The present invention refers to a sole for footwear and footwear obtained with said sole.

In particular, the present invention refers to a sole, generally made from wood, for footwear such as clogs or slippers .

Background Art

As everybody knows, shoes of this type commonly called "open" shoes, exhibit a vamp, mainly made up of leather or fabric strips suitably anchored to the sole by means of studs, rivets or by glueing.

The shape of the vamp defines the type of shoe, which may exhibits a thong, for example, or in which the vamp envelops only the instep.

As above mentioned, the sole is generally made from wood or other sufficiently rigid material which does not deform under the weight of the user. Preferably, the sole is made of a single body extending throughout the development of the user's foot.

The sole also exhibits an upper surface in contact with the foot plant and usually coated with a fabric or leather material to provide greater comfort and favour the transpiration of the foot plant.

Moreover, the sole exhibits a lower bearing surface in contact with the ground and generally matched with a coating of rubber, plastics or other material suited for contact with the ground.

As described in the Italian Utility Model No. IT260839 and European Patent EP 310571, both filed by the same Applicant, the sole can also be provided with a shock- absorbing element.

Such element consists of a spring disposed in a sole's rear site and able to support the user's heel.

In particular, the rear region of the sole exhibits a space defining upper and lower portions separated from each other. The upper portion defines the upper surface of contact with the foot, whereas the lower portion defines the lower bearing surface in contact with the ground.

Received within the space is the spring intended for acting upon the upper and lower portions. In this way, the movements of the upper portion, which is bent under the weight of the user, are dampened by the spring, thereby conferring special comfort and reducing the vibration due to the contact with the ground.

Shoes provided with soles of the type above described exhibit, however, a major drawback.

It is in fact to be noted that, notwithstanding the presence of the shock-absorbing element able to absorb the weight of the user, the above described soles do not ensure a smooth and comfortable walk.

Such drawback in mainly due to the form of the sole and, in particular, to the substantially flat shape of the lower surface .

Actually, the flat lower surface makes up a stable support element for the shoe resting on the ground, but prevents a natural movement of the foot upon walking.

It should be noted in this respect that during the walk motion, the heel is detached from the sole and the front of the foot presses onto the front portion of the sole. In this situation, the shoe remains on the ground until the foot itself draws along the rest of the shoe by the vamp. Consequently, during the user's forward movement, the shoe does not follow the foot in its movement, thereby preventing a smooth and comfortable action thereof.

Disclosure of the invention

In this context, the technical task of this invention is to provide a sole for footwear and footwear obtained with said sole which overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a shoe able to improve the natural movement of the foot during walking.

These and further objects are substantially achieved by a sole for footwear and footwear provided with said sole, as disclosed in one or more of the appended claims.

Further characteristics and advantages will appear more evident from the detailed description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment of a sole for footwear and of a shoe obtained with said sole according to the invention. Such description is given with reference to the accompanying figures, also having a purely exemplary and thus non-limiting purpose, wherein:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to the present invention; and

- Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of a sole according to the present invention and used for the shoe illustrated in Fig. 1.

With reference to the attached figures, numeral 1 indicates as a whole a shoe according to the present invention.

The shoe 1 comprises a sole 2, also according to the present invention, and a vamp 3 associated with sole 2 on top thereof.

In the accompanying exemplary figure, the vamp 3 is made up of a strap of leather provided with opposite ends suitably anchored to the edges of sole 2.

It will be appreciated that the vamp 3 may be of whatever shape in accordance with the type of footwear to be obtained.

The sole 2 is preferably made of wood and exhibits an upper surface 4 apt to come in contact with the user's foot plant .

Preferably, the upper surface 4 may be covered with a material ensuring the transpiration of the foot and suitably selected to make the shoe comfortable.

For example, the upper surface 4 may be covered with a layer of leather or fabric suitably shaped for a greater ergonomy of the shoe.

Developing on the opposite side of the upper surface 4 is a lower bearing surface 5 in contact with the ground.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2 which shows only the sole 2, the lower surface 5 may be covered with a layer of plastic material (usually rubber) to promote the adhesion of the shoe on the ground.

Advantageously, the lower surface 5 has a longitudinal development in the form of an arc of a circle with convexity facing outwardly.

In other words, and as best illustrated in Fig. 2, the lower surface 5 exhibits a shape curved upwards, that is, it has respective ends 11, 12 raised from the ground with respect to the central region 10.

In particular, it should be noted that sole 2 comprises a rear portion 14 for bearing the heel, and a front portion 15 for bearing the toes. In this situation, the lower surface 5 exhibits a central region 10 of contact with the ground and first and second ends 11, 12 located in correspondence of respective front and rear portions 14, 15 and lying in a plane substantially parallel to, and raised from the plane of development of central region 10.

In this way, during the walk, the sole 2 is moved to take up a first position corresponding to the resting condition of the heel, wherein the central region 10 and the first end 11 are in contact with the ground, and the second end 12 is raised from the ground. Thereafter, the sole 2 is moved to take up a second position corresponding to the resting condition of the front part of the foot, wherein the central region 10 and the second end 12 are in contact with the ground, and the first end 11 is raised from the ground.

The arched shape of the lower surfaces 5 determines therefore a rolling contact with the ground of same lower surface 5.

The sole 2 is further provided with elastic compressive means 6 able to damping the action of the foot against the sole 2 during the walk.

In particular, the elastic compressive means 6 are housed in a cavity 8 formed in the rear portion 14 of sole 2. Such cavity 8 defines a rear recess in the sole 2 and determines a lower body 16 and an upper body 17, separated form each other .

The upper body 17 results cantilever-like projecting from the sole 2 and is made to move close to/away from the lower body 16 by the user's weight acting on the lower portion 14.

It should also be noted that the lower body 16 is connected with the remainder of the sole 2 and with the upper body 17 via an elastic body 13 that facilitates the bending motion of the upper body 17.

The elastic compressive means 6 exhibit at least one elastic element 7 interposed between the upper body 17 and the lower body 16 to deaden the movement of the upper body 17 moving close to the lower body 16.

Preferably, the elastic element 7 is made up of a spiral spring associated with respective facing-each-other surfaces 9 of lower body 16 and upper body 17.

Shown by way of example in the attached figures are two elastic means 7 close to each other and consisting of respective spiral springs.

Advantageously, the shock-absorbing action of spring 7, combined with the shape of the lower surface 5, determines a smooth and comfortable walk.

In this situation, it can be seen in particular, that the arched shape of the lower surface 5 imposes a pivoting motion of the whole shoe 1, the latter thus tending to follow the foot movement during the walk.