ADHERING FOOTWEAR

Abstract

Embodiments herein provide adhering “upperless” footwear. Such footwear is provided with adhesive or another surface element to secure the footwear to a wearer's foot during use. The adhesive may be formulated to allow the footwear to be secured to the wearer's foot in a removable and repeatable fashion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/476,704, filed Apr. 18, 2011, entitled “ADHERING FOOTWEAR,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments herein relate to the field of footwear, and, more specifically, to footwear that is designed to adhere to the wearer's foot.

BACKGROUND

Performing activities, such as walking and running, barefoot has a number of benefits, such as increased flexibility for the feet, feedback to the body, ventilation, and/or comfort. However, a layer of material under the foot is often desirable to provide protection and/or traction. Various attempts have been made to design low-profile footwear that can adhere to a wearer's foot, although those attempts have generally suffered from poor adhesive quality and inadequate comfort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom view of adhering footwear in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the adhering footwear of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of alternative adhering footwear in accordance with various embodiments; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an adhesive film designed to adhere footwear to skin in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete operations in turn, in a manner that may be helpful in understanding embodiments; however, the order of description should not be construed to imply that these operations are order dependent.

The description may use perspective-based descriptions such as up/down, back/front, and top/bottom. Such descriptions are merely used to facilitate the discussion and are not intended to restrict the application of disclosed embodiments.

The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.

For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “NB” or in the form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “at least one of A, B, and C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C). For the purposes of the description, a phrase in the form “(A)B” means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.

The description may use the terms “embodiment” or “embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments, are synonymous, and are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).

With respect to the use of any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

Embodiments herein provide adhering “upperless” footwear. Such footwear may be provided with an adhesive to secure the footwear to a wearer's foot during use. In embodiments, the adhesive may be disposed on an upper surface of the footwear. The adhesive may be applied by any suitable means, such as a stick-on film, a roller, and/or a spray. The adhesive may be formulated to allow the footwear to be secured to the wearer's foot in a removable and repeatable manner.

The footwear may not include an “upper” that encircles the top of the foot. In some embodiments, the footwear may be disposed only on a bottom surface of the wearer's feet. In other embodiments, the footwear may include one or more tabs that extend to the sides and/or top of the foot, but do not completely encircle the foot.

In one embodiment, a dual-layer adhesive film may be provided including a first adhesive layer to permanently bond the adhesive film to the upper surface of the footwear, and a second adhesive layer to removably adhere the footwear to the wearer's foot. The second adhesive layer may be formulated to allow repeated coupling and uncoupling of the footwear with the wearer's foot.

In an alternative embodiment, the foot-contacting surface of the footwear may be provided with a surface that adheres to the skin of the wearer due to attractive forces. In such an embodiment, an adhesive may or may not be used, as the structure of the surface of the footwear may adequately secure the footwear to the user's foot. The surface of the footwear may be provided with contact elements, or a surface modification, such as a chemical modification, may be performed. In an embodiment, an array of nanoscale linker molecules may be used to couple the footwear to the user's foot. In embodiments, the contact elements may increase the contact surface area of the user's foot, and via small individual forces, such as van der Waals forces, collectively provide a sufficient securing force. In an embodiment, this action may be similar to the force exhibited by the array of setae on a gecko's toes that enable a gecko to secure to most surfaces.

Alternatively, or additionally, the contact elements may provide a suction force (e.g., vacuum) to releasably secure the footwear to the foot. For example, the contact elements may include suction cups and/or other similar structure.

In an embodiment, footwear may be constructed from one or more base materials, with one or more adhesives applied thereto. The base material of the footwear may be any suitable material, such as foam, rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate, thermoplastics, and/or leather, whether cut from a larger piece of material, injection molded, compression molded, cast, poured, etc. In some embodiments, the base materials may include one or more layers, such as a midsole-type layer coupled to an outsole layer. The midsole layer may provide cushioning to the wearer while still providing flexibility. In some embodiments, the base material may be a single layer.

In embodiments, the footwear may include a tread pattern on a bottom surface of the footwear. The tread pattern may be formed in the base material or may be formed by a separate tread portion coupled to the base material. In some embodiments, the base material may be a continuous piece of material. The tread portion may be continuous or discontinuous, e.g., may include a plurality of pieces arranged on the base material. In one embodiment, the tread portion may be of a higher hardness than the base material. The base material may provide flexibility and structure to the footwear. The tread portion may provide grip, stability, and/or durability while still providing flexibility.

In some embodiments, the footwear may include a fore portion disposed under the forefoot of the wearer's foot and a heel portion disposed under the heel of the wearer's foot. A transition zone may couple the fore portion to the heel portion. The transition zone may have increased flexibility compared with the fore portion and/or the heel portion. For example, the transition zone may have a reduced width, thickness and/or density compared with the fore portion or heel portion. Thus, the transition zone may keep the footwear in one piece and provide stability while also allowing the footwear to be flexible enough to move with the foot.

In some embodiments, the footwear may substantially cover the bottom surface of the foot, including the bottom of the toes. The footwear may provide protection to the bottom of the foot (e.g., from rocks, debris, etc.) while providing flexibility and giving the wearer a “barefoot” feel. In other embodiments, the footwear may substantially cover the heel and forefoot while the transition zone may cover only part of the arch of the foot. For example, the footwear may cover the portions of the foot that contact the ground.

As discussed above, the adhesive may secure the footwear to the wearer's foot in a releasable and repeatable fashion. Suitable adhesives for securing the footwear to the wearer's foot include non-water-soluble adhesives and other adhesives that adhere well to the surface of the footwear and to the skin, but which can be removed from the skin when the footwear is not in use and reused at a later time. Examples of suitable adhesives include acrylic adhesives, urethanes, and latexes.

In embodiments, an adhesive may be applied to the base material using one or more of a variety of methods. Such methods include applying the adhesive by spreading a liquid, roller coating one or more layers of adhesive, applying a film, spraying, brushing, etc. Adhesive can be applied in one or more layers. In addition, multiple adhesives may be used as desired, whether applied in one or more layers.

In an embodiment, an adhesive film may be formed, disposed on, and/or coupled to a release liner, such as a relatively non-stick or low-stick surface. The film may have adhesive qualities on both sides of the film so that the film is configured to adhere to a base material of footwear as well as adhere to the skin of the wearer. Prior to applying the film to footwear, the film may be located on a release liner or may be located between two release liners to protect each adhesive surface. In the latter embodiment, a first release liner may be removed before application of the film to the footwear. And then, a second release liner may be removed to expose the adhesive for application to the wearer's foot.

In an embodiment, the adhesive film may include two adhesive layers (e.g., a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer) having different adhesives. The first adhesive layer may face the footwear and may be formulated to secure the adhesive film to the footwear. Suitable adhesives for the first adhesive layer may include acrylic-based adhesives.

The second adhesive layer may face the wearer's foot and may be formulated to adhere to the foot in a releasable and repeatable fashion as discussed above. For example, the second adhesive layer may include an acrylic, urethane, and/or latex adhesive.

The dual-layer adhesive film may allow each layer to be specially formulated for its specific purpose. In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer may be designed to be semi-permanently adhered to the footwear. By semi-permanently adhered, it is meant that the first adhesive layer keeps the adhesive film secured to the footwear when the footwear is removed from the wearer's foot. Thus, the first adhesive may provide a stronger adhesion with the footwear than the second adhesive provides with the skin. However, in some embodiments, the first adhesive may be removable from the footwear, such as to replace the film after extended use. For example, the first adhesive layer may be removed by peeling, scraping, and/or applying a solvent.

In some embodiments, the second adhesive layer may be configured to release from the skin of the foot without leaving a significant residue on the foot.

In some embodiments, the adhesive film may include an intermediate layer between the first adhesive layer and second adhesive layer to secure the first adhesive layer to the second adhesive layer and/or provide structural stability. In other embodiments, the first adhesive layer may be directly coupled with the second adhesive layer.

As described above, the first release liner may be removed to expose the first adhesive layer, and the adhesive film may be applied to the footwear. Then, the second release liner may be removed to expose the second adhesive layer, and the footwear may be secured to the wearer's foot. The footwear may be removed from the wearer's foot and reapplied to the wearer's foot as desired.

As an alternative, or in addition, to the release liners discussed above, the adhering footwear may be packaged, shipped, and/or stored in a case that has a non-stick or low-stick surface for the footwear to be disposed. As an example, the footwear may be placed with the adhesive surface facing the non-stick or low-stick surface to protect the surface from dirt and debris. When desired for use, the footwear may be peeled from the surface of the case and applied to the foot. Alternatively, a release liner may be applied to the adhesive surface and the footwear with the covered adhesive surface may be placed into a case, whether face up or face down.

In some embodiments, separate portions of adhesive film may be provided for different regions of the footwear. For example, a first portion of adhesive film may be provided for the fore portion of the footwear, and a second portion of adhesive film may be provided for the heel portion of the footwear. The transition zone may or may not include adhesive disposed thereon.

In various embodiments, the adhesive may wear down and/or have diminished adhesive quality after repeated use. In some embodiments, the adhesive qualities of the adhesive may be refreshed by cleaning the adhesive surface, such as with water, soap, isopropyl alcohol, and/or another mild cleaning agent. Alternatively, adhesive may be reapplied to the footwear, such as by applying another adhesive film or a spray directly to the prior adhesive surface.

In some embodiments in which the adhesive film is a dual-layer film, as discussed above, the adhesive qualities may be refreshed by applying a spray including the compound of the second adhesive layer over the existing dual-layer adhesive film. Alternatively, or additionally, another adhesive film (e.g., a dual-layer or single-layer film) may be applied over the existing adhesive film.

In some embodiments, the existing adhesive may be removed prior to applying a new adhesive. For example, the adhesive may be removed by peeling, scraping, and/or applying a solvent.

FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom view of adhering footwear 100 in accordance with various embodiments. FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the adhering footwear 100 of FIG. 1. Footwear 100 has a base material 101 with a tread pattern 102 on a bottom surface 104 and adhesive 106 on an upper surface 108. Tread pattern 102 is provided as an example, and it should be understood that any of a variety of tread patterns may be utilized. Alternatively, footwear 100 may be provided without a tread pattern, and as such may provide a relatively smooth or uniform bottom surface 104.

Tread pattern 102 has different material properties than base material 101. Base material 101 is generally more flexible and softer than tread pattern 102 to allow the footwear to move with the wearer's foot. The tread pattern 102 is more rigid and has a higher hardness to provide traction, stability, and/or to reduce wear. In an embodiment, base material 101 and tread pattern 102 may both be formed of the same material (e.g., rubber), with the tread pattern 102 having a higher hardness than the base material 101.

Footwear 100 has a plurality of open regions 110 that permit the passage of air, water (e.g., for drainage), vapor, etc., from one side of footwear 100 (where the wearer's foot is located when in use) to the other side of footwear 100. Footwear 100 also has a plurality of tabs 112 that are provided with adhesive 106 to secure footwear 100 to the sides and/or the top of the wearer's foot. The tabs 112 include a gap 113, which may provide increased flexibility for the tabs 112 to adapt to the contours of the side of the foot and/or to move with the foot. Open regions 110 at the base of tabs 112 may facilitate the folding-up of tabs 112 and/or provide ventilation. Other embodiments of footwear 100 may not include open regions 110 and/or tabs 112.

Footwear 100 is generally defined by two portions, a fore portion 114 and a heel portion 116, in accordance with the anatomy of a foot. Fore portion 114 and heel portion 116 are joined by transition zone 118. Transition zone 118 may have a different flexibility characteristic than that of the fore portion 114 and heel portion 116 to increase comfort for the user during use of footwear 100, such as when the wearer flexes or bends his foot. An increase in flexibility may be provided by a reduction in material thickness, density, and/or stiffness in the transition zone 118. In addition, an open region 110 may be provided (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to reduce the material bulk in transition zone 118.

The base material 101 is a continuous layer of material over the fore portion 114, heel portion 116, and transition zone 118. The tread pattern 102 is formed of separate pieces of material that are coupled to the base material 101. The tread pattern 102 may be coupled to the base material 101 by any suitable means, such as an adhesive and/or co-molding. In other embodiments, the base material 101 and tread pattern 102 may be formed of the same material.

The fore portion 114 includes a notch 120 that is disposed generally between a big toe and a second toe of the wearer's foot when the footwear 100 is worn. Additionally, fore portion 114 includes notches 122 between a toe region and a midfoot region of the fore portion 114. The notches 120 and/or 122 may provide increased flexibility in the toe region to enhance comfort and utility of the footwear 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of alternative adhering footwear 300 in accordance with various embodiments. Footwear 300 has a tread pattern 302 on a bottom surface 304. Tread pattern 302 is provided as an example, and it should be understood that any of a variety of tread patterns may be utilized. Alternatively, footwear 300 may be provided without a tread pattern, and as such may provide a relatively smooth or uniform bottom surface 304.

Footwear 300 is generally defined by two portions, a fore portion 314 and a heel portion 316, in accordance with the anatomy of a foot. Fore portion 314 and heel portion 316 are joined by transition zone 318. Transition zone 318 may have a different flexibility characteristic than that of the fore portion 314 and heel portion 316 to increase comfort for the user during use of footwear 300, such as when the wearer flexes or bends his foot. An increase in flexibility may be provided by a reduction in material thickness, density, and/or stiffness in the transition zone 318. Transition zone 318 is configured as a zig-zag or coil of material providing connectivity between fore portion 314 and heel portion 316 and imparting flexibility in the transition zone 318.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section of an adhesive film 400 that may be used with the footwear described herein (e.g., footwear 100 and/or 300). Adhesive film 400 includes a first adhesive layer 402 and a second adhesive layer 404 coupled together between a first release liner 406 and a second release liner 408. The first adhesive layer 402 is formulated to permanently adhere to the upper surface of the footwear, while the second adhesive layer 404 is formulated to releasably and repeatably adhere to the wearer's foot.

The adhesive film 400 may be applied to the footwear by removing the first release liner 406 and positioning the first adhesive layer on the upper surface of the footwear and applying pressure to adhere the first adhesive layer to the footwear. The second release liner 408 may then be removed, thereby exposing the second adhesive layer 404. The wearer may then attach the footwear to his or her foot, and the second adhesive layer 404 will secure the footwear to the foot.

In some embodiments, separate portions of adhesive film 400 may be provided for the fore portion and heel portion of the footwear. Similarly, in embodiments of the footwear which include tabs (e.g., tabs 112 in FIGS. 1 and 2), separate portions of adhesive film 400 may be provided for the tabs. The transition region may or may not be covered by a portion of adhesive film 400. In other embodiments, a single continuous portion of adhesive film 400 may be provided for the fore portion and heel portion of the footwear.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that embodiments may be implemented in a very wide variety of ways. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. Footwear having a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear comprising:

a fore portion;

a heel portion;

an adhesive disposed on the top surface of the footwear; and

a transition zone coupling the fore portion to the heel portion and providing a region of increased flexibility by comparison to the fore portion or heel portion.

2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a modified acrylic compound.

3. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is configured to releasably and repeatably adhere to a foot of a wearer.

4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the transition zone provides a region of reduced thickness, stiffness, and/or density by comparison to the fore portion or heel portion.

5. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the fore portion, heel portion, and transition zone are formed by a continuous base material.

6. The footwear of claim 5, further including a tread portion coupled to a bottom surface of the base material, wherein the tread portion is of a higher hardness than the base material.

7. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the adhesive includes a dual-layer adhesive film having a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is configured to semi-permanently adhere to the top surface of the footwear, and wherein the second adhesive layer is configured to releasably and repeatably adhere to a foot of a wearer.

8. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising one or more tabs extending from the fore portion and/or the heel portion, wherein the tabs include the adhesive to secure the tabs to the side of the foot.

9. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising a releasable liner disposed on the adhesive and configured to be removed when the footwear is coupled to a foot of a wearer.

10. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising a case having a surface configured to be releasably and repeatably coupled with the top surface of the footwear.

11. Footwear having a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear comprising:

a fore portion;

a heel portion;

a transition zone coupling the fore portion to the heel portion; and

an adhesive film disposed on the top surface of the footwear and including a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer, wherein the first adhesive layer is configured to semi-permanently adhere to the top surface of the footwear, and wherein the second adhesive layer is configured to releasably and repeatably adhere to a foot of a wearer.

12. The footwear of claim 11, wherein the transition zone provides a region of increased flexibility by comparison to the fore portion or heel portion.

13. The footwear of claim 11, wherein the adhesive film further includes an intermediate layer between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer.

14. The footwear of claim 11, wherein the first adhesive layer and second adhesive layer are formed of different compounds.

15. The footwear of claim 11, wherein the adhesive film includes a first portion disposed on the fore portion of the footwear and a second portion disposed on the heel portion of the footwear, wherein the first portion is separate from the second portion.

16. The footwear of claim 11, further comprising a releasable liner disposed on the second adhesive layer.

17. Footwear having a top surface and a bottom surface, the footwear comprising:

a fore portion;

a heel portion;

an array of foot-contacting surface elements disposed on the top surface of the footwear and configured to adhere to a foot of a wearer due to attractive forces; and

a transition zone coupling the fore portion to the heel portion and providing a region of increased flexibility by comparison to the fore portion or heel portion.

18. The footwear of claim 17, wherein the transition zone provides a region of reduced thickness, stiffness, and/or density by comparison to the fore portion or heel portion.

19. The footwear of claim 17, further comprising an adhesive disposed on the top surface of the footwear.