Footwear Upper with Dual-Layer Comfort and Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear designs often fail to balance comfort and support, leading to discomfort or inadequate support during long periods of walking or standing, with issues like blisters and skin irritation from abrasive materials.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an inner contact material for comfort and an outer support material that provides structural support, with the outer support material featuring pressure application regions and varying thickness for optimal fit and reduced friction, while the inner contact material shields sensitive areas from abrasion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional upper portions are designed to provide a comfortable interface between the foot and the footwear, then comfort is improved, but sufficient support is not provided for long periods of time
Solution Approach 1:
The upper portion is divided into two distinct functional layers: an inner contact material layer that provides comfort and an outer support material layer that provides structural support. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between comfort and support durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portion uses a composite structure combining two different materials with complementary properties: a soft inner contact material for comfort and a firmer outer support material for structural integrity. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of comfort and long-lasting support.
2Reliability
If conventional designs provide sufficient structural support, then support durability is improved, but comfort interface is compromised leading to blisters and skin irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The upper portion is segmented into functional zones: the inner contact material layer shields the foot from abrasion and provides comfort, while the outer support material layer delivers structural support. This segmentation prevents harmful friction and pressure points that would otherwise cause blisters and skin irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner contact material acts as an intermediary layer between the foot and the outer support material. This intermediary layer absorbs friction and pressure, protecting the foot from direct contact with the support structure and preventing abrasion, discomfort, and skin irritation.
3Device complexity
If a single material is used for the upper portion, then device complexity is reduced, but both comfort and support cannot be simultaneously optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The upper portion is segmented into two distinct material layers, each optimized for its specific function. This segmentation increases device complexity minimally while dramatically improving performance optimization, allowing simultaneous achievement of comfort and support.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portion employs a composite material structure combining two materials with different properties. This composite approach enables the footwear to simultaneously provide comfort and structural support, achieving superior performance optimization with only moderate increases in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An article of footwear includes an inner contact material operable to provide an interface between the article of footwear and portions of a wearer's foot. The inner contact material defines an inner foot opening through which a foot can be received. The inner contact material extends downwardly about the foot from the inner foot opening. An outer support material at least partially circumscribes portions of the inner contact material. The outer support material defines an outer foot opening through which a foot can be received. The outer support material extends downwardly about the foot from the outer foot opening. The inner foot opening is positioned higher around a periphery of the foot than is the outer foot opening so as to expose portions of the inner contact material above the outer support material.