METHOD OF MAKING FOOTWEAR

Abstract

A method of making a shoe and the resulting novel shoe involve forming a sole member with at least one flange member that extends upwardly from the top side of the sole member. An upper member is positioned on the top side of the sole member with the flange member disposed inside of a flange attachment portion. The upper is then attached to the upwardly extending flange member.

Description

FIELD

This application relates to footwear and, in particular, to a shoe that can be worn in activities that take place in wet environments, such as boating.

BACKGROUND

Traditional footwear manufacturing methods (e.g., Strobel or board lasting) generally include a lasting step. Lasting describes how the upper is attached to the midsole. For example, in the Strobel lasting method, the upper is stitched to an insole or other shoe liner and then the combination is pulled onto a last so that a midsole can be attached. In the board lasting method, an upper is glued to a piece of cardboard or fiberboard, and then the resulting product is subsequently attached to a midsole. Such manufacturing techniques that include an insole or other shoe liner increase the manufacturing costs by increasing the amount of materials and labor required to produce a shoe. In addition, such insoles and liners tend to get waterlogged and uncomfortable when exposed to water, which make such shoes uncomfortable to wear in wet environments.

Attempts to create footwear that does not include an insole or require the lasting methods discussed above have been primarily limited to sandals or other open footwear that does not offer sufficient comfort, support, or protection to the feet of the user, especially when worn in wet conditions.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a novel method of making a shoe is disclosed. The method includes forming a sole member of EVA and forming an upper member. The sole member has a top side, a bottom side, a lateral side edge, a medial side edge, a toe side edge, and a heel side edge. The sole member has at least one flange member integrally formed with the sole member and extending upwardly from the top side of the sole member. The flange member extends at least substantially around the perimeter of the shoe and is disposed inward of each of the lateral side edge, the medial side edge, the toe side edge, and the heel side edge. The method further comprises forming an upper member that has a foot covering portion and a flange attachment portion. The flange attachment portion is located substantially at a lower edge of the upper member. The upper member is positioned on the top side of the sole member with the flange member disposed inside of the flange attachment portion of the upper member. The flange member is attached to the flange attachment portion.

In one embodiment, the flange member comprises a single, continuous flange member extending completely around the perimeter of the sole member.

In another embodiment, a ledge is formed between the flange member and the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges of the sole member. The lower edge of the upper member abuts the ledge when the upper member is positioned on the top side of the sole member.

In another embodiment, the flange member is formed with an inner curved portion. In specific implementations, the inner curved portion varies along the length of the sole member and the inner curved portion can be defined by an inner radius. The inner radius may be larger along the length of the sole member at locations closer to the heel side edge of the sole member than it is at locations closer to the toe side edge. The flange member can also have a thickness that varies along the length of the sole member.

In other embodiments, the attaching of the flange member to the flange attachment portion comprises applying an adhesive between the flange member and the flange attachment portion. In addition, the attachment can include stitching at least a portion of the flange member to the flange attachment portion. The portion that is stitched can comprise portions in a heel area and a forefoot area of the shoe.

In other embodiments, the attaching of the flange member to the flange attachment portion can be achieved by machine stitching. The machine stitching can be performed using a round point needle.

In specific implementations, a pathway on a top side of the sole member can be formed for directing water from the top side of the sole member to one or more of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges. An opening can also be formed in at least one of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges of the sole member. The opening can be in fluid connection with the pathway when water is introduced to the top side of the sole member.

In specific implementations, the shoe is a closed shoe with the foot covering portion of the upper member being configured to substantially cover an upper portion of a foot when the shoe is being worn by a person. The shoe can also be a boat shoe, with the upper member comprising a leather portion or a canvas portion that has been treated to be hydrophobic.

In other embodiments, the EVA sole member is formed by injection molding. In other embodiments, a fabric can be positioned between the flange member and the flange attachment portion of the upper member prior to attaching the flange member to the flange attachment portion.

In other embodiments, a recess is formed on the bottom side of the sole member, and a rubber outsole is formed and positioned in the recess formed on the bottom side of the sole member. The rubber outsole is attached to the sole member.

A novel shoe is disclosed. The shoe comprises a sole member and an upper member. The sole member comprises an EVA material and has a top side, a bottom side, a lateral side edge, a medial side edge, a toe side edge, and a heel side edge. At least one flange member extends upwardly from the top side of the sole member. The flange member is integrally formed with the sole member and extends at least substantially around the perimeter of the shoe. The upper member has a foot covering portion and a flange attachment portion. The flange attachment portion is located substantially at a lower edge of the upper member. The flange attachment portion is attached to the flange member. The upper member is disposed on the top side of the sole member with the flange member disposed inside of the flange attachment portion of the upper member.

In specific implementations, the flange member comprises a single, continuous flange member that extends completely around the perimeter of the sole member. In other implementations, the flange member is disposed inward of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges forming a ledge between the flange member and the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges of the sole member. The lower edge of the upper member may abut the ledge.

In other embodiments, the flange member is formed with an inner curved portion. The inner curved portion may vary along the length of the sole member. The inner curved portion can also be defined by an inner radius, with the inner radius being larger along the length of the sole member at locations closer to the heel side edge of the sole member than it is at locations closer to the toe side edge. The flange member can also have a thickness that varies along the length of the sole member. In other specific implementations, the flange member is machine stitched to the flange attachment portion.

In other embodiments, the sole member further comprises a pathway on a top side of the sole member for directing water from the top side of the sole member to one or more of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges; and an opening formed in at least one of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges of the sole member. The opening is in fluid connection with the pathway when water is introduced to the top side of the sole member.

In specific implementations, the shoe is a closed shoe with the foot covering portion of the upper member being configured to substantially cover an upper portion of a foot when the shoe is being worn by a person. The shoe can also be a boat shoe with an upper member that comprises a leather portion or a canvas portion that has been treated to be hydrophobic.

In specific implementations, the EVA sole member is formed by injection molding. In other implementations, the shoe further comprises a recess on the bottom side of the sole member; and a rubber outsole positioned in the recess on the bottom side of the sole member. The rubber outsole is attached to the sole member. In other embodiments, a fabric is disposed between the flange member and the flange attachment portion of the upper member.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a lateral side perspective view of a shoe comprising an upper member secured to a sole member.

FIG. 1B is a medial side perspective view of a shoe comprising an upper member secured to a sole member, with portions of the upper member removed for clarity.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 3 is a front (toe) view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 4 is a medial side view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 5 is a back (heel) view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 6 is a lateral side view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the sole member of FIG. 1B.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines A-A1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines f-f1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 10 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines B-B1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 11 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines C-C1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 12 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines D-D1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 13 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines E-E1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 14 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines F-F1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 15 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines G-G1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 16 is a cross section view of the sole member of FIG. 1B, taken along lines H-H1 of FIGS. 2 and 7.

FIG. 17 is a cross section view of a shoe illustrating an upper member attached to a sole member with fabric disposed between the area of attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A is a lateral side perspective view of a shoe 10. Shoe 10 in this embodiment is a boat shoe that is appropriate for being worn in wet conditions. The term boat shoe generally refers to a low-cut shoe that has a slip-resistant sole and can include, for example, shoes that are useful for boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and other water-associated activities. Shoe 10 comprises an upper member 12 and a sole member 14. Upper 12 is constructed so that the resulting shoe is a “closed” type shoe (rather than an “open” type shoe) that substantially covers the upper portion of the foot of a wearer. For the purposes of this disclosure, a foot is considered substantially covered if at least 50% of the upper surface of a wearer's foot is covered by the upper. Closed type shoes provide greater structural support and more protection from the environment than open type shoes.

The upper can be constructed of a variety of materials, including, for example, leather, canvas, or mesh. Desirably, the selected material is either naturally hydrophobic or it is chemically treated so that the material acts in a hydrophobic manner. The upper can include laces 16 that pass through eyelets 18 in vamp 20. Sole 14 desirably includes openings 22 that permit water to drain from shoe 10. The upper 12 is stitched directly to sole 14 using stitches 24.

FIG. 1B is a medial side view of shoe 10, with portions of the upper 12 cut away for clarity. As shown in FIG. 1B, upper 12 is stitched on the outside of an upwardly extending flange member 26, with stitches 24 passing through the upper 12 and directly through flange member 26. FIG. 1B shows portions of the upper removed to expose flange member 26. Since upper 12 was removed after being stitched to flange member 26, stitching holes 28 are shown at the locations where upper 12 was removed.

Upper 12 is desirably perimeter stitched to flange member 26 using a stitching machine and a round point needle. Razor edged needles create a slice that is less desirable when working with relatively thin portions of EVA material. Slices formed by razor edged needles may create weaknesses in the EVA material that can introduce or encourage tearing or other failures in the EVA material. Accordingly, it is more desirable to stitch upper 12 to flange member 26 using a needle that creates independent and substantially round holes. The distance between the holes formed during the stitching process is desirably about 0.5 mm. If the holes are formed too close together, flange member 26 may tear or fail; however, if the holes are formed too far apart, the strength of the connection between flange member 26 and the flange attachment portion of upper 12 may be insufficient. In addition, it may be desirable to include an adhesive between the stitched portions of the upper and flange member.

In another embodiment, upper 12 can be bonded to flange member 26 using adhesive alone, or in combination with a portion of the stitching described above and shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Any of the various footwear adhesives that are commercially available can be selected and used for this application. The application of an adhesive between the upper 12 and the flange member can provide sufficient bonding strength that it is not necessary to include separate stitching as discussed above. Alternatively, it may be desirable to stitch a portion of the upper to the flange member to reinforce the bond formed by the adhesive between the upper and the flange member. If only a portion of the upper and flange member is stitched together, desirably the portion that is stitched is the portion of the upper and flange member that are located in the heel area and the forefoot area. If desired, a middle section, the area between the heel and forefoot may include only adhesive, without any stitching.

Desirably, flange member 26 is disposed inward from the outer edge of sole 14, creating a ledge 30. This can be seen clearly in FIG. 1B where a portion of flange member 26 has been removed. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, upper 12 does not extend below ledge 30 or underneath flange member 26. Traditional shoe construction generally has the upper extending around and under an insole material. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, however, the lower edge of upper 12 abuts the upper surface of sole 14 at ledge 30. Accordingly, since the upper does not extend beneath ledge 30 or wrap under flange member 26, less upper material is required to produce the shoe. In addition, by securing upper 12 to the outside of flange member 26, it is possible to obtain a better water barrier, thereby limiting the amount of water that enters the shoe at the point of attachment of the upper to the flange member.

FIGS. 2-16 show various views of sole 14 and flange member 26. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of sole 14. As discussed in more detail below, the sole is desirably constructed primarily of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Alternatively, sole 14 can be constructed of other appropriate materials, such as Polyurethane.

EVA is known as a midsole material and is used in various running shoes to provide cushioning. EVA has also been used as a material for use with sandals and other “open” footwear. However, it is believed that EVA has not been used as the sole material in a closed shoe design with an upper attaching directly (i.e., without a lasting step) to the EVA sole in the manner discussed below.

Although sole 14 can be constructed of just one type of material, such as EVA, sole 14 desirably also includes a relatively thin stock-fitted rubber outsole 32 that is attached to a recess in a bottom portion of sole 14. Outsole 32 is desirably attached to sole 14 using an industry accepted footwear adhesive. The rubber material of outsole 32 can be a non-marking gum rubber. Since gum rubber provides a “stickier” surface than EVA materials, a gum rubber outsole 32 provides shoe 10 with improved traction when used in wet conditions. In addition, outsole 32 desirably includes treads 34. Treads 34 are indentations or raised markings that further improve the ability of shoe 10 to grip surfaces, including wet surfaces, without slipping.

Flange member 26 is desirably formed integrally with sole 14. Flange member 26 can be formed integrally with the sole using a molding process. This molding process can be, for example, either compression molding or injection molding. Injection molding, however, is more preferred since it is more efficient than compression molding and produces less material waste.

FIG. 3 is a front (toe) perspective view showing flange member 26 extending upwardly from sole 14, and outsole 32 disposed in a recessed portion at the bottom of the sole. As seen in FIG. 3, flange member 26 is desirably located inward from the outer side edges of sole 14, forming ledge 30. FIG. 4 is a medial side view of sole 14 and FIG. 6 is a lateral side view of sole 14. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, openings 22 in sole 14 permit water to drain easily from inside the shoe. FIG. 5 is a rear (heel) view of sole 14. In addition to the openings 22 in the sides of sole 14, openings at the rear of sole 14 are provided to permit water drainage.

FIG. 7 is a top view of sole 14. As seen in FIG. 7, sole 14 has a top side and a bottom side. Sole 14 also has outer perimeter that is defined by its lateral side edge (left side in FIG. 7), its medial side edge (right side in FIG. 7), its toe side edge (top side in FIG. 7), and its heel side edge (bottom side in FIG. 7). Flange member 26 extends at least substantially around the entire perimeter of the upper surface of sole 14. Desirably, flange member extends around the entire perimeter as a single continuous flange member. Alternatively, however, flange member can extend substantially around the perimeter such that it extends around at least half the perimeter of sole 14. If the flange member does not extend continuously around the perimeter of sole 14, the flange member can comprise any number of discrete segments, so long as the flange cumulatively extends around at least half of the perimeter.

Flange member 26 extends upward and is disposed inward of each of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges of sole 14. Flange member 26 is desirably disposed inward from the edges, thereby forming ledge 30. Ledge 30 extends from flange member 26 to the outer edge of sole 14. Referring to FIG. 1A, upper 12 has a foot covering portion 31 and a flange attachment portion 33. The flange attachment portion 33 is located at a lower edge of upper 12. The lower edge desirably abuts ledge 30 when the flange is positioned on sole 14 for attachment.

The top surface of sole 14 is desirably textured to provide a smooth, but non-slippery surface on which the foot can rest. Therefore, texture 36 is provided on the upper surface of sole 14. In addition, water draining pathways 38 are provided to direct water in the shoe to openings 22. Pathways 38 are indentations or depressions in the top surface of sole 14 that function to direct water to holes 40 at the end of pathways 38, which are in fluid connection with openings 22. Thus, if water were to cover the surface of sole 14, the water would be directed through pathways 38 to holes 40, and then out the side of sole 14 through openings 22. FIG. 9, which is a cross section view taken along lines f-f1 of FIG. 4, further shows the relationship between openings 22, pathways 38, and holes 40.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of sole 14 taken along line A-A1 of FIGS. 2 and 7. Flange member 26 is desirably formed with an inner curved portion. Desirably, the inner curved portion is curved on the inside (toward the foot) and substantially straight on the outside (away from the foot). R8 is the inner radius of flange member 26 at the heel portion of sole 14. In one embodiment, R8 is approximately equal to 9 mm. R9 is the inner radius of flange member 26 at the toe portion of sole 14. In one embodiment, R9 is approximately equal to 4 mm.

FIGS. 10-16 are cross section areas taken along lines B-B1, C-C1, D-D1, E-E1, F-F1, G-G1, and H-H1, respectively, in FIGS. 2 and 7. FIGS. 10-16 identify inner radii R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, and R7 of flange member 26. It should be noted that the inner radius is the same on both sides of the sole. That is, the inner radius R1 (shown on the left side of FIG. 10) is preferably the same as the inner radius of the flange member on the right side of FIG. 10.

Desirably, the inner radius of flange member 26 varies along the length of the shoe. The inner radius is desirably larger near the heel area and smaller near the toe area. In one embodiment, in a U.S. size 9 shoe, moving from toe to heel, the inner radii vary as follows: R1=5 mm; R2=5 mm; R3=7 mm; R4=13.5 mm; R5=14 mm; R6=14 mm; R7=12 mm. Accordingly, the inner radius of the flange member 26 is desirably at least twice as large at the back as it is at the front. The varying radius of flange member 26 increases the structural stability of the shoe (e.g., the strength of the attachment of flange member to the upper), as well as produces a more ergonomically correct shoe, which increases comfort to the wearer.

Desirably, the thickness of flange member 26 also varies along the length of sole 14. The thickness of the flange at the top portion in FIGS. 10-16 is identified by T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7, respectively. Like the inner radii, the thicknesses of the flange member on both the left and right sides of FIGS. 10-16 are preferably the same. The variation in thickness of the flange member can provide for reinforcement of the flange member at the areas that are most susceptible to failure due to the exertion of higher forces during wear.

In one embodiment, in a U.S. size 9 shoe, the thickness of the flange member 26 varies as follows: T1=0.8 mm; T2=1.0 mm; T3=1.0 mm; T4=1.0 mm; T5=0.8 mm; T6=0.8 mm; and T7=0.8 mm.

In another embodiment, referring again to FIGS. 8 and 10-16, a U.S. size 7 shoe can have the following radii and thicknesses: R1=4 mm; R2=6 mm; R3=9 mm; R4=12 mm; R5=10 mm; R6=10; R7=8 mm; R8=9 mm; R9=6.5 mm; T1=0.8 mm; T2=0.8 mm; T3=0.8 mm; T4=0.8 mm; T5=0.8 mm; T6=0.8 mm; and T7=0.8 mm.

Flange member 26 is desirably positioned so that the inner side of flange member 26 is just lightly resting against the outside of a wearer's foot. The variation in inner radii, as discussed above, desirably takes into account the anatomy of the wearer's foot.

FIG. 17 shows another embodiment where a fabric or cloth material is positioned between the flange attachment portion and the flange member. The fabric or cloth material disposed between the flange attachment portion and the flange member can be any of a variety of natural and synthetic fiber materials, such as, for example, cotton, nylon, or polyester.

FIG. 17 is a cross section view of a shoe 10 taken along a central portion of the shoe, similar to the view shown in FIG. 12 and further including an upper attached to the sole. As shown in FIG. 17, it may be desirable to include a piece of fabric 42 between flange attachment portion 33 of upper 12 and flange member 26. Fabric 42 can increase the strength of the attachment of the upper 12 to flange member 26, and reduce the likelihood of tears or rips occurring in the flange member 26. In addition, if tears or rips should occur, fabric 42 can reduce the likelihood that such tears or rips will spread or propagate through flange member 26. Fabric 42 can run around the entire flange member 26 or, alternatively, the fabric can be placed at intermittent locations around flange member 26. For example, it may be desirable to place fabric 42 at locations in the forefoot where increased stress may be exerted on the upper to flange member connection. Fabric 42 can be any thin or light fabric, such as, for example, a light twill fabric.

The novel method of manufacturing a shoe that comprises an upper attached directly to an integral flange on a sole formed of EVA material has numerous advantages. The method eliminates many of the traditional steps required for manufacturing closed form shoes, such as attaching the upper to an insole or other type of shoe liner. Instead, the upper can be stitched directly to the flange, either by hand or machine, without requiring any extra materials or labor-intensive steps.

The reduction of materials can also be significant. First, there is no insole board or sock material associated with the manufacture of the shoe. Thus, that material can be eliminated. In addition, since the upper can be shorter than a traditional upper, the amount of material required to produce an upper is reduced. As noted above, the upper does not wrap around an insole; rather, it sits on a ledge outside of the flange member. As such, less upper material is required to produce a finished product. The elimination of the insole and lasting step also eliminates or greatly reduces the amount of adhesive that is required to manufacture the closed form shoe.

The EVA sole is both comfortable and light-weight. By eliminating the materials discussed above, the overall weight of the shoe can be reduced without sacrificing comfort or stability of the shoe. In addition, EVA has little or no odor, is resistant to UV radiation, and has good barrier properties, which prevents water and other harmful or odorous liquids or vapors from being absorbed by the sole. In addition, EVA is highly resistant to cracks and has good anti-microbial properties.

Various alternatives of the configurations disclosed above are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the water draining openings, holes, and pathways could be configured differently and located at other locations in the sole.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.

Claims

1. A method of making a shoe comprising:

forming a sole member of EVA, the sole member having a top side, a bottom side, a lateral side edge, a medial side edge, a toe side edge, and a heel side edge, the sole member having at least one flange member integrally formed with the sole member and extending upwardly from the top side of the sole member, the at least one flange member extending at least substantially around the perimeter of the shoe and the at least one flange member being disposed inward of each of the lateral side edge, the medial side edge, the toe side edge, and the heel side edge;

forming an upper member, the upper member having a foot covering portion and a flange attachment portion, the flange attachment portion being located substantially at a lower edge of the upper member;

positioning the upper member on the top side of the sole member with the at least one flange member disposed inside of the flange attachment portion of the upper member; and

attaching the at least one flange member to the flange attachment portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one flange member comprises a single, continuous flange member extending completely around the perimeter of the sole member.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a ledge is formed between the flange member and the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges of the sole member, and

wherein the lower edge of the upper member abuts the ledge when the upper member is positioned on the top side of the sole member.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one flange member is formed with an inner curved portion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inner curved portion varies along the length of the sole member.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the inner curved portion is defined by an inner radius and the inner radius is larger along the length of the sole member at locations closer to the heel side edge of the sole member than it is at locations closer to the toe side edge.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one flange member has a thickness that varies along the length of the sole member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attaching of the at least one flange member to the flange attachment portion is achieved by machine stitching.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine stitching is performed using a round point needle.

10. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

forming a pathway on a top side of the sole member for directing water from the top side of the sole member to one or more of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges; and

forming an opening in at least one of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges of the sole member, the opening being in fluid connection with the pathway when water is introduced to the top side of the sole member.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the shoe is a closed shoe with the foot covering portion of the upper member being configured to substantially cover an upper portion of a foot when the shoe is being worn by a person.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising treating the upper member to be hydrophobic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the EVA sole member is formed by injection molding.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the EVA sole member is formed by compression molding.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

positioning a fabric between the flange member and the flange attachment portion of the upper member prior to attaching the flange member to the flange attachment portion.

16. A shoe comprising:

a sole member, the sole member comprising an EVA material and having a top side, a bottom side, a lateral side edge, a medial side edge, a toe side edge, and a heel side edge,

at least one flange member extending upwardly from the top side of the sole member, the at least one flange member being integrally formed with the sole member and extending at least substantially around the perimeter of the shoe; and

an upper member, the upper member having a foot covering portion and a flange attachment portion, the flange attachment portion being located substantially at a lower edge of the upper member, the flange attachment portion being attached to the at least one flange member;

wherein the upper member is disposed on the top side of the sole member with the at least one flange member disposed inside of the flange attachment portion of the upper member.

17. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the at least one flange member comprises a single, continuous flange member extending completely around the perimeter of the sole member.

18. The shoe of claim 17, wherein the flange member is disposed inward of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges to form a ledge between the flange member and the lateral side, medial side, toe side, and heel side edges of the sole member, and wherein the lower edge of the upper member abuts the ledge.

19. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the at least one flange member is formed with an inner curved portion.

20. The shoe of claim 19, wherein the inner curved portion varies along the length of the sole member.

21. The shoe of claim 20, wherein the inner curved portion is defined by an inner radius and the inner radius is larger along the length of the sole member at locations closer to the heel side edge of the sole member than it is at locations closer to the toe side edge.

22. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the at least one flange member has a thickness that varies along the length of the sole member.

23. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the flange attachment portion is attached to the at least one flange member with an adhesive.

24. The shoe of claim 23, wherein the flange attachment portion is attached to the at least one flange member by stitching at least a portion of the at least one flange member to the flange attachment portion.

25. The shoe of claim 24, wherein the portion that is stitched comprises portions in a heel area and a forefoot area of the shoe.

26. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the at least one flange member is machine stitched to the flange attachment portion.

27. The shoe of claim 16, the sole member further comprising:

a pathway on a top side of the sole member for directing water from the top side of the sole member to one or more of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges; and

an opening formed in at least one of the lateral side, medial side, toe side, or heel side edges of the sole member, the opening being in fluid connection with the pathway when water is introduced to the top side of the sole member.

28. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the shoe is a closed shoe with the foot covering portion of the upper member being configured to substantially cover an upper portion of a foot when the shoe is being worn by a person.

29. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the shoe is a boat shoe and the upper member comprises a leather portion that has been treated to be hydrophobic.

30. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the shoe is a boat shoe and the upper member comprises a canvas portion that has been treated to be hydrophobic.

31. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the EVA sole member is formed by injection molding.

32. The shoe of claim 16, wherein the EVA sole member is formed by compression molding.

33. The shoe of claim 16, further comprising a fabric disposed between the flange member and the flange attachment portion of the upper member.