Uppers and shoes

Abstract

The present invention provides an upper and a shoe, wherein the upper includes: an upper body (20) covering an instep, the upper body (20) being formed with a first region (23) and a second region (24) adjoining the first region (23), the upper body (20) being provided with: a first linear body disposed across the first region (23) and the second region (24) or disposed only in the second region (24); and a second linear body disposed in the first region (23) avoiding the second region (24) and having an end portion located at a boundary portion between the first region (23) and the second region (24), the first linear body and the second linear body having mutually different stretchabilities. The upper of the present invention can locally change the stretchability of the upper with less material than before.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an upper and a shoe having the upper. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, shoes with uppers are known to exist. When a person wearing the shoe moves, their foot undergoes localized bending, contraction, and twisting. Therefore, to improve the shoe's ability to follow these movements, techniques have been developed to locally modify the shoe's elasticity.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an upper in which multiple reinforcing members made of resin are fixed to a substrate formed of woven or woven fabric. In the upper disclosed in Patent Document 1, the elasticity of the upper can be locally altered by using multiple reinforcing members with different elasticities.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5442170 Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, as in Patent Document 1, fixing multiple resin-formed reinforcing components to a substrate made of woven or woven fabric, and using multiple reinforcing components with different elasticities, would increase the variety of materials used in the shoe upper. Therefore, the shoe upper disclosed in Patent Document 1 would increase the manufacturing, cutting, and sewing processes, as well as increase waste and power consumption, leading to problems such as decreased productivity and increased environmental burden.

[0006] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an upper that can locally change the elasticity of the upper with less material than before.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems and achieve the desired objective, the present invention relates to a shoe upper comprising: an upper body covering the instep, the upper body having a first region and a second region adjacent to the first region. The upper body includes: a first linear body disposed across the first and second regions, or disposed only in the second region; and a second linear body disposed in the first region, avoiding the second region, with its end located at the boundary between the first and second regions. The first and second linear bodies have different elasticities.

[0008] According to the shoe upper of the present invention, the effect of locally changing the elasticity of the shoe upper with less material than before is obtained. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a top view of the shoe according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2This is a perspective view of the shoe involved in Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a unfolded diagram showing the main body of the shoe upper according to Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The enlarged view of part A shown is a schematic diagram of the line bodies constituting the upper body of the shoe according to Embodiment 1.

[0013] Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of the VV line is shown. Figure 6 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of line VI-VI is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing the state before a portion of the low-elasticity linear body is removed, and is equivalent to... Figure 4 The diagram shows the cross-sectional view at line VI-VI.

[0015] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram representing the line bodies constituting the upper body of the shoe according to Embodiment 2, and is equivalent to... Figure 3 The diagram shows an enlarged view of part A.

[0016] Figure 9 It is along Figure 8 The cross-sectional view of line IX-IX is shown.

[0017] Figure 10 This is a unfolded diagram showing the upper body of the shoe according to Embodiment 3.

[0018] Figure 11 This is a unfolded diagram showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 4.

[0019] Figure 12 This is an unfolded diagram showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 5.

[0020] Figure 13 This is a unfolded diagram showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 6.

[0021] Figure 14 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 7.

[0022] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 8, and is equivalent to... Figure 4 The diagram shows the cross-sectional view at the VV line.

[0023] Figure 16This is a cross-sectional view showing the upper body of the shoe according to embodiment 8, and is equivalent to... Figure 4 The diagram shows the cross-sectional view at line VI-VI.

[0024] Symbol Explanation

[0025] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G Shoes, 2 Upper, 3 Sole, 20 Upper Body, 20a Shoe Opening, 20b Shoe Throat, 20c Drawstring Section, 20d Tension-Action Section, 21 Tongue, 22 Lace, 23 First Region, 24 Second Region, 24a Forefront Region, 24b Side Region, 25 Boundary Section, 26 High-elasticity Linear Body, 27 Low-elasticity Linear Body, 28 Baseline Linear Body, 29 Additional Linear Body, 30 Outsole, 30a Ground Contact, 31 Midsole, C Shoe Central Axis, R1 Forefoot Section, R2 Midfoot Section of Upper, R3 Rearfoot Section of Upper, S1 First Boundary Line, S2 Second Boundary Line. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the shoe upper and shoe according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0027] Implementation Method 1

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view showing the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (Includes...) Figure 1 In the accompanying drawings, only the shoe 1 for the left foot is shown. The shoe 1 has a symmetrical structure for both the left and right feet. In this embodiment, only the shoe 1 for the left foot will be described, and the description of the shoe 1 for the right foot will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the direction of extension of the vertical line passing through the center of the shoe 1, i.e., the central axis C of the shoe, when viewed from above, is called the front-back direction, and the direction orthogonal to the aforementioned front-back direction when viewed from above is called the foot width direction.

[0029] Furthermore, in the front-back direction, the direction from the end of the side where the supporting foot of the shoe 1 is located to the end of the side where the supporting foot of the shoe 1 is located is called the front, and in the front-back direction, the direction from the end of the side where the supporting foot of the shoe 1 is located to the end of the side where the supporting foot of the shoe 1 is located is called the back.

[0030] Furthermore, the side of the foot closest to the center of the standard anatomical position is called the inner foot side, and the side opposite to the center of the foot in the standard anatomical position is called the outer foot side. That is, the side closer to the center of the standard anatomical position is called the inner foot side, and the side farther from the center of the standard anatomical position is called the outer foot side.

[0031] In addition, unless otherwise specified, the up-down direction refers to the direction that is orthogonal to the front-back direction and the foot width direction.

[0032] The upper 2 includes: a forefoot portion R1 that covers the forefoot of a standard-sized wearer's foot; a midfoot portion R2 that covers the midfoot of a standard-sized wearer's foot; and a rearfoot portion R3 that covers the rearfoot of a standard-sized wearer's foot. The forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3 are connected in the front of the upper 2 in the front-to-back direction in the above order.

[0033] A first boundary line S1 is defined as a line passing approximately 25% of the front end of the shoe upper 2 along the width of the foot. A second boundary line S2 is defined as a line passing approximately 80% of the front end of the shoe upper 2 along the width of the foot. The first boundary line S1 roughly follows the MP joint (metacarpophalangeal joint) of a standard-sized shoe wearer. The second boundary line S2 roughly follows the chopart joint of a standard-sized shoe wearer. The forefoot portion R1 is the part located in front of the first boundary line S1. The midfoot portion R2 is the part located between the first boundary line S1 and the second boundary line S2. The rearfoot portion R3 is the part located behind the second boundary line S2.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the shoe 1 according to embodiment 1. The shoe 1 can be used as, for example, a running shoe, other sports shoe, walking shoe, or hiking shoe. The shoe 1 has an upper 2 and a sole 3.

[0035] The upper 2 is located above the sole 3. The upper 2 includes the upper body 20, the tongue 21, and the laces 22.

[0036] The upper body 20 covers the instep side of the foot. An opening 20a is formed on the upper part of the upper body 20 for inserting the wearer's foot, and a throat 20b is formed, which communicates with and extends forward from the opening 20a. Drawstring portions 20c are provided on both sides of the throat 20b in the foot width direction, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction. The drawstring portions 20c are only required to allow the shoelaces 22 to pass through; their structure is not limited. In this embodiment, they are through holes that extend through the upper body 20 in the vertical direction. The upper body 20 has a first region 23 and a second region 24 adjacent to the first region 23. The first region 23 and the second region 24 will be described in detail below. Additionally, including... Figure 2 In the figures, to distinguish the first region 23 from the second region 24, the second region 24 is depicted using dotted shading.

[0037] The tongue 21 is a component that protects the instep of the wearer. The tongue 21 covers the throat 20b inside the upper body 20. The tongue 21 is fixed to the upper body 20 by stitching, welding, gluing, or a combination thereof. Textile or woven fabrics are used as materials for both the upper body 20 and the tongue 21. Especially in shoes 1 where breathability and lightweight are required, double raschel warp-knitted fabric woven with polyester fibers is preferably used as the material for both the upper body 20 and the tongue 21. However, the material of the tongue 21 is not limited to the examples shown.

[0038] The shoelace 22 is a rope-like component that alternately passes through a threading portion 20c located on one side edge of the shoe throat 20b in the foot width direction and another threading portion 20c located on the other side edge in the foot width direction. The shoelace 22 can be easily tied and untied to the shoe upper body 20.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an upper 2 including a tongue 21 and laces 22 is described as an example. However, the upper 2 can also be a sock-like structure where the portion corresponding to the tongue 21 is integrally formed with the ankle portion of the upper body 20. Additionally, to ensure the upper body 20 fits snugly against the foot, hook and loop fasteners can be used instead of laces 22. When the upper body 20 is fitted snugly against the foot using hook and loop fasteners, no threading portion 20c is formed on the upper body 20.

[0040] The sole 3 is located below the upper 2. The sole 3 covers the sole of the foot. The sole 3 has an outsole 30 and a midsole 31. The sole 3 is fixed to the upper body 20 by stitching, welding, gluing, or a combination thereof. The lower surface of the outsole 30 forms a ground contact surface 30a that is in contact with the ground. The midsole 31 is located on the upper surface of the outsole 30 and has cushioning properties. Alternatively, the outsole 30 can be integrally formed with the midsole 31. The outsole 30 integrally formed with the midsole 31 is called a "unisole".

[0041] The sole 3 has an insole (not shown) that covers the lower opening of the upper body 20. The insole is stitched to the lower edge of the upper body 20. Furthermore, the insole is glued or welded to the upper surface of the midsole 31. Additionally, the shoe 1 may have an insole. When the shoe 1 has an insole, the insole is positioned inside the upper 2 above the sole 3. Alternatively, the sole 3 may be a structure that omits the insole.

[0042] Next, refer to Figure 3 The structure of the upper body 20 will be described in further detail. Figure 3 This is a unfolded view showing the shoe upper body 20 according to Embodiment 1. (See diagram below.) Figure 3As shown, the upper body 20 has a first region 23 and a second region 24. The first region 23 is the region of the upper body 20 other than the second region 24, the shoe opening 20a, and the shoe throat 20b. The second region 24 may be formed in at least one of the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. In this embodiment, it is formed only in the midfoot portion R2.

[0043] The number of second regions 24 is not particularly limited; in this embodiment, four are provided on each side of the foot width direction, sandwiching the throat 20b. The four second regions 24 are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. Each second region 24 extends in the foot portion R2 of the upper body 20 in the foot width direction. Each second region 24 extends from the edge of the throat 20b to the lower edge of the upper body 20. The top view shape of each second region 24 is not particularly limited; in this embodiment, it is a strip longer in the foot width direction than in the front-to-back direction. One drawstring portion 20c is provided between each adjacent second region 24 in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, one drawstring portion 20c is also provided in front of the foremost second region 24. In the following description, the portion between adjacent second regions 24 in the first region 23 where the drawstring portion 20c is provided is referred to as the tension acting portion 20d.

[0044] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 The enlarged view of part A shown is a schematic diagram illustrating the lines constituting the upper body 20 of the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 4 As shown, the upper body 20 includes multiple highly elastic linear bodies 26 extending in the front-to-back direction, multiple low-elasticity linear bodies 27 extending in the front-to-back direction, and multiple reference linear bodies 28 extending in the foot width direction. The highly elastic linear bodies 26, low-elasticity linear bodies 27, and reference linear bodies 28 are, for example, threads formed by bundling multiple fibers into filaments or by forming them from resin. Furthermore, in Figure 4 In the diagram, for ease of understanding, the reference line 28 is represented by a double-dotted line. Multiple highly flexible lines 26 are spaced apart from each other in the foot width direction.

[0045] Multiple low-elasticity linear bodies 27 are arranged at intervals in the foot width direction. Multiple high-elasticity linear bodies 26 and multiple low-elasticity linear bodies 27 are also arranged at intervals in the foot width direction. In this embodiment, one high-elasticity linear body 26 and one low-elasticity linear body 27 are alternately arranged in the foot width direction, but this is not intended to limit the arrangement of the multiple high-elasticity linear bodies 26 and multiple low-elasticity linear bodies 27. Multiple reference linear bodies 28 are orthogonal to the high-elasticity linear bodies 26 and low-elasticity linear bodies 27 and are arranged at intervals in the front-back direction. In this embodiment, the high-elasticity linear body 26 is a first linear body, and the low-elasticity linear body 27 is a second linear body.

[0046] A highly flexible linear body 26 is disposed across the first region 23 and the second region 24. The highly flexible linear body 26 has the flexibility to stretch and extend in the extending direction. Figure 5 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of the VV line is shown. In the following description, the side of the reference line 28 facing outwards from the upper body 20 is designated as the "outer side," and the side of the reference line 28 facing inwards from the upper body 20 is designated as the "inner side." Furthermore, in the following description, the direction parallel to the direction from one of the outer and inner sides towards the other is designated as the outer-inner direction. Figure 5 As shown, the highly flexible linear body 26 is arranged to alternately pass through the outer and inner sides of adjacent reference linear bodies 28 in the first region 23 and the second region 24. The highly flexible linear body 26 is arranged to repeatedly pass through the outer side of one adjacent reference linear body 28, between adjacent reference linear bodies 28, and inside the adjacent reference linear body 28 in that order.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the low-stretch linear body 27 is disposed in the first region 23, bypassing the second region 24, and its end is located at the boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24. The low-stretch linear body 27 has the property of not easily stretching or contracting in the extension direction. Figure 6 It is along Figure 4 The cross-sectional view of line VI-VI is shown. Additionally, in... Figure 6 In the diagram, dashed lines represent the portions removed from the low-elasticity linear body 27. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the low-elasticity linear body 27 is arranged to alternately pass through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23. The low-elasticity linear body 27 is arranged to repeatedly pass through the outer side of one adjacent reference linear body 28, between adjacent reference linear bodies 28, and inside the inner side of the other adjacent reference linear body 28. The end of the low-elasticity linear body 27 is located inside the reference linear body 28. The low-elasticity linear body 27 is only provided in the first region 23 and not in the second region 24.

[0048] Figure 4 The stretchability of the highly stretchable linear body 26 in its extension direction is higher than that of the low stretchable linear body 27 in its extension direction. That is, the highly stretchable linear body 26 and the low stretchable linear body 27 have different stretchability. By changing the materials used for the highly stretchable linear body 26 and the low stretchable linear body 27, their stretchability can be made to differ. For example, by using polyurethane filament, polyurethane-coated SCY (Single-Covered Yarn) or DCY (Double-Covered Yarn), or highly stretchable thermoplastic elastic filament as the material for the highly stretchable linear body 26, and using polyester filament or the like as the material for the low stretchable linear body 27, the stretchability of the highly stretchable linear body 26 and the low stretchable linear body 27 can be made to differ. Furthermore, the material of the reference linear body 28 can be the same as or different from the material of the highly elastic linear body 26 or the low-elasticity linear body 27. The elasticity of the reference linear body 28 in its extension direction can be the same as or different from the elasticity of the highly elastic linear body 26 or the low-elasticity linear body 27 in their extension direction.

[0049] The first region 23 is a region containing a highly elastic linear body 26, a low-elasticity linear body 27, and a reference linear body 28. The second region 24 is a region containing the highly elastic linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28, but not the low-elasticity linear body 27. The low-elasticity linear body 27, which is less elastic, is located in the first region 23 but not in the second region 24; therefore, the elasticity of the second region 24 is higher than that of the first region 23. In other words, the first region 23 and the second region 24 have different elasticities.

[0050] Next, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 This describes a method for removing a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27. Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing the state before a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 is removed, and is equivalent to Figure 4 The diagram shows the cross-sectional view at line VI-VI.

[0051] like Figure 7As shown, before removing a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27, the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24 floats relative to all the reference linear bodies 28 disposed at corresponding positions in the second region 24. In this embodiment, the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24 is configured to float inward relative to all the reference linear bodies 28 disposed at corresponding positions in the second region 24, but it can also be configured to float inward relative to either the outer or inner side of all the reference linear bodies 28 disposed at corresponding positions in the second region 24. The low-elasticity linear body 27 floating relative to the reference linear bodies 28 means that the low-elasticity linear body 27 alternately passes through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear bodies 28 in the first region 23, but only passes through one side of the outer or inner side of the reference linear bodies 28 in the second region 24, and compared to the first region 23, the distance between the low-elasticity linear body 27 and the reference linear bodies 28 in the outer-inner direction in the second region 24 is longer. Next, the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 that floats relative to the reference linear body 28 is cut off. The method for cutting off the low-elasticity linear body 27 is not particularly limited, and any existing known method can be appropriately selected. For example, a special machine can be used to cut off the low-elasticity linear body 27. Thus, as... Figure 6 As shown, a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 can be removed.

[0052] Alternatively, a portion of the low-stretchability thread 27 can be removed by dissolving it. For example, by using a filament that can be dissolved by solvent, water, or heat as the material of the low-stretchability thread 27, a portion of the low-stretchability thread 27 can be dissolved to remove it. When dissolving a portion of the low-stretchability thread 27, the portion of the low-stretchability thread 27 corresponding to the second region 24 may or may not float relative to the reference thread 28.

[0053] Next, the effects of the shoe 1 according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0054] In this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the shoe 1 has an upper body 20 covering the instep, and the upper body 20 has a first region 23 and a second region 24 adjacent to the first region 23. Additionally, as... Figure 4As shown, the upper body 20 includes: a highly elastic linear body 26, which is disposed across the first region 23 and the second region 24; and a low-elasticity linear body 27, which is disposed in the first region 23, avoiding the second region 24, and whose end is located at the boundary portion 25 of the first region 23 and the second region 24. Furthermore, the highly elastic linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27 have different elasticities. According to the above structure, since the highly elastic linear body 26 is disposed in both the first region 23 and the second region 24, while the low-elasticity linear body 27 is disposed only in the first region 23, the elasticity of the first region 23 and the second region 24 can be made different. In this embodiment, the low-elasticity linear body 27, which is not easily elastic, is disposed in the first region 23 but not in the second region 24, therefore the elasticity of the second region 24 is higher than that of the first region 23. Furthermore, besides the upper body 20 formed of woven or woven fabric, there is no need to prepare multiple reinforcing components with different elasticities. The elasticity of the upper body 20 can be locally altered simply by adjusting the arrangement of the highly elastic linear bodies 26 and low-elasticity linear bodies 27 with different elasticities. Therefore, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be locally altered with less material than before. In particular, in this embodiment, by using a single material of the so-called highly elastic linear bodies 26, low-elasticity linear bodies 27, and reference linear bodies 28, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be locally altered, thereby reducing the number of components constituting the upper body 20 and thus reducing the environmental burden.

[0055] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the highly elastic linear body 26 is disposed in both the first region 23 and the second region 24, while the low-elasticity linear body 27 is disposed only in the first region 23. Therefore, Figure 2 When the shoelaces 22 are tied, the tension applied to the upper body 20 is more easily transmitted to the first region 23 compared to the second region 24, and the breathability of the second region 24 is improved compared to the first region 23. That is, by simply changing the configuration of the high-elasticity thread 26 and the low-elasticity thread 27, the parts of the upper body 20 that require tension and breathability can be adjusted respectively.

[0056] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the highly elastic linear body 26 is disposed on both the first region 23 and the second region 24, while the low-elasticity linear body 27 is disposed only on the first region 23. This allows the stiffness of the first region 23 to be higher than that of the second region 24, and the weight of the second region 24 to be lower than that of the first region 23. In other words, it ensures the necessary stiffness in the parts of the upper body 20 while achieving a lightweight upper body 20.

[0057] In this embodiment, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, by removing a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27, different parts such as elasticity, breathability, weight, and stiffness can be freely set in the upper body 20.

[0058] In this embodiment, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be locally altered by removing only a portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27. Therefore, compared to locally altering the elasticity of the upper body 20 by changing the woven threads, the work efficiency for locally altering the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be improved.

[0059] Figure 2 When the person wearing shoe 1 moves, the skin on the midfoot will undergo deformation such as contraction or twisting, resulting in... Figure 3 The foot portion R2 of the shoe upper exhibits shear deformation in the foot width direction. In this embodiment, the second region 24 extends in the foot portion R2 of the shoe upper body 20 in the foot width direction. As a result, the second region 24 easily undergoes shear deformation in the foot width direction following the deformation of the skin of the foot, thereby alleviating the squeezing sensation of the shoe upper body 20 and suppressing wrinkling of the shoe upper body 20.

[0060] In this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, a lacing portion 20c is arranged between adjacent second regions 24 in the front-back direction. This creates highly elastic second regions 24 before and after the tensioning portions 20d in the first region 23. Therefore, when the shoelaces 22 are tied, each tensioning portion 20d can deform according to the thickness of different parts of the wearer's foot. In other words, the amount of deformation of the first region 23 can be changed before and after the second regions 24.

[0061] like Figure 7 As shown, removing a portion of the low-stretch line 27 could potentially cause the end of the low-stretch line 27 to become dirty. In this embodiment, this is addressed by cutting off the portion of the low-stretch line 27 that protrudes inward relative to the reference line 28, so that the end of the low-stretch line 27 is located inside the reference line 28, making it less visible from the outside of the upper body 20, thereby improving the design of the upper body 20.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, although the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24 was removed, it is also possible to remove... Figure 5The portion of the highly elastic linear body 26 corresponding to the second region 24 is shown, without removing the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24. In this case, the low-elasticity linear body 27 is a first linear body that spans the first region 23 and the second region 24. Furthermore, the highly elastic linear body 26 is a second linear body that is disposed in the first region 23, avoiding the second region 24, and its end is located at the boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24. When the portion of the highly elastic linear body 26 corresponding to the second region 24 is lifted and removed relative to the reference linear body 28, the highly elastic linear body 26 being lifted relative to the reference linear body 28 means that the highly elastic linear body 26 alternately passes through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23, passes through only one side of the outer or inner side of the reference linear body 28 in the second region 24, and the distance between the highly elastic linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28 in the outer and inner directions is longer in the second region 24 compared to the first region 23.

[0063] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the highly elastic linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27 extend in the front-to-back direction, and the reference linear body 28 extends in the foot width direction. However, the extension directions of the highly elastic linear body 26, the low-elasticity linear body 27, and the reference linear body 28 are not limited to the example shown. For example, the highly elastic linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27 may extend in the foot width direction, and the reference linear body 28 may extend in the front-to-back direction. In this case, multiple highly elastic linear bodies 26 are arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction. Multiple low-elasticity linear bodies 27 are arranged at intervals in the front-to-back direction. Multiple reference linear bodies 28 are arranged at intervals in the foot width direction. Furthermore, by removing a portion of at least one of the highly elastic linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be locally changed. For example, to induce shear deformation of the second region 24 in the foot width direction, it is sufficient to remove the portion of the low-elasticity line 27 corresponding to the second region 24, based on the arrangement of the high-elasticity line 26 and the low-elasticity line 27 extending in the foot width direction. That is, the extension directions of the high-elasticity line 26, the low-elasticity line 27, and the reference line 28 can be appropriately changed according to the direction in which the second region 24 is to be deformed. When shearing is chosen as the removal method, it is sufficient to make at least a portion of one of the high-elasticity line 26 and the low-elasticity line 27 float relative to the reference line 28, and then shear off the floating portion.

[0064] In this embodiment, Figure 3The number of second regions 24 shown is four on each side of the foot width direction where the shoe throat 20b is clamped, but it can also be one or more. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second regions 24 extend in the foot width direction, but they can also extend obliquely relative to the foot width direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, each second region 24 is formed as a strip, and it can also be divided into multiple sections in the front-back direction or the foot width direction, or in both the front-back direction and the foot width direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number, shape, and position of the second regions 24 are symmetrical on both sides of the foot width direction where the shoe throat 20b is clamped, but they can be asymmetrical. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drawstring portion 20c is staggered from the second regions 24 in the front-back direction, but it can also be positioned to overlap with the second regions 24 in the vertical direction.

[0065] Figure 4 The high-elasticity linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27 shown are alternately provided one each in the leg width direction, but the configuration of the high-elasticity linear body 26 and the low-elasticity linear body 27 is not limited to the example shown. For example, one high-elasticity linear body 26 may be provided for every two low-elasticity linear bodies 27.

[0066] Implementation Method 2

[0067] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the linear structure of the upper body 20 constituting the shoe 1A according to Embodiment 2, and is equivalent to... Figure 3 The diagram shows an enlarged view of part A. Figure 9 It is along Figure 8 The cross-sectional view of line IX-IX is shown. The difference between shoe 1A according to embodiment 2 and shoe 1 according to embodiment 1 is that the highly elastic linear body 26 is only provided in the second region 24.

[0068] In this embodiment, the highly elastic linear body 26 is a first linear body disposed only in the second region 24. Furthermore, the low-elasticity linear body 27 is a second linear body disposed in the first region 23, bypassing the second region 24. The portion of the highly elastic linear body 26 corresponding to the first region 23 is removed, and simultaneously, the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24 is removed. When the portion of the highly elastic linear body 26 corresponding to the first region 23 is lifted and removed relative to the reference linear body 28, lifting the highly elastic linear body 26 relative to the reference linear body 28 means that the highly elastic linear body 26, which alternately passes through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear body 28 in the second region 24, passes only one side of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23, either the outer or inner side, and the distance between the highly elastic linear body 26 and the reference linear body 28 in the outer-inner direction is longer in the first region 23 than in the second region 24. When the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the second region 24 is lifted and removed relative to the reference linear body 28, the lifting of the low-elasticity linear body 27 relative to the reference linear body 28 means the same as in Embodiment 1 described above. In this embodiment, the same effect as in Embodiment 1 can be obtained. That is, the high-elasticity linear body 26 is only provided in the second region 24, and the low-elasticity linear body 27 is only provided in the first region 23, thereby making the elasticity of the first region 23 and the second region 24 different from each other. In this embodiment, the low-elasticity linear body 27, which is not easily elastic, is provided in the first region 23 and not in the second region 24; therefore, the elasticity of the second region 24 is higher than that of the first region 23.

[0069] Furthermore, the highly elastic linear body 26 may be provided only in the first region 23, and the low-elasticity linear body 27 may be provided only in the second region 24. In this case, the low-elasticity linear body 27 is the first linear body provided only in the second region 24. Conversely, the highly elastic linear body 26 is the second linear body provided in the first region 23, bypassing the second region 24, and its end is located at the boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24. That is, the portion of the highly elastic linear body 26 corresponding to the second region 24 is removed, while the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the first region 23 is removed. According to the above structure, the low-elasticity linear body 27, which is not easily elastic, is provided in the second region 24 but not in the first region 23, therefore the elasticity of the first region 23 is higher than that of the second region 24. When the portion of the low-elasticity linear body 27 corresponding to the first region 23 is lifted and removed relative to the reference linear body 28, the lifting of the low-elasticity linear body 27 relative to the reference linear body 28 means that the low-elasticity linear body 27, which alternately passes through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear body 28 in the second region 24, passes only one side of the outer or inner side of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23, and the distance between the low-elasticity linear body 27 and the reference linear body 28 in the outer-inner direction is longer in the first region 23 than in the second region 24. When the portion of the high-elasticity linear body 26 corresponding to the second region 24 is lifted and removed relative to the reference linear body 28, the lifting of the high-elasticity linear body 26 relative to the reference linear body 28 means the same as in Embodiment 1 described above.

[0070] Implementation Method 3

[0071] Figure 10 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body 20 of the shoe 1B according to Embodiment 3. The difference between the shoe 1B according to Embodiment 3 and the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 lies in the position of the second region 24.

[0072] In this embodiment, a second region 24 is formed on the forefoot portion R1 and the midfoot portion R2 of the shoe upper. The second region 24 includes: a front region 24a disposed in front of and adjacent to the throat portion 20b; and a side region 24b disposed only on the side in the foot-width direction that sandwiches the throat portion 20b. The front region 24a spans the forefoot portion R1 and the midfoot portion R2 of the shoe upper. The top view shape of the front region 24a is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is approximately circular.

[0073] In this embodiment, the side region 24b is located on the outer side of the throat 20b or the inner side of the throat 20b. The number of side regions 24b is not particularly limited; in this embodiment, there are two. The two side regions 24b are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. Each side region 24b extends in the foot width direction of the upper body 20 within the foot portion R2 of the upper. Each side region 24b extends from the edge of the throat 20b to the lower edge of the upper body 20. The top view shape of each side region 24b is not particularly limited; in this embodiment, it is a strip longer in the foot width direction than in the front-to-back direction. A drawstring portion 20c is disposed between adjacent side regions 24b in the front-to-back direction.

[0074] In this embodiment, the same effect as in Embodiment 1 described above can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second region 24 includes a side region 24b located only on the side of the shoe upper body 20 that clamps the shoe throat 20b in the foot width direction, thus the second region 24 is configured asymmetrically. Therefore, it is configured to facilitate movements where it is necessary for the side of the shoe upper body 20 that clamps the shoe throat 20b in the foot width direction to extend and retract easily, while the other side in the foot width direction is less likely to extend and retract. Additionally, in this embodiment, the front region 24a and each side region 24b are formed as strips, and can be divided into multiple sections in the front-back direction or the foot width direction, or even in both the front-back direction and the foot width direction.

[0075] Implementation Method 4

[0076] Figure 11 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body 20 of the shoe 1C according to Embodiment 4. The shoe 1C according to Embodiment 4 differs from the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 in that the upper 2 has a sock-like structure, and in the position of the second region 24.

[0077] like Figure 11 As shown, the upper 2 is a sock-like structure integrally formed with the ankle portion of the upper body 20, corresponding to the portion of the tongue 21 in Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, a second region 24 is formed in the midfoot portion R2 of the upper. The second region 24 is formed adjacent to the opening 20a in front of the opening 20a. The second region 24 is provided in the portion corresponding to the tongue 21 in Embodiment 1.

[0078] In this embodiment, the same effects as in Embodiment 1 described above can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second region 24 is formed adjacent to the shoe opening 20a in front of it, thereby constituting a portion equivalent to the shoe tongue 21, and a sock-like structure can be achieved using a linear material. Additionally, in this embodiment, the second region 24 is formed as a strip, and can be divided into multiple sections in the front-back direction or the foot width direction, or even in both the front-back and foot width directions. Furthermore, the second region 24 can be formed asymmetrically.

[0079] Implementation Method 5

[0080] Figure 12 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body 20 of the shoe 1D according to Embodiment 5. The difference between the shoe 1D according to Embodiment 5 and the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 lies in the position of the second region 24.

[0081] In this embodiment, a second region 24 is formed in the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3 of the upper. The second region 24 extends along the edge of the shoe opening 20a. (The last sentence appears to be incomplete and possibly refers to a combination of two parts.) Figure 12 In the state of the shoe upper body 20 shown, the second region 24 is formed from the outer edge of the throat 20b, through the heel-side end edge of the rear foot portion R3 of the shoe upper, to the inner edge of the throat 20b. The second region 24 extends in a manner that surrounds the shoe opening 20a.

[0082] In this embodiment, the same effects as in Embodiment 1 described above can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second region 24 extends along the edge of the shoe opening 20a, thereby deforming to follow the movement of the wearer's foot, thus improving the fit between the foot and the edge of the shoe opening 20a. Additionally, in this embodiment, the second region 24 is formed as a strip, and can be divided into multiple sections in the front-back direction or the foot width direction, or even in both the front-back and foot width directions. Furthermore, the second region 24 can be formed asymmetrically.

[0083] Implementation Method 6

[0084] Figure 13 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body 20 of the shoe 1E according to Embodiment 6. The difference between the shoe 1E according to Embodiment 6 and the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 lies in the position of the second region 24.

[0085] In this embodiment, a second region 24 is formed on the forefoot portion R1 of the shoe. The second region 24 extends in the foot width direction of the upper body 20 within the forefoot portion R1. The second region 24 is formed from the lower edge of the outer foot side of the forefoot portion R1, through the front of the throat portion 20b, to the lower edge of the inner foot side of the forefoot portion R1.

[0086] In this embodiment, the same effects as in Embodiment 1 described above can be achieved. Figure 13 When the forefoot portion R1 of the shoe is in the ground position, if the rear foot portion R3 of the shoe is lifted off the ground, the forefoot bends, creating a bending portion at the forefoot portion R1. In this embodiment, this is addressed by extending the second region 24 within the forefoot portion R1 of the shoe upper body 20 in the foot-width direction, allowing the second region 24 to easily bend following the foot's movement. Therefore, the feeling of the shoe upper body 20 being too tight is reduced, and wrinkling of the shoe upper body 20 is suppressed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second region 24 is formed as a strip, and it can be divided into multiple sections in the front-back direction or the foot-width direction, or even in both the front-back and foot-width directions. Additionally, the second region 24 can be formed asymmetrically.

[0087] Implementation Method 7

[0088] Figure 14 This is an unfolded view showing the upper body 20 of the shoe 1F according to Embodiment 7. The difference between the shoe 1F according to Embodiment 7 and the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 lies in the arrangement of the second region 24.

[0089] The second region 24 of the shoe 1F according to this embodiment is a structure combining the second region 24 of the shoe 1C according to embodiment 4 and the second region 24 of the shoe 1D according to embodiment 5. The upper 2 is a sock-like structure integrally formed with the ankle portion of the upper body 20, corresponding to the tongue 21 of embodiment 1. The second region 24 is formed adjacent to the opening 20a in front of the opening 20a. Furthermore, the second region 24 extends along the edge of the opening 20a.

[0090] In this embodiment, the same effects as in embodiments 1, 4, and 5 described above can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second region 24 is a structure combining the second region 24 of embodiments 4 and 5, or it can be a structure combining two or more of the second regions 24 of embodiments 1, 3-6.

[0091] Implementation Method 8

[0092] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the upper body 20 of the shoe 1G according to embodiment 8, and is equivalent to... Figure 4 The diagram shows the cross-sectional view at the VV line. Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view of the upper body 20 of the shoe 1G according to embodiment 8, and is equivalent to... Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view at line VI-VI. The shoe 1G according to Embodiment 8 differs from the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1 in that it further includes additional linear bodies 29. That is, in the shoe 1 according to Embodiment 1, the number of linear bodies overlapping in the vertical direction is at most two, but in the shoe 1G according to this embodiment, the number of linear bodies overlapping in the vertical direction is at most three.

[0093] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, the upper body 20 includes multiple additional thread-like bodies 29 extending in the same direction as the extending directions of the high-elasticity thread-like body 26 and the low-elasticity thread-like body 27. The additional thread-like bodies 29 are, for example, threads formed by bundling multiple fibers into filaments or resin. Although not shown in the figure, the multiple additional thread-like bodies 29 are spaced apart from each other in the extending direction of the reference thread-like body 28. One additional thread-like body 29 is disposed above each of the high-elasticity thread-like body 26 and the low-elasticity thread-like body 27. The multiple reference thread-like bodies 28 are orthogonal to the high-elasticity thread-like body 26, the low-elasticity thread-like body 27, and the additional thread-like bodies 29. In this embodiment, the high-elasticity thread-like body 26 is a first thread-like body that spans the first region 23 and the second region 24. Furthermore, the low-elasticity linear body 27 is a second linear body that is disposed in the first region 23, bypassing the second region 24, and its end is located at the boundary portion 25 of the first region 23 and the second region 24.

[0094] An additional linear body 29 is provided, spanning the first region 23 and the second region 24. The material of the additional linear body 29 can be the same as or different from the material of the highly elastic linear body 26 or the low-elasticity linear body 27. The elasticity of the extension direction of the additional linear body 29 can be the same as or different from the elasticity of the extension direction of the highly elastic linear body 26 or the low-elasticity linear body 27. The additional linear body 29 is provided in a manner that alternates between passing through the outer and inner sides of the reference linear body 28 in the first region 23 and the second region 24. The highly elastic linear body 26 is provided in a manner that repeatedly passes through the outer side of one adjacent reference linear body 28, between adjacent reference linear bodies 28, and inside the other adjacent reference linear body 28.

[0095] The first region 23 is the region where a highly elastic linear body 26, a low-elasticity linear body 27, an additional linear body 29, and a reference linear body 28 are provided. The second region 24 is the region where the highly elastic linear body 26, the additional linear body 29, and the reference linear body 28 are provided, but the low-elasticity linear body 27 is not provided. Alternatively, similar to the low-elasticity linear body 27, the additional linear body 29 can be removed from the second region 24. In this case, the additional linear body 29 is provided in the first region 23, avoiding the second region 24, and its end is located at the boundary portion 25 between the first region 23 and the second region 24.

[0096] In this embodiment, the same effect as in Embodiment 1 described above can be achieved. Furthermore, if the number of overlapping lines in the vertical direction is set to a maximum of three, as in this embodiment, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be changed to multiple stages (three or more) by altering the arrangement of the lines. For example, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be changed to three stages by providing the following regions: These regions include: a region where a portion of the low-elasticity line 27 and the additional line 29 has been removed, resulting in a high-elasticity line 26 and a reference line 28; a region where a portion of the additional line 29 has been removed, resulting in a high-elasticity line 26, a low-elasticity line 27, and a reference line 28; and a region containing a high-elasticity line 26, a low-elasticity line 27, an additional line 29, and a reference line 28. Additionally, in this embodiment, the number of overlapping lines in the vertical direction is set to a maximum of three, but it can also be four or more. Based on the above structure, the elasticity of the upper body 20 can be changed to multiple stages of more than four stages.

[0097] The structures shown in the above embodiments are merely examples illustrating the content of this invention. Other known technologies can be combined, and some structures can be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Claims

1. A shoe upper, comprising: The main body of the shoe upper covers the instep. The upper body of the shoe has a first region and a second region adjacent to the first region. The upper body comprises: a plurality of first linear bodies that span the first region and the second region, or that are disposed only in the second region; and a plurality of second linear bodies that are disposed in the first region, avoiding the second region, and whose ends are located at the boundary between the first region and the second region. And multiple baseline-shaped bodies; Multiple first linear bodies are arranged at intervals from each other in a first direction; Multiple second linear bodies are arranged at intervals from each other in the first direction; The first linear body and the second linear body are arranged at intervals from each other in the first direction; Multiple reference line-like bodies extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; The first linear body and the second linear body have different extensibility.

2. The shoe upper according to claim 1, The main body of the shoe upper includes: a forefoot portion that covers the forefoot of the wearer's foot; a midfoot portion that covers the midfoot of the foot; and a rearfoot portion that covers the rearfoot of the foot. The upper body has an opening for inserting the foot. The second region is formed on at least one of the forefoot portion of the shoe, the midfoot portion of the shoe, and the rearfoot portion of the shoe.

3. The shoe upper according to claim 2, The second region extends in the foot width direction of the upper body in at least one of the forefoot portion of the shoe and the foot portion of the shoe upper.

4. The shoe upper according to claim 2 or 3, The second region extends along the edge of the shoe opening.

5. The shoe upper according to claim 2 or 3, The second region is formed in front of and adjacent to the shoe opening.

6. A shoe comprising: The upper according to any one of claims 1 to 5; as well as The sole is located beneath the shoe upper.

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