Water-resistant and floatable footwear and method of manufacture therefor

Abstract

A water-resistant and floatable footwear including an outsole and insole, and an upper member affixed to the sole, wherein the footwear is floatable in water. In particular, the insole of the footwear is constructed of the material “marine buoy;” that is, the insole has an inner structure and an outer coating, the inner structure being constructed of a thermoplastic resin and the outer coating being constructed of a vinyl polymer. The footwear is advantageously water-proof and provides buoyancy in water.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 790,375, filed Feb. 29, 2004, which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 264,015, filed Oct. 3, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,598 issued Jul. 27, 2004, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 690,552, filed Oct. 17, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,016, issued Jan. 21, 2003, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to footwear, in particular, lightweight and comfortable footwear providing buoyancy in water and resistance to water absorption, and a method of manufacture therefor. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Casual and lightweight shoes, particularly, sandals are known. Many of these shoes and sandals (hereinafter collectively referred to as “footwear”) are flexible due to the materials used to construct the soles. However, becaus...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention is directed to a new and improved footwear comprising a sole including an outsole and insole, an upper member affixed to the sole, wherein said footwear is floatable in water. In particular, the insole of the footwear is constructed of the material “marine buoy;” that is, the insole has an inner structure and an outer coating, the inner structure being constructed of a thermoplastic resin and the outer coating being constructed of a vinyl polymer. As such, the footwear is advantageously water-proof and provides buoyancy in water. The upper members of the footwear may also be constructed of the marine buoy material and they may be configured as a continuous strap or flaps that are detachably attached to each other. The outsole of the footwear may be configured in close conformity with the insole, or it may include a peripheral border extending upwardly and around said insole.

Problems solved by technology

However, because many of these materials are porous, such footwear readily absorb water and become heavy and cumbersome.

The absorbed moisture or liquid may seep out over time causing discomfort to the wearer, or even causing the wearer to trip or fall.

Moreover, such absorption may stain the footwear or promote the growth of unsightly or odor-causing fungus.

However, seepage is not avoided, nor is the growth of unsightly or odor-causing fungus caused by the trapped moisture.

While many footwear are desirably casual and lightweight, the desire to minimize weight has left many footwear with uncomfortable inner soles that lack a liner that is both comfortable and slip-resistant.

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