footwear

Abstract

The present invention provides footwear that can suppress a decline in productivity when setting heel counters for each size, for both categories with and without guide sections. [Solution] The footwear 1 comprises a sole 3 and an upper 2 attached above the sole 3, and the upper 2 has a heel counter 9. The heel counter 9 includes a heel cup portion 20 that covers the wearer's heel from the rear, and a guide portion 30 that is located above the wearer's heel and has an inclined surface 30a that slopes forward toward downward, with its lower part joined to the upper part of the heel cup portion 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses footwear intended to be worn without using hands. This footwear forms a rigid projecting piece portion extending obliquely upward and rearward at the upper end of the heel portion, and the projecting piece portion has a hardness obtained by using an extension of the heel core provided in the heel portion as a core. The extension of the heel core in Patent Document 1 is integrally formed with the heel core (referred to as a heel counter in this specification).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The heel counter may be set to an optimal size according to the size of the footwear for the portion covering the wearer's heel (referred to as the heel cup portion in this specification). In this case, when setting categories of footwear where the heel counter integrally has a guide portion (referred to as a guide portion in this specification) in the heel cup portion and categories where the heel counter has only the heel cup portion without the guide portion, it is necessary to prepare heel counters for both categories for each size of the footwear. As a result, the types of the heel counter increase by two times compared to the case of preparing only one of the categories with the guide portion and the category without it, so the productivity deteriorates.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide footwear that can suppress deterioration of productivity when setting for each size of the footwear for each of the categories with a guide portion and the category without a guide portion as the heel counter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention A footwear comprising a sole and an upper attached above the sole, the upper having a heel counter, The heel counter is The heel cup portion covers the wearer's heel from behind, It is located above the wearer's heel and has an inclined surface that slopes forward and downward, with its lower part joined to the upper part of the heel cup, and We provide footwear, including [items]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, since the heel counter is constructed by joining a heel cup portion and a guide portion, the versatility of each component can be increased compared to the case where they are constructed as a single unit.

[0008] For example, the heel cup portion can be shared between heel counters with and without a guide portion. Furthermore, for heel counters with a guide portion, the guide portion can be standardized across different sizes of footwear, while the heel cup portion can be set to an optimal size according to the footwear size. This makes it easier to improve heel support provided by the heel cup portion while suppressing an increase in the number of guide portion types. By combining the guide portion and the heel cup portion, heel counters with various specifications can be provided. Therefore, a decline in footwear productivity can be suppressed.

[0009] Furthermore, if the heel counter is molded to have the heel cup portion and the guide portion integrally, the mold used to mold the heel counter becomes larger, increasing the cost of mold manufacturing. However, according to the present invention, since the heel counter is composed of a separate heel cup portion and a guide portion, the size of the mold is suppressed when these are molded using a mold. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A side view of footwear according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Plan view of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Rear view of Figure 1. [Figure 4] Deconstructed perspective view of the heel counter. [Figure 5] Deconstructed view of the heel cup section. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Footwear according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description is essentially illustrative and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0012] The following explanation will use footwear for the left foot as an example. Furthermore, in the following explanation, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions, as seen from the perspective of the wearer, will be referred to as the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions of the footwear, respectively.

[0013] Figure 1 is a side view of a left footwear 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the left side. Figure 2 is a top view of the footwear 1 viewed from above. Figure 3 is a rear view of the footwear 1 viewed from the rear. As shown in Figure 1, the footwear 1 has an upper 2 that covers the wearer's foot from above and a sole 3 fixed to the lower part of the upper 2. The footwear 1 according to this embodiment is a sneaker.

[0014] The sole 3 has an outsole 3a that forms the contact surface and a midsole 3b that is fixed to the upper side of the outsole 3a and covers the lower edge of the upper 2 from the outer side.

[0015] The upper 2 has a quarter 10 that entirely covers the wearer's foot from the heel to the toe via the sides, and a quarter lining 4 (see FIG. 2) that covers the inner surface of the quarter 10. The quarter 10 has a quarter heel 11, a quarter outer 12, a quarter inner 13, and a quarter toe 14 that respectively cover the heel, outer side, inner side, and toe of the wearer's foot. In the present embodiment, the upper 2 has the quarter heel 11, the quarter outer 12, the quarter inner 13 (see FIG. 2), and the quarter toe 14 integrally formed, but one or more of these members may be configured as separate members and joined by stitching or adhesion.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the quarter 10 is provided with a footwear entrance 10a and a top opening 10b that is continuous with the front of the footwear entrance 10a. The footwear entrance 10a is where the foot is inserted when the wearer puts on the footwear and is located around the ankle when the wearer wears the footwear 1. The top opening 10b is an opening that expands the footwear entrance 10a to the front side and separates the upper 2 into left and right parts at the wearer's top.

[0017] The upper 2 further includes a tongue 5 disposed on the inner surface side (lower side) of the quarter 10 so as to close the space between the quarters 10 separated into left and right by the top opening 10b, an eyelet stay 6 disposed at the peripheral edge of the top opening 10b, and a shoe lace 7.

[0018] The tongue 5 is wider than the top opening 10b, and the rear end protrudes into the footwear entrance 10a. The tongue 5 is sewn to the part above the eyelet stay 6 via a sewing part 5a so as not to enter inside when the foot is inserted. Further, the tongue 5 is joined to the eyelet stay 6 via a rubber material 5b at a position closer to the footwear entrance 10a than the sewing part 5a. The rubber material 5b also suppresses the pulling of the tongue 5 into the interior of the footwear 1, and further enables the tongue 5 to be lifted upward by the wearer's top when the wearer wears the footwear 1, whereby the footwear entrance 10a can be elastically expanded.

[0019] The eyelet stay 6 has a pair of left and right eyelet stay front and rear portions 6a extending in the front - rear direction along the left and right edge portions of the upper opening 10b, and an eyelet stay left and right portion 6b connecting the front end portions of the eyelet stay front and rear portions 6a left and right. In each of the pair of left and right eyelet stay front and rear portions 6a, a plurality of eyelets 6c arranged in the front - rear direction and penetrating the eyelet stay 6 in the thickness direction are formed.

[0020] The shoelace 7 fits the upper 2 to the wearer's foot by fastening both ends inserted through a plurality of eyelets 6c across the left and right eyelet stay front and rear portions 6a. In the present embodiment, the shoelace 7 is an elastic member (for example, made of rubber), and the portion passing through the eyelets 6c is connected by a fastener 8 (which may also be generally referred to as a shoelace stopper).

[0021] As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, a heel counter 9, which is a core material, is arranged in the quarter heel 11. The heel counter 9 is arranged between the quarter heel 11 and the quarter lining 4. Specifically, among the heel counter 9, a heel cup portion 20, which will be described later, is arranged in the quarter heel 11, and a guide portion 30, which will be described later, protrudes above the quarter heel 11.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the heel counter 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the heel counter 9 has a heel cup portion 20 that covers the wearer's heel from behind, and a guide portion 30 located above the wearer's heel, that is, at a height corresponding to the ankle. The lower part of the guide portion 30 is joined to the upper part of the heel cup portion 20 by, for example, an adhesive. In the present embodiment, a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) hot - melt adhesive is employed as the adhesive.

[0023] The heel cup portion 20 has an upper heel cup portion 21 that extends linearly or curved in a direction sloping backward downward from the upper edge, a lower heel cup portion 23 that extends linearly or curved in a direction substantially parallel to or sloping backward upward from the lower edge, and a middle heel cup portion 22 that curvedly connects the upper heel cup portion 21 and the lower heel cup portion 23. The heel cup portion 20 extends in a curved shape with a horizontal cross-section that is concave backward. Therefore, the heel cup portion 20 is formed in a concave shape that bulges backward and to the left and right so as to cover the rear side of the wearer's heel from the rear and both sides.

[0024] The heel cup portion 20 is made of a plate-shaped resin material. The heel cup portion 20 is made of a material that has appropriate hardness, high elasticity, shape retention, and resistance to deformation in order to provide suitable support for the wearer's heel. In this embodiment, TPU resin (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) with a hardness (measured according to SATRA TM83) of 55±5° is used as the material for the heel cup portion 20. Alternatively, nylon resin may be used as the material for the heel cup portion 20.

[0025] Figure 5 is an unfolded view of the heel cup portion 20, specifically, an unfolded view as seen from the side that is located on the inner surface when incorporated into the footwear 1. As shown in Figure 5, the heel cup portion 20 is formed in a concave shape to surround the wearer's heel, using a plate-shaped resin member 24 that has been blanked into a predetermined unfolded shape. Specifically, in the unfolded shape, the resin member 24 has a fan-shaped slit 26 extending vertically at the lower part in the left-right direction, and the concave shape is formed by joining both edges of the slit 26a and curving both left and right edges, for example, by using a mold.

[0026] Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rear end of the upper 2 at the center in the width direction along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 6, the heel cup portion 20 has a general thickness t10 of 1.2 mm to 1.8 mm, excluding the peripheral edge, and in this embodiment it is 1.5 mm. The heel cup portion 20 has a first thickness reduction portion 25 at the upper edge, specifically at the joint with the guide portion 30, where the thickness gradually decreases toward the end. The first thickness reduction portion 25 has a first inclined surface portion 25a on one side of its surface that is inclined inward in the thickness direction toward the end. The first inclined surface portion 25a is formed by grinding the surface of the plate-shaped resin member 24 constituting the heel cup portion 20, the surface corresponding to the inner surface side of the footwear 1. That is, the first inclined surface portion 25a is provided on the inner surface of the heel cup portion 20.

[0027] The first inclined surface portion 25a has a length L1 along the inclined surface in the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 6 that is 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less, and in this embodiment it is 5 mm. The first thickness reduction portion 25 has a thickness t11 at its end that is 0.4 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less, and in this embodiment it is 0.5 mm. The first thickness reduction portion 25 may be provided at locations other than the joint with the guide portion 30, in which case a step is less likely to occur at the periphery of the heel cup portion 20 in the quarter heel 11, and blisters and the like caused by such a step are less likely to occur.

[0028] The guide portion 30 is made of molded resin, for example, by injection molding. The guide portion 30 has an inclined surface 30a on its inner side that slopes downward toward the front. The inclined surface 30a of the guide portion 30 smoothly guides the wearer's foot into the inside of the footwear 1 through the footwear opening 10a when the wearer puts on the footwear 1.

[0029] In this embodiment, the material of the guide portion 30 is different from the material of the heel cup portion 20. The guide portion 30 is made of a material that has appropriate hardness, high elasticity, and resistance to deformation. For example, the material of the guide portion 30 may be harder than the material of the heel cup portion 20, taking into consideration the feel on the wearer's foot. In this embodiment, hard EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin) with a hardness (measured according to SATRA TM83) of 70° to 75° is used as the material of the guide portion 30. That is, in this embodiment, the guide portion 30 is harder than the heel cup portion 20. In addition, TPU and nylon resin may be used as the material of the guide portion 30. Furthermore, by making the guide portion 30 from molded resin, it is easier to partially secure the thickness and to ensure rigidity against the load applied from the wearer's foot when worn.

[0030] The guide section 30 has a slip-in upper section 31 that extends in a curved shape from the upper edge downward in a forward-sloping direction, a slip-in lower section 33 that extends in a curved shape from the lower edge upward in a forward-sloping direction, and a slip-in intermediate section 32 that curvedly connects the slip-in upper section 31 and the slip-in lower section 33. The guide section 30 extends in a curved shape with a horizontal cross-section that is concave towards the rear.

[0031] The guide portion 30 is thicker than the heel cup portion 20. The guide portion 30 has a slip-in intermediate portion 32 with a thickness t20 of 3.6 mm to 5.4 mm, which in this embodiment is 4.5 mm. The guide portion 30 has a second thickness reduction portion 34 at its lower edge, specifically at the joint with the heel cup portion 20, which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction so that the thickness gradually decreases towards the end.

[0032] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the guide portion 30 is covered with a lining 35. Because the guide portion 30 is covered with a lining 35, it protrudes upward from the quarter heel 11, but the feel underfoot is further improved. In addition, the adhesion to the heel cup portion 20 is improved by using the lining 35.

[0033] The second thickness-reducing portion 34 only needs to have a vertical length L2 along the surface at the joint with the heel cup portion 20 that is equal to or greater than the length L1 of the first inclined surface portion 25a, which in this embodiment is 5 mm. The thickness t21 at the end of the second thickness-reducing portion 34 is 1.8 mm or less, which in this embodiment is 0 mm. The second thickness-reducing portion 34 may be provided at locations other than the joint with the heel cup portion 20.

[0034] In other words, the guide portion 30 is formed to be concave in the front when viewed from the side and concave in the rear when viewed from above, and is configured to have a shape that provides high bending rigidity against vertical loads. Furthermore, the thickness t20 of the slip-in intermediate portion 32 of the guide portion 30 is greater than the general thickness t10 of the heel cup portion 20. Therefore, by constructing the guide portion 30 from molded resin, it is possible to form a highly rigid shape while also ensuring sufficient thickness, thereby effectively increasing the bending rigidity against vertical load input. In addition, since the material of the guide portion 30 is hard EVA with high hardness, the heel portion does not catch on the guide portion 30 when the wearer puts on the footwear 1, and therefore the foot slides more easily into the footwear 1.

[0035] Referring to the enlarged view of Figure 6, the joint 40 between the heel cup portion 20 and the guide portion 30 will be described. The heel cup portion 20 has a first thickness reduction portion 25, and the guide portion 30 has a second thickness reduction portion 34. By joining the first thickness reduction portion 25 and the second thickness reduction portion 34 in the thickness direction, the guide portion 30 can be joined to the upper edge of the heel cup portion 20 while suppressing an increase in the thickness of the joint 40. Furthermore, by joining the thickness reduction portions 25 and 34 of the heel cup portion 20 and the guide portion 30 in the thickness direction (front-to-back direction), the joint 40 can be made longer compared to when the ends are joined by butting them together in the vertical direction. As a result, the joining area of ​​the joint 40 is increased, and the joining strength can be increased.

[0036] Furthermore, as described above, since both the heel cup portion 20 and the guide portion 30 have a U-shape with a horizontal cross-section that opens forward, the joint portion 40 is also formed in a U-shape. The U-shaped joint portion 40 allows for a longer joint length compared to when the joint portion 40 is linear, for example, extending left and right. Moreover, since the U-shaped joint portion 40 has a component that extends in the front-rear direction, it can increase the support rigidity against load input in the front-rear direction. Therefore, even if a downward force is applied from the guide portion 30 to the heel cup portion 20, it is easier to ensure the strength of the joint portion 40.

[0037] When a wearer puts on footwear 1, they first insert their toes into the footwear 1 through the opening 10a. In this position, the foot is extended diagonally upward and backward, and then the heel pushes the guide portion 30 downward. As a result, the guide portion 30 is easily subjected to a load F0 from the heel in a downward and backward inclined direction. As mentioned above, the guide portion 30 is harder than the heel cup portion 20, so the reaction force from the heel cup portion 20 to the guide portion 30 is small. Therefore, the reaction force acting from the guide portion 30 to the heel is suppressed, reducing the difficulty of putting on the footwear.

[0038] The heel counter 9, namely the slip-in lower section 33 and the heel cup upper section 21, which sandwich the joint 40 from above and below, each extends in a direction that is inclined backward toward the downward. In other words, the load F0 generally follows the direction in which the heel counter 9 near the joint 40 extends. As a result, at the joint 40, the load F0 is divided into a first load component F1 along the surface of the joint 40 (first inclined surface section 25a) and a second load component F2 that is applied perpendicularly to the first thickness reduction section 25.

[0039] The first load component F1 is transmitted along the inner surface of the heel cup portion 20, making it difficult to bend the heel cup portion 20 vertically. On the other hand, the second load component F2 acts to push the heel cup portion 20 backward in the first thickness reduction portion 25. Here, since the heel cup portion 20 is formed in a concave shape that bulges backward, the second load component F2 input to the first thickness reduction portion 25 acts to spread the concave heel cup portion 20, making it difficult to bend it vertically.

[0040] Therefore, by joining the guide portion 30 and the heel cup portion 20 via a joint portion 40 that is inclined forward and downward, even when a downward load F0 is applied from the guide portion 30 to the heel cup portion 20 by the wearer's foot (e.g., heel) when the wearer puts on the footwear 1, the guide portion 30 itself is prevented from deforming vertically, bending of the joint portion 40 is also suppressed, and bending of the heel cup portion 20 itself is also suppressed. Thus, the heel counter 9 makes it possible to easily put on the footwear 1, while preventing deformation of the heel counter 9, and thus preventing cracking of the heel counter 9.

[0041] In this embodiment, the joint portion 40 extends substantially parallel to the vertical direction. Therefore, even if a load is applied vertically downward from the guide portion 30 to the heel cup portion 20, it will act in a direction substantially perpendicular to the joining direction of the joint portion 40. As a result, it is difficult for force to act in the front-rear direction on the upper edge of the heel cup portion 20, i.e., the first thickness reduction portion 25, and thus bending of the heel cup portion 20 is suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the shoelace 7 is stretchable, when the wearer puts on the footwear 1, the instep comes into contact with the tongue 5, pushing the opening of the footwear 10a forward by the amount of the stretch of the shoelace 7. This makes it even easier for the wearer to put on the footwear 1.

[0043] The footwear 1 according to the above embodiment provides the following effects.

[0044] (1) A footwear 1 comprising a sole 3 and an upper 2 attached above the sole 3, the upper 2 having a heel counter 9, Heel Counter 9 is A heel cup portion 20 that covers the wearer's heel from behind, A guide portion 30 is located above the wearer's heel and has an inclined surface 30a that slopes forward and downward, with its lower part joined to the upper part of the heel cup portion 20. It includes.

[0045] According to the present invention, the heel counter 9 is constructed by joining the heel cup portion 20 and the guide portion 30, which increases the versatility of each component compared to when they are constructed as a single unit.

[0046] For example, the heel cup portion 20 can be shared between heel counters 9 with and without a guide portion 30. Furthermore, for heel counters 9 with a guide portion 30, the guide portion 30 can be standardized across different sizes of footwear, while the heel cup portion 20 can be set to an optimal size according to the size of the footwear 1. This makes it easier to improve heel support provided by the heel cup portion 20 while suppressing an increase in the number of guide portion 30 types. By combining the guide portion 30 and the heel cup portion 20, heel counters 9 with various specifications can be provided. Therefore, a deterioration in the productivity of footwear 1 can be suppressed.

[0047] Furthermore, if the heel counter 9 is molded to have the heel cup portion 20 and the guide portion 30 integrally, the mold required to mold the heel counter 9 by resin molding will become larger, increasing the cost of mold manufacturing. However, according to the present invention, since the heel counter 9 is composed of a separate heel cup portion 20 and a guide portion 30, the size of the mold is suppressed when these are molded using a mold.

[0048] (2) The heel cup portion 20 is made of a different material from the guide portion 30.

[0049] This configuration improves the design flexibility of the heel counter 9. For example, by constructing the heel cup portion 20 from a material suitable for supporting the heel, and the guide portion 30 from a material that provides a good feel when inserting the foot into the footwear 1, it is possible to achieve both heel support and a pleasant feel when inserting the foot.

[0050] (3) The guide portion 30 is thicker than the heel cup portion 20.

[0051] This configuration allows for increased rigidity of the guide portion 30, effectively resisting the force acting on it when the foot is inserted into the footwear 1, while simultaneously preventing the heel cup portion 20 from becoming excessively thick.

[0052] (4) For example, the heel cup portion 20 is made of a plate-shaped member, The guide section 30 may be made of molded resin.

[0053] (5) Specifically, the material of the heel cup portion 20 is TPU, The guide section 30 may be made of rigid EVA.

[0054] (6) The heel cup portion 20 has a first thickness reduction portion 25 at the top, in which the thickness decreases towards the top. The guide section 30 has a second thickness reduction section 34 at its lower end, where the thickness gradually decreases downwards. The first thickness-reducing section 25 and the second thickness-reducing section 34 are joined in the thickness direction, thereby joining the guide section 30 to the heel cup section 20.

[0055] In this configuration, in the heel cup portion 20, the first thickness reduction portion 25 is longer in the vertical direction along the surface than the general thickness t10 of the heel cup portion 20. Similarly, in the guide portion 30, the second thickness reduction portion 34 is longer in the inclined direction than the lower end surface of the guide portion. Therefore, compared to joining the heel cup portion and the guide portion by butting their respective upper and lower end surfaces, it is easier to increase the joining area of ​​the joint portion 40 where the first thickness reduction portion 25 and the second thickness reduction portion 34 are joined. Furthermore, since the thickness of the first thickness reduction portion 25 and the second thickness reduction portion 34 is gradually reduced, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the joint portion 40 even when joining them in overlapping order. Therefore, the wearer is less likely to experience discomfort caused by the joint portion 40.

[0056] (7) The heel cup portion 20 is The upper part 21 of the heel cup slopes backward from the upper edge downward, The heel cup intermediate portion 22 curves downward from the upper part of the heel cup and It has, The first thickness reduction section 25 is located on the rear side relative to the second thickness reduction section 34.

[0057] In this configuration, the heel cup portion 20 is formed in a concave shape that bulges out to the rear, so when subjected to a load from above, it is prone to bending such that the upper part 21 of the heel cup moves forward while the middle part 22 of the heel cup moves backward. However, since the first thickness reduction portion 25 is located behind the second thickness reduction portion 34, the downward load applied to the guide portion 30 when the wearer inserts their foot acts backward on the first thickness reduction portion 25 via the second thickness reduction portion 34. Therefore, the upper part of the heel cup portion 20 is less likely to move forward, and the bending of the heel cup portion 20 is suppressed.

[0058] (8) Upper 2 is, The footwear opening 10a into which the wearer's foot is inserted, The shoelace 7 allows the shoe opening 10a to be widened when the wearer puts on or takes off the footwear. It also has the following features.

[0059] With this configuration, since the shoe opening 10a can be elastically expanded via the shoelaces 7, when the heel slides into the shoe via the guide portion 30, the instep pushes open the shoe opening 10a via the tongue 5, further improving the ease with which the foot can be inserted into the shoe 1.

[0060] The footwear 1 relating to this disclosure is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0061] In the above embodiment, sneakers were used as an example of footwear 1, but the invention is not limited to sneakers and can be applied to any shoe with a heel, such as sports shoes, business shoes, casual shoes, dress shoes, etc.

[0062] In the above embodiment, a stretchable shoelace 7 was described as an example of an elastic member that enlarges the shoe opening 10a, but the invention is not limited to this, and any elastic member that can enlarge the shoe opening 10a can be used. For example, the quarter 10 that defines the shoe opening 10a may be made of an elastic material. Also, if a so-called slip-on type is used without using shoelaces 7, an elastic member may be made by using a stretchable member in the part corresponding to the wearer's instep.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the guide portion 30 is configured to protrude above the quarter heel 11, but the guide portion 30, or the heel cup portion 20, may be covered with a cushioning material such as sponge.

[0064] [Note] The footwear relating to this disclosure provides the following aspects:

[0065] [Aspect 1] A footwear comprising a sole and an upper attached above the sole, the upper having a heel counter, The heel counter is The heel cup portion covers the wearer's heel from behind, It is located above the wearer's heel and has an inclined surface that slopes forward and downward, with its lower part joined to the upper part of the heel cup, and Footwear, including...

[0066] [Aspect 2] The heel cup portion is made of a different material than the guide portion. Footwear as described in Embodiment 1.

[0067] [Aspect 3] The guide portion is thicker than the heel cup portion. Footwear as described in embodiment 1 or 2.

[0068] [Aspect 4] The heel cup portion is made of a plate-shaped member. The aforementioned guide portion is made of molded resin. Footwear as described in any one of the embodiments 1 to 3.

[0069] [Aspect 5] The material of the heel cup portion is TPU. The material of the guide section is rigid EVA. Footwear as described in Appearance 4.

[0070] [Aspect 6] The heel cup portion has a first thickness reduction portion at its upper part, which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction such that the thickness decreases upwards. The guide portion has a second thickness reduction portion at its lower part, which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction so that the thickness gradually decreases downwards. The first thickness reduction portion and the second thickness reduction portion are joined in the thickness direction, thereby joining the guide portion to the heel cup portion. Footwear as described in any one of embodiments 1 to 5.

[0071] [Aspect 7] The heel cup portion is The upper part of the heel cup slopes backward from the upper edge downwards, The heel cup curved portion that curves downward from the upper part of the heel cup and It has, The aforementioned thickness reduction portion is located on the rear side relative to the second thickness reduction portion. Footwear as described in aspect 6.

[0072] [Aspect 8] The aforementioned upper is, The opening of the footwear into which the wearer's foot is inserted, An elastic member that allows the opening of the footwear to be enlarged when the wearer puts on or takes off the footwear, It also has, Footwear as described in any one of the embodiments 1 to 7. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1. Footwear 2 Appa 3 soles 5 Tan 7 Shoelaces 9 Heel Counter 10 Quarters 10a Footwear entrance 11 Quarter Heel 20 Heel cup section 21 Upper part of heel cup 22 Heel cup mid-section 23 Lower part of heel cup 25. First section with gradually decreasing wall thickness 30 Guide section 30a Slope 31 Slip-in top 32 Slip-in intermediate section 33 Slip-in lower section 34. Second section with gradually decreasing wall thickness

Claims

1. A footwear comprising a sole and an upper attached above the sole, the upper having a heel counter, The heel counter is The heel cup portion covers the wearer's heel from behind, It is located above the wearer's heel and has an inclined surface that slopes forward and downward, with its lower part joined to the upper part of the heel cup, and Footwear, including...

2. The heel cup portion is made of a different material than the guide portion. Footwear according to claim 1.

3. The guide portion is thicker than the heel cup portion. Footwear according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The heel cup portion is made of a plate-shaped member. The aforementioned guide portion is made of molded resin. Footwear according to claim 3.

5. The material of the heel cup portion is TPU. The material of the guide portion is hard EVA. Footwear according to claim 4.

6. The heel cup portion has a first thickness reduction portion at its upper part, which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction such that the thickness decreases upwards. The guide portion has a second thickness reduction portion at its lower part, which is inclined with respect to the thickness direction so that the thickness gradually decreases downwards. The first thickness reduction portion and the second thickness reduction portion are joined in the thickness direction, thereby joining the guide portion to the heel cup portion. Footwear according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The heel cup portion is The upper part of the heel cup slopes backward from the upper edge downwards, The heel cup curved portion that curves downward from the upper part of the heel cup and It has, The first thickness reduction portion is located on the rear side relative to the second thickness reduction portion. Footwear according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned upper is, The opening of the footwear into which the wearer's foot is inserted, An elastic member that allows the opening of the footwear to be enlarged when the wearer puts on or takes off the footwear, It also has, Footwear according to claim 1 or 2.

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