboard Shoe With Textured Surface,” filed on Jan. 24, 2006, and naming James Arizumi as inventor, which provisional patent application is incorporated entirely herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an article of footwear useful for performing various activities on a skateboard. More particularly, various examples of invention relate to an article of footwear having an upper with at least part of its surface textured. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Skateboarding has been a very popular activity for a number of years. In addition to simply riding on a skateboard, however, many skateboarders now try to perform complex tricks, which have become more and more difficult as each new generation of skateboarders tries to outdo the last. Many skateboarding tricks require the skateboarder to flip or otherwise reposition the skateboard using his or her feet. For example, at the apex of a jump, a skateboarder might use his or her foot to flip the skateboard so that it rotates 360°, but still lands on its wheels so that the skateboarder can, in turn, land on the skateboard at the end of the jump. Typically, the skateboarder will use the top surface of his or her shoe to “grab” the underside of the skateboard in order to flip it. While this type of trick would be difficult under any circumstances, the skateboarder&#39;s footwear can make this type of trick even more difficult. For example, if the footwear has a smooth upper surface, this surface may not provide enough friction to allow the skateboarder to successfully grab the skateboard. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide footwear for use with skateboarding that allows the skateboarder to more securely and better control flipping or other movement of the skateboard with his or her foot. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various aspects of the invention relate to footwear having a textured surface. More particularly, some aspects of the invention relate to footwear having an upper, where at least a portion of the footwear upper has a textured surface that will provide friction for grabbing a skateboard during a skateboarding trick. According to some examples of the invention, an article of footwear is provided with an upper having a top surface formed, at least in part, by contoured structures. For example, these contoured structures may define a group of alternating peaks and troughs extending in two orthogonal directions. Still further, the textured surface may optionally include apertures that will allow air to pass through the upper into the shoe, and allow moisture to expire from the inside of the shoe into the air. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a lateral side elevational view of an article of footwear having an upper with a contoured layer in accordance with aspects of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the article of footwear shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross section of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3  along line  6 - 6  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross section of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3  along line  7 - 7  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a cross section of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3  along line  8 - 8  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a cross-section of the textured surface shown in  FIGS. 1-3  along line  9 - 9  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the textured surface according to other disclosed aspects. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose an article of footwear having an upper with a textured surface in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Concepts related to the textured surface are disclosed with reference to an article of athletic footwear having a configuration suitable for the activity of skateboarding. The textured surface is not solely limited to footwear designed for skateboarding, however, and may be incorporated into a wide range of athletic footwear styles, including shoes that are suitable for baseball, basketball, cross-training, football, rugby, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and walking, for example. In addition, a textured surface according to various embodiments of the invention may be incorporated into footwear that is generally considered to be non-athletic, including a variety of dress shoes, casual shoes, sandals, and boots. An individual skilled in the relevant art will appreciate, therefore, that the concepts disclosed herein with regard to the textured surface applies to a wide variety of footwear styles, in addition to the specific styles discussed in the following material and depicted in the accompanying figures. 
     An article of footwear  10  is depicted in  FIGS. 1-3  as including an upper  20  and a sole structure  30 . For purposes of reference in the following material, footwear  10  may be divided into three general regions: a forefoot region  11 , a midfoot region  12 , and a heel region  13 , as defined in  FIG. 3 . Regions  11 - 13  are not intended to demarcate precise areas of footwear  10 . Rather, regions  11 - 13  are intended to represent general areas of footwear  10  that provide a frame of reference during the following discussion. Although regions  11 - 13  apply generally to footwear  10 , references to regions  11 - 13  may also apply specifically to upper  20 , sole structure  30 , or an individual component within either upper  20  or sole structure  30 . 
     Upper  20  is secured to sole structure  30  and defines a void for receiving a foot. For purposes of reference, upper  20  includes a lateral side  21 , an opposite medial side  22 , and a vamp area  23 . Lateral side  21  is positioned to extend along a lateral side of the foot and generally passes through each of regions  11 - 13 . Similarly, medial side  22  is positioned to extend along an opposite medial side of the foot and generally passes through each of regions  11 - 13 . Vamp area  23  is positioned between lateral side  21  and medial side  22  to correspond with an upper surface of the foot. Vamp area  23  includes a throat  24  having a lace  25  or any other closure mechanism that is utilized in a conventional manner to modify the dimensions of upper  20  relative the foot, thereby adjusting the fit of footwear  10 . Upper  20  also includes an ankle opening  26  that provides the foot with access to the void within upper  20 . 
     Sole structure  30  is secured to a lower surface of upper  20  and has a generally conventional structure that includes a midsole  31  and an outsole  32 . Midsole  31  may be formed of polymer foam material, such as polyurethane or ethylvinylacetate, which compresses to attenuate ground reaction forces during walking, running, or other ambulatory activities. In some aspects of the invention, the polymer foam material may encapsulate or include various elements, such as a fluid-filled bladder or moderator, which enhances the comfort, motion-control qualities, stability, or ground reaction force attenuation of footwear  10 . Outsole  32  is secured to a lower surface of midsole  31  and is formed of a wear-resistant material, such as rubber, that contacts the ground during the ambulatory activities. The material forming outsole  32  may be textured to impart enhanced traction and slip resistance. Footwear  10  may also include a sockliner, which is a thin, compressible member that is located within the void in upper  20  and adjacent to a lower surface of the foot to enhance the comfort of footwear  10 . Although the configuration of sole structure  30  discussed above is suitable for footwear  10 , sole structure  30  may exhibit the configuration of any conventional or non-conventional sole structure. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the upper  20  is divided into two portions: a rear portion  27 , and a front portion  28 . In the illustrated example, the front portion  28  extends over the top of the forefoot region  11  to the midfoot region  12 . This front portion  28  also extends along either side of the shoe  10  to the heel region  13 . The rear portion  27  of the upper  20  then extends from the front portion  28  through the heel region  13  of the shoe  10 . Thus, the front portion  28  of the upper  20  covers the portion of the foot that a skateboarder would normally use to flip or otherwise manipulate a skateboard. 
     As also seen in these figures, the top of the front portion  28  has a textured surface  40 . As will be discussed in more detail below, this textured surface  40  provides the front portion  28  with a rough, irregular covering. This textured surface  40  is configured to provide the wearer with improved traction when the front portion  28  of the shoe  10  is rubbed against another surface, such as the top, bottom, or edge of a skateboard deck. Thus, the textured surface  40  of the front portion  28  will provide a skateboarder with better grip and improved feel when manipulating a skateboard. 
       FIG. 4-9  illustrate the textured surface  40  of the front portion  28  in greater detail. More particularly,  FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the textured surface  40 , while  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the textured surface  40 .  FIG. 6  then illustrates a cross section of the textured surface  40  along line  6 - 6  shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-section of the textured surface  40  along line  7 - 7  shown in  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-section of the textured surface  40  along line  8 - 8  shown in  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 9  illustrates a cross-section of the textured surface  40  along line  9 - 9  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     As seen in these figures, the textured surface  40  is made up of a series of contoured structures  41 . That is, each structure  41  is contoured in that it has a curving or irregular outline. With the illustrated example, each contoured structure  41  is wave-shaped, as may be best seen in  FIG. 9 . Each structure includes a series of peaks  42 , with each adjacent pair of peaks  42  along the structure  41  being separated by a trough  43 . The contoured structures  41  are arranged in parallel to each other along their length. Further, as may best be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 8 , adjacent contoured structures  41  are out of phase with each other by approximately 180°. That is, the peak  42  of one contoured structure  41  is immediately adjacent to the troughs  43  of the two neighboring contoured structures  41 . Likewise, each trough  43  of one contoured structure  41  is adjacent to the peaks  42  of the two neighboring contoured structures  41 . Thus, these structures  41  form an alternating series of raised heights and depressions extending in two orthogonal directions. As will be apparent from the figures, this alternating series of contoured structures  41  provides the textured surface  40  with a rough, irregular feel. Accordingly, the textured surface  40  will provide greater traction than the surface of a conventional shoe upper when rubbed along another surface, such as the top, bottom, or edge of a skateboard deck. 
     In addition to the peaks  42  and troughs  43  of the contoured structures  41 , the textured surface  40  optionally also may include one or more apertures. For example, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 4-9 , the textured surface  40  defines a pattern of apertures  44 . More particularly, an aperture  44  is formed between adjacent contoured structures  41 , so as to separate each trough  43  from the peaks  42  of the adjacent contoured structures  41 . Of course, still other implementations of invention may provide more or fewer apertures  44 . Further, alternate examples of the invention may position the apertures at different locations, as desired. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the apertures allow the textured surface  40  to “breathe.” That is, the apertures  44  may allow moisture to escape from the inside of the shoe  10 , and allow fresh air to enter into the inside of the shoe  10 , thereby assisting in keeping the wearer&#39;s foot cool and dry. 
     The contoured structures  41  providing the textured surface  40  may be formed from a variety of polymer materials that include rubber, silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylvinylacetate, and styrene ethylbutylene styrene, for example. A variety of manufacturing processes may be utilized to form the contoured structures  41 . As examples, the contoured structures  41  may be shaped through any desired molding or casting processes. In addition, various etching and milling processes may be utilized to form contoured structures  41 . With various examples of the invention, the material forming the contoured structures  41  can be selected so that the front portion  28  provides a comfortable and compliant structure that extends adjacent to the foot, and which may stretch to accommodate foot movements and differences in foot dimensions. 
     It should be noted that, with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIGS. 4-9 , the contoured structures  41  are formed from a single piece of material. That is the alternating contoured structures  41  are continuously formed with each other. Referring to  FIG. 10 , alternate examples of invention, however, may form the contoured structures  41  from separate pieces of material, and then subsequently join the separate contoured structures  41  along their outlines  41   a  using any desired technique, such as adhesives, interleaving, or any other appropriate method. 
     It also should be appreciated that other types of contoured structures  41  may be used to form the textured surface  40 . For example, instead of the wave-shaped outline specifically illustrated in  FIGS. 4-9 , other embodiments of the invention may employ contoured structures  41  that have a different wave-shaped outline. Further, rather than the regular pattern of raised structures and depressions provided by alternating wave-shaped contoured structures  41  as illustrated in  FIGS. 4-9 , alternate examples of the invention may employ contoured structures  41  that each form an individual raised structure positioned in either a regular or an irregular pattern. It also should be appreciated that, with some embodiments of the invention, the heights of the raised structures (e.g., the peaks  42 ) or, alternately or additionally, the depths of the depressions (e.g., the troughs  43 ) between the raised structures may be varied in order to change the flexibility of the textured surface  40 . Further, with some embodiments of the invention, the distance between adjacent raised structures (e.g., peaks  42 ) may be varied in order to change the flexibility of the textured surface  40 . 
     Further, various areas of the textured surface  40  can be formed of different arrangements of contoured structures  41 . For example, with some implementations of the invention, separate groups of the contoured structures  41  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-9  may be provided at different angles over alternating areas of the front portion  28  (e.g., in a checkerboard pattern). Also, the wave shaped contoured structures  41  illustrated in  FIGS. 4-9  may be alternated over the front portion  28  with other type of contoured structures  41  to provide the textured surface  40 . 
     Still further, it should be noted that, while the specific example illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3  provide the textured surface  40  over only the front portion  28  of the upper  20 , with alternate examples of the invention the textured surface  40  may be extended over any desired portion of the upper  20 , including over the entirety of the upper  20 . With these examples, the upper  10  may not be divided into a front portion  28  and a rear portion  27 . Still further, with some examples of the invention, the size of the front portion  28  may be reduced to covering, for example, only the forefoot region  10  of the upper  20 , the vamp area  23 , or some other smaller portion of the shoe  10 . With yet other examples of invention, the textured surface  40  may be separate from the upper  20 . For example, the contoured structures  41  may be formed in a layer of material so as to define the textured surface  40  on one side can and a smooth surface on the opposing side. Adhesive or another fastening structure can then be applied to the smooth side, so that the material can be fastened to the existing upper  20  of a conventional article of footwear. 
     While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth above.