U.S. patent application number 14/627695 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-25 for wrestling shoe with textile on toe cap.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nike, Inc.. Invention is credited to Elizabeth Langvin, Nadia Panian.
Application Number | 20160242500 14/627695 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56690157 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160242500 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Langvin; Elizabeth ; et
al. |
August 25, 2016 |
WRESTLING SHOE WITH TEXTILE ON TOE CAP
Abstract
An article of footwear has a toe cap having fibers on the
surface to provide a slip region of reduced friction. The toe cap
may be formed integrally with an outsole. The fibers may be in the
form of a mesh, e.g., an open spacer mesh. Optionally, the toe cap
may be made from an elastomeric material which is impregnated into
the mesh and is cured around fibers in the mesh. A method for
making a toe cap, optionally with an outsole formed integrally
therewith, includes molding an elastomeric material into a toe cap
having an outer surface and adhering fiber to the toe cap outer
surface to provide the slip region. Pressing the fibers against the
elastomeric material may be done under sufficient temperature and
pressure to cure the elastomeric material around a portion of the
fibers. An article of footwear features a toe cap as described.
Inventors: |
Langvin; Elizabeth;
(Beaverton, OR) ; Panian; Nadia; (Beaverton,
OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nike, Inc. |
Beaverton |
OR |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56690157 |
Appl. No.: |
14/627695 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/12 20130101;
A43B 23/086 20130101; A43B 5/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/12 20060101
A43B013/12; A43B 23/08 20060101 A43B023/08 |
Claims
1. A shoe sole comprising: an outsole and a toe cap formed
integrally therewith, the toe cap having an outer surface; and a
plurality of fibers adhered to the toe cap and exposed at the toe
cap outer surface to provide a slip region of reduced surface
friction on the toe cap outer surface.
2. The shoe sole of claim 1 wherein the fibers comprise a mesh.
3. The shoe sole of claim 3 wherein toe cap comprises an
elastomeric material which is impregnated into the mesh and is
cured around fibers in the mesh.
4. The shoe sole of claim 2 wherein the mesh is an open spacer
mesh.
5. The shoe sole of claim 4 wherein toe cap comprises an
elastomeric material which is impregnated into the mesh and is
cured around fibers in the mesh.
6. A method for making a toe cap for a shoe, comprising: molding an
elastomeric material into a toe cap, the toe cap having an outer
surface; and adhering a plurality of fibers to the toe cap with
fibers exposed at the toe cap outer surface to provide a slip
region of reduced surface friction on the toe cap outer
surface.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the toe cap is made from an
elastomeric material, the method further comprising pressing the
fibers against the elastomeric material under sufficient
temperature and pressure to cure the elastomeric material around a
portion of the fibers.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the toe cap is formed integrally
with an outsole and the toe cap and outsole are made from an
elastomeric material, the method further comprising pressing the
fibers against the toe cap outer surface under sufficient
temperature and pressure to cure the elastomeric material around a
portion of the fibers.
9. An article of footwear comprising: an upper; an outsole secured
to the upper; and a toe cap secured to the upper in contiguous
relation to the outsole, the toe cap having an outer surface, and a
plurality of fibers adhered to the toe cap and exposed at the toe
cap outer surface to provide a slip region of reduced surface
friction on the toe cap outer surface.
10. The article of claim 9 wherein the fibers comprise a mesh.
11. The article of claim 10 wherein toe cap comprises an
elastomeric material which is impregnated into the mesh and is
cured around fibers in the mesh.
12. The article of claim 9 wherein the mesh is an open spacer
mesh.
13. The article of claim 12 wherein toe cap comprises an
elastomeric material which is impregnated into the mesh and is
cured around fibers in the mesh.
14. The article of claim 9 wherein the toe cap and the outsole are
formed integrally with each other.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to athletic shoes,
and more particularly to wrestling shoes.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Generally, wrestling shoes are a type of footwear worn to
offer wrestlers improved traction and ankle support and protection
to toes and skin, without inhibiting the flexibility of the
wrestler's feet and ankles. In these ways, wrestling shoes serve to
improve performance and prevent or reduce injury and disease. At
the same time, a wrestling shoe is typically designed to be light
and very flexible. Since competitive wrestlers are highly agile and
routinely execute their moves from a variety of postures other than
from a simple standing position, the outsoles on wrestling shoes
typically extend over the shoe upper at the heel and/or toe cap,
and even at the sides, so that the wearer can maintain traction
even when the foot is disposed at an angle or in oblique contact
with the wrestling mat. Extending the outsole over the sides, heel
and toe also extends the life of the shoe by protecting otherwise
vulnerable parts of the shoe from wear.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 7,913,420 to Arizumi discloses a skateboard
shoe wherein the top of the front of the shoe upper as a textured
surface to provide enhanced traction.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,336 to Yamashita et al., discloses a
wrestling shoe with separated outer soles, i.e., an outsole for the
heel portion of the shoe and a separate outsole for the front of
the shoe. The front outsole, seen in FIG. 1 as including a toe cap,
is made entirely of a solid body of rubber or foam having a low
expansion ratio.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] The present disclosure discloses wrestling shoes and sole
structures for such wrestling shoes. In the embodiments of the
present disclosure, the sole structures include toe caps formed
integrally therewith and may include fibers on the surface of the
toe cap that provide a region of reduced friction relative to the
remainder of sole.
[0008] One illustrative embodiment of a sole according to the
present disclosure may comprise an outsole and a toe cap formed
integrally therewith, the toe cap having an outer surface, and
there is a plurality of fibers adhered to the toe cap and exposed
at the toe cap outer surface to provide a slip region of reduced
surface friction on the toe cap outer surface.
[0009] In various embodiments, the fibers may be in the form of a
mesh, e.g., an open spacer mesh. In one embodiment, toe cap may
comprise an elastomeric material which is impregnated into the mesh
and is cured around fibers in the mesh.
[0010] According to another aspect, this disclosure provides a
method for making a toe cap for a shoe, comprising: molding an
elastomeric material into a toe cap, the toe cap having an outer
surface; and adhering a plurality of fibers to the toe cap outer
surface to provide a slip region of reduced surface friction on the
toe cap outer surface.
[0011] According to one embodiment, fibers may be exposed at the
toe cap outer surface.
[0012] According to another embodiment, a toe cap may be made by
molding an elastomeric material into a toe cap, the toe cap having
an outer surface; and adhering a plurality of fibers to the toe cap
with fibers exposed at the outer surface to provide a slip region
of reduced surface friction on the toe cap outer surface.
[0013] In one embodiment of the method, the toe cap is made from an
elastomeric material and the method may further comprise pressing
the fibers against the elastomeric material under sufficient
temperature and pressure to cure the elastomeric material around a
portion of the fibers. Optionally, the toe cap is formed integrally
with an outsole and the toe cap and outsole are both made from an
elastomeric material which is cured during pressing.
[0014] According to yet another aspect, this disclosure provides an
article of footwear comprising an upper, an outsole secured to the
upper, a toe cap secured to the upper in contiguous relation to the
outsole, the toe cap having an outer surface; and a plurality of
fibers adhered to the toe cap and exposed at the toe cap outer
surface to provide a slip region of reduced surface friction on the
toe cap outer surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration
only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the
following description that alternative embodiments of the
structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without
departing from the principles described herein, wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wresting shoe according to
one embodiment of the disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 2 is an underside perspective view of the outsole of
the shoe of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a view of a toe cap with a mesh spaced above it
for attachment to the toe cap to produce the toe cap in the shoe of
FIG. 1.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the front side of a mesh for
a toe cap pursuant to this disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the back side of the mesh of
FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] This disclosure describes articles of footwear such as
athletic shoes used in wrestling ("wrestling shoes"), toe caps and
outsole structures for wrestling shoes. In various embodiments, the
toe cap has fibers on the surface to reduce the surface friction
relative to the outsole. This provides an advantage to the wearer
over prior art wrestling shoes. Reduced friction on the top of the
toe is advantageous because in many situations a wrestler wishes to
be able to drag his or her toe on the mat while maneuvering for
position, e.g., while spinning on an opponent's back to change from
one position to another. Keeping the toe on the mat while moving in
this way allows the wrestler to maintain a low center of gravity
and maintain awareness of personal orientation relative to the mat.
Prior art shoes with toe caps made from the same material as the
wrestling shoe outsole drag on the mat, diminishing the wrestler's
ability to maneuver. By providing fibers on top of the toe cap to
reduce the surface friction of the toe cap, the toe cap and outsole
can still be made from the same material as each other and
optionally may be formed integrally with each other and so will be
in contiguous relation to each other, as is common in the art.
However, with the fibers used as described herein, the wrestler can
execute spinning and other maneuvers more easily and thus gain
speed, fluidity and avoid unnecessary expenditure of energy.
[0022] In certain embodiments, the fibers on the toe cap are
provided in the form of a mesh, and the mesh is adhered to the toe
cap with the fibers exposed. To the extent that the elastomeric
material of the toe cap and outsole covers fibers, the fibers are
close enough to the surface to imbue the surface with an uneven
contour yielding reduced friction, i.e., less drag on the mat, than
a smoother outer surface in the absence of the fibers would
give.
[0023] In one embodiment, the fibers give the toe cap a surface
contour which resembles the surface of the mesh comprising the
fibers.
[0024] Footwear as described herein may be embodied in various
forms. One embodiment of an article of footwear 10 is shown in FIG.
1 and FIG. 2. Footwear 10 includes an upper 12 with an outsole 14
and a toe cap 16 described in further detail herein secured
thereto. The upper 12 is formed of a flexible textile material,
which can easily stretch about and conform tightly to the user's
foot, for example, knit, woven or non-woven material made using
fibers 18 such as, but not limited to: nylon, polyester,
polyurethane and or spandex, optionally with elastomeric
properties, as is known in the art. The upper 12 is shown in the
form of a bootie configured to rise above the ankle of the wearer.
However, this is not a limitation on the disclosure and in other
embodiments, the upper 12 may have a low-rise (below the ankle) or
other configuration.
[0025] The toe cap 16 is adhered to the upper and in the
illustrated embodiment is formed from the same material as the
outsole 14. As illustrated, the toe cap 16 and the outsole 14 are
formed integrally together and secured to the upper 12 together, by
way of stitching 26, by an adhesive, or any other suitable
fastener. However, the disclosure is not limited in this regard and
in other embodiments, the toe cap and outsole may be formed
separately from each other but are adhered to the upper 12 in
contiguous relation to each other. The toe cap 16 and the outsole
28 are formed of a flexible resilient material, e.g., an
elastomeric material such as a rubber or polyurethane or any of a
variety of other materials known in the art.
[0026] The toe cap 16 has a plurality of fibers 18 adhered to its
surface. The fibers 18 are provided in the form of a mesh 20, shown
in FIG. 3, giving the toe cap 16 a textured surface. The mesh may
be woven or non-woven and may have an open spacer mesh
configuration. Preferably, the uppermost parts of the fibers 18 are
exposed at the surface of the toe cap 16. The mesh 20 of the
illustrated embodiment is applied to the toe cap 16, and the mesh
is then pressed into the toe cap in a mold.
[0027] In one embodiment, the toe cap 16 is initially in an uncured
(i.e., at least partially uncured) state and the mesh 20 is pressed
onto the toe cap subject to pressure, temperature and time
conditions effective to result in at least partial curing of the
toe cap material. Advantageously, pressing causes some of the toe
cap material to become impregnated into the mesh and the toe cap
cures around some of the fibers, resulting in a very secure bond
between the toe cap material and the mesh.
[0028] In one embodiment, the fibers 18 are disposed on the upper
part of the toe cap above the substantially vertical, peripheral
portions 16a of the toe cap (the front- and side-facing surface of
the toe cap between the outsole and the top of the toe cap with the
fibers thereon), which do not have the fibers thereon and which
provide better traction than the upper part of the toe cap having
the fibers thereon.
[0029] The fibers 18 may be made from any material which can
withstand the pressing conditions for adhering the fibers to the
toe cap. In one embodiment, the fibers are made from a type of
polyester but this disclosure is not limited in this regard and in
other embodiments, fibers made from other polymeric materials or
blends of materials may be used.
[0030] One embodiment of a mesh 20 described herein is an open
spacer mesh having two sides whose surface configurations differ
one from the other, i.e., there is an open mesh face 22 and a mesh
backside 24. The open mesh face 22, depicted in FIG. 4, has greater
surface variability than the mesh backside 24, depicted in FIG. 5,
which is relatively smooth. The open mesh face 22 is applied
directly to the material comprising the toe cap 16 while the mesh
backside 24 is exposed at the top surface of the toe cap 16, and
this arrangement facilitates the ability of uncured toe cap
material to impregnate the mesh and cure around the fibers in
applicable embodiments. However, the disclosure is not limited in
this regard and in other embodiments, the mesh 20 may have sides
that are substantially the same as one another.
[0031] While the present disclosure describes various embodiments
of a wrestling shoe and various embodiments of fibers on the toe
caps of wrestling shoes, it will be understood that various
modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present
disclosure herein without departing from the spirit and scope
thereof. Therefore, the above description should not be construed
as limiting the disclosure, but merely as embodiments thereof.
Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within
the scope and spirit of the disclosure as defined by the claims
appended hereto.
* * * * *