Shoe

Abstract

This shoe (1A) is provided with a flexible shell (10) and a sole body (30). The shell (10) includes a bottom wall part (11) having a ground contact surface, and a peripheral wall part (12) erected from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall part (11). The sole body (30) is positioned above the bottom wall part (11) by being housed in the shell (10). The sole body (30) includes at least a plate (32) harder than the shell (10), and the plate (32) is disposed such that a main surface (32b) positioned in the thickness direction of the plate (32) faces an inner surface (11a) of the bottom wall part (11). A protective part (22c) that is softer than the plate (32) is provided at a position between a peripheral end surface (32c) of the plate (32) and an inner peripheral surface (12a) of the peripheral wall part (12).

Description

shoes

[0001] The present disclosure relates to shoes.

[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 having a flexible shell and a sole body made of a foam material or the like housed in the shell.

[0003] Meanwhile, in recent years, shoes have become popular that have a highly rigid plate in the sole to suppress dorsiflexion that occurs in the sole, particularly during running, thereby increasing forward propulsion force when pushing off. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-529461 (Patent Document 3) discloses shoes with this type of sole.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-127292 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-127293 Special Publication No. 2018-529461

[0005] If a plate is housed in a flexible shell without any special measures, the plate is hard while the shell is relatively soft, and so the edge of the plate may come into contact with the shell, causing scraping or tearing of the shell. This scraping or tearing of the shell reduces durability and poses a problem of significantly shortening the product lifespan.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the durability of a shoe having a hard plate housed in a flexible shell.

[0007] A shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure has an insertion space provided therein into which a wearer's foot is inserted, and includes a flexible shell and a sole body. The shell includes a bottom wall portion having a ground contact surface and a peripheral wall portion erected from the periphery of the bottom wall portion. The sole body is configured to support the sole of the wearer's foot and is positioned above the bottom wall portion by being housed in the shell. The sole body includes at least a plate that is harder than the shell, and the plate is arranged so that one of a pair of main surfaces positioned in the thickness direction of the plate faces the inner surface of the bottom wall portion. In the shoe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a protective portion softer than the plate is provided between the peripheral end surface of the plate and the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the durability of a shoe in which a hard plate is housed in a flexible shell.

[0009] 1. A perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 1. A perspective view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1, seen from another direction. A plan view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1. A side view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1, seen from the outer foot side. A cross-sectional view taken along line V-V shown in FIG. 3. A cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI shown in FIG. 3. A cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 3. An exploded perspective view for explaining the assembly structure of the shoe shown in FIG. 1. An enlarged view of region IX shown in FIG. 6. An enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the shoe shown in FIG. 1. A partially cutaway perspective view of the shell shown in FIG. 1, taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG. 3. A schematic view showing the formation range of the pressing surface provided on the peripheral wall portion of the shell shown in FIG. 1. A perspective view showing another aspect of the shoe shell shown in FIG. 1. A perspective view of an upper body of a shoe according to a first modified example. A schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV shown in FIG. 14. An enlarged view of region XVI shown in FIG. 15. A perspective view of an upper body of a shoe according to the modified example of FIG. 2. A schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII shown in FIG. 17. An enlarged view of region XIX shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a shoe plate according to a third modified example. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly structure of a shoe sole body according to embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 14 is a plan view of a shoe plate according to embodiment 3. FIG. 15 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to embodiment 3. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to embodiment 4. FIG. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to a sixth modified example.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, the same or common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) <A. Schematic Structure of Shoe> Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from another direction. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the outer side of the foot. Figs. 5 to 7 are cross-sectional views taken along lines V-V, VI-VI, and VII-VII shown in Fig. 3, respectively. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the assembly structure of the shoe shown in Fig. 1. First, the schematic structure of shoe 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, shoe 1A according to this embodiment is a sock-like shoe that covers almost the entire wearer's foot (i.e., the area distal to the ankle). Shoe 1A includes a shell 10, an upper body 20, a sole body 30 (see Figures 3, 5 to 8), an additional sole body 40 (see Figures 6 to 8), and a heel counter 50 (see Figures 6 to 8). An opening 2, through which the foot is inserted, is provided at the top of shoe 1A, and a ground-contact surface 3, which comes into contact with the ground, is provided at the bottom of shoe 1A. An insertion space SP3 (see Figures 1, 3, and 5 to 7), into which the wearer's foot is inserted, is also provided inside shoe 1A.

[0013] Here, the front-to-rear 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-rear 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.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , 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.

[0015] 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. 3). 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 (denoted by the symbol HC in FIG. 3 and other figures)) 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 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 in the front-to-back direction X is referred to as the total length of the insertion space SP3.

[0016] In other words, if an imaginary plane that passes from the front end position PF to a position 40% of the total length of the insertion space SP3 and is perpendicular to the shoe center SC is defined as the first boundary plane P1, and an imaginary plane that passes from the front end position PF to a position 80% of the total length of the insertion space SP3 and is perpendicular to the shoe center SC is defined as the second boundary plane P2, then the forefoot R1 corresponds to the portion included 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 portion included 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 portion included between the second boundary plane P2 and the rear end position PR along the front-to-back direction X.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3 , the shoe 1A is divided along the left-right direction Y in a plan view into an inner foot portion (the portion on the S1 side shown in FIG. 3 ), which is on the midline side (i.e., the side closer to the midline) in the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot, and an outer foot portion (the portion on the S2 side shown in FIG. 3 ), which is on the opposite side of the midline side (i.e., the side farther from the midline) in the anatomical orthogonal position of the foot.

[0018] 1 to 8, in shoe 1A, an upper body 20 is housed in a shell 10, and a sole body 30 is housed in the upper body 20. An additional sole body 40 and a heel counter 50 are housed in the shell 10 and disposed on the outside of the upper body 20. The shell 10, upper body 20, and sole body 30 are all positioned across the forefoot region R1, midfoot region R2, and rearfoot region R3. Meanwhile, the additional sole body 40 is positioned across the midfoot region R2 and rearfoot region R3, and the heel counter 50 is positioned in the rearfoot region R3.

[0019] 1 to 7, the shell 10 constitutes the outermost shell of the shoe 1A and is made of a flexible material configured in a bag-like shape with an open mouth 10a. The shell 10 has an internal space that communicates with the mouth 10a, and the insertion space SP3 described above is included in this internal space. The internal space of the shell 10 contains the upper body 20, the sole main body 30, the additional sole body 40, and the heel counter 50.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 5 to 7, 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the peripheral wall portion 12 has an inner peripheral wall portion 12A configured to cover the inner part of the wearer's foot, an outer peripheral wall portion 12B configured to cover the outer part of the wearer's foot, a rear peripheral wall portion 12C configured to cover the rear surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a front peripheral wall portion 12D configured to cover the front surface of the toes of the wearer's foot.

[0024] The height of the peripheral wall portion 12 (i.e., the dimension in the vertical direction Z) is not particularly limited, but for example, by making the height of the outer foot side peripheral wall portion 12B lower than the height of the inner foot side peripheral wall portion 12A at the position corresponding to the opening 2, the pressure that the wearer's ankle receives from the shoe 1A can be reduced.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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 during running or walking, allowing the shoe 1A to more easily follow the movement of the foot. In addition, the shoe 1A can be put on and taken off more easily.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 1 to 7, the opening 10a described above 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 opening 2 described above, and during the manufacture of the shoe 1A, the upper body 20, the sole body 30, the additional sole body 40, and the heel counter 50 are inserted into the shell 10 through the opening 10a.

[0029] 5 to 7, 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.

[0030] 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 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 located above the portion adjacent to the bottom wall portion 11 in the vertical direction Z.

[0031] As will be described in detail later, the lower space SP1 accommodates the lower portion of the upper body 20, the entire sole body 30, the entire additional sole body 40, and the lower portion of the heel counter 50, while the upper space SP2 accommodates the upper portion of the upper body 20 and the upper portion of the heel counter 50. The upper space SP2 also includes the above-mentioned insertion space SP3. The insertion space SP3 is defined by the upper surface of the sole body 30 (more precisely, the top surface 31a of the midsole 31, which will be described later) and the inner circumferential surface 22a of the side wall portion 22 of the portion of the upper body 20 that is not covered by the sole body 30.

[0032] 1 to 7, the upper body 20 constitutes part of the portion of the shoe 1A that comes into contact with the wearer's foot (more specifically, the portion that comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the wearer's foot), and is made of a bag-shaped member with an opening 20a. The upper body 20 is housed in the shell 10, overlapping the bottom wall 11 and circumferential wall 12 of the shell 10 so as to cover the inner surface of the shell 10. The upper body 20 is made of a flexibly deformable member from the viewpoints of improving fit and ensuring good comfort.

[0033] 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 inner surface 11a of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10, and the side wall portion 22 extends along the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0034] 5 to 7, 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 bottom wall portion 11 side of the shell 10.

[0035] The side wall portion 22 has a pair of main surfaces, that is, an inner peripheral surface 22 a and an outer peripheral surface 22 b. The inner peripheral surface 22 a is located on the insertion space SP3 side, and the outer peripheral surface 22 b is located on the peripheral wall portion 12 side of the shell 10.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the side wall portion 22 has an inner foot side wall portion 22A configured to cover the inner part of the wearer's foot, an outer foot side wall portion 22B configured to cover the outer part of the wearer's foot, a rear side wall portion 22C configured to cover the rear surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a front side wall portion 22D configured to cover the front surface of the toes of the wearer's foot.

[0037] As a result, the medial foot side wall portion 22A of the upper body 20 is positioned to overlap the medial foot side peripheral wall portion 12A of the shell 10, and the lateral foot side wall portion 22B of the upper body 20 is positioned to overlap the lateral foot side peripheral wall portion 12B of the shell 10. In addition, the rear side wall portion 22C of the upper body 20 is positioned to overlap the rear side peripheral wall portion 12C of the shell 10, and the front side wall portion 22D of the upper body 20 is positioned to overlap the front side peripheral wall portion 12D of the shell 10.

[0038] The upper body 20 is provided with a band-like portion 23 (see FIGS. 3, 5, and 7), which secures the sole body 30 to the upper body 20. More specifically, the band-like portion 23 is connected to the medial foot-side wall portion 22A and the lateral foot-side wall portion 22B of the upper body 20 so as to bridge these portions. The sole body 30 is sandwiched between the band-like portion 23 and the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20, thereby securing the sole body 30 to the upper body 20.

[0039] The upper body 20 is also provided with a fastening portion 24, which secures the shell 10, upper body 20, and heel counter 50 together. More specifically, the fastening portion 24 is belt-shaped and is pulled out from the side wall portion 22 of the upper body 20. The fastening portion 24 is inserted into a through-hole-shaped insertion portion provided in the heel counter 50 and a through-hole-shaped insertion portion provided in the shell 10. In this state, the shell 10 and heel counter 50 are tightened by the fastening portion 24, and the tip of the fastening portion 24 is attached to the upper body 20, thereby securing the shell 10, upper body 20, and heel counter 50 together.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, 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, which 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.

[0041] 5 to 8 , 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. The sole body 30 is housed in the shell 10 and is also housed inside the upper body 20.

[0042] The midsole 31 supports the sole of the wearer's foot by forming part of the shoe 1A that comes into contact with the wearer's foot (more specifically, the part that comes into contact with 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. 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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 32c 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, etc.

[0045] 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.

[0046] The sole body 30 has an upper surface defined by the top surface 31a of the midsole 31, a lower surface defined by the second main surface 32b of the plate 32, and a peripheral surface including the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32. Of these, the lower surface of the sole body 30 covers the inner surface 21a of the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20, and the peripheral surface of the sole body 30 faces the lower end portion of the inner peripheral surface 22a of the side wall portion 22 of the upper body 20. As a result, the sole body 30 is located above the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10, and is further located above the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20.

[0047] 6 and 7, the additional sole body 40 supports the sole of the wearer's foot (particularly the underside of the heel) and has a flat shape whose thickness decreases from the rear end to the front end in the front-to-rear direction X. The additional sole body 40 functions as a shock absorber and is made of an elastically deformable material so as to obtain the desired shock absorbing performance when landing, etc. Here, the elastic modulus of the additional sole body 40 is different from the elastic modulus of the midsole 31 serving as a shock absorber included in the sole main body 30 described above.

[0048] As described above, the additional sole body 40 is located in the rear foot portion R3, is housed in the shell 10, and is disposed on the outside of the upper body 20. As a result, the lower surface of the additional sole body 40 covers the inner surface 11a on the rear end side in the front-to-rear direction X of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10, and the upper surface of the additional sole body 40 covers the outer surface 21b on the rear end side in the front-to-rear direction X of the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20. In addition, the end surface of the additional sole body 40 (i.e., the surface connecting the upper surface and lower surface of the additional sole body 40) covers a part of the inner circumferential surface 12a on the lower end side in the up-down direction Z of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0049] In this way, by placing an additional sole body 40 as a cushioning material having a different elastic modulus from the midsole 31 included in the sole body 30 described above in addition to the midsole 31 at a position corresponding to the rear foot R3, it is possible to more easily optimize the cushioning performance for the heel when landing.

[0050] That is, when landing, high foot pressure is applied to the sole, particularly in the rear foot region R3, and in order to sufficiently relieve this foot pressure, it is necessary to improve the cushioning performance of the cushioning material arranged in that region. In this case, considering that the midsole 31 described above is composed of a single member arranged across the forefoot region R1, midfoot region R2, and rear foot region R3, it is expected that the thickness of the midsole 31 in the rear foot region R3 will be greater than the thicknesses of the forefoot region R1 and midfoot region R2. However, if the thickness of the midsole 31 in the rear foot region R3 is increased, it is necessary to obtain appropriate cushioning performance in the forefoot region R1 and midfoot region R2 as well. However, this will result in a noticeable sinking of the heel in the rear foot region R3 when landing, creating a problem of a large gap between the instep and the upper body 20, particularly at a position corresponding to the instep of the wearer's foot.

[0051] In this regard, as described above, by disposing the additional sole body 40 as a cushioning material having a different elastic modulus from the midsole 31 in the rear foot portion R3 in addition to the midsole 31 as a cushioning material contained in the sole body 30, it is possible to improve the cushioning performance in the rear foot portion R3 compared to the cushioning performance in the forefoot portion R1 and midfoot portion R2 while maintaining the necessary cushioning performance in the forefoot portion R1 and midfoot portion R2, and also to prevent excessive sinking of the heel when landing. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to more easily optimize the cushioning performance in the heel when landing, and as a result, it is possible to prevent a gap from occurring between the wearer's foot and the upper body 20.

[0052] Here, it is preferable that the thickness of the additional sole body 40 is greater than the thickness of the midsole 31, particularly in the portion that supports the heel of the wearer's foot. It is also preferable that the elastic modulus of the additional sole body 40 is lower than the elastic modulus of the midsole 31. By configuring it in this way, it becomes possible to make the amount of deformation of the additional sole body 40 greater than the amount of deformation of the midsole 31 when landing, and therefore it is possible to reduce the gap that occurs between the wearer's foot and the upper body 20 described above while ensuring high cushioning performance.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the additional sole body 40 is disposed between the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20. By configuring in this manner, the upper body 20 can be made smaller by the amount that the additional sole body 40 is not disposed inside the upper body 20, which contributes to reducing the weight of the shoe 1A.

[0054] In addition, when landing, high foot pressure is applied to the sole, particularly in the rear foot region R3, so the cushioning material in the portion located in the rear foot region R3 is more susceptible to deterioration than the cushioning material in the portions located in the forefoot region R1 and midfoot region R2, resulting in a problem of reduced cushioning performance over long periods of use. In this regard, by dividing the cushioning material in the portion located in the rear foot region R3 into the midsole 31 and the additional sole body 40, as in the present embodiment, it is possible to replace only the additional sole body 40, which is more susceptible to deterioration, and the shoe 1A can be used for a longer period of time.

[0055] 6 and 7, the heel counter 50 covers the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot (i.e., the medial and lateral malleolus of the wearer's foot and the rear surface of the heel in the portion located between them), and is composed of a curved plate that is roughly C-shaped when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the ground surface 3. The heel counter 50 is a member that reinforces the medial and lateral foot-side peripheral walls 12A and 12B of the shell 10 in the portions corresponding to the rear foot region R3, as well as the rear peripheral wall 12C of the shell 10.

[0056] The heel counter 50 is made of a material that is harder than the shell 10 and the upper body 20. The heel counter 50 includes a surrounding portion 51 that covers the circumferential surface of the heel of the wearer's foot, and a protruding portion 52 that extends continuously from the lower end of the surrounding portion 51.

[0057] The surrounding portion 51 has a first portion 51A that covers the inner peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot (i.e., the inner malleolus of the wearer's foot), a second portion 51B that covers the outer peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot (i.e., the outer malleolus of the wearer's foot), and a third portion 51C that connects the first portion 51A and the second portion 51B and covers the back surface of the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0058] As a result, the first portion 51A of the surrounding portion 51 is positioned between the medial foot-side peripheral wall 12A of the shell 10 and the medial foot-side wall 22A of the upper body 20 so as to overlap them, and the second portion 51B of the surrounding portion 51 is positioned between the lateral foot-side peripheral wall 12B of the shell 10 and the lateral foot-side wall 22B of the upper body 20 so as to overlap them. In addition, the third portion 51C of the surrounding portion 51 is positioned between the rear peripheral wall 12C of the shell 10 and the rear wall 22C of the upper body 20 so as to overlap them.

[0059] Therefore, since the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot is surrounded by the surrounding portion 51 of the heel counter 50, the shell 10 and upper body 20 covering the peripheral surface of the heel of the wearer's foot can be prevented from collapsing in the left-right direction Y, thereby ensuring stability particularly when landing.

[0060] The protrusion 52 extends from the lower end of the surrounding portion 51 toward the bottom wall 11 and protrudes toward the peripheral wall 12. More specifically, the protrusion 52 extends continuously from each of the first portion 51A, the second portion 51B, and the third portion 51C of the surrounding portion 51, thereby giving the protrusion 52 a flared shape. The protrusion 52 is a portion for fixing the heel counter 50 to the shell 10, and details thereof will be described later.

[0061] In the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment described above, the peripheral surface of the wearer's foot is covered by the upper body 20, and the sole of the wearer's foot is covered by the midsole 31 of the sole body 30. Therefore, when the wearer is wearing the shoe 1A, the wearer's foot comes into contact with the flexibly deformable soft upper body 20 and the elastically deformable relatively soft sole body 30. Therefore, by adopting the above-described configuration, the shell 10 does not come into direct contact with the wearer's foot, and the shoe 1A can be made to be comfortable to wear.

[0062] However, the upper body 20 and the sole body 30 do not necessarily need to come into contact with the wearer's foot entirely, and the upper body 20 and the sole body 30 may have cutout-shaped or opening-shaped cutouts or the like provided to the extent that the comfort of wearing the shoe is not impaired.

[0063] <B. Materials of Each Member> Next, the materials of each of the above-mentioned members will be described. Note that the specific materials shown below are merely examples and are not limited to these.

[0064] The shell 10 may be made of basically any material as long as it is flexible, but it is preferable that the material have appropriate strength. From this perspective, the shell 10 is preferably made of a resin material or a rubber material. Here, the material making up the shell 10 may be reactive, initiating a reaction when exposed to light (e.g., ultraviolet light) or heat, and may be, for example, a polymer or a reactive monomer.

[0065] More specifically, when 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, when the shell 10 is made of rubber, it can be made of, for example, butadiene rubber.

[0066] 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 polymers such as olefin elastomers and olefin resins. Examples of olefin 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 ... 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.

[0067] The polymer may be an amide polymer such as an amide elastomer or an amide resin, for example, polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, etc.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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 (SBBSB), and styrene-butadiene-styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSBS). Examples of styrene-based resins include polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene resin (AS), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin (ABS).

[0071] 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.

[0072] The method for manufacturing the shell 10 is not particularly limited, but the shell 10 can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding, cast molding, or modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device. In particular, if the shell 10 is manufactured by modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, it is possible to manufacture shells 10 with a wide variety of structures that are difficult to manufacture by injection molding or cast molding. Furthermore, when using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device for modeling, the modeling method is not particularly limited, but preferably, fused deposition modeling, optical fabrication, or powder sintering additive manufacturing can be used.

[0073] The upper body 20 may be made of basically any material as long as it is flexibly deformable, but preferably uses 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.

[0074] In particular, as will be described later, if a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or nonwoven fabric made of heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber is used, 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.

[0075] That is, if the upper body 20 is made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber woven or knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, or the like, it can be formed into a bag shape in advance, and a last inserted therein and then subjected to a heat treatment. The heat shrinkage caused by the heat causes the upper body 20 to change shape and become intimately attached to the last, and the changed shape is then 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 produce an upper body 20 that fits the wearer's foot. Furthermore, by performing the 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.

[0076] The above-mentioned last may be a standard shape that corresponds to the size of the wearer's foot, 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.

[0077] The midsole 31 and the additional sole body 40 may basically be made of any material as long as they are elastically deformable, but are preferably made of a material that has adequate strength and excellent cushioning properties. From this perspective, the midsole 31 and the additional sole body 40 may be made of, for example, a resin foam material containing a resin material as a main component and a foaming agent and a cross-linking agent as secondary components. Alternatively, a rubber foam material containing a rubber material as a main component and a plasticizer, foaming agent, reinforcing agent, and cross-linking agent as secondary components may be used.

[0078] Particularly preferably, the midsole 31 and the additional sole body 40 can be made of a foam material such as polyolefin resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyamide thermoplastic elastomer (TPA, TPAE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyester thermoplastic elastomer (TPEE), etc. Note that the midsole 31 and the additional sole body 40 do not necessarily have to be made of a foam material, and may be made of a non-foam material.

[0079] The plate 32 is not particularly limited in material as long as it is made of a material harder than the material making up the midsole 31. Examples of materials for the plate 32 include fiber-reinforced resins using carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, Dyneema fiber (registered trademark), Zylon fiber (registered trademark), boron fiber, or the like as reinforcing fibers and epoxy resin, polyester resin, phenolic resin, polyamide resin, polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polyurethane resin, or the like as a 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).

[0080] There are no particular limitations on the material of the heel counter 50, as long as it is made of a material that is harder than the material that makes up the shell 10. Examples of materials for the heel counter 50 include polymer resins such as urethane thermoplastic elastomer (TPU), amide thermoplastic elastomer (TPA), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and thermosetting urethane elastomer (TSU), as well as thermoplastic rubber.

[0081] The method for manufacturing the heel counter 50 is not particularly limited, but the heel counter 50 can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding, cast molding, or modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device. In particular, if the heel counter 50 is manufactured by modeling using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device, it is possible to manufacture heel counters 50 with a wide variety of structures that are difficult to manufacture by injection molding or cast molding. Furthermore, when using a three-dimensional additive manufacturing device for modeling, the modeling method is not particularly limited, but preferably, fused deposition modeling, optical modeling, or powder sintering additive manufacturing can be used.

[0082] <C. General Method of Assembling a Shoe> Next, a general method of assembling the shoe 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8 mentioned above.

[0083] 8, the shoe 1A according to this embodiment is manufactured by assembling together a shell 10, an upper body 20, a midsole 31, a plate 32, an additional sole body 40, and a heel counter 50. The shell 10, the upper body 20, the midsole 31, the plate 32, the additional sole body 40, and the heel counter 50 may be manufactured by any method.

[0084] Specifically, first, the additional sole body 40 and the heel counter 50 are inserted into the internal space of the shell 10. Here, since the shell 10 is flexible, the additional sole body 40 is capable of elastic deformation, and the heel counter 50 is also capable of flexural deformation, the additional sole body 40 and the heel counter 50 can be inserted into the interior of the shell 10 through the opening 10a provided at the upper end of the shell 10. The additional sole body 40 inserted into the shell 10 is positioned so that it fits along the inner surface 11a on the rear end side in the front-to-rear direction X of the bottom wall portion 11 of the shell 10. Furthermore, the heel counter 50 inserted into the shell 10 is positioned so that it fits along the inner circumferential surface 12a on the rear end side in the front-to-rear direction X of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0085] Next, the upper body 20 is inserted into the internal space of the shell 10. Here, because the shell 10 is flexible and the upper body 20 is also flexibly deformable, the upper body 20 can be inserted into the interior of the shell 10 through the opening 10a provided at the top end of the shell 10. The upper body 20 inserted into the shell 10 is positioned so that it fits along the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 and the inner circumferential surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10. Furthermore, the upper end of the side wall 22 that defines the opening 20a is pulled outward from the opening 10a of the shell 10. At this time, the upper surface of the additional sole body 40 and the inner circumferential surface of the heel counter 50, which were previously housed inside the shell 10, are covered by the upper body 20.

[0086] Next, the sole body 30 including the midsole 31 and the plate 32 is inserted into the upper body 20, and thus into the internal space of the shell 10. The midsole 31 and the plate 32 may be inserted into the upper body 20 individually, or they may be inserted together into the upper body 20. Here, while the midsole 31 is elastically deformable, the plate 32 is relatively hard and does not easily deform in its in-plane direction. However, because the upper body 20 is flexibly deformable and the shell 10 is also flexible, the sole body 30 including the midsole 31 and the plate 32 can be inserted into the upper body 20 through the opening 20a provided at the top end of the upper body 20. Note that the opening 10a provided at the top end of the shell 10 does not hinder the insertion of the midsole 31 and the plate 32. The sole body 30, which includes the midsole 31 and the plate 32 inserted into the upper body 20, is positioned along the inner surface 21a of the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20. This positions the sole body 30 at an appropriate position in the internal space of the shell 10.

[0087] By going through the above assembly procedure, the assembly of the shell 10, upper body 20, midsole 31, plate 32, additional sole body 40, and heel counter 50 is completed, thereby completing the manufacture of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment described above. Note that the above assembly method is merely an example, and other assembly methods (for example, other assembly procedures or different component arrangement positions than those described above) may also be used.

[0088] <D. Summary> As described above, shoe 1A according to the present embodiment can be manufactured by the extremely simple process of assembling together the shell 10, upper body 20, sole body 30, additional sole body 40, and heel counter 50, which have been individually manufactured in advance, making its manufacture easier than conventional methods. Note that shoe 1A according to the present embodiment is configured so that the shell 10, upper body 20, sole body 30, additional sole body 40, and heel counter 50 can be easily fixed together when they are assembled together, and furthermore, the use of adhesive is not required when assembling the midsole 31, plate 32, additional sole body 40, and heel counter 50 to the shell 10 and upper body 20; these points will be described in detail later.

[0089] <E. Fixing Structure of Sole Body to Shell> Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of region IX shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the shoe shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the shell shown in Fig. 1 taken along line XI-XI shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the range of formation of the pressing surface provided on the peripheral wall of the shell shown in Fig. 1. Next, with reference to Figs. 9 to 12 and the aforementioned Figs. 6 and 7, the fixing structure of the sole body 30 to the shell 10 in shoe 1A according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0090] 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of the shoe 1A taken along a plane perpendicular to the shoe center SC, but the cross-section shown in Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the shoe 1A in a portion where the heel counter 50 is disposed, while the cross-section shown in Fig. 10 is a cross-section of a portion where the heel counter 50 is not disposed. More specifically, the cross-section shown in Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the rear foot region R3, and the cross-section shown in Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the midfoot region R2. Furthermore, in Fig. 12, the detailed structure of the shoe 1A is omitted, and the area where the pressing surface 14 is formed is colored dark to indicate the area where the pressing surface 14 is formed when viewed from above in the vertical direction Z.

[0091] 6, 7, and 9 to 11, shoe 1A according to this embodiment has a constricted portion 13A provided in the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10. The constricted portion 13A is formed by constricting a predetermined portion of the peripheral wall 12 toward the inside of the shell 10 (i.e., toward the insertion space SP3). As a result, the inner circumferential surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 where the constricted portion 13A is provided protrudes toward the inside of the shell 10, while a recess is formed in the outer circumferential surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12 where the constricted portion 13A is provided.

[0092] The constricted portion 13A extends circumferentially of the peripheral wall 12. More specifically, the constricted portion 13A extends circumferentially of the peripheral wall 12 from the rear end, in the fore-and-aft direction X, of the inner peripheral wall 12A included in the forefoot portion R1, via a rear end position PR (see FIG. 7 , etc.), to the rear end, in the fore-and-aft direction X, of the outer peripheral wall 12B included in the forefoot portion R1.

[0093] Here, by providing the constricted portion 13A described above in the peripheral wall portion 12, the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 includes a surface that is positioned so as to extend toward the inside of the shell 10 and faces the bottom wall portion 11. This surface of the peripheral wall portion 12 that faces the bottom wall portion 11 corresponds to the underside of the constricted portion 13A, and this underside of the constricted portion 13A functions as a pressing surface 14 for fixing the sole body 30. In other words, in the shoe 1A according to this embodiment, by inserting the end of the sole body 30 into the space below the portion where the constricted portion 13A is provided, the sole body 30 is sandwiched between the pressing surface 14 and the bottom wall portion 11, and thereby the sole body 30 is fixed to the shell 10.

[0094] As described above, in the shoe 1A according to this embodiment, the constricted portion 13A is arranged to extend along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 12, and therefore the above-mentioned pressing surface 14 is also positioned to extend along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 12.

[0095] 12 , the pressing surface 14 extends circumferentially of the peripheral wall 12 from the rear end, in the fore-aft direction X, of the medial peripheral wall 12A at the portion included in the forefoot region R1, via a rear end position PR, to the rear end, in the fore-aft direction X, of the lateral peripheral wall 12B at the portion included in the forefoot region R1. Therefore, the pressing surface 14 includes an medial pressing surface 14A provided on the medial peripheral wall 12A, an lateral pressing surface 14B provided on the lateral peripheral wall 12B, and a rear pressing surface 14C provided on the rear peripheral wall 12C, and these medial pressing surface 14A, lateral pressing surface 14B, and rear pressing surface 14C extend continuously along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 12.

[0096] As a result, the sole body 30 is sandwiched between the medial foot-side pressing surface 14A, the lateral foot-side pressing surface 14B, and the rear-side pressing surface 14C and the bottom wall portion 11. Therefore, the sole body 30 is held in the up-down direction Z by the shell 10 at both ends in the left-right direction Y, and is held in the up-down direction Z by the shell 10 at the rear end in the front-rear direction X.

[0097] Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, the sole body 30 can be stably fixed to the shell 10, and it is possible to effectively prevent the sole body 30 from shifting position inside the shell 10 during use. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, it is possible to obtain a shoe 1A that significantly improves the fit to the wearer's foot and stability when landing. Furthermore, since the pressing surface 14 for fixing the sole body 30 can be integrally formed with the shell 10 during manufacturing, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and simplify the manufacturing process.

[0098] The pressing surfaces 14, including the medial foot-side pressing surface 14A, the lateral foot-side pressing surface 14B, and the rear pressing surface 14C, are positioned so as to extend longitudinally along the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall portion 12, while protruding relatively little toward the inside of the shell 10. This configuration facilitates the work of fitting the end of the sole body 30 into the space below the pressing surfaces 14, and allows a larger portion of the sole body 30 to be held by the shell 10, thereby enabling more stable fixation of the sole body 30.

[0099] The above-described structure for fixing the sole body 30 to the shell 10 can stably fix the sole body 30 to the shell 10 without using adhesive, which allows for a significant reduction in the amount of organic solvents used compared to when adhesives are used for fixing. Therefore, by adopting the above-described structure, the environmental impact can be reduced compared to conventional methods.

[0100] As described above, since the shell 10 is flexible, when assembling the sole body 30 to the shell 10, the shell 10 flexes and deforms, allowing the end of the sole body 30 to be easily inserted into the space below the portion where the constricted portion 13A is provided. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, assembling the sole body 30 to the shell 10 is not difficult and can be easily performed.

[0101] Furthermore, in shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, no pressing surface 14 is provided on the front end portions in the fore-aft direction X of medial foot-side peripheral wall 12A and lateral foot-side peripheral wall 12B included in forefoot portion R1, nor on front peripheral wall 12D. This is because, when the foot pressure applied to sole body 30 upon landing is large in rearfoot portion R3 but relatively small in forefoot portion R1, a corresponding effect can be obtained if sole body 30 is stably fixed to shell 10 in rearfoot portion R3 and midfoot portion R2. Furthermore, the portion of the internal space of shell 10 corresponding to forefoot portion R1 is located further back from shoe opening 2, and providing pressing surface 14 in this portion would complicate assembly of sole body 30 to shell 10, which is therefore avoided. However, it is of course also acceptable to provide the pressing surface 14 on the front end portions in the front-to-back direction X of the medial foot side peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral foot side peripheral wall portion 12B included in the forefoot portion R1, as well as on the front side peripheral wall portion 12D.

[0102] Furthermore, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, pressing surface 14 has an inclined surface shape that protrudes more upward in the vertical direction Z, and midsole 31 is configured to have a generally trapezoidal cross section so that the aforementioned peripheral surface of sole body 30 (i.e., the portion of sole body 30 facing the lower end portion of inner peripheral surface 22a of side wall portion 22 of upper body 20) also has a corresponding inclined surface shape. This configuration makes it possible to stably fix sole body 30 by pressing surface 14 while facilitating assembly of sole body 30 to shell 10.

[0103] Furthermore, the pressing surface 14 does not necessarily have to be configured as an inclined surface shape in which the amount of protrusion increases as it moves upward in the vertical direction Z as described above, but may be configured as an inclined surface shape in which the amount of protrusion increases as it moves downward in the vertical direction Z, or may be configured as a horizontal surface shape extending in the left-right direction Y.

[0104] Here, when the pressing surface 14 is configured with an inclined surface shape in which the amount of protrusion increases toward the upper side in the vertical direction Z as described above, the smaller the angle formed between the pressing surface 14 of the inclined surface shape and the horizontal plane, the greater the fixing force to the sole body 30. On the other hand, when the pressing surface 14 is configured with an inclined surface shape in which the amount of protrusion increases toward the lower side in the vertical direction Z, the greater the angle formed between the pressing surface 14 of the inclined surface shape and the horizontal plane, the greater the fixing force to the sole body 30.

[0105] As described above, in the shoe 1A according to this embodiment, the sole body 30 includes the midsole 31 and the plate 32, and the plate 32 is positioned below the midsole 31 in the vertical direction Z, thereby being stacked on the midsole 31. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, not only the midsole 31 but also the plate 32 can be held by the shell 10, and even if the midsole 31 and the plate 32 are not bonded together, the midsole 31 and the plate 32 can be stably fixed to the shell 10 at the same time.

[0106] As described above, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, upper body 20 is housed in shell 10, and sole body 30 is housed inside upper body 20. Therefore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10 , sole body 30 is sandwiched between pressing surface 14 and bottom wall portion 11 with upper body 20 interposed therebetween. Even in this configuration in which sole body 30 does not come into direct contact with pressing surface 14, upper body 20 is made of a sufficiently flexible material, so that sole body 30 can be stably fixed to shell 10 via upper body 20.

[0107] As described above, in shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, heel counter 50 is located in rear foot region R3, and is housed in shell 10 and disposed on the outside of upper body 20. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, sole body 30 is sandwiched between pressing surface 14 and bottom wall 11, with flared protrusions 52 of upper body 20 and heel counter 50 interposed therebetween. Even in this configuration in which sole body 30 does not come into direct contact with pressing surface 14, the upper body 20 is made of a sufficiently flexible material, and the shape of protrusions 52 of heel counter 50 corresponds to the shape of pressing surface 14 and the shape of the circumferential surface of sole body 30, so that sole body 30 can be stably fixed to shell 10 via upper body 20 and heel counter 50.

[0108] Furthermore, as described above, in shoe 1A according to this embodiment, additional sole body 40 is positioned across midfoot portion R2 and rearfoot portion R3, and this additional sole body 40 is housed in shell 10 and disposed on the outside of upper body 20. Here, lower wall portion 21 of upper body 20 covers second main surface 32b of plate 32, which is the underside of sole body 30, and additional sole body 40 is disposed between lower wall portion 21 and bottom wall portion 11 of upper body 20. Therefore, additional sole body 40 is sandwiched and held between sole body 30 and bottom wall portion 11, which are fixed by pressing surface 14, and is thereby fixed to shell 10. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to stably fix sole body 30 and additional sole body 40 to shell 10 simultaneously.

[0109] <F. Shell Breakage Prevention Structure> Next, the breakage prevention structure of the shell 10 in the shoe 1A according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the above-mentioned FIGS. 5 to 7, 9 and 10.

[0110] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, 9 and 10, in the shoe 1A of this embodiment, the sole body 30 has a plate 32 in addition to a midsole 31, and the plate 32 is housed in the shell 10 by being placed in the internal space of the shell 10.

[0111] As described above, the plate 32 functions as a resilient material to achieve the desired resilience during push-off and other times. That is, the plate 32 is made of a hard material with a high elastic modulus. As a result, the plate 32 elastically deforms when subjected to a high load during push-off and other times, and the restoring force generated in the plate 32 due to this elastic deformation acts on the ground as a high resilience force. Therefore, by providing the plate 32 to the shoe 1A, forward propulsion force during push-off and other times can be dramatically improved.

[0112] Here, since the plate 32 is relatively hard while the shell 10 is relatively soft, if the plate 32 is housed in the shell 10 without any special measures, the end of the plate 32 (i.e., the edge portion of the plate 32 including the peripheral end surface 32c described above) may come into contact with the shell 10, which may cause scraping or tearing of the shell 10.

[0113] In this regard, in the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment, the plate 32 is not disposed in the internal space of the shell 10 and on the outside of the upper body 20, but is housed in the upper body 20. As a result, the plate 32 is disposed in the internal space of the shell 10, but is also disposed inside the upper body 20.

[0114] Therefore, by configuring it in this manner, as shown in particular in Figures 9 and 10, the upper body 20 made of a material softer than the plate 32 is interposed between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10, and the portion of the upper body 20 sandwiched between the peripheral end surface 32c and the inner surface 12a (in Figures 9 and 10, this portion is given the reference symbol 22c) functions as a protective portion that protects the shell 10 from the plate 32.

[0115] Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, the flexible shell 10 is provided with a hard plate 32 as a rebound material, which provides high propulsion force when kicking off, etc., but the end of the plate 32 does not come into direct contact with the shell 10, so it is possible to prevent the shell 10 from being worn down or torn.As a result, it is possible to create a shoe 1A that achieves both improved propulsion force and improved durability.

[0116] In addition, by providing the flexible shell 10 with a hard plate 32, the effect of dispersing pressure inside the shoe 1A is also achieved, which prevents large localized deformations of the shell 10 and, as a result, makes it possible to deform the shell 10 more uniformly.

[0117] <G. Other Aspects of the Shell> Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing another aspect of the shell of the shoe shown in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, with reference to Fig. 13, another aspect of the shell 10 of the shoe 1A according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0118] In this embodiment, the shell 10 provided in the shoe 1A has been described as being of the type shown in Figures 1 to 4, but various types of shells can be used as long as they are flexible. As an example, a shell 10A as shown in Figure 13 may be used.

[0119] The shell 10A shown in Figure 13 is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure except for the mesh structure portion 10b. Here, the three-dimensional mesh structure is formed by repeatedly arranging a plurality of predetermined unit structures adjacent to each other. A three-dimensional structure such as this three-dimensional mesh structure is also called a lattice structure or a three-dimensional grid structure. More specifically, the three-dimensional mesh structure includes a plurality of wire elements connected to each other so as to intersect, thereby having intersections formed by the intersections of the wire elements and holes 10c located between adjacent wire elements.

[0120] Therefore, when the shell 10A is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure in this manner, countless holes 10c are formed so as to reach its inner surface (i.e., the inner surface 11a of the bottom wall 11 and the inner circumferential surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12) and outer surface (i.e., the outer surface 11b of the bottom wall 11 and the outer circumferential surface 12b of the peripheral wall 12). Note that the shell 10A having such a structure can be manufactured relatively easily, particularly by molding using the above-mentioned three-dimensional additive manufacturing device.

[0121] By constructing the shell 10A from a three-dimensional mesh structure in this way, the shell 10A is given sufficient strength while also having appropriate flexibility, and furthermore, the shoe 1A is made lighter and more breathable. In addition, the upper body 20 housed in the internal space of the shell 10A is visible from the outside through the numerous holes 10c, thereby improving the design of the shoe.

[0122] The shell 10A described above is constructed of a three-dimensional mesh structure (i.e., a three-dimensional lattice structure) except for the mesh-like structure portion 10b described above, but this portion may be constructed of a structure having a three-dimensional wall structure instead of this three-dimensional mesh structure.

[0123] Here, the three-dimensional wall structure is a unit structure in which a three-dimensional shape formed by walls whose outline is defined by a pair of parallel curved or flat surfaces is used as a unit structure, and the unit structures are arranged repeatedly so that they are adjacent to each other. Specific examples of such a unit structure include those in which a thickness is added based on a triply periodic minimal surface such as a gyroid structure, a Schwartz P structure, or a Schwartz D structure, or those in which a thickness is added based on an octet structure, a cubic structure, or a Kelvin structure.

[0124] Furthermore, a part of the shell may be configured as a three-dimensional mesh structure (i.e., a three-dimensional lattice structure), and another part of the shell may be configured as a structure having a three-dimensional wall structure.

[0125] Furthermore, when at least a portion of the shell is configured with a three-dimensional mesh structure, the thickness of the wire elements described above may be partially changed, or the size of the unit structures may be partially changed. This configuration allows for variations in the physical properties (e.g., rigidity, etc.) of each part of the shell. Furthermore, when at least a portion of the shell is configured with a structure having a three-dimensional wall structure, the thickness of the walls described above may be partially changed, or the size of the unit structures may be partially changed. This configuration allows for variations in the physical properties (e.g., rigidity, etc.) of each part of the shell.

[0126] (First and Second Modifications) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an upper body of a shoe according to a first modification, and FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 14. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of region XVI shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an upper body of a shoe according to a second modification, and FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of region XIX shown in FIG. 18. Hereinafter, shoes 1A1 and 1A2 according to first and second modifications based on the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 19. Note that shoes 1A1 and 1A2 according to the first and second modifications differ from shoe 1A according to the first embodiment only in the configuration of the upper body 20.

[0127] In shoe 1A according to the first embodiment described above, side wall 22 of upper body 20, which is softer than plate 32, is disposed between peripheral end surface 32c of plate 32 and inner peripheral surface 12a of peripheral wall 12 of shell 10, and as a result, a protective portion that protects shell 10 from plate 32 is formed by portion 22c (see FIGS. 9 and 10) of side wall 22 that faces peripheral end surface 32c of plate 32. In this regard, in shoes 1A1 and 1A2 according to the first and second modifications, this protective portion is further reinforced.

[0128] 14 to 16 , in the shoe 1A1 according to the first modification, a lining material 25 is provided on a lower end portion of the side wall portion 22 of the upper body 20, including a portion facing the peripheral end surface 32 c of the plate 32 (i.e., a portion of the side wall portion 22 disposed in the lower space SP1). The lining material 25 is layered and fixed to the side wall portion 22 so as to cover the inner peripheral surface 22 a of the side wall portion 22. The lining material 25 may be fixed to the side wall portion 22 by, for example, bonding with an adhesive, but is preferably fixed by stitching from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of organic solvent used.

[0129] The lining material 25 may be made of any material, thickness, or strength, but is preferably made of a material that is abrasion-resistant and tear-resistant. It is even more preferable that the lining material 25 be made of a material that is equal to or thinner than the upper body 20. The lining material 25 may be made of a material made of, for example, woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, synthetic leather, resin, or the like. The lining material 25 may also be made of a material made of the same material as the material making up the upper body 20. From the perspective of enhancing the reinforcing effect of the protective portion described above, it is even better if the lining material 25 is made of a material that is stronger than the upper body 20.

[0130] In addition, the backing material 25 does not necessarily have to be fixed to the side wall portion 22 so as to cover the inner surface 22a of the side wall portion 22 as described above, but may be fixed to the side wall portion 22 so as to cover the outer surface 22b of the side wall portion 22.

[0131] 17 to 19 , in shoe 1A2 according to the second modification, a lower end portion of side wall 22 of upper body 20, including a portion facing peripheral end surface 32c of plate 32 (i.e., a portion of side wall 22 disposed in lower space SP1) is made of high-strength material 22d, which is stronger than the material constituting the other portion of side wall 22 (i.e., a portion of side wall 22 disposed in upper space SP2). This high-strength material 22d is joined to the other portions of side wall 22 and lower wall 21 by, for example, stitching. Note that in FIG. 17 , only high-strength material 22d is shaded dark to facilitate understanding.

[0132] As a result, the portion 22c of the side wall portion 22 facing the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 is made of this high-strength material 22d, and this high-strength material 22d functions as a protective portion that protects the shell 10 from the plate 32. Note that the high-strength material 22d may be any material that is stronger than the materials of the other portions of the side wall portion 22, and may be made of, for example, a member made of woven fabric, knitted fabric, nonwoven fabric, synthetic leather, resin, or the like.

[0133] By configuring shoes 1A1, 1A2 according to the first and second modifications, the protective portion that protects shell 10 from plate 32 is reinforced, thereby more reliably preventing scraping and tearing of shell 10. In addition, the durability of upper body 20 itself is improved, making shoes 1A1, 1A2 even more durable in this respect. Therefore, by configuring in this manner, not only can the effects described in the first embodiment be obtained, but shoes 1A1, 1A2 can also be made even more durable.

[0134] In addition, in the shoe 1A1 relating to the first variant example described above, if the lining material 25 is fixed to the side wall portion 22 so as to cover the inner surface 22a rather than the outer surface 22b of the side wall portion 22, as described above, the lining material 25 will also function as a protective part that protects the upper body 20 from the plate 32, and in this respect too, the shoe 1A1 can be made more durable.

[0135] (Third Modification) Figure 20 is a plan view of a shoe plate according to a third modification. Below, a shoe 1A3 according to a third modification based on the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 20. Note that the shoe 1A3 according to the third modification is fundamentally different from the shoe 1A according to the first embodiment in the shape of the plate 32.

[0136] 20 , in shoe 1A3 according to the third modification, if the outer dimension of plate 32 in the left-right direction Y is referred to as the width dimension, the maximum width dimension W2 of plate 32 at a position corresponding to rear foot portion R3 is equal to or larger than the maximum width dimension W1 of plate 32 at a position corresponding to forefoot portion R1. In other words, the maximum width dimension W1 of plate 32 at forefoot portion R1 and the maximum width dimension W2 of plate 32 at rear foot portion R3 satisfy the condition W1≦W2.

[0137] Also, although not shown in Figure 20, in the shoe 1A3 relating to the third modified example, the outer dimensions in the left-right direction Y of the midsole 31 at a position corresponding to the rear foot portion R3 and the distance in the left-right direction Y between the medial foot side peripheral wall portion 12A and the lateral foot side peripheral wall portion 12B of the shell 10 are also configured to be large accordingly.

[0138] In the shoe 1A according to the first embodiment described above, the maximum width of the plate 32 is the largest in the forefoot portion R1, followed by the largest in the rearfoot portion R3, and the smallest in the midfoot portion (see FIG. 13, etc.). This is because the position where the repulsive force of the plate 32 should be maximized during kick-off is near the rear end of the forefoot portion R1 (i.e., the portion corresponding to the MP joint of the wearer's foot), and there is no need to enlarge the outer shape of the plate 32 in the midfoot portion R2 and the rearfoot portion R3.

[0139] However, in the shoe 1A3 according to the third modification, the plate 32 in the portion corresponding to the rear foot region R3 is made wider, thereby increasing the outer shape of that portion of the plate 32. With this configuration, the sole body 30 is held by the pressing surface 14 described above, making it possible to more stably fix the plate 32 in the rear foot region R3.

[0140] Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to more stably fix the sole body 30 including the plate 32 in the rear foot region R3, which is the part of the shoe sole where particularly high foot pressure is applied when landing, and it is possible to reduce deterioration in fit and stability when landing that may occur due to misalignment of the sole body 30. Therefore, with this configuration, not only can the effects described in the first embodiment be obtained, but also shoe 1A3 can be made to have improved fit to the wearer's foot and improved stability when landing. Furthermore, with this configuration, because the plate 32 in the part located in the rear foot region R3 is sufficiently large, it is also possible to improve the ability of shoe 1A3 to follow the wearer's foot when running.

[0141] The position of the plate 32 that should be configured to have the above-mentioned maximum width dimension W2 is preferably between the front end portion of the opening 2 in the front-to-rear direction X and the heel center (see symbol HC) in order to prevent the wearer's foot from slipping out of the opening 2. Specifically, taking the position of the opening 2 into consideration, the maximum width dimension W2 is preferably located in the range from the front end position PF to 55% to 85% of the total length of the insertion space SP3.

[0142] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing the assembly structure of a sole body of a shoe according to embodiment 2, and Fig. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the shoe. Next, shoe 1B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 20 and 21. Note that shoe 1B according to this embodiment differs from shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above only in the configuration of the sole body 30.

[0143] 21 and 22 , in shoe 1B according to this embodiment, when viewed in the vertical direction Z, midsole 31 is configured to have an outer shape larger than that of plate 32 (i.e., the outer shape of bottom surface 31b of midsole 31 is configured to be larger than that of plate 32), and further, bottom surface 31b of midsole 31 is provided with recess 31d whose shape corresponds to the outer shape of plate 32. Recess 31d is for accommodating plate 32.

[0144] In this configuration, the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 is positioned opposite the inner peripheral surface of the recess 31d provided in the midsole 31. Therefore, the edge portion 31e of the midsole 31, which forms the inner peripheral surface of the recess 31d, is positioned between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Here, since the midsole 31 is softer than the plate 32, the edge portion 31e of the midsole 31 described above functions as a protective portion that protects the shell 10 from the plate 32.

[0145] Therefore, even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be obtained, resulting in shoe 1B that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. In addition, when the above configuration is adopted, edge 31 e of midsole 31 also functions as a protective part that protects upper body 20 from plate 32, and in this respect too, shoe 1B can be made even more durable.

[0146] Here, in order to enhance the protective function of the edge portion 31e of the midsole 31, it is preferable that the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 is completely covered by the edge portion 31e of the midsole 31. To achieve this configuration, the height of the edge portion 31e relative to the bottom surface of the recess 31d may be set equal to or greater than the distance from the bottom surface of the recess 31d to the second main surface 32b of the plate 32. With this configuration, the bottom surface 31b of the midsole 31 and the second main surface 32b of the plate 32 are positioned on the same plane, or the plate 32 is positioned at a position recessed from the bottom surface 31b of the midsole 31, so that the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 is completely covered by the edge portion 31e of the midsole 31.

[0147] The edge portion 31e of the midsole 31 as the protective portion described above does not necessarily need to be provided over the entire circumference of the midsole 31 in the circumferential direction, but may be provided over only a portion of the circumference.

[0148] (Fourth Modification) Figure 23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a shoe according to a fourth modification. Below, a shoe 1B1 according to a fourth modification based on the above-described second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 23. Note that when compared with shoe 1B according to the above-described second embodiment, shoe 1B1 according to the fourth modification differs only in the configuration of the components housed inside shell 10.

[0149] The shoe 1B according to the second embodiment described above has a configuration in which the upper body 20 is housed in the shell 10, and the sole body 30 is housed in the upper body 20 (see FIG. 22 ), but as shown in FIG. 23 , a shoe 1B1 according to a fourth modification has a configuration in which the sole body 30 is housed in the shell 10, but the upper body 20 is housed inside the shell 10 without the sole body 30 being housed inside. That is, the sole body 30 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20, and the upper body 20 is disposed only in the upper space SP2 (see FIGS. 5 to 7 , etc.) of the interior space of the shell 10.

[0150] In this configuration, the upper surface of the sole body 30 defined by the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 is covered by the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20, except for the portion covered by the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Accordingly, the sole body 30 is directly sandwiched between the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 and the bottom wall portion 11, without the upper body 20 being interposed therebetween.

[0151] Therefore, the upper body 20 is not located between the edge 31e of the midsole 31 serving as a protective portion and the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10. However, the edge 31e of the midsole 31 serving as a protective portion is located between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall 12 of the shell 10.

[0152] Therefore, even with this configuration, effects similar to those described in the second embodiment can be obtained, resulting in a shoe 1B1 that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. Note that, as described above, if the sole body 30 including the plate 32 is disposed between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 without being housed in the upper body 20, the upper body 20 can be made smaller by the amount that the sole body 30 is not disposed inside the upper body 20. As a result, not only can the shoe 1B1 be made lighter, but the assembly process can be simplified, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the shoe 1B1. Furthermore, since the sole body 30 is not housed in the upper body 20, there is no need to match the shapes of the sole body 30 and the opposing portion of the upper body 20, making manufacture easier. Furthermore, since the distance between the sole of the wearer's foot and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 is reduced, the lateral moment generated upon landing is reduced, thereby making it possible to suppress the collapse of the wearer's ankle (so-called pronation).

[0153] (Embodiment 3) Fig. 24 is a plan view of a shoe plate according to embodiment 3, and Fig. 25 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the shoe. Next, shoe 1C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 24 and 25. Note that shoe 1C according to this embodiment differs from shoe 1A according to embodiment 1 described above only in the configuration of plate 32.

[0154] 24 and 25 , in shoe 1C according to this embodiment, cushioning material 33 is provided so as to cover the end portion, including peripheral end surface 32c, of plate 32. This cushioning material 33 has a generally C-shape that can cover the edge of first main surface 32a of plate 32, the edge of second main surface 32b of plate 32, and peripheral end surface 32c of plate 32, and is fixed to plate 32 by being fitted onto the aforementioned end portion of plate 32. Cushioning material 33 is softer than plate 32 and is made of a material such as urethane resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene resin, or rubber.

[0155] In this configuration, the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 is covered with the cushion material 33. Therefore, the cushion material 33 is located between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Therefore, the cushion material 33 functions as a protective portion that protects the shell 10 from the plate 32.

[0156] Therefore, even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be obtained, resulting in shoe 1C that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. In addition, when the above configuration is adopted, cushioning material 33 also functions as a protective part that protects upper body 20 from plate 32, and in this respect, shoe 1C can be made even more durable.

[0157] Furthermore, if the cushioning material 33 is made of a resin or rubber material as described above, the frictional resistance between the cushioning material 33 and the midsole 31 and upper body 20 will also function as an anti-slip material that prevents the plate 32 from shifting out of position.

[0158] It should be noted that the cushioning material 33 as the protective portion described above does not necessarily need to be provided over the entire periphery of the plate 32 in the circumferential direction, but may be provided over only a portion of the periphery.

[0159] (Fifth Modification) Figure 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a shoe according to a fifth modification. Below, a shoe 1C1 according to a fifth modification based on the above-described third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 26. Note that shoe 1C1 according to the fifth modification differs from shoe 1C according to the above-described third embodiment only in the configuration of the components housed inside shell 10.

[0160] The shoe 1C according to the third embodiment described above has a configuration in which the upper body 20 is housed in the shell 10, and the sole body 30 is housed in the upper body 20 (see FIG. 25 ), but as shown in FIG. 26 , a shoe 1C1 according to a fifth modified example has a configuration in which the sole body 30 is housed in the shell 10, but the upper body 20 is housed inside the shell 10 without the sole body 30 being housed inside. That is, the sole body 30 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20, and the upper body 20 is disposed only in the upper space SP2 (see FIGS. 5 to 7 , etc.) of the interior space of the shell 10.

[0161] In this configuration, the upper surface of the sole body 30 defined by the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 is covered by the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20, except for the portion covered by the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Accordingly, the sole body 30 is directly sandwiched between the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 and the bottom wall portion 11, without the upper body 20 being interposed therebetween.

[0162] Therefore, the upper body 20 is not positioned between the cushioning material 33 serving as a protective portion and the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. However, the cushioning material 33 serving as a protective portion is positioned between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0163] Therefore, even with this configuration, effects similar to those described in the third embodiment can be obtained, resulting in a shoe 1C1 that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. Note that, as described above, if the sole body 30 including the plate 32 is disposed between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 without being housed in the upper body 20, the upper body 20 can be made smaller by the amount that the sole body 30 is not disposed inside the upper body 20. As a result, not only can the shoe 1C1 be made lighter, but the assembly process can be simplified, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the shoe 1C1. Furthermore, since the sole body 30 is not housed in the upper body 20, there is no need to match the shapes of the sole body 30 and the opposing portion of the upper body 20, making manufacture easier. Furthermore, since the distance between the sole of the wearer's foot and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 is reduced, the lateral moment generated upon landing is reduced, thereby making it possible to suppress the collapse of the wearer's ankle (so-called pronation).

[0164] (Fourth Embodiment) Fig. 27 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shoe according to a fourth embodiment. Next, a shoe 1D according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 27. Note that the shoe 1D according to the present embodiment differs from the shoe 1A according to the first embodiment described above only in the configuration of the plate 32.

[0165] 27, in shoe 1D according to this embodiment, a coating layer 34 is provided so as to cover peripheral end surface 32c of plate 32. This coating layer 34 is softer than plate 32 and is made of an adhesive film made of, for example, urethane resin, acrylic resin, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene resin, silicone resin, silicon resin, rubber, or the like.

[0166] In this configuration, the coating layer 34 is located between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Therefore, the coating layer 34 functions as a protective portion that protects the shell 10 from the plate 32.

[0167] Therefore, even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the first embodiment can be obtained, resulting in a shoe 1D that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. In addition, when the above configuration is adopted, the coating layer 34 also functions as a protective part that protects the upper body 20 from the plate 32, and in this respect, the shoe 1D can be made even more durable.

[0168] The coating layer 34 as a protective portion described above does not necessarily have to be provided over the entire circumferential direction of the plate 32, but may be provided over only a portion of the circumferential direction. Moreover, the coating layer 34 as a protective portion does not necessarily have to be provided only on the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32, but may be provided so as to extend over the entire or a portion of the first main surface 32a and / or the second main surface 32b of the plate 32. When the coating layer 34 as a protective portion is provided so as to cover the entire surface of the plate 32, not only is the formation of the coating layer made easier, but the durability of the plate 32 is also improved.

[0169] (Sixth Modification) Figure 28 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of a shoe according to a fifth modification. Below, a shoe 1D1 according to a sixth modification based on the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 28. Note that the shoe 1D1 according to the sixth modification differs from the shoe 1D according to the fourth embodiment only in the configuration of the components housed inside the shell 10.

[0170] The shoe 1D according to the fourth embodiment described above has a configuration in which the upper body 20 is housed in the shell 10, and the sole body 30 is housed in the upper body 20 (see FIG. 27 ), but as shown in FIG. 28 , a shoe 1D1 according to a sixth modified example has a configuration in which the sole body 30 is housed in the shell 10, but the upper body 20 is housed inside the shell 10 without the sole body 30 being housed inside. In other words, the sole body 30 is positioned so as to be sandwiched between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20, and the upper body 20 is disposed only in the upper space SP2 (see FIGS. 5 to 7 , etc.) of the interior space of the shell 10.

[0171] In this configuration, the upper surface of the sole body 30 defined by the top surface 31a of the midsole 31 is covered by the lower wall portion 21 of the upper body 20, except for the portion covered by the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. Accordingly, the sole body 30 is directly sandwiched between the pressing surface 14 provided on the peripheral wall portion 12 and the bottom wall portion 11, without the upper body 20 being interposed therebetween.

[0172] Therefore, the upper body 20 is not located between the coating layer 34 serving as a protective portion and the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10. However, the coating layer 34 serving as a protective portion is located between the peripheral end surface 32c of the plate 32 and the inner peripheral surface 12a of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the shell 10.

[0173] Therefore, even with this configuration, effects similar to those described in the fourth embodiment can be obtained, resulting in a shoe 1D1 that achieves both improved propulsion and improved durability. Note that, as described above, if the sole body 30 including the plate 32 is disposed between the bottom wall 11 of the shell 10 and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 without being housed in the upper body 20, the upper body 20 can be made smaller by the amount that the sole body 30 is not disposed inside the upper body 20. As a result, not only can the shoe 1D1 be made lighter, but the assembly process is also simplified, thereby facilitating the manufacture of the shoe 1D1. Furthermore, since the sole body 30 is not housed in the upper body 20, there is no need to match the shapes of the sole body 30 and the opposing portion of the upper body 20, making manufacture easier. Furthermore, since the distance between the sole of the wearer's foot and the lower wall 21 of the upper body 20 is reduced, the lateral moment generated upon landing is reduced, thereby making it possible to suppress the collapse of the wearer's ankle (so-called pronation).

[0174] (Summary of Contents Disclosed in the Embodiments and Modifications) The characteristic configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be summarized as follows.

[0175] [Note 1] A shoe having an insertion space provided inside into which a wearer's foot is inserted, the shoe comprising: a shell including a bottom wall portion having a ground contact surface and a peripheral wall portion erected from the periphery of the bottom wall portion; and a sole body that is positioned above the bottom wall portion by being housed in the shell and is configured to support the sole of the wearer's foot, wherein the sole body includes at least a plate that is harder than the shell, and the plate is arranged so that one of a pair of main surfaces positioned in the thickness direction of the plate faces the inner surface of the bottom wall portion, and a protective portion that is softer than the plate is provided between the peripheral end surface of the plate and the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion.

[0176] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 1 above, a soft protective portion is interposed between the peripheral end surface of the plate and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, which prevents direct contact between the plate and the shell in that area, thereby improving the durability of the shoe.

[0177] [Appendix 2] The shoe according to Appendix 1, further comprising a bag-shaped upper body that is housed in the shell and has an opening through which the wearer's foot can be inserted, the upper body including a lower wall portion that extends along the inner surface of the bottom wall portion and a side wall portion that extends along the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion, and the protective portion is formed by a portion of the side wall portion that faces the circumferential end surface of the plate.

[0178] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 2 above, it is not necessary to add a separate component as a protective part, and therefore the shoe can have a simple configuration.

[0179] [Appendix 3] The shoe according to appendix 2, wherein the upper body is made of a heat-shrinkable synthetic fiber.

[0180] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 3 above, not only is it unnecessary to add a separate component as a protective part, but the shoe can also have an excellent fit.

[0181] [Appendix 4] The shoe according to appendix 2 or 3, wherein a lining material is provided on a portion of the side wall portion that faces the peripheral end surface of the plate.

[0182] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 4 above, the upper body in the portion that comes into contact with the peripheral end surface of the plate is reinforced, thereby further improving the durability of the shoe.

[0183] [Appendix 5] The shoe described in Appendix 2 or 3, wherein the portion of the side wall portion facing the peripheral end surface of the plate is made of a material with higher strength than the material constituting the other portion of the side wall portion.

[0184] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 5 above, the upper body in the portion that comes into contact with the peripheral end surface of the plate is reinforced, thereby further improving the durability of the shoe.

[0185] [Appendix 6] The shoe according to Appendix 1, wherein the sole body further includes a cushioning material stacked on the plate in a direction perpendicular to the ground contact surface, the cushioning material has an outer shape larger than an outer shape of the plate when viewed along the direction perpendicular to the ground contact surface, a recess in which the plate is housed is provided on an opposing surface of the cushioning material that faces the plate, and the protective portion is constituted by a portion of the cushioning material that faces the peripheral end surface of the plate.

[0186] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 6 above, it is not necessary to add a separate component as a protective part, and therefore the shoe can have a simple configuration.

[0187] [Appendix 7] The shoe according to appendix 1, wherein the protective portion is made of a cushioning material fitted to the peripheral end of the plate so as to cover the peripheral end surface of the plate.

[0188] By employing the configuration described in Supplementary Note 7 above, it becomes possible to very easily interpose a soft protective portion between the peripheral end surface of the plate and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion.

[0189] [Appendix 8] The shoe according to appendix 1, wherein the protective portion is made of a coating layer that covers the peripheral end surface of the plate.

[0190] By employing the configuration described in Supplementary Note 8 above, it becomes possible to very easily interpose a soft protective portion between the peripheral end surface of the plate and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion.

[0191] [Appendix 9] The shoe according to any one of Appendices 1 to 8, wherein a pressing surface is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, protruding toward the inside of the shell and facing the bottom wall portion, and the sole body is fixed to the shell by being sandwiched between the pressing surface and the bottom wall portion.

[0192] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 9 above, it becomes possible to clamp and fix the sole body including the plate between the bottom wall portion of the shell and the pressing surface provided on the peripheral wall portion of the shell, making it possible to stably fix the sole body including the plate to the shell.

[0193] [Appendix 10] The shoe according to Appendix 9, wherein the pressing surface is provided at a position on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion corresponding to the rear foot portion, which is a portion that supports the heel portion of the wearer's foot, and when the outer dimension of the plate in the left-right direction, which is a direction that coincides with the width direction of the wearer's foot, is referred to as the width dimension, the maximum width dimension of the plate at the position corresponding to the rear foot portion is equal to or larger than the maximum width dimension of the plate at the position corresponding to the forefoot portion, which is a portion that supports the toes and tread portion of the wearer's foot.

[0194] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 10 above, it becomes possible to more firmly fix the sole body including the plate to the shell in the rear foot area, where the sole body including the plate is more likely to become misaligned, and therefore the sole body including the plate can be fixed to the shell more stably.

[0195] [Appendix 11] The shoe according to any one of Appendices 1 to 10, wherein the shell is made of a three-dimensional mesh structure in which a plurality of unit structures are repeatedly arranged adjacent to each other.

[0196] By adopting the configuration described in Supplementary Note 12 above, the shell can be made to have sufficient strength while also having appropriate flexibility, and the shoe can be made lighter and more breathable.

[0197] (Other Embodiments, etc.) The configurations of the components housed inside the shell shown in the above-described embodiment and modified examples are merely examples, and various modifications are possible. In other words, the present disclosure can be effectively applied to any shoe that has a configuration in which a hard plate is housed inside a flexible shell.

[0198] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and its modified examples, the explanation has been given on the assumption that the shoes are used without an insole attached to the shoe, but it goes without saying that the shoes may be used with an insole attached to them. In that case, the pressing surface and the sole body are covered by the insole. When the shoe is equipped with an insole in this way, the shoe can be made to feel more comfortable on the foot.

[0199] Furthermore, the characteristic configurations shown in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined with each other without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0200] As such, the above-described embodiments and their modifications disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0201] 1A to 1D, 1A1 to 1A3, 1B1, 1C1, 1D1 Shoe, 2 Instep, 3 Ground contact surface, 10, 10A Shell, 10a Instep, 10b Mesh structure, 10c Hole, 11 Bottom wall, 11a Inner surface, 11b Outer surface, 12 Circumferential wall, 12A Inner foot side circumferential wall, 12B Outer foot side circumferential wall, 12C Rear side circumferential wall, 12D Front side circumferential wall, 12a Inner surface, 12b Outer surface, 13A Narrowed portion, 14 Pressing surface, 14A Inner foot side pressing surface, 14B Outer foot side pressing surface, 14C Rear side pressing surface, 20 Upper body, 20a Opening, 21 Lower wall, 21a Inner surface, 21b Outer surface, 22 Side wall, 22A Inner foot side wall portion, 22B outer foot side wall portion, 22C rear side wall portion, 22D front side wall portion, 22a inner peripheral surface, 22b outer peripheral surface, 22d high-strength material, 23 belt-shaped portion, 24 tightening portion, 25 lining material, 30 sole body, 31 midsole, 31a top surface, 31b bottom surface, 31d recessed portion, 31e edge portion, 32 plate, 32a first main surface, 32b second main surface, 32c peripheral end surface, 33 cushioning material, 34 coating layer, 40 additional sole body, 50 heel counter, 51 surrounding portion, 51A first portion, 51B second portion, 51C third portion, 52 protruding portion, P1 first boundary surface, P2 second boundary surface, PF front end position, PR rear end position, R1 forefoot portion, R2 Midfoot, R3 rearfoot, SC shoe center, SP1 lower space, SP2 upper space, SP3 insertion space.

Claims

1. A shoe having an insertion space into which the foot of a wearer is inserted, the shoe comprising: a shell including a bottom wall portion having a ground contact surface and a peripheral wall portion erected from a periphery of the bottom wall portion; and a sole body accommodated in the shell and positioned above the bottom wall portion and configured to support the sole of the foot of the wearer, the sole body including at least a plate harder than the shell, the plate being disposed such that one of a pair of main surfaces positioned in the thickness direction of the plate faces the inner surface of the bottom wall portion, and a protective portion softer than the plate being provided at a position between a peripheral end surface of the plate and an inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion.

2. The shoe according to claim 1, further comprising a bag-shaped upper body accommodated in the shell and provided with an opening into which the foot of the wearer can be inserted, the upper body including a lower wall portion extending along the inner surface of the bottom wall portion and a side wall portion extending along the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, and the protective portion being constituted by a portion of the side wall portion facing the peripheral end surface of the plate.

3. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the upper body is made of a synthetic fiber having heat shrinkability.

4. The shoe according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a lining material is provided at a portion of the side wall portion facing the peripheral end surface of the plate.

5. The shoe according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a portion of the side wall portion facing the peripheral end surface of the plate is made of a material having higher strength than a material constituting other portions of the side wall portion.

6. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the sole body further includes a cushioning material laminated and disposed with respect to the plate in a direction orthogonal to the ground contact surface, the cushioning material having an outer shape larger than an outer shape of the plate when viewed along a direction orthogonal to the ground contact surface, a recess in which the plate is accommodated being provided on a facing surface of the cushioning material facing the plate, and the protective portion being constituted by a portion of the cushioning material facing the peripheral end surface of the plate.

7. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the protective portion is made of a cushioning material fitted to a peripheral end portion of the plate so as to cover the peripheral end surface of the plate.

8. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the protective portion is made of a coat layer covering the peripheral end surface of the plate.

9. An inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion is provided with a pressing surface that protrudes toward the inside of the shell and faces the bottom wall portion side. The sole body is fixed to the shell by being sandwiched between the pressing surface and the bottom wall portion. The shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The pressing surface is provided at a position corresponding to a rear foot portion that is a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion that supports the heel portion of the wearer's foot. When the outer dimension of the plate in the left-right direction, which is a direction matching the foot width direction of the wearer's foot, is referred to as the width dimension, the maximum width dimension of the plate at the position corresponding to the rear foot portion is equal to or larger than the maximum width dimension of the plate at the position corresponding to the front foot portion that is a portion of the wearer's foot that supports the toe portion and the stepping portion. The shoe according to claim 9.

11. The shell is formed of a three-dimensional mesh structure in which a plurality of unit structures are repeatedly arranged adjacent to each other. The shoe according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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