Shoe last and method of constructing a shoe

A shoe last for forming a shoe which is particularly constructed to be worn with and matingly interface with a wearer's sock having thickened fabric formed in the heel and ball portions thereof and relatively thinner fabric formed in an arch portion interconnecting the heel and ball portions, the shoe last comprising:

• a body having a backpart and a forepart connected to said backpart and extending forwardly therefrom, each of said backpart and said forepart having a last upper portion and a last bottom portion, said last bottom portion defined by lower end peripheries of said forepart and said backpart for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a sole of a shoe, said last bottom portion including a last bottom featherline for defining an outer bottom shape of the shoe last, a base plane forming a primary horizontal attitude for said body, a last centerline plane extending generally perpendicular to the base plane, a heel featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane, and a forepart featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane,
• said forepart including a ball interface bulging portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a ball portion of a sole of a shoe, a toe interface portion connected to a proximal end of said ball portion and extending forwardly therefrom, said toe interface portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a toe portion of a sole of a shoe, and a forepart upper portion connected to said ball interface bulging and toe interface portions for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said backpart including a heel interface bulging portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a heel portion of a sole of a shoe, and a backpart upper portion connected to at least said heel interface bulging portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said last bottom portion including a recessed arch shank interface portion connected to a proximal end of said heel interface bulging portion in said backpart and extending forwardly therefrom along said last bottom portion into said forepart for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a raised arch portion of a sole of a shoe,
• wherein said heel interface bulging portion extends downwardly from the heel featherline plane toward the base plane a predetermined distance and is adapted to at least correspond to the downwardly extending thickened cushioned areas of a wearer's sock having thickened fabric formed in at least the heel portion thereof so as to form a heel last bottom portion of said backpart,
• wherein said ball interface bulging portion extends downwardly from a forepart featherline plane toward the base plane a predetermined distance adapted to at least correspond to the downwardly extending thickened cushioned areas of a wearer's sock having thickened fabric formed in at least the ball portion thereof, so as to form a ball last bottom portion of said forepart, and
• wherein said recessed arch shank interface portion is spaced apart from the base plane a predetermined distance adapted to at least correspond to the downwardly extending ball and heel interface bulging portions so as to form a recessed arch shank last bottom extending from said backpart into said forepart, and wherein said heel and ball interface bulging portions of said last bottom portion protrude outwardly throughout respective substantial extents thereof and said recessed arch shank interface portion has major portions thereof being substantially flat and distal fore and aft portions of said recessed arch shank interface portions being outwardly inclined toward said heel and ball interface bulging portions,
• such that the shoe sole formed from said shoe last more comfortably receives thickened knit fabric areas of the side ball and toe portions of a knit sock to thereby provide more comfort to the wearer of the shoe constructed from said last.

A shoe last for forming a shoe, the shoe last comprising:

• a body having a backpart and a forepart connected to said backpart and extending forwardly therefrom, each of said backpart and said forepart having a last upper portion and a last bottom portion, said last bottom portion defined by lower end peripheries of said forepart and said backpart for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a sole of a shoe, said last bottom portion including a last bottom featherline for defining an outer bottom shape of the shoe last, a base plane forming a primary horizontal attitude for said body, a last centerline plane extending generally perpendicular to the base plane, a heel featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane, and a forepart featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane,
• said forepart including a ball interface bulging portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a ball portion of a sole of a shoe, a toe interface portion connected to a proximal end of said ball portion and extending forwardly therefrom, said toe interface portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a toe portion of a sole of a shoe, and a forepart upper portion connected to said ball interface bulging and toe interface portions for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said backpart including a heel interface bulging portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a heel portion of a sole of a shoe, and a backpart upper portion connected to at least said heel interface bulging portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said last bottom portion including a recessed arch shank interface portion connected to a proximal end of said heel interface bulging portion and extending forwardly therefrom along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a raised arch portion of a sole of a shoe,
• wherein said heel interface bulging portion extends downwardly from the heel featherline plane toward the base plane a predetermined distance so as to form the heel portion of the last bottom portion,
• wherein said ball interface bulging portion extends downwardly from a forepart featherline plane toward the base plane a predetermined distance so as to form the ball portion of said last bottom portion,
• wherein said recessed arch shank interface portion is spaced apart from the base plane a predetermined distance at least corresponding to the downwardly extending ball and heel interface bulging portions so as to form a recessed arch shank interface portion of said last bottom portion, and
• wherein proximal portions of said heel and ball interface bulging portions terminate in substantially straight lines with their respective junctures with said recessed arch shank interface portion, and said respective straight line junctures are substantially parallel to each other.

A shoe last for forming a shoe which is particularly constructed to be worn with and matingly interface with a wearer's sock having thickened fabric formed in the heel and ball portions thereof and relatively thinner fabric formed in an arch portion interconnecting the heel and ball portions, the shoe last comprising:

• a body having a backpart and a forepart connected to said backpart and extending forwardly therefrom, each of said forepart and said backpart having a last upper portion and a last bottom portion, said last bottom portion defined by lower end peripheries of said forepart and said backpart for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a sole of a shoe, said last bottom portion including a last bottom featherline for defining a bottom shape of the shoe last, a base plane forming a primary horizontal attitude for said body, a last centerline plane extending generally perpendicular to the base plane, a heel featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane, and a forepart featherline plane extending generally perpendicular to the last centerline plane,
• said forepart including a ball interface portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a ball portion of a sole of a shoe, a toe interface portion connected to a proximal end of said ball portion and extending forwardly therefrom, said toe interface portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a toe portion of a sole of a shoe, and a forepart upper portion connected to said ball interface and toe interface portions for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said backpart including a heel interface portion having lower peripheries extending along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a heel portion of a sole of a shoe and a backpart upper portion connected to at least said heel interface portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a shoe upper,
• said last bottom portion including a recessed arch shank interface portion connected to a proximal end of said heel interface portion and extending forwardly therefrom along said last bottom portion for abuttingly contacting and interfacing with a raised arch portion of a sole of a shoe,
• wherein the recess forming said recessed arch shank interface portion extends upwardly from the base plane a predetermined distance above lower peripheries of said heel interface portion and ball interface portion, and the heel and ball interface bulging portions terminate in substantially straight lines with their respective junctures with the recessed arch shank interface portion and the respective straight line junctures are substantially parallel to each other, so that the predetermined upwardly extending distance substantially corresponds to the downwardly extending distance of thickened fabric areas of a wearer's sock having thickened fabric areas formed in at least the heel portion and the ball portion and thinner fabric areas formed in the arch portion thereof so that a shoe sole formed therefrom more comfortably receives thickened fabric areas of the ball and heel portions of a wearer's sock and thereby provide more comfort to the wearer of the shoe constructed from said last.

A shoe last for forming a shoe which is particularly constructed to be worn with and matingly interface with a wearer's custom-shaped sock, the shoe last comprising:

• a body having a backpart and a forepart connected to said backpart and extending forwardly therefrom, each of said forepart and said backpart having a shoe last upper portion defining a shoe last upper portion substantially corresponding to the shape of the upper of a custom-shaped sock when positioned on a foot of a wearer so that an upper of a shoe formed from the last has a custom-contoured shape corresponding to an adjacent custom-shaped sock when positioned therein, said forepart having a toe portion defining a toe shape of the shoe last, side peripheries defining a side forepart shape of the shoe last and said upper portion of said backpart having heel portions defining a heel shape of the shoe last and backpart side peripheries defining a side shape of the shoe last upper portion, and having a substantially planar last bottom portion defined by lower end peripheries of said forepart and said backpart, said last bottom portion including at least one of a plurality of interchangeable levelers, each leveler being adapted to expand the dimension of a portion of the last to form bulging regions along at least two of said toe upper portion, side peripheries of said forepart, heel portions and backpart side peripheries, a shape corresponding to the bottom shape of a custom-shaped sock positioned on the foot of a wearer, so that a sole of a shoe formed from the last and said levelers has a custom-contoured shape corresponding to and substantially mating with an overlying custom-shaped sock when positioned therein.