Item of footwear
AssigneeFitflop Limited
InventorKim Lilley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an item of footwear. It is desired to provide an item of footwear (100) which provides an attractive appearance whilst maintaining the comfort of the user. It is particularly advantageous to deliver a thinner item of footwear (100), which still maintains the comfort of a thicker item. An item of footwear (100) comprises a securing means for securing the item of footwear (100) to a foot of a user; and a sole for engaging a foot of a user in use, the sole having a heel region (20) for supporting the heel of a wearer in use and a forward region (30) for supporting the forefoot of a wearer in use, wherein: the sole (1) has a raised protrusion (22) forming the upper surface (2) in a first portion of the heel region (20).
Claims19
An item of footwear comprising:
- a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a user;
- and
- a sole for engaging the foot of the user in use, the sole having a heel region for supporting a heel of the user in use and a forward region for supporting a forefoot of the user in use,
- wherein:
- the sole has an integral raised protrusion forming an upper surface in a first portion of the heel region;
- the raised protrusion is surrounded by an integral annular protrusion;
- the sole has first and second lateral edges;
- in the forward region:
- a thickness of the sole along the first and second lateral edges tapers so as to reduce in a forward longitudinal direction;
- and
- between the tapering first and second lateral edges, the sole comprises a first central region in which a thickness of the sole is maintained or increased in the forward longitudinal direction as the first and second lateral edges taper so as to reduce in the forward longitudinal direction, wherein the first central region is configured to be vertically beneath a ball of the user's foot in use;
- and
- in a forwardmost tip portion the thickness of the sole along the first and second lateral edges does not taper in the forward longitudinal direction.
A method of manufacturing a sole for an item of footwear, the method comprising:
- providing a midsole material comprising a thermoplastic elastomer;
- placing the midsole material in a mould;
- and
- heating the midsole material so that it expands to fill the mould,
- wherein:
- the midsole material has an expansion ratio of from 1.55 to 1.7;
- wherein the sole has an integral raised protrusion forming an upper surface in a first portion of a heel region;
- wherein the raised protrusion is surrounded by an integral annular protrusion;
- the sole has first and second lateral edges;
- in the forward region:
- a thickness of the sole along the first and second lateral edges tapers so as to reduce in a forward longitudinal direction;
- and
- between the first and second lateral edges, the sole comprises a first central region in which a thickness of the sole is maintained or increased in the forward longitudinal direction as the first and second lateral edges taper so as to reduce in the forward longitudinal direction, wherein the first central region is configured to be vertically beneath a ball of the user's foot in use;
- and
- in a forwardmost tip portion the thickness of the sole along the first and second lateral edges does not taper in the forward longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.