3 dimensionally woven footwear

Abstract

A shoe component, wherein the shoe component is formed by 3-dimensional weaving such that the shoe component has one or more woven layers, each having a warp direction and a fill direction, wherein the shoe component has one direction of stretch; a shoe containing at least one of the shoe components in an upper; and a shoe in which the entire upper, and optionally the midsole and/or outsole, are entirely formed by 3-dimensional weaving.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(a) claiming the benefit pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) (1) of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 616,235 filed on Mar. 27, 2012 pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §111(b), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to footwear. In particular, the invention relates to footwear formed with the use of 3 dimensional weaving methods to form at least a portion of the footwear, and potentially forming the entire footwear as a unitary structure.[0004]2. Description of the Background[0005]Shoes are conventionally prepared by a multistep process. Shoes are typically assembled as they travel through a series of rooms or departments, each doing a particular segment of the assembly process. Even with the use of modern machines it can still take a large number of separate operat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe construction in which at least the upper is prepared in a single process, and has one direction stretch and recovery properties, while maintaining support and integrity of the upper.

Problems solved by technology

Even with the use of modern machines it can still take a large number of separate operations to make a pair of shoes.

This part of the process can generate significant amounts of waste.

PVC (polyvinylchloride) was, at one time, a popular sole material, but it has limited esthetics.

It is heavy, loses color and can be hot in warm weather.

Its use is limited to some sport and casual shoes.

Remarkable as it may seem the manufacture of shoes remains fairly labor intensive.

The main problem with this state of the art process is there are still 50 to 70 pairs of hands that touch each shoe on its way down the assembly line.

So this requires huge coordination with supply chain to have all materials in correct quantities and colors at the factory at the correct time.

It also means that through all those hand-processes, there is opportunity for error and inconsistencies.

There is also a large amount of waste when it comes to die-cutting out so many different materials.

And finally, the process of forming multiple layers of flat materials into a 3-D shape is not always effective.

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