Abstract:
A footwear member is configured with an outer sole and an upper coupled together so as to define a forefoot area of and a rearfoot area of the footwear. An extending lip member couples the outer sole and the upper member and may extend from either one forming a non-visable or blind seam construction that may be further manipulated in multiple ways. The extending lip member or connection member are stitched together along a forefoot area of the assembled footwear and may optionally allow a portion of a tread member to be glued along a rearfoot area of the assembled footwear. The assembly presented enables optional construction techniques adaptable to a variety of fashion construction options.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Prov. App. Ser. No. 60/868,512 filed Dec. 4, 2006, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. This application also claims priority from U.S. Ser. No. 11/758,651 filed Jun. 5, 2007 which in turn claims priority from U.S. Prov. App. Ser. No. 60/803,979 filed Jun. 5, 2006, the contents of each of which are also herein incorporated fully by reference. 
     
    
     FIGURE SELECTED FOR PUBLICATION 
       [0002]    
       FIG. 17 
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The invention relates to footwear and a method of manufacturing same. In particular, the invention relates to a shoe construction having an outsole and upper of footwear stitched together along the forefoot area and glued together along the middle area of the footwear. 
         [0005]    2. Discussion of the prior art 
         [0006]    The human foot is a combined structure of base and lever, supporting and balancing the body&#39;s weight while standing, as well as raising and moving the body. The anatomy of the foot is very complex, but well studied and well know to the shoe industry. Generally, footwear designers tend to construct shoe models that are both comfortable and durable. In addition, of course, the shoes have to be aesthetically appealing and follow the fashion trends. 
         [0007]    When even one part of the foot becomes damaged, it can affect every other part of the foot and lead to problems. In very general terms, normal or neutral feet tend to roll off the center of the forefoot (front part of the foot). This motion is associated with substantial stresses upon the forefoot that gradually decrease as the foot rolls towards the heel. Accordingly, in use, if the shoe design ignores both the anatomical and mechanical particularities of the foot, the front of the shoe, if it is not sufficiently reinforced, may wear out rather soon and if not also well designed will appear unattractive. On the other hand, if the shoe has an overly rigid construction, it creates an uncomfortable environment for the foot. 
         [0008]    One effort to streamline both the construction of the shoe design and secure the mechanical requirements of the shoe can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,792 to Kaiser, the entire contents of which are herein fully incorporated by reference. In Kaiser, there is provided a flexible shoe sole member having a lip member extending fully about the top surface. An upper member is then fit, right side in, about the sole such that the upper circumscribes the lip of the sole. Then the upper is secured to the outer wall of the lip and the inner wall of the lip is folded inward and the entire sole flipped right-side-out so as to present a desirable seam surface and a smooth juncture between sole and upper member. Unfortunately, this reference fails to recognize the variants and requirements within the design and construction fields as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art having considered the present disclosure in detail. 
         [0009]    In summary, the problems of commercially available manufacturing methods for shoe gluing include at least the following: 
         [0010]    Poorly constructed glue joints that easily separate. 
         [0011]    Difficult to functionally adhere toe box constructions. 
         [0012]    Delicate designs more suitably adapted to hand stitching construction techniques are costly and time consuming. 
         [0013]    Non-adaptability of the present glue-joint and stitching construction techniques. 
         [0014]    The design aspect is particularly important to consider for fashion conscious woman. Typically, the outsole of the shoe is stitched to the rest of the shoe parts so as to provide a reliable structure capable of withstanding high stresses during use. However, stitching may add to the overall unappealing and bulky look of the shoe and may well create discomfort in use, when stitching is rubbing on a foot portion. Furthermore, as a technological operation, the stitching may be time- and labor-ineffective. 
         [0015]    A need therefore exists for footwear that has a reinforced front portion capable of withstanding high stresses while providing the footwear with elegance. 
         [0016]    Another need exists for a shoemaking process that is time- and labor-effective. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The inventive footwear seam construction and method for manufacturing same meets these proposed needs and multiple variants are provided. In non-technical parlance the phase blind-seam may be employed or stitch and turn depending upon the feature of construction being discussed. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the inventive method includes juxtaposing an upper with an outer surface of an outsole or with the outer surface of a member extending from tan outsole (attached by stitching, gluing, or other construction). The outsole may be made by a variety of molding methods and has an outer surface and an inner surface and may be generally planer in alternative aspects (as will be discussed). The outer surface is provided with a peripheral edge provided by extending the outer surface or by attaching a secondary outsole member or alternatively called a secondary upper portion. In the juxtaposed position also considered an inside-out position, the inner face of the peripheral edge and the forefront bottom portion of the upper overlap one another. Once the overlapping position is established, the upper is turned upside down over the periphery of the outsole and ends up facing the inner surface of the outsole. 
         [0018]    In brief summary, a footwear member is optionally configured with an outer sole and an upper coupled together so as to define a forefoot area of and a rearfoot area of the footwear member. An extending lip member couples the outer sole and the upper member and may extend from either one forming a non-visible or blind seam construction that may be further manipulated in multiple ways. The extending lip member or connection member are stitched together along a forefoot area of the assembled footwear and may optionally allow a portion of a tread member to be glued along a rearfoot area of the assembled footwear. The assembly presented enables optional construction techniques adaptable to a variety of fashion construction options. 
         [0019]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the forefront bottom region of the upper and the peripheral edge of the outsole are then stitched together but may be adhered in other manners without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. As mentioned above, the forefront portion of footwear is always under substantial flexing forces generated by the foot motion of the footwear owner as he or she walks forward. Accordingly, the forefront area of the footwear, which is generally defined by the stitched forefront bottom portion and peripheral edge, provides a reliable structure capable of withstanding the flexing forces as constructed according to the alternative details noted below. 
         [0020]    During the stitching step, the peripheral edge and forefront bottom portion of the upper are bent inwards to extend substantially parallel to the inner surface. The stitches may penetrate through to the outer surface of the outsole or the extending flange of the secondary upper where thin-layer constitution requires through stitching, however, where permissible by the layer-thicknesses involved the stitching do not penetrate through the outer surface of the outsole preserving, thus, waterproof characteristics of the flexible polymeric material. Alternatively, the stitching may be replaced by thermal bonding, adhesive-bonding, or other known systems to provide a waterproof seam. 
         [0021]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the stitching may penetrate a portion of the outsole. In still a further aspect of the invention, the stitched parts of the footwear may be bonded with the inner surface of the outsole. Importantly, regardless of the type of the coupling, the exterior of the forefront area, which is located immediately next to the outsole, does not protrude laterally beyond the periphery of the outsole thereby rendering the forefront area of the footwear elegant and appealing to the eye. 
         [0022]    The method continues with tucking the rearfoot bottom portion of the upper so that it lies atop the inner surface of the outsole. In accordance with a further aspect of the invention the bent portion is then glued to the outsole&#39;s inner surface. Since the rearfoot area of the footwear is exposed to insignificant bending or flexing forces, gluing the outsole to the upper establishes a reliable stress-resistant structure. To meet aesthetic requirements, the surface of the upper, which is immediately adjacent to the bent rearfoot bottom portion, like the forefront bottom portion, does not protrude laterally beyond the periphery of the outsole the inner to the bet portion. Accordingly, both the forefoot and rearfoot bottom portions of the upper substantially conform to the outer contour of the outsole. The footwear manufactured in accordance with the invention is aesthetically appealing, has a reliable structure that takes into consideration the anatomical particularities of the human foot and cost-effective. 
         [0023]    These and other features and aspects of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following description, figures, and appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded view of an alternative aspect of the inventive footwear. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of an outsole and upper in a disassembled state of the inventive footwear. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates an initial position of the upper and outsole of the inventive footwear in accordance with the alternative initial step of one aspect of the inventive method, in which the upper is juxtaposed with the outer surface of the outsole or an extended portion affixed to and extending from the outsole. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  illustrates a subsequent step of the inventive method in which the forefront bottom portion of the upper is stitched the outsole and inverted or turned inside-out so that the upper faces the inner surface of the outsole. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates a following step of the inventive method in which the rearfoot bottom portion of the upper is inverted to the right-side-out configuration so as to face the inner surface of the outsole. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates a following step of the inventive method in which the rearfoot bottom portion of the upper is glued to the outsole. 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  illustrates the inventive footwear in the assembled state thereof. 
           [0031]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a shoe constructed according to an alternative aspect of the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 8(A)  is a sectional view through line I-I in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 8(B)  is an enlarged view of Area A in  FIG. 8(A) . 
           [0034]      FIG. 8(C)  is a partial view of a base member and an upper portion in a blind-seam connection position prior to turning and later constriction. 
           [0035]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view through line II-II in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0036]      FIG. 10  is a plan view of a flexible tread or sole member optionally containing a tread pattern (not shown). 
           [0037]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of a separate flexible tread lip or upper lip member that is later connected between the flexible tread or sole members and an upper member. 
           [0038]      FIG. 11(A)  is a plan view of a stitched together or connected assembly between the flexible tread or sole member in  FIG. 10  and the separate flexible tread lip or upper lip member in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 12(A)  is a plan view of a stitched together upper member containing a tongue portion. 
           [0040]      FIG. 12(B)  is a partially folded-over or juxtaposed plan view of the stitched together upper member of  FIG. 12(A) . 
           [0041]      FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of the pre-assembly of  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12(A)  prior to juxtaposition, flipping, or inversion by both members to form  FIG. 14 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 14  is a side elevational assembly view of the juxtaposed, flipped, or inverted assembly of the separate flexible lip member and tread/sole in  FIG. 11  with the inverted upper assembly in  FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) . 
           [0043]      FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of the assembly in  FIG. 14 , rejuxtaposed or flipped right-side-out exposing the tread member with the insertion of an insole portion. 
           [0044]      FIG. 16  is a side elevational view of the assembly of  FIG. 15  in combination with an external foot-shaped last member to provide a rigid support for later assembly steps. 
           [0045]      FIG. 17  is a side elevational view of a complete assembly combining the assembly of  FIGS. 15 and 16 , with a heal body. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0046]    Reference will now be made in detail to a sequence of inventive steps illustrating manufacturing of the inventive footwear in accordance with the inventive method. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, over, above, below, beneath, rear, front and beyond may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words “connect,” “couple,” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections or particular methods of connecting, unless specifically identified, but also include connections through mediate elements or devices. 
         [0047]    In coping with the problems noted above, the present invention provides a system for manufacturing footwear, particularly ladies shoes that combines a stitch and turn method utilized by this invention and a conventional glue construction. 
         [0048]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , and in particular to  FIG. 1 , an inventive footwear  10  is configured with a outsole  12 , upper  14 , midsole  16 , insole  18  and heel  42 . Each of the above-identified parts has a forefront portion extending from the front end of the footwear and terminating substantially midway between the front and rear ends of the footwear. Portions of footwear components extending from the midsection to the rear end of the footwear are generally denoted as rearfoot portions. Coupled together, the forefront portions and rearfoot portions of the footwear components define a forefront area  20  and rearfoot area  22 , respectively, of footwear  10  ( FIG. 7 ). 
         [0049]    During construction, upper  14  is initially juxtaposed with an outer surface  24  of outsole  12  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and subsequently stitched thereto ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The stitching step is accomplished by juxtaposing, turning, flipping the upper with the outsole so that a bottom edge  32  of a forefoot bottom portion  44  ( FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 ) overlaps an outer face  48  ( FIG. 3 ) of a peripheral flange  28  of outsole  12 . The flange  28  is formed on inner surface  26  of outsole  12  and defines its outer extremity while extending along the forefront portion of the outsole or optionally a greater or lesser portion of the outsole (or as will be discussed an alternative portion of the upper that is affixed separately, as will be discussed). As a result of molding, peripheral flange  28  extends transversely to inner surface  26  rendering positioning of upper  14  labor- and time-effective. 
         [0050]    Having juxtaposed upper  14  and outer surface  24  of outsole  12  in the desire position, the overlapped segments of flange  28  and forefront peripheral edge  32  are stitched together, as better illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Then, upper  14  is inverted so as to face inner surface  26  of outsole  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0051]    Thereafter, a rearfoot peripheral portion  46  is bent inwards so that its edge  34  ( FIG. 3 ) lies atop inner surface  26  of outsole  12 . To completely couple the outsole and upper, a layer of glues is inserted between the opposing surfaces of the upper and outsole. Inserting a weight  40  or foot-last (a rigid foot-shaped body) ( FIG. 6 ) and pressing there against so that it, in turn, brings the opposing surfaces to be glued in close contact with one anther complete the coupling step. Accordingly, the outsole/upper combination is characterized by the stitched forefoot area  20  of footwear  10  and its glued rearfoot area  22 . The variously coupled forefoot and rearfoot areas of the footwear allow it to withstand greater stresses usually imposed on the forefront area, while leaving the rearfoot area sufficiently reinforced to withstand relatively insignificant stresses during the use of the footwear. On the other hand, the gluing operation, as compared to the stitching operation, is time-effective which renders the entire coupling step of the inventive method to be time-effective as well. 
         [0052]    Completion of the method entails providing a compartment, which is formed as a result of coupling between the upper and outsole, with midsole  18  that is, typically, made from rigid material such as wood, cork, plastic or even metal. The midsole spans the width of the outsole and, thus, is configured as a stiffening member preventing unintended distortion of the forefront area of footwear  10  during shipping and use. 
         [0053]    After the midsole is placed atop the inner surface of outsole  12  and attached parts of upper  14 , it is fixedly attached thereto so as to prevent relative displacement between the midsole and the rest of coupled components. To soften the supporting structure of the footwear, a cushioned insole  16  is removably inserted into the compartment atop midsole  18 . Finally, a heel  42  is attached to the rearfoot portion of the outer surface of outsole  14 . 
         [0054]    The final product is thus is manufactured by a simple, time- and cost-effective blind seamed process involving in part a turning process benefited by a highly flexible outsole and upper portions. In addition, footwear  10  is elegant because not a single area of the upper protrudes beyond the periphery of the outsole, as will be evidenced during the rest of the disclosure. 
         [0055]    As mentioned above, the molded outsole is made with flange  28  extending inwardly from and transversely to inner surface  26  of outsole  12 . The forefront bottom portion  44  of upper  14  is juxtaposed with outer face  48  of flange  28  and stitched to this flange. When these parts are subsequently flexed toward the inner surface of outsole  12 , the bottom region of upper  14  adjacent to its edge  32  of forefront area  20  does not extend laterally beyond the periphery of outsole  12 , thereby providing the forefront area of the footwear with an elegant look. 
         [0056]    The rearfoot portion  46  of upper  12  extending along the midsection of the footwear is wider than its forefoot portion  44  and has respective portions of its bottom edge  34  tucked inside so that the rearfoot portion of the upper also does not extend laterally beyond the periphery of outsole  12 . Like the forefoot area, the rearfoot area is, thus, elegant, but both the forefoot and rearfoot areas are still sufficiently reinforce to withstand respective stresses upon the footwear. 
         [0057]    The inner surface  26  of outsole  12  has an elevated region  36  ( FIG. 2 ) having its periphery spaced from an inner face  50  of flange  28 . Thus, opposing sides of the elevated region and flange delimit a trough  38  coextending with flange  28 . The trough  28  is dimensioned to receive the full width of flange  28  and, of course, edge  32  of upper  14 , when these parts get stitched. Preferably the depth of the trough is sufficient to receive the stitched parts so as to have edge  32  of upper  14 , which upon bending forms an outer layer of the stitched parts, flush with the top surface of the elevated region. Thus, the inner surface of footwear  10  supporting the midsole and insole  18  and  16  ( FIG. 1 ), respectively, is substantially flat and provides the owner of the footwear with a comfort. The stitched parts may be glued to the trough during gluing of the rearfoot portions of the upper and outsole. Alternatively, the stitching may be extended into the outsole without, however penetrating the full width thereof. 
         [0058]    The footwear  10 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-7  is shown to be designed for women, and, thus, the elegance of the footwear is particularly important. However, the same method and structure may be implemented for manufacturing footwear for men and children. The insole  16 , often constructed of natural or synthetic leather is positioned on foam cushion. Commonly an adhesive glue, often a clue compatible with a PVC based outsole  12 , is used between the outer and midsole  12 ,  18 , respectively. 
         [0059]    Materials used for manufacturing upper  14  can vary in accordance with any given design, but, preferably, the upper is made from leather. 
         [0060]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8 through 9  an alternative construction discussion is present according to another aspect of the present invention. 
         [0061]    A shoe  100  includes a toe portion  200  and a heal portion  300  joined by a continuous sole portion  500  as shown and supported by a heal member  400 . A series of decorative cutouts  60 ,  60  enhance the visual appearance of shoe  100 . Sole member  500  is constructed of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), but may be constructed from any suitable material both organic (leather/rubber) and in-organic/man-made (PVC and related elastomeric materials). 
         [0062]    Referring now more directly to  FIG. 8A-9 , toe portion  200  includes a of sole member  500  stitched at extending lip members  140  to upper member portion  90  in a type of blind-seam, as will be discussed. In this embodiment, uppers  90  are joined by upper members  110 ,  110  at decorative stitchings  111 ,  111 , as shown to enhance an overall attractive appearance. In alternative embodiments, upper  90  in upper member  200  may be continuous from side to side or otherwise alternatively constructed according to the related arts. A pair of opposed stitches  116 ,  116  on each extending lip member  140  securely join bottom portions of uppers  90  as shown. Sole member  500  additionally includes tread portions  70  for gripping during walking and for enhancing flexibility as desired. 
         [0063]    A stiffening member or insole support board member  80  is generally provided for additional support and spans generally the width of sole member  500  to provide stiffening support and prevent unintentional distortion of toe portion  200  during shipping and later use. Stiffening member  80  is inserted after the blind-seam stitching process as the flexibility required to achieve the same prevents prior insertion of stiffening member  80 . 
         [0064]    A foam cushion member  112  is positioned on insole support board member  80 , as shown and increases user comfort. An insole member  113 , often constructed of natural or synthetic leather is positioned on cushion member  112  and provides a pleasing visual appearance. Commonly, an adhesive glue  115 , often a glue compatible with a PVC based sole member  500 , is used between the layers to secure each respective layer to sole member  500  and insole support board  80 , and is used as would be otherwise expected by one of skill in the art having read and considered the entire disclosure. In this way, the respective members are secured and shoe  100  is provided in a suitable form for secure consumer use. This construction also is adapted to bind extending lip  140  to respective locations on sole  500  securely locking stitchings  116  in place while providing a pleasing blind-seam outward appearance. 
         [0065]    While not mandated by the present construction, alternative variants are envisioned by the present disclosure as noted in expanded view A in  FIG. 8(A) , an additional adhesive layer  115 ′ is positioned between stitched or bonded portions of upper member  90  and extending lip members  140  to improve security. 
         [0066]    Referring additionally now to  FIG. 8(C)  a portion of sole member  500  is shown with an extending lip member  140  stitched to upper  90  in a blind seam manner prior to a turning and optional gluing. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that variants of the present invention are within the bounds of the present disclosure, including those variants wherein lip members  140  are provided as separate members, or the stitched portion of upper  90  is provided in a separate upper or separate lip member body, as will be discussed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
         [0067]    Referring now directly to  FIG. 9 , heal portion  300  of shoe member  100  is more fully discussed. As shown, sole member  500  is joined to upper  90  employing adhesive  115 . Thereafter, insole support board member  80 ′ (which may be an extension of support board member  80 ) is positioned and secured allowing later insertion of a reinforcing metal shank member  117  bounded by support board members  118 ,  118  on either side. Thereafter, foam member  112  (likely a closed cell based foam) is layered with insole member layer  113  and adhered in place using adhesive  115  (not shown). Finally, heal member  400  is secured to the bottom portion of sole  500  to complete construction. 
         [0068]    In another manufacturing method discussed, after toe portion  200  is constructed and flipped/inverted (creating a joining or stitching method creating a blind seam), heal portion  300  of shoe  100  is constructed by inserting an external last (shown later) to form a foot-shape and gluing the insole board in place and thereafter finishing and polishing the shoe in a conventional manner. In this way, an alternative embodiment of the present invention provides both a blind-seam construction method for a portion of a shoe construction and a partial stitch-and-turn construction method for a second portion of a shoe construction without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
         [0069]    Referring collectively now to  FIGS. 10 through 17  an additional alternative seam construction method employs a lip extending member is provided in assembly  600 . Shoe assembly  600  includes a flexible tread member or sole member  601  that may be optionally formed with treads or friction enhancing protuberances or flexibility enhancing undulations (both not shown) so as to enable use as a shoe tread or sole member while being sufficiently flexible to enable the proposed method of assembly as outlined the proposed invention. 
         [0070]    A separate flexible tread lip or upper lip member  602  is provide in a shape partially extending about a corresponding portion of tread member or sole member  601 , and is shown in a generally “U” or “N” configuration ( FIG. 11 ). It is noted, that the proposed alternative flexible tread lip or upper lip member is functional to flexibly join portions of the flexible tread or sole members  601  and an upper member assembly  603  (as will be discussed), and may be a wholly separate member prior to assembly, may alternatively extend from an upper member assembly  603  or may alternatively extend from flexible tread or sole member  601  according to aspects of the present invention without departing therefrom as will be recognized by those of skill in the art having considered the entire disclosure herein. 
         [0071]    As will be noted in  FIG. 11A , flexible lip member  602  is connected with flexible tread member  601  with partial perimeter or edge stitching  800  (as shown) but may be connected in any other known bonding, adhering, or affixing method known to those in the shoe construction arts without departing form the scope of the present invention. A toe region  602 A of the lip-tread assembly  602 B is opposite a lose heal region  602 C of tread or sole member  601  that is not connected to tread or sole member  601 , as shown. A loose portion  609  opposite toe region  602 A is provided where connection  800  ends for the remaining portion of flexible lip member  602 . 
         [0072]    Referring directly to  FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B)  an upper assembly  603  contains a continuous upper loop  604  joined along seam  605 . Continuous upper loop  604  contains a toe portion  604 A and a heal portion  604 B including seam  605 . An upper tongue portion  605 A is joined or connected to continuous upper loop  604  in toe portion  604 A in a stitching region  606  or by other connection methods known to those of skill in the art. To invert or juxtapose upper assembly  603  an operator grasps continuous upper loop  604  proximate rear seam  605  and twists along direction arrows  607  and  607 A in  FIGS. 12A and 12B  until ultimately upper assembly  603  is juxtaposed or inverted as will be understood by those of skill in the art. 
         [0073]    It will be noted that the top plan view in  FIG. 12A  is represented in the top part of the view in  FIG. 13  prior to the juxtaposition or inside-out switch for assembly in  FIG. 14 . 
         [0074]    In  FIG. 13  a relationship is recognized prior to juxtaposition or inversion of both upper assembly  603  and lower assembly  602 A noting the general alignment of a stitching or connection interface between connection edges  608 ,  608  on respective upper assembly  603  and lower assembly  602 A. It will be recognized by study of the image that non-connected portion  602 C of tread or sole member  601  includes a loose region  609  opposite toe portion  602 A. 
         [0075]    In  FIG. 14 , both upper assembly  603  and lower assembly  602 B have been juxtaposed or inverted or turned inside-out and are brought into close association along edges  608  and affixed or connected together by stitching  610  or by other methods known to those of skill in the art, such as thermal bonding, adhesive bonding, and combinations thereof. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the surfaces visible in  FIG. 14  are what would be the inner surfaces of the complete shoe assembly  600  ( FIG. 17 ) and that the view is of what would be considered an inside-out view. 
         [0076]    It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art having studied the present disclosure that flexible tread portion  601  is hidden from view and is within the inverted assembly, with it&#39;s surface-contacting tread portion (if any) facing the outer finished surface  605 A′ of tongue member  605 A. As connected along edges  608  by stitching or otherwise, it will be recognized that upon further juxtaposition or inversion the connection will be a blind seam or hidden-from view seam similar to that shown earlier in  FIGS. 8(A)-8(C) , although unlike  FIGS. 8(A)-8(C)  the lip extension portion is not re-joined to the tread or sole member in a further assembly step. 
         [0077]    In  FIG. 15 , the assembly noted in  FIG. 14  is re-juxtaposed or turned right-side-out again hiding seam edges  608  joined by connection  610  forming a type of partial blind-seam between the upper assembly and lower assemblies, as shown. As will also be appreciated, the non-connected portion  602 C of tread or sole member  601  remains non-connected. As shown an inner rigid foot support member  611  is inserted and in  FIG. 16  is followed by insertion of a rigid foot-shaped last member  612  inside the assembly. Thereafter, adhesive (not shown) is employed to join portions of continuous upper member  603  proximate unsealed tread or sole portion  602 C along adhesive or connection juncture  613  forming a continuous connection between upper assembly  603  and lower assembly  602 B with lip member  602  there between having a blind seam  610  for by a blind seam or seam creation system or method. 
         [0078]    In  FIG. 17  heal member  615  is assembled in a manner recognized by those of skill in the shoe assembly arts involving pressure and adhesive to form full shoe embodiment  600  employing the present alternative embodiment of the present invention. It will be recognized by those of skill in the art that multiple connection methods (including stitching, bonding, and adhesive) may be employed to form the connections discussed herein without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0079]    In the claims, means- or step-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Thus, for example, although a nail, a screw, and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies on friction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface, a screw&#39;s helical surface positively engages the wooden part, and a bolt&#39;s head and nut compress opposite sides of a wooden part, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail, a screw, and a bolt may be readily understood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures. 
         [0080]    It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.