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US 6,944,975 B2Granted
Shoe having a fabric outsole and manufacturing process thereof
AssigneeE.S. Originals, Inc.
InventorsMichael Safdeye, Chun-Ruey Wu, Michael Stein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improvements in shoe constructions are provided that provide ground contacting surfaces of multiple materials that resist separation from one another and which provide traction and tariff benefits.
Claims26
A shoe comprising:
- an upper;
- and
- an outsole attached to the upper, the outsole having a first section formed of a first material and including a ground contacting portion and a non-ground contacting portion, the outsole having a second section including an outer ground contacting layer formed of a fabric material, wherein the second section further includes a backing layer formed of a thermoplastic material, the fabric material of the outer ground contacting layer being connected to the backing layer to define an integral assembly and wherein the backing layer is integrally molded with a base section of the non-ground contacting portion of the first section to define a fused bond at a boundary zone between the backing layer and the base section such that the fabric material is a ground contacting surface, and wherein the ground contacting portion of the first section is free of fabric material.
A shoe outsole comprising:
- a) a first section including a ground contacting portion and a non-ground contacting portion;
- and
- a second section including an outer ground contacting layer formed of a fabric material, wherein the second section includes a backing layer formed of a thermoplastic material and being connected to the fabric material to define an integral insert, wherein the non-ground contacting portion of the first section includes at least one recessed section for receiving the insert, the backing layer being integrally molded with a base of the at least one recessed section to define a fused bond at a boundary zone between the backing layer an the base so that the fabric material and the ground contacting portion of the first section together comprise a ground contacting surface, and wherein the ground contacting portion of the first section is free of fabric material.
A shoe comprising:
- a) an upper;
- and
- b) an outsole formed of a first material and having a first face attached to the upper and a second face defining a ground contacting surface, the second face having at least one recessed section for receiving at least one insert, the at least one insert being formed of a thermoplastic backing layer and an outer ground contacting layer that is formed of a fabric material which is integrally attached to the backing layer, wherein the backing layer and the first material are integrally, moldably attached in a softened state to form a unitary outsole construction with the fabric material defining a ground contacting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.