WATERPROOF CHARACTERISTICS"

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TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to boot-type technical footwear designed principally for use in nautical applications including professional ones but also for general use in rain and snow or for use on wet ground or for trekking, hunting and other outdoor activities. This footwear has breathable and waterproof means in combination with means for supporting and holding the foot in position.

In particular the present invention relates to boot- type footwear comprising an internal component (or lining) combined with a external component (or shell) wherein the boot-type footwear involves the use of the two components together in a construction designed to create the conditions best suited to providing correct stability of the foot together with other standard conditions such as proofing against the entry of water while at the same time ensuring that humidity and vapour can escape from the inside.

The boot-type footwear according to the present invention substantially comprises two components, one of which is made from a highly breathable material combined with a second component which is made from a completely waterproof material or a material which is both waterproof and breathable.

Both components are in turn combined with rapid lacing means to ensure perfect holding of the foot.

The principle characteristic of the present invention is that the internal and external components comprising the footwear are partially separated from each other and where each part comprises independent lacing means designed to provide optimum and perfect holding of the foot.

The present invention relates to the footwear sector in general and in particular to footwear for use in nautical applications, including professional ones, but also for general use in rain and snow or for use on wet ground or for trekking, hunting and similar outdoor activities .

BACKGROUND ART

It is well known that the footwear currently available commercially includes models for spare time pursuits, boat shoes, footwear for nautical applications and boots and shoes for use in wet weather conditions. This type of footwear is available in various forms made from various materials . Substantially the purpose of this footwear type is to prevent entry of water into the boot while at the same time allowing the foot to breath. In general, the waterproof boots or those widely used in nautical applications achieve this purpose through the use of water-repellent materials and fabrics combined with internal lining fabrics which absorb humidity and the perspiration produced by the foot. The solutions of this type in use today solve the problem of preventing the ingress of water from the outside and at the same time offer some degree of breathability from the inside. However, in practice these solutions have shown that they are not without their drawbacks. These drawbacks are increasingly evident in practice and are as follows.

The boot-type footwear of the type produced today mainly comprises a waterproof external component and an internal breathable component where the two components are fixed to each other in various ways . For the most part this type of footwear has been designed to be put on and worn without the use of laces or tie cords. From this point of view the known type of boots are made according to a design which makes them somewhat impractical above all because of the difficulties in fixing and binding the foot, given that this type boot, being without lacing, has to be large enough to be put on.

In these conditions the foot loses adherence and stability because none of the known solutions has adequate lacing means for holding the foot firmly in position inside the boot. This problem is particularly evident in those cases where the boot is used in technical-professional applications such as yatch regattas where crew members have to act with the maximum rapidity in surroundings which are typically wet and slippery and where the stability of footwear is fundamental to the results of the regatta and the safety of crew members.

DESCRIPTION OP THE INVENTION

The present invention provides boot-type footwear or similar, for use in particular in nautical and sailing activities or similar, provided with independent lacing means for the internal component and for the external component which eliminate or at least reduces the drawbacks described above. The present invention also provides boot-type technical footwear, principally for professional uses, which is waterproof and allows the foot to breathe and which is provided with independent and rapid lacing means .

This is achieved by an item of boot-type footwear or similar whose characteristics are described in the main claim. The dependent claims of the solution proposed outline advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

The principle advantages of this solution concern above all the fact that the boot-type footwear according to the present invention is made from high-quality materials which provide the necessary waterproofing and which at the same time allow the foot to breathe thereby fulfilling the fundmental purpose of the invention and ensuring the perfect adherence and holding of the foot inside the footwear.

The present invention substantially comprises boot- type footwear whose external component is a shell of fabric, leather or synthetic material which is waterproof and/or waterproof and breathable and whose internal component is a high-breathability fabric in at least two versions: a fresh version for summer wear and a thermal version for cold seasons and where the two components are characterised in that they comprise independent lacing means and elasticated means for inserting the foot. The external component and the internal component of the boot are independent of each other and the first component contains the second component which is fixed solely at the underfoot part of the construction.

The external component and the internal component are made so as to comprise independent lacing means ensuring that the internal component can be laced and tightened independently of the external component thereby providing the foot with the maximum stability and the maximum comfort .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of an example embodiment which follows with reference to the annexed drawings, given purely by way of a non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of the boot-type footwear according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the boot-type footwear and the rear lacing according to the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a front view of the internal component made of breathable material of the boot- type footwear;

Figure 4 shows a front view of the boot-type footwear cut away to show the internal component; Figure 5 shows the boot-type footwear from the outside with the external component partly lowered to show the lacing of the internal component.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the annexed drawings, the numeral 10 indicates in its entirety the item of boot-type footwear which substantially comprises a sole 11 with a tread on the lower part and attached, on its upper part, to an upper indicated in its entirety by the numeral 12.

The upper 12 in turn comprises at least two superimposed components joined only under the foot: an external component 13 (shell) shown in Figures 1 and 2, and an internal component 14 (lining) shown in Figures 3 and 4. The external component 13 of the boot-type footwear is made from made from fabric, leather or a synthetic material with the characteristic of being a waterproof material or a waterproof and breathable material. The back of the external component is laced by means of a bellows 15 with the possibility of closing and adjusting the fit by means of laces 16 or similar means fulfilling the same purpose.

In addition there are external straps 17 with buckles to enable adjustment of the strap around the ankle so that the foot is held fixed in position.

The internal component 14 of the boot-type footwear is made from a high breathability fabric in at least two versions: a fresh version for summer wear and a thermal version for cold seasons.

The front of the internal component 14, has an elasticated zone in the front ankle area of the foot and another elasticated zone at the back in the area of the heel and the tendon in order to facilitate a good, comfortable fit.

The internal component 14 of the boot also comprises a front lacing system of the highly sliding type comprising a long-life lace 18 passing through slots 19, for holding the foot perfectly. The lace 18 per fixing the internal component 14 can be pulled easily and quickly upwards by hand thus enabling perfect holding of the foot.

Assembly of the components simply involves inserting the internal component 14 into the external component 13 and fixing them together in the underfoot part of the construction .

Finally, the boot-type footwear according to the present invention has a boot strap 20 located on the upper back part designed to facilitate fitting of the footwear.

It will be noted that the boot-type footwear according to the present invention has been designed to be waterproof while at the same time providing the breathability necessary for the foot. It will be noted above all that this footwear provides a perfect fit for the foot inside the boot. This combination of characteristics makes this boot an item of high- performance technical footwear.

The lacings on the back of the external component and on the front of the internal component further enhance the utility of the footwear. The footwear is therefore waterproof, breathable, comfortable and light and therefore easy, quick and secure for the user to put on.

As already mentioned, the boot-type footwear provides high quality in terms of holding and supporting the foot which adheres perfectly to the inside of footwear thanks to the two independent lacing systems of the internal and external components.

The invention as described above refers to a preferred embodiment. Naturally, while the principle of the invention remains the same, the details of construction and the embodiments may widely vary with respect to what has been described and illustrated purely by way of the example, without departing from the scope of the present invention.