Footwear

Abstract

To provide footwear being easily put on without using a hand or a shoehorn, providing a wearer with a good feeling on the foot when worn, not hindering the movement of the foot, and causing no burden when worn due to an extreme increase in weight of the footwear.SOLUTION: Footwear (100) comprises a sole (2), an upper body (3) other than the sole (2), and a wearing opening (4), where the upper body (3) includes an upper (5) constituting an outermost layer of the upper body (3), and an inner (6) constituting an innermost layer. A heel part (14) of the upper body (3) includes a counter (16) between the upper (5) and the inner (6), and a reinforcing layer (22) protruding obliquely upward and toward the rear extends from an upper end (20) side of the counter (16), where the reinforcing layer (22) is made of a fabric impregnated with resin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear having a counter in the heel portion. [Background technology]

[0002] Footwear with a heel counter provides excellent walking stability because the counter firmly supports the wearer's heel. However, if the heel hits the counter or is accidentally stepped on by the heel when putting on the footwear, the counter may bend or break. To prevent this from happening, when putting on the footwear, it is necessary to pinch the top end of the heel with your fingers and pull it up, or use a shoe horn, so that the heel fits smoothly into the heel of the footwear without hitting the counter.

[0003] Therefore, the wearer may find the above-mentioned tasks troublesome. In particular, for elderly people or people with disabilities who have difficulty moving freely or whose hands are full holding a child or carrying luggage, the above-mentioned tasks of pulling up the heel of the footwear or using a shoehorn while wearing the footwear may become cumbersome or difficult.

[0004] Footwear that is designed to be put on without using hands or a shoehorn is already known, as shown in Patent Document 1. That is, the footwear described in Patent Document 1 has a hard protrusion that extends diagonally upward at the top end of the heel, and when worn, the heel of the foot is inserted into the footwear through this protrusion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-139151 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, as shown in Patent Document 1, the long, hard protrusion protruding from the heel contacts the wearer's heel to ankle when the footwear is worn. This can make the footwear uncomfortable to wear and restrict ankle movement. Furthermore, because the protrusion is hard and difficult to deform, the protrusion gets in the way when putting on the footwear, forcing the wearer to insert the foot into the footwear from the toe side with the toe side stretched extremely downward, which puts strain on the body and tends to make putting on the footwear cumbersome.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide footwear that can be easily put on without using hands or shoehorns, that provides a good sensation to the feet when worn, does not hinder the movement of the feet, and that does not cause a burden when worn due to an excessive increase in the weight of the footwear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] That is, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, The shoe has a sole, an upper body other than the sole, and an opening, The upper body is a footwear including an upper that constitutes the outermost layer of the upper body and an inner that constitutes the innermost layer, A counter is provided between the upper and the inner at the heel portion of the upper body, A reinforcing layer is provided on the upper end side of the counter, protruding obliquely upward toward the rear, The reinforcing layer is made of a fabric impregnated with resin.

[0009] In this application, "rear" refers to the opposite side of the toe side of the footwear, i.e., the heel side, with the toe side being the front. Furthermore, the "up-and-down" direction in this invention refers to the instep side of the footwear being the top and the sole side being the bottom. Furthermore, the "heel" in this invention refers to the part of the upper body that covers the heel of the wearer when worn. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the present invention provides a reinforcing layer made of resin-impregnated fabric on the upper end of the counter, thereby providing the reinforcing layer with appropriate shape retention and elasticity. Furthermore, the reinforcing layer protrudes diagonally upward from the counter toward the rear. Therefore, when putting on footwear, the wearer's heel can be smoothly and easily inserted from the reinforcing layer through the counter into the heel portion of the footwear. This eliminates the risk of damaging or deforming the counter by stepping on it with the heel, and also makes it possible to easily and smoothly insert the heel into the heel portion without using hands or a shoehorn. This makes it easy to put on footwear, particularly for elderly people and people with disabilities who have difficulty moving freely or whose hands are full while carrying a child or luggage, thereby reducing the burden on the wearer.

[0011] Furthermore, the footwear deforms appropriately to fit the foot well when worn, and it deforms to follow the movement of the foot when worn, so that the foot does not feel uncomfortable and the foot is comfortable to wear. Furthermore, because the reinforcing layer is fabric impregnated with resin, the weight of the reinforcing layer itself does not significantly affect the weight of the entire footwear, and the weight increase due to the provision of the reinforcing layer does not become a significant burden on the wearer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a footwear showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a heel portion taken along a widthwise center portion in the embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figure 1, (100) is a footwear having a sole (2), an upper body (3) constituting the rest of the sole (2), and an opening (4) provided on the upper body (3). As shown in Figure 2, the upper body (3) has an upper (5) constituting the outermost layer of the upper body (3) and an inner (6) constituting the innermost layer.

[0014] Regarding the heel portion 14 of the upper body 3, as shown in FIG. 2, an upper 5 is provided as the outermost layer of the heel portion 14, and the upper 5 is made of knit fabric throughout the entire footwear 100. While the upper 5 of this embodiment is made of knit fabric throughout the entire footwear 100, this is not a limitation in other embodiments. It is also possible to make only the instep 7 of the upper 5 of knit fabric, with the remaining portions made of other materials. Stretchable woven fabrics can also be used instead of knit fabrics. As shown in FIG. 2, a nonwoven fabric 15 is provided on the inner surface of the upper 5, and a semicircular counter 16 having an arc-shaped portion 17 extending from the outer edge of the sole 2 toward the rear end of the heel portion 14 in a side view is fixedly disposed on the inner rear surface of the nonwoven fabric 15, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, a reinforcing layer (22) is provided from the upper end (20) of the counter (16) to the upper end (21) of the heel portion (14). The reinforcing layer (22) is provided in the heel portion (14) so ​​as to protrude from the counter (16) diagonally upward and rearward. In this embodiment, the lower end (26) of the reinforcing layer (22) is disposed between the counter (16) and the nonwoven fabric (15). Meanwhile, the upper end of the reinforcing layer (22) is disposed above the upper end (20) of the counter (16), and in this embodiment, the upper end of the reinforcing layer (22) reaches the upper end (21) of the heel portion (14). The height position of the upper end of the reinforcing layer (22) is not particularly limited, but for example, when the height from the upper surface of the sole (2) to the upper end of the counter (16) is taken as 100%, the height of the upper end of the reinforcing layer (22) from the upper surface of the sole (2) is preferably 120% or more and 250% or less, and more preferably 150% or more and 230% or less.

[0016] The fabric constituting the reinforcing layer (22) is not particularly limited as long as it can be impregnated with resin, and one or a combination of two or more of woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, etc. can be used. Among these, knitted fabrics are preferred from the viewpoint of excellent stretchability, and tricot fabrics are particularly preferred because they are thin, lightweight, and have a good texture. In this embodiment, an embodiment using tricot fabric is specifically described. The fabric weight of the reinforcing layer (22) is 20 g / mm 2 More than 100g / mm 2 Preferably, it is 30 g / m or less. 2 More than 60g / m 2 It is more preferable that the weight is less than or equal to the above. According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, the provision of the protruding portion increases the weight of the entire footwear, which may cause a burden when worn. In contrast, according to footwear (100) that satisfies the above-mentioned range of basis weight, the weight of the reinforcing layer (22) itself does not have a significant effect on the weight of the entire footwear (100), and the increase in weight due to the provision of the reinforcing layer (22) does not cause a significant burden on the wearer.

[0017] The resin impregnated into the fabric is not particularly limited as long as it is solid at room temperature, melts when heated, and then solidifies again when cooled. For example, it may be a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or an adhesive resin that can be used as an adhesive, such as a hot-melt resin. From the viewpoint of improving the adhesion between the reinforcing layer (22) and other adjacent layers in the heel area, it is preferable that the fabric be impregnated with an adhesive resin such as a hot-melt resin. The resin weight is 800g / m 2 More than 1500g / m 2 It is preferable that:

[0018] In this embodiment, the reinforcing layer (22) is formed by impregnating a tricot fabric with a hot-melt resin. The reinforcing layer (22) may be prepared by pre-impregnating the fabric with the resin, or by applying resin to at least one of the opposing surfaces of the fabric and an adjacent member (nonwoven fabric (15) in this embodiment) and joining them to form the reinforcing layer (22). If the reinforcing layer (22) is prepared in advance, it can be heated to melt the resin impregnated in the fabric, thereby adhering the reinforcing layer (22) to the nonwoven fabric (15). By providing the reinforcing layer (22) as described above, it is possible to impart appropriate shape retention and elasticity to the upper end (21) of the heel portion (14).

[0019] Because the footwear (100) is provided with the reinforcing layer (22), when putting on the footwear (100), the wearer inserts the foot through the reinforcing layer (22) that protrudes diagonally upward as described above, and the wearer's heel can be smoothly and easily inserted into the heel portion (14) of the footwear (100). Therefore, when putting on the footwear (100), there is no risk of the counter (16) being damaged or deformed by stepping on it with the heel, and the heel can be easily and smoothly inserted into the heel portion (14) without the need for hands or a shoehorn. Therefore, the footwear (100) can be easily put on even for people who have difficulty moving freely, such as the elderly or disabled, or who have their hands full holding a child or carrying luggage, thereby reducing the burden on the wearer.

[0020] In this embodiment, the reinforcing layer (22) is made by impregnating a tricot fabric with hot melt resin as described above, and since the reinforcing layer (22) formed by impregnating a fabric with resin extends above the counter (16), it elastically deforms appropriately when the footwear (100) is worn, making it easy to fit to the foot, and elastically deforms following the movement of the foot when the foot is moved while wearing it. Therefore, the footwear (100) can provide a good wearing comfort without causing any discomfort to the foot.

[0021] Furthermore, the upper (5) of this embodiment is made of knitted fabric, and therefore has high stretchability. Therefore, the upper (5) stretches when putting on the shoe (when putting on the foot), allowing for smooth putting on without placing a large load on the heel portion (14). This effect can be achieved by making at least the instep portion (7) of the upper (5) made of knitted fabric. Therefore, the present invention also includes an embodiment in which the heel portion (14) of the upper (5) is made of knitted fabric, and the toe side and / or the intermediate portion between the toe side and the heel portion of the upper (5) are made of a material other than knitted fabric. Note that a similar effect can be achieved even with stretchable woven fabric other than knitted fabric.

[0022] A foam layer 24 is provided on the inner surface of the reinforcing layer 22 near the upper end 21 of the heel portion 14. The foam layer 24 can be made of various foam materials such as polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, and polypropylene foam, but in this embodiment, polyurethane foam is used as the foam layer 24. From the viewpoint of flexibility, polyurethane foam is preferred as the foam resin that makes up the foam layer 24. The foam layer 24 is disposed directly or indirectly adjacent to the front inner surface of the reinforcing layer 22. In this embodiment, the upper region of the counter 16 and the lower region of the foam layer 24 overlap, and the upper end of the foam layer 24 reaches the upper end 21 of the heel portion 14. In this embodiment, the rear inner surface of the foam layer 24 is in close contact with the reinforcing layer 22. Furthermore, the foam layer (22) preferably has a shape that bulges toward the opening (4), as shown in Figure 2. In a side view, the foam layer (22) of this embodiment bulges most toward the opening (4) at the vertically middle portion, and the maximum thickness of the foam layer (24), i.e., the thickness from the front inner surface of the reinforcing layer (22) to the most bulging portion (25), is preferably 8 mm to 15 mm, more preferably 8 mm to 15 mm. In this embodiment, the thickness is specifically set to 12 mm.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, a reinforcing layer (22) is disposed between the foam layer (24) and the nonwoven fabric (15), and the lower end of the reinforcing layer (22) is disposed between the nonwoven fabric (15) and the upper end (20) of the counter (16). As described above, in this embodiment, the lower end (26) of the reinforcing layer (22) is disposed between the nonwoven fabric (15) and the counter (16), but in other different embodiments, the lower end (26) of the reinforcing layer (22) may be disposed between the counter (16) and the foam layer (24). In addition, in this embodiment, the reinforcing layer (22) is provided in a position abutting against the front inner surface of the nonwoven fabric (15), but in a different aspect not shown, the reinforcing layer (22) may be provided in a position abutting against the rear inner surface of the nonwoven fabric (15).

[0024] By providing the foam layer (24) configured as described above, the heel comes into contact with the foam layer (24) when inserting the heel into the heel portion (14). However, because the foam layer (24) flexibly deforms in response to heel pressure, the heel can be smoothly inserted and positioned in the heel portion (14) without applying any load. Even when the wearer's foot contacts the foam layer (24), the elasticity of the foam layer (24) provides a pleasant feel to the foot while firmly protecting the foot. Furthermore, the presence of the foam layer (24) prevents the heel from easily slipping out of the heel portion (14) due to unexpected movements while wearing the boots. This further enhances safety when worn. In particular, in the embodiment having a foam layer (24) whose vertically intermediate portion bulges toward the opening (4), when wearing the footwear (100), the foot moves smoothly along the front inner surface of the foam layer (24) (particularly above the bulge (25)) into the interior of the footwear (100), and the front inner surface of the foam layer (24) (particularly below the bulge (25)) provides resistance when worn, preventing the heel from slipping out of the heel section due to unexpected movements while wearing the footwear. This makes it possible to more effectively ensure safety when wearing the footwear.

[0025] Furthermore, an inner layer 6 is provided on the inner surface of the foam layer 24, which constitutes the innermost layer of the heel portion 14. The thickness of the inner layer 6 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, between 1 mm and 3 mm. In this embodiment, the thickness of the inner layer 6 is 2 mm. The material constituting the inner (6) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of enabling the heel to be smoothly introduced into the heel portion (14), it is preferable to use a material with good slipperiness for at least the heel portion (14) of the inner (6), and in this embodiment, the entire inner (6) is made of spandex fabric. The material constituting at least the heel portion (14) of the inner (6) is preferably selected from a material with a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.80 or less. The dynamic friction coefficient can be measured in accordance with JIS K7125. Specifically, in this embodiment, the inner (6) is made of spandex fabric with a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.58.

[0026] A knob 30 is provided at the center of the outer surface of the heel portion 14. When putting on the glove, the wearer or a helper can pull the knob 30 to make it easier to insert the heel into the heel portion 14.

[0027] In the present invention, the height of the upper end (21) on the heel (14) side is not particularly limited. However, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the angle of the straight line (26) connecting the upper end (18) protruding from the instep (7) side of the upper body (3) and the upper end (21) protruding from the heel (14) side at the opening edge (8) of the shoe opening (4) is between 0° and 15° with respect to the horizontal line (28). With footwear (100) configured at such an angle, the height of the upper end (21) on the heel (14) side is appropriately adjusted, allowing the toes to naturally insert into the instep (7) side of the upper body (3) without pointing the toes downward more than necessary. This allows the footwear to be easily put on without placing undue strain on the wearer's body. In this embodiment, the angle of the straight line (26) with respect to the horizontal line (28) is 5°.

[0028] The present invention described above encompasses the following technical ideas. (1) A shoe having a sole, an upper body other than the sole, and an opening; The upper body is a footwear including an upper that constitutes the outermost layer of the upper body and an inner that constitutes the innermost layer, A counter is provided between the upper and the inner at the heel portion of the upper body, A reinforcing layer is provided on the upper end side of the counter, protruding obliquely upward toward the rear, The footwear is characterized in that the reinforcing layer is made of a fabric impregnated with resin. (2) The footwear according to (1), wherein the inner has a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.80 or less at least in the heel portion. (3) The heel portion is A foam layer is provided on the inner surface of the reinforcing layer on the opening side, The footwear according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the foam layer bulges in the direction of the opening. (4) Footwear according to any one of (1) to (3) above, characterized in that at least the instep portion of the upper is made of knitted fabric. (5) Footwear described in any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that at the opening edge of the shoe opening, the angle of a straight line connecting the upper end protruding from the instep side of the upper body and the upper end protruding from the heel side is between 0° and 15° with respect to the horizontal line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 2 Soles 3 Upper body 4. Opening 5 Upper 6 Innerwear 7 Instep 8 Opening edge 14 heel 16 Counter 18 Upper end (instep) 20 Top (Counter) 21 Upper end (heel) 22 Reinforcement layer 24 Foam layer 26 straight line 28 horizontal line 100 Footwear

Claims

1. The shoe has a sole, an upper body other than the sole, and an opening, The upper body is a footwear including an upper that constitutes the outermost layer of the upper body and an inner that constitutes the innermost layer, A counter is provided between the upper and the inner at the heel portion of the upper body, A reinforcing layer is provided on the upper end side of the counter, protruding obliquely upward toward the rear, The footwear is characterized in that the reinforcing layer is made of a fabric impregnated with resin.

2. 2. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein the inner has a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.80 or less at least in the heel portion.

3. The heel portion is A foam layer is provided on the inner surface of the reinforcing layer on the opening side, 3. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein the foam layer bulges out toward the opening.

4. 3. The footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least the instep of the upper is made of knitted fabric.

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