The present invention refers, in general, to an element for shoes. More particularly, the present invention refers to an element adapted to be fixed to shoes to improve comfort.

As is known, most shoes do not allow a good transpiration of the foot; this is even more problematic in the case of safety shoes, military shoes, boots, in particular rubber boots.

Besides, said problem is particularly felt in determined types of shoes such as children's shoes.

At the same time, shoes provided with devices or portions facilitating the transpiration of the foot, such as valves or particular soles, may be subject to the passage of water.

Consequently, shoes effectively breathable and ensuring, at the same time, a perfect waterproofing have important costs due to the utilization of complex devices or to the need of utilizing particular working processes.

For example, in the case in which the upper of a shoe is provided with at least one portion of breathable and waterproof fabric, the sewing of this portion of fabric on the remaining part of the upper is rather complex and the resulting seam has to hold together fabric and upper of the shoe and has to ensure the waterproofing of the shoe.

Aim and function of the present invention is to provide an element for shoes that makes a shoe breathable and waterproof once the element in question has been applied to the shoe.

Another aim of the present invention is to provide an element that is easily associable with a shoe.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an element that ensures a good transpiration and a perfect impermeability of the shoe to which the element has been applied.

These aims and still others are achieved through a breathable and waterproof element, adapted to be fixed to a shoe with an upper, in correspondence with a homologous through hole formed in the same upper so as to close the through hole. In particular, the element according to the invention is characterized by the fact of comprising a breathable and waterproof membrane, and a support structure perforated, in which the support structure is fixed to a face of the membrane and the support structure is directed toward the outside of the shoe.

The breathable and waterproof element according to the invention enables to make breathable the shoe to which the element has been applied and to keep the shoe waterproof.

Moreover, the simple structure of the element according to the invention enables to easily apply the element to the shoe so that a complex machining is not required and also the utilization of elaborate devices is not required so as not to weigh heavily on the final cost of the shoe.

Advantageously, the support structure may comprise an inner body and an outer flange. Through holes may be formed in the inner body to ensure the breathability of the support structure. The outer flange has a flat development and is disposed perimetrically to the inner body.

Furthermore, the inner body may be raised in the opposite direction in respect to the direction of the membrane so as to protect the membrane itself against blunt or lacerating objects.

In particular, the inner body may protrude toward the outside of the shoe, beyond the upper so as to protect also the area adjacent to the element, that is the portion of junction of the element to the upper of the shoe, against external bodies.

At least one seam may be also comprised and is adapted to fix the element according to the invention to the upper, the seam being arranged in correspondence with the outer flange.

Advantageously, a protective body may be fixed to a face of the membrane opposite to the face to which the support structure is fixed! In this way, also the other face of the membrane is protected so as to avoid that the membrane is damaged because of the movements of the foot inside of the upper.

At least one hole may be formed in said protective body so as to ensure the breathability of the whole element according to the invention.

Advantageously, the element according to the invention may comprise an inner flange which together with the outer flange blocks the membrane.

Besides, the support structure may be fixed by gluing to the upper so as to ensure a perfect waterproofing in the edge of junction of the element to the upper.

Further features and details of the invention will be better understood from the following specification which is provided by way of a non-limiting example, as well as from the annexed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a shoe including an element according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the element in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of an element according to a variant of the invention; Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of an element according to another variant of the invention.

With reference to the annexed figures, reference number 10 denotes an element according to the invention as applied to the upper T of a shoe S.

The element 10 is configured as a patch which is arranged in correspondence of a homologous hole formed in the shoe upper T.

The element 10 includes a support structure 1 1 to which a breathable and waterproof membrane 12 is fixed.

The support structure 1 1 is made of a waterproof material, for example a plastic material, and includes, in a single body, an outer flange 14 of flat development, disposed perimetrically, and an inner body 18, raised centrally.

In particular, the inner body 18 protrudes toward the outside of the shoe S, beyond the upper T, so as to protect also the area adjacent to the element 10, that is the portion of junction of the element 10 with the upper T, against external bodies.

Holes are formed in the inner body 18, only one hole being denoted by reference number 20 in Fig. 2.

The membrane 12 is completely fixed to the flat surface of the support surface .1 1 , that is to the outer flange 14 and to the inner body.

Said union may be carried out directly in the molding phase of the support structure 1 1 by inserting the membrane 12 into the mold, so that the injected plastic material is inserted also into the small holes formed into the membrane 12 itself.

The membrane 12 may be arranged into the mold in a form corresponding to that of the support structure 1 1 to be obtained. Otherwise, the membrane may have greater dimensions and is cut once it has been fixed to the support structure 1 1 .

The element 10 is fixed to the upper T in correspondence of a hole formed on the same upper T so as to close the hole completely.

Accordingly, the element 10 is fixed to the upper T with seam stitches 16 crossing both the support structure 1 and the membrane 12.

The holes formed in correspondence of the seam stitches 16 are hermetically sealed with glue or a thermo-adhesive material.

In so doing, a perfect impermeability between the outside and the inside is obtained, notwithstanding the presence of the element 10. In any case, said element 10 enables the breathability of the shoe.

Besides, the membrane 12 is protected by the inner body 18 so that the membrane is not damaged or broken by any blunt bodies that could lacerate or pierce the membrane.

At the same time, the breathability through the inner body is ensured by holes 20.

The element 10 may have several conformations, that is its perimetrical shape may be varied depending on the needs of the footwear manufacturer.

For example, the element 10 may be conformed like the emblem or logo of the manufacturer on whose shoes the emblem or logo has to be applied. In this way, the shoe will be provided with the mark of the producer as usual but at the same time, without requiring any additional device, the logo itself will ensure the breathability of the shoe on maintaining the shoe waterproofing thanks to the element 10 according to the invention.

Likewise, also the raised part of the inner body 18 may have various shapes, unlike what represented in Figure 2.

Below, a variant of the invention is described with reference to Fig. 3 in which elements corresponding to what has been described above and shown in Figure 2 have the same reference numbers incremented by 50.

As shown in Fig. 3, like the element 10, an element 60 includes a support structure 61 to which a waterproof and breathable membrane 62 is fixed.

The support structure 62 includes an outer flange 64 and an inner body 68 provided with holes 70.

Unlike the element 10, the element 60 includes also a protective body 72 of flat development, fixed to the membrane 62 and arranged in the opposite position in respect to the support structure 62.

Holes are formed in the protective body 72, only one of them being denoted by 74 in Fig. 3.

Like the element 10, the element 60 is fixed to an upper T with seam stitches 66 crossing the support structure 61 , the membrane 62 and the protective body 72. Also in this case, the seam stitches 66 and the respective holes are made waterproof by utilizing glue or a suitable thermoplastic material.

Although the protective body 72 has a small thickness, the protective body 72 is capable to protect the membrane 62 from the foot received within the upper T so as to prevent the membrane 62 from being damaged by the movements of the foot.

According to another variant of the invention as shown in Figure 4, an element 1 10 is conformed as a patch that is arranged in correspondence of a homologous hole formed in the upper T.

The element 1 10 includes a breathable and waterproof membrane 1 12 whose perimetrical edge is fixed to a support structure 111 formed by an outer flange 114 and an inner flange 116, both flanges being made of a waterproof material, for example a plastic material.

In particular, the membrane 112 is fixed between the outer flange 114 and the inner flange 116 so as to prevent air or liquids from passing through the perimetrical edge of the membrane 112.

The outer flange 114 includes an inner body 118 in which holes are formed, only one of them being denoted by reference number 120.

The membrane 12 is sufficiently stretched by the support structure and at the same time, the membrane is protected by the inner body 118 against any blunt bodies that could lacerate or pierce the membrane.

At the same time, the breathability through the inner body 118 is ensured by holes 120.

The support structure is fixed to the upper T in correspondence of the hole formed in the upper itself so as to close the hole completely.

The outer flange 114 is fixed to the upper by means of a seam or by utilizing a particular glue or other means ensuring the impermeability of the edge of union between upper and element 110.

Obviously, the support structure may have a different conformation; for example, the inner flange itself can ensure the fixing of the element to the upper. Otherwise, the support structure may have a different conformation, for example the support structure may be produced in a single body.

Variants are possible which are to be considered as included in the scope of protection of the present invention; for example, the breathable and waterproof membrane may show embroideries or drawings which make the element according to the invention as well as the shoe or the article of clothing more recognizable.

Finally, the characteristics of the three embodiments of the invention may be combined together so as to obtain other variants of the invention protected, in any case, by the following claims.