# US 12,108,832 B2 · Shoe, and method for producing shoe

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- Number: US 12,108,832 B2
- Document ID: US12108832B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/959,123
- Filed: 2019-09-30
- Published: 2022-01-06
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-30
- Assignees: Asics Corporation
- Applicants: Asics Corporation
- Inventors: Ayu Bessho; Satoru Abe; Norihiko Taniguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12108832B2

## CPC

- A43B 7/18: Joint supports, e.g. instep supports
- A43B 23/042: {Uppers made of one piece (one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124)}
- A43B 1/028: Synthetic or artificial fibres
- A43B 1/04: braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
- A43B 1/14: made of plastics (A43B1/028 takes precedence)
- A43B 23/0235: {Different layers of different material}
- A43B 23/024: {Different layers of the same material}
- A43B 23/0245: {characterised by the constructive form}
- A43B 23/025: {assembled by stitching}
- A43D 3/1408: {Devices for heating or drying shoes}
- D04B 21/16: incorporating synthetic threads
- D10B 2401/041: thermoplastic; thermosetting
- D10B 2403/0213: with apertures, e.g. with one or more mesh fabric plies
- D10B 2501/043: Footwear
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43D: MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- D04B: KNITTING
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A shoe including: an upper that includes a first layer made of knitted fabric and a second layer made of knitted fabric arranged inside the first layer, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes first yarns and second yarns as yarns for forming the knitted fabric, wherein the first yarns have a heat shrinkability, wherein the second yarns have a higher fusion point than that of the first yarns, and wherein the at least one of the first layer and the second layer including the first yarns and the second yarns has a higher heat shrinkage rate in a width direction than in a longitudinal direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shoe comprising:
an upper that comprises a first layer made of a first knitted fabric and a second layer made of a second knitted fabric arranged inside the first layer,
wherein at least one of
the first layer comprises first yarns and second yarns which form the first knitted fabric, and
the second layer comprises the first yarns and the second yarns which form the second knitted fabric,
wherein
the first yarns and the second yarns have a heat shrinkability,
the second yarns have a higher fusion point than that of the first yarns,
the at least one of the first layer and the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns has a higher heat shrinkage rate in a width direction than in a longitudinal direction, and
the first yarns have a heat shrinkability greater than the second yarns.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the first layer comprises the first yarns and the second yarns,
the second layer comprises the second yarns and is without the first yarns, and
the heat shrinkage rate of the first yarns is two times or more the heat shrinkage rate of the second yarns.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the first layer comprises the second yarns and is without the first yarns,
the second layer comprises the first yarns and the second yarns, and
the heat shrinkage rate of the first yarns is two times or more the heat shrinkage rate of the second yarns.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the first knitted fabric that forms the first layer is configured with first gaps opening through a surface of the first knitted fabric, and
a size of the first gaps is longer in the longitudinal direction of the upper than in the width direction of the upper.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the upper comprises a third layer arranged inside the second layer, and
the third layer has a higher shrinkability than the first layer and the second layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the body portion comprises one of the first layer or the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns in at least an instep region of a forefoot portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The shoe according to claim 1, wherein
the upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the body portion comprises one of the first layer or the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns in at least a part thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method for producing the shoe according to claim 1, the method comprising:
joining the first layer and the second layer at least along outer edges of the first layer and the second layer to make an unshaped upper;
placing the unshaped upper on a last; and
heating the unshaped upper to conform the unshaped upper to a shape of the last to provide the shaped upper.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein
the heating is performed by steam heating.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein
the unshaped upper has a mesh structure formed of the knitted fabric included in the first layer and the second layer, and
a gap ratio of one of the first layer and the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns is greater than a gap ratio of the other of the first layer and the second layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein
the unshaped upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the method further comprises removing the bottom portion after the heating.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The shoe according to claim 2, wherein
the first knitted fabric that forms the first layer is configured with first gaps opening through a surface of the first knitted fabric, and
a size of the first gaps is longer in the longitudinal direction of the upper than in the width direction of the upper.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The shoe according to claim 3,
wherein
the first knitted fabric that forms the first layer is configured with first gaps opening through a surface of the first knitted fabric, and
a size of the first gaps is longer in the longitudinal direction of the upper than in the width direction of the upper.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The shoe according to claim 2,
wherein
the upper comprises a third layer arranged inside the second layer, and
the third layer has a higher shrinkability than the first layer and the second layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 3)

The shoe according to claim 3,
wherein
the upper comprises a third layer arranged inside the second layer, and
the third layer has a higher shrinkability than the first layer and the second layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The shoe according to claim 4,
wherein
the upper comprises a third layer arranged inside the second layer, and
the third layer has a higher shrinkability than the first layer and the second layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 2)

The shoe according to claim 2,
wherein
the upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the body portion comprises one of the first layer or the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns in at least an instep region of a forefoot portion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 3)

The shoe according to claim 3,
wherein
the upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the body portion comprises one of the first layer or the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns in at least an instep region of a forefoot portion.

### Claim 19 (depends on 4)

The shoe according to claim 4,
wherein
the upper comprises a body portion located on an upper side and a bottom portion continuous with a lower end of the body portion, and
the body portion comprises one of the first layer or the second layer comprising the first yarns and the second yarns in at least an instep region of a forefoot portion.