Footwear

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to an article of footwear, and more particularly to improved safety boot or shoe. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for

manufacturing such an article of footwear.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Safety footwear including protective members for minimizing feet injuries are widely used in industry. Various protective members have been developed for application in or on various regions of such safety footwear, e.g. for reinforcing the toe and/or instep regions. Safety footwear may be formed as boots or shoes, or as overboots or overshoes.

[0003] A protective member may serve one or both of two functions: It may directly guard the wearer's foot from injury by reinforcing the corresponding footwear region against impact, compression, buckling or crushing forces from heavy objects, against penetration by sharp objects, etc. Alternatively or in addition, the protector may be applied to strengthen the outer surface of the footwear against damaging effects like abrasion, ripping, tearing, degradation, e.g. to preserve waterproofness and/or aesthetic appearance.

[0004] It may be helpful to briefly describe certain terms of art used herein for indicating typical regions of an article of footwear.

[0005] The term "boot" is used herein to refer to polymer-based or rubber footwear that covers the foot and ankle and a portion of the leg. Known terms to indicate such boots are e.g. a polymeric boot, a Wellington boot, a gum boot, a rubber boot, or the like. Boots may also be made from materials like leather and/or fabric. In the context of the present description, however, the focus is on boots formed predominantly via molding processes.

[0006] The term "upper" refers herein to the material part of footwear directly covering and accommodating a wearer's foot. The upper may be conceptually subdivided into several regions, like the nose or toe box, the instep, the heel, etc. In the case of boots or

Wellingtons, the upper can extend further upwards to also cover the lower leg. The "instep" forms a middle section of the upper, and extends between the nose and the heel. The instep covers the metatarsal region of the wearer's foot i.e. the region between the toes and the ankle. The term "sole" refers herein to the material(s) located directly below and supporting the wearer's foot. The sole may be formed by separate layers. For example, the upper may include a sole portion that forms a lower side of the upper, in such a way that the instep and sole portion jointly surround the wearer's foot analogous to a sock. An "insole" may also be provided, for example formed or placed as a layer arranged on the inside of the article of footwear e.g. inside and directly on top of the sole portion of the upper. The "outsole" is formed on the lower exterior side of the sole portion, and is in direct contact with a supporting surface (e.g. the ground) while walking.

[0007] Casting techniques for manufacturing (partially) flexible polymer-based footwear with protective members are known. Manufacturing techniques exist wherein the flexible material is formed via injection molding into a desired shape, followed by a stage wherein a protective member is fixed onto a selected region of the upper. This two-staged approach is less preferred, because of inferior mechanical bonding between the protective member and the molded material, and an aesthetically less pleasing finished product.

[0008] In patent document AU2010101260A4, a method of manufacturing an article of footwear (boot) with an upper connected to a sole is proposed, wherein reinforcement ribs are integrally formed with the upper during molding, in an attempt to remedy the above- mentioned disadvantages. The reinforcement ribs are molded as integral portions of the upper from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and define parts of the outer surface of the upper.

[0009] The protective ribs in the resulting PVC boots are formed by locally increasing the outer thickness of the upper, which yields a complex surface profile. To produce such a rib profile with variable thickness, specifically adapted molding components are needed for each desired configuration of ribs and each boot size. This is highly disadvantageous from a practical perspective, due to the considerable costs involved in the manufacturing of molding components for each boot configuration. Moreover, this known method results in a dramatic increase of weight due to the necessity to have many ribs with sufficient thickness across the upper covering the metatarsal region. Sink marks due to the irregular distribution of material thickness and other negative production phenomena may also have to be taken into consideration.

[0010] It would be desirable to provide an article of footwear and a manufacturing method, which enable greater diversity in strength, shape, and/or location of the protective members, while requiring relatively little adaptation of the molding components (e.g.

molding last and outer molding shells). SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0011] Therefore, according to a first aspect, there is provided an article of footwear, comprising an upper and a protective member extending along at least a portion of the upper. The protective member comprises a central region consisting essentially of a reinforced material, and a sealing rim arranged along a perimeter of the central region. The upper is formed by injection molding of a flexible material, and the protective member is embedded in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the upper.

[0012] Typically, in molding techniques inner surfaces of outer molds define outer surface contours of the molded product. In the manufacturing of footwear according to the first aspect of the invention, the protective member may be held with its sealing rim in sealed contact with an inner surface of a molding shell during an injection molding stage. A protective member with a sealing rim that is shaped congruent with the contours of an inner surface portion of the outer molding shell(s) may be positioned inside the molding shell(s) with the sealing rim abutting the inner surface of the molding shell, forming a sealing engagement. This sealing engagement reduces or may even prevent overflow of flexible molding material across an upper surface i.e. onto the reinforced central region of the protective member during injection molding. The reduction/prevention of overflow yields a visually satisfactory article of footwear. In the resulting molded product, the sealing rim will form part of the outer surface of the footwear. Production of such footwear with embedded protective member may require little or even no adaptation of existing molding components.

[0013] Preferably, the article of footwear constitutes safety footwear, for example a reinforced boot.

[0014] Footwear typically defines an inner void for accommodating a foot of a wearer. The term "last" is used herein to refer to a three-dimensional model of a foot, which is used to temporarily occupy this inner void and delineate its outer boundaries during

manufacturing of the article of footwear.

[0015] In accordance with the first aspect, the central region of the protective member consists essentially of a reinforced material. The term "reinforced material" refers herein to a material with improved mechanical properties compared to the flexible material of which a significant portion of the upper is made. Exemplary materials for the protectors are plastics (e.g. polyamide, TPU, PE, etc). Such materials may additionally be reinforced with fibers (e.g. glass fibers, PA fibers, etc). Important mechanical properties related to the quality of the protective element are (non limitative): impact strength, hardness, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance.

[0016] For example, the central region of the protective member may have a notched impact strength within a range of 1 to 8 kilojoules per square meter (measured via the Charpy impact test at typical temperatures in a range of -20° to 30° Celsius). A typical tensile strength of the reinforced material may be in a range of 40 megapascal to 100 megapascal. The reinforced material may have a value in a wide range of hardness values. For example, the hardness of the reinforced material may be quantified by a shore hardness with a value in a range of 40 shore A to 100 shore A (based on a durometer type A hardness test), or with an even higher value in a range of 58 shore D to 80 shore D (based on a durometer type D hardness test). A typical abrasion resistance of the reinforced material may be quantified by a relative volume loss with a value below 100 mm ³ (measured via the abrasion test as described in ISO 20344:2011 8,3).

[0017] Preferably, the central region of the protective member forms one or more relatively thin (but preferably curved) patches. Typical length and width dimensions of such patch(es) may be in the order of 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters, whereas a typical thickness may be in the order of 0.5 millimeters to 10 millimeters.

[0018] The central region may have a curvature, which may be simple (e.g. resembling a parabolic cylinder) or more complex (e.g. following the shape of the last). The presence of a curvature implies that the direction along which the above-mentioned thickness is defined will vary locally along the central region.

[0019] The sealing rim is preferably made of a material that is different from the reinforced material of the central region of the protective member. The sealing rim may consist essentially of a flexible material that is relatively soft in comparison to the reinforced material. The sealing rim may for example have a shore hardness in a range between 20 to 70 shore A (based on the durometer type A hardness test). The tensile strength of the sealing rim material may be in a range of 10 megapascal to 50 megapascal. The material of the sealing rim may for example be identical to the flexible molding material of the upper.

[0020] The sealing rim may be attached along and directly onto the perimeter of the central region. Alternatively or in addition, the central region may form at least one relatively thin patch provided with an inwards receded profile along its perimeter for accommodating the sealing rim. The sealing rim may thus be accommodated in this receded profile with an outwards facing portion of the sealing rim arranged substantially flush with an outwards facing portion of the central region. Only a small flange region of the sealing rim may then protrude outwards with respect to the outwards facing portion of the central region, to provide the sealing function. This arrangement helps to reduce or may even avoid unwanted friction and displacement of the sealing rim, which may be caused by a slight misalignment between the protective member and approaching/engaging molding shells.

[0021] A typical thickness of the sealing rim may be in the order of 1 millimeter to 15 millimeters.

[0022] Preferably, the sealing rim extends along the entire perimeter of the central region. Such a rim delineates the entire central region and prevents injected material from overflowing the central region during molding.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the flexible material for molding the upper consists essentially of a thermosetting or thermoplastic elastomer. Thermosetting or thermoplastic elastomers are preferred molding materials due to their excellent elasticity properties, relatively good strength and durability, relatively low cost for their base materials and ease of processing during injection molding.

[0024] A typical tensile strength of the flexible molding material may be in a range of 10 megapascals to 50 megapascals. A typical abrasion resistance of the flexible molding material may be quantified by a relative volume loss within a range of 100 mm ³ to 250 mm ³ (measured via the abrasion test as described in ISO 20344:2011 8,3). The flexible molding material may have a shore hardness in a range between 20 to 70 shore A (based on the durometer type A hardness test). For overlapping sub-ranges of hardness values between 40 and 70 shore A and/or tensile strength values between 40 and 50 megapascals, the reinforced material of the protector member may still be considered "reinforced" with respect to the flexible molding material of the upper, provided that other mechanical properties related to the protector material, like the impact strength or energy dissipation properties of the central patch, or other strength characteristics related to construction and/or geometry are better than the flexible molding material of the upper.

[0025] Preferably, the flexible molding material is a polyurethane (PU) with a shore hardness in the above-mentioned range. PU can attain a relatively low mass density and high strength and durability in addition to the above-mentioned properties.

[0026] It may be difficult to bond an object onto a PU layer after injection molding and curing, due to inherent PU material properties and due to residual release agent on the surface of the cured PU material. Embedding the protective member in the flexible PU of the upper during injection molding circumvents this bonding problem, and yields a robust upper structure in which the protective member remains fixed to the PU after curing.

[0027] In particular, the flexible material is PU of the thermosetting type. In this case, formation of the upper involves reaction injection molding (RIM) of the flexible material. RIM is known as a form of injection molding that requires a curing reaction within the mold. Alternatively, the flexible material may consist essentially of rubber, PVC, EVA, TPU or other polymers.

[0028] Although less preferred, the flexible material of the upper may consists essentially of a different (i.e. non-elastomeric) type of material, provided that the material is suitable for forming the upper via inj ection molding.

[0029] According to an embodiment, the upper extends along a longitudinal direction of the article of footwear, and the protective member comprises two protector portions that extend in opposite lateral sides of the article of footwear. In this embodiment, the article of footwear comprises a separation recess arranged between the two protector portions and along a centerline in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] Each of the protector portions may comprise an associated central region consisting essentially of the reinforced material and a corresponding sealing rim arranged along the perimeter of the respective central region.

[0031] The provision of two separate protector portions with an intermediate separation recess allows the flexible material to flow more evenly along and around the protector portions. Such a flow regulating recess improves reproducibility of properly formed uppers with smooth outer surfaces.

[0032] In a further embodiment, the separation recess may be defined by a patch or strip of reinforced material that interconnects the central regions of the two protector portions. The patch or strip may be composed of the same reinforced material as the central regions of the two protector portions are made of.

[0033] In another further embodiment, the central regions of both protector portions and the interconnecting patch jointly form an integral body made of the same reinforced material. This integral body may for example define a curved arch, which is formed by the central regions of the protector portions that curve laterally and downwards along the upper and by the interconnecting patch that extends along the longitudinal centerline. In this case, the sealing rims may be arranged along the perimeters of the respective central regions, and the intermediate separation recess may be defined in-between the sealing rims. [0034] In both of these further embodiments, the central protector regions and interconnecting patch/strip may be integrally manufactured (e.g. molded) via a single process.

[0035] Preferably, the interconnecting patch or strip comprises gas/air discharge apertures. Air/gas may accumulate as pockets or bubbles within the liquid/viscous molding material during injection molding. The discharge apertures allow such pockets or bubbles of air and/or gas to be expelled via a predetermined path from the injected material, before the material solidifies and cures.

[0036] The discharge apertures may for example be formed as two or more elongated recesses (e.g. slots) extending in the longitudinal direction along the patch or strip.

Preferably, the gas/air discharge apertures are located at least in an uppermost portion of the interconnecting patch or strip. In this way, the release of the rising air/gas through the discharge apertures will be facilitated if the article of footwear is positioned predominantly upright during/after injection molding (but possibly at a non-zero angle with the vertical).

[0037] According to an embodiment, the upper comprises an instep, wherein the protective member is a metatarsal protector extending over at least a portion of the instep. In this embodiment, the metatarsal protector is embedded in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the instep.

[0038] The metatarsal protector serves to reinforce (at least part of) the instep of the footwear. The metatarsal protector may absorb and dissipate impact energy from objects falling onto the instep of the footwear, and protect the underlying metatarsal region of the wearer.

[0039] Alternatively or in addition, the metatarsal protector may harden the outer surface of the instep against denting, carving, deforming, etc. by sharp and/or heavy objects, to increase the lifespan of the instep.

[0040] According to a further embodiment, the article of footwear comprises a toecap and a flexible connector. In this further embodiment, the toecap is positioned in the nose, and the metatarsal protector is connected to the toecap via the flexible connector. The toecap and the flexible connector are embedded in the flexible material of the upper.

[0041] The connector helps to fix the position of the metatarsal protector with respect to the toecap, before molding of the upper. This fixation improves the positioning

reproducibility of the metatarsal protector inside the mold(s) and thus in the resulting (intermediate or final) product. This helps to reduce inter-product variation in protection effectiveness.

[0042] A toecap is preferably made from a mechanically rigid material like metal, hard plastic, reinforced plastic, or wood, and provides significant protection to the toes of the wearer. Such toecaps may be provided in or on the footwear in compliance with the specifications of Euro norm EN ISO 20345 - 2012 for safety footwear. Typically, the toecap is embedded and concealed inside the injected material of the upper and the nose in particular. Preferably, the toecap and last are provided with means for holding the toecap in a fixed position with respect to the molding last during injection molding of the upper. The toecap may for example be made from a mechanically strong metal with ferromagnetic properties, and the last may be provided with a magnet to temporarily fix the toecap during injection molding.

[0043] Preferably, the connector has sufficient flexibility to allow the metatarsal protector to slightly bend upwards/downwards with respect to the toecap during use of the footwear, so that the user will not be significantly inhibited while bending his/her toes upwards with respect to the metatarsal region. The connector may for example comprise a corrugated strip comprising a relatively strong plastic. This corrugated strip may extend in a longitudinal direction along the instep, and may form a bridge between the metatarsal protector and the toecap. This corrugated strip may be embedded inside the molded material, hidden from view, but may also be (partially) visible. The corrugations may attribute a slight upwards/downwards flexibility to the connector.

[0044] The connector may be made of the same reinforced material as the central region of the metatarsal protector. This allows integral manufacturing (e.g. molding) of the metatarsal protector and the connector via a single process.

[0045] According to a further embodiment, the article of footwear comprises an outsole, wherein the metatarsal protector comprises lateral tabs embedded in the flexible material. The lateral tabs are adapted to fix the metatarsal protector to the outsole

[0046] The lateral tabs serve to keep the metatarsal protector in a fixed position with respect to the outsole during injection molding of the upper. The lateral tabs may also serve to anchor the metatarsal protector into the outsole of the finished article of footwear.

Typically, the outsole has relatively higher shore hardness (i.e. mechanical stiffness) than the upper. Anchorage of the lateral tabs allows impact forces from objects falling onto the metatarsal protector to be conveyed via the lateral tabs to the outsole. Energy from the impact can thus be conveniently dissipated and distributed over a larger (and sturdier) area.

[0047] The lateral tabs may be made of the same reinforced material as the central region of the metatarsal protector. This allows integral manufacturing (e.g. molding) of the metatarsal protector and the lateral tabs via a single process.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the upper comprises a nose, wherein the protective member is a toe protector extending over at least a portion of the nose, and wherein the toe protector is embedded in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the nose.

[0049] The toe protector serves to reinforce (at least part of) the nose of the footwear. The toe protector may absorb and dissipate impact energy from objects falling onto the nose of the footwear, and protect the underlying toes of the wearer. Alternatively or in addition, the toe protector may harden the outer surface of the nose to protect against abrasion, denting, carving, deforming, etc. by sharp and/or heavy objects, to increase the lifespan of the nose. In known protective footwear, a "scuff cap" may be formed by an extension of the outsole. In footwear according to the current embodiment, the toe protector may be efficiently formed during the upper molding stage (i.e. separate from the outsole), so that existing molds for forming the upper and the outsole may be reused without significant adaptation.

[0050] According to a further embodiment, the article of footwear comprises a toecap embedded in the flexible material. The toe protector may then be positioned over the toecap and be directly connected to an edge of the toecap.

[0051] In any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the reinforced central region and/or the sealing rim may be attributed color- and/or geometrical coding that is indicative of the protection level (e.g. mechanical strength) provided by the resulting article of footwear. In this manner, the exposed outer surface of the sealing rim and/or of the reinforced central region can be conveniently exploited for safety assessment and inspection purposes.

[0052] According to a second aspect, and in accordance with the advantages and effects described herein above, there is provided a method for manufacturing an article of footwear with an upper. The method comprises:

- providing a last for delineating an inner region of the article of footwear; - providing a protective member comprising a central region consisting essentially of a reinforced material, and a sealing rim arranged around a perimeter of the central region;

- positioning the protective member over the last;

- positioning at least one outer shell around the last for delineating an outer surface of the upper, including engaging an inner surface of the outer shell with the sealing rim of the protective member, and

- forming the upper by injection molding of a flexible material, thereby embedding the protective member in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of the outer surface of the upper.

[0053] With the proposed method, embedding of protective member(s) in molded flexible material can be efficiently achieved. Prior to injection molding, the protective member(s) are positioned on an inside of the molding cavity, with the sealing rim(s) engaged with the inner surface(s) of the outer shell(s). This arrangement of the protective member(s) allows available molding components to be re-used without substantial modification.

[0054] In particular embodiments, the molding shells may nevertheless be adapted. For example, the molding shell(s) may be formed with at least one removable shell part, which is separately moveable with respect to (e.g. insertable into and removable from) a remaining shell part, and which defines an inner surface portion large enough to accommodate the protective member. Such molding shells may for example be used to surround the last while the removable shell part is temporarily removed from a similarly shaped void provided in and extending through the remaining shell part. The protective member is temporarily attached with its sealing rim engaged onto the inner surface portion of the removable shell part. Subsequently, the removable shell part with attached protective member is reinserted into the void of the remaining shell part, thereby moving the protective member into a predetermined position inside the molding cavity.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the upper of the article of footwear comprises an instep, the protective member is a metatarsal protector member, and the method comprises:

- positioning the metatarsal protector over a metatarsal region of the last, and

- forming the instep by injection molding of the flexible material, thereby embedding the metatarsal protector in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the instep. [0056] According to a further embodiment, the method comprises, prior to positioning the outer shell and to forming the instep by injection molding:

- providing a toecap around a toe region of the last;

- providing a flexible connector extending from the toe region to the metatarsal region, thereby connecting the toecap to the metatarsal protector with the flexible connector, and wherein forming the instep by injection molding comprises embedding the toecap and the flexible connector in the flexible material.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the article of footwear comprises an outsole, the metatarsal protector comprises lateral tabs for fixing the metatarsal protector to the outsole, and the method comprises, prior to positioning the outer shell and to forming the instep by injection molding:

- providing a blind plate for delineating a sole region of the article of footwear, and comprising lateral recesses below the metatarsal region of the last, and

- accommodating the lateral tabs in the lateral recesses of the blind plate.

In this embodiment of the method, forming the instep by injection molding comprises embedding the lateral tabs in the flexible material.

[0058] The blind plate may be used to define an outer (lower) surface of the sole during injection molding of the upper. The lateral recesses in the blind plate may serve to accommodate the lateral tabs of the metatarsal protector, and to hold the lateral tabs and the connected metatarsal protector in a predetermined orientation during injection molding of the upper. The lateral tabs may be accommodated in the lateral recesses via relative motion of the blind plate and the metatarsal protector towards each other. For example, the last with metatarsal protector may be held stationary while the blind plate with lateral recesses is moved towards the last until the lateral tabs are accommodated inside the recesses.

[0059] Embodiments of the method may further comprise:

- providing a sole plate for delineating an outsole region of the article of footwear;

- forming the outsole by injection molding of a flexible sole material, thereby embedding the lateral tabs in the flexible sole material, while fixing the outsole to a sole portion of the upper on a lower side thereof.

[0060] According to another embodiment, the upper of the article of footwear comprises a nose and the protective member is a toe protector, and wherein the method comprises:

- positioning the toe protector over a toe region of the last, and - forming the nose by injection molding of the flexible material, thereby embedding the toe protector in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the nose.

[0061] According to a further embodiment, the toe protector may comprise protector portions that are attached with sealing rims engaged onto predetermined regions of the inner surfaces of the outer shells, prior to positioning of the outer shells around the last. For example, the outer shells may be formed with removable shell parts, which are temporarily removable from and insertable into voids provided in remaining shell parts. Each removable shell part defines an inner surface portion large enough to accommodate a respective toe protector portion with its sealing rim engaged with this inner surface portion. In this case, the remaining shell parts may be positioned around the last in advance, followed by insertion of the removable shell parts with toe protector portions into predetermined positions of the toe region of the last.

[0062] According to an alternative further embodiment, the toe protector is temporarily attached in advance over the toe region of the last, prior to positioning the outer shell(s) around the last and engaging the sealing rim.

[0063] According to yet a further embodiment, the method comprises, prior to positioning the outer shell and to forming the nose by injection molding:

- providing a toecap around the toe region of the last, and

- providing the toe protector over the toecap, thereby directly connecting the toe protector to the toecap.

In this further embodiment of the method, forming the nose by injection molding comprises embedding the toecap in the flexible material.

[0064] According to embodiments, the flexible material consists essentially of a thermosetting or thermoplastic elastomer (e.g. TPU), wherein the protective member is formed by two protector portions that define a separation recess with discharge apertures along a centerline extending along the upper. In these embodiments, forming the upper by injection molding of the flexible material comprises discharging excess flexible material and/or waste fluid through the discharge apertures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0065] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

[0066] Figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a boot according to an embodiment;

[0067] Figure 2 schematically shows a lateral cross-section of the boot in Figure 1;

[0068] Figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of a boot according to another embodiment;

[0069] Figure 4 schematically shows a lateral cross-section of the boot in Figure 3;

[0070] Figures 5a-5h schematically illustrate an embodiment of a method for manufacturing the boot shown in figures 1-2.

[0071] The figures are meant for illustrative purposes only, and do not serve as restriction of the scope or the protection as laid down by the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0072] The following is a description of certain embodiments corresponding to aspects of the invention, given by way of example only and with reference to the figures. In the figures, various directions are indicated for defining positions and orientations of the article of footwear according to the first aspect. Reference symbol X is used to indicate a longitudinal direction. Prepositions "front" and "rear" pertain to this longitudinal direction X. Reference symbol Y is used to indicate a transversal direction that is perpendicular to X, relating to the terms "left", "right", and "lateral". Reference symbol Z is used to indicate a vertical direction that is perpendicular to X and Y. Prepositions "above" and "below" pertain to the vertical direction Z. The meaning of the term "upper" (i.e. as a noun forming a term of art or as an adjective in the regular meaning) should be clear from the context.

[0073] It should be understood that the directional definitions and preferred orientations presented herein merely serve to elucidate geometrical relations for specific embodiments. The concepts of the invention discussed herein are not limited to these directional definitions and preferred orientations. [0074] Figure 1 schematically shows a perspective view of an article of footwear, according to an embodiment. In this example, the article of footwear is formed as a reinforced boot 10 to be used as safety footwear. Figure 2 schematically shows a lateral cross-section of the reinforced boot 10 from Figure 1.

[0075] The reinforced boot 10 comprises an upper 14 that includes an instep 16 in a middle region. The upper 14 with the instep 16 extends along a longitudinal direction X of the protective boot 10. The reinforced boot 10 comprises a metatarsal protector member 50 that extends along a portion of the instep 16. The metatarsal protector 50 is formed by two protector portions or patches 50a, 50b, which are provided on two sides of a longitudinal centerline of the upper 14 and extend towards opposite lateral directions ±Y from this centerline. Each protector portion 50a, 50b is formed by a central patch 52a, 52b that consists essentially of a reinforced material, and by a seal member 54a, 54b arranged along a perimeter of each respective central patch 52a-b.

[0076] The central regions 52a-b of the protector portions 50a-b are joined by an interconnecting patch 50c that extends along a longitudinal centerline of the boot 10. The central regions 52a-b and interconnecting patch 50c jointly form an integral body made of the same reinforced material, and define a curved arch along a portion of the upper 14.

[0077] A separation recess 58 is formed along the centerline between the protector portions 50a-b. The separation recess 58 defines a gutter between adjacent longitudinal portions of the two seal members 54a-b, and extends in the longitudinal direction X. The separation recess 58 comprises discharge apertures 60, which extend through the material of the metatarsal protector 50 between an inner region 26 and an outer surface 30 of the boot 10.

[0078] The upper 14 is formed by injection molding of a flexible material. In this exemplary embodiment, the flexible material consists essentially of thermosetting polyurethane. The metatarsal protector 50 is embedded in the flexible material. The seal members 54a-b and outwards facing portions of the reinforced central regions 52a-b form part of the outer surface 30 of the instep 16.

[0079] A toecap 40 is provided in a nose portion 18 of the upper 14. Such a toecap 40 is known and often used in articles of footwear to provide the toes of the wearer substantial protection against crushing forces of heavy objects. Such a toecap 40 may for example be made from metal, rigid plastic, or wood, and may be embedded within the nose 18 in a concealed manner. [0080] In this embodiment, the metatarsal protector 50 is connected to the toecap 40 via a connector 62 that is at least partially flexible. In this example, the connector 62 is provided with a corrugated bridge 64 that forms a resilient intermediate part between the metatarsal protector 50 and the toecap 40. The corrugated bridge is fixed (clamped) onto an edge 42 of the toecap 40 by means of two clips 66. The connector 62 is also embedded inside the flexible material in a concealed manner.

[0081] In a lower region, the reinforced boot 10 comprises an outsole 20. In this embodiment, the metatarsal protector 50 is provided with two lateral tabs 68a, 68b for fixing the metatarsal protector 50 to the outsole 20. The lateral tabs 68a-b are anchored in the material of the outsole 20 and also embedded inside the flexible material of the upper 14.

[0082] Figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of another embodiment of an article of footwear. In particular, Figure 3 shows a reinforced boot 110. Figure 4

schematically shows a lateral cross-section of the reinforced boot 110 from Figure 3.

[0083] Features in the reinforced boot 110 that have already been described above with reference to the first embodiment of the reinforced boot 10 (with reference to Figures 1-2) may also be present in the reinforced boot 110 shown in Figures 3-4, and will not all be discussed here again. For the discussion with reference to Figures 3-4, like features are designated with similar reference numerals preceded by 100, to distinguish the

embodiments.

[0084] The reinforced boot 110 comprises an upper 114 that includes a nose 118 in a frontal region. The reinforced boot 110 comprises a toe protector 70 that extends along a portion of the nose 118. The nose protector 70 is formed by two protector portions 70a, 70b, which extend towards opposite lateral directions ±Y of the reinforced boot 110. A separation recess 78 is formed along a centerline between the protector portions 70a-b. The separation recess 78 curves with the protector portions 70a-b along the contours of the nose 118 (i.e. curves in the longitudinal and vertical directions X, Z). The separation recess 78 comprises discharge apertures 80, with a similar function as described above with reference to the boot 10 with metatarsal protector 50.

[0085] Each protective protector portion 70a, 70b is formed by a central patch 72a, 72b that consists essentially of a reinforced material, and by a seal member 74a, 74b arranged along a perimeter of each respective central patch 72a, 72b. [0086] The upper 114 is formed by injection molding of a flexible material that consists essentially of thermosetting polyurethane. The toe protector 70 is embedded in the flexible material. The seal members 74a-b form part of an outer surface 132 of the nose 118.

[0087] A toecap 140 is provided in the nose 118 of the upper 114. In this embodiment, the toe protector 70 is connected to the toecap 140 by means of two clips 82. The toecap 140 and the clips 82 are embedded inside the flexible material.

[0088] It should be understood that in further embodiments, the article of footwear may be provided with both the metatarsal protector and toe protector as have been described herein above.

[0089] Figures 5a-5h illustrate an embodiment of a method for manufacturing an article of footwear with an upper. In this example, the resulting article is a boot with a metatarsal protector incorporated in the instep region of the upper similar to the boot 10 described with reference to figures 1-2. What follows below is a description of manufacturing steps comprised by this exemplary method and explained with reference to the boot 10 and features indicated in figures 1-2.

[0090] As shown in Figure 5a, a last 90 is provided for delineating an inner region 26 of the boot 10 (see Figure 2). The last 90 comprises a metatarsal region 91, a toe region 92, and a heel region 93.

[0091] Figure 5b illustrates that a toecap 40 is provided around the toe region 92 of the last 90. The toecap 40 may be made from a mechanically strong metal with ferromagnetic properties. In addition, the last 90 may be provided with a magnet in or on the toe region 92, for (temporarily) keeping the toecap 40 in a fixed position.

[0092] Figure 5c shows that the metatarsal protector 50 is positioned loosely in a predetermined orientation with respect to the last 90, on an upper and outer part of the metatarsal region 91 of the last 90. The toecap 40 and the metatarsal protector 50 are roughly positioned around the toe region 92 and metatarsal region 91 respectively. In this position, the flexible connector 62 of the metatarsal protector 50 will extend from the metatarsal region 91 to the toe region 92. The metatarsal protector 50 is fixed with the flexible connector 62 to the toecap 40, to improve positioning stability of the metatarsal protector 50 with respect to the last 90. The lateral tabs 68 will protrude predominantly downwards from a lower edge of the metatarsal protector 50, on two lateral sides of the last 90. [0093] Figure 5d schematically illustrates a cross-section through a center plane of the configuration of Figure 5c. This cross-section shows that a continuous gap 99 remains between the toecap 40 and metatarsal protector 50 on the one hand and the toe region 92 of the last 90 on the other hand.

[0094] Figure 5e illustrates how a blind plate 96 is positioned on a lower side of the last 90, to delineate a sole portion of the upper 14 of the boot 10. This blind plate 96 comprises recesses 98a. 98b below the metatarsal region 91 of the last 90. During positioning of the blind plate 96, the last 90 with the metatarsal protector 50 and the toecap 40 may be held stationary with respect to an external reference frame, while the blind plate 96 with lateral recesses 98a-b is moved upwards towards the last 90, until the lateral tabs 68a, 68b are accommodated inside the recesses 98a-b. A further continuous gap (not indicated) remains between an upper surface of the blind plate 96 on the one hand and a lower surface of the metatarsal region 91 of the last 90 on the other hand. This further continuous gap

corresponds to the sole portion after injection molding of the upper 14 of the boot 10.

[0095] Figures 5f-5g show two perpendicular cross-sections, which illustrate how molding shells 94a, 94b are subsequently positioned around the last 90, the metatarsal protector 50, and the toe cap 40. In the shown positions, the molding shells 94a-b and the last 90 jointly define a molding void 100 corresponding to the final shape of the upper 14 of the boot 10. Inner surfaces 95a, 95b of the corresponding molding shells 94a-b delineate portions of the outer surface 30 of the upper 14 of the resulting boot 10 (see Figure 1). The molding void 100 accommodates the metatarsal protector 50 with flexible connector 62 and lateral tabs 68a-b, as well as the toecap 40. When the shells 92a-b are moved inwards to close in on the last 90, the inner surfaces 95a, 95b of the shells 92a-b engage with the sealing rims 54a-b of metatarsal protector portions 50a-b. In the final position shown in Figures 5f-5g, the sealing rims 54a-b have established a sealing engagement with the inner surfaces 95a-b of the outer shells 92a-b. The sealing rims 54a-b surround the associated central regions 52a-b of the metatarsal protector 50. The seals established between the rims 54a-b and the inner shell surfaces 95a-b constitute a material barrier (separation) between the central regions 52a-b and the remainder of the molding void 100.

[0096] In this embodiment, the flexible material consists essentially of thermosetting polyurethane (PU). The upper 14 of the boot 10 is formed by injecting liquefied PU into the molding void 100. The liquefied PU may for example be injected into the molding void 100 via an injection conduit 101 provided through the shells 94a-b near the heel portion 93 of the last 90. The injection conduit 101 may be in fluid connection with an injection molding source 102, which is adapted for supplying molten PU material.

[0097] During injection molding, the injected PU is urged via the injection conduit 101 into the molding void 100. The injected PU will flow through the molding void 100, and around the metatarsal protector 50 and toecap 40. During this injection molding stage, the metatarsal protector 50 (with lateral tabs 68a-b and flexible connector 62) and the toe cap 40 become embedded in the injected PU. The toecap 40 will become entirely embedded inside the PU located at the nose 18. The sealing rims 54a-b and the central regions 52a-b of the metatarsal protector 50 will become partially embedded in the PU located at the instep 16, while outward portions of the sealing rims 54a-b and the central protector regions 52a-b remain exposed to form part of an outer surface 30 of the instep 16. Due to the seals between the rims 54a-b and the inner shell surfaces 95a-b, the injected liquid PU is prevented from flowing across outwards facing surfaces of the central protector regions 52a-b.

[0098] During injection molding, waste fluid (e.g. air and/or gas) is typically formed inside the liquid PU. Waste fluid that accumulates inside the injected PU located at the instep 16 between the last 90 and metatarsal protector 50 may be discharged outwards via the discharge apertures 60 in the separation recess 58 of the metatarsal protector 50.

[0099] Figure 5h illustrates that the method may further comprise a stage wherein the outsole 20 is formed. This stage involves fixation of the outsole 20 to a sole portion of the upper 14, on a lower side thereof. The sole plate 97 comprises a lower sole profile that defines the outer surface of the outsole 20. After injection molding of the upperl4, the blind plate 96 is removed from the lower side of the assembly comprising the last 90, the molded upper 14 and the surrounding molding shells 94a-b.

[00100] Again, the last 90, the molding shells 94a-b, and the upper 14 (with the embedded metatarsal protector 50 and the toecap 40) may be held stationary with respect to the external reference frame, while the blind plate 96 moved away. Subsequently, the sole plate 97 may be moved upwards towards the last 90 and upper 14, until the sole plate 97 abuts against the first and second shell parts 94a-b. The outsole region 27 is thereby formed between the sole portion of the upper 14 and the lower sole profile of the sole plate 97.

[00101] The outsole 20 may then be formed by injecting liquefied sole material (e.g. a sturdier type of PU) into the outsole region 27. The liquefied material may for example be injected via a further injection conduit 103 provided through the sole plate 97 near a heel portion 93 of the last 90. The further injection conduit 103 may also be in fluid connection with the injection molding source 102. The sole material is allowed to cure, thereby forming the outsole 20 on a lower side of the boot 10.

[00102] After this injection molding stage, all outer molding parts 94a-b, 97 are removed from the finalized upper 14 and outsole 20, which are subsequently removed from the last 90. The resulting boot 10 may subsequently be trimmed. This may involve removal of flash lines of molding material along outer surfaces 30, 32 of the upper 14. Such lines typically correspond to mating lines of the molding parts 94a-b, 97.

[00103] It should be noted that, in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, various method embodiments may be conceived that allow manufacturing of various types of footwear according to the first aspect of the invention. In particular, a method as described with reference to Figures 5a-h may be adapted to allow manufacturing of an article of footwear comprising a toe protector in the toe region (e.g. a boot 110 with a toe protector 70 as described with reference to Figures 3-4).

[00104] In footwear embodiments wherein the nose is provided with a toecap, there may be only little space available for fitting in a toe protector. In such a case, it may be difficult to apply lateral fixation tabs (as described e.g. with reference to Figures 1-2) and/or attachment clips for pre-orienting the toe protector with respect to the last and the toecap, prior to injection molding of the upper.

[00105] So, according to alternative method embodiments, the toe protector may comprise at least two separate toe protector portions. In this case, each of the toe protector portions may be attached in advance onto a predetermined region of the inner surface of a selected outer shell. For example, a semi-symmetric arrangement with two lateral outer shell parts may be provided, each having a toe protector portion temporarily fixed onto a selected part of the respective inner shell surface.

[00106] Cooperation between a receded section of the (reinforced) central region and the (flexible) sealing rim of each respective toe protector portion may help in creating a vacuum between the toe protector portion and the inner surface region of the outer shell. This suction effect may be exploited to temporarily fix the position of each separate toe protector portion with respect to the predetermined region of the associated inner shell surface.

[00107] The outer shells with attached toe protector portions may then be moved towards the last to form a molding void for the upper, similar as described herein above with reference to Figures 5a-5h. Alternatively, the outer shells may be formed with removable shell parts that define inner surface portions for temporarily fixing toe protector portions along their sealing rims. In this case, the remaining shell parts may be positioned around the last in advance, followed by insertion of the removable shell parts with attached toe protector portions into voids provided in the remaining shell parts, to move the toe protector portions into predetermined positions around the toe region of the last. In the resulting assembly of molding parts, the toe protector portions will be in predetermined positions with respect to the toe region of the last and the toecap. The nose may then be formed by injection molding of the flexible material (e.g. PU), during which the toecap and the toe protector are embedded in the flexible material, with the sealing rim forming part of an outer surface of the nose.

[00108] The descriptions above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that alternative and equivalent embodiments of the invention can be conceived and reduced to practice, without departing from the scope of the claims set out below.

[00109] Those skilled in the art and informed by the teachings herein will realize that the invention is applicable to any article of footwear made of a moldable material and including one or more protective members to reinforce at least an outer surface of the footwear.

[00110] It should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the protective member (e.g. metatarsal protector or toe protector) may have any shape, provided that the sealing rim is arranged along a perimeter of the reinforced central region of the protective member and that the protective member is embedded in the flexible material with the sealing rim forming part of the outer surface of the footwear. The protective member does not necessarily have to be formed by two lateral patches.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

Similar reference numbers that have been used in the description to indicate similar elements (differing only in the hundreds) have been omitted from the list below, but should be considered implicitly included.

10 footwear (e.g. boot)

12 shaft

14 upper

16 instep

18 nose

20 outsole

22 interior sole portion

24 heel

26 inner foot region

27 outsole region

28 molded material (e.g. polyurethane)

30 instep outer surface

32 nose outer surface

40 toe cap

42 cap edge

50 metatarsal protector

50a first metatarsal protector portion

50b second metatarsal protector portion

52 central region (reinforced)

54 peripheral seal (e.g. flexible flange or rim)

54a first peripheral seal

54b second peripheral seal

56 bridge

58 recess

60 discharge aperture

62 flexible connector

64 resilient portion (e.g. corrugated strip)

66 connector member (e.g. clip)

68a first lateral tab 68b second lateral tab

70 toe protector

70a first toe protector portion

70b second toe protector portion

72 central region (reinforced)

74 peripheral seal (e.g. flexible flange)

76 bridge

78 recess

80 discharge aperture

82 connector member (e.g. clip)

90 last

91 metatarsal region of last

92 toe region of last

93 heel region of last

94a first shell part

94b second shell part

95a first inner shell surface

95b second inner shell surface

96 blind plate

97 sole plate

98 lateral recess (e.g. slot)

99 gap

100 molding void

101 injection conduit

102 injection molding source (e.g. supply of molten PU)

103 further injection conduit

X longitudinal direction

Y transversal direction

Z vertical direction