shoe

Abstract

To improve the static fitting property and dynamic fitting property of a shell to a foot at a position behind the ankle of the foot of a wearer in a shoe provided with the flexible shell composed of an elastic material.SOLUTION: The shoe sidewall is provided with a flexible shell 10 made of an elastic material including a bottom 1A part and a peripheral wall part 12. In the peripheral wall part 12, a swelling part including an easily deformable part composed of a three dimensional mesh structural body swelling toward the insertion space SP3 side into which the feet of the wearing person are inserted is provided at a position corresponding to at least one of a part behind the inner malleolus point and a part behind the outer malleolus point of the feet of the wearing person. In the peripheral wall part 12, a high-rigidity part as a hard-to-deform part having higher rigidity than the easy-to-deform part is provided at a position below the part where the swelling part is provided. At least a portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 including the bulging portion and the high-rigidity portion is formed of a single member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to shoes. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-127292 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-127293 (Patent Document 2) disclose shoes that include a flexible shell, a bag-shaped upper body housed inside the shell, and a sole body arranged at a predetermined position inside the shell. In the shoes disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the flexible shell has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, and when worn, the bottom wall supports the sole of the wearer's foot, while the peripheral wall covers the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-127292 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-127293 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In general, it is desirable for shoes to provide both a good fit during low-intensity exercise, such as when the wearer is standing still or walking at a low speed (so-called static fit), and a good fit during high-intensity exercise, such as when the wearer is walking or running at a high speed (so-called dynamic fit).

[0005] In this regard, in order to improve the static fit of shoes such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is conceivable to roughly conform the shape of the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the shell to the shape of the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot so that an appropriate amount of pressure is applied to the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot. However, this configuration alone does not necessarily improve the dynamic fit.

[0006] In other words, improved dynamic fit can only be achieved when the shoe deforms in response to foot movement (such as the bending of the foot), while maintaining the appropriate amount of pressure applied to the circumference of the wearer's foot despite this deformation. However, achieving this is not necessarily easy.

[0007] In particular, the portion of the circumference of the wearer's foot located behind the medial and lateral malleolus is more recessed than the surrounding area, and the opening for inserting the wearer's foot is located above the shell that covers this portion. Therefore, it is very difficult to improve the dynamic fit of the shell to the foot in this portion behind the medial and lateral malleolus, and if the dynamic fit in this portion is extremely poor, there is a risk that the shoe will fall off the wearer's foot during high-intensity exercise.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a shoe having a flexible shell made of elastic material that provides improved static and dynamic fit of the shell to the wearer's foot at a position posterior to the ankle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an insertion space into which a wearer's foot can be inserted, and a flexible shell made of an elastic material that surrounds the insertion space. The shell includes a bottom wall configured to support the sole of the wearer's foot and a peripheral wall configured to extend from the periphery of the bottom wall and cover the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot. The peripheral wall is provided with a bulging portion that includes an easily deformable portion formed of a three-dimensional mesh structure and bulges toward the insertion space at a position corresponding to at least one of a portion posterior to the medial malleolus and a portion posterior to the lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot. The peripheral wall is provided with a high-rigidity portion that is a less easily deformable portion having higher rigidity than the easily deformable portion at a position below the bulging portion. In the shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, at least the portion of the peripheral wall including the bulging portion and the high-rigidity portion is formed from a single member.

[0010] The medial malleolus point refers to the part of the medial malleolus at the end of the tibia that protrudes most toward the first toe, and the lateral malleolus point refers to the part of the lateral malleolus at the end of the fibula that protrudes most toward the fifth toe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, in a shoe having a flexible shell made of an elastic material, the static and dynamic fit of the shell to the wearer's foot can be improved at a position behind the ankle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a shoe according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the medial side of the foot. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 5]2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 taken along line VV shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a shell provided in the shoe shown in FIG. 1, taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of region VII shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing other aspects (first to third configuration examples) of a high-rigidity portion provided in a shell of the shoe shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining three-dimensional additive manufacturing of a shell included in the shoe shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining three-dimensional additive manufacturing of a shell included in the shoe shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining three-dimensional additive manufacturing of a shell included in the shoe shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 12] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing still other aspects (fourth to sixth configuration examples) of the high-rigidity portion provided in the shell of the shoe shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing still other aspects (seventh and eighth configuration examples) of the high-rigidity portion provided in the shell of the shoe shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view of a shoe according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a side view of a shoe according to a third embodiment, as viewed from the outside of the foot. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a side view of a shoe according to a fourth embodiment, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view of a shoe according to a fifth embodiment, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a side view of a shoe according to a sixth embodiment, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a side view of a shoe according to a seventh embodiment, viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a side view of a shoe according to an eighth embodiment, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. [Figure 21] 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shell of the shoe shown in FIG. 20 taken along line XXI-XXI shown in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] It is a side view of the shoe according to Embodiment 9 as seen from the outside of the foot. [Figure 23] It is a side view of the shoe according to Embodiment 10 as seen from the outside of the foot. [Figure 24] It is a side view of the shoe according to Embodiment 11 as seen from the outside of the foot. [Figure 25] It is a side view of the shoe according to Embodiment 12 as seen from the outside of the foot. [Figure 26] It is a side view of the shoe according to Embodiment 13 as seen from the outside of the foot.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments shown below, the same or common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) (A. Schematic Configuration of Shoe) FIG. 1 is a plan view of the shoe according to Embodiment 1, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are side views of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the inside and outside of the foot, respectively. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side, and FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 along the line V-V shown in FIG. 1. First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the schematic configuration of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment is a sock-shaped one that covers substantially the entire foot of the wearer (that is, the part on the end side rather than the ankle). The shoe 1A includes a shell 10, an upper body 20, and a sole body 30 (see FIG. 5). An opening 2 for inserting the foot is provided at the upper part of the shoe 1A, and a ground contact surface 3 for contacting the ground or the like is provided at the lower part of the shoe 1A. Further, an insertion space SP3 (see FIGS. 1 and 5), which is a space for inserting the foot of the wearer, is provided inside the shoe 1A.

[0016] Here, the front-to-back direction X of the shoe 1A is defined as the direction that coincides with the foot length direction of a wearer wearing the shoe 1A. The left-to-right direction Y of the shoe 1A is defined as the direction that coincides with the foot width direction of a wearer wearing the shoe 1A. Furthermore, the up-to-down direction Z of the shoe 1A is defined as the direction that is perpendicular to both the front-to-back direction X and the left-to-right direction Y. The up-to-down direction Z is generally perpendicular to the ground contact surface 3 included in the midfoot portion R2 and rearfoot portion R3 of the shoe 1A, which will be described later, in particular.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5, the shoe 1A includes, along the front-to-rear direction X, a forefoot portion R1 configured to support the toes and tread of the wearer's foot, a midfoot portion R2 configured to support the arch of the wearer's foot, and a rearfoot portion R3 configured to support the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0018] The forefoot portion R1, midfoot portion R2, and rearfoot portion R3 are defined as follows based on the shoe center SC of the shoe 1A (see FIG. 1). Here, the shoe center SC is a line obtained by projecting a line connecting the area between the wearer's first and second toes and the center of the calcaneus (the so-called heel center (the heel center is indicated by the symbol HC in FIG. 1)) onto the shoe 1A along the vertical direction Z when the shoe 1A is worn by a standard wearer with a foot size that fits the shoe 1A. The direction in which the shoe center SC extends coincides with the aforementioned front-to-back direction X. As a premise, the foremost and rearmost ends of the insertion space SP3 in the front-to-back direction X, which are positions on the shoe center SC, are referred to as the front end position PF and the rear end position PR, respectively, and the distance between the front end position PF and the rear end position PR along the front-to-back direction X is referred to as the total length of the insertion space SP3.

[0019] In other words, if the first boundary plane P1 is an imaginary plane that passes through a position 40% of the total length of the insertion space SP3 from the front end position PF and is perpendicular to the shoe center SC, and the second boundary plane P2 is an imaginary plane that passes through a position 80% of the total length of the insertion space SP3 from the front end position PF and is perpendicular to the shoe center SC, then the forefoot R1 corresponds to the part between the front end position PF and the first boundary plane P1 along the front-to-back direction X, the midfoot R2 corresponds to the part between the first boundary plane P1 and the second boundary plane P2 along the front-to-back direction X, and the rearfoot R3 corresponds to the part between the second boundary plane P2 and the rear end position PR along the front-to-back direction X.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, when viewed in a plan view, shoe 1A is divided along the left-right direction Y into an inner foot portion (the S1 side portion shown in the figure) that is on the midline side (i.e., the side closer to the midline) of the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot, and an outer foot portion (the S2 side portion shown in the figure) that is on the opposite side of the midline side of the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot (i.e., the side farther from the midline).

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, in shoe 1A, an upper body 20 and a sole body 30 are housed in a shell 10. More specifically, the sole body 30 is located at a lower position inside the shell 10, and the upper body 20 is located at an upper position inside the shell 10 so as to be located above the sole body 30. Accordingly, the sole body 30 is sandwiched between the shell 10 and the upper body 20. The shell 10, upper body 20, and sole body 30 are all located across the forefoot region R1, midfoot region R2, and rearfoot region R3.

[0022] The shell 10 constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1A and is made of a flexible member made of an elastic material formed into a bag-like shape with an opening-shaped mouth 10a. The shell 10 has an internal space communicating with the mouth 10a, and the above-mentioned insertion space SP3 is included in this internal space. The upper body 20 and the sole body 30 are arranged in the internal space of the shell 10, as described above.

[0023] The shell 10 includes a bottom wall 11 configured to cover the sole of the wearer's foot, and a peripheral wall 12 configured to cover the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot. The peripheral wall 12 is erected so as to extend continuously upward from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 11.

[0024] 5, the bottom wall 11 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 11a and an outer surface 11b. The inner surface 11a is located on the insertion space SP3 side, and the outer surface 11b constitutes the outermost surface located on the lower side of the shoe 1A in the vertical direction Z. The outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 corresponds to the above-mentioned ground contact surface 3, and thus the bottom wall 11 has the ground contact surface 3.

[0025] The peripheral wall 12 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner peripheral surface 12a and an outer peripheral surface 12b. The inner peripheral surface 12a is located on the insertion space SP3 side, and the outer peripheral surface 12b constitutes the outermost surface located in the front-to-back direction X of the shoe 1A, the outermost surface located in the left-to-right direction Y, and the outermost surface located on the upper side in the up-down direction Z.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the peripheral wall portion 12 has an inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A configured to cover the inner part of the wearer's foot, and an outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B configured to cover the outer part of the wearer's foot.

[0027] Here, in particular, the portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 that is configured to cover the instep of the wearer's foot (i.e., the portion of the peripheral wall portion 12 that is located on the upper side in the vertical direction Z) is configured to be thinner than the other portions included in the peripheral wall portion 12, and is configured with a mesh-like structure portion 10b that is made up of multiple straight-line portions that intersect with each other in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0028] With this configuration, the portion of the peripheral wall 12 that is configured to cover the instep of the wearer's foot has a lower tensile modulus and bending rigidity than the other portions of the peripheral wall 12. This allows this portion to deform more flexibly. Therefore, when worn, the shoe 1A can be improved in fit while preventing excessive pressure from being applied to the instep (particularly the ridge of the instep). Furthermore, the shoe 1A is less likely to be hindered from bending when running or walking, allowing the shoe 1A to more easily follow the movement of the foot. Additionally, the shoe 1A can be put on and taken off more easily.

[0029] In addition, the portion of the peripheral wall 12 that is configured to cover the instep of the wearer's foot may be configured with a mesh-like structure in which polygons such as triangles and squares are regularly arranged, or a mesh-like structure in the shape of lines obtained by Voronoi division, in addition to the structure described above.

[0030] The aforementioned opening 10a is provided at the upper end of the peripheral wall 12. This opening 10a is located across the midfoot region R2 and the rearfoot region R3. The opening 10a is provided to correspond to the aforementioned shoe opening 2, and during manufacturing of the shoe 1A, the upper body 20 and the sole body 30 are inserted into the shell 10 through the opening 10a.

[0031] 5, the internal space of the shell 10 is defined by the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12. The internal space is located across the forefoot portion R1, the midfoot portion R2, and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0032] The internal space of the shell 10 is divided into a lower space SP1 located in the lower portion of the shoe 1A in the vertical direction Z, and an upper space SP2 located in the upper portion of the shoe 1A in the vertical direction Z. More specifically, the lower space SP1 is a space defined by the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 and the inner circumferential surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 at a portion adjacent to the bottom wall portion 11, and the upper space SP2 is a space defined by the inner circumferential surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 at a portion located above the portion adjacent to the bottom wall portion 11 in the vertical direction Z.

[0033] That is, the lower space SP1 is located at the bottom inside the shell 10, and the sole body 30 is housed in the lower space SP1 as described above. On the other hand, the upper space SP2 is located at the top inside the shell 10, and the upper body 20 is housed in the upper space SP2. The upper space SP2 further includes the insertion space SP3 described above. The insertion space SP3 is defined by the space inside the upper body 20.

[0034] In shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, almost all of shell 10, except for mesh structure portion 10b, is made up of a three-dimensional mesh structure. Here, the three-dimensional mesh structure is formed by repeatedly arranging a plurality of predetermined unit structures adjacent to each other, and three-dimensional mesh structures include those having a three-dimensional lattice structure and those having a three-dimensional wall structure.

[0035] A three-dimensional lattice structure is a structure in which a plurality of unit structures formed by interconnecting a plurality of pillars extending in a predetermined direction are repeatedly arranged adjacent to each other. The unit structures of the three-dimensional lattice structure are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped lattice, a diamond lattice, an octahedral lattice, a double pyramidal lattice, a dodecahedral lattice, or any of these lattices to which various pillar supports have been added.

[0036] A three-dimensional wall structure is a structure in which a plurality of unit structures, each formed by a wall whose outer shape is defined by a pair of parallel curved or flat surfaces, are repeatedly arranged adjacent to each other. The unit structures of the three-dimensional wall structure are not particularly limited, but examples that can be used include the Schwarz P structure, gyroid structure, Schwarz D structure, octet structure, cubic structure, Kelvin structure, and dodecahedron structure.

[0037] When the shell 10 is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure in this way, countless holes 10c are formed so as to reach the inner surface (i.e., the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12) and the outer surface (i.e., the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 and the outer peripheral surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12) of the shell 10, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. Note that a shell 10 having such a structure can be manufactured relatively easily, particularly by a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method described below.

[0038] This construction provides shell 10 with adequate strength while also providing it with appropriate flexibility, thereby reducing the weight and improving the breathability of shoe 1A. Additionally, upper body 20 housed in the internal space of shell 10 can be seen from the outside through countless holes 10c, improving the design of the shoe.

[0039] In the shell 10 of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, a three-dimensional mesh structure having a three-dimensional lattice structure is used, but as described above, this may be configured with a three-dimensional wall structure. Furthermore, part of the shell 10 may have a three-dimensional lattice structure, and another part of the shell 10 may have a three-dimensional wall structure.

[0040] 1 to 5, the upper body 20 constitutes the portion of the shoe 1A that comes into contact with the wearer's foot, and is made of a bag-shaped member with an opening 20a. The upper body 20 is made of a flexibly deformable member from the viewpoint of improving fit and ensuring good comfort.

[0041] The upper body 20 includes a lower wall portion 21 configured to cover the sole of the wearer's foot and a side wall portion 22 configured to cover the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot. The side wall portion 22 is erected so as to extend continuously upward from the peripheral edge of the lower wall portion 21. The lower wall portion 21 extends along the upper surface of the sole body 30 (more precisely, the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 described below), and the side wall portion 22 extends along the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0042] 5, the lower wall portion 21 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner surface 21a and an outer surface 21b. The inner surface 21a is located on the insertion space SP3 side, and the outer surface 21b is located on the sole body 30 side (i.e., the bottom wall portion 11 side of the shell 10).

[0043] The side wall portion 22 has a pair of main surfaces, an inner peripheral surface 22a and an outer peripheral surface 22b. The inner peripheral surface 22a is located on the insertion space SP3 side, and the outer peripheral surface 22b is located on the peripheral wall portion 12 side of the shell 10.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the opening 20a described above is provided at the upper end of the side wall 22. This opening 20a is located across the midfoot region R2 and the rearfoot region R3. The opening 20a corresponds to the opening 2 described above, and when worn, the wearer's foot is inserted into the insertion space SP3 through this opening 20a. The upper end of the side wall 22, at the portion that defines the opening 20a, is positioned so as to protrude upward in the vertical direction Z beyond the opening 10a of the shell 10. This prevents the shell 10 from coming into direct contact with the wearer's ankle when worn, ensuring a comfortable fit.

[0045] 5, the sole body 30 includes a midsole 31 as a cushioning material and a plate 32 as a resilience material. The midsole 31 and the plate 32 are stacked in the vertical direction Z so that the midsole 31 is located above the plate 32.

[0046] The midsole 31 supports the sole of the wearer's foot and has a generally flat, plate-like shape. The midsole 31 has a pair of main surfaces, a top surface 31a and a bottom surface 31b, and side end surfaces connecting the top surface 31a and the bottom surface 31b. The midsole 31 is made of an elastically deformable material with a predetermined thickness so as to obtain the desired cushioning performance when landing, etc.

[0047] Here, the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 may be configured to have an uneven shape corresponding to the shape of the sole of the wearer's foot, in order to prevent the wearer's ankle from collapsing (so-called pronation) and the arch of the wearer's foot from collapsing when landing.

[0048] The plate 32 has a pair of main surfaces, a first main surface 32a and a second main surface 32b, positioned in the thickness direction, and a peripheral end surface connecting the first main surface 32a and the second main surface 32b. The first main surface 32a faces upward in the vertical direction Z, and the second main surface 32b faces downward in the vertical direction Z. The plate 32 is made of a hard material that is thinner than the midsole 31 so as to obtain the desired resilience performance during kicking off and other times.

[0049] As described above, the sole body 30 is configured by laminating the midsole 31 and the plate 32, and the bottom surface 31b of the midsole 31 is in contact with the first main surface 32a of the plate 32. The midsole 31 and the plate 32 may be joined together by, for example, an adhesive, but from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of organic solvent used, it is preferable that the midsole 31 and the plate 32 are not joined together.

[0050] The sole body 30 has an upper surface defined by the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 described above, a lower surface defined by the second major surface 32b of the plate 32 described above, and a peripheral surface defined by the side end surface of the midsole 31 and the peripheral end surfaces of the plate 32 described above. Among these, the upper surface of the sole body 30 is covered by the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20. On the other hand, the peripheral surface and the lower surface of the sole body 30 face the peripheral wall portion 12 and the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10, respectively.

[0051] In the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment described above, the peripheral surface and the sole of the wearer's foot are configured to be covered by the upper body 20. Therefore, when the wearer wears the shoe 1A, the wearer's foot contacts the soft upper body 20 that can be flexibly deformed, and the shell 10 does not directly contact the wearer's foot, so that a comfortable wearing feeling can be ensured.

[0052] Also, in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, the sole of the wearer's foot is configured to be supported by the sole body 30 including the midsole 31 and the plate 32 via the upper body 20. Therefore, not only can the impact at the time of landing be suppressed from being applied to the wearer's foot, but also a shoe capable of obtaining a high propulsion force during running can be achieved.

[0053] However, the upper body 20 does not necessarily need to contact the wearer's foot entirely, and in a range where the wearing comfort is not impaired, a notch shape or an opening-shaped removal portion or the like may be provided in the upper body 20.

[0054] <B. Materials of Each Member> Next, the materials of each of the members described above will be explained. Note that the specific materials shown below are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0055] The shell 10 is made of an elastic material, preferably a resin or rubber material. More specifically, if the shell 10 is made of resin, it can be made of, for example, polyolefin resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyamide thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or polyester thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE). On the other hand, if the shell 10 is made of rubber, it can be made of, for example, butadiene rubber.

[0056] The shell 10 can also 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)), 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 copolymers, and ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers. 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.

[0057] The polymer may also be an amide polymer such as an amide elastomer or an amide resin, etc. Examples of the amide polymer include polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, and polyether block amide (PEBA).

[0058] The polymer may also 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.

[0059] The polymer may be a urethane polymer such as a urethane elastomer or a urethane resin. Examples of the urethane polymer include polyester polyurethane and polyether polyurethane, and urethane acrylate is particularly suitable.

[0060] The polymer may also be a styrene-based polymer such as a styrene-based elastomer or a styrene-based resin. Examples of styrene-based elastomers 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 styrene-based resins include polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene resin (AS), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS).

[0061] 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 hydrogenated products 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 hydrogenated products 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.

[0062] The method for producing the shell 10 is not particularly limited, but it can be produced by, for example, three-dimensional additive manufacturing. When producing the shell 10 by three-dimensional additive manufacturing, the manufacturing method is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a fused additive manufacturing method, a photolithography method, or a powder sintering additive manufacturing method.

[0063] The upper body 20 may be made of basically any material as long as it is flexibly deformable, but preferably, woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, synthetic leather, resin, etc. More specifically, the upper body 20 may be made of natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, etc., or synthetic fibers such as polyamide resins such as nylon, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, polyvinyl alcohol resins such as vinylon, polyacrylonitrile resins such as Exlan and Cashmilon, polyvinyl chloride resins such as Tevilon and Environ, polypropylene resins such as Pylen, polyethylene resins, polystyrene resins, etc. The upper body 20 may also be made of recycled fibers such as rayon and cupra.

[0064] In particular, as will be described later, if a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, or the like is used for a portion of the upper body 20, the upper body 20 can be made to fit the wearer's foot better. Examples of heat-shrinkable synthetic fibers include those containing polyester resin, polyurethane resin, or the like as a main component, and particularly preferred is Hytrel (trademark), a type of polyester resin.

[0065] That is, if a portion of the upper body 20 is made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber woven or knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, or the like, the upper body 20 can be formed into a bag shape in advance, and a last can be inserted into the bag and then subjected to a heat treatment. The heat shrinkage caused by the heat causes the portion of the upper body 20 to change shape and become intimately attached to the last, and the changed shape is maintained. Therefore, by preparing a last that corresponds to the shape of the wearer's foot and using it to mold the upper body 20 described above, it is possible to manufacture an upper body 20 that fits the wearer's foot. Furthermore, by performing a heat treatment using the above-described last while the upper body 20 is assembled into the shell 10, the upper body 20 will also fit the shell 10, further improving fit.

[0066] Here, the portion of the upper body 20 that can be made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, or the like is the above-mentioned side wall portion 22. This side wall portion 22 is the portion that comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot.

[0067] The above-mentioned last may be a standard shape that corresponds 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 fit of the manufactured shoe 1A to the wearer's foot will be significantly improved.

[0068] The midsole 31 may basically be composed of any material as long as it can be elastically deformed, but it is preferably composed of a member having appropriate strength and excellent cushioning properties. From this perspective, as the midsole 31, for example, a resin foam material containing a resin material as the main component and a foaming agent or a crosslinking agent as the sub-component is used. Alternatively, a rubber foam material containing a rubber material as the main component and a plasticizer, a foaming agent, a reinforcing agent, and a crosslinking agent as the sub-components may be used.

[0069] Particularly preferably, the midsole 31 can be composed of a foam material such as a polyolefin resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), a polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), etc. Note that the midsole 31 does not necessarily have to be composed of a foam material, and it may be composed of a non-foam material.

[0070] The plate 32 only needs to be composed of a material harder than the material constituting the midsole 31, and its material is not particularly limited. Examples of the material of the plate 32 include fiber-reinforced resins using carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, Dyneema fiber (registered trademark), Zylon fiber (registered trademark), boron fiber, etc. as the reinforcing fiber and epoxy resin, polyester resin, phenol resin, polyamide resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polyurethane resin, etc. as the base material, and non-fiber-reinforced resins made of polymer resins such as urethane-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPU), amide-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPA), and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).

[0071] <C. Configuration of the shell of the part corresponding to the vicinity of the inner and outer ankles of the wearer's foot> Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shell provided in the shoe shown in Fig. 1, taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of region VII shown in Fig. 6. Next, with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 and the above-mentioned Figs. 1 to 5, the configuration of the portion of shell 10 provided in shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, which corresponds to the vicinity of the medial and lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot, will be described in detail.

[0072] As mentioned above, the portion of the circumference of the wearer's foot located behind the medial and lateral malleolus is more recessed than the surrounding area, and the opening for inserting the wearer's foot is located above the shell that covers that portion, making it extremely difficult to improve dynamic fit in that area. One possible solution to this problem is to construct that portion of the shell by combining multiple members with different elastic moduli.

[0073] However, if the structure is configured in this manner, not only will the manufacturing costs increase due to the increased number of parts and the more complicated assembly work, but the use of adhesives to secure the multiple components to each other will be unavoidable, and since the adhesives contain a considerable amount of organic solvents, this is not necessarily desirable from the perspective of environmental impact.

[0074] Furthermore, when the outer shell of a shoe is constructed from a shell made of an elastic material, as in this embodiment, the shell will be manufactured by, for example, three-dimensional additive manufacturing, as described above. From the standpoint of efficient manufacturing, therefore, it is preferable that at least the portion of the shell corresponding to the vicinity of the medial and lateral ankles of the wearer's foot be constructed from a single member (i.e., a single part, rather than a composite part made up of multiple parts), and with these points in mind, it is necessary to improve the dynamic fit in that part.

[0075] In this regard, shoe 1A according to this embodiment aims to improve static fit by providing inner foot bulge 13A and outer foot bulge 13B, which will be described later, on the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot in areas located posterior to the inner and outer ankles, and also aims to further improve dynamic fit by providing a distinctive configuration to inner foot side peripheral wall 12A and outer foot side peripheral wall 12B located around the areas where inner foot side bulge 13A and outer foot side bulge 13B are provided.

[0076] 6, an inner foot-side bulging portion 13A bulging toward the insertion space SP3 is provided in the inner foot-side peripheral wall 12A at a position corresponding to the portion posterior to the medial malleolus of the wearer's foot (the region designated by reference symbol A1 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 corresponds to the portion posterior to the medial malleolus of the wearer's foot in this inner foot-side peripheral wall 12A). This inner foot-side bulging portion 13A is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0077] The inner foot-side bulge 13A is configured to have a shape that follows a depression present in a portion of the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot that is located behind the medial malleolus, thereby reducing the gap between the depression and the inner foot-side circumferential wall 12A. Therefore, by providing the inner foot-side bulge 13A on the inner foot-side circumferential wall 12A, the fit when worn is improved.

[0078] Furthermore, since the inner foot-side bulging portion 13A is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure as described above, it has a low space factor per unit volume and therefore a low density, functioning as an easily deformable portion. Therefore, when the inner foot-side bulging portion 13A comes into contact with the wearer's foot during wear, it undergoes compressive deformation, and the resulting reaction force applies an appropriate amount of pressure to the surface of the above-mentioned recessed portion of the wearer's foot, thereby improving the static fit of that portion.

[0079] The inner foot-side bulge 13A preferably has a smoothly curved surface to reduce excessive pressure on the wearer's foot and provide a comfortable fit, but may also include a flat portion. The dimensions of the inner foot-side bulge 13A are not particularly limited, but its height is preferably 3 mm to 10 mm, and its width in the vertical direction Z is preferably 5 mm to 30 mm. The compressive rigidity of the inner foot-side bulge 13A is preferably 1 MPa or less, provided that it is lower than the compressive rigidity of the inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A (described later).

[0080] The three-dimensional mesh structure having a three-dimensional lattice structure constituting the medial bulging portion 13A preferably has low compressive rigidity in the thickness direction of the medial circumferential wall 12A where the medial bulging portion 13A is provided (the compressive direction roughly corresponds to the left-right direction Y), and high tensile rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. One example of such a structure is a three-dimensional lattice structure including flat unit structures whose dimensions in the thickness direction of the medial circumferential wall 12A are smaller than the dimensions of the unit structures in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0081] Furthermore, in order to reduce the compressive rigidity of the medial bulging portion 13A, the columns of the three-dimensional lattice structure in the portion included in the medial bulging portion 13A may be made thinner than the columns of the three-dimensional lattice structure in the portion of the medial peripheral wall 12A that does not include the medial bulging portion 13A. This makes it possible to locally reduce the rigidity of only the medial bulging portion 13A.

[0082] The medial bulge 13A may be formed of spot-like protrusions, or may be formed of ridged protrusions extending in a predetermined direction. When the medial bulge 13A is formed of such ridged protrusions extending in a predetermined direction, it is preferable that the extending direction of the ridges be configured to follow the outline of the medial malleolus of the wearer's foot.

[0083] In addition, an outer foot side bulging portion 13B bulging toward the insertion space SP3 is provided in the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B at a position corresponding to the portion posterior to the lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot (the region designated by reference symbol A2 in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 corresponds to the portion posterior to the lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot in this outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B). This outer foot side bulging portion 13B is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0084] The outer foot side bulge 13B is configured to have a shape that follows a depression present in a portion of the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot that is located behind the lateral malleolus, thereby reducing the gap between the depression and the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B. Therefore, providing the outer foot side bulge 13B on the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B improves the fit when worn.

[0085] Furthermore, since the outer foot-side bulging portion 13B is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure as described above, it has a low space factor per unit volume and therefore a low density, functioning as an easily deformable portion. Therefore, when the outer foot-side bulging portion 13B comes into contact with the wearer's foot during wear, it undergoes compressive deformation, and the resulting reaction force applies an appropriate amount of pressure to the surface of the aforementioned recessed portion of the wearer's foot, thereby improving the static fit of that portion.

[0086] The outer foot-side bulge 13B preferably has a smoothly curved surface to reduce excessive pressure on the wearer's foot and provide a comfortable fit, but may also include a flat portion. The dimensions of the outer foot-side bulge 13B are not particularly limited, but its height is preferably 3 mm to 10 mm, and its width in the vertical direction Z is preferably 5 mm to 30 mm. The compressive rigidity of the outer foot-side bulge 13B is preferably 1 MPa or less, provided that it is lower than the compressive rigidity of the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B (described later).

[0087] The three-dimensional mesh structure having a three-dimensional lattice structure constituting the outer foot side bulge 13B preferably has low compressive rigidity in the thickness direction of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B where the outer foot side bulge 13B is provided (the compression direction roughly corresponds to the left-right direction Y), and high tensile rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction. One example of such a structure is a three-dimensional lattice structure including flat unit structures whose dimensions in the thickness direction of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B are smaller than the dimensions of the unit structures in the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.

[0088] Furthermore, to reduce the compressive rigidity of the outer foot side bulge 13B, the columns of the three-dimensional lattice structure in the portion included in the outer foot side bulge 13B may be thinner than the columns of the three-dimensional lattice structure in the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B that does not include the outer foot side bulge 13B. This makes it possible to locally reduce the rigidity of only the outer foot side bulge 13B.

[0089] The lateral foot-side bulge 13B may be formed of spot-like protrusions, or may be formed of ridged protrusions extending in a predetermined direction. When the lateral foot-side bulge 13B is formed of such ridged protrusions extending in a predetermined direction, it is preferable that the direction of extension be configured to follow the outline of the lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot.

[0090] Meanwhile, an inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A is provided at a position on the inner foot-side peripheral wall 12A below the portion where the inner foot-side bulge 13A is provided in the up-down direction Z. This inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A is made of a solid structure and has a band-like shape extending in the front-to-back direction X (see FIG. 2 in particular).

[0091] The inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A is a portion for increasing the bending rigidity of the inner foot-side peripheral wall portion 12A (particularly, the portion of the inner foot-side peripheral wall portion 12A where the inner foot-side bulge portion 13A is provided). That is, the inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A, which is made of a solid structure, has a high space factor per unit volume and therefore a high density, and therefore functions as a portion that is difficult to deform. Therefore, during not only low-intensity exercise but also high-intensity exercise, the inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A prevents the inner foot-side peripheral wall portion 12A from collapsing outward (i.e., toward the side opposite the insertion space SP3) in response to the wearer's foot movement (such as foot bending).

[0092] Therefore, since the collapse of the inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A can be suppressed, the inner foot side bulge portion 13A can be prevented from separating from the surface of the wearer's foot, and as a result, the fit of the inner foot side bulge portion 13A to the surface of the above-mentioned recessed portion of the wearer's foot can be maintained, and dynamic fit in that area can be ensured.

[0093] As described above, by configuring the inner foot side high rigidity portion 14A in a band-like shape extending along the front-to-rear direction X, the size of the inner foot side high rigidity portion 14A can be made smaller than when it is provided only in the portion of the inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A where the inner foot side bulge portion 13A is provided, while increasing the bending rigidity of the inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A in the portion where the inner foot side bulge portion 13A is provided, thereby achieving an improvement in dynamic fit while also achieving a reduction in weight.

[0094] Additionally, an outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided at a position on the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B below the portion where the outer foot side bulge portion 13B is provided in the up-down direction Z. This outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is made of a solid structure and has a band-like shape extending in the front-to-back direction X (see FIG. 3 in particular).

[0095] The outer foot side high-rigidity portion 14B is a portion for increasing the bending rigidity of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B (particularly, the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B where the outer foot side bulge portion 13B is provided). That is, the outer foot side high-rigidity portion 14B, which is a solid structure, has a high space factor per unit volume and therefore a high density, and therefore functions as a non-deformable portion. Therefore, during not only low-intensity exercise but also high-intensity exercise, the outer foot side high-rigidity portion 14B prevents the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B from collapsing outward (i.e., toward the side opposite the insertion space SP3) due to the wearer's foot movement (such as foot bending).

[0096] Therefore, since the collapse of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B as described above can be suppressed, the outer foot side bulge portion 13B can be prevented from separating from the surface of the wearer's foot, and as a result, the fit of the outer foot side bulge portion 13B to the surface of the above-mentioned recessed portion of the wearer's foot can be maintained, ensuring dynamic fit in that area.

[0097] As described above, by configuring the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B in a band-like shape extending along the front-to-rear direction X, the size of the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B can be made smaller than when it is provided only in the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B where the outer foot side bulge portion 13B is provided, while increasing the bending rigidity of the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B where the outer foot side bulge portion 13B is provided, thereby achieving improved dynamic fit while also reducing weight.

[0098] Therefore, by constructing shoe 1A according to this embodiment, in a shoe equipped with flexible shell 10 made of an elastic material, the static and dynamic fit of shell 10 to the wearer's foot is improved at a position behind the ankle. In particular, the effect is significant at the rear end of shoe 1A, which is provided with medial foot-side bulge 13A and lateral foot-side bulge 13B described above. This is the part where, if the fit is poor, the wearer's foot will move back and forth and side to side inside the shoe, causing fatigue and foot pain, and may also cause the shoe to fall off the wearer's foot.

[0099] Furthermore, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, by providing inner foot-side bulging portion 13A and outer foot-side bulging portion 13B on shell 10 as described above, it becomes easier for inner foot-side bulging portion 13A and outer foot-side bulging portion 13B to remain in contact with the depression in the portion of the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot located behind the ankle, not only when the wearer is standing still but also when walking or running. Therefore, even with foot movement (such as bending), a gap is less likely to form between shoe 1A and the depression in the portion of the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot located behind the ankle, resulting in a comfortable shoe that can prevent the occurrence of blisters.

[0100] Additionally, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, almost the entire shell 10 is made of a three-dimensional mesh structure, and as described above, the medial bulging portion 13A and the lateral bulging portion 13B are made of a three-dimensional mesh structure in particular, which improves the breathability of those areas and, as a result, reduces the accumulation of frictional heat that causes blisters in those areas, making the shoe comfortable to wear in this respect as well.

[0101] Furthermore, since both the medial bulge 13A and the lateral bulge 13B are covered by the side wall 22 of the upper body 20, even when the above configuration is adopted, the shoe does not feel uncomfortable on the foot and is comfortable to wear.However, even if the medial bulge 13A and the lateral bulge 13B are exposed without being covered by the upper body 20, the comfort of the shoe does not decrease significantly.

[0102] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B extend from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A, and are positioned so as to slope downward as they approach the front side in the front-to-rear direction X of the shoe 1A, particularly in the rear end portion of the shoe 1A (i.e., from the midfoot portion R2 to the rearfoot portion R3).

[0103] In this way, by arranging the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B so that they extend from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A, it is possible to increase the bending rigidity of the medial peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral peripheral wall portion 12B not only in the rear end portion of the shoe 1A where the medial bulge portion 13A and the lateral bulge portion 13B are provided, but also throughout the entire shoe 1A in the front-to-rear direction X, thereby not only improving dynamic fit but also suppressing excessive pronation when landing.

[0104] More specifically, by providing the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B so that they are inclined downward as they approach the front side in the longitudinal direction X of the shoe 1A, the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B are both located closer to the lower end of the insertion space SP3 in the vertical direction Z in the forefoot portion R1 and the midfoot portion R2 than in the rearfoot portion R3. By providing the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B closer to the lower end of the insertion space SP3 in the vertical direction Z in this way, it is possible to prevent the medial foot side peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral foot side peripheral wall portion 12B from collapsing from a lower position in the vertical direction Z compared to when the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B are located higher in the vertical direction Z.

[0105] Therefore, with this configuration, collapse of the medial circumferential wall 12A and the lateral circumferential wall 12B can be more reliably suppressed not only in the forefoot portion R1 and the midfoot portion R2 but also in the rearfoot portion R3. This improves stability when landing, particularly in the forefoot portion R1 and the midfoot portion R2, and in the rearfoot portion R3, in addition to improving stability when landing, excessive pronation when landing can be suppressed.

[0106] If the medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B were located further below the lower end of the insertion space SP3 in the vertical direction Z, the starting point of the collapse of the medial foot-side peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral foot-side peripheral wall portion 12B of the shell 10 would be moved further below the sole of the wearer, making the collapse of the medial foot-side peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral foot-side peripheral wall portion 12B more likely to occur. Therefore, it is desirable to set the lower limit of the location of the medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B to a position corresponding to the lower end of the insertion space SP3 in the vertical direction Z.

[0107] Furthermore, by arranging the medial foot-side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot-side high rigidity portion 14B in the rear end portion of the shoe 1A so that they slope downward as they approach the front side in the front-to-rear direction X of the shoe 1A, the medial foot-side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot-side high rigidity portion 14B are less likely to impede the forward propagation of the load applied from the wearer's foot to the shoe 1A when landing. This makes it possible to align the propagation direction of this load with the direction of force flow during the landing action, which lands in the order of rear foot portion R3, mid foot portion R2, and then fore foot portion R1, thereby reducing energy loss when running and walking.

[0108] In addition, by providing the medial high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high rigidity portion 14B in the forefoot portion R1 (particularly the anterior end of the shoe 1A), the rigidity of the shell 10 in the toe portion is improved, thereby improving its wear resistance, and as a result, the durability of the shoe 1A is increased.

[0109] 2 to 4, both the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B are configured to increase their vertical widths in the rear foot region R3. This configuration makes it possible to particularly increase the rigidity of the peripheral wall 12 in the rear foot region R3, thereby further improving the dynamic fit in that region and more reliably preventing the shoe 1A from slipping off the wearer's foot during high-intensity exercise.

[0110] The medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B do not necessarily have to be solid structures, and may be porous structures with internal voids, as long as they have higher rigidity than the medial bulging portion 13A and the lateral bulging portion 13B. In other words, as long as the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B are configured to have higher rigidity than the medial bulging portion 13A and the lateral bulging portion 13B, respectively, the shoe can have improved static and dynamic fit of the shell 10 to the wearer's foot at a position posterior to the ankle.

[0111] As described above, in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, the medial high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high rigidity portion 14B are configured to extend not only to the rear foot portion R3 but also to the forefoot portion R1 and midfoot portion R2, and are provided so as to slope downward as they approach the front side of the shoe 1A in the front-to-rear direction X. However, the medial high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high rigidity portion 14B may be provided only in the rear foot portion R3.

[0112] When the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B are provided only in the rear foot region R3, it is preferable that the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B are connected to each other via the rear end of the shoe 1A. This configuration allows the connected medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B to function as a kind of stopper that prevents the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B from collapsing, effectively preventing excessive collapse of the medial peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral peripheral wall portion 12B in the rear foot region R3.

[0113] 6, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, medial high-rigidity portion 14A is provided along medial ridge 15A provided on medial circumferential wall 12A, and lateral high-rigidity portion 14B is provided along lateral ridge 15B provided on lateral circumferential wall 12B. In the following, with reference to FIG. 7, the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B and lateral ridge 15B will be described in detail, but medial high-rigidity portion 14A and medial ridge 15A are also configured in the same manner.

[0114] 7, two outer foot side protrusions 15B protruding toward the opposite side from the insertion space SP3 are provided on the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B below the portion where the outer foot side bulge 13B is provided in the up-down direction Z. These two outer foot side protrusions 15B extend parallel to each other in the front-rear direction X.

[0115] These two outer foot-side protrusions 15B are provided in the outer foot-side peripheral wall 12B in a position corresponding to the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer foot-side protrusions 15B, like the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B, extend from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A, and are positioned so as to slope downward as they approach the front side in the longitudinal direction X of the shoe 1A, particularly in the rear end portion of the shoe 1A (i.e., from the midfoot portion R2 to the rearfoot portion R3). In other words, the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is provided along these two outer foot-side protrusions 15B.

[0116] The outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is located on the outer surface (i.e., the outer peripheral surface 12b) of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B at a portion corresponding to the outer foot side protrusion 15B. More specifically, the end face of the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B facing the insertion space SP3 is covered by the three-dimensional mesh structure constituting the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B, and the end face facing away from the insertion space SP3 is exposed at the outer peripheral surface 12b of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B.

[0117] By configuring it in this manner, it is possible to provide an outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B of the required thickness by increasing the thickness of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B at the portion where the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided, and it is also possible to position a three-dimensional mesh structure as an easily deformable portion between the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B and the wearer's foot in the portion where the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided, resulting in a shoe that feels comfortable on the foot.

[0118] Furthermore, by providing two outer foot side protrusions 15B extending parallel to each other in this manner, a concave portion is created between them, and the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided in this concave portion, which makes it possible to increase the second moment of area of ​​the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B compared to its size, thereby effectively increasing the rigidity of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B while reducing weight.

[0119] (D. Other Aspects of High Rigidity Portion) Figures 8(A) to 8(C) are schematic cross-sectional views showing other aspects (first to third configuration examples) of the high-rigidity portion provided in the shell of the shoe shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, first to third configuration examples as other aspects of the high-rigidity portion based on this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8(A) to 8(C). Note that the following description focuses on the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B, but the inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A can also be configured in a similar manner.

[0120] 8(A), in the shoe 1A1 according to the first configuration example, the outer foot side high-rigidity portion 14B is embedded in the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B. That is, the end face of the outer foot side high-rigidity portion 14B located on the insertion space SP3 side is covered by the three-dimensional mesh structure that constitutes the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B, and the end face located on the opposite side to the insertion space SP3 is also covered by the three-dimensional mesh structure that constitutes the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B.

[0121] Even with this configuration, the shoe can have improved static and dynamic fit of the shell 10 to the wearer's foot at a position behind the ankle. In addition, with this configuration, it is possible to prevent excessive compressive deformation from occurring in the three-dimensional mesh structure located in the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B where the outer foot side bulging portion 13B is provided, other than the portion where the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided, and it is possible to more effectively prevent the above-mentioned outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B from collapsing.

[0122] 8(B), in the shoe 1A2 according to the second configuration example, the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is located on the inner surface (i.e., the inner circumferential surface 12a) of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B. More specifically, the end face of the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B located on the insertion space SP3 side is exposed at the inner circumferential surface 12a of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B, and the end face located on the opposite side to the insertion space SP3 is covered by the three-dimensional mesh structure that constitutes the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B.

[0123] Even with this configuration, the shoe can have improved static and dynamic fit of shell 10 to the wearer's foot at a position posterior to the ankle. In addition, with this configuration, the shape retention of shell 10 is improved in the portion of inner circumferential surface 12a of lateral foot side peripheral wall portion 12B where lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B is located, making it possible to suppress unintended deformation of shell 10.

[0124] 8(C), in the shoe 1A3 according to the third configuration example, the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is provided across the thickness of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B so as to be located on both the inner surface (i.e., the inner circumferential surface 12a) and the outer surface (i.e., the outer circumferential surface 12b) of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B. As a result, the end face of the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B located on the insertion space SP3 side is exposed at the inner circumferential surface 12a of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B, and the end face located opposite the insertion space SP3 is also exposed at the outer circumferential surface 12b of the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B.

[0125] Even with this configuration, the shoe can have improved static and dynamic fit of shell 10 to the wearer's foot at a position behind the ankle. In addition, with this configuration, the shape retention of shell 10 is improved in the area where lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is located, making it possible to suppress unintended deformation of shell 10.

[0126] Alternatively, the outer foot side high-rigidity portions may be located on both the medial and lateral surfaces of the outer foot side peripheral wall, with the outer foot side high-rigidity portions on the medial and lateral surfaces of the outer foot side peripheral wall being located only on the surface layers of the outer foot side peripheral wall (i.e., a three-dimensional mesh structure may be located between the outer foot side high-rigidity portions on the medial and lateral surfaces of the outer foot side peripheral wall). This configuration can increase the rigidity of the outer foot side peripheral wall at the portions where the outer foot side high-rigidity portions are located while achieving weight reduction.

[0127] <Secondary effects during three-dimensional laminated manufacturing of the shell E> Figs. 9 to 11 are schematic diagrams for explaining the three-dimensional laminated manufacturing of the shell included in the shoe shown in Fig. 1, showing the state at the start of manufacturing, the state in the middle stage, and the state at the end of manufacturing, respectively. Next, referring to these Figs. 9 to 11, the three-dimensional laminated manufacturing of the shell 10 included in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment will be described, and the secondary effects obtained during the three-dimensional laminated manufacturing of the shell 10 by adopting the above configuration will be described.

[0128] For the three-dimensional laminated manufacturing of the shell 10, for example, a three-dimensional laminated manufacturing apparatus 200 as shown in Figs. 9 to 11 is used. The three-dimensional laminated manufacturing apparatus 200 performs three-dimensional laminated manufacturing based on the liquid tank photopolymerization method. The three-dimensional laminated manufacturing method of the liquid tank photopolymerization method is a manufacturing method for manufacturing a shaped object of a desired shape by sequentially laminating cured portions by irradiating a photocurable liquid polymer material, which is cured by light of a specific wavelength, with light of the specific wavelength as the main raw material. As the light of the specific wavelength, for example, ultraviolet light is used, and in that case, an ultraviolet curable polymer is used as the main raw material. Note that the above-described liquid polymer material as the main raw material is not limited to a one-component type and may be a two-component type or the like.

[0129] As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the three-dimensional laminated manufacturing apparatus 200 includes a light source (not shown), a storage tank 201, a platform 202, and a lifting mechanism 203. The storage tank 201 is a part for storing the liquid polymer material 300 as the raw material, and the platform 202 is for holding and moving the shaped object. The lifting mechanism 203 moves the platform 202 in the vertical direction.

[0130] 9, in the three-dimensional additive manufacturing apparatus 200, first, the platform 202 is moved by the lifting mechanism 203, so that the lower surface of the platform 202 is positioned near the inner bottom surface of the reservoir tank 201. In this state, the light source emits light of a specific wavelength, which is irradiated onto the liquid polymer material 300 located between the lower surface of the platform 202 and the inner bottom surface of the reservoir tank 201 in such a way that the liquid polymer material 300 is exposed to light in a predetermined pattern. As a result, the liquid polymer material 300 located between the lower surface of the platform 202 and the inner bottom surface of the reservoir tank 201 hardens in a layer while adhering to the inner bottom surface of the reservoir tank 201 and the lower surface of the platform 202, thereby forming a first hardened layer.

[0131] Next, platform 202 is moved upward (i.e., in the direction of arrow DR1 in the figure) by a predetermined amount by lifting mechanism 203, thereby peeling the first cured layer from the inner bottom surface of reservoir 201, and in this state, light of a specific wavelength emitted from the light source is irradiated so as to draw a predetermined pattern on liquid polymer material 300 located between the lower surface of platform 202 and the inner bottom surface of reservoir 201, thereby exposing it. As a result, liquid polymer material 300 located between the lower surface of the first cured layer and the inner bottom surface of reservoir 201 hardens in a layer while adhering to the lower surface of the first cured layer and the lower surface of platform 202, and a second cured layer is formed.

[0132] By repeating steps similar to those for forming this second hardened layer (i.e., the step of moving the platform 202 and the step of exposing the liquid polymer material 300), multiple hardened layers are sequentially stacked downward (i.e., in the direction of the arrow DR2 shown in the figure) as shown in Figure 10, thereby progressing the formation of the shell 10.

[0133] Then, as shown in Figure 11, after all parts of the shell 10 have been formed, the platform 202 is lifted further upward by the lifting mechanism 203, and the shell 10 is separated from the liquid polymer material 300 stored in the reservoir 201 and removed from the three-dimensional additive manufacturing device 200.

[0134] 9 to 11, the example of three-dimensional additive manufacturing of the shell 10 is configured so that the manufacturing of the shell 10 progresses from the rear end to the front end. In this way, the footprint required to manufacture the shell 10 on the platform 202 is relatively small, making it possible to manufacture multiple shells 10 simultaneously, improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0135] In this configuration, due to the relationship between the shape of the shell 10 to be formed and the attitude (i.e., orientation) of the shell 10 during formation, it becomes necessary to form a support part 400 as shown in Figures 10 and 11 separately from the shell 10 so that the relatively soft shape of the shell 10 is maintained during formation. This support part 400 is to be cut off and removed from the shell 10 after the shell 10 has been formed.

[0136] Here, in the shoe 1A according to this embodiment, as described above, the inner foot side high rigidity portion 14A provided on the inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A extends from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A, and the outer foot side protrusion portion 15B provided on the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B also extends from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A.

[0137] 10 , in the repeatedly performed platform 202 movement process and liquid polymer material 300 exposure process, the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B are always included in the newly additively manufactured layer (only the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B is shown in the figure), and the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B of the already additively manufactured portion reach the vicinity of the platform 202 via the shell 10 of the portion for which additive manufacturing has been completed. Furthermore, the portion of the shell 10 near the platform 202 is connected to the platform 202 via the support portion 400. Therefore, the inner bottom surface of the storage tank 201 and the underside of the platform 202 are generally connected via the relatively rigid medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B and the support portion 400.

[0138] Therefore, when the platform 202 is moved to peel off the newly additively manufactured layer from the inner bottom surface of the storage tank 201, the tensile force generated by moving the platform 202 is transmitted to the newly additively manufactured layer via the relatively rigid inner foot side high rigidity portion 14A and outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B, which are located approximately continuously, and the support portion 400.

[0139] Therefore, by adopting the configuration of the above-described first embodiment, the newly additively manufactured layer can be more reliably peeled off from the inner bottom surface of the storage tank 201, which has the secondary effect of preventing defects in the manufacturing of the shell 10 that would otherwise occur if the newly additively manufactured layer remained attached to the inner bottom surface of the storage tank 201.

[0140] Furthermore, by adopting the configuration of the above-described first embodiment, the relatively rigid medial side high rigidity portion 14A and lateral side high rigidity portion 14B reach the vicinity of the platform 202, so that it is not necessary to provide a support portion 400 at the portions where the medial side high rigidity portion 14A and lateral side high rigidity portion 14B are located.

[0141] Therefore, the amount of support portion 400 to be cut off after molding of shell 10 is reduced, which makes it possible to simplify the work and reduce the amount of waste material generated, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. In addition, the reduction in the amount of support portion 400 also reduces the number of cut marks left on shell 10 when it is separated from shell 10, improving the aesthetic appearance of shell 10.

[0142] (F. Further aspects of the high rigidity portion) Figures 12(A) to 12(C) and Figures 13(A) and 13(B) are schematic cross-sectional views showing further aspects (fourth to eighth configuration examples) of the high rigidity section provided in the shell of the shoe shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 12(A) to 12(C) and Figures 13(A) and 13(B), fourth to eighth configuration examples as other aspects of the high rigidity section based on this embodiment will be described.

[0143] 6 shows an example in which the inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A is provided along the two inner foot-side protrusions 15A provided on the inner foot-side peripheral wall 12A, and the outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is provided along the two outer foot-side protrusions 15B provided on the outer foot-side peripheral wall 12B. However, the fourth to eighth configuration examples described below show preferred embodiments in which two protrusions are provided on the peripheral wall and high-rigidity portions are provided along these two protrusions. Note that the following description will not distinguish between the inner foot side and the outer foot side.

[0144] As shown in Figures 12(A) to 12(C) and 13(A), in shoes 1A4 to 1A7 relating to the fourth to seventh configuration examples, a first protrusion portion 115 and a second protrusion portion 125 are arranged in parallel at upper and lower positions of the peripheral wall portion 12, and the first protrusion portion 115 has one first ridge portion 110 extending along its extension direction, and the second protrusion portion 125 has one second ridge portion 120 extending along its extension direction.

[0145] The first protrusion 115 includes a first upper surface 111 and a first lower surface 112 separated by the first ridge 110, and the second protrusion 125 includes a second upper surface 121 and a second lower surface 122 separated by the second ridge 120. That is, the outer surface (i.e., the outer peripheral surface 12b) located on the opposite side of the insertion space SP3 of the peripheral wall 12 has an inverted W-shape in cross section at the portions where the first protrusion 115 and the second protrusion 125 are provided.

[0146] 12(A), in shoe 1A4 according to the fourth configuration example, first high rigidity portions 114 are provided on first upper surfaces 111 of first protrusions 115, and no high rigidity portions are provided on first lower surfaces 112 of first protrusions 115, which are configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure. Also, in shoe 1A4 according to the fourth configuration example, second high rigidity portions 124 are provided on second upper surfaces 121 of second protrusions 125, and no high rigidity portions are provided on second lower surfaces 122 of second protrusions 125, which are configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0147] 12(B), in shoe 1A5 according to the fifth configuration example, no high rigidity portion is provided on the first upper surface 111 of first ridge portion 115, but this is constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure, and first high rigidity portion 114 is provided on the first lower surface 112 of first ridge portion 115. Also, in shoe 1A5 according to the fifth configuration example, no high rigidity portion is provided on the second upper surface 121 of second ridge portion 125, but this is constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure, and second high rigidity portion 124 is provided on the second lower surface 122 of second ridge portion 125.

[0148] 12(C), in shoe 1A6 according to the sixth configuration example, no high rigidity portion is provided on the first upper surface 111 of first ridge portion 115, but this is constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure, and first high rigidity portion 114 is provided on the first lower surface 112 of first ridge portion 115. Also, in shoe 1A6 according to the sixth configuration example, second high rigidity portion 124 is provided on the second upper surface 121 of second ridge portion 125, and no high rigidity portion is provided on the second lower surface 122 of second ridge portion 125, but this is constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0149] 13(A), in shoe 1A7 according to the seventh configuration example, first high rigidity portions 114 are provided on first upper surfaces 111 of first ridge portions 115, and no high rigidity portions are provided on first lower surfaces 112 of first ridge portions 115, which are configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure. Also, in shoe 1A7 according to the seventh configuration example, no high rigidity portions are provided on second upper surfaces 121 of second ridge portions 125, which are configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure, and second high rigidity portions 124 are provided on second lower surfaces 122 of second ridge portions 125.

[0150] 13(B), in a shoe 1A8 according to an eighth configuration example, first ridge portions 115 and second ridge portions 125 are provided in parallel at upper and lower positions of the peripheral wall portion 12, but these first ridge portions 110 and second ridge portions 120 are connected substantially by a single surface. Therefore, the first lower surface 112 of the first ridge portion 115 and the second upper surface 121 of the second ridge portion 125 are formed by the single surface described above.

[0151] In shoe 1A8 according to the eighth configuration example, first high rigidity portion 114 is provided on first upper surface 111 of first ridge portion 115, and second high rigidity portion 124 is provided on second lower surface 122 of second ridge portion 125. On the other hand, no high rigidity portion is provided on first lower surface 112 of first ridge portion 115 and second upper surface 121 of second ridge portion 125, which are formed by a single plane as described above, and these are configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0152] As explained above, when the outer surface of the portion of the peripheral wall 12 corresponding to the protrusion portion includes an upper surface and a lower surface separated by a single ridge extending along the extension direction of the protrusion portion, it is preferable that the high rigidity portion be provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces.

[0153] This configuration can improve the shaping properties of the shell 10. The reason for this will be explained below.

[0154] When the shell 10 is manufactured by the above-described three-dimensional additive manufacturing, there is a concern that the weight of the shell 10 during the manufacturing process may cause deformation of the shell 10. In particular, the shell 10 made of the above-described three-dimensional mesh structure has a relatively low rigidity and is prone to deformation during the manufacturing process, and if this deformation occurs, it may cause manufacturing defects.

[0155] In this regard, as described above, in the shell 10, the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B extend from the front end to the rear end of the shoe 1A, thereby overcoming the aforementioned lack of rigidity and making deformation less likely to occur during shaping. On the other hand, if the widths of the medial high-rigidity portion 14A and the lateral high-rigidity portion 14B (the widths parallel to the outer surface of the shell 10 and perpendicular to the shaping direction (i.e., the widths in the direction generally along the up-down direction Z of the shell 10)) become extremely large, the weight of the shell 10 increases, and deformation due to its own weight becomes dominant, again making shaping defects more likely to occur.

[0156] Therefore, by configuring the shoes 1A4 to 1A7 according to the fourth to seventh configuration examples described above, the aforementioned lack of rigidity is resolved while suppressing an increase in the weight of the shell 10, thereby improving the modeling properties of the shell 10. Furthermore, in the three-dimensional additive manufacturing using the liquid vat photopolymerization method described above, when an object is additively manufactured in a direction that exceeds 45° with respect to the modeling direction (see the direction of arrow DR2 in FIGS. 10 and 11 ), the above-mentioned modeling defects due to its own weight are likely to occur. In this sense, too, it is preferable to employ configurations such as those of the shoes 1A4 to 1A7 according to the fourth to seventh configuration examples described above, in which the medial foot side high rigidity portion 14A and the lateral foot side high rigidity portion 14B do not extend beyond 45° with respect to the modeling direction.

[0157] As described above, when the outer surface of the portion of the peripheral wall 12 corresponding to the protrusion includes an upper surface and a lower surface separated by a ridge extending in the direction of extension of the protrusion, the high-rigidity portion is preferably provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces, but this configuration is not necessary and the high-rigidity portion may be provided across both the upper and lower surfaces. Furthermore, when the high-rigidity portion is provided on only one of the upper and lower surfaces, the high-rigidity portion is preferably provided on the lower surface from the viewpoint of preventing the peripheral wall from collapsing from a lower position.

[0158] In the above, an example has been described in which two protrusions extending parallel to the peripheral wall are provided, but the number of protrusions does not necessarily have to be two; instead, one protrusion or three or more protrusions may be provided.

[0159] (Embodiments 2 to 7) 14 to 19 are side views of shoes according to embodiments 2 to 7, respectively, as viewed from the lateral side of the foot. Hereinafter, shoes 1B to 1G according to embodiments 2 to 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19. Compared with shoe 1A according to embodiment 1, shoes 1B to 1G according to embodiments 2 to 7 differ only in the configurations of medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A and lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B provided in shell 10. Only lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is shown in FIGS. 14 to 19, and the following description will focus on lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B, but medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A also has a similar configuration.

[0160] As shown in FIG. 14, the shoe 1B of embodiment 2 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured so that its vertical width is increased in the portion near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1 and the portion near the front end of the midfoot portion R2.

[0161] As shown in FIG. 15, the shoe 1C of embodiment 3 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured to branch into two at a portion near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1 and a portion near the front end of the midfoot portion R2.

[0162] As shown in Figure 16, shoe 1D of embodiment 4 differs from shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured to branch into two at a portion near the rear end of forefoot portion R1 and a portion near the front end of midfoot portion R2, and that at these branched portions, outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is connected by rib-shaped portions extending along the vertical direction Z.

[0163] As shown in FIG. 17, the shoe 1E of embodiment 5 differs in configuration from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured to branch into two at the rear foot portion R3.

[0164] As shown in Figure 18, the shoe 1F of embodiment 6 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is bifurcated in the center of the midfoot portion R2, and one of the bifurcated portions is terminated in a portion near the front end of the midfoot portion R2.

[0165] As shown in Figure 19, the shoe 1G of embodiment 7 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured to branch into two at the rear foot portion R3 and to branch in a complex manner at the midfoot portion R2.

[0166] Even when configured as shoes 1B to 1G according to embodiments 2 to 7, effects similar to those described in embodiment 1 above can be obtained, and in shoes having a flexible shell 10 made of elastic material, the static and dynamic fit of the shell 10 to the foot can be improved.

[0167] In particular, in the shoes 1B to 1D, and 1G according to the second to fourth and seventh embodiments, the rigidity of the peripheral wall of the shell 10 is increased in the area near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1 and the area near the front end of the midfoot portion R2, which correspond to the arch of the wearer's foot. This effectively prevents the arch of the wearer's foot from collapsing excessively. On the other hand, the high-rigidity area is not excessively large in the area where the MP joints of the wearer's foot are located, so that the so-called flexion of the foot is not impeded.

[0168] Furthermore, in particular, in the case of shoes 1C and 1D according to embodiments 3 and 4, the size of the high rigidity portion when viewed as a whole is smaller than that of shoe 1B according to embodiment 2, thereby achieving further weight reduction, and in the case of shoe 1D according to embodiment 4, the branched portions of the high rigidity portion are connected by ribbed portions, thereby achieving high rigidity in the portion of shell 10 corresponding to the arch of the wearer's foot while at the same time achieving weight reduction.

[0169] (Embodiment 8) FIG. 20 is a side view of a shoe according to the eighth embodiment, as seen from the lateral side of the foot, and FIG. 21 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a shell included in the shoe shown in FIG. 20, taken along line XXI-XXI in FIG. 20. Hereinafter, a shoe 1H according to the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. Shoe 1H according to the eighth embodiment differs from shoe 1A according to the first embodiment described above only in the configurations of medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A and lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B provided in shell 10. Only lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, and the following description will focus on lateral foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B, although medial foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A has a similar configuration.

[0170] As shown in Figure 20, the shoe 1H of embodiment 8 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is bifurcated in the central part of the rear foot portion R3, and one of the bifurcated parts is configured to terminate in a part near the front end of the rear foot portion R3.

[0171] The outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B, which is branched in the central portion of the rear foot portion R3 and terminates near the front end of the rear foot portion R3, extends to overlap a portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B that corresponds to a portion posterior to the lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot (the region indicated by reference symbol A2 in Fig. 20). As a result, as shown in Fig. 21, a portion of the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is configured as an outer foot side cover portion 14b that covers the portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B where the outer foot side bulge portion 13B is provided.

[0172] With this configuration, when the outer foot side bulge 13B compresses and deforms due to contact with the wearer's foot while the sole is being worn, the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B where the outer foot side bulge 13B is provided is effectively prevented from lifting up from the wearer's foot, thereby promoting the compressive deformation of the outer foot side bulge 13B. In other words, the outer foot side cover 14b functions as a retainer that prevents the outer foot side peripheral wall 12B where the outer foot side bulge 13B is provided from lifting up.

[0173] Therefore, when configured in this manner, not only can the same effects as those described in the first embodiment be obtained, but the shoe can also have improved static and dynamic fit of the shell 10 to the wearer's foot at a position posterior to the ankle.

[0174] (Embodiments 9 to 13) 22 to 26 are side views of shoes according to embodiments 9 to 13, respectively, as viewed from the outer side of the foot. Hereinafter, shoes 1I to 1M according to embodiments 9 to 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 to 26. Compared with shoe 1A according to embodiment 1, shoes 1I to 1M according to embodiments 9 to 13 differ only in the configurations of inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A and outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B provided in shell 10. Only outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B is shown in FIGS. 22 to 26, and the following description will focus on outer foot-side high-rigidity portion 14B, but inner foot-side high-rigidity portion 14A also has a similar configuration.

[0175] As shown in Figure 22, the shoe 1I of embodiment 9 differs in configuration from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is interrupted in a portion near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1.

[0176] As shown in Figure 23, the shoe 1J of embodiment 10 differs from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is interrupted near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1 and is configured to branch into two at the rear foot portion R3.

[0177] As shown in FIG. 24, the shoe 1K of embodiment 11 differs in configuration from the shoe 1A of embodiment 1 described above in that the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is discontinued in a portion near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1, and in the rearfoot portion R3, the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is divided into multiple portions in the front-to-rear direction X so as to extend intermittently.

[0178] As shown in Figure 25, in shoe 1L of embodiment 12, the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is divided into multiple parts and arranged from a position near the rear end of the midfoot portion R2 to the rearfoot portion R3, and these multiple divided outer foot side high rigidity portions 14B are configured to be positioned offset from each other in the vertical direction Z.

[0179] As shown in FIG. 26, in the shoe 1M according to the thirteenth embodiment, the outer foot side high rigidity portion 14B is divided into multiple parts and arranged from the center in the front-to-rear direction X of the midfoot portion R2 to the rearfoot portion R3, and these multiple divided outer foot side high rigidity portions 14B are configured to extend in the up-down direction Z so as to be arranged over substantially the entire area of ​​the lower end portion of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B.

[0180] When shoes 1I to 1M according to embodiments 9 to 13 are configured, the same effects as those described in embodiment 1 can be obtained, and shoes having a flexible shell 10 made of an elastic material can have improved static and dynamic fit of the shell to the foot. In particular, shoes 1L and 1M according to embodiments 12 and 13 are configured such that the high-rigidity portion is provided further downward in the peripheral wall, thereby preventing the peripheral wall from collapsing from a position further downward in the peripheral wall.

[0181] (Summary of the Disclosure in the Embodiments) The characteristic configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be summarized as follows.

[0182] [Appendix 1] A shoe having an insertion space provided therein into which a wearer's foot can be inserted, and a flexible shell made of an elastic material arranged to surround the insertion space, The shell includes a bottom wall portion configured to support the sole of the wearer's foot, and a peripheral wall portion configured to stand from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion and cover the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot, A bulging portion including an easily deformable portion constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure that bulges toward the insertion space is provided at a position of the peripheral wall portion corresponding to at least one of a portion posterior to the medial malleolus point and a portion posterior to the lateral malleolus point of the wearer's foot, A high-rigidity portion serving as a difficult-to-deform portion having higher rigidity than the easy-to-deform portion is provided at a position below a portion of the peripheral wall portion where the bulge portion is provided, At least a portion of the peripheral wall including the bulging portion and the high rigidity portion is formed from a single member.

[0183] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 1 above, when the shoe is worn, the bulge reduces the gap between the recess in the portion of the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot located behind the ankle and the peripheral wall of the shell, and the bulge is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure, which allows the bulge to appropriately compress and deform, thereby improving static fit. Furthermore, by adopting this configuration, the high-rigidity portion prevents the peripheral wall from collapsing outward in the portion where the bulge is provided, thereby improving dynamic fit. Therefore, with this configuration, in a shoe with a flexible shell made of an elastic material, the static and dynamic fit of the shell to the wearer's foot can be improved at a position behind the ankle.

[0184] [Appendix 2] The shoe described in Appendix 1, wherein the high rigidity portion is located on the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion.

[0185] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 2 above, it is possible to more reliably prevent the peripheral wall portion from collapsing outward, thereby more reliably improving static fit and dynamic fit.

[0186] [Appendix 3] The shoe described in Appendix 1, wherein the high rigidity portion has a strip-like shape extending along the front-to-rear direction in the rear end portion of the shoe.

[0187] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 3 above, it is possible to ensure the rigidity required for the high-rigidity portion, thereby more reliably improving static fit and dynamic fit.

[0188] [Appendix 4] The shoe according to Appendix 3, wherein the high rigidity portion reaches the front end and the rear end of the shoe.

[0189] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 4 above, not only can the static and dynamic fit of the shell to the wearer's foot be improved at a position posterior to the ankle, but the static and dynamic fit can also be improved for the wearer's entire foot.

[0190] [Appendix 5] The shoe according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the high-rigidity portion extends at a rear end portion of the shoe, sloping downward as it approaches the front side of the shoe.

[0191] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 5 above, it is possible to provide a shoe that has excellent stability when landing in the forefoot and midfoot.

[0192] [Appendix 6] 6. The shoe according to any one of appendices 3 to 5, wherein the high rigidity portion includes a branched portion.

[0193] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 6 above, it is possible to achieve both improved static and dynamic fit and a lighter shoe.

[0194] [Appendix 7] the peripheral wall portion has a protrusion portion that extends along the extension direction of the high rigidity portion in a portion where the high rigidity portion is provided and protrudes toward an opposite side to the insertion space side, A shoe according to any one of appendixes 3 to 6, wherein the high rigidity portion is located on the outer surface of a portion of the peripheral wall portion that corresponds to the protrusion portion.

[0195] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 7 above, it is possible to further provide a protrusion portion on the peripheral wall portion of the part where the high rigidity portion is to be provided, thereby ensuring the necessary thickness of the high rigidity portion and more reliably improving dynamic fit.

[0196] [Appendix 8] an outer surface of a portion of the peripheral wall portion corresponding to the protrusion portion includes an upper surface and a lower surface separated by a ridge portion extending along an extension direction of the protrusion portion; The shoe described in Appendix 7, wherein the high rigidity portion is provided on only one of the upper surface and the lower surface.

[0197] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 8 above, it is possible to improve the molding properties, particularly when the shell is molded using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method using a liquid vat photopolymerization method.

[0198] [Appendix 9] A shoe as described in any one of appendices 1 to 8, wherein the peripheral wall portion corresponding to the rear end of the shoe, except for the high rigidity portion, is entirely made of a three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0199] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 9 above, it is possible to improve static and dynamic fit while promoting weight reduction of the shoe.

[0200] [Appendix 10] A shoe described in any one of appendixes 1 to 9, wherein the high rigidity portion is composed of a solid structure.

[0201] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 10 above, the rigidity of the high-rigidity portion can be increased to the maximum, thereby more reliably improving the dynamic fit.

[0202] [Appendix 11] The shoe described in any one of appendixes 1 to 10, wherein the shell is a single object formed by a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method.

[0203] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 11 above, the entire shell is constructed from a single part, which makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0204] [Appendix 12] 12. The shoe of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the bottom wall portion has a ground contact surface.

[0205] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 12 above, it is no longer necessary to provide a separate outsole, which makes it possible to reduce the number of parts and reduce manufacturing costs.

[0206] [Appendix 13] The shoe further includes an upper body that is housed in the shell and includes a bag-like housing portion having an opening through which the wearer's foot can be inserted, 13. The shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the bulge is covered by the upper body.

[0207] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 13 above, it is possible to improve static and dynamic fit while providing a shoe that feels more comfortable on the foot.

[0208] [Appendix 14] A shoe as described in any one of appendixes 1 to 13, further comprising a sole body configured to be housed in the shell to be positioned above the bottom wall portion and to cooperate with the bottom wall portion to support the sole of the wearer's foot.

[0209] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 14 above, it is possible to improve static and dynamic fit, while providing shoes that are excellent in shock absorption when landing and that feel comfortable on the feet.

[0210] (Other forms, etc.) In the above-described embodiment, an example has been given in which a bulge portion and a high-rigidity portion are provided on both the inner foot side peripheral wall portion and the outer foot side peripheral wall portion, but these may be provided on only one of the inner foot side peripheral wall portion and the outer foot side peripheral wall portion, or a configuration may be adopted in which a bulge portion is provided on both the inner foot side peripheral wall portion and the outer foot side peripheral wall portion, but one of them does not have a high-rigidity portion.

[0211] In the above-described embodiment, the entire bulge portion is made of a three-dimensional mesh structure, but as long as at least a portion of the bulge portion includes a portion made of a three-dimensional mesh structure, the remaining portion may be made of, for example, a solid structure. In this case, for example, the surface of the bulge portion may be covered with a thin layer made of a solid structure, thereby further improving the foot contact.

[0212] Furthermore, the shapes, sizes, numbers, etc. of the bulging portions, high-rigidity portions, protruding portions, etc. disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0213] Furthermore, the characteristic configurations shown in the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0214] As such, the above-described embodiments 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 of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0215] 1A~1M,1A1~1A8 Shoes, 2 collar, 3 ground plane, 10 shell, 10a opening, 10b mesh structure, 10c hole, 11 bottom wall, 11a inner surface, 11b outer surface, 12 peripheral wall, 12A inner foot side peripheral wall, 12B outer foot side peripheral wall, 12a inner peripheral surface, 12b Outer circumferential surface, 13A medial foot bulge, 13B lateral bulge, 14A medial high rigidity part, 14B lateral high rigidity part, 14b lateral foot cover, 15A medial foot protrusion, 15B lateral protrusion, 20 upper body, 20a opening, 21 lower wall, 21a inner surface, 21b outer surface, 22 Side wall, 22a Inner peripheral surface, 22b outer peripheral surface, 30 sole body, 31 midsole, 31a top surface, 31b bottom surface, 32 plate, 32a first main surface, 32b second main surface, 110 first ridge portion, 111 first upper surface, 112 first lower surface, 114 first high rigidity portion, 115 first protrusion portion, 120 second ridge portion, 121 second upper surface, 122 second lower surface, 124 second high rigidity portion, 125 second protrusion portion, 200 three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, 201 reservoir, 202 platform, 203 lifting mechanism, 300 polymer material, 400 support portion, HC heel center, P1 first boundary surface, P2 second boundary surface, PF front end position, PR rear end position, R1 forefoot portion, R2 midfoot portion, R3 Rear foot, SC shoe center, SP1 lower side space, SP2 upper side space, SP3 insertion space.

Claims

1. A shoe having an insertion space provided therein into which a wearer's foot can be inserted, and a flexible shell made of an elastic material arranged to surround the insertion space, The shell includes a bottom wall portion configured to support the sole of the wearer's foot, and a peripheral wall portion configured to stand from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion and cover the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot, A bulging portion including an easily deformable portion constituted by a three-dimensional mesh structure that bulges toward the insertion space is provided at a position of the peripheral wall portion corresponding to at least one of a portion posterior to the medial malleolus point and a portion posterior to the lateral malleolus point of the wearer's foot, A high-rigidity portion serving as a difficult-to-deform portion having higher rigidity than the easy-to-deform portion is provided at a position below the portion of the peripheral wall portion where the bulge portion is provided, The shoe, wherein at least a portion of the peripheral wall portion including the bulging portion and the high rigidity portion is configured from a single member.

2. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity portion is located on an outer surface of the peripheral wall portion.

3. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity portion has a strip-like shape extending in the front-to-rear direction in a rear end portion of the shoe.

4. The shoe according to claim 3, wherein the high-rigidity portion reaches both the front end and the rear end of the shoe.

5. 4. The shoe according to claim 3, wherein the high-rigidity portion extends at a rear end portion of the shoe, sloping downward as it approaches the front side of the shoe.

6. The shoe according to claim 3 , wherein the high stiffness portion includes a branched portion.

7. the peripheral wall portion has a protrusion portion that extends along the extension direction of the high rigidity portion in a portion where the high rigidity portion is provided and protrudes toward an opposite side to the insertion space side, The shoe according to claim 3 , wherein the high-rigidity portion is located on an outer surface of a portion of the peripheral wall that corresponds to the protrusion.

8. an outer surface of a portion of the peripheral wall portion corresponding to the protrusion portion includes an upper surface and a lower surface separated by a ridge portion extending along an extension direction of the protrusion portion; The shoe according to claim 7 , wherein the high-rigidity portion is provided on only one of the upper surface and the lower surface.

9. 2. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall portion at the rear end of the shoe, except for the high-rigidity portion, is entirely made of a three-dimensional mesh structure.

10. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the high-rigidity portion is formed of a solid structure.

11. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the shell is made of a single object formed by a three-dimensional additive manufacturing method.

12. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall portion has a tread surface.

13. The shoe further includes an upper body that is housed in the shell and includes a bag-like housing portion having an opening through which the wearer's foot can be inserted, The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein the bulge is covered by the upper body.

14. The shoe according to claim 1, further comprising a sole body configured to be housed in the shell, positioned above the bottom wall portion, and to cooperate with the bottom wall portion to support the sole of the wearer's foot.

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