SHOE, IN PARTICULAR A SPORTS SHOE

Abstract

A shoe, in particular a sport shoe, having a sole and a shoe upper part connected to the sole. In order to improve the use properties of the shoe, the sole is made, at least in sections, from an expanded thermoplastic polyolefin.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A shoe, in particular sport shoe, having a sole and a shoe upper part connected to the sole, wherein the sole is made, at least in sections, from an expanded thermoplastic polyolefin, wherein the section of the sole consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin consists of a plurality of spherical or ellipsoidal plastic bodies which are joined to one another in a substance-locking manner, and wherein the dimensions of the single plastic bodies in the three spatial directions are between 0.5 mm and 5.0 mm, wherein the section consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin forms an insert of the sole, wherein further sections of the sole consisting of a material which is not expanded thermoplastic polyolefin, wherein the further section of the sole, which does not consist of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin, consists at least in sections of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane, of thermoplastic polyurethane, of thermoplastic elastomer, of polyamide, of foamed polyurethane and/or of rubber material.

17. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the substance-locking bond of the plastic bodies has been made by a welding process.

18. The shoe according to claim 17, wherein the welding process has been carried out by introducing steam into a mold under a pressure of between 1.0 and 4.0 bar, preferably between 1.0 and 2.0 bar.

19. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the substance-locking bond of the plastic bodies has been made by an adhesive process with the addition of an adhesive.

20. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the plastic bodies have a weight between 5 mg and 10 mg.

21. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the section of the sole consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin has a density between 100 and 250 g/l.

22. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the plastic bodies consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin have a density of between 70 and 140 g/l before they are joined together.

23. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the section consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin forms a midsole of the shoe.

24. The shoe according to claim 23, wherein an outer sole is arranged below the midsole.

25. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the section consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin does not extend over the entire height of the sole or midsole.

26. The shoe according to claim 16, wherein the section consisting of expanded thermoplastic polyolefin is arranged in the heel region of the sole.

Description

[0026] In the drawings an embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows the side view of a sports shoe,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the section A-B according to FIG. 1 through the sports shoe and

[0029] FIG. 3 shows schematically the detail X according to FIG. 2.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a shoe 1 having a sole 2 and a shoe upper part upper 3. Shoe 1 has a midsole located between shoe upper part 3 and an outer sole 6 which forms the footprint of the shoe on the ground.

[0031] The central approach for the proposed design of the shoe is that the sole 2 consists at least in sections of an expanded thermoplastic polyolefin (E-TPO). FIG. 1 shows a section 4 of sole 2 that is designed as an insert that forms a part of the midsole. This section 4 consists of E-TPO.

[0032] The remaining sole 2, and in particular the midsole between the shoe upper 2 and the outer sole 6, consists of a section 7 which does not consist of E-TPO.

[0033] By doing so the spring and damping properties of the shoe can be beneficially influenced.

[0034] As can be seen from FIG. 2, in the embodiment the section 4 made of E-TPO does not extend over the entire height H of sole 2, but only part of it.

[0035] From the schematic magnification X according to FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 3, it follows that the section 4 made of E-TPO is formed from a plurality of plastic bodies 5 which are substance-locked together. Thereby, individual plastic bodies 5, as advantageously specified above in terms of size and weight or density, are placed in a mould and joined together using steam with a pressure between 1.0 and 2.0 bar, in which the individual plastic bodies 5 melt on their surface and join with other plastic bodies 5.

[0036] The result is a compact material that can be used to form the described section or insert 4.

[0037] This results in a sole that is inexpensive to manufacture and has improved spring and damping properties compared to the solutions already known, especially with regard to those where E-TPU is used.

[0038] In the embodiment, there is a section 4 in the heel area of sole 2, which is particularly advantageous. However, it is also possible to provide that a further section 4 of the form described is used in other areas of the sole, e.g. In the forefoot area.

[0039] Of course, it can also be provided that the complete midsole, which is arranged between the shoe upper part 3 and the outer sole 6, consists of E-TPO, which is not shown in the example.

[0040] Thus not only the spring and damping behaviour of the sole and thus of the shoe can be influenced very advantageously; at the same time, the manufacturing process can be carried out simply and cost-effectively.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0041] 1 Shoe [0042] 2 Sole [0043] 3 Shoe upper part [0044] 4 Section of the sole made of E-TPO [0045] 5 Plastic body [0046] 6 Outer sole [0047] 7 Section of the sole made of non-E-TPO [0048] H Height of the sole