SHOE, ESPECIALLY SPORTS SHOE

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe, especially to a sports shoe, having a shoe upper. The shoe upper consists at least partially of a knitted fabric. The shoe upper has a plurality of loops for threading a lace to allow the tying of the shoe at the foot of a wearer by means of the lace. To provide an easy and efficient method for adjusting the lacing or tying of the shoe at the foot of the wearer individually, at least a part of the loops consist of a knitted fabric. The loops have the shape of a tubular body which forms a passage for the lace.

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising a knitted upper and a sole structure, the upper comprising: a first knitted layer defining an outer surface of the upper; a first plurality of loops that each define a first channel and extend from the upper, the first plurality of loops being configured to allow for threading therethrough; and a second plurality of loops that each define a second channel and extend from the upper, the second plurality of loops being configured to allow for threading therethrough, wherein at least a part of the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops comprise knitted fabric that forms a unitary construction with the first knitted layer, wherein a longitudinal plane is parallel with respect to a resting surface when the shoe is resting on the resting surface, and wherein the first channels define a first axis that defines an angle that is less than 30 offset from the longitudinal plane.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the first channels define an outer diameter and an inner diameter, wherein the at least one channel has a length, wherein the length is at least 200% of the outer diameter.

3. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of loops are disposed in a first row and the second plurality of loops are disposed in a second row along the upper.

4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops are arranged side by side.

5. The shoe of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops are parallel with respect to one another.

6. The shoe of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops are provided on a lateral side of the upper.

7. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the first knitted layer forms a single layer which bears the first and second channels.

8. The shoe of claim 1, wherein a lace is provided through the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops.

9. The shoe of claim 8, wherein the lace is configured for tying of the shoe at a foot of a wearer.

10. A shoe, comprising a knitted upper and a sole structure, the upper comprising: a first knitted layer defining an outer surface of the upper; a lateral side and a medial side; and a first channel, a second channel, a third channel, a fourth channel, a fifth channel, and a sixth channel, a seventh channel, and an eighth channel, wherein the first channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the second channel, forming a first channel row, the third channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the fourth channel, forming a second channel row, the fifth channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the sixth channel, forming a third channel row, and the seventh channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the eighth channel, forming a fourth channel row, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows are each disposed on the lateral side, wherein each channel extends from the upper and is configured to allow for threading therethrough, and wherein each channel comprises knitted fabric that forms a unitary construction with the first knitted layer.

11. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows are arranged such that each respective axis is parallel with respect to one another.

12. The shoe of claim 11 further comprising a ninth channel, a tenth channel, an eleventh channel, and a twelfth channel; wherein the ninth channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the tenth channel forming a fifth channel row, and the eleventh channel is oriented coaxially with respect to the twelfth channel forming a sixth channel row, and wherein the fifth and sixth channel rows are arranged such that each respective axis is oriented parallel with respect to one another.

13. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the fifth and sixth channel rows are disposed on the lateral side of the shoe.

14. The shoe of claim 11, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows are each arranged such that each respective axis is oriented parallel with respect to one another.

15. The shoe of claim 14, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows are arranged such that each respective axis is not coaxial with respect to one another.

16. The shoe of claim 11, wherein at least the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows are each separated from one another by a distance of between 2 millimeters and 25 millimeters, measured in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows.

17. The shoe of claim 11, wherein the first channel row further comprises an additional channel that is coaxial with respect to the first channel and the second channel.

18. The shoe of claim 11, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows further comprise an additional channel that is coaxial to their respective channels.

19. The shoe of claim 11, wherein a lace is threaded through at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows.

20. A shoe, comprising a knitted upper and a sole structure, the upper comprising: a first knitted layer defining an outer surface of the upper; a lateral side and a medial side; and a first channel, a second channel, a third channel, a fourth channel, a fifth channel, a sixth channel, a seventh channel, an eighth channel, a ninth channel, a tenth channel, an eleventh channel, and a twelfth channel, wherein the first channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the second channel, forming a first channel row, the third channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the fourth channel, forming a second channel row, the fifth channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the sixth channel, forming a third channel row, the seventh channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the eighth channel, forming a fourth channel row, the ninth channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the tenth channel, forming a fifth channel row, and the eleventh channel is oriented coaxial with respect to the twelfth channel, forming a sixth channel row, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth channel rows are each disposed on the lateral side, and wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth channel rows are arranged such that each respective axis is oriented parallel but not coaxial with respect to one another, wherein each channel extends from the upper and are configured to allow threading therethrough, and wherein each channel comprises knitted fabric that forms a unitary construction with the first knitted layer.

Description

[0025] In the drawings embodiments of the invention are shown.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a sports shoe,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the upper side of a shoe upper according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows the depiction according to FIG. 2 with a lace being threaded through a loop,

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a part of the upper side of a shoe upper according to a second embodiment of the invention and

[0030] FIG. 5 shows the depiction according to FIG. 4 with a lace being threaded through a loop.

[0031] In FIG. 1 a shoe 1 is shown which is a sports shoe. The shoe 1 has a shoe upper 2 and a sole structure 7 which is connected with the shoe upper 2. The shoe 1 has a lateral side, which would be proximate to the outer edge of the foot of a wearer and a medial side, which would be proximate to the inner edge of the foot of a wearer. In the present case the shoe upper 2 consists completely from a knitted fabric. A specific design is provided to allow an individual tying of the shoe at the foot of a wearer.

[0032] As can be seen from FIG. 1 a plurality of loops 3 are arranged at and extend from the outer surface defined by the first knitted layer of the shoe upper 2. At least some of the plurality of loops are disposed in a plurality of rows 9 along the upper. At least some of the plurality of loops 3 can define a first plurality of loops that each define a first channel Additionally, at least some of the plurality of loops 3 can define a second plurality of loops that each define a second channel. At least part of the loops 3 comprise or consist as well from a knitted fabric and form a unitary knitted construction together with the first knitted base layer of the shoe upper 2.

[0033] Each loop 3 is designed as a tubular body which could also be defined as channel or tunnel and is arranged for threading a lace 4. Thus, each loop 3 forms a passage 8 for the lace 4 (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

[0034] As can be also seen from FIG. 1 the plurality of loops 3 is distributed at the outer side of the shoe upper 2 according to a specific pattern: A number of loops 3, which can define a first channel, a second channel, a third channel, a fourth channel, a fifth channel, a sixth channel, a seventh channel, an eighth channel, a ninth channel, a tenth channel, an eleventh channel, and/or a twelfth channel, is arranged in line along their axial direction a. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that loops (channels) arranged in line along their axial direction a can define a row. For example, the first channel and the second channel may be coaxial and define a first channel row, the third channel and the fourth channel may be coaxial and define a second channel row, the fifth channel and sixth channels may similarly define a third channel row, and so on. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that a channel row may also comprise three or more channels. A number of such sets of loops 3 are arranged on the lateral side of the upper 2 of the shoe 1 with a certain distance perpendicular to the mentioned axial direction a (details see FIGS. 2 and 3), and define a subset of the plurality of loops 3 (first loops) that are parallel to one another but separated by a distance perpendicular to the mentioned axial direction, and are thus parallel to one another but not coaxial (i.e. are arranged in columns 10). From FIGS. 2-5 it becomes apparent that at least two of loops 3, or at least three of loops 3, or more than three of loops 3, can define a set of first loops.

[0035] That is, a plurality of possibilities is given for threading the lace 4 through respective loops 3 so that the shoe 1 can be tied according to individual demands at the foot of the wearer. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that a lace can be threaded through at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth channel rows. From FIGS. 1-5 it also becomes apparent that the lace may, or may not, be configured for tying of the shoe at a foot of a wearer.

[0036] Details concerning the geometry of the loops 3 become apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3. Here, it can be seen that each loop 3 forms a hollow-cylindrical body, i. e. the loop 3 has a tubular shape. Each loop 3 has an outer diameter D and an inner diameter d as well as a length c, which extends in axial direction a of the loop 3.

[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates the top surface of the shoe upper 2 without lace 4, while the lace 4 is threaded through a loop 3 in FIG. 3.

[0038] From FIG. 2 it becomes apparent that a number of loops 3 can also define a subset of loops (second loops) that can be arranged coaxially to one another, i.e. the axial direction a of a number of loops 3, and the axial direction of their respective channels, is identical. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that at least two of loops 3, or at least three of loops 3, or more than three of loops 3, can define a subset of second loops. The first plurality of loops are arranged coaxially to form a first row. The second plurality of loops are arranged coaxially to form a second row. A number of those rows 9 of loops 3 can also define a set of first loops that is arranged side by side in columns 10, i.e. parallel to one another at a distance b measured perpendicular to the axial direction a, wherein distance b is greater than 0 millimeters. From FIGS. 2-5 it becomes apparent that the first plurality of loops forming the first row and the second plurality of loops forming the second row can be arranged side by side and/or in parallel with respect to one another. From FIG. 1 it becomes apparent that the first plurality of loops and the second plurality of loops are provided on a lateral side of the upper 2 of shoe 1.

[0039] The axial direction a of the loops 3 is substantially oriented in the longitudinal direction L of the shoe 1 (see FIG. 1). That is, the axial direction a draws only a small angle to the longitudinal direction L which is below 30, preferably below 25. This allows an optimal threading of the lace 4 and a good transfer of forces from the loop 3 to the shoe upper 2.

[0040] In the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3 the shoe upper 2 has only a single layer of knitted fabric (Single Jersey). In FIGS. 4 and 5 an embodiment is depicted in which the shoe upper 2 consists of two layers 5 and 6, namely of an upper layer 5 of the shoe upper 2 and a bottom layer 6 of the shoe upper 2 (Double Jersey). The loops 3 are formed as a unitary knitted construction with the upper layer 5 while the bottom layer 6 is connected with the upper layer 5 but not with the loops 3.

[0041] The depiction according FIG. 1 shows an embodiment which is substantially on scale with regard to the dimensions of the loops 3. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that a number of loops 3 can define another subset of loops (third loops) that can be part of the subset of second loops that are arranged coaxially, while also simultaneously being a part of the subset of first loops that are arranged parallel to one another at a distance b. From FIGS. 1-5 it becomes apparent that a plurality of loops 3 can define a subset of third loops.

[0042] The whole knitting construction of the shoe upper 2 including the loops 3 can be produced on a knitting machine which is well known as such and allows an economical production of the shoe upper 2.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0043] 1 Shoe [0044] 2 Shoe upper [0045] 3 Loop [0046] 4 Lace [0047] 5 Upper layer of the shoe upper [0048] 6 Bottom layer of the shoe upper [0049] 7 Sole [0050] 8 Passage (channel) [0051] 9 Rows of Loops [0052] 10 Column of Loops [0053] 11 Tunnel [0054] D Outer diameter of the loop [0055] d Inner diameter of the loop [0056] c Length of the loop [0057] a Axial direction of the loop [0058] b Distance between the loops [0059] L Longitudinal direction of the shoe [0060] Angle