Footwear waterproofing and method of applying same

Abstract

Water-repellant footwear is provided with a water-repellant barrier incorporated into the upper of the footwear, where the upper may contain a water-absorbing material. The water-repellant barrier may be provided at or near the top edge of the upper, and may comprise a material such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or neoprene. The water-repellant barrier, and the footwear as a whole, may avoid the need for a durable water-repellant (DWR) treatment. The water-repellant barrier may extend around a circumference of the footwear, in a continuous loop, in one possible approach. The water-repellant barrier may include a portion which is incorporated into the gussets of the tongue of the footwear and into the tongue itself.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.