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US 7,111,414 B2Granted
Footwear construction and method of manufacture
AssigneeWolverine World Wide, Inc.
InventorsCharles C. Willis, Lucio Bandini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A footwear construction including a midsole joined with an upper and an outsole secured to a bottom surface of the midsole. The midsole is direct attached to the upper with a process that forms flashing along the length of the shoe substantially only on the bottom surface of the midsole, but not the sidewalls of the midsole. This flashing is trimmed to form trim lines, which are concealed simply by securing an outsole to the bottom surface of the midsole.
Claims15
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper including a lower portion;
- a midsole extending along a length between a forward most portion and a rearward most portion, said midsole including opposing sidewalls that extend from said rearward most portion to said forward most portion and form a visible exterior of said midsole, said midsole including an upper surface and a bottom surface, said upper surface direct attached to said lower portion of said upper, said side walls terminating at said bottom surface said bottom surface being substantially flat between said side walls except for at least one midsole bottom surface trim line positioned inward a preselected distance from said side wall on said bottom surface, said bottom surface trim line coinciding with a former flashing location on the bottom surface, said midsole bottom surface trim line non-coincident with said side wall;
- and
- an outsole joined with said bottom surface of said midsole and concealing said midsole bottom surface trim line.
1 more element
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper including a lower portion;
- a midsole extending along a length between a forward most portion and a rearward most portion, said midsole including opposing sidewalls that extend from said rearward most portion to said forward most portion and form a visible exterior of said midsole, said midsole including an upper surface and a bottom surface, said upper surface direct attached to said lower portion of said upper, said bottom surface including at least one midsole bottom surface trim line positioned inward a preselected distance from said side wall on said bottom surface, said midsole bottom surface trim line non-coincident with said side wall;
- and
- an outsole joined with said bottom surface of said midsole and concealing said midsole bottom surface trim line,
- wherein the midsole includes a side wall trim line in substantially only at least one of the forward most portion and the rearward most portion of the midsole.
2 more elements
A footwear construction comprising:
- an upper;
- a midsole including a lateral side wall, a medial side wall, an upper surface direct attached to said upper, and a bottom surface, said bottom surface bounded along a medial edge by said medial sidewall and a lateral edge by said lateral side wall, said medial side wall and said lateral side wall extending only upwardly from said bottom surface to said upper, said midsole including a bottom surface trim line positioned inward from said lateral side wall and said medial side wall, said bottom surface trim line coincident with a mold flashing location on the bottom surface;
- and
- an outsole joined with said midsole bottom surface that conceals substantially all of said bottom surface trim line.
1 more element
A footwear construction comprising:
- an upper;
- a midsole including a lateral side wall, a medial side wall, an upper surface direct attached to said upper, and a bottom surface, said bottom surface bounded along a medial edge by said medial side wall and a lateral edge by said lateral side wall, said medial side wall and said lateral side wall extending upwardly from said bottom surface to said upper, said midsole including a bottom surface trim line positioned inward from said lateral side wall and said medial side wall;
- and
- an outsole joined with said midsole bottom surface that conceals substantially all of said bottom surface trim line.
- wherein said lateral side wall and medial side wall terminate in at least one of a forward portion and a rearward portion of the midsole, and
- wherein a side wall trim line is positioned in substantially only at least one of said forward portion and rearward portion.
3 more elements
A footwear construction comprising:
- an upper;
- a midsole including a lateral side wall, a medial side wall, an upper surface direct attached to said upper, and a bottom surface, said bottom surface bounded along a medial edge by said medial side wall and a lateral edge by said lateral side wall, said medial side wall and said lateral side wall extending upwardly from said bottom surface to said upper, said midsole including a bottom surface trim line positioned inward from said lateral side wall and said medial side wall;
- and
- an outsole joined with said midsole bottom surface that conceals substantially all of said bottom surface trim line, wherein said midsole includes a first vertical side wall trim line at a forward most portion of the midsole and a second vertical side wall trim line at a rearward most portion of the midsole.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.