shoe

Abstract

To provide a shoe capable of enhancing a freedom degree of material selection of a sole main body, suppressing increase of the number of components, and capable of being easily produced.SOLUTION: A shoe 1A comprises: a flexible shell 10A comprising an internal space SP therein; and a sole main body 20 stored in the shell 10A. The shell 10A comprises a bottom wall part 11 and a peripheral wall part 12, and by the bottom wall part 11 and the peripheral wall part 12 at a part adjacent to the bottom wall part, a lower side space SP1 being a space in which the sole main body 20 is arranged out of the internal space SP, is formed. By the peripheral wall part 12 at a part positioned above the part adjacent to the bottom wall part 11, an upper side space SP2 being a space into which a foot of a wearer is inserted, in the internal space SP, is formed. By the bottom wall part 11 covering a lower face 22 of the sole main body 20, a ground plane of the shoe 1A is formed of an external face 11b of the bottom wall part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe, and more particularly to a shoe including a sole body and a shell that houses the sole body. [Background technology]

[0002] US Pat. No. 10,241,498 (Patent Document 1) in Figs. 6E and 6F discloses a shoe including a sole body, an upper body, and a shell in which the sole body and the upper body are housed.

[0003] In the shoe disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of holes are provided in the bottom wall of the shell, and a plurality of protrusions are provided on the underside of the sole body, which are inserted into the above-mentioned holes, so that the plurality of protrusions on the sole body are exposed and positioned so as to protrude outward on the outer surface of the bottom wall of the shell, and the tip surfaces of the plurality of protrusions form the ground contact surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 10,241,498 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the shoe disclosed in Patent Document 1, the contact surface is formed by multiple protrusions on the sole body, which necessitates the selection of a material with excellent abrasion resistance as the material for the sole body. When other functions of the sole body, such as improving comfort and ensuring cushioning, are taken into consideration, the room for selection of materials for the sole body is narrowed, which is a problem.

[0006] To avoid this, it is conceivable that the multiple protrusions could be made from a material different from that of the other parts of the sole body; however, doing so would result in an additional problem of increased manufacturing costs due to the increased number of parts.

[0007] In addition, in the manufacturing process of the shoe disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to insert the multiple protrusions provided on the sole body into the multiple holes provided in the bottom wall of the shell while positioning the multiple protrusions into the multiple holes. Therefore, in this respect as well, the manufacturing process becomes complicated, which results in a problem of increased manufacturing costs.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a shoe that increases the freedom of material selection for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and that is easier to manufacture than conventional shoes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The shoe according to the present invention includes a shell and a sole body. The shell is made of a flexible member having an internal space into which a wearer's foot is inserted. The sole body is housed in the shell and supports the sole of the wearer's foot. The shell includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall erected from the periphery of the bottom wall. In the shoe according to the present invention, the bottom wall and the peripheral wall adjacent to the bottom wall form a lower space in which the sole body is disposed, and at least a part of the upper space in which the wearer's foot is inserted is formed by the peripheral wall located above the portion adjacent to the bottom wall. In the shoe according to the present invention, the bottom wall covers the lower surface of the sole body, and the outer surface of the bottom wall forms a ground contact surface. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the freedom in the selection of materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and it is possible to provide a shoe that can be manufactured more easily than conventional shoes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from another direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly structure of the shoe shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the shell shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a second modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a third modified example. [Figure 10] 11 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of the shell shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are partial cross-sectional views of the shell shown in FIG. 10 and partial cross-sectional views for explaining another configuration example of the shell shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic bottom view of the shell shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in FIG. 13 and a partial cross-sectional view for explaining another configuration example of the shell shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to embodiment 4. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 19] 19 is a schematic bottom view of the shell shown in FIG. 18 in a partially cut-away state. [Figure 20] 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. [Figure 22] 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to embodiment 8. FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 23 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining another example of the configuration of the shell shown in FIG. 22. FIG. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a fifth modified example. [Figure 27] 13 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to embodiment 9. FIG. [Figure 28] 13 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a tenth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 29] 13 is an exploded perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to an eleventh embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a sixth modified example. [Diagram 31] 12 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a twelfth embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 32] 32 is a perspective view of the shell shown in FIG. 31 as seen from another direction. [Diagram 33] 23 is a perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to embodiment 13. FIG. [Diagram 34] FIG. 23 is a partial perspective view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a fourteenth embodiment. [Diagram 35] FIG. 23 is a partial plan view of a shell provided in a shoe according to a fifteenth embodiment. [Diagram 36] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shoe according to a sixteenth embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shoe according to a seventeenth embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shoe according to an eighteenth embodiment. [Figure 39] 39 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 38 as seen from another direction. [Diagram 40] FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 38. [Diagram 41] FIG. 39 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly structure of the shoe shown in FIG. 38. [Diagram 42] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shoe according to a nineteenth embodiment. [Diagram 43] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 20. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following preferred embodiments, the same or common parts are designated by the same reference characters in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1 as seen from another direction. Also, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in Fig. 1. First, the configuration of a shoe 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0014] 1 to 3, shoe 1A according to this embodiment is sock-shaped and covers almost the entire wearer's foot (i.e., the area distal to the ankle), and includes a shell 10A, a sole body 20 (see FIG. 3), and an upper body 30. An opening 33 for inserting the foot is provided at the top of shoe 1A, and an internal space SP (see FIG. 3) is formed inside shoe 1A, into which the wearer's foot is inserted when the shoe is worn.

[0015] Before describing the specific configuration of the shoe 1A, the names of the parts of the shoe 1A will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the plan view shown in Fig. 5 shows only the shell 10A for convenience of drawing, but the same names are used when the shoe 1A is viewed as a whole.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 5, shoe 1A is divided along the left-right direction (approximately the left-right direction in FIG. 5), which is a direction that matches the width direction of the wearer's foot when viewed in a plane, into an inner foot side portion (the S1 side portion shown in FIG. 5), which is the midline side (i.e. the side closer to the midline) of the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot, and an outer foot side portion (the S2 side portion shown in FIG. 5), which is the opposite side of the midline side of the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot (i.e. the side farther from the midline).

[0017] In addition, the shoe 1A is divided along the front-to-back direction (roughly the up-and-down direction in Figure 5), which is a direction that coincides with the length direction of the wearer's foot when viewed in a plan view, into a forefoot portion R1 located corresponding to the toes and forefoot area of ​​the wearer's foot, a midfoot portion R2 located corresponding to the arch area of ​​the wearer's foot, and a rear foot portion R3 located corresponding to the heel area of ​​the wearer's foot.

[0018] Here, if the front end of shoe 1A is taken as a reference point, a position corresponding to 40% of the front-to-back dimension of shoe 1A from the front end is taken as the first boundary position, and a position corresponding to 80% of the front-to-back dimension of shoe 1A from the front end is taken as the second boundary position, then forefoot portion R1 corresponds to the portion included between the front end and the first boundary position along the front-to-back direction, midfoot portion R2 corresponds to the portion included between the first boundary position and the second boundary position along the front-to-back direction, and rear foot portion R3 corresponds to the portion included between the second boundary position and the rear end of shoe 1A along the front-to-back direction.

[0019] 1 to 3, in shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, sole body 20 is housed in upper body 30, and upper body 30 housing sole body 20 is further housed in shell 10A. Shell 10A, sole body 20 and upper body 30 are all positioned across forefoot portion R1, midfoot portion R2 and rearfoot portion R3.

[0020] More specifically, the shell 10A constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1A and is made of a single flexible member formed into a bag shape. The shell 10A includes a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12 standing upright so as to continuously extend upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 11. Of these, the bottom wall 11 defines the outermost surface located on the lower side in the up-down direction of the shoe 1A, and the peripheral wall 12 defines the outermost surfaces located in the front-rear and left-right directions of the shoe 1A.

[0021] The bottom wall 11 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 11a and an outer surface 11b, and the peripheral wall 12 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 12a and an outer surface 12b. The bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A are made of a mesh member 16a as a base structure 16, and therefore, in these portions of the shell 10A, numerous holes 14 are formed that reach the inner surfaces 11a, 12a and the outer surfaces 11b, 12b. Details of the base structure 16 will be described later.

[0022] An opening-shaped insertion portion 13 is provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12. This insertion portion 13 is provided across the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, an internal space SP is formed in the shell 10A. This internal space SP is defined by the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 and the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12, and communicates with the above-mentioned insertion portion 13. The internal space SP is located across the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. The internal space SP includes a space in which the sole body 20 and the upper body 30 are accommodated and arranged, and an insertion space SP3 into which the wearer's foot is inserted.

[0024] 1 to 3, the upper body 30 constitutes a part of the portion of the shoe 1A that contacts the wearer's foot to hold the wearer's foot, and is made of a flexibly deformable bag-like member. The upper body 30 is accommodated in the internal space SP of the shell 10A. The upper body 30 includes a bottom portion 31 and a wall portion 32 that is erected so as to continuously extend upward from the periphery of the bottom portion 31.

[0025] The bottom 31 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 31a and an outer surface 31b, and the wall 32 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 32a and an outer surface 32b. The outer surface 31b of the bottom 31 of the upper body 30 faces the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A, and the outer surface 32b of the wall 32 of the upper body 30 faces the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A. As a result, the bottom 31 covers the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A, and the wall 32 covers the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A.

[0026] The above-mentioned shoe opening 33 is provided at the upper end of the wall portion 32. The shoe opening 33 is provided across the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0027] The sole body 20 constitutes a part of the part of the shoe 1A that comes into contact with the wearer's foot, thereby supporting the sole of the wearer's foot, and is made of a flat member that is capable of elastic deformation (see FIG. 4). The sole body 20 is housed in the internal space SP of the shell 10A, and is further housed inside the upper body 30.

[0028] The sole body 20 has a pair of main surfaces, an upper surface 21 and a lower surface 22, and a side surface 23 connecting the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 22. The lower surface 22 of the sole body 20 faces the inner surface 31a of the bottom portion 31 of the upper body 30, and the side surface 23 of the sole body 20 faces the lower end portion of the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30. As a result, the sole body 20 covers the inner surface 31a of the bottom portion 31 of the upper body 30 and the lower end portion of the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30.

[0029] 3, the above-mentioned internal space SP of the shell 10A is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2. The lower space SP1 is located in the lower part of the shoe 1A in the vertical direction, and the upper space SP2 is located in the upper part of the shoe 1A in the vertical direction.

[0030] The lower side space SP1 is a space defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and a portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 adjacent to the bottom wall portion 11 (hereinafter, this portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 will be referred to as the "first portion"), and this lower side space SP1 contains the entire sole body 20 and the lower portion of the upper body 30 (i.e., the bottom portion 31 and the wall portion 32 adjacent to the bottom portion 31).

[0031] The upper space SP2 is a space defined by a portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 located above the first portion (hereinafter, this portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 is referred to as the "second portion"), and the upper portion of the upper body 30 (i.e., the portion of the wall portion 32 located above the portion of the wall portion 32 adjacent to the bottom portion 31) is disposed in this upper space SP2.

[0032] As described above, the upper body 30 is contained in the internal space SP so as to cover the inner surfaces 11a, 12a of the shell 10A, and the sole body 20 is further contained in the internal space SP so as to cover the inner surface 31a of the bottom 31 of the upper body 30 and the lower end portion of the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30. Therefore, an insertion space SP3 defined by the sole body 20 and the upper body 30 is formed in the internal space SP of the shell 10A.

[0033] More specifically, the insertion space SP3 is defined by the upper surface 21 of the sole body 20 and the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the portion of the upper body 30 that is not covered by the sole body 20 (i.e., the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 at a position corresponding to the second portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A described above). The insertion space SP3 is included in the upper space SP2 of the internal space SP described above.

[0034] Here, in the shoe 1A of this embodiment, the upper body 30 has a shape that covers the entire area of ​​the wearer's foot distal to the ankle, and the shell 10A that forms the upper space SP2 completely covers the entire area of ​​the wearer's foot except for the sole, except for the area corresponding to the opening 33 through which the wearer's foot is inserted.

[0035] Therefore, when the wearer wears the shoe 1A, the parts of the wearer's foot other than the sole (i.e., the instep and the circumferential surface of the heel, etc.) come into contact with the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30, which is flexibly deformable, and the sole of the wearer's foot comes into contact with the upper surface 21 of the sole body 20, which is elastically deformable. Therefore, the shell 10A does not come into direct contact with the wearer's foot, ensuring a comfortable fit.

[0036] However, the upper body 30 and the sole body 20 do not necessarily need to contact the wearer's foot entirely, and the upper body 30 and the sole body 20 may have cutout or opening-shaped portions as long as the comfort of the shoe is not impaired.

[0037] In the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, as described above, the shell 10A constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1A, and in particular, the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A covers the lower surface 22 of the sole body 20, so that the outermost surface located on the lower side in the vertical direction of the shoe 1A is defined by the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A. As a result, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1A is constituted by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A.

[0038] Therefore, by configuring in this way, unlike conventional shoes, the ground contact surface is not formed by the sole body 20, which significantly expands the scope of material selection for the sole body 20, and it becomes possible to select the optimal material for the sole body 20 in light of the functions required for a general sole, such as improving comfort and ensuring cushioning. On the other hand, performance such as abrasion resistance and grip required for the ground contact surface can be ensured by selecting the material of the shell 10A or by additionally selecting the shape, etc. Therefore, the number of parts does not increase compared to conventional shoes.

[0039] Therefore, the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment can provide a shoe that allows greater freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0040] As described above, in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, the outermost shell of the shoe 1A is constituted by the shell 10A, and the shell 10A includes the bottom wall 11 that defines the ground contact surface, and the peripheral wall 12 that is erected from the periphery of the bottom wall 11 and includes a portion that covers the instep of the wearer's foot. This configuration has the advantage of improving performance compared to conventional shoes in which the outermost shell of the shoe is constituted by a sole and an upper (i.e., shoes that do not include components such as the shell 10A of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment).

[0041] That is, in the conventional shoes described above, the upper, including the portion covering the instep of the wearer's foot, is usually made only of woven, knitted, or nonwoven fabrics, and the upper is joined to the sole by adhesive or the like. As a result, there is a tendency for a delay in the time it takes for the load applied to the upper portion covering the instep when pushing off to be transmitted through the side wall of the upper to the sole, resulting in poor compliance of the shoe with the foot, particularly when running.

[0042] However, in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A including the part covering the instep of the wearer's foot is made of a resin or rubber member as described later, which is harder than woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc., and the peripheral wall 12 including the part covering the instep and the bottom wall 11 including the part defining the ground contact surface are integrally formed by the shell 10A made of a single member, so that the load transfer when pushing off is fast and the shoe has excellent ability to follow the foot, especially when running, etc. The direction of the load transfer by the shell 10A is shown diagrammatically by a black arrow in Fig. 3, and the direction of the load applied to the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A by this is shown diagrammatically by a white arrow in Fig. 3.

[0043] Therefore, by making the shoe 1A according to this embodiment, not only can the freedom in selecting the material for the sole body be increased while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, but also the shoe can be made to have excellent conformability to the foot.

[0044] Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly structure of the shoe according to the present embodiment. Next, the assembly structure and the assembly method of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment will be explained with reference to Fig. 4.

[0045] 4, the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment is manufactured by assembling together a shell 10A, a sole body 20, and an upper body 30, which are individually manufactured in advance. The shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30 may be manufactured by any method.

[0046] Specifically, first, the upper body 30 is inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A. Since the upper body 30 is flexibly deformable, it can be inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A through the opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the shell 10A. The inserted upper body 30 is arranged so as to be aligned with the inner surfaces 11a, 12a of the shell 10A. In addition, the vicinity of the opening 33 of the upper body 30 is exposed to the outside from the insertion portion 13 of the shell 10A.

[0047] Next, the upper body 30 is fixed to the shell 10A. For this fixing, for example, sewing, bonding, welding, clip fastening, or engagement between engaging portions provided on the upper body 30 and the shell 10A can be used. However, if the upper body 30 does not easily move inside the shell 10A, this fixing may not be performed.

[0048] Next, the sole body 20 is inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A (more precisely, inside the upper body 30 in a state in which it is placed in the internal space SP of the shell 10A). Here, since the sole body 20 is capable of elastic deformation, it can be inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A through an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 (more precisely, a shoe opening 33 provided in the upper body 30) provided at the upper end of the shell 10A. The inserted sole body 20 is arranged so as to fit along the inner surface 31a of the bottom portion 31 of the upper body 30.

[0049] Next, the sole body 20 is fixed to the upper body 30. For this fixing, for example, sewing, bonding, welding, clip fastening, or engagement between engaging portions provided on the sole body 20 and the upper body 30 can be used. However, if the sole body 20 does not easily move inside the upper body 30, this fixing may not be performed.

[0050] Through the above steps, the assembly of the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30 is completed, and the manufacture of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment is completed. Note that the above-mentioned assembly method is merely an example, and other assembly methods may be adopted.

[0051] In this way, the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment can be manufactured by a very simple operation of assembling the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30, which are individually manufactured in advance, and therefore the manufacturing is easier than in the past. Furthermore, when assembling the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30, there is no need for complicated positioning operations.

[0052] Therefore, by making the shoe 1A in this embodiment, not only can the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body be increased while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, but the shoe can also be made easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0053] Here, the shell 10A may be basically made of any material as long as it has flexibility, but it is preferable that the shell 10A has a suitable strength. From this viewpoint, the shell 10A is preferably made of a resin material or a rubber material. More specifically, when the shell 10A is made of a resin, it may be made of, for example, a polyolefin resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE). On the other hand, when the shell 10A is made of rubber, it may be made of, for example, butadiene rubber.

[0054] The shell 10A may be made of a polymer composition. In this case, examples of the polymer contained in the polymer composition include olefin-based polymers such as olefin-based elastomers and olefin-based resins. Examples of olefin-based polymers include polyethylene (e.g., linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), etc.), polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymers, propylene-1-hexene copolymers, propylene-4-methyl-1-pentene copolymers, propylene-1-butene copolymers, ethylene-1-hexene copolymers, ethylene-4-methyl-pentene copolymers, ethylene-1-butene copolymers, 1-butene-1-hexene copolymers, 1-butene-4-methyl-pentene, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers, ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymers, ethylene-methacrylic acid ... Examples of the polyolefin include ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-methacrylic acid copolymer, propylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, propylene-ethyl methacrylate copolymer, propylene-butyl methacrylate copolymer, propylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, propylene-butyl acrylate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and propylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

[0055] The polymer may be an amide-based polymer such as an amide-based elastomer or an amide-based resin, etc. Examples of the amide-based polymer include polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, etc.

[0056] The polymer may be an ester-based polymer such as an ester-based elastomer or an ester-based resin, etc. Examples of the ester-based polymer include polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.

[0057] The polymer may be a urethane-based polymer such as a urethane-based elastomer or a urethane-based resin. Examples of the urethane-based polymer include polyester-based polyurethane and polyether-based polyurethane, and urethane acrylate is particularly suitable.

[0058] The polymer may be a styrene-based polymer such as a styrene-based elastomer or a styrene-based resin. Examples of the styrene-based elastomer include styrene-ethylene-butylene copolymer (SEB), styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer (SBS), hydrogenated SBS (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene copolymer (SEBS)), styrene-isoprene-styrene copolymer (SIS), hydrogenated SIS (styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene copolymer (SEPS)), styrene-isobutylene-styrene copolymer (SIBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene (SBSB), and styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSBS). Examples of the styrene-based resin include polystyrene, acrylonitrile styrene resin (AS), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin (ABS).

[0059] Furthermore, the polymer may be, for example, an acrylic polymer such as polymethyl methacrylate, a urethane-based acrylic polymer, a polyester-based acrylic polymer, a polyether-based acrylic polymer, a polycarbonate-based acrylic polymer, an epoxy-based acrylic polymer, a conjugated diene polymer-based acrylic polymer and a hydrogenated product thereof, a urethane-based methacrylic polymer, a polyester-based methacrylic polymer, a polyether-based methacrylic polymer, a polycarbonate-based methacrylic polymer, an epoxy-based methacrylic polymer, a conjugated diene polymer-based methacrylic polymer and a hydrogenated product thereof, a polyvinyl chloride resin, a silicone-based elastomer, butadiene rubber (BR), isoprene rubber (IR), chloroprene (CR), natural rubber (NR), styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), butyl rubber (IIR), or the like.

[0060] On the other hand, the sole body 20 may be basically made of any material as long as it is elastically deformable, but it is preferable that the sole body 20 is made of a material that has a moderate strength and excellent cushioning properties. From this viewpoint, for example, a resin foam material containing a resin material as a main component and a foaming agent and a crosslinking agent as subcomponents is used as the sole body 20. Alternatively, a rubber foam material containing a rubber material as a main component and a plasticizer, a foaming agent, a reinforcing agent, and a crosslinking agent as subcomponents may be used.

[0061] Particularly preferably, the sole body 20 can be made of a foam material such as polyolefin resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyamide thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyester thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), etc. The sole body 20 does not necessarily have to be made of a foam material, and may be made of a non-foam material.

[0062] On the other hand, the upper body 30 may be basically made of any material as long as it is flexibly deformable, but preferably, woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, synthetic leather, resin, etc. are used. In particular, as described below, by using woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc. of a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber, it is possible to obtain the upper body 30 that fits the wearer's foot better. Note that examples of heat-shrinkable synthetic fibers include those mainly composed of polyester, polyurethane, etc.

[0063] That is, when the upper body 30 is made of a synthetic fiber woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc. having heat shrinkability, it is formed into a bag shape in advance, and a heat treatment is performed with a last inserted inside, so that the upper body 30 changes shape to a state where it is in close contact with the last by heat shrinkage, and the shape after the change is maintained. Therefore, if a last corresponding to the shape of the wearer's foot is prepared and the upper body 30 is molded using this, the upper body 30 that fits the wearer's foot can be manufactured. Furthermore, if the heat treatment using the above-mentioned last is performed with the upper body assembled in the shell 10A, the upper body 30 will also fit the shell 10A, and the fit can be further improved.

[0064] The above-mentioned last may be of a standard shape according to the wearer's foot size, but if a last made based on foot shape data obtained by measuring the actual wearer's foot is used, the manufactured shoe 1A will fit the wearer's foot better.

[0065] Here, the method of manufacturing the shell 10A is not particularly limited, but the shell 10A can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding, cast molding, or modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device. In particular, if the shell 10A is manufactured by modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, it is possible to manufacture the shell 10A with a wide variety of structures that are difficult to manufacture by injection molding or cast molding.

[0066] Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of a shell included in a shoe according to the present embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in Fig. 5. Next, the structure of shell 10A included in shoe 1A according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 and the above-mentioned Figs. 1 to 4.

[0067] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the shell 10A has a base structure 16 made of curved mesh members 16a. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the base structure 16 is located over the entire bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A (i.e., the entire portion of the shell 10A excluding the insertion portion 13).

[0068] As a result, the inner surface 11a and the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11 are formed by a pair of main surfaces of the base structure portion 16 formed by this mesh member 16a, and the inner surface 12a and the outer surface 11b of the peripheral wall portion 12 are also formed by a pair of main surfaces of the base structure portion 16 formed by this mesh member 16a. Note that the mesh member 16a does not necessarily need to be curved in its entirety, and may include a portion that is not curved.

[0069] The mesh member 16a includes a plurality of wire elements 16a1 connected to cross each other, and has intersections formed by the intersections of the wire elements 16a1 and holes 14 located between adjacent wire elements 16a1. Here, the cross section shown in Fig. 6 is a cross section including the intersections of the wire elements 16a1. In the shell 10A, the plurality of wire elements 16a1 are arranged in a lattice shape so as to be perpendicular to each other, and each of the plurality of wire elements 16a1 is arranged so as to extend obliquely with respect to the front-rear and left-right directions of the shoe 1A.

[0070] In this way, by providing countless holes 14 in the shell 10A, the weight of the shell 10A is reduced, and the upper body 30 contained in the internal space SP of the shell 10A is configured to be visible from the outside through the countless holes 14, thereby improving the design.

[0071] The shell 10A having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0072] (First to third modified examples) 7 to 9 are perspective views of shells included in shoes according to the first to third modified examples, respectively. Next, shoes according to the first to third modified examples based on the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described with reference to these Figs. 7 to 9. The shoes according to the first to third modified examples each include shells 10A1 to 10A3 shown in Figs. 7 to 9 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0073] 7, the shell 10A1 provided in the shoe according to the first modification is different from the shell 10A provided in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 in that the density of the mesh member 16a as the basic structure 16 is different. That is, in the shell 10A1, the distance between adjacent wire elements 16a1 is configured to be larger than that in the shell 10A, and therefore the density is configured to be smaller than that of the shell 10A.

[0074] 8, the shell 10A2 provided in the shoe according to the second modification is different from the shell 10A provided in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1 in that the extension direction of the multiple wire elements 16a1 included in the mesh member 16a serving as the basic structure 16 is different. That is, in the shell 10A2, the multiple wire elements 16a1 are arranged in a lattice pattern so as to be perpendicular to one another, and each of the multiple wire elements 16a1 is arranged so as to extend parallel to either the front-rear direction or the left-right direction of the shoe 1A.

[0075] 9, the shell 10A3 of the shoe according to the third modification is different from the shell 10A2 of the shoe according to the second modification in the density of the mesh member 16a as the basic structure 16. That is, in the shell 10A3, the distance between adjacent wire elements 16a1 is larger than in the shell 10A2, and therefore the density is smaller than that of the shell 10A2.

[0076] 7 to 9, in the shells 10A1 to 10A3 included in the shoes according to the first to third modifications, the thickness of the wire elements 16a1 is configured to be different for each part. Specifically, in these shells 10A1 to 10A3, the thickness of the wire elements 16a1 is configured to be thicker in the part near the front end of the forefoot part R1, the inner edge of the forefoot part R1, the outer edge of the forefoot part R1, the inner edge of the midfoot part R2, the outer edge of the midfoot part R2, the rearfoot part R3 (particularly the part covering the periphery of the heel of the wearer's foot), etc., compared to other parts.

[0077] In this way, when the thickness of wire elements 16a1 of mesh member 16a as basic structure 16 is changed for each part of shells 10A1-10A3, it becomes possible to change the rigidity of shells 10A1-10A3 for each part, making it possible to improve fit, adjust the degree of load transmission, adjust shape retention strength, improve durability, etc., and by adjusting these according to the use of the shoe, a high-performance shoe can be produced.

[0078] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 2, and Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view of the shell shown in Fig. 10. First, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. The shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10B shown in Figs. 10 and 11 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0079] 10 and 11, shell 10B provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10B are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a large number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10B.

[0080] In shell 10B, of the peripheral wall portion 12 forming the upper side space SP2, the portion covering the instep of the wearer's foot, the portion covering the periphery of the heel of the wearer's foot, and the portion adjacent to the opening 33 into which the wearer's foot is inserted are all configured as multi-layer structure portion A2, and the remaining portions of the peripheral wall portion 12 forming the upper side space SP2 and the bottom wall portion 11 and peripheral wall portion 12 forming the lower side space SP1 are all configured as single-layer structure portion A1.

[0081] 11, for ease of understanding, the boundary between the single-layer structure portion A1 and the multi-layer structure portion A2 is indicated by a dashed line. In the shell 10B, the portion of the multi-layer structure portion A2 that covers the periphery of the heel of the wearer's foot and the portion adjacent to the opening 33 into which the wearer's foot is inserted are provided so as to be continuous with each other.

[0082] Fig. 12(A) is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in Fig. 10, and Fig. 12(B) is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining another configuration example of the shell shown in Fig. 10. Next, the configuration of the multilayer structure portion A2 of the shell 10B will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 12(A) and Fig. 12(B).

[0083] 12(A), in the shell 10B, as described above, each layer included in the multi-layer structure A2 is composed of a mesh member 16a serving as the basic structure 16. Specifically, in the multi-layer structure A2, the basic structure 16 is configured to branch out from the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2. Thus, two layers of the basic structure 16 are stacked and arranged along the thickness direction of the peripheral wall 12.

[0084] Furthermore, in the multi-layer structure A2 consisting of these two layers of basic structure 16, the intersections of the wire elements 16a1 included in the two layers of basic structure 16 are arranged to face each other, and these opposed intersections are connected by connecting parts 16a2. These connecting parts 16a2 function as easily deformable parts that are more easily deformed than the basic structure 16.

[0085] Therefore, by configuring in this manner, in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided, the connecting portion 16a2 deforms, so that the multilayer structure portion A2 is easily compressed and deformed along the thickness direction of the peripheral wall portion 12. Therefore, by providing this multilayer structure portion A2 in the above-mentioned portion covering the instep of the wearer's foot, the portion covering the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and the portion adjacent to the opening 33 into which the wearer's foot is inserted, which are portions where the wearing pressure is relatively likely to increase, it is possible to improve the comfort of the shoe.

[0086] In addition, by configuring it in this manner, the thickness of the peripheral wall portion 12 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided is increased overall, thereby reinforcing the peripheral wall portion 12 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided.

[0087] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving comfort and a reinforcement effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10B having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0088] The multi-layer structure A2 does not necessarily have to be provided in all three locations described above, and providing it in any one of these locations can improve comfort. The multi-layer structure A2 does not necessarily have to be composed of two layers of base structure 16, and may be composed of three or more layers of base structure 16. Furthermore, the multi-layer structure A2 may be provided in locations other than the three locations described above from the perspective of improving comfort or reinforcement depending on the use of the shoe, and in some cases, the entire bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 may be composed of the multi-layer structure A2.

[0089] 12(B) shows a shell 10B' according to another example configuration, which does not include the above-mentioned connecting portion 16a2, and the multi-layered structure portion A2 is composed only of two stacked basic structure portions 16. In this configuration, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, it is possible to obtain a reinforcing effect.

[0090] (Embodiment 3) Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 3, and Fig. 14 is a schematic bottom view of the shell shown in Fig. 13. First, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14. The shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10C shown in Figs. 13 and 14 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0091] 13 and 14, shell 10C provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10C are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a large number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10C.

[0092] In the shell 10C, the bottom wall 11 is configured as a multi-layer structure A2, and the peripheral wall 12 is configured as a single-layer structure A1. Here, in Fig. 14, for ease of understanding, the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2 is shown by a dashed line.

[0093] Fig. 15(A) is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in Fig. 13, and Fig. 15(B) is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining another example of the configuration of the shell shown in Fig. 13. Next, the configuration of the multilayer structure portion A2 of the shell 10C will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 15(A) and Fig. 15(B).

[0094] 15(A), in the shell 10C, as described above, each layer included in the multi-layer structure A2 is composed of a mesh member 16a serving as the base structure 16. Specifically, in the multi-layer structure A2, the base structure 16 is configured to branch out from the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2, so that two layers of the base structure 16 are stacked along the thickness direction of the bottom wall 11.

[0095] Furthermore, in the multi-layer structure A2 consisting of these two layers of basic structure 16, the intersections of the wire elements 16a1 included in the two layers of basic structure 16 are arranged to face each other, and these opposed intersections are connected by connecting parts 16a2. These connecting parts 16a2 function as easily deformable parts that are more easily deformed than the basic structure 16.

[0096] Therefore, with this configuration, in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided, the connecting portion 16a2 is deformed, so that the multilayer structure portion A2 is easily compressed and deformed along the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 11. Therefore, by providing this multilayer structure portion A2 on the bottom wall portion 11, it is possible to improve cushioning properties.

[0097] In addition, by configuring it in this manner, the thickness of the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided is increased overall, thereby reinforcing the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided.

[0098] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving cushioning and a reinforcing effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10C having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0099] It is not necessary that the multi-layered structure A2 is composed of two base structure layers 16, but may be composed of three or more base structure layers 16.

[0100] 15(B) shows a shell 10C' according to another example configuration, in which the thickness of the two-layered foundation structure 16 constituting the multi-layered structure A2, which defines the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 that is the ground contact surface, is configured to be thicker than the thickness of the foundation structure 16 that defines the internal space SP. In this configuration, the overall thickness of the bottom wall 11 is increased, and it is possible to further obtain the effects of improving the reinforcing effect and durability.

[0101] (Embodiment 4) Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 4, and Fig. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of the shell shown in Fig. 16. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 16 and 17. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10D shown in Figs. 16 and 17 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0102] 16 and 17, shell 10D of the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10D are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and accordingly, a countless number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10D.

[0103] In the shell 10D, the bottom wall 11 is configured as the multi-layer structure A2, and the peripheral wall 12 is configured as the single-layer structure A1. A wire-like frame portion 15 thicker than the wire elements 16a1 constituting the base structure 16 is provided at the boundary between the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2.

[0104] 17, in the shell 10D, as described above, each layer included in the multi-layer structure A2 is composed of a mesh member 16a serving as the base structure 16. Specifically, in the multi-layer structure A2, the base structure 16 is configured to branch out from a frame portion 15, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2, so that two layers of the base structure 16 are stacked and arranged along the thickness direction of the bottom wall 11.

[0105] Furthermore, in the multi-layer structure A2 consisting of these two layers of basic structure 16, the intersections of the wire elements 16a1 included in the stacked basic structure 16 are connected by connecting portions 16a2. Here, the connecting portions 16a2 do not necessarily extend along the thickness direction of the bottom wall 11, but extend randomly so as to intersect with the thickness direction. The connecting portions 16a2 function as easily deformable portions that are more easily deformed than the basic structure 16.

[0106] In Figure 17, for convenience of drawing, all of the multiple connecting portions 16a2 are shown extending only along a direction parallel to the cross section shown in Figure 17, but the multiple connecting portions 16a2 are formed to extend in various directions even when viewed along the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 11.

[0107] Even in this configuration, in the portion where the multilayer-structure portion A2 is provided, the connecting portion 16a2 is deformed, so that the multilayer-structure portion A2 is easily compressively deformed along the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 11. Therefore, by providing this multilayer-structure portion A2 on the bottom wall portion 11, it is possible to improve cushioning properties.

[0108] In addition, by configuring it in this manner, the thickness of the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided is increased overall, thereby reinforcing the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided.

[0109] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving cushioning and a reinforcing effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10D having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0110] It is not necessary that the multi-layered structure A2 is composed of two base structure layers 16, but may be composed of three or more base structure layers 16.

[0111] (Embodiment 5) Fig. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 5, and Fig. 19 is a schematic bottom view in a state where a part of the shell shown in Fig. 18 is broken away. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 18 and 19. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10E shown in Figs. 18 and 19 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0112] As shown in Fig. 18, shell 10E provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12, which is not shown in Fig. 18. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10E are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a countless number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10E.

[0113] In the shell 10E, the bottom wall 11 is configured as the multi-layer structure A2, and the peripheral wall 12 is configured as the single-layer structure A1. A wire-like frame portion 15 thicker than the wire elements 16a1 constituting the base structure 16 is provided at the boundary between the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2.

[0114] 18, in the shell 10E, as described above, each layer included in the multi-layer structure A2 is composed of a mesh member 16a serving as the base structure 16. Specifically, in the multi-layer structure A2, the base structure 16 is configured to branch out from the frame portion 15, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2, so that three layers of the base structure 16 are stacked and arranged along the thickness direction of the bottom wall 11.

[0115] Here, of the three-layered foundation structure 16, the foundation structure 16 that defines the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11, which is the ground surface, and the foundation structure 16 that defines the internal space SP are arranged in a lattice pattern so that the multiple wire elements 16a1 contained therein are perpendicular to each other.

[0116] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 19, the base structure 16 as an intermediate layer disposed between these two base structures 16 has a shape in which wire elements 16a3 are spread around in a Voronoi pattern. In Fig. 19, for ease of understanding, the base structure 16 defining the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11, which is the ground surface, and the base structure 16 defining the internal space SP are omitted from the illustration, and the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0117] The basic structure 16 as an intermediate layer made of the wire elements 16a3 laid out in a Voronoi pattern is configured to have a mesh size larger than that of the other basic structure parts 16. By configuring in this way, the basic structure 16 as an intermediate layer functions as an easily deformable part that is more easily deformed than the other basic structure parts 16.

[0118] 18, in the multi-layer structure A2 consisting of these three layers of basic structures 16, some of the intersections of the wire elements 16a1, 16a3 included in two adjacent layers of basic structures 16 are arranged to face each other, and these opposed intersections are connected by a connecting portion 16a2. This connecting portion 16a2 functions as an easily deformable portion that is more easily deformed than the basic structures 16.

[0119] Therefore, with this configuration, in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided, the basic structure portion 16 as an intermediate layer and the connecting portion 16a2 are deformed, so that the multilayer structure portion A2 is easily compressed and deformed along the thickness direction of the bottom wall portion 11. Therefore, by providing this multilayer structure portion A2 on the bottom wall portion 11, it is possible to improve cushioning properties.

[0120] In addition, by configuring it in this manner, the thickness of the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided is increased overall, thereby reinforcing the bottom wall portion 11 in the portion where the multilayer structure portion A2 is provided.

[0121] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain an effect of improving cushioning and a reinforcing effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10E having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0122] The intermediate layer of the basic structure 16 does not necessarily have to be a single layer, but may have two or more layers. In addition, in the intermediate layer, the wire elements 16a3 do not necessarily have to be laid out in a Voronoi pattern as described above, but may be laid out in a truss, lattice, honeycomb, or other pattern.

[0123] (Embodiment 6) Fig. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 6. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10F shown in Fig. 20 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0124] As shown in Fig. 20, the shell 10F of the shoe according to this embodiment has a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12, similar to the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of the peripheral wall 12, although this is not shown in Fig. 20. The bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10F are made of a mesh member 16a as a basic structure 16, and therefore, a countless number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of the shell 10F.

[0125] In the shell 10F, the bottom wall 11 is configured as the multi-layer structure A2, and the peripheral wall 12 is configured as the single-layer structure A1. A wire-like frame portion 15 thicker than the wire elements 16a1 constituting the base structure 16 is provided at the boundary between the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2.

[0126] In the multi-layer structure A2, the base structure 16 is configured to branch out from the frame portion 15, which is the boundary between the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2, so that two layers of the base structure 16 are stacked along the thickness direction of the bottom wall 11, and further, a plate-shaped embedding layer 16a4 is provided to embed the space between the two layers of the base structure 16. The embedding layer 16a4 is integrated with each of the wire elements 16a1 included in the two layers of the base structure 16.

[0127] In this configuration, the thickness of the bottom wall 11 at the portion where the multilayer structure A2 is provided increases overall, thereby reinforcing the bottom wall 11 at the portion where the multilayer structure A2 is provided. Furthermore, with the above configuration, all of the holes 14 provided in the two layers of the foundation structure 16 are blocked by the plate-shaped embedded layer 16a4, and the rigidity of the bottom wall 11 as a whole is significantly increased.

[0128] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain a reinforcing effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10F having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0129] (Embodiment 7) Fig. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 7. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10G shown in Fig. 21 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0130] As shown in Fig. 21, the shell 10G of the shoe according to this embodiment has a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12, similar to the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of the peripheral wall 12, although this is not shown in Fig. 21. The peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10G is made of a mesh-like member 16a as the base structure 16, and therefore, a large number of holes 14 are formed in that portion of the shell 10G. On the other hand, the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10G is made of a plate-like member 16b as the base structure 16, and therefore, no holes 14 are formed in that portion of the shell 10G.

[0131] In this configuration, the bottom wall portion 11 is made of the plate-like member 16b having no holes formed therein, so that the rigidity of the bottom wall portion 11 is significantly increased.

[0132] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, it is possible to increase the strength of the bottom wall portion 11. Although the shell 10G having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0133] (Embodiment 8) Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to the eighth embodiment. Fig. 23(A) is a partial cross-sectional view of a single-layer structure part of the shell shown in Fig. 22, and Fig. 23(B) is a partial cross-sectional view of a multi-layer structure part of the shell shown in Fig. 22. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 22 and 23. The shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10H shown in Figs. 22 and 23 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the first embodiment described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0134] 22 and 23, shell 10H provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10H are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a large number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10H.

[0135] In the shell 10H, the portion of the peripheral wall 12 forming the upper space SP2 that covers the instep of the wearer's foot, the portion that covers the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and the portion adjacent to the opening 33 into which the wearer's foot is inserted are all configured as the multi-layer structure A2, while the remaining portion of the peripheral wall 12 forming the upper space SP2 and the bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 forming the lower space SP1 are all configured as the single-layer structure A1. The configurations of the single-layer structure A1 and the multi-layer structure A2 are basically the same as those of the shell 10B provided in the shoe according to the above-mentioned second embodiment.

[0136] In the shell 10H, the peripheral wall 12 is configured to include a design portion 17 in addition to a base structure portion 16. The design portion 17 is provided to improve the design of a shoe equipped with the shell 10H, and is formed on the shell 10H so as to be visible from the outside. In the shell 10H, the design portion 17 is provided as a curved motif that extends in a meandering manner.

[0137] 23(A), in the single-layer structure A1, in the design area B2 in which the design portion 17 is provided, the design portion 17 is provided so as to cover a part of the surface of the base structure 16 (i.e., the outer surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12). The design portion 17 is integrated with each of the wire elements 16a1 included in the base structure 16. On the other hand, in the non-design area B1 in which the design portion 17 is not provided, only the base structure 16 is located.

[0138] 23(B), in the multi-layer structure A2, in the design region B2 where the design portion 17 is provided, the design portion 17 is provided so as to cover a part of the surface of the two-layered basic structure 16 that defines the outer surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12. The design portion 17 is integrated with each of the wire elements 16a1 included in the basic structure 16 that defines the outer surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12. On the other hand, in the non-design region B1 where the design portion 17 is not provided, only the two-layered basic structure 16 is located.

[0139] In the case of such a configuration, the design of the shoe equipped with the shell 10H is improved. Also, in the portion where the design portion 17 is provided, the design portion 17 exerts a reinforcing effect.

[0140] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effect of making the shoe excellent in appearance and the reinforcement effect in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10H having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0141] Fig. 24(A) is a partial cross-sectional view of a single-layer structure portion in another example of the shell configuration shown in Fig. 22, and Fig. 24(B) is a partial cross-sectional view of a multi-layer structure portion in another example of the shell configuration shown in Fig. 22. Hereinafter, the other example of the shell configuration shown in Fig. 22 will be described with reference to Fig. 24.

[0142] As shown in Fig. 24, in a shell 10H' according to another configuration example, the design portion 17 is provided so as to completely cover, rather than only partially, the surface of the base structure portion 16. That is, as shown in Fig. 24(A), in the single-layer structure portion A1, in the design region B2 in which the design portion 17 is provided, the wire element 16a1 included in the base structure portion 16 is completely embedded by the design portion 17, and as shown in Fig. 24(B), in the multi-layer structure portion A2, in the design region B2 in which the design portion 17 is provided, the wire element 16a1 included in the base structure portion 16 that defines the outer surface 12b of the peripheral wall portion 12, of the two layers of the base structure portion 16, is completely embedded by the design portion 17.

[0143] Even in the case of such a configuration, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned first embodiment, it is possible to obtain the effect of providing an aesthetically pleasing shoe and a reinforcing effect.

[0144] (Fourth and fifth modified examples) 25 and 26 are perspective views of shells included in shoes according to the fourth and fifth modified examples, respectively. Next, shoes according to the fourth and fifth modified examples based on the above-mentioned embodiment 8 will be described with reference to these Figs. 25 and 26. The shoes according to the fourth and fifth modified examples are equipped with shells 10H1 and 10H2 shown in Figs. 25 and 26 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0145] 25, shell 10H1 included in the shoe according to the fourth modified example has a different motif for design portion 17 when compared with shell 10H included in the shoe according to the above-described embodiment 8. That is, shell 10H1 is provided with design portion 17 in the form of a motif of curved or straight lines that branch out and extend like the branches of a tree.

[0146] 26, shell 10H2 included in the shoe according to the fifth modified example has a different motif for design portion 17 compared to shell 10H included in the shoe according to the above-mentioned embodiment 8. That is, shell 10H2 is provided with design portion 17 in the form of a motif of curved or straight lines that branch out and extend in a maze-like manner.

[0147] In this way, the motif of the design portion 17 can be changed in various ways, and the design portion 17 can also have various designs such as logos and various shapes.

[0148] (Embodiment 9) Fig. 27 is a perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 9. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 27. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10I shown in Fig. 27 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0149] 27, shell 10I provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10I are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a large number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10I.

[0150] In the shell 10I, an opening 11c is provided in the approximate center (i.e., the portion corresponding to the arch of the wearer's foot) of the bottom wall portion 11. When the opening 11c is provided in the shell 10I in this manner, it becomes possible to expose a relatively larger area of ​​the underside 22 of the sole body 20 in the portion where the opening 11c is provided, compared to the portion where the hole portion 14 is provided.

[0151] Therefore, by providing various markings such as various logos and shoe sizes on the exposed portion of the underside 22 of the sole body 20, it is possible to make these visible from the outside.

[0152] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily provide various indications on the sole of the shoe in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10I having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0153] The position, number, size, shape, etc. of the openings are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. In particular, the openings do not necessarily have to be provided in the bottom wall of the shell, and may be provided in the peripheral wall of the shell.

[0154] (Embodiment 10) Fig. 28 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 10. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 28. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10J shown in Fig. 28 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0155] 28, shell 10J provided in the shoe according to this embodiment has bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12, similar to shell 10A in the above-mentioned first embodiment, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of peripheral wall 12. Bottom wall 11 and peripheral wall 12 of shell 10J are made of mesh member 16a as base structure 16, and therefore, a countless number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of shell 10J.

[0156] In the shell 10J, a protrusion 11d is provided at approximately the center of the bottom wall 11 in the portion corresponding to the front foot portion R1 and at approximately the center near the front of the bottom wall 11 in the portion corresponding to the rear foot portion R3. This protrusion 11d is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 toward the internal space SP.

[0157] The protrusion 11d serves as a guide when assembling the sole body 20 to the shell 10J and prevents the sole body 20 from shifting out of position relative to the shell 10J after assembly, and the sole body 20 is provided with a recess (not shown) corresponding to the protrusion 11d.

[0158] Thus, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, it is possible to obtain the effect of facilitating the assembly work during manufacturing and the effect of preventing the sole body 20 from shifting in position after assembly. The shell 10J having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0159] The position, number, size, shape, etc. of the protrusions are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. Also, the protrusions do not necessarily have to be provided on the bottom wall of the shell, and may be provided on the first portion described above, which is the peripheral wall of the portion facing the sole body.

[0160] (Embodiment 11) Fig. 29 is an exploded perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 11. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 29. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10K shown in Fig. 29 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0161] As shown in Fig. 29, the shell 10K of the shoe according to the present embodiment is configured by combining a first shell portion 18 and a second shell portion 19 as multiple members. The first shell portion 18 includes a portion corresponding to the forefoot portion R1 and a portion corresponding to the approximately front half of the midfoot portion R2, and the second shell portion 19 includes a portion corresponding to the approximately rear half of the midfoot portion R2 and a portion corresponding to the rearfoot portion R3. As a result, the shell 10K is divided into two at approximately the center in the front-rear direction.

[0162] Each of the first shell portion 18 and the second shell portion 19 has a bottom wall portion 11 and a peripheral wall portion 12, and the second shell portion 19 has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of its peripheral wall portion 12. The bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 of the first shell portion 18 and the second shell portion 19 are configured of a mesh member 16a serving as a base structure portion 16, and therefore, a countless number of holes 14 are formed in the first shell portion 18 and the second shell portion 19 in those portions.

[0163] A joint 18a is provided at the rear end of the first shell portion 18, and the joint 18a includes a frame-shaped portion 18b and a convex portion 18c provided on the rear end surface of the frame-shaped portion 18b. Meanwhile, a joint 19a is provided at the front end of the second shell portion 19, and the joint 19a includes a frame-shaped portion 19b and a concave portion 19c provided on the front end surface of the frame-shaped portion 19b.

[0164] The first shell part 18 and the second shell part 19 are assembled by joining the joints 18a, 19a provided thereon to each other. Specifically, the rear end surface of the joint 18a provided on the first shell part 18 and the front end surface of the joint 19a provided on the second shell part 19 are butted together, and the convex part 18c provided on the first shell part 18 is fitted into the concave part 19c provided on the second shell part 19, thereby assembling the first shell part 18 and the second shell part 19.

[0165] In addition, if sufficient joining strength cannot be obtained by only fitting the convex portion 18c and the concave portion 19c, adhesion, welding, clip fastening, or engagement between engaging portions (such as a snap fit structure) provided on the first shell portion 18 and the second shell portion 19 may be used in addition to the above.

[0166] Even in this configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10K having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0167] Here, when the shell is manufactured by molding using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, it may be advantageous to construct the shell from multiple members as in the present embodiment. That is, when manufacturing using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, there are often restrictions on the size of the object, and as the size of the object increases, the time required to manufacture the object also increases. Therefore, by constructing the shell by combining multiple members, the above-mentioned size restrictions are less likely to be imposed, and further, by manufacturing these multiple members simultaneously in parallel, it becomes possible to manufacture the shell in a short period of time.

[0168] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, it is possible to obtain the effect of facilitating manufacturing. Note that in this embodiment, the joint 18a provided in the first shell part 18 and the joint 19a provided in the second shell part 19 include parts that protrude outward from the peripheral wall part 12 in a flange-like shape, but by configuring this to be continuous with the outer surface 12b of the peripheral wall part 12, it is possible to make the joints 18a, 19a less noticeable.

[0169] (Sixth Modification) Fig. 30 is an exploded perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to a sixth modified example. Next, a shoe according to the sixth modified example based on the above-mentioned embodiment 11 will be described with reference to Fig. 30. Note that the shoe according to the sixth modified example is equipped with a shell 10K' shown in Fig. 30 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0170] 30, shell 10K' included in the shoe according to the sixth modified example differs from shell 10K included in the shoe according to the above-mentioned embodiment 11 in the configuration of joints 18a, 19a. That is, in shell 10K', joint 18a includes frame-shaped portion 18b and step portion 18d provided on the rear end surface of frame-shaped portion 18b, and joint 19a includes frame-shaped portion 19b and step portion 19d provided on the front end surface of frame-shaped portion 19b.

[0171] The first shell part 18 and the second shell part 19 are assembled by joining the joints 18a, 19a provided thereon to each other. Specifically, the rear end surface of the joint 18a provided on the first shell part 18 and the front end surface of the joint 19a provided on the second shell part 19 are butted together, and the step 18d provided on the first shell part 18 is fitted into the step 19d provided on the second shell part 19, thereby assembling the first shell part 18 and the second shell part 19.

[0172] In addition, if sufficient joining strength cannot be obtained by only fitting the stepped portions 18d, 19d, additional bonding, welding, clip fastening, or engagement between engaging portions (such as a snap fit structure) provided on the first shell portion 18 and the second shell portion 19 may be used.

[0173] Even when configured in this manner, the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 can be obtained, and further, when a shell is produced by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, the effect of facilitating the production of the shell can be obtained.

[0174] (Embodiment 12) Fig. 31 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 12, and Fig. 32 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in Fig. 31 as seen from another direction. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 31 and 32. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10L shown in Figs. 31 and 32 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0175] 31 and 32, the shell 10L of the shoe according to this embodiment has a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12, similar to the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of the peripheral wall 12. On the other hand, unlike the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10L are made of a plate-like member 16b as the base structure 16, and therefore no holes are formed in these portions of the shell 10L.

[0176] In this configuration, the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are made of a plate-shaped member 16b that does not have any holes formed therein, so that the rigidity of the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 is significantly increased.

[0177] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the effect of increasing the strength of the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 can be obtained. Although the shell 10L having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0178] (Embodiment 13) Fig. 33 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 13. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 33. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment includes a shell 10M shown in Fig. 33 instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0179] As shown in Fig. 33, the shell 10M of the shoe according to this embodiment has a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12, similar to the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and has an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 at the upper end of the peripheral wall 12. On the other hand, unlike the shell 10A in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10M are formed of a plate-like member 16b as a base structure 16. The plate-like member 16b has openings that reach the inner surfaces 11a, 12a and the outer surfaces 11b, 12b, and accordingly, a large number of holes 14 are formed in these portions of the shell 10M.

[0180] In this configuration, the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 are made of the plate-shaped member 16b, which increases the rigidity of the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12, and also reduces their weight due to the formation of a large number of holes 14 in the plate-shaped member 16b.

[0181] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the effects of increasing the strength of the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 and reducing the weight can be obtained. The shell 10M having such a structure can be manufactured by injection molding or cast molding, but it can be manufactured relatively easily by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0182] (Embodiment 14) Fig. 34 is a partial perspective view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 14. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 34. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10N, a part of which is shown in Fig. 34, instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above, and the other configurations are the same as those of embodiment 1 described above.

[0183] The shell 10N provided in the shoe of this embodiment differs from the shell 10A provided in the shoe 1A of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 in the configuration of the base structure 16 provided in the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12; specifically, the base structure 16 is constructed of a knitted structure-like member 16c as shown in Figure 34.

[0184] As shown in Figure 34, the knitted structure-like member 16c as the basic structure 16 includes meridian elements 16c1, latitude elements 16c2, and connection portions 16c3, where the meridian elements 16c1 and the latitude elements 16c2 extend so as to intersect with each other at different positions along the thickness direction of the basic structure 16, and where the meridian elements 16c1 and the latitude elements 16c2 are connected to each other at connection portions 16c3 arranged in a matrix pattern.

[0185] By constructing the bottom wall and peripheral wall of the shell from a basic structure having a three-dimensional shape resembling a knitted structure, it is possible to design the strength, deformability, comfort, etc. with greater freedom than if the bottom wall and peripheral wall of the shell were constructed from a mesh-like or plate-like basic structure.

[0186] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the effect of improving the strength, deformability, comfort, etc. can be obtained. The shell 10N having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0187] (Embodiment 15) Fig. 35 is a partial plan view of a shell included in a shoe according to embodiment 15. Hereinafter, the shoe according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 35. Note that the shoe according to this embodiment is equipped with a shell 10O, a part of which is shown in Fig. 35, instead of the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0188] The shell 10O provided in the shoe of this embodiment differs from the shell 10A provided in the shoe 1A of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 in the configuration of the base structure 16 provided in the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12; specifically, the base structure 16 is formed from a knitted structure-like member 16d as shown in Figure 35.

[0189] As shown in Figure 35, the knitted structure-like member 16d serving as the basic structure 16 has a pair of a first porous plate element 16d1 and a second porous plate element 16d2, each of which is configured so that holes provided in each of them are inserted into the other.

[0190] By constructing the bottom wall and peripheral wall of the shell from a basic structure having a three-dimensional shape resembling a knitted structure, it is possible to design the strength, deformability, comfort, etc. with greater freedom than if the bottom wall and peripheral wall of the shell were constructed from a mesh-like or plate-like basic structure.

[0191] Therefore, by making the shoe according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the effect of improving the strength, deformability, comfort, etc. can be obtained. The shell 10O having such a structure can be relatively easily manufactured by modeling using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0192] (Embodiment 16) Fig. 36 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 16. Hereinafter, a shoe 1B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 36.

[0193] As shown in FIG. 36, shoe 1B of this embodiment has a shell 10P having a different configuration from shell 10A provided in shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above, but otherwise has the same configuration as shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above.

[0194] Specifically, in the shell 10P, an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12 is formed large so as to straddle the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. More specifically, the peripheral wall portion 12 is configured to mainly cover the portions corresponding to the toes of the wearer's foot, the portions corresponding to the medial and lateral sides of the instep of the wearer's foot, and the portion of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot that corresponds to the sole side, while the portion corresponding to the center of the instep in the foot width direction and the portion of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot that corresponds to the ankle side are not generally covered by the peripheral wall portion 12.

[0195] As a result, the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30 is exposed to the outside at a portion corresponding to the center of the instep of the wearer's foot in the width direction and at a portion corresponding to the ankle side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0196] Here, also in the shoe 1B according to this embodiment, the internal space SP of the shell 10P is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2, of which the lower space SP1 is defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and the above-mentioned first portion of the peripheral wall portion 12, and the upper space SP2 is defined by the above-mentioned second portion of the peripheral wall portion 12. Then, by disposing the sole body 20 inside the upper body 30 and storing the sole body 20 in the lower space SP1, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1B is formed by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10P.

[0197] Therefore, in the case of shoe 1B of this embodiment, as in the case of shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above, it is possible to increase the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and further to produce a shoe that is easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0198] (Embodiment 17) Fig. 37 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 17. Hereinafter, a shoe 1C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 37.

[0199] As shown in FIG. 37, shoe 1C of this embodiment has a shell 10Q having a different configuration from shell 10A provided in shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above, but otherwise has the same configuration as shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above.

[0200] Specifically, in the shell 10Q, the opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12 is formed large so as to straddle the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. More specifically, the peripheral wall portion 12 is configured to mainly cover a portion corresponding to the tip of the toe of the wearer's foot, a portion corresponding to the medial side and lateral side of the instep of the wearer's foot, a portion corresponding to the sole side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a portion corresponding to an intermediate part between the sole side and the ankle side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and the portion corresponding to the base of the toe of the wearer's foot, a portion corresponding to the center part in the foot width direction of the instep of the wearer's foot, a portion corresponding to the ankle side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a portion below the rear end of the heel of the wearer's foot are not generally covered by the peripheral wall portion 12.

[0201] As a result, the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30 is exposed to the outside at a portion corresponding to the base of the wearer's toes, a portion corresponding to the center of the wearer's instep in the width direction, a portion corresponding to the ankle side of the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a portion below the rear end of the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0202] Here, also in the shoe 1C according to the present embodiment, the internal space SP of the shell 10Q is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2, of which the lower space SP1 is defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and the above-mentioned first portion of the peripheral wall portion 12, and the upper space SP2 is defined by the above-mentioned second portion of the peripheral wall portion 12. Then, by disposing the sole body 20 inside the upper body 30 and storing the sole body 20 in the lower space SP1, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1C is formed by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10Q.

[0203] Therefore, in the case of shoe 1C of this embodiment, as in the case of shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above, it is possible to increase the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and further to produce a shoe that is easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0204] (Embodiment 18) Fig. 38 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 18, and Fig. 39 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in Fig. 38 seen from another direction. Also, Fig. 40 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XL-XL shown in Fig. 38. First, the configuration of a shoe 1D according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 38 to 40.

[0205] 38 to 40, shoe 1D according to this embodiment is sock-shaped and covers almost the entire wearer's foot (i.e., the area distal to the ankle), and includes a shell 10A, a sole body 20, and an upper body 30. An opening 33 for inserting the foot is provided at the top of shoe 1D, and an internal space SP (see FIG. 40) is formed inside shoe 1D, into which the wearer's foot is inserted when the shoe is worn.

[0206] In the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment, the sole body 20 is housed in the shell 10A, and the upper body 30 is housed in the shell 10A so as to be located on the sole body 20. As a result, the sole body 20 is sandwiched between the shell 10A and the upper body 30. The shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30 are all located across the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0207] More specifically, the shell 10A constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1D and is made of a single flexible member formed in a bag shape. The shell 10A includes a bottom wall 11 and a peripheral wall 12 standing upright so as to continuously extend upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 11. Of these, the bottom wall 11 defines the outermost surface located on the lower side in the up-down direction of the shoe 1D, and the peripheral wall 12 defines the outermost surfaces located in the front-rear and left-right directions of the shoe 1D.

[0208] The bottom wall 11 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 11a and an outer surface 11b, and the peripheral wall 12 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 12a and an outer surface 12b. The bottom wall 11 and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A are formed of a mesh member 16a as a basic structure 16, and therefore, in these portions of the shell 10A, a countless number of holes 14 are formed that reach the inner surfaces 11a, 12a and the outer surfaces 11b, 12b.

[0209] An opening-shaped insertion portion 13 is provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12. This insertion portion 13 is provided across the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0210] The shell 10A has the same configuration as the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and the material and the configuration of the base structure 16 are also similar to the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1. The shell 10A can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding, cast molding, or modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, like the shell 10A included in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and can be suitably manufactured by modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device in particular.

[0211] As shown in Fig. 40, an internal space SP is formed in the shell 10A. This internal space SP is defined by the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 and the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12, and communicates with the above-mentioned insertion portion 13. The internal space SP is located across the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. The internal space SP includes a space in which the sole body 20 and the upper body 30 are accommodated and arranged, and an insertion space SP3 into which the wearer's foot is inserted.

[0212] 38 to 40, the sole body 20 supports the sole of the wearer's foot and is made of a flat member that is elastically deformable (see FIG. 41). The sole body 20 is accommodated in the internal space SP of the shell 10A.

[0213] The sole body 20 has a pair of main surfaces, an upper surface 21 and a lower surface 22, and a side surface 23 connecting them. The lower surface 22 of the sole body 20 faces the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10A, and the side surface 23 of the sole body 20 faces a lower end portion of the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A. As a result, the sole body 20 covers the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10A and the lower end portion of the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A.

[0214] The sole body 20 has a similar configuration to the sole body 20 provided in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and its material, etc. are also similar to that of the sole body 20 provided in the shoe 1A according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0215] The upper body 30 constitutes the portion of the shoe 1D that contacts the wearer's foot to hold the wearer's foot, and is made of a flexibly deformable bag-shaped member. The upper body 30 is housed in the internal space SP of the shell 10A. The upper body 30 includes a bottom portion 31 and a wall portion 32 that stands upright and extends continuously upward from the periphery of the bottom portion 31.

[0216] The bottom 31 has an inner surface 31a and an outer surface 31b, which are a pair of main surfaces, and the wall 32 has an inner surface 32a and an outer surface 32b, which are a pair of main surfaces. The outer surface 31b of the bottom 31 of the upper body 30 faces the top surface 21 of the sole body 20, and the outer surface 32b of the wall 32 of the upper body 30 faces a portion of the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A excluding the lower end side. As a result, the bottom 31 covers the top surface 21 of the sole body 20, and the wall 32 covers a portion of the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A excluding the lower end side.

[0217] The upper body 30 has a similar configuration to the upper body 30 provided in the shoe 1A of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and its material, etc. are also similar to the upper body 30 provided in the shoe 1A of the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0218] 40, the above-mentioned internal space SP of the shell 10A is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2. The lower space SP1 is located in the lower part of the shoe 1D in the vertical direction, and the upper space SP2 is located in the upper part of the shoe 1D in the vertical direction.

[0219] The lower side space SP1 is a space defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and the peripheral wall portion 12 (i.e., the first portion mentioned above) adjacent to the bottom wall portion 11, and the entire sole body 20 is arranged in this lower side space SP1.

[0220] The upper side space SP2 is a space defined by the peripheral wall portion 12 (i.e., the second portion described above) located above the first portion, and the entire upper body 30 is disposed in this upper side space SP2.

[0221] As described above, the sole body 20 is contained in the internal space SP so as to cover the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10A and the lower end portion of the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A, and further, the upper body 30 is contained in the internal space SP so as to cover the upper surface 21 of the sole body 20 and the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A except for the lower end portion, so that an insertion space SP3 defined by the upper body 30 is formed in the internal space SP of the shell 10A.

[0222] As described above, the insertion space SP3 is a space into which the wearer's foot is inserted when the shoe is worn, and more specifically, the insertion space SP3 is defined by the inner surface 31a of the bottom portion 31 of the upper body 30 and the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32. The insertion space SP3 is included in the upper space SP2 of the internal space SP described above.

[0223] Here, in shoe 1D of this embodiment, upper body 30 has a shape that covers the entire area of ​​the wearer's foot distal to the ankle, and the shell 10A that forms the upper space SP2 completely covers the entire area of ​​the wearer's foot except for the sole, except for the area corresponding to the opening 33 through which the wearer's foot is inserted.

[0224] Therefore, when the wearer wears the shoe 1D, the wearer's foot comes into contact with the flexibly deformable inner surface 31a of the bottom portion 31 and the inner surface 32a of the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30. Therefore, the shell 10A does not come into direct contact with the wearer's foot, ensuring a comfortable fit.

[0225] However, the upper body 30 does not necessarily need to contact the wearer's foot entirely, and the upper body 30 may be provided with a cutout or opening-shaped cutout portion as long as the comfort of wearing the shoe is not impaired.

[0226] In the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment, as described above, the shell 10A constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1D, and in particular, the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A covers the lower surface 22 of the sole body 20, so that the outermost surface located on the lower side in the vertical direction of the shoe 1D is defined by the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A. As a result, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1D is constituted by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A.

[0227] Therefore, by configuring in this way, unlike conventional shoes, the ground contact surface is not formed by the sole body 20, which significantly expands the scope of material selection for the sole body 20, and it becomes possible to select the optimal material for the sole body 20 in light of the functions required for a general sole, such as improving comfort and ensuring cushioning. On the other hand, performance such as abrasion resistance and grip required for the ground contact surface can be ensured by selecting the material of the shell 10A or by additionally selecting the shape, etc. Therefore, the number of parts does not increase compared to conventional shoes.

[0228] Therefore, the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment can provide a shoe that allows greater freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0229] As described above, in the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment, the outermost shell of the shoe 1D is constituted by the shell 10A, and the shell 10A includes the bottom wall 11 that defines the ground contact surface, and the peripheral wall 12 that is erected from the periphery of the bottom wall 11 and includes a portion that covers the instep of the wearer's foot. This configuration has the advantage of improving performance compared to conventional shoes in which the outermost shell of the shoe is constituted by a sole and an upper (i.e., shoes that do not include components such as the shell 10A of the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment).

[0230] That is, in the conventional shoes described above, the upper, including the portion covering the instep of the wearer's foot, is usually made only of woven, knitted, or nonwoven fabrics, and the upper is joined to the sole by adhesive or the like. As a result, there is a tendency for a delay in the time it takes for the load applied to the upper portion covering the instep when pushing off to be transmitted through the side wall of the upper to the sole, resulting in poor compliance of the shoe with the foot, particularly when running.

[0231] However, in the shoe 1D according to this embodiment, the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10A including the part covering the instep of the wearer's foot is made of a resin or rubber member as in the case of the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and moreover, this is made of a harder material than woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, etc., and the peripheral wall 12 including the part covering the instep and the bottom wall 11 including the part defining the ground contact surface are integrally formed by the shell 10A made of a single member, so that the load transfer at the time of pushing off is fast, and the shoe has excellent ability to follow the foot, especially when running, etc. The direction of the load transfer by the shell 10A is shown diagrammatically by a black arrow in Fig. 40, and the direction of the load applied to the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10A by this is shown diagrammatically by a white arrow in Fig. 40.

[0232] Therefore, by making the shoe 1D according to this embodiment, not only can the freedom in selecting the material for the sole body be increased while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, but also the shoe can be made to have excellent conformability to the foot.

[0233] Fig. 41 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly structure of the shoe according to the present embodiment. Next, with reference to Fig. 41, an assembly structure and an assembly method of the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment will be explained.

[0234] As shown in Fig. 41, the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment is manufactured by assembling together a shell 10A, a sole body 20, and an upper body 30, which are individually manufactured in advance. The shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30 may be manufactured by any method.

[0235] Specifically, first, the sole body 20 is inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A. Here, since the sole body 20 is capable of elastic deformation, it can be inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A through the opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the shell 10A. The inserted sole body 20 is arranged so as to be aligned along the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10A.

[0236] Next, the sole body 20 is fixed to the shell 10A. For this fixing, for example, sewing, bonding, welding, clip fastening, or engagement between engaging parts provided on the sole body 20 and the shell 10A can be used. However, if the sole body 20 does not easily move inside the shell 10A, this fixing may not be performed.

[0237] Next, the upper body 30 is inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A. Since the upper body 30 is flexibly deformable, it can be inserted into the internal space SP of the shell 10A through the opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the shell 10A. The inserted upper body 30 is arranged so as to be aligned with the upper surface 21 of the sole body 20 and the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10A. The vicinity of the opening 33 of the upper body 30 is exposed to the outside from the insertion portion 13 of the shell 10A.

[0238] Next, the upper body 30 is fixed to the shell 10A and the sole body 20. For this fixing, for example, sewing, bonding, welding, clipping, or engagement between engaging parts provided on the upper body 30 and the shell 10A, or engagement between engaging parts provided on the upper body 30 and the sole body 20, etc. may be used. However, if the upper body 30 does not move easily inside the shell 10A, this fixing may not be performed.

[0239] Through the above steps, the assembly of the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30 is completed, and the manufacture of the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment is completed. Note that the above-mentioned assembly method is merely an example, and other assembly methods may be adopted.

[0240] As described above, the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment can be manufactured by a very simple operation of assembling the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30, which are individually manufactured in advance, and therefore the manufacturing is easier than in the past. Furthermore, when assembling the shell 10A, the sole body 20, and the upper body 30, there is no need for complicated positioning operations.

[0241] Therefore, by making the shoe 1D of this embodiment, not only can the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body be increased while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, but the shoe can also be made easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0242] (Embodiment 19) Fig. 42 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 19. Hereinafter, a shoe 1E according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 42.

[0243] As shown in FIG. 42, the shoe 1E of this embodiment has a shell 10P having a different configuration from the shell 10A of the shoe 1D of the above-mentioned embodiment 18, but the other configurations are similar to those of the shoe 1D of the above-mentioned embodiment 18.

[0244] Specifically, in the shell 10P, an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12 is formed large so as to straddle the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3. More specifically, the peripheral wall portion 12 is configured to mainly cover the portions corresponding to the toes of the wearer's foot, the portions corresponding to the medial and lateral sides of the instep of the wearer's foot, and the portion of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot that corresponds to the sole side, while the portion corresponding to the center of the instep in the foot width direction and the portion of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot that corresponds to the ankle side are not generally covered by the peripheral wall portion 12.

[0245] As a result, the wall portion 32 of the upper body 30 is exposed to the outside at a portion corresponding to the center of the instep of the wearer's foot in the width direction and at a portion corresponding to the ankle side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0246] Here, also in the shoe 1E according to the present embodiment, the internal space SP of the shell 10P is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2, of which the lower space SP1 is defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and the above-mentioned first portion of the peripheral wall portion 12, and the upper space SP2 is defined by the above-mentioned second portion of the peripheral wall portion 12. Then, by accommodating the sole body 20 in the lower space SP1, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1E is formed by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10P.

[0247] Therefore, in the case of shoe 1E of this embodiment, as in the case of shoe 1D of embodiment 18 described above, it is possible to increase the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and further to produce a shoe that is easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0248] (Embodiment 20) Fig. 43 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 20. Hereinafter, a shoe 1F according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 43.

[0249] As shown in Fig. 43, shoe 1F according to the present embodiment includes a shell 10R having a different configuration from shell 10A included in shoe 1D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 18, and does not include upper body 30 included in shoe 1D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 18, but otherwise has the same configuration as shoe 1D according to the above-mentioned embodiment 18. Here, shoe 1F according to the present embodiment is a so-called sandal.

[0250] Specifically, in the shell 10R, an opening-shaped insertion portion 13 provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 12 is formed large so as to straddle the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3. More specifically, the peripheral wall portion 12 is configured to mainly cover a portion corresponding to the toes of the wearer's foot, a portion corresponding to the instep of the wearer's foot, and a portion corresponding to the sole side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and the portion corresponding to the ankle side of the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot is generally not covered by the peripheral wall portion 12.

[0251] Here, also in the shoe 1F according to the present embodiment, the internal space SP of the shell 10R is divided into a lower space SP1 and an upper space SP2, of which the lower space SP1 is defined by the bottom wall portion 11 and the above-mentioned first portion of the peripheral wall portion 12, and the upper space SP2 is defined by the above-mentioned second portion of the peripheral wall portion 12. Then, by accommodating the sole body 20 in the lower space SP1, the ground contact surface of the shoe 1F is formed by the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10R.

[0252] Therefore, in the case of shoe 1F of this embodiment, as in the case of shoe 1D of embodiment 18 described above, it is possible to increase the freedom in selecting materials for the sole body while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and further to produce a shoe that is easier to manufacture than conventional shoes.

[0253] (Summary of the contents disclosed in the embodiments, etc.) The characteristic configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned first to twentieth embodiments and their modifications can be summarized as follows.

[0254] A shoe according to a certain embodiment of the present disclosure includes a shell and a sole body. The shell is made of a flexible member having an internal space into which a wearer's foot is inserted. The sole body is housed in the shell and supports the sole of the wearer's foot. The shell includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall erected from the periphery of the bottom wall. In the shoe according to a certain embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom wall and the peripheral wall adjacent to the bottom wall form a lower space in which the sole body is disposed, and the peripheral wall located above the portion adjacent to the bottom wall forms at least a part of an upper space in which the wearer's foot is inserted. In the shoe according to a certain embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom wall covers the lower surface of the sole body, and the outer surface of the bottom wall forms a ground contact surface.

[0255] A shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure may further include an upper body that is housed in the shell and covers at least the instep of the wearer's foot.

[0256] In a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper body may have a bag-like shape with an opening provided in a portion corresponding to an opening into which a wearer's foot is inserted. In this case, the upper body may be disposed in the upper space and the lower space along the inner surface of the shell, so that the sole body is housed in the upper body.

[0257] In a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper body may have a bag-like shape with an opening provided in a portion corresponding to an opening into which a wearer's foot is inserted. In this case, the upper body may be disposed along an inner surface of the shell in a portion forming the upper space and an upper surface of the sole body, so that the sole body is sandwiched between the bottom wall portion and the upper body.

[0258] In a shoe according to a certain form of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the shell in the portion forming the upper space covers at least the medial side of the instep of the wearer's foot and the lateral side of the instep of the wearer's foot.

[0259] In a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the shell in the portion forming the upper space covers at least the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0260] In a shoe according to a certain form of the present disclosure, the shell in the portion forming the upper space may completely cover all parts of the wearer's foot except for the sole, except for the portion corresponding to the opening into which the wearer's foot is inserted.

[0261] In a shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shell may have at least a base structure composed of a curved mesh member including a plurality of wire elements connected crosswise to each other.

[0262] In the shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell may have at least a base structure made of a curved plate-like member, and in this case, a plurality of holes may be provided in the base structure.

[0263] In a shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shell may have at least a base structure formed of a curved knit-like member.

[0264] In a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell may further include a design portion formed to cover the base structure portion.

[0265] In a shoe according to a certain form of the present disclosure, the shell in the portion forming the upper space may cover at least the instep of the wearer's foot, in which case the shell in the portion covering the instep of the wearer's foot may have a multi-layer structure.

[0266] In a shoe according to a certain form of the present disclosure, the shell in the portion forming the upper space may cover at least the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, in which case the shell in the portion covering the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot may have a multi-layer structure.

[0267] In a shoe according to a certain form of the present disclosure, the shell in the portion forming the upper space may cover at least the portion adjacent to the opening through which the wearer's foot is inserted, in which case the shell in the portion adjacent to the opening through which the wearer's foot is inserted may have a multi-layer structure.

[0268] In a shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom wall portion may have a multi-layer structure.

[0269] In a shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the bottom wall portion may be thicker than the peripheral wall portion.

[0270] In a shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the shell may be constructed from a single member.

[0271] In a shoe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shell may be constructed by combining a plurality of members.

[0272] (Other forms, etc.) The specific shape, configuration, size, number, position, etc. of each part shown in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 to 20 and their modified examples can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0273] Furthermore, the characteristic configurations shown in the above-mentioned first to twentieth embodiments and their modifications can be combined with each other without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0274] As such, the above-mentioned embodiment and its modified examples disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0275] 1A to 1F shoes, 10A to 10R, 10A1 to 10A2, 10B', 10C', 10H', 10H1, 10H2, 10K' shell, 11 bottom wall portion, 11a inner surface, 11b outer surface, 11c opening, 11d protrusion portion, 12 peripheral wall portion, 12a inner surface, 12b outer surface, 13 insertion portion, 14 hole portion, 15 frame-shaped portion, 16 foundation structure portion, 16a mesh-like member, 16a1 wire element, 16a2 connecting portion, 16a3 wire element, 16a4 buried layer, 16b plate-like member, 16c knitted structure-like member, 16c1 meridian element, 16c2 latitude element, 16c3 connection portion, 16d knitted structure-like member, 16d1 First perforated plate element, 16d2 second perforated plate element, 17 design portion, 18 first shell portion, 18a joint portion, 18b frame-shaped portion, 18c convex portion, 18d step portion, 19 second shell portion, 19a joint portion, 19b frame-shaped portion, 19c concave portion, 19d step portion, 20 sole body, 21 upper surface, 22 lower surface, 23 side surface, 30 upper body, 31 bottom portion, 31a inner surface, 31b outer surface, 32 wall portion, 32a inner surface, 32b outer surface, 33 shoe opening, A1 single-layer structure portion, A2 multi-layer structure portion, B1 non-design area, B2 design area, R1 forefoot portion, R2 midfoot portion, R3 rearfoot portion, SP internal space, SP1 lower side space, SP2 upper side space, SP3 insertion space.

Claims

1. A shoe having a flexible shell in which an internal space is formed into which the wearer's foot is inserted, The shell includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall that is erected from the periphery of the bottom wall. The peripheral wall portion includes a curved mesh-like member comprising a plurality of wire elements connected to each other in an intersecting manner, as the foundation structure of the peripheral wall portion. The bottom wall portion includes a plate-shaped member in which no holes are formed, as the foundation structure of the bottom wall portion. A shoe in which the contact surface is formed by the outer surface of the sole wall.

2. The outer surface of the bottom wall portion is defined by the lower surface of the plate-shaped member, The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface is formed by the lower surface of the plate-shaped member.

3. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall portion is configured to cover at least the medial and lateral portions of the instep of the wearer's foot.

4. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall portion is configured to cover at least the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot.

5. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall portion is configured to completely cover the portion of the wearer's foot other than the portion corresponding to the opening into which the wearer's foot is inserted, excluding the sole of the foot.

6. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall portion is greater than the thickness of the peripheral wall portion.

7. A shoe having a flexible shell in which an internal space is formed into which the wearer's foot is inserted, The shell includes a bottom wall and a peripheral wall that is erected from the periphery of the bottom wall. At least a portion of the aforementioned shell has a multilayer structure, Each layer included in the multilayer structure is composed of a curved mesh-like member containing multiple wire elements connected to each other in an intersecting manner. A shoe in which the contact surface is formed by the outer surface of the sole wall.

8. In the multilayer structure, each of the intersections of the plurality of wire elements in each layer is arranged to face each other, The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the opposing intersections are connected by a connecting portion.

9. The peripheral wall portion is configured to cover at least the instep of the wearer's foot, The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the portion of the peripheral wall that covers the instep of the wearer's foot includes the multilayer structure.

10. The peripheral wall portion is configured to at least cover the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the portion of the peripheral wall that covers the circumferential surface of the wearer's heel includes the multilayer structure.

11. The peripheral wall portion is configured to cover at least the portion adjacent to the opening into which the wearer's foot is inserted, The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the portion of the peripheral wall adjacent to the opening into which the wearer's foot is inserted includes the multilayer structure.

12. The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the bottom wall portion includes the multilayer structure portion.

13. The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall portion is greater than the thickness of the peripheral wall portion.

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