Low-cut shoe

Abstract

To sufficiently prevent deformation of a heel portion of a low-cut shoe without impairing wearing comfort.SOLUTION: A low-cut shoe 1 comprises a shoe body 10 and a heel core material 20 that is interposed between an inner fabric I and an outer fabric O of a heel portion 11c adjacent to a shoe opening 11a of the shoe body 10. The heel core material 20 is made of a synthetic resin and has a net-like structure formed of a plurality of openings 24 arranged in parallel. As a result, the heel core material 20 is provided with good flexibility and elasticity, is elastically deformable into a fallen state when the heel portion 11c is stepped on with a foot, and is capable of returning to its original upright state when the foot is fitted into the shoe body 10. Accordingly, deformation of the heel portion 11c is prevented. Since the heel core material 20 is also highly flexible, it does not cause discomfort even when it contacts the foot, and wearing comfort is not impaired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a low boot and a heel core material to be built into the heel portion of the low boot. [Background technology]

[0002] When putting on low boots, a person may place the toe of the foot in the opening, place the heel of the foot on the adjacent heel part, and press down on the heel part of the low boots with the heel. If this condition continues, the heel of the shoes will lose its shape and will not be able to return to its original shape from the crushed state, resulting in an unsightly appearance.

[0003] For this reason, a core material is sandwiched between the inner and outer fabrics of the heel of the low boots to prevent the shoes from losing their shape. Generally, cardboard or, as in Patent Document 1, a so-called sponge sheet such as urethane foam is used as such a core material.

[0004] By the way, if the core material is cardboard, if the heel is repeatedly stepped on, it will develop a crease and will not be able to recover from the crushed state. Furthermore, the creases can cause the area to rub against the foot, making the shoes uncomfortable to wear, and can also cause wrinkles in the fabric on the inside and outside of the area, making the shoes look unattractive.

[0005] Even when the core material is a sponge sheet, it has little original restoring power, so it is difficult for the shoe to return to its original state completely after the heel is crushed. Therefore, neither of these is sufficient as a core material for preventing deformation.

[0006] Therefore, it is conceivable to form the core from a synthetic resin plate, as in Patent Document 2. In this case, even if the heel portion is crushed, it is easy for the shoe to return to its original shape elastically. However, the core material is too rigid, which can cause pain when stepping on the heel, and also makes it difficult for the heel to deform when the foot is placed in a low boot, resulting in poor comfort. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-161721 [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-24975 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention aims to sufficiently prevent the heel of low shoes from losing its shape without impairing the comfort of wearing them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the low boots of the invention comprise a shoe body and a heel core material sandwiched between inner and outer fabrics in the heel portion adjacent to the opening of the shoe body, the heel core material being made of synthetic resin and molded in a curved shape to correspond to the shape of the heel of the foot, and having a mesh structure with many parallel openings, so that it can be deformed into a collapsed state when the heel portion is stepped on by the foot, and can be restored to its original upright state when the foot fits into the shoe body.

[0010] With this construction, the heel core is made of a highly rigid synthetic resin material, and the numerous openings create a mesh structure throughout, giving it moderate flexibility and resilience, so when the collapsed heel is released from pressure, it returns to its original upright position, preventing it from losing its shape. Because the heel core has moderate flexibility, it does not hurt the foot when it hits it, and it does not impair comfort when worn. Unlike cardboard, the material does not crease, so wrinkles do not form on the inside or outside of the fabric, and creases do not cause discomfort to the feet.

[0011] In the low boots of the present invention, it is preferable that the openings are arranged in parallel in double rows in the vertical direction of the heel core material and in a zigzag pattern between adjacent rows, so that the heel core material has a diagonal lattice-like mesh structure.

[0012] By configuring the mesh structure in a diagonal grid pattern in this way, the shoe has good deformability and recovery properties against pressure from above, so it does not cause discomfort to the foot, and when the pressure is released it immediately recovers its shape, further preventing it from losing its shape.

[0013] In the short boots of the invention, it is preferable that the height of the center of the heel core in the left-right direction is greater than the height of the left and right ends, and that the opening in the center of the heel core in the left-right direction is greater than the openings at the left and right ends of the heel core in the left-right direction.

[0014] This configuration ensures that the stiffness of the center and left and right ends of the heel core is roughly equal, resulting in uniform flexibility and recovery as a whole. This prevents discomfort when the heel core comes into contact with the foot due to a stiff portion of the heel core, and prevents localized deformation due to poor recovery in some areas.

[0015] In the low boots of the present invention, it is preferable that the heel core material has an upper guide that extends backward from its upper edge and guides the heel of the foot that comes into contact with it from the opening of the shoe body to the toe side via the inner fabric.

[0016] With this configuration, the upper guide acts to smoothly guide the foot through the opening and into the inside of the shoe body, making the low boots easier to put on.

[0017] In the low boots of the present invention, it is even more preferable that the upper guide is configured to come into surface contact with the Achilles tendon via the inner fabric when the foot is placed inside the shoe body.

[0018] With this configuration, the Achilles tendon is protected by being wrapped in the upper guide when the low boots are worn, which helps prevent foot injuries. In addition, the upper guide makes contact with the Achilles tendon over a surface rather than a point, so there is no pain and it is comfortable to wear.

[0019] In the low boots according to the present invention, the upper guide may be configured so as not to have the opening.

[0020] With this configuration, the rigidity and strength of the upper guide, which tends to come into direct contact with the foot via the inner fabric and is therefore prone to wear and breakage, is ensured.

[0021] In the low boots of the present invention, it is preferable that the heel core material has side guides extending from its left and right edges and guiding the heel of the foot that comes into contact with this side guide to the left-right center of the shoe body via the inner fabric.

[0022] With this configuration, the side guides smoothly guide the foot so that it fits into the appropriate position in the left-right direction within the shoe body, making the low boots easier to put on.

[0023] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the heel core material of the present invention is used in the heel area adjacent to the opening of a low shoe, sandwiched between inner and outer fabrics, is made of synthetic resin, is molded in a curved shape to fit the shape of the heel of the foot, and has a mesh structure with many parallel openings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The low boots and heel core material of the present invention are constructed as described above, so that it is possible to sufficiently prevent the heel portion of the low boots from losing its shape without impairing the comfort of wearing the boots. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] Perspective view of low shoes [Figure 2] Side view of low boots [Figure 3] Plan view of heel core [Figure 4] Side view of heel core DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a pair of low shoes 1 to be worn on the right and left feet, respectively. For convenience, only the low shoes 1 to be worn on the left foot are shown in the drawings.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1(a), the low shoe 1 of the embodiment is made up of a shoe body 10 and a heel core 20 of the embodiment. The shoe body 10 is made up of an upper 11 at the top and a sole 12 at the bottom, and the foot is housed in the upper 11. An opening 11a for inserting the foot is provided at the top of the upper 11. The material of the upper 11 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include natural leather, synthetic leather, and fabrics such as synthetic fiber mesh. The material of the sole 12 is also not particularly limited, but examples thereof include rubber, urethane, and EVA.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the upper 11 slopes gently downward from the opening 11a to the tip, and the tip thereof is a toe portion 11b where the toes of the foot are accommodated. The shoe also slopes sharply downward from the opening 11a toward the rear end to form a heel portion 11c into which the heel of the foot is accommodated. The opening 11a and the heel portion 11c are adjacent to each other.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the heel core 20 is built into the heel portion 11c of the shoe body 10 so as to be sandwiched between an inner fabric I and an outer fabric O. The heel core 20 is made of synthetic resin and is molded into a curved bowl shape as a whole so as to correspond to the shape of the heel of the foot. The type of synthetic resin is not particularly limited, but an example is soft polyethylene.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the heel core 20 has a raised shape overall (the center in the left-right direction is higher than the left and right ends) and is composed of a central core body 21, an upper guide 22 connected to the upper edge of the core body 21, and a pair of side guides 23 connected to the left and right edges of the core body 21. The upper guide 22 extends from the core body 21 so as to be curved upward and backward. That is, compared to the rising angle of the core body 21, the upper guide 22 rises in a state of being laid backward. With the heel core 20 housed in the heel portion 11c, the upper edge of the upper guide 22 reaches the edge of the opening of the shoe opening 11a. The core body 21 and the upper guide 22 are separated by an imaginary arc connecting the left and right arcs that form the outer edge of the core body 21, for example, in FIG. A pair of left and right side guides 23 extend forward from the core body 21. With the heel core 20 housed in the heel portion 11c, the front edge of the side guide 23 reaches approximately the middle between the toe portion 11b and the heel portion 11c. The core body 21 and the side guide 23 are separated by an imaginary line extending downward from the outer edge of the upper guide 22 in FIG. 4, for example.

[0031] The core body 21 and side guide 23 of the heel core 20 are provided with a large number of parallel openings 24 (approximately 30 in the figure), and the strip-like portions remaining between adjacent openings 24 intersect, giving the heel core 20 a mesh structure.

[0032] 3, the openings 24 are arranged in three rows. Each row is curved in an arc, and from the side closest to the upper guide 22, the rows describe a large arc, a medium arc, and a small arc. The positions of the openings 24 between adjacent rows are in a zigzag (staggered) pattern. As a result, the strip-like portions remaining between the openings 24 intersect in a diagonal lattice pattern, forming a mesh structure. In this embodiment, the shape of the opening 24 is generally rectangular, except for the central portion in the left-right direction of the heel core 20. A downward-facing semicircular opening 24 larger than the rectangular opening 24 is formed in the center of the heel core 20 in the left-right direction.

[0033] The heel core 20 has a mesh structure, which reduces rigidity compared to when the openings 24 are not present, and provides good flexibility and elasticity. In particular, the diagonal lattice structure of the mesh provides particularly good flexibility when pressure is applied to the heel core 20 from above and good recovery when the pressure is released. By making the opening 24 in the center of the heel core 20 larger than the openings 24 on the left and right sides, the rigidity of the left and right parts, which are smaller in the vertical direction, and the rigidity of the center part, which is taller, are roughly the same, resulting in roughly uniform flexibility and recovery of the entire heel core 20. This prevents situations such as an uncomfortable feeling when one part hits the foot F due to being particularly hard, or localized deformation due to poor recovery in one part.

[0034] As shown in the figure, the upper guide 22, which is likely to come into direct contact with the heel of the foot F and therefore requires particular strength and rigidity, does not have an opening 24. This prevents the upper guide 22 from wearing out or breaking.

[0035] The size of the opening 24 is not particularly limited, but in the case of an irregularly shaped opening, the maximum diameter is 25 mm or less and the minimum diameter is 2 mm or more, for example. The size of the band-like portions that intersect vertically and horizontally to form a mesh structure is not particularly limited, but the width can be, for example, 2 mm to 6 mm. The thickness of the heel core 20 is not particularly limited, but can be exemplified as 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0036] The configuration of the low shoes 1 of the embodiment is as described above. Now, when putting on the low shoes 1, as shown in Figure 2(a), when the toes of the foot F are placed in the opening 11a, the heel of the foot F comes into contact with the upper guide 22 of the heel core 20 via the inner fabric I of the shoe body 10. The upper guide 22 guides the foot F toward the toe 11b inside the shoe body 10, making it possible to put on the low shoe 1 smoothly, as shown in FIG. 2(b). Furthermore, when the low shoe 1 is worn, the upper guide 22 comes into surface contact with the part of the foot F that corresponds to the Achilles tendon, enveloping it over a wide area via the inner fabric I of the shoe body 10. This prevents injury to the Achilles tendon. The heel core 20 has a moderate flexibility, so the comfort of wearing the shoes is not compromised.

[0037] Similarly, as shown in Figure 3, when putting on the low shoes 1, the left and right parts of the foot F that enters the inside of the shoe body 10 through the opening 11a come into contact with a pair of left and right side guides 23 of the heel core material 20, respectively, via the inner fabric I not shown. The side guides 23 guide the foot F to the center in the left-right direction inside the shoe body 10, so that the foot F fits smoothly into an appropriate position in the shoe body 10.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, if we imagine that when putting on the low shoes 1, the heel portion 11c of the shoe body 10 is stepped on with the foot F, the heel portion 11c will collapse upon contact with the foot F, and as shown by the dotted line in the figure, the heel core material 20 will deform into a collapsed state via the inner fabric I (not shown). Because the heel core material 20 has a mesh structure, its rigidity is reduced and flexibility is given to it, and it is relatively easy to deform into a collapsed state when it comes into contact with the foot F, reducing the discomfort felt by the foot F. Similarly, because heel core 20 has a mesh structure and is highly resilient, when foot F leaves heel portion 11c, heel core 20 restores and deforms to an upright state as shown by the solid line in the figure. Therefore, the heel portion 11c is prevented from losing its shape and the fabric on the inside and outside of the heel portion 11c is prevented from wrinkling.

[0039] The heel core 20 of the embodiment can also be distributed separately. In this case, for example, the heel core 20 alone is sold to a shoe manufacturer, who then manufactures the low shoes 1 of the embodiment by incorporating the heel core 20 into the shoe body.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and all modifications and variations within that scope and in a meaning equivalent to the claims are intended to be included.

[0041] For example, the shape and structure of the shoe body 10 are not limited to those in the embodiment, and the present invention is applicable to all types of casual shoes, such as dress shoes, loafers, and sneakers.

[0042] Furthermore, the arrangement, shape and number of the openings 24 are not limited to those in the embodiment as long as a mesh structure can be formed. For example, the openings 24 may be arranged so that the mesh structure is a regular lattice. The openings 24 may also be circular or elliptical, and the openings 24 may be uniformly shaped only rectangular or only semicircular. In this embodiment, the number of openings 24 is approximately 30, and to form a relatively open mesh structure with adequate flexibility and resilience, the number of openings 24 is preferably about 20 to 50, although fewer or more openings may be used. In the embodiment, the upper guide 22 is not provided with an opening 24, but it is also possible to provide an opening 24. Also, the side guide 23 is provided with an opening 24, but it is also possible not to provide the opening 24. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 short shoes 10 Shoe body 11 Upper 11a Shoe opening 11b Toe 11c heel 12 soles 20 heel core 21 Core body 22 Upper guide 23 Side guide 24 Aperture I Inner fabric O Outer fabric F foot

Claims

1. The shoe itself, The shoe body has a heel core sandwiched between an inner fabric and an outer fabric in a heel portion adjacent to the opening of the shoe body, The heel core material is It is made of synthetic resin and is molded in a curved shape to fit the shape of the heel of the foot, and has a mesh structure with many parallel openings. The low shoes can be deformed into a collapsed state when the heel part is stepped on with the foot, and can be restored to the original standing state when the foot is accommodated in the shoe body.

2. The opening is The heel core is arranged in parallel in double rows in the up-down direction of the heel core, and is arranged in a zigzag pattern between adjacent rows, The low shoe according to claim 1, wherein the heel core has a diagonal lattice mesh structure.

3. The heel core has a convex shape in which the height of the center in the left-right direction is greater than the height of the left and right ends, The opening at the center of the heel core in the left-right direction is The low shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening is larger than the openings at the left and right ends of the heel core in the left-right direction.

4. The heel core material is 3. The low boot according to claim 1, further comprising an upper guide extending backward from the upper edge thereof and guiding the heel of the foot that comes into contact with the upper guide from the opening of the shoe body to the toe side via the inner fabric.

5. The upper guide is The low shoe according to claim 4, wherein the shoe is configured to come into surface contact with the Achilles tendon via the inner fabric when the foot is placed inside the shoe body.

6. The low boot according to claim 4 , wherein the upper guide is not provided with the opening.

7. The heel core material is 3. The low boot according to claim 1, further comprising side guides extending from the left and right edges thereof and guiding the heel of a foot in contact therewith toward the left-right center of the shoe body via the inner fabric.

8. It is used in the heel area adjacent to the opening of low boots, sandwiched between the inner and outer fabrics. A heel core material made of synthetic resin, molded into a curved shape to fit the shape of the heel of the foot, and having a mesh structure with many parallel openings.

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