SHOE, ESPECIALLY SPORTS SHOE

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe, especially to a sports shoe, having a shoe upper. The shoe upper at least partially includes 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 includes a knitted fabric. The loops have the shape of a tubular body which forms a passage for the lace.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An upper for a shoe having a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the upper comprising: an upper layer defining an outermost surface of the upper; a bottom layer coupled to the upper layer; two or more first channels defined by the upper layer, the two or more first channels arranged coaxially and defining a first channel row, the two or more first channels configured to receive a first lace; two or more second channels defined by the upper layer, the two or more second channels arranged coaxially and defining a second channel row, the two or more second channels configured to receive a second lace; and two or more third channels defined by the upper layer, the two or more third channels arranged coaxially and defining a third channel row, the two or more third channels configured to receive a third lace; wherein, in a pre-assembled configuration, the first channel row is parallel with respect to the second channel row and the third channel row, and the first channel row is spaced apart from the second channel row by a first distance that is perpendicular to the first channel row, and the second channel row is spaced apart from the third channel row the same first distance that is perpendicular with respect to the second channel row, the first channel row being disposed opposite the third channel row relative to the second channel row, wherein adjacent ones of the two or more first channels and adjacent once of the two or more third channels define a first channel column and a second channel column, and wherein one of the two or more second channels is disposed between the first channel column and the second channel column.

17. The upper of claim 16, wherein the first channels, the second channels, and the third channels are disposed on a lateral side of the shoe upper.

18. The upper of claim 16, wherein the first channels, the second channels, and the third channels are disposed in the midfoot region.

19. The upper of claim 16, wherein the first channels, the second channels, and the third channels are disposed in the forefoot region.

20. The upper of claim 16, wherein the bottom layer is directly coupled with the upper layer.

21. The upper of claim 16 further including a lace that is threaded through the two or more first channels.

22. The upper of claim 21, wherein the lace is not configured for tying of the shoe at a foot of a wearer.

23. The upper of claim 16, wherein the first channel row extends from a heel end to a toe end.

24. The upper of claim 16, wherein, in an assembled configuration, a longitudinal plane is parallel with respect to a resting surface when the shoe is resting on the resting surface, and wherein the two or more first channels define an axis that defines an angle that is less than 30 offset from the longitudinal plane.

25. The upper of claim 16, wherein, in an assembled configuration, a longitudinal plane is parallel with respect to a resting surface when the shoe is resting on the resting surface, and wherein the two or more first channels define an axis that defines an angle that is up to 90 offset from the longitudinal plane.

26. An upper for a shoe having a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the upper comprising: an upper layer defining an outermost surface of the upper; a bottom layer directly coupled to the upper layer; and a plurality of loops in the upper layer, each of which comprises a channel, wherein each of the channels forms a passage for a lace that extends through at least some of the plurality of loops, wherein some of the plurality of loops are disposed in at least a first column of loops, a second column of loops, and a third column of loops, wherein the loops within the second column of loops are disposed between two consecutive loops within the first column of loops and between two consecutive loops within the third column of loops, and wherein the plurality of loops are formed as a unitary construction with the upper layer and the bottom layer has no contact with the loops.

27. The upper of claim 26, wherein the respective channels of at least some of the loops within the first column of loops and the third column of loops are coaxial with respect to one another.

28. The upper of claim 27, wherein the first column of loops and the third column of loops comprise intersection loops.

29. The upper of claim 27, wherein the first column of loops and the third column of loops define rows of loops and at least some of loops within the second column of loops are outside of the rows of loops.

30. The upper of claim 26, wherein each of the channels extends in a direction from the heel region toward the forefoot region.

31. The upper of claim 26, wherein the first column of loops includes at least three loops, the second column of loops includes at least three loops, and the third column of loops includes at least three loops.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[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.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[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 a knitted layer of the shoe upper 2. At least some of the plurality of loops are disposed in a plurality of rows 9 and a plurality of columns 10 along the upper. Each of the columns 10 includes a subset of first loops arranged in a column, and each of the rows 9 includes a subset of second loops that are arranged in a row. Intersection loops 12 (see FIGS. 2-5) are shown, which are defined as a single loop within a third subset of loops. FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of the columns 10 and a plurality of the rows 9. 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 comprises a knitted fabric and form a unitary knitted construction together with the knitted 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 shoe 1 includes a forefoot region 1a, a midfoot region 1b, and a heel region 1c. Further, the plurality of loops 3 are 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 FIG. 1 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 first loops of the plurality of loops 3 (first loops) that are parallel to one another but separated by a distance measured perpendicular to the mentioned axial direction a, and are thus parallel to one another but not coaxial (i.e. are arranged in the columns 10). 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 set of first loops. The axial direction a extends from a heel end toward a toe end of the upper 2.

[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. The knitted fabric of the shoe upper and the knitted fabric of the loops or tubular bodies 3 forms a unitary knit construction. The tubular bodies 3 are connected with the knitted fabric of the shoe upper by the knitted construction, and the plurality of tubular bodies 3 includes a plurality of lateral tubular bodies on a lateral side of the shoe upper and a plurality of medial tubular bodies on a medial side of the shoe upper 2.

[0038] From FIG. 2 it becomes apparent that a number of loops 3 can also define a subset of second 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. Each of the rows 9 of loops comprises a subset of the second loops. 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 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 a 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] 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, i.e., intersection loops 12 (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 Row of Loops [0052] 10 Column of Loops [0053] 11 Tunnel [0054] 12 Intersection Loops [0055] D Outer diameter of the loop [0056] d Inner diameter of the loop [0057] c Length of the loop [0058] a Axial direction of the loop [0059] b Distance between the loops [0060] L Longitudinal direction of the shoe [0061] Angle