U.S. patent application number 15/130012 was filed with the patent office on 2016-10-20 for sports shoes and methods for manufacturing and recycling of sports shoes.
The applicant listed for this patent is adidas AG. Invention is credited to Adam Martin Brundage, Christopher Edward Holmes, Brian Hoying, Marco Kormann.
Application Number | 20160302508 15/130012 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55750358 |
Filed Date | 2016-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160302508 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kormann; Marco ; et
al. |
October 20, 2016 |
Sports Shoes and Methods for Manufacturing and Recycling of Sports
Shoes
Abstract
A sports shoe includes an upper wherein a majority by weight of
the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material and a sole
wherein a majority by weight of the sole is made from the same
thermoplastic base material. The sole and the upper are
individually fabricated and joined to each other. The thermoplastic
base material includes at least one of the following materials:
thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA, polyethylene
terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate PBT.
Inventors: |
Kormann; Marco;
(Herzogenaurach, DE) ; Holmes; Christopher Edward;
(Herzogenaurach, DE) ; Hoying; Brian;
(Herzogenaurach, DE) ; Brundage; Adam Martin;
(Portland, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
adidas AG |
Herzogenaurach |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
55750358 |
Appl. No.: |
15/130012 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/04 20130101;
A43B 23/0215 20130101; A43B 1/0063 20130101; Y02P 70/62 20151101;
B29D 35/068 20130101; A43B 23/0255 20130101; A43B 3/0005 20130101;
B29D 35/065 20130101; B29D 35/067 20130101; A43B 13/12 20130101;
A43B 1/14 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 1/00 20060101
A43B001/00; A43B 3/00 20060101 A43B003/00; A43B 13/12 20060101
A43B013/12; A43B 1/14 20060101 A43B001/14; A43B 13/04 20060101
A43B013/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 16, 2015 |
DE |
102015206900.1 |
Claims
1. A sports shoe comprising: an upper wherein a majority by weight
of the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material; a sole,
wherein a majority by weight of the sole is made from the same
thermoplastic base material; wherein the sole and the upper are
individually fabricated and joined to each other; and wherein the
thermoplastic base material comprises at least one of the following
materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA,
polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate
PBT.
2. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic base
material is adapted to be recycled in a joint recycling process for
the upper and the sole so that a recycled material from the sports
shoe serves as a base material for the manufacture of a further
product.
3. The sports shoe of claim 2, wherein the further product
comprises a further shoe and the further shoe comprises an upper
and a sole that each comprise the recycled material.
4. The sports shoe of claim 2, wherein the further product
comprises a ball, apparel, protective equipment, rackets, or
clubs.
5. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic base
material is selected from the group consisting of expanded TPU,
polyester-based TPU, and polyether-based TPU.
6. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper comprises a yarn
comprising the thermoplastic base material.
7. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper includes a textile
material, which comprises a yarn comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
8. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole comprises a foam
comprising the thermoplastic base material.
9. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole comprises foamed
pellets comprising the thermoplastic base material.
10. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole comprises a
midsole comprising the thermoplastic base material or an outsole
comprising the thermoplastic base material.
11. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole comprises a
midsole and an outsole such that the midsole and the outsole each
comprise the thermoplastic base material.
12. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the
sole comprising the thermoplastic base material is adapted to
provide a different grade of a physical property than at least a
portion of the upper comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
13. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper comprises
different zones, wherein the different zones provide different
grades of a physical property.
14. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper comprises a
reinforcing element.
15. The sports shoe of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing element
comprises the thermoplastic base material.
16. The sports shoe of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing element
comprises a heel counter.
17. The sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic base
material comprises material recycled from a sole or an upper of
another shoe.
18. The sports shoe of claim 1, further comprising a marker
configured to store information for at least one of: a number of
times the base material of the sports shoe has already been used in
previous shoe, sales history for the sports shoe or a particular
user, or remaining life of the sports shoe.
19. The sports shoe of claim 18, wherein the marker comprises at
least one of a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, an
Infrared (IR) marker, or a Near Infrared (NIR) marker.
20. The sports shoe of claim 18, wherein the marker is integrated
in at least one yarn of the upper.
21. A method for manufacturing a sports shoe, the method
comprising: providing a thermoplastic base material; fabricating an
upper, wherein a majority by weight of the upper is fabricated from
the thermoplastic base material; fabricating a sole, wherein a
majority by weight of the sole is fabricated from the same
thermoplastic base material; wherein the sole and the upper are
individually fabricated; and joining the sole and the upper to each
other; wherein the thermoplastic base material comprises at least
one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU,
polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene
terephthalate PBT.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the thermoplastic
base material comprises recycling a sole or an upper of another
shoe.
23. A method for recovering a base material from a sports shoe, the
method comprising: providing a sports shoe that comprises: an upper
wherein a majority by weight of the upper is made from a
thermoplastic base material; a sole, wherein a majority by weight
of the sole is made from the same thermoplastic base material;
wherein the sole and the upper are individually fabricated and
joined to each other; and wherein the thermoplastic base material
comprises at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic
polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or
polybutylene terephthalate PBT; and jointly processing the upper
and the sole of the sports shoe such that the thermoplastic base
material is recovered from the sports shoe and can serve as a base
material for the manufacture of a sports equipment product.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to and claims priority benefits
from German Patent Application No. DE 10 2015 206 900.1, filed on
Apr. 16, 2015, entitled Shoes, in particular sports shoes, and
methods for manufacturing and recycling of shoes ("the '900.1
application"). The '900.1 application is hereby incorporated herein
in its entirety by this reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to shoes, in particular sports
shoes, and methods for manufacturing and recycling of shoes.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Shoes, in particular sports shoes, generally comprise a sole
and an upper made from multiple components. Multiple components are
generally required for a sole and an upper to provide the shoe with
various desired properties such as cushioning, moisture management,
traction, abrasion resistance etc. To this end, the various
components of a shoe are typically manufactured from different
materials. The components are then attached to each other, for
example by adhesives and/or by stitching.
[0004] The production of the various components of a shoe and their
respective materials requires a considerable amount of energy (e.g.
electricity, heat, etc.) which leads to greenhouse gas emissions.
Moreover, after a shoe's lifetime, e.g. when the shoe is worn out
and can no longer be used, considerable efforts are needed to
safely dispose of the shoe. In this context, special attention has
to be paid to the various individual materials present within the
shoe to optimize the disposal of the shoe. Again, energy is needed
to decompose the materials and further greenhouse gases are
emitted. On the other hand, the majority of worn out shoes still
ends up in a landfill or in an incineration facility as waste.
Numerous approaches are known to limit the amount of energy
consumption and greenhouse gas emission during the life cycle of a
shoe.
[0005] US 2009/0119023 A1 discloses a grading system for evaluating
and ranking consumer products based on their ecological and/or
environmental impact which is applicable for footwear. However, a
mere ranking or evaluating falls short of providing shoes with
reduced resource consumption and greenhouse gas emission during
their life cycle.
[0006] US 2012/0233883 A1 discloses processes for fabricating an
upper for a shoe in which scraps are obtained. Material scraps may
be collected and resized and the resized scrap may be distributed
to create a recovered material layer. The layer may be subjected to
heat and/or pressure to create a pliable composite panel. The
composite panel may be used to create an upper shell. US
2014/0066530 A1 discloses a method for recycling scrap
ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam. A blend containing virgin EVA
resin and scrap EVA foam, as well as a crosslinking agent and a
blowing agent for the EVA resin is foamed and crosslinked. The
blend further contains a compatibilizer, which is hydrogenated
petroleum resin. The methods of US 2012/0233883 A1 and US
2014/0066530 A1 are based on the idea to re-use scraps, whereby
pre-consumer waste (industrial waste) is used back in the
production process. However, these methods do not go beyond
addressing a possible re-use of waste during production of a
shoe.
[0007] US 2014/0197253 A1 discloses a method for processing
multiple polymer component articles for recycling. Polymer
components of multi-component shoes may be separated. Therein, the
differences in embrittlement and glass transition temperature of
different polymer components are exploited by cryogenically
freezing the prepared shoe and impacting it such that one polymer
component is pulverized without substantially fracturing the
remaining portion of the shoe. While this method addresses the
recycling of multiple polymer component articles, it is a very
complex and costly process that requires cryogenics.
[0008] DE 20 2012 005 735 U1 relates to a cycling shoe. The cycling
shoe comprises an outer shoe, which comprises an upper and a sole,
which may be fixedly attached to each other. For this particular
cycling shoe, the outer shoe consists of a single material, in
which case the upper and sole comprise a single layer only.
Thermoplastic or thermosetting elastomers such as polyurethane, in
particular thermoplastic polyurethane, may be used, possibly with
fiber-reinforcement. The outer shoe may be releasably connected
with an inner shoe. The inner shoe may also comprise a sole and an
upper. It may consist of EVA.
[0009] EP 2 233 021 A2 relates to a protective sock for use in
swimming pools or spas. The sock is of the type which are formed by
two materials differentiated in the sole and the vamp. The sole is
made of waterproof textile comprising polyamide between 60 and 75%,
and polyurethane between 40 and 25%. The vamp comprises teflonized
lycra.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 9,010,157 B1 relates to an article of footwear
including a monofilament knit element with peripheral knit
portions. DE 10 2013 208 170 A1 relates to sole for a shoe
comprising a midsole and an outsole.
[0011] It has also become known in the field that shoes may be
fabricated from bio-degradable material. Such shoes may naturally
decompose within several months. However, the materials used in
these shoes are not suitable for sports shoes and particularly do
not meet the requirements for high-quality and high-performance
shoes.
[0012] It may therefore be considered as a problem of the present
invention to provide an improved approach for limiting the amount
of resource consumption and greenhouse gas emission during the life
cycle of shoes.
SUMMARY
[0013] The terms "invention," "the invention," "this invention" and
"the present invention" used in this patent are intended to refer
broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent
claims below. Statements containing these terms should be
understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to
limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments
of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims
below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of
various embodiments of the invention and introduces some of the
concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description
section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or
essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it
intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the
claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by
reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of
this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.
[0014] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a
sports shoe comprises: an upper wherein a majority by weight of the
upper is made from a thermoplastic base material; a sole, wherein a
majority by weight of the sole is made from the same thermoplastic
base material; wherein the sole and the upper are individually
fabricated and joined to each other; and wherein the thermoplastic
base material comprises at least one of the following materials:
thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA, polyethylene
terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate PBT.
[0015] In some embodiments, the thermoplastic base material is
adapted to be recycled in a joint recycling process for the upper
and the sole so that a recycled material from the sports shoe
serves as a base material for the manufacture of a further
product.
[0016] In certain embodiments, the further product comprises a
further shoe and the further shoe comprises an upper and a sole
that each comprise the recycled material. The further product, in
some embodiments, comprises a ball, apparel, protective equipment,
rackets, or clubs.
[0017] In some embodiments, the thermoplastic base material is
selected from the group consisting of expanded TPU, polyester-based
TPU, and polyether-based TPU.
[0018] In certain embodiments, the upper comprises a yarn
comprising the thermoplastic base material. The upper, in some
embodiments, includes a textile material, which comprises a yarn
comprising the thermoplastic base material.
[0019] The sole, in some embodiments, comprises a foam comprising
the thermoplastic base material. In certain embodiments, the sole
comprises foamed pellets comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
[0020] In some embodiments, the sole comprises a midsole comprising
the thermoplastic base material or an outsole comprising the
thermoplastic base material. The sole, in certain embodiments,
comprises a midsole and an outsole such that the midsole and the
outsole each comprise the thermoplastic base material.
[0021] In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the sole
comprising the thermoplastic base material is adapted to provide a
different grade of a physical property than at least a portion of
the upper comprising the thermoplastic base material.
[0022] In some embodiments, the upper comprises different zones,
wherein the different zones provide different grades of a physical
property.
[0023] In certain embodiments, the upper comprises a reinforcing
element. The reinforcing element, in some embodiments, comprises
the thermoplastic base material. In some embodiments, the
reinforcing element comprises a heel counter.
[0024] The thermoplastic base material, in certain embodiments,
comprises material recycled from a sole or an upper of another
shoe.
[0025] In some embodiments, the sports shoe further comprises a
marker configured to store information for at least one of: a
number of times the base material of the sports shoe has already
been used in previous shoe, sales history for the sports shoe or a
particular user, or remaining life of the sports shoe. The marker,
in certain embodiments, comprises at least one of a Radio-Frequency
Identification (RFID) tag, an Infrared (IR) marker, or a Near
Infrared (NIR) marker. In certain embodiments, the marker is
integrated in at least one yarn of the upper.
[0026] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a
method for manufacturing a sports shoe comprises: providing a
thermoplastic base material; fabricating an upper, wherein a
majority by weight of the upper is fabricated from the
thermoplastic base material; fabricating a sole, wherein a majority
by weight of the sole is fabricated from the same thermoplastic
base material; wherein the sole and the upper are individually
fabricated; and joining the sole and the upper to each other;
wherein the thermoplastic base material comprises at least one of
the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide
PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate
PBT.
[0027] In some embodiments, providing the thermoplastic base
material comprises recycling a sole or an upper of another
shoe.
[0028] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a
method for recovering a base material from a sports shoe comprises:
providing a sports shoe that comprises: an upper wherein a majority
by weight of the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material;
a sole, wherein a majority by weight of the sole is made from the
same thermoplastic base material; wherein the sole and the upper
are individually fabricated and joined to each other; and wherein
the thermoplastic base material comprises at least one of the
following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU, polyamide PA,
polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene terephthalate PBT;
and jointly processing the upper and the sole of the sports shoe
such that the thermoplastic base material is recovered from the
sports shoe and can serve as a base material for the manufacture of
a sports equipment product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] In the following detailed description, embodiments of the
invention are described referring to the following figures:
[0030] FIG. 1 is a side view of a shoe, according to certain
embodiments of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 2 is a side view of a shoe, according to certain
embodiments of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0032] This problem is at least partly solved by a shoe, in
particular a sports shoe, according to claim 1. In some
embodiments, the shoe comprises an upper, wherein a majority by
weight of the upper is made from a thermoplastic base material.
Moreover, the shoe comprises a sole, wherein a majority by weight
of the sole is made from the same thermoplastic base material. The
sole and the upper are individually fabricated and joined to each
other. The thermoplastic base material may be a thermoplastic
polyurethane (TPU), a polyamide (PA), a polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) and/or a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). However, also
other materials may be used.
[0033] By providing shoes with a sole and an upper which--by
majority or even entirely--consist of the same base material, the
base material may be easily recovered from the shoe, which
significantly reduces the effort needed for separating and/or
sorting different shoe components. For example, the entire shoe may
be treated in a single recycling step. The shoes according to the
present invention may greatly simplify the recycling of used shoes,
especially when the entire shoe is made from a single material.
Moreover, the recovered base material may then be re-used both for
the sole and the upper of a new shoe such that both parts may
essentially be fabricated from the same recycled material. Using
the same base material in an upper and a sole and at the same time
providing a high-quality shoe is enabled by the idea that various
physical implementations (e.g. yarn, foil, foam, pellets etc.) of
one and the same chemical base material (e.g. thermoplastic
polyurethane) may be used to provide the various different
properties that are needed to provide high-quality shoes (e.g.
cushioning, fit, moisture management, traction, abrasion
resistance, good comfort and feel). Especially the use of TPU for
all parts of the shoe enables the production a high performance
shoe designed for athletes.
[0034] Generally, the components, parts, elements, etc., of the
shoes disclosed herein may be joined permanently. In some
embodiments, a shoe may not comprise any removable parts.
Alternatively, some or all of said components parts, elements,
etc., may be releasably joined.
[0035] Using the same base material in an upper and a sole allows
for the benefit of using compatible materials which may be easily
bonded, for example by applying energy, for example by heat. As an
example, infrared (IR) heating could be used to melt the surfaces
of two or more components such that, e.g. by pressing the melted
surfaces on each other, the two or more components may be bonded. A
bonding could also be achieved for example by a chemical bonding
between the molecules.
[0036] Furthermore, using the same base material for the upper and
the sole facilitates the joining of the two components, which may
be achieved even without involving any adhesives, for example by
applying energy, for example by heat, to melt the surfaces, as
stated above.
[0037] Thus, an economically viable, at least partly closed
material cycle may be created for many generations of shoes since
the same base material may be recovered and re-used in a number of
generations of shoes. For each new generation of shoes made from
the same--recycled--material, the energy and greenhouse gas
emissions for producing and safely disposing the material can thus
be saved. As a result, compared to conventional shoes, not only
energy and greenhouse gases required to decompose a shoe after its
life cycle may be saved. What is more, also the energy required to
produce the base material for a new shoe may be saved since the
base material of the old shoe can simply be re-used. Even after
accounting the additional energy to recycle and remanufacture a
shoe from recovered thermoplastic material, the environmental
footprint of the recycled shoe will be much lower than a similar
conventional shoe which uses virgin thermoplastic material.
[0038] An at least partly closed material cycle means that, in
certain embodiments, the re-used base material will be blended with
new material. For example, the percentage of the new material may
amount to 10-50%, or 15-20%, e.g. to ensure consistent resulting
material properties.
[0039] Moreover, the use of a single base material for upper and
sole of a shoe allows for a more cost-efficient sourcing of the
base material and a more streamlined handling of the base material
during manufacture. Thus additional cost benefits may be
provided.
[0040] In certain embodiments, portions of the sole and the upper
may be fabricated in a joint manufacturing step. The expression
`fabricating the sole and the upper individually` is intended to
encompass soles and uppers wherein at least a portion of the sole
and at least a portion of the upper that comprise the thermoplastic
base material are fabricated separately. As a result, different
physical properties may be provided for the sole and the upper
despite using the same base material. In other examples, the entire
sole and the entire upper may be fabricated separately.
[0041] In some examples, the sole and/or the upper comprise, by
weight, more than 50%, more than 75%, or more than 95% of the same
base material. In other examples, the sole and/or the upper
comprise the same base material.
[0042] The thermoplastic base material of the shoe may be adapted
to be recycled in a joint recycling process for the upper and the
sole so that it can serve as a base material for the manufacture of
a further upper and/or sole. In other words, a disassembly of the
shoe may not be required. The entire shoe may be subjected to a
joint recycling process to recover the base material. The recycled
material could serve as a base material for the same kind of shoe
or sports shoe product or for another shoe product. In principle
the recycled material could serve as a base material for the
manufacture of any other sporting goods products.
[0043] As mentioned, the thermoplastic base material of the shoe
may be selected from one of the following materials: TPU, PA, PET
and/or PBT. In certain embodiments, the thermoplastic base material
is selected from one of the following materials: TPU, PA6, PA66,
PA11, PA1010, PA612, PA610, PA1012, PA410, PA12 and/or polyether
block amide (PEBA).
[0044] In some embodiments, the thermoplastic base material may be
also selected from one of the following materials: expanded TPU,
polyester-based TPU and/or polyether-based TPU. These materials
have turned out to be suitable for use both in a sole and in an
upper of a shoe. For example, by using TPU, a sole may provide good
cushioning properties (e.g. using expanded TPU) and at the same
time the upper may provide a good wearing comfort (e.g. using yarns
made from TPU). The thermoplastic base material may then be
recovered from the shoe after its life cycle in a simple recycling
step and then reused for a new generation of shoes.
[0045] The upper of the shoe may comprise a yarn comprising the
thermoplastic base material. The upper may be made of a textile
material or include a textile material, which comprises a yarn
comprising the thermoplastic base material. The textile material
could be a knit textile, e.g. a warp knit and/or a weft knit. For
example the weft knit could be flat knitted and/or circular
knitted. For example the warp knit may be an engineered knit.
Besides knit textiles, woven, non-woven, braided and/or other
yarn-based fabric uppers may be provided which allow the provision
of high quality uppers with a good wearing comfort. For example, a
TPU yarn allows providing such uppers. The fabric component of the
upper may be provided with a Shore-D hardness of 44-84, 54-74, or
62-66.
[0046] The sole of the shoe may comprise a foam which comprises the
thermoplastic base material. By including material such as foams,
good cushioning properties may be provided. For example, TPU foams
may be used for this purpose. These also exhibit a good
durability.
[0047] The sole of the shoe may comprise foamed pellets comprising
the thermoplastic base material. For example, expanded TPU pellets
may be used in this regard which provide excellent cushioning
properties and longevity. For example, the materials described in
DE 10 2012 206 094 and/or EP 2 649 896 may be used.
[0048] The thermoplastic base material of the sole may be injection
molded, e.g. using injected TPU. Hence, the sole may be provided in
a simple fabrication step. Other molding methods could be
compression molding or steam molding. Especially a steaming process
may be used when the sole of the shoe comprises foamed pellets
comprising the thermoplastic base material, e.g. expanded TPU
pellets. The steam could further be used to melt the surface of the
thermoplastic base materials of the outsole as well as the
thermoplastic base material of the upper and make it bond to each
other.
[0049] The sole of the shoe may comprise a midsole comprising the
thermoplastic base material. Based on the configuration of a
separate midsole, particularly optimized cushioning properties may
be provided. The midsole may comprise a foam which comprises the
thermoplastic base material, e.g. TPU foam or expanded TPU pellets
as described above.
[0050] The sole of the shoe may further comprise an outsole
comprising the thermoplastic base material. By using an additional
outsole, the sole may be provided with good traction and abrasion
resistance. The midsole and the additional outsole may thus each be
optimized for their respective purpose.
[0051] The midsole may be provided with a Shore-A hardness of
60-100, 70-90, or 78-82. The outsole may comprise a Shore-A
hardness of 40-80, 50-70, or 58-62.
[0052] The thermoplastic base material of the outsole may be
injection molded, e.g. using injected TPU. Hence, the outsole may
be provided in a simple fabrication step. For example, it may be
directly injected onto the midsole. Alternatively, a separately
fabricated outsole may be joined to the midsole e.g. based on the
configuration of an adhesive comprising the base material, e.g. an
adhesive based on TPU, or simply by applying energy, for example
heat, as mentioned above.
[0053] At least a portion of the sole comprising the thermoplastic
base material may be adapted to provide a different grade of an
intrinsic physical property (e.g. hardness, density) than at least
a portion of the upper comprising the thermoplastic base material.
For example, certain portions of the upper may be adapted to be
softer and/or less dense and/or more flexible than certain portions
of the sole. This may be achieved e.g. by using TPU which is spun
into a yarn for the upper and/or using expanded TPU and/or
injection molded TPU for the sole. It is understood, that a
majority by weight of the mentioned portions may be made from the
thermoplastic base material.
[0054] The sole, in particular in case of a sole for a soccer shoe,
may comprise at least one layer. At least one of the layers may be
made from the same base material. The layers may nevertheless
differ from each other. For example, at least one of the layers may
have a different stiffness and/or hardness than at least one other
layer. For example, an outer layer could be softer than an inner
layer or vice versa. The different properties may be achieved by
different geometric structures of the layers. Thereby the
flexibility of the sole may be individually adjusted. The aspects
described in the preceding paragraph with respect to a portion of
the sole and a portion of the upper may equally apply to two
different portions of the sole, e.g. to two different layers of the
sole.
[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the sole, in particular in
case of a sole for a soccer shoe, may comprise at least one profile
element, e.g. stud. The at least one profile element may comprise
or may be made from the thermoplastic base material.
[0056] The upper may comprise different zones, wherein the
different zones provide different grades of an intrinsic physical
property. For example two or more zones may be provided. Each such
zone may comprise the thermoplastic base material, and a majority
by weight of each zone may be made from the thermoplastic base
material. In certain embodiments, the upper is produced by
different elements, e.g. heel counter, vamp and/or toe cap, which
are joined together to form the upper. Each of the individual
elements may comprise certain intrinsic physical properties.
[0057] The thermoplastic base material of the shoe, e.g. of the
upper and/or the sole may comprise material recycled from a sole
and/or an upper of another shoe. Hence, an at least partly closed
material-cycle may be provided. The base material used in the upper
and the sole of a shoe may be jointly recycled and fully re-used in
the fabrication of a new shoe. Hence, energy for disposing of the
"old" base material and energy for producing "new" base material
may be saved.
[0058] In some examples, the upper may comprise a heel counter
and/or a reinforcing element comprising the thermoplastic base
material, or consisting of the thermoplastic base material. For
example, a lateral and/or a medial reinforcing element may be
provided. The heel counter and/or the reinforcing element may help
providing the shoe with stability as needed without compromising
the ability to recycle the shoe.
[0059] For example, the upper may encompass a forefoot portion, a
midfoot portion and/or a rearfoot portion of the foot of a user,
and a heel counter and/or a reinforcing element may be provided
which selectively stabilizes the upper in at least one of said
portions. For example, the upper may comprise at least one fabric
component comprising the thermoplastic base material, and a heel
counter and/or a reinforcing element comprising the thermoplastic
base material may be arranged in between the at least one fabric
component and/or arranged on the at least one fabric component.
Additionally or alternatively, a heel counter and/or a reinforcing
element may be combined with at least one non-fabric component, as
explained with reference to the fabric components. The heel counter
and/or the reinforcing element may be permanently joined to the
upper, in particular to the at least one fabric and/or non-fabric
component. The heel counter and/or the reinforcing element may be
provided at an outer face of the upper, in particular of the at
least one fabric and/or non-fabric components. They may be
stitched, glued (e.g. via a TPU hotmelt), or otherwise bonded or
attached to the upper or at least one of its fabric or non-fabric
components, e.g. as described herein. At least one heel counter
and/or reinforcing elements may also be attached to the sole and
extend from the sole to the upper. At least one heel counter and/or
reinforcing elements may be provided using, e.g., any of the TPU
materials as described herein as thermoplastic base material. At
least one heel counter and/or reinforcing elements may be jointly
fabricated.
[0060] At least one reinforcing element(s) may for example extend
in a lateral and/or medial midfoot region and/or a lateral and/or
medial heel region of the upper, in order to selectively increase
the stability of the upper, there. In some examples, at least one
reinforcing element(s) extend(s) from a lateral and/or medial heel
region to a lateral and/or medial midfoot region. Additionally or
alternatively, at least one reinforcement element may be attached
in principle everywhere on the upper, for example in a toe region
and/or an instep region of the upper. Thus, the fit of the shoe and
the properties of the shoe (e.g., stiffness, grip, abrasion
resistance) may be individually adjusted.
[0061] At least one heel counter(s) may for example extend in a
heel region, in a lateral rearfoot region, in a medial rearfoot
region, in a medial midfoot region, and/or in a lateral midfoot
region. For example, a first heel counter may extend from a rear
heel region to a lateral heel region and/or to a lateral midfoot
region. A second heel counter may extend from a rear heel region to
a medial heel region and/or to a medial midfoot region.
[0062] As the shoe, the upper and/or the sole, or any of the
components of the shoe, the at least one reinforcing element and/or
heel counter, may comprise, by weight, more than 50%, more than
75%, or more than 95% of the base material. In other examples, the
at least one reinforcing element and/or heel counter may, just as
any other component of the shoe, comprise the base material.
[0063] In some examples, laces may be provided which comprise the
thermoplastic base material. For example, they may comprise a yarn
comprising the thermoplastic base material, as described herein. In
some examples, the laces may comprise the (yarn comprising the)
thermoplastic base material. Laces may be permanently or releasably
joined with the shoe. By using laces which comprise the
thermoplastic base material, these may be recycled jointly with the
shoe, without having to remove the laces from the shoe prior to
recycling and to dispose of the laces separately.
[0064] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method
for manufacturing a shoe, in particular a sports shoe. The method
comprises the steps of providing a thermoplastic base material and
fabricating an upper, wherein a majority by weight of the upper is
fabricated from the thermoplastic base material. Moreover, the
method comprises the step of fabricating a sole, wherein a majority
by weight of the sole is fabricated from the same thermoplastic
base material. The sole and the upper are individually fabricated.
The method further comprises the step of joining the sole and the
upper to each other. The thermoplastic base material may be
selected from one of the following materials: a TPU, a PA, a PET
and/or a PBT. However, also other materials, as mentioned above,
may be used.
[0065] This method allows for manufacturing a shoe as described
herein with the same base material used in the sole and the upper.
The method thus allows for manufacturing shoes with an at least
partly closed material cycle, as described above.
[0066] The step of providing the base material may comprise the
step of recycling a sole and/or an upper of another shoe. The other
shoe may be a shoe according to the examples described herein
wherein the base material used in the upper and the sole of that
shoe is re-used.
[0067] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a
method for recovering a base material from a shoe, in particular a
sports shoe. The method comprises the following steps: A shoe as
described herein is provided. The upper and the sole of the shoe
are jointly processed such that the thermoplastic base material is
recovered from the shoe and that it can then serve as a base
material for the manufacture of a further sport equipment product,
for example a further upper and/or sole.
[0068] The methods according to the invention should be seen as a
platform technology. Any sporting goods product could theoretically
be built from this platform. In certain embodiments, the recovered
thermoplastic base material, for example from a shoe, serves as a
base material for the manufacture of any other sporting goods
products, for example for manufacturing balls, apparel, protective
equipment, rackets, clubs and the like. In certain embodiments, the
thermoplastic base materials of any sporting goods product, for
example balls, apparel, protective equipment, rackets, clubs and
the like may be recovered and re-used.
[0069] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a
business model. A pair of shoes as described herein may be offered
to a customer. After use of the shoe by the customer, e.g. after
the life-cycle of the shoe, the manufacturer of the shoe may take
back the shoe. For example, take-back stations may be provided in
retail stores, and/or the customer may send back used shoes by
mail. The manufacturer may recover the base material from the upper
and the sole of the returned shoes and use it to produce a new pair
of shoes comprising the recycled base material. In certain
embodiments, the recycled base material is used for any sporting
goods other than sports shoes, for example balls, apparel or other
sports equipment, e.g. as mentioned above. According to various
examples, vouchers and/or discounts for a new pair of shoes may be
used as an incentive for the customer to return the shoes to the
manufacturer. Also, a leasing model could be used, wherein the
customer is charged with a (e.g. monthly) leasing rate and upon
return of a used pair of shoes is provided with a new pair. The
frequency at which a new pair of shoes is provided to the customer
in a leasing model may depend on the type of shoes and/or may be a
function of the leasing rate. For example, running shoes could be
replaced at a frequency of at least one month and the frequency
could increase if a higher leasing rate is paid. For football
shoes, for example a replacement once a year (e.g. for every new
season) could be appropriate. Another possibility is to use a
subscription model in which a customer may get a replacement
whenever a new model of a certain type of shoe is released.
[0070] A further business model according to the invention could be
that customers buy their new sports equipment good, for example a
pair of shoes as described herein, directly at the place where they
want to do sports. For example, in some embodiments, vending
machines or stores are located directly at the place where
customers would like to participate in sports or activities such
that the vending machines or stores contain or offer different
kinds of shoes according to the invention. Thus, when a customer
spontaneously decides to have a run, for example during walking
through a park, the customer can have a pair of shoes according to
the invention from the vending machine. In some embodiments, the
customer has to pay a deposit for the pair of shoes. After running,
the customer may return the used shoe to the vending machine or to
a take-back station. In certain embodiments, the costumer gets back
the deposit partly or alternatively the costumer gets a discount
for another sport equipment good from the same manufacturer. The
manufacturer may collect the used shoes and recovers the base
material from the upper and the sole of the returned shoes and use
it to produce a new pair of shoes comprising the recycled base
material. In certain embodiments, the recycled base material is
used for any sporting goods other than sports shoes, for example
balls, apparel or other sporting equipment, e.g. as already
mentioned. The shoes according to the present invention may
simplify the recycling of the used shoes, especially when the whole
shoe is made from a single material.
[0071] According to a further aspect, a marker, e.g. a
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag or an Infrared (IR)
marker, e.g. a Near Infrared (NIR) marker, could be incorporated
into each new shoe or pair of shoes with a sole and an upper which
comprises base material recovered from another shoe. The marker may
indicate the number of times the base material of this pair of
shoes has already been used in previous pairs of shoes. Thus, the
customer could directly see how many life-cycles of a shoe the base
material has already been able to support. Moreover, the marker
could also indicate further information such as the customer's
lease/subscription level. This would allow a full automation of the
return and replacement handling at the manufacturer. Moreover, the
marker could be used for alerting the customer when the shoes are
worn out and/or when a new pair of shoes is available. Further, at
least one IR marker could be incorporated into the material of the
shoe to make the material identifiable among a multitude of other
materials. For example, in some embodiments, IR markers are
integrated in at least one yarn of the upper. Also, the various
grades of the same base material that may be used in a shoe may
thus easily be identified.
[0072] It should be noted that various aspects of the present
invention may also be useful in sports goods other than sports
shoes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0073] The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention
is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements,
but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope
of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other
ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in
conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This
description should not be interpreted as implying any particular
order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements
except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of
elements is explicitly described.
[0074] It is noted that in the following, only some embodiments of
the present invention may be described in detail. The person
skilled in the art readily recognizes that the specific details
described with reference to these specific embodiments may be
altered, developed further, combined in a different manner and that
certain aspects of the specific embodiments described in the
following may also be omitted. Moreover, it is noted that various
aspects described in the subsequent detailed description may be
combined with aspects described in the above summary section.
[0075] FIG. 1 shows a shoe 100 according to an example of the
present invention. The shoe 100 comprises a sole 110 and an upper
120 with various components.
[0076] Sole 110 comprises a midsole 111 and an outsole 112. Midsole
111 comprises expanded TPU to provide cushioning, for example as
described in DE 10 2012 206 094 and/or EP 2 649 896. For example,
the expanded TPU may be provided in the form of pellets and may
then be pressed into its desired shape by using steam. The midsole
111 may be provided with a Shore-A hardness of 60-100, 70-90, or
78-82, e.g. using TPU with 80 A, for example Elastollan.RTM. 1180 A
TPU. Outsole 112 may be injected onto the midsole 111. Outsole 112
may comprise TPU with a Shore-A hardness of 40-80, 50-70, or 58-62,
e.g. using TPU with 60 A, for example Elastollan.RTM. 1160 A TPU.
Outsole 112 may be adapted to provide the sole with increased
abrasion resistance and traction. In some examples, outsole 112 may
be provided with at least one profile element which may be
fabricated separately and joined with outsole 112 and/or which may
be fabricated integrally with outsole 112.
[0077] Shoe 100 moreover comprises an optional torsion bar 113.
Torsion bar 113 may be injected onto midsole 111 and/or outsole
112. Torsion bar 113 may comprise a TPU with a Shore-A hardness of
75-100, 85-98, or 93-97, e.g. using TPU with 95 A, for example
Elastollan.RTM. 1195 A TPU. Torsion bar 113 may be adapted to
increase the bending and torsion stiffness of sole 110 such that an
improved wearing comfort is provided, particularly in the sensitive
region of the arch of the foot.
[0078] Upper 120 of shoe 100 comprises an optional heel counter
124. Heel counter 124 may comprise a TPU with a Shore-A hardness of
75-100, 85-98, or 93-97, e.g. using TPU with 95 A, for example
Elastollan.RTM. 1195 A TPU. Heel counter 124 may be injection
molded in a separate fabrication step. Heel counter 124 may serve
to provide increased stability to upper 120.
[0079] Upper 120 may comprise a fabric component 121 and optionally
a reinforcing element 122 which both may comprise TPU fabric.
Fabric component 121 comprises a TPU yarn. It may be knitted,
woven, non-woven and/or braided fabric. For example, flat-knitting
and/or 3D-knitting may be used to provide fabric component 121. For
example, fabric component 121 may be weft-knitted and/or
warp-knitted. Moreover, fabric component 121 may be present in a
substantial portion of upper 120 or even throughout the entire
upper 120 of shoe 100. For example, fabric component 121 may be
arranged in a forefoot region, a lateral and/or a medial region
and/or a heel region of the upper 120. Venting holes may be present
in fabric component 121. Fabric component 121 may be provided with
a Shore-D hardness of 44-84, 54-74, or 62-66, e.g. using TPU with
64 D, for example Elastollan.RTM. 1164 D TPU, and/or a Shore-A
hardness of 75-100, 85-98, or 93-97.
[0080] Reinforcing element 122 may comprise a non-woven TPU fabric.
Reinforcing element 122 may be arranged such that it comprises the
shape of a line running from the lower heel region of upper 120
across the lateral and/or medial regions of the shoe towards an
instep portion of upper 120 and/or around a tongue/lace region of
upper 120. Reinforcing element 122 may be provided with a similar
Shore-D hardness as fabric component 121, e.g. using TPU with 64 D,
for example Elastollan.RTM. 1164 D TPU. However, reinforcing
element 122 may have a higher tensile strength than fabric
component 121 such that reinforcing element 122 may strengthen
upper 120 of shoe 100. Additionally or alternatively, paddings
and/or an insole cover may be provided which comprise a non-woven
TPU fabric. In other examples, larger portions of the upper may
comprise a non-woven element. However, some examples may not
comprise any non-woven element.
[0081] Moreover, upper 120 of shoe 100 may comprise at least one
patch of a film material, especially a TPU foil 123. The TPU foil
may for example be provided with a Shore-A hardness of 75-100,
85-98, or 93-97 and/or a Shore-D hardness of 40-80, 50-70, or
58-62, e.g. using TPU with 95 A, for example Elastollan.RTM. 1195 A
TPU and/or TPU with 60 D, for example Elastollan.RTM. 1160 D TPU.
The TPU foil 123 may be arranged around a seam of upper 120. TPU
foil 123 may be provided to reinforce upper 120. As desired, also
other areas of upper 120 of shoe 100 may be provided with film
materials, especially a TPU foil 123. In some examples, essentially
the entire upper is coated with TPU foil.
[0082] Fabric component 121, reinforcing element 122, TPU foil 123
and heel counter 124 of upper 120 may be stitched to each other
using a TPU yarn. Additionally or alternatively, a TPU bonding
agent, for example a hot-melt TPU bonding agent, may be used. For
example, heel counter 124 may be joined to upper 120 by a hot-melt
TPU bonding agent. The bonding agent could e.g. be any TPU hot melt
of an ether-base and/or an ester-based TPU hot melt. As a further
option, infrared (IR) welding may be used in addition or
alternatively to join the various elements of upper 120. Similarly,
upper 120 of shoe 100 may be joined to sole 110 of shoe 100 by a
TPU bonding agent 150, by stitching and/or by infrared welding, as
described.
[0083] Based on the configuration of the various components
111-113, 150, 121-124, a shoe is provided which comprises a sole
110 and an upper 120, wherein a majority by weight of the upper 120
and of the sole 110 is made from a thermoplastic base material,
namely TPU. Sole 110, upper 120 and the entire shoe 100 even
comprise a single thermoplastic base material, namely TPU. Sole 110
and upper 120 are individually fabricated and joined to each other,
as mentioned above. Sole 110 and upper 120 may thus be permanently
joined. By using different physical implementations of the same
chemical base material (e.g. TPU), the sole may be provided with
good abrasion resistance, durability, traction and abrasion. At the
same time, the upper may be provided with stability and softness
such as to provide a nice wearing comfort.
[0084] It should be noted that also other thermoplastic materials,
such as e.g. a PA, PET and/or PBT may be used as thermoplastic base
material. Moreover, also material blends may be used as a common
base material for the sole and the upper, as long as these provide
suitable properties and may be jointly recycled.
[0085] FIG. 2 shows a further example for a shoe 20 according to
the present invention. Shoe 20 comprises an inner sock 26. The
inner sock 26 may comprise foamed TPU. The foamed TPU may be
adapted to provide a soft feel and a good wearing comfort. The
inner sock 26 may be arranged within a skeleton 27 and is adapted
to fully encompass the foot of a user of shoe 20. In other examples
the inner sock 26 may be adapted to only partly encompass the foot,
e.g. a toe region may remain free from the inner sock 26. In
certain embodiments, the inner sock 26 includes or is made of a
textile material, which comprises a yarn comprising the
thermoplastic base material. For example the textile material could
be a knit, a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric, and/or another
yarn-based fabric.
[0086] Skeleton 27 may comprise a heel counter and a sole plate as
well as a series of optional straps around the instep region of
shoe 100. The heel counter and the sole plate of skeleton 27 may
comprise injection molded TPU. The injection molded TPU may be
provided with a hardness as described with reference to the
injection molded TPU of shoe 100. The straps of skeleton 27 may
comprise TPU foil and/or TPU fabric as explained with reference to
shoe 100. The straps may serve to secure the inner sock 26 within
skeleton 27 and/or to provide shoe 20 with increased stability and
strength.
[0087] Skeleton 27 may also comprise optional profile elements 21,
such as studs which are adapted to penetrate the ground to improve
traction when shoe 20 is used in outdoor environments. Additionally
or alternatively, profile elements 21 may be provided by a sock
element 28, as explained further below.
[0088] Sock element 28 may be arranged around skeleton 27. Sock
element 28 may be provided in order to render shoe 20
water-resistant or water-proof. Moreover, desired friction
properties for contacting a sports ball, e.g. a football, may be
provided by a sock element 28. Sock element 28 may be adapted to
essentially encompass the entire inner sock 26 and/or the entire
skeleton 27. Sock element 27 may comprise a loop or a similar
element at its top rear portion which facilitates arranging sock
element 28 around skeleton 27 by the user of shoe 20. In some
examples, sock element 28 may be adapted to encompass the foot of
the user but not the ankle of the user. Alternatively, sock element
28 may only encompass a forefoot region of shoe 20 but not a heel
region of shoe 20. Sock element 28 may comprise a TPU foil, for
example as described with reference to shoe 100 above. The TPU foil
could e.g. provide the shoe with water resistance, improved
handfeel, certain traction properties, reinforcement and/or visual
(design) purposes.
[0089] Sock element 28 may be arranged such that it encompasses the
profile elements 21 provided by skeleton 27. Such profile elements
21 may be completely covered by sock element 28 and/or sock element
28 may comprise openings such that some or all profile elements 21
may extend through sock element 28. Additionally or alternatively,
profile elements 21 may also be provided on sock element 28. These
may for example be injection molded on sock element 28. Injected
TPU as described above with reference to shoe 100 may be used for
that matter.
[0090] Shoe 20 may comprise an optional insole board 22 which may
be arranged within skeleton 27 or within the inner sock 26. A top
and bottom view of an example insole board 22 are shown in the
inset of FIG. 2. The insole board may comprise injection molded TPU
as described for injection molded TPU with reference to shoe 100.
The shape of insole board 22 may be adapted to the anatomy of the
foot of a user. Moreover, insole board 22 may comprise a
reinforcing element below the arch of the foot such that shoe 20 is
provided with the required stability in this region of the foot by
insole board 22.
[0091] Similarly as explained with reference to shoe 100, based on
the configuration of its various components, shoe 20 comprises a
sole and an upper, wherein a majority by weight of the upper and of
the sole are made from the same thermoplastic base material, namely
TPU. The example shoe 20 even comprises the one and the same
thermoplastic base material TPU. Moreover, the elements 26, 27 and
28 as well as 22 which constitute the sole and the upper of shoe 20
and may all comprise TPU are individually fabricated and joined to
each other, as mentioned above. The components may be joined
permanently. Alternatively, some or all of said components may be
releasably joined.
[0092] In particular, inner sock 26, skeleton 27, sock element 28
and/or insole board may be joined permanently.
[0093] It should be noted that various aspects of the present
invention may also be useful in sporting goods other than sports
shoes, for example balls, apparel or other sports equipment.
[0094] In the following, further examples are described to
facilitate the understanding of the invention:
EXAMPLE 1
[0095] Shoe, in particular sports shoe, comprising:
[0096] an upper (120), wherein a majority by weight of the upper is
made from a thermoplastic base material;
[0097] a sole (110), wherein a majority by weight of the sole is
made from the same thermoplastic base material;
[0098] wherein the sole (110) and the upper (120) are individually
fabricated and joined to each other; and
[0099] wherein the thermoplastic base material is selected from one
of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU,
polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene
terephthalate PBT.
EXAMPLE 2
[0100] Shoe according to Example 1, wherein the thermoplastic base
material is adapted to be recycled in a joint recycling process for
the upper (120) and the sole (110) so that it can serve as a base
material for the manufacture of a further upper and/or sole.
EXAMPLE 3
[0101] Shoe according to Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the
thermoplastic base material is a PA selected from one of the
following materials: PA6, PA66, PA11, PA1010, PA612, PA610, PA1012,
PA410, PA12 or polyether block amide PEBA.
EXAMPLE 4
[0102] Shoe according to one of Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the
thermoplastic base material is selected from one of the following
materials: expanded TPU, polyester-based TPU or polyether-based
TPU.
EXAMPLE 5
[0103] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-4, wherein the upper
(120) comprises a yarn comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 6
[0104] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-5, wherein the upper
includes a textile material, which comprises a yarn comprising the
thermoplastic base material.
EXAMPLE 7
[0105] Shoe according to Example 6, wherein the textile material is
a knit, woven, non-woven, or braided material.
EXAMPLE 8
[0106] Shoe according to Example 6 or Example 7, wherein the
textile material is a warp knit or a weft knit.
EXAMPLE 9
[0107] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-8, wherein the sole
(110) comprises a foam comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 10
[0108] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-9, wherein the sole
(110) comprises foamed pellets comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 11
[0109] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-10, wherein the sole
(110) comprises a midsole (111) comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 12
[0110] Shoe according to Example 11, wherein the sole (110) further
comprises an outsole (112) comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 13
[0111] Shoe according to Example 12, wherein the thermoplastic base
material of the outsole (112) is injection molded.
EXAMPLE 14
[0112] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-13, wherein at least a
portion (111, 112, 113) of the sole (110) comprising the
thermoplastic base material is adapted to provide a different grade
of an intrinsic physical property than at least a portion (121,
122, 123, 124) of the upper (120) comprising the thermoplastic base
material.
EXAMPLE 15
[0113] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-14, wherein the upper
comprises different zones, wherein the different zones provide
different grades of an intrinsic physical property.
EXAMPLE 16
[0114] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-15, wherein the upper
comprises a heel counter and/or a reinforcing element.
EXAMPLE 17
[0115] Shoe according to one of Examples 1-16, wherein the
thermoplastic base material comprises material recycled from a sole
and/or an upper of another shoe.
EXAMPLE 18
[0116] Method for manufacturing a shoe, in particular a sports
shoe, the method comprising:
[0117] providing a thermoplastic base material;
[0118] fabricating an upper, wherein a majority by weight of the
upper is fabricated from the thermoplastic base material;
[0119] fabricating a sole, wherein a majority by weight of the sole
is fabricated from the same thermoplastic base material;
[0120] wherein the sole and the upper are individually fabricated;
and
[0121] joining the sole and the upper to each other;
[0122] wherein the thermoplastic base material is selected from one
of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane TPU,
polyamide PA, polyethylene terephthalate PET, or polybutylene
terephthalate PBT.
EXAMPLE 19
[0123] Method according to Example 18, wherein the step of
providing the base material comprises recycling a sole and/or an
upper of another shoe.
EXAMPLE 20
[0124] Method according to Example 19, wherein the other shoe is a
shoe according to one of Examples 1-17.
EXAMPLE 21
[0125] Method for recovering a base material from a shoe, in
particular a sports shoe, the method comprising:
[0126] providing a shoe according to one of Examples 1-17;
[0127] jointly processing the upper and the sole of the shoe such
that the thermoplastic base material is recovered from the shoe and
can serve as a base material for the manufacture of a sports
equipment product, in particular a sole and/or an upper.
[0128] Different arrangements of the components depicted in the
drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not
shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and
sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference
to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the
invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive
purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to
readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the
drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made
without departing from the scope of the claims below.
* * * * *