Footwear sole and footwear having said sole.

The present invention relates to a footwear sole with massaging effect. These type of soles are known and widely used, however they have several drawbacks. Hence in prior art soles the foot massage carried out with the stressing discharged by the foot on the ground when walking is partially retransferred to the foot at preferred areas by using inserts mounted in the sole itself. Prior art inserts are often composed of materials with different elasticity with respect to the sole material and are inserted in the sole. A solution according to prior art, for example, provides to obtain areas with different elasticity inside the sole by putting inserts that are embedded in the sole material, that is in the footwear sole at least an insert is incorporated having elasticity and density different with respect to the remaining part of the sole, and so when walking, areas made of different materials and composing the footwear sole react in a different way, that is they retransfer to the foot the stressing exerted in differentiated manner among areas with different elasticity, or density, practically producing a kind of massage to the foot.

Alternatively, according to prior art, elastic or spring inserts have been provided still inside the sole.

Howevere these solutions have some drawbacks mainly due to the fact that the foot massage areas are

not confined at the selected areas, but often a very large foot area is concerned, causing even not desired areas to be massaged.

In order to obtain the massage of foot in prior art solutions massage inserts are positioned between the sole and the insole, or as an alternative, only on the sole. Thus there is provided a message that however, due to the presence of the insole, is practically distributed on all the user foot sole. Usually there is provided an insole between the massage insert and the foot in order to increase comfort, since prior art massage inserts are made of materials that do not adapt to the foot shape and so according to prior art the insert is positioned under the insole, particularly on the sole, in order to allow the user foot to rest on the soft insole, that in turn rests upon the massage insert. Thus in prior art soles a massage of foot can be obtained without reducing comfort, however causing the massage to be distributed on large areas of the foot sole, actually making the massage less specific and less directed. As an alternative according to prior art it is possible to localize the massage area however reducing comfort for the user, particularly this is obtained according to prior art by actually removing the insole.

A further drawback is that inserts with different elasticity are often inserted inside the sole, that is embedded in the sole material, which involves a definitely high manufacturing effort. For example think about a mass production of a considerable number of

soles where the inserts have to be inserted directly inside the sole material, that involving considerable difficulties and high manufacturing cost and time.

Generally in prior art different type of insert have been produced for foot massage, such as for example springs or point-like inserts coming out from the sole towards the foot or the like, however the main problem that has been found is that said inserts make a massage in not confined areas, and thus even in areas where the massage is not desired, with the further drawback that the massage in the areas of interest is reduced.

Moreover in prior art soles inserts are often homogeneously composed of the same material that has the same elasticity, as a result this involves that the foot is often in contact with a material that has very good elasticity features, but with a poor comfort for the foot, which is in contact with a more rigid region than the one necessary for the massage. This drawback is due to the fact that the insert must have a sufficient rigidity in order not to completely give away under the body weight when walking, and often the rigidity necessary for walking is greater than the one necessary for comfort. Moreover when compressing an elastic material, the resistance to compression and so rigidity increases with increasing compression. So the greater the compression is, the greater the hardness of the compressed material is.

The present invention relates to a footwear sole with massaging effect comprising an external sole for

resting on the ground and at least an inner sole, the so called insole, interposed between said external sole and the user foot, characterized in that the external sole has one or more vertically movable pliable areas peripherically connected to the remaing portion of the sole by means of bridges of elastically pliable material,such as bellows or the like and which region or regions project out the ground resting portion of the external sole, being as shock absorbers between walking and pressure of the foot; said pliable regions being provided with an extension in the foot direction passing through a slot of said insole and having at least an end portion for directly contacting the foot composed of soft or elastically pliable material. Preferably said material is composed of a synthetic gel member. Synthetic gel has such elastic compressibility features that when compressed, the synthetic gel member does not become un-compressible or does not get hard as in all known elastomeric materials. Due to this it is possible to adjust the pressure stress on the foot and at the same time a damping effect is obtained even in the greatest compression condition during various walking steps described above. Moreover, in the footwear sole according to the present invention the pliable areas are preferably two pliable areas or compression buttons made one in the area corresponding to the foot heel and the other one in the area corresponding to the foot metatarsus. Thus the drawbacks relative to prior art soles are

easily overcome.

Particularly the two forces acting at the heel and the point where the foot sole bends, that is the pressure of the foot towards the ground and the ground thrust in opposition, assist and cause a stress in above points for properly stimulating the foot when walking.

According to a further manufacturing characteristic the extension at the area corresponding to the foot heel, related to the corresponding compression button, is made as a tubular structure that is provided in peripherical contact with the pliable area of the external sole, and it has on the top a foot contacting end portion made like a plug of said tubular structure.

The plug of the tubular structure has a surface in contact with the foot made by means of a set of projections of rounded shape placed side by side that are preferably made of an elastically pliable and/or soft material, such as a synthetic gel.

Thus the sole according to the present invention has one or more areas for foot massaging, particularly at the foot heel and metatarsus area, that make a very localized massage in the area of interest. When walking the sole portion projecting towards the outside is pressed and vertically moved by means of bellows and in turn it operates the extension, that moves towards the user foot. Thus the foot massaging effect is very localized, since the only portion of the external sole that is operated for the massage is the

one projecting and coinciding with the areas where the massage is desired.

The presence of a tubular structure at the heel involves the possibility to have a type of massage that is most concentrated and localized in the central area of the heel, that is where it is most necessary, avoiding the massage in the peripherical areas, where the massage is not desired. Moreover the tubular structure increases the compressibility range within which the compressible material keeps a certain pliability avoiding to reach the condition of being almost uncompressible as in prior art devices.

According to a further embodiment the tubular structure is preferably made by means of two rolls, one external roll and an inner roll, both in contact with the pliable area of the external sole and with the contact end portion, further improving the heel massage.

The extension of the pliable area provided at the area corresponding to the foot metatarsus is made by means of a plurality of individual extensions of cylindrical shape extending from the elastically pliable area to the user foot, these extensions of cylindrical shape have a free end of rounded shape faced towards the foot and are completely or partly made of elastically pliable and/or soft material, such as a synthetic gel.

Even projections of said foot contacting end portion made as a plug of said tubular structure are composed of an elastically pliable and/or soft

material, such as a synthetic gel.

Thus the drawbacks relative to prior art according to which the insert or the extension has such a rigidity to compromise the comfort are actually avoided.

Moreover advantageously also prior art drawbacks related to the fact of having massage areas that are not limited or localized are avoided, due to the fact that massage inserts according to the present invention are such that a good massage and an optimal comfort of the foot are contemporaneously guaranteed.

According to a further variant embodiment a further cleaning insole may be provided interposed between the user foot and the remaining portion of the sole, however the thickness of said cleaning insole is such that it never compromises the localized massage action of the foot. The cleaning insole has a small thickness, since it is provided only for hygienic purposes and not for structural purposes. In this case said cleaning insole has no slots for the contact of said extentions with the user foot, and it can be composed of a non elastic material.

According to a variant embodiment it is also possible to provide that the extensions are not integral with the external sole. In this case the extensions preferably have a T-shaped side section, or like a mushroom, where the T top portion is faced towards the user foot, and it has an overall convex surface, in order to optimize the massage of the foot areas. In this variant embodiment said external sole

has an housing for engaging said T-shaped extensions, making the assembling more easily during the production.

A further aim of the present invention is to provide a footwear comprising at least a sole, an outer vamp, an inner vamp (lining) not always and necessarily and an insole and provided with high comfort, particularly being a very soft footwear.

In prior art footwears the outer vamp and the inner vamp are glued together substantially along the entire length. The so coupled inner vamp and outer vamp are generally glued and sewn with one perimetric tongue between the insole and the sole. The coupling of the inner vamp and of the outer one substantially along the entire surface involves the manufacturing of a laminar member with layers that are integral one with respect to the other and so it has a considerable rigidity of the finished vamp of the footwear. That is in particular at the forward area that is bent during walking. Therefore, in prior art footwears there is a vamp that has a considerable strenght but on the other hand it leads to footwears being unconfortable and so having a poor comfort, especially when footwears have to be put on for quite a long time due to the poor flexibility of inner vamp and outer vamp assembly rigidly laminated one with the other. The two vamp layers that are rigidly coupled one with the other do not allow a relevant sliding one with respect to the other, actually making the inner vamp and outer vamp assembly less capable of being deformed and less

flexible and thus the footwear is more rigid.

Therefore according to a further aspect of the present invention in order to overcome drawbacks of prior art footwears, the inner vamp is peripherically attached to the inner perimetric edge or at least to part thereof by sewing, gluing and/or sealing, while the outer vamp is overlapped to the inner vamp and it is attached only to the insole or between insole and sole and/or along the upper perimetric edge of the inner vamp defining the opening for wearing the footwear.

Therefore the so obtained footwear structure is as a kind of double-shell composed of the insole and inner vamp and outer vamp, the two shells being engaged one with the other along the size of the insole and the sole and along perimetric edges of the inner vamp and outer vamp defining the opening for wearing the footwear.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the inner vamp and the insole are sewn one with the other at least along a part of the entire size of contact edges.

Particularly along edges fastening the perimetric edge of the insole the inner vamp has a continuous or discontinuous peripheric tongue extending for at least part or for the entire length of the perimetric edge of the insole, which tongue is intended to overlap the lower side of the insole so to be interposed between the insole and the sole when the sole is mounted on the insole. The outer vamp at least along the peripheric edge

for coupling to the insole and/or the sole or being interposed between the insole and the sole has a continuous or discontinuous peripheric tongue extending for at least a part of the size of the perimetric edge of the insole and/or for the entire length of said perimetric edge of the insole, which tongue is intended to be fastened to the sole and/or in a position overlapped to the lower side of the insole and/or between sole and insole. An advantageous embodiment provides the inner vamp to be sewn to the insole only for the forward part of the vamp and of the insole and the outer vamp to be simply overlapped to the inner vamp only for said part of the inner vamp sewn to the insole, while the remaining part of inner vamp and outer vamp, that is corresponding to the rear part or the heel of the vamp, is conventionally made by gluing the two vamps along substantially their entire size, perimetric tongues of the two vamps in the forward part and in the rear one are so fastened between the insole and the sole.

That involves footwears to be very soft in the forward part where the footwear is subjected to a more flexion when walking. On the contrary the rear part that is not subjected to walking action is more rigid in this part the two vamps being glued together along the entire size and so causing the footwear to be more rigid at the area where the deformation stress is lower and where the vamp strength is required. The possibility of relevant sliding between inner vamp and outer vamp is therefore limited only to the area where

it is really necessary, that is only where the footwear bends to a greater extent, that is in the forward area of the footwear, in the area surrounding the metatarsus. The invention is particularly advantageous as regards footwears for women having an elongate or point-like forward part.

Fastening of peripheric edges of outer vamp to inner vamp delimiting the opening for wearing the footwear occurs in a conventional way by gluing, sealing and/or sewing or by combinations of these methods.

Further variant embodiments and further improvements are the subject of independent claims. Such further embodiments and such further improvements aim at improving the massage effect or such effect in combination with a greater resistance and strenght of the footwear even as regards the type of footwear and the use thereof. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description of some embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section of the sole area according to the present invention corresponding to the heel;

Fig.2 is a section of the sole area according to the present invention corresponding to metatarsus;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the sole according to the present invention; Fig.4 is a side view of a sole comprising the two

pressure areas (and with a merely rappresentative and aproximate drawing, so a variable one) according to the present invention;

Fig.5 is a bottom and plant view of a sole according to the present invention;

Fig.6 is a top and plant view of a sole according to the present invention;

Fig.7 is a top view of the foot contacting end portion made like a plug of said tubular srtucture; Fig.8 is an insole and a cleaning insole showing slots for the passage of the extensions according to the present invention;

Fig. 9 is a plant view of a insole and of a cleaning insole showing slots for the passage of the extensions according the present invention;

Fig. 9a is a plant view of a cleaning insole having slots for the passage of extensions according to the present invention

Fig.10 is a side view of a section plane of a cleaning insole without slots, an insole and two extensions according to a variant embodiment of the present invention;

Fig.11 is a side section of an external sole according to a variant embodiment of the present invention;

Fig.11a is a plant view of an external sole according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention

Fig.12 is a section of the sole area according to a variant embodiment of the present invention

corresponding to metatarsus.

Fig. 13 is a section of the sole area according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention corresponding to the heel. Fig. 14 is bottom and plant view of a sole according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a plant view of a footwear comprising a sewing between outer vamp and inner vamp. Fig.16 is a section plane of a footwear comprising a sewing between outer vamp and inner vamp.

Fig. 17 is a section view of a footwear comprising a sewing between outer vamp and inner vamp.

Fig.18 is a variant embodiment of a footwear comprising a sewing between outer vamp and inner vamp.

Fig.19 is partial sectional side view of the insole part and of the intermediate extension part as well as of foot contacting end of a sole according to the present invention. Fig.20 is a plant view from above of the enlarged head 107 of the foot contacting end.

Fig.21 is a plant view of the cleaning insole.

Fig.22 is a plant view of the insole.

Figs. 23 to 25 are various section views of a sole part according to the present invention.

Fig. 26 is a plant view from above of the sole of figs. 23 to 25.

Particularly figures 1 to 9 show a first emodiment of the present invention where the extensions 5 are integral with the external sole 1 according to the

present invention. Fig 1 shows the section of the heel area of the external sole 1 showing the extension 5 made according to the preferred embodiment of two tubular members one inside the other, it is also possible to see the bridges 4 made of elastically pliable material, such as bellows or the like surrounding the pliable area 3 and connect it to the external sole 1. Said pliable area projects from the ground resting side of the external sole, and thus it is moved towards the foot acting as shock absorber between walking action and foot pressure when it comes in contact with the ground. According to the embodiment shown said tubular structure is preferably made by means of two hollow rolls, an external roll 10 and an inner roll 11, both in contact with the pliable area or compression botton 3 of the external sole and with the foot contact end portion 7 made like a plug of said tubular structure.

Particularly the foot contact end portion 7 has a surface in contact with the foot made by means of a set of projections of rouned shape placed side by side as shown in fig. 1 and 2.

In fig.2 it can be seen the sole portion according to the present invention corresponding to metatarsus. In this sole portion it is provided a further pliable area 3, where a plurality of individual extensions 12 of cylindrical shape are associated extending from the elastically pliable area to the user foot. Said individual extensions 12 are placed side by side and eventually adherent or in contact one with the other

and have a free preferably rounded-shaped end, faced towards the foot, in order to make comfortable the foot massage action.

Fig.3 shows the two areas and the two extensions placed on the heel and on the metatarsus according to a side section.

Figg.4 and 5 show the two pliable areas 3 and here it can be seen how these project outwardly from the profile of the external sole 1, coming first in contact with the ground while walking and so exerting the compression action on metatarsus and heel areas, in a very specific and directed way.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a top view of the two extensions, and the particular realization thereof, having a foot contacting end portion, preferably composed of synthetic gel or other pliable materials, that is made of a series of rounded forms placed side by side one with respect to the other, in order to guarantee a comfortable massage of the foot. The surface of the two extensions 5 faced towards the foot may be alternatively made of a single sinthetic material layer having a plurality of substantially hemispheric surfaces placed side by side or of various substantially hemispheric surfaces made of synthetic material individually applied on end parts of roll 10, 11.

Fig.9 shows slots that are provided on the insole and in case the cleaning insole, said slots have a shape substantially corresponding to the extension shape. Slots advantageously allow to help in localizing

the massage in a very definite and preferred area of the foot, since the slot made on the insole allows the extension to act directly on the foot, concentrating the massage action in the chosen area. It is also possible to make corresponding slots on the cleaning insole, in order to further localize the massage. Due to the particular embodiment of massage extensions, having an head area, made of gel, that is the one for resting the foot, there is no lack of comfort, even in the case with the massage insert directly contacting the foot.

In figs. 10 to 14 there is shown an alternative preffered embodiment of the present invention, wherein extensions are not integral with the sole, but are made as two inserts 50, 51 engaging with the sole 1 having a T-shaped section, where the T top portion is faced towards the user foot and it has an overall convex surface.

In this case said external sole has one or more housings 70, 71 for the engagement of said T-shaped extensions 50, 51.

Even in this case it is possible to have a slot 40 on the insole 38 and to have a cleaning insole 39 without slots. Fig. 18 shows the inner vamp 37, the outer vamp 36 and the insole 35 in respective mounting positions.

In figs. 15 and 16 there is shown the area wherein the seam between inner vamp 37 and insole 35 is preferably made, they are sewn together by means of a seam 90 extending at least partially in the area

corresponding to the forward area of the footwear. Obviously such seam may extend the entire length of the peripherical edge for mutual coupling the inner vamp 37 and the insole 35. Advantageously, along at least part or the entire peripheric edge coupling to the insole 35 the inner vamp 37 has a continuous or discontinuous tongue 137 overlapping the lower side of the insole 35. At least partially or fully there is provided an inner footwear composed of the inner vamp 37 and the insole by means of the seam 90. Insole and inner vamp are generally made of a quite thin and soft material and constitute layers in contact with the foot.

Such inner footwear or inner footwear shell is externally covered by the outer vamp 36 and the sole 1 composing the outer part of the footwear. According to the present invention, the outer vamp 36 externally covers the inner vamp 37 and it is attached to the sole 1 together with the inner vamp 37 and the insole 35. Advantageously even the outer vamp 36 has a perimetric tongue for fastening the sole 1 and insole 35 intended to be interposed between the insole and particularly between the tongue 137 of the inner vamp and the faced side of the sole 1. The fastening may occur by means of gluing and/or sealing and/or sewing or combinations of these methods.

Moreover the two vamps are connected one with the other along perimetric edges delimiting the wearing opening indicated by 237 and 236. Fastening along edges 236 and 237 occurs in a conventional way and in figure

19 along said perimetric edge 236 the outer vamp 36 has a tongue overlapping the edge 237 of the inner vamp 37. Obviously it is possible to use any type or method for fastening together said two vamps 36 and 37 along said edges 236 and 237 delimiting the opening for wearing the footwear.

The above manufacturing of the footwear, wherein the outer vamp is not engaged with the inner vamp but along overlapping tongues 136 and 137, that is along edges fastening the sole 1 and along edges 237 and 236 delimiting the wearing opening makes possible the two vamps 36 and 37 to freely slide one on the other causing the footwear to be more soft for the flexion.

Referring to a variant embodiment, and when the footwear type provides a vamp extending the entire perimetric size of the sole or insole, for example a moccasin or the like, it is possible to provide the inner vamp 37 being fastened by its perimetric edge to the insole and to the outer vamp 36 as well as to the sole only for the forward part of the footwear as shown in fig. 16. Particularly the forward half of the footwear provided the inner vamp to be fastened directly to the insole by means of a seam 90 extending only along the perimetric edge of said forward insole half. Similarly as described above in this forward half the outer vamp 36 will be fastened only to the sole and/or insole by the tongue overlapping the lower side of the insole as well as obviously along the edge delimiting the wearing opening and relevant to said forward footwear part. For the remaining rear footwear

part, the outer vamp 36 can be glued to the inner vamp for its entire size both in a continuous way and by areas or points according to conventional techniques making a vamp with two material layers rigidly coupled one to the other. In this lower half even tongues 136 and 137 overlapping the lower side of the insole are coupled one with the other and the two vamps together with these tongues are fastened to the sole and/or between the insole and the sole. Therefore the disengaged double-shell vamp is provided only for the forward part of the footwear, while for the rear part the two shells are rigidly coupled one with the other.

The fact of providing the seam only at the forward part of the footwear allows to reduce the sliding action relevant to the two vamps 36 and 37 only to the area where it is really necessary, that is only where the footwear bends to a greater extent, therefore in the forward area of the footwear, that is the area surrounding the metatarsus. On the contrary the rear part of the footwear has a less soft and flexible vamp but it is more strong and fit for keeping its shape.

It is to be noted that the outer vamp and the inner vamp, the insole and the sole may be coupled one with the other even only by a finishing seam of contact peripherical edges, in order to manufacture a footwear wherein the fastening is carried out without gluing.

It is also possible to provide intermediate layers applied one with the other in a way similar to the one provided between inner vamp and outer vamp and they are composed of at least one or more layers made of

waterproof and breathable material and/or padding material.

The above footwear arrangement allows to apply various variants such as for example the fact of providing the finishing seam between peripheric contact edges of inner vamp and insole even only partially along edges, alternately having sewing areas alternated with gluing areas, in order to allow flexibility only where it is necessary, that is for example at areas surrounding the metatarsus of foot and/or where the greatest flexion of footwear when walking is provided.

Variant embodiments are also suggested by the aesthetic shape and by the footwear type for example a more or less court or open footwear and a more or less high or closed one or a more or less long one.

It is to be noted that the fact of allowing the relative sliding of inner vamp and outer vamp reduces the forming of folds or wrinkles or bands at upper forward area of vamp that can be often seen in conventional footwears and that are caused by the greater rigidity of inner vamp and outer vamp combination.

Figures 19 to 26 show a variant embodiment regarding the massaging effect sole according to the present invention.

In figures 19 to 25 like reference numbers are used for like parts or parts having the same task.

In this variant embodiment, on the contrary of what has been described and shown with reference to figures 1 to 14, the T-section extension 5 or 50 is

composed of two parts one of which is an intermediate extension part 5' and a foot contacting end 7. The intermediate extension 5' has an appendage 405 for coupling in an upper glass-like protrusion 103 of the pliable area 3 of the sole. The coupling engagement may occur in various manner, by means of release engagement means or the like or by elastic forcing means as shown. Particularly as figures shown the intermediate extension 5' has an appendage 405 that is shaped such to have a plurality of coxial enlargements 505 alternated by narrowings, that is a section shape made of opposing sinusoidal lines along opposite edges. Thus the coupling appendage 405 has annular bands made of elastically pliable material alternated by annular narrowings, so by providing said annular bands with a diameter greater than the space of the glass-like protrusion 103 to a certain extent, it is possible to fasten the intermediate extension 5' to the pliable area 3 of the sole by elastic forcing engagement. As an alternative the extension intermediate member may be made in order to slide in the glass-like member 103 for example there being provided anti- withdrawing cooperating stop teeth between the appendage 405 of the extension intermediate member and the glass-like member 103 and there being provided also elastic means between the bottom of said glass-like member 103 and the intermediate extension 5' .

According to a further variant not shown, the extension intermediate member may be also glued, sealed or integral-made or firmnly fastened in another way to

the pliable area 3 of the sole.

On the side of the insole, the extension intermediate member 5' integrally or separately extends by a foot contacting member 7 extending beyond the insole 38 and/or also beyond the finishing layer 39 through a passage slot 40. The contact head 107 of the foot contacting end 7 may extend substantially at level with said insole or finishing layer 38, 39 or it may project outside the surface of these parts that is intended to contact the foot and faced towards the foot.

The shown foot contacting end 7 is intended to rest simply on the head side of the extension intermediate member 5' faced towards it. As an alternative it is possible for said foot contacting end 7 to have means for firmly or movably engaging the intermediate extension 5' that are of the chemical/physical adhesion type or of mechanical release or coupling type. The shown embodiment provides the foot contacting end 7 to be simply rested on the end head 105 of the intermediate extension 5' . Particularly the contact end 7 has an enlarged head 107 whose size is greater than the size of opening or openings 40 in the insole 38 and/or in the finishing layer 39 thereof and from which head at least a protrusion 207 comes out intended to contact the head 105 of the intermediate extension 5' through openings 40 in the insole and/or in the finishing layer 38, 39. According to an advantageous embodiment, the foot

contacting end 7 has means for engaging in the insole 38 and/or in the finishing layer 39. Particularly such means may be composed of radial enlargements of the protrusion or protrusions 207 engaging to the edge of the slot or slots 40 in the insole 38 and/or in the finishing layer 39 on the side faced towards the sole 1. There can be provided other means such as for example gluing or other release fastening means or other chemical/physical adhesion means. Still according to a further feature, the insole and/or the finishing layer 38, 39 have at least two or more slots 40 separated one with respect to the other for each one of said slots 40 being provided a coinciding engagement protrusion 207. That prevent the end 7 from translating in a direction parallel to the inesole 38 and/or to the finishing layer 39.

This feature is shown in figure 19 to 22. In this case, a slot is divided in two slots 40 by a transverse diametric material bridge 140, while the two protrusions 207 of the foot contacting end 7 are made with a section having a shape corresponding to the plant of the two slots 40 and are spaced apart to an extent corresponding to the plan size of the material bridge 140. It is to be noted that an alternative manufacturing is also possible wherein the protrusions 207 are not integral with the foot contacting end 7, but are composed of upper extensions of the head 105 of the intermediate extension 5' . As a further variant it is also possible for one

or more protrusions 207 to be integrally manufactured with the foot contacting end 7 and for one or more further protrusions 207 not coinciding with the former to be manufactured as extensions of the extension intermediate member 5.

With reference to the shown embodiment, the intermediate extension 5' has an head 105 having plan size greater than the size of slot or slots 40 in the insole 38 and/or in the finishing layer 39, which head abuts at least against a part of the perimetric edge or edges delimiting the slot or slots 40.

Still according to a further variant the glass- like protrusion 103 of the pliable area may be provided with an open annular transverse section, in the peripherical skirt wall there being provided an axial slot, while said glass-like protrusion is radially fastened to the appendage 405 of the extension 5 or 50 or of the intermediate extension 5' by means of a ring (not shown in details) that is outwardly axially forced on said perimetric skirt wall of said protrusion 103.

Still another alternative may provide the glass- like protrusion 103 to be made of a rim composed of wall axial members arranged at predetermined distances one with respect to the other along an ideal perimetric closed line for example a circular one instead of a perimetric skirt surface.

As regards the chemical/physical adhesion term it is to be noted that when it is possible various parts may be manufactured joint together also by a simple overmoulding according to various techniques known at

present particularly in plastic materials and/or natural and/or synthetic rubber fields.

It is also to be noted that even if various shown embodiments have different features, some of them can be provided in combination though such feature combinations among various embodiments are not expressly shown and described in details. Thus for example features regarding the embodiment of figures 19 to 26 can be provided in any sub-combinations with one or more of specific features of various embodiments shown in figures 1 to 18.