Technical field

The subject of the present invention is a method for producing shoes of the type described in the preamble of the main claim and a shoe produced according to the method.

Technological background

In the shoe manufacturing sector it is known to employ a plurality of processes, each of which imparts to the shoes a different degree of flexibility and rigidity.

Among the known processes, the process known as "ago" provides for the upper to be turned over towards the inside of the shoe and joined to the arch support insole by means of adhesive bonding and nailing. The sole is then coated with adhesive and pressed onto the arch support insole. This type of processing is typically employed, for example, for hiking boots. In general, the models of shoes obtained by the process described above are characterized by robustness and by high rigidity values, both flexional and torsional.

Another process which makes it possible to obtain particularly rigid shoes is that known as "goodyear", in which the upper is turned over towards the outside of the shoe before being joined to the insole.

More flexible shoes are obtained by means of processes respectively termed "strobel" and "ideal". In "strobel" processing, the upper is joined to the edge of a light arch support insole forming a covering intended to receive the user's foot and which is then fixed to the sole. This process, employed for sports shoes, makes it possible to contain the weight of the shoe, allowing a greater level of comfort to be obtained. In the "ideal" process, the upper is turned over towards the outside of the shoe before being joined to the insole and to the sole by means of perimetric stitching.

High flexibility values are achievable with the processes normally employed for the production of loafers. In these cases however the shoes thus obtained are lacking in robustness.

Further processing methods are used in association with the shoes described respectively in US patent 6,050,001 and in US patent application 2005/257405.

More precisely, US patent 6,050,001 describes a shoe in which the sole has a cavity in the region of the heel, and inside which there is a damping plug. The shoe further comprises an inner insole provided with an opening covered by means of a transparent portion stitched thereto, placed above the plug to allow it to be viewed by looking at the inside of the shoe.

The shoe further comprises a second insole which is placed in contact with the foot and entirely covers the aperture in which the damping plug is received.

US 2005/257405 instead describes a shoe in which the inner insole is provided with resilient portions stitched thereto, in order to provide the insole with the capacity to expand. The sole of the shoe is divided into two portions fixed to the insole and which may be spaced from each other, in such a way as to allow adjustment of the width of the shoe.

The principal drawback of the shoe production methods described above is that, although each of them is a function of the type of shoe for which it is principally employed, none of them makes it possible to obtain shoes in which the characteristics of robustness, lightness, flexibility and comfort are combined in the best possible manner.

Description of the invention

The technical problem confronted by the present invention is that of providing a method of producing shoes which is functionally designed in such a way as to remedy the drawback mentioned with reference to the prior art cited.

Another problem confronted by the present invention is that of providing a shoe which is at the same time robust, light and comfortable and has a desired degree of flexibility.

These and other problems, which will become clear hereinafter, are solved by the invention with a method for producing shoes and a shoe according to the following claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the detailed description of some exemplary embodiments illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a method according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section of a shoe produced according to the method of Figure 1 ;

Figures 3 and 4 are two partial views in longitudinal section of the shoe of Figure 2; Figures 5 and 6 are two plan views, respectively from above and from below, of two respective components of the shoe of Figure 2;

Figures 7 and 8 are two side views of two respective alternative embodiments of the shoe of Figure 2;

Figures 9 and 10 are two partial views in longitudinal section, corresponding to the view of Figure 3, of the shoes of Figures 7 and 8, respectively.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

According to the present invention, a method 100 for producing a shoe 1 comprises a first step 110 in which a first insole 2 for shoes is provided, made of texon or leather or other material with similar characteristics. The first insole 2 comprises two sides 2c, 2d, upper and lower, respectively capable of being turned towards the user's foot and the opposite side and is provided with a perimetric edge 3, a heel area 10 and a sole area 11.

The first step 110 comprises a sub-step 115 in which in the first insole 2 a perforation (4) in sections is provided along a closed tear line 5, substantially parallel to the edge 3, in such a way that an annular portion 2a of the first insole 2, of practically constant width, is defined between the tear line 5 and the edge 3. The perforation 4 is obtained by means of a series of incisions 6, passing through the insole 2, and provided along the tear line 5 in such a way that the portion 2b of the first insole 2 enclosed by the tear line 5 is joined to the annular portion 2a only in the region of a plurality of sections 7 of the tear line 5, which are interposed between the incisions 6.

The method 100 comprises a second step 120 in which an upper 8 is provided and a third step 130, following steps 110 and 120, in which the upper 8 is turned over towards the inside of the shoe and fastened to the lower side 2d of the first insole 2, along its perimetric edge 3, in a manner similar to that provided for in the "ago" process. According to other alternative embodiments of the invention (not shown in the drawings) the upper 8 is turned over towards the inside of the shoe and fastened to the upper side 2c of the first insole 2, along its perimetric edge 3, in a manner similar to that provided for in the "goodyear" and "ideal" processes.

The upper 8 and the first insole 2 are adhesively bonded or stitched to each other in the region of the annular portion 2a of the insole 2. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the upper 8 and the first insole 2 are fastened to each other both by adhesive bonding and stitching.

The method 100 comprises a fourth step 140, following step 130, in which the first insole 2 is torn along the perforation 4 in such a way as to remove the sections 7 and to form a hole 9 in the first insole 2 by means of removal of the portion 2b.

Alternatively, in the case where the first insole 2 is made of tear- resistant materials, the fourth step 140 provides for the removal of the portion 2b of the first insole 2 by cutting the sections 7 with a cutting tool.

Following the step 140, the processing method 100 comprises a fifth step 150 in which a sole 12 is provided which has a lower tread surface 13, made of leather or rubber or other material usable for the tread of a shoe, and an upper surface 14, opposed to the surface 13 and intended to be turned towards the inside of the shoe 1. The upper surface 14 is made in such a way as to comprise a cavity 15, which therefore also faces towards the inside of the shoe 1, capable of receiving at least partially a second insole 16, of the type intended to be interposed, inside the shoe 1, between the user's foot and the sole 12.

After the step 150, a sixth step 160 is provided for in which the sole 12 is fixed to the assembly formed by the first insole 2 and the upper 8 by means of adhesive bonding and/or stitching and/or nailing and/or other fastening means, in such a way that the cavity 15 is accessible from the inside of the shoe 1, through the hole 9 previously made on the insole 2.

In the example of Figure 2, the sole 12 is joined to the assembly formed by the first insole 2 and the upper 8 by means of the use of nails 25 in the heel area 10 and by means of stitching 20 in the sole area 11. In both the heel area 10 and the sole area 11 adhesive bonding may also be provided for, co-operating with the nails 16 and the stitching 20 to fix to one another the insole 2, the upper 8 and the sole 12.

In the example of Figure 7, a shoe 40 of the sports type comprises a rubber sole 12a joined to the assembly formed by the first insole 2 and the upper 8 by means of stitching extending both in the heel area 10 and the sole area 11. In this case also, supplementary adhesive bonding may be provided for.

In the example of Figure 8, a shoe 50 of the sports type comprises a sole 12b provided with a perimetric side wall 52, raised in such a way as to form a box shape open at the top to partially receive the assembly formed by the first insole 2 and the upper 8. Between the upper 8 and the sole 12b perimetric stitching 51 is provided along the side wall 52.

At the end of step 160 a shoe 1 is therefore obtained comprising an upper 8, a sole 12 and an insole portion 2a, interposed between the sole 12 and the upper 8. The insole portion 2a is annular in shape with a central hole 9 and is fastened to the upper 8 along a perimetric edge 3 thereof.

According to other alternative embodiments of the invention, the portion 2b of the insole 2 is removed before the latter is fastened to the upper 8, inverting the time sequence of steps 130 and 140 of the method 100. According to such variants, the insole 2 must be made of sufficiently rigid material, for example carbon fibre or the like, such as to prevent the insole portion 2a from being deformed during the operations of fastening the upper 8. Alternatively it is possible to form directly, for example by means of pressing, a first insole 2 of a shape corresponding to that of the insole portion 2a or in any case provided with a central hole 9.

In general, for the purposes of the present invention, it is in any case essential that in the shoe 1 there is provided a first insole 2 comprising a central hole 9 and interposed between the sole 12 and the upper 8.

The shoe 1 further comprises a sole 12 having a lower tread surface 13 and an upper surface 14 intended to face towards the inside of the shoe 1 and comprising a cavity 15 accessible from inside the shoe 1 through the central hole 9. The cavity 15 is substantially aligned with the central hole 9.

In the example of the drawings, the central hole 9 and the cavity 15 extend from the heel area 10 to the sole area 11.

According to other alternative embodiments (not shown) the central hole 9 and the cavity 15 extend only in the region of one or the other of the heel area 10 and sole area 11.

In the cavity 15 there is partially received a second, removable insole 16, of the type intended to be interposed, inside the shoe, between the user's foot and the sole 12. The second insole 16 comprises an upper anatomical element 17, capable of supporting the user's foot. The anatomical element 17 is made of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) covered in leather and comprises a perforation formed by micro-holes 18 formed in the region of the sole area 11, and into which a plurality of active carbons may be inserted.

The second insole 16 comprises, on the opposite side from the user's foot, an anti-shock insert 21, housed in the cavity 15 of the sole 12 when the second insole is inserted into the shoe 1. The anti-shock insert 21 is made of latex or polyurethane foam or coir fibre.

According to another alternative embodiment, the anti-shock insert 21 is made in the form of a cushion containing a fluid, for example air or a gel.

In general, the anti-shock insert 21 is made in such a way as to ensure a desired degree of comfort in the shoe 1.

In the shoe 1 the robustness is ensured by a constructional methodology similar to that of the "ago" process. The cavity 12 makes it possible to control both the overall weight and the torsional and flexional rigidity and at the same time permits the use of the anti-shock insert 21.

The invention, with the processing method and the shoe which are proposed, therefore solves the problems mentioned with reference to the prior art cited, at the same time providing numerous advantages. These include the possibility of housing the second insole 16 partially inside the sole, making it possible to obtain a particularly comfortable fit even for low shoes, in which it is normally possible to insert only insoles of restricted thickness, owing to lack of space.