Abstract: A breathable shoe including an upper assembly having a breathable upper, a membrane made of a material which is waterproof and breathable, and a sole made of perforated elastomer, which arc all mutually attached such that the membrane is arranged between the upper assembly and the sole. Further, the sole is sealed perimetrically to the membrane, in a manner to prevent moisture from entering into the upper assembly from the sole through the membrane, and to permit moisture to leave the inside of the upper assembly through the membrane and through the sole. In one preferred embodiment, the membrane is first attached to the upper assembly so that the upper assembly is a unitary upper assembly including the membrane, and such a unitary upper assembly is subsequently attached to the sole.

Abstract: A vapor-permeable and waterproof sole for shoes, comprising: a lower flat element made of shaped rubber-like material, which has a hollow upper region delimited by a border with air passage openings which extend laterally with respect to the ground resting plane; an upper element; a membrane made of waterproof and vapor-permeable material, which is interposed between said lower and upper elements at said hollow region; said lower and upper elements and said membrane being joined hermetically in the perimetric regions of mutual contact.

Abstract: A shoe with permeable/breathable upper that covers, at least partially, an impermeable breathable sole, comprising a sole layer made of rubber connected internally to a wraparound upper made of synthetic or natural leather, the sole layer having nubs that pass through holes of the upper to constitute a tread, at least some of the nubs having at least one through hole, a breathable or perforated protective layer, a membrane permeable to vapor and impermeable to water and a breathable or perforated insole or anatomical inner sole being arranged in succession from below, at least at the holes of the nubs, above the sole layer, the protective layer and the membrane having edges substantially adjacent and joined hermetically to the sole layer and to the inner sole.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the breathability and comfort level of a shoe, comprising a rigid structure that duplicates the contour of a foot, divided into at least three thermally insulated regions from each other, for the shoe to be tested, resistors heating the regions of the rigid structure to a presettable temperature, at least one cladding of a soft material permeable to liquids, that absorb water and distributing it over the entire surface of the structure, sensors for sensing the temperature of cladding regions corresponding to the contour regions, a metering pump to supply water to the structure, and a power measuring device.

Abstract: A breathable and waterproof sole for shoes, which comprises, at least along part of its extension, a lower waterproof component, which constitutes the tread; an upper component, with a supporting structure which has chambers which are connected to openings at least on the upper and edge surfaces; a membrane which is impermeable to water and vapor-permeable and externally surrounds at least the outward-facing regions of the upper component. The lower and upper components and the membrane are joined so as to form a seal at least in the regions where water infiltration is possible.

Abstract: A fabric for a clothing and footwear item, having a structure that comprises an inner layer, which acts as a lining and is made of a material adapted to distribute condensed perspiration on a large surface, an intermediate spacer layer made of a material adapted to transfer the condensed perspiration from the inside of the item outward, and an outer layer made of a material adapted to distribute the condensed perspiration on a very large surface so as to cause its immediate evaporation. The three layers are integrated so as to form a single element.