FOOTWEAR HAVING A SOLE ASSEMBLY WITH A CONCAVE CHASSIS FOR A WELT CONSTRUCTION AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

Abstract

Footwear assemblies with a light weight sole assembly securely attached to an upper and associated methods are described herein. In one embodiment, a footwear assembly includes an upper connected to a light weight sole assembly, wherein the sole assembly has a durable outsole securely attached to a lightweight midsole, and a lightweight cradle style chassis is attached to the midsole. The chassis has a body and sidewalls extending upwardly from the lateral and medial side portions of the body to define a concave structure that receives a portion of the upper therein. At least a portion of the upper is cemented to the chassis, and edge portions of the upper are stitched to the sidewalls of the chassis.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/493,568, titled “Footwear Having Sole Assembly with a Concave Chassis for a Welt Construction and Associated Methods”, filed Jun. 6, 2011, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed generally to footwear having lightweight sole assemblies securely attached to an upper using a welt construction.

BACKGROUND

Articles of footwear have been designed for a wide variety of physical activities including walking, running, hiking, trekking, hunting, backpacking, and indoor and outdoor activities. For example, hiking and work boots are typically designed to provide a wearer with suitable comfort and support for hiking or walking on uneven or rough terrain. Conventional hiking or work boots, however, can be relatively heavy. Every time a wearer takes a step, such as while walking or hiking, the wearer must lift the weight of the boot. After hundreds or thousands of steps, that additional weight can be fatiguing on the wearer's legs. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to minimize the weight of the footwear without overly compromising the stability and support of the footwear.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the current invention are directed to footwear assemblies that overcome drawbacks of the prior art and provide other benefits. In one embodiment, footwear assemblies are provided that have an upper with a top portion and a bottom portion. The bottom portion has medial and lateral side portions along medial and lateral sides of the upper. A sole assembly is connected to the upper. The sole assembly comprises an outsole having a top outsole surface, and a midsole attached to the top outsole surface. A chassis having a cradle configuration is attached to a top midsole surface with the midsole intermediate the chassis and the outsole. The chassis has a full-length body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion. The body portion is supported atop the midsole. The chassis has a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions. The chassis has a lateral sidewall projecting from the lateral side portion and extending between the toe and heel portion. The medial and lateral sidewalls and the body define a concave receiving area that receives the bottom portion of the upper therein, wherein the medial and lateral side portions of the upper are stitched to interior surfaces of the medial and lateral sidewalls, respectively, with a Welt construction.

In another embodiment, a waterproof footwear assembly is provided that comprises an upper having an exterior layer and an interior waterproof layer. The exterior layer has a bottom portion with medial and lateral side portions. A sole assembly is connected to the upper. The sole assembly comprises an outsole and a midsole connected to a top of the outsole. A chassis having a cradle configuration is attached to a top of the midsole intermediate the chassis and the outsole. The chassis has a body with a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion. The body is supported atop the midsole. The chassis has a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions. The chassis has a lateral sidewall projecting from the lateral side portion and extending between the toe and heel portion. The medial and lateral sidewalls and the body define a concave receiving area that receives a portion of the upper therein between the medial and lateral sidewalls. The medial and lateral side portions of the exterior layer are stitched with stitching to the medial and lateral sidewalls, respectively, with a Welt construction. The stitching does not extend through the interior waterproof layer.

Another embodiment provides a method of manufacturing a footwear assembly having an upper and a sole assembly, wherein the sole assembly has an outsole layer, a midsole layer attached to a top portion of the outsole layer, and a chassis layer. The method comprises attaching the chassis layer to a top portion of the midsole layer, wherein the midsole layer is intermediate the chassis and the outsole. The upper is positioned on the chassis, wherein the upper has a bottom portion with medial and lateral side portions, and the chassis has a body with a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion. The body is supported atop the midsole. The chassis has a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions. A lateral sidewall projects from the lateral side portion and extends between the toe and heel portion. The medial and lateral sidewalls and the body define a cradle configuration with a concave receiving area that receives a portion of the upper therein between the medial and lateral sidewalls. The upper is positioned with the medial side portion of the upper adjacent to the medial sidewall of the chassis and the lateral side portion of the upper adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the chassis. The method also comprises stitching the medial side portion of the upper directly to the medial sidewall of the chassis in a Welt construction, and stitching the lateral side portion of the upper directly to the lateral sidewall of the chassis in a Welt construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing a medial side of a footwear assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a lateral side the footwear assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevation view of a side portion of the footwear assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation view of a toe portion of the footwear assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevation view of a heel portion of the footwear assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a partially cut away elevation view of the side portion of the footwear assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded schematic view of the footwear assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Footwear assemblies with a light weight sole assembly securely attached to an upper using a Welt construction, and associated methods for using and making such assemblies, are described in detail herein in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, for example, a footwear assembly includes an upper connected to a light weight sole assembly, wherein the sole assembly has a durable outsole securely attached to a lightweight midsole, and a light weight cradle style chassis is attached to the midsole. The chassis has a body portion and sidewalls forming Welt portions extending upwardly from the lateral and medial side portions of the body portion to define a concave structure that securely engages and supports the upper. A bottom portion of the upper is cemented to the chassis, and lateral and medial side portions of the upper are stitched to the lateral and medial sidewalls with a Welt-style construction.

In one embodiment, the sole assembly includes a toe bumper attached to a toe portion of the outsole, and the toe bumper wraps upwardly over the front edge of the chassis and is cemented or otherwise attached to a toe portion of the upper. A heel guard can be attached to a heel portion of the outsole, and the heel guard extends upwardly over the rear edge of the chassis and is cemented or otherwise attached to a heel portion of the upper. The lateral and medial sidewalls in one embodiment terminate immediately adjacent to the toe bumper and the heel guard so that the chassis body portion extends forwardly and rearwardly beyond the sidewalls at the toe and heel ends of the chassis, and the sidewalls do not extend under the toe bumper or the heel guard.

In one embodiment, the footwear assembly is a waterproof assembly wherein the upper has an external layer of sufficiently durable material, and a waterproof layer inwardly adjacent to the external layer. In one embodiment, the waterproof layer is a waterproof booty attached to the inside surface of the exterior layer. The footwear assembly is constructed so that the waterproof booty is not punctured or otherwise perforated by the stitching that extends through the sidewalls and the edge portions of the upper. In one embodiment, the waterproof booty is stitched to the exterior layer only at the top edge portion of the upper. The remaining portion of the waterproof booty is cemented or otherwise attached to the interior surface of the exterior layer.

In accordance with one embodiment, the sole assembly is made by cementing, molding, or otherwise securely joining the lightweight midsole to the outsole and the chassis. This lightweight sole assembly is configured to receive the waterproof upper onto the concave chassis between the sidewalls. The upper includes the exterior layer and the waterproof booty. The waterproof upper is fixed to the sole assembly by positioning the lower portion of the upper onto the top surface of the chassis body portion between the sidewalls. The exterior layer is cemented onto the chassis with the lateral and medial sidewalls immediately adjacent to the edge portions of the exterior layer. The waterproof booty is moved away from the edge portions of the exterior layer adjacent to the sidewalls. The edge portions of the upper's exterior layer are then stitched to the lateral and medial sidewalls of the sole assembly without stitching or otherwise perforating the waterproof booty. After the exterior layer is stitched to the chassis, an adhesive is applied to the waterproof booty and the waterproof booty is moved into its final positioned in full engagement with the interior surface of the exterior layer. The upper can be lasted until the adhesive is cured such that the waterproof booty is securely and permanently bonded to the interior surface of the exterior layer.

Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1-8 to provide a thorough and enabling description of various embodiments of the disclosure. Other details describing well-known structures and components often associated with footwear assemblies and methods of forming such assemblies, however, are not set forth below to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of various embodiments of the disclosure. Many of the details, dimensions, angles, relative sizes of components, and/or other features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions, angles, sizes, and/or features without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, further embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without several of the details described below, while still other embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced with additional details and/or features. In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical, or at least generally similar, elements. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any relative positional terms such as above, below, over, under, etc. do not necessarily require a specific orientation of the footwear assemblies as described herein. Rather, these or similar terms are intended to describe the relative position of various features of the disclosure described herein.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a footwear assembly 10 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the assembly 10 can include any article of footwear (e.g., a boot, shoe, etc.) and is not limited to the boot shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the assembly 10 includes a sole assembly 14 attached to an upper 12. The sole assembly 14 includes a rugged outsole 16 that covers a lightweight midsole 18, and a cradle-style chassis 20 is supported atop the midsole 18. The chassis 20 defines a concave structure that supports and is fixedly attached to the upper 12. The upper 12 has a bottom portion 28 cemented and stitched to the chassis with at least a partial Welt construction. The upper 12 defines an interior area 22 that receives the foot of a wearer through an opening 26 formed by a top edge portion 24 of the upper. These features of the footwear assembly 10 are discussed in greater detail below.

The sole assembly 14 of the illustrated embodiments shown in the Figures includes a durable rubber outsole 16 that has a bottom surface 40 configured to engage the ground, and a top surface 42 opposite the bottom surface 40. The outsole 16 is a one piece, full-length outsole that extends between heel and toe portions 48 and 50 of the sole assembly 14. In other embodiments, the outsole 16 can be a multi-piece outsole made of rubber or other sufficiently durable material. The outsole's top surface 42 is connected to and supports the midsole 18. The midsole 18 of the illustrated embodiment is a full-length, lightweight, polyurethane midsole having a bottom surface 46 cemented directly to the top surface 42 of the outsole 16. In other embodiments, the midsole 18 can be attached to the rubber outsole 16 with other techniques, such as direct-attach construction. In alternate embodiments, the lightweight midsole 18 can be a multi-piece midsole. Further, intermediate layers may be provided between the midsole 18 and the outsole 16.

The lightweight polyurethane midsole 18 has a top surface 56 opposite the bottom surface 46. The top surface 56 is attached to a bottom surface 60 of the chassis 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the midsole 18 is direct-attached to the chassis 20, although other attachment techniques can be used. Accordingly, the sole assembly 14 has the lightweight polyurethane midsole 18 sandwiched between the bottom of the chassis 20 and the top of the rubber outsole 16. In other embodiments, intermediate layers may be included between the chassis 20 and the midsole 18. In addition, each of the rubber outsoles 16, the polyurethane midsole 18, and the chassis 20 can be made of differing thicknesses as is desired for the intended use or other requirements of the footwear assembly 10.

The cradle-style chassis 20 of the illustrated embodiment is a full-foot structure extending between the heel area 48 and toe area 50 of the sole assembly 14. The chassis 20 has a full-length body portion 70 with a bottom surface 72 directly attached to the top surface 56 of the midsole 18. The body portion 70 has a top surface 74 opposite the bottom surface 72 that connects to and supports the upper 12. The chassis 20 includes lateral and medial sidewalls 76 (FIG. 2) and 78 (FIG. 1) extending upwardly away from the lateral and medial sides 80 and 82 of the body portion 70 to define a concave, a cradle structure that receives the upper therein. These sidewalls 76 and 78 provide Welt portions used to stitch the cradle 20 to the bottom portion 28 of the upper 12 along at least lateral and medial sides of the sole assembly 14. As seen in FIG. 6, stitching 84 extends fully through the sidewalls 76 and 78 and through medial and lateral portions of upper's bottom portion 28 so as to securely stitch and anchor the upper 12 to the chassis 20 in a Welt-style construction. The upper's bottom portion 28 can also be cemented to the chassis' body portion 70 and/or interior surfaces of the sidewalls to securely and permanently assemble the components.

In the illustrated embodiment, the body portion 70 is a full-length, one-piece layer having a selected thickness and being integrally connected to the sidewalls 76 and 78. In other embodiments, the sidewalls 76 and 78 can be separate components permanently fixed to the body portion 70. In other embodiments, the body portion 70 can be a multi-piece component. The body portion 70 in some embodiments may include peripheral areas connected to the sidewalls 76 and 78, and an open middle area that allows direct contact between portions of the midsole and portions of the bottom of the upper. Such construction can be helpful to provide selected impact absorption and/or to further reduce the weight of the sole assembly 14.

The outsole's construction with a durable outsole, a lightweight polyurethane midsole, and a cradle-style chassis stitched to the upper along the medial and lateral sidewalls with a Welt construction, along with a cement bond therebetween provides a very durable, lightweight construction that has exceptional lateral stability along the length of the boot.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral and medial sidewalls 76 and 78 are stitched with a single line of stitching 84 that extends along the full length of the medial and lateral sidewalls and that securely engages the lateral and medial sides of the upper's bottom portion immediately adjacent to the sidewalls. Other embodiments can include other stitching patterns, including two, three or more lines of stitching along lateral and/or medial sidewalls.

The lateral and medial sidewalls 78 and 76 shown in the Figures extend fully between the heel and toe areas 48 and 50 on both the lateral and medial sides, but the sidewalls terminate in the heel and toe areas 48 and 50 of the sole assembly 14 without wrapping fully around the heel and toe ends of the chassis 20. In other embodiments, the lateral and medial sidewalls 76 and 78 can extend around the toe and/or heel ends of the chassis 20.

The illustrated sole assembly 14 includes a toe bumper 90 attached to the toe area of the rubber outsole 16. The toe bumper 90 extends upwardly from the outsole, wraps over the front end of the midsole 18 and the chassis' body portion 70. The toe bumper 90 is cemented to the midsole 18, the chassis' body portion 70 and/or the toe portion of the upper 12. The illustrated toe bumper 90 is a rubber bumper integrally connected to the outsole 16, so as to form a durable and rugged toe portion, which is a high wear area of the footwear assembly. In other embodiments, the toe bumper 90 can be a separate component cemented or otherwise securely fixed in place.

The front portions of the lateral and medial sidewalls 76 and 78 terminate immediately adjacent to the toe bumper 90, such that the front most edge of the sidewalls 76 and 78 substantially abut the edges of the toe bumper. Accordingly, the sidewalls 76 and 78 are not covered by the toe bumper 90. This arrangement with the sidewalls 76 and 78 and the toe bumper 90 provides sufficient space at the toe of the upper to accommodate a protective toe structure, such as a steel toe, aluminum toe, plastic toe, or other protective toe member. The same construction can, of course, be utilized when a protective toe structure is not provided in the upper.

The sole assembly 14 also includes a heel guard 92 connected to the heel area 102 of the outsole 16. The heel guard 92 extends upwardly from the outsole's heel area 102 and covers the rear edges of the midsole 18 and the chassis 20. The illustrated sole assembly 14 includes a heel guard 92 attached to the heel area of the rubber outsole 16. The heel guard 92 extends upwardly from the outsole 16, wraps over the rear end of the midsole 18 and the chassis' body portion 70. The heel guard 92 is cemented to the midsole 18, the chassis' body portion 70 and/or the heel portion of the upper 12. The illustrated heel guard 92 is a rubber member integrally connected to the outsole 16, so as to form a durable and rugged portion in another one of the high wear areas of the footwear assembly. In other embodiments, the heel guard 92 can be a separate component cemented or otherwise securely fixed in place.

The rear portions of the lateral and medial sidewalls 76 and 78 also terminate immediately adjacent to the heel guard 92, such that the rear most edge of the sidewalls 76 and 78 substantially abut the edges of the heel guard 92. Accordingly, the sidewalls 76 and 78 are not covered by the heel guard 92. The heel guard 92 can be provided with selected contours and/or projections, such as to provide a kick strip that a wearer may use when removing the boot from his/her foot.

The footwear assembly 10 of one embodiment is a waterproof assembly configured to prevent water from penetrating through the assembly to the wearer's foot. As seen in FIG. 8, the upper 12 of the footwear assembly 10 is a multi-layer assembly with a durable external layer 100 made of leather or other sufficiently durable material. The external layer 100 has bottom edge portions 101 securely cemented or otherwise fixed to the entire perimeter portion of an insole board 102, which forms an under-foot portion of the upper 12 adjacent to the top surface 74 of the chassis' body portion 20. The waterproof upper 12 also has a waterproof interior layer defined by a full-foot waterproof booty 104 adjacent to the inner surface 106 of the exterior layer 100. The waterproof booty 104 can be constructed of a suitable waterproof material, such as Gortex™ or other similar water-impenetrable barrier material, coupled to an interior liner made of a selected fabric or other suitable footwear liner material. The booty 104 can be a seamless full-foot booty, although other embodiments can provide a booty with seams that are taped or otherwise constructed in a waterproof manner. In the final assembled footwear, the booty 104 is immediately adjacent to the exterior's interior surface 106 and the stitching 84 that secures the bottom portion of the upper's exterior layer 10 to the sidewalls 76 and 78 in the Welt construction, as discussed above. The stitching 84, however, does not extend through or otherwise perforate the waterproof booty 104. In one embodiment, the stitching on the inside of the exterior area can be taped or otherwise covered to reduce any inadvertent rubbing or wear against the waterproof booty 104.

During construction of the footwear assembly 10, the sole assembly 14 is constructed as discussed above with the lightweight, polyurethane midsole 18 cemented, direct attached, molded, or otherwise securely joined to the outsole 16 and the chassis 20. The sole assembly 14 is then ready to be attached to the upper 12. The upper is separately constructed by positioning the waterproof booty 104 within the exterior layer 102, and joining the top portion of the waterproof booty 104 to the top edge portion 24 (FIG. 2) of the upper 12 generally adjacent to the opening 26 to the interior area 22 (FIG. 2). In one embodiment, the top portion of the waterproof booty 104 is initially stitched to the top edge portion 24 of the exterior layer, but the stitching does extend fully around the top edge portion 24. A portion of the booty's top portion remains unstitched so as to form a temporary unstitched access area 110 between the exterior layer 100 and the booty 104. The rest of the booty 104 is positioned immediately adjacent to the inner surface 106 of the exterior layer 100. At this point, however, the booty 104 is only fixed to the exterior layer 100 by the stitching at the top edge portion of the upper.

The exterior layer 100 and the booty 104 are then lasted and connected to the insole board 102, such that the bottom of the booty 104 is supported atop the insole board 102. The bottom peripheral edges 112 of the exterior layer 100 are then stretched around the edges of the insole board 102 and cemented to the bottom of the insole board 102. The cement is cured so as to permanently fix the exterior layer 100 to the insole board 102. The last is removed from the interior area 22 and the upper 12 is ready for attachment to the sole assembly 14.

As indicated above, the upper 12 is attached to the sole assembly 14 by stitching the upper 12 to the sidewalls 76 and 78, but the booty 104 is not perforated by the stitching 84. In one embodiment, before the upper 12 is placed on to the chassis 20, the booty 104 is partially removed from the interior area by pulling the booty 104 substantially inside-out through the temporarily unstitched access area 110. The “inside-out” booty 104 remains attached to the exterior layer 100, but the booty 104 is no longer adjacent to the lower portions of the exterior layer 100. In this configuration, the upper 12 is positioned on the cradle with the sidewalls 76 and 78 immediately adjacent to the medial and lateral lower portions of the exterior layer 100. In one embodiment, cement is applied to either the bottom of the insole board 102 or to the top of the chassis 20 just before the upper 12 positioned atop the body 70 between the sidewalls 76 and 78. The sidewalls 76 and 78 of the chassis 20 are then stitched to the side portions of the exterior layer 100, such that the stitching 84 perforates the sidewalls and the exterior layer and securely fixes the two components together.

After the exterior layer 100 is stitched to the chassis 20, the booty 104 can be returned from its inside-out position to its final position within the interior area 22 immediately adjacent to the interior surface 106 of the exterior layer 100 and into engagement with the top of the insole board 102. In one embodiment, a conventional adhesive is applied to the outside surface of the booty 104, the booty is moved from the inside-out configuration into its final position, and the upper 12 is lasted a second time so as to securely press the waterproof booty 104 into engagement with the interior surface 106 of the exterior layer 100 and with the insole board 102 while the adhesive or other bonding agent is cured or otherwise dried. After the waterproof booty 104 is moved to its final position, the temporary access area 110 at the top of the upper 12 is closed by stitching the top portion of the booty 104 to the top portion of the exterior layer 100 so as to close and finish the top edge of the footwear assembly.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. While various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A footwear assembly, comprising:

an upper with a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom portion has medial and lateral side portions; and

a multi-layer sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprises: an outsole defining a first layer and having a top outsole surface; a midsole attached to the top outsole surface and defining a second layer, the midsole being made of a first material and having a top midsole surface; and a chassis having a cradle configuration and defining a third layer, the chassis being made of a second material different than the first material, the chassis being attached to the top midsole surface with the midsole intermediate the chassis and the outsole, the chassis having a full-length body portion having a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, the body portion being supported atop the midsole, the chassis having a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions, and a lateral sidewall projecting from the lateral side portion and extending between the toe and heel portion, the medial and lateral sidewalls and the body defining a concave receiving area that defines the cradle configuration and that receives the bottom portion of the upper therein, wherein the medial and lateral side portions of the upper are stitched with stitching to interior surfaces of the medial and lateral sidewalls, respectively, with a Welt construction.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion of the upper is cemented to the body portion of the chassis.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion of the upper has a toe portion connected to the medial and lateral side portions, and wherein the lateral and medial sidewalls terminate at forward end portions spaced apart from each other and proximate to the toe portion of the body without extending fully around the toe portion of the body, and the outsole has a toe bumper disposed between the forward end portions and connected to the toe portion of the upper.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the forward end portions of the medial and lateral sidewalls are immediately adjacent to edges of the toe bumper and uncovered by the toe bumper.

5. The assembly of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the medial and lateral sidewalls is covered by the toe bumper.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion of the upper has a heel portion connected to the medial and lateral portions, and wherein the lateral and medial sidewalls terminate at rearward end portions spaced apart from each other and proximate to the heel portion of the body, and the outsole has a heel guard disposed between the forward end portions and connected to the heel portion of the upper.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the rearward end portions of the medial and lateral sidewalls are immediately adjacent to edges of the heel guard and uncovered by the heel guard.

8. The assembly of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the medial and lateral sidewalls is covered by the heel guard.

9. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the bottom portion of the upper has a heel portion connected to the medial and lateral portions, and wherein the lateral and medial sidewalls terminate at rearward end portions spaced apart from each other and proximate to the heel portion of the body, and the outsole has a heel guard disposed between the forward end portions and connected to the heel portion of the upper.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the midsole is a full length midsole and the body portion of the chassis fully covers the top midsole surface.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the midsole is a full length midsole and the body portion of the chassis has an opening that exposes at least a portion of the top midsole surface.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the upper has an exterior layer that defines the medial and lateral side portions, and the upper has a waterproof inner layer coupled to an inner surface of the exterior layer, portions of the waterproof inner layer being adjacent to the medial and lateral side portions of the exterior layer, and wherein the stitching extends through the medial and lateral sidewalls and through the medial and lateral side portions of the exterior layer, and the stitching does not extend through the waterproof inner layer.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the waterproof inner layer is a full-foot booty with an underfoot portion positioned atop the body portion of the chassis.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the underfoot portion is cemented to the body portion.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the medial and lateral sidewalls are integrally connected to the body portion.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the chassis has toe and heel sidewalls connected to the medial and lateral sidewalls and that wrap around the toe and heel portions, respectively of the body portion, and the toe and heel portions of the upper are stitched to the toe and heel sidewalls, respectively, in a Welt construction.

17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the upper includes an insole board and the medial and lateral side portions of the upper are wrapped around portions of the insole board.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the insole board is cemented to the body portion of the chassis.

19. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the body portion is a full-length, one-piece layer integrally connected to the medial and lateral sidewalls.

20. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the outsole is a one-piece, full-length rubber outsole.

21. A waterproof footwear assembly, comprising:

an upper having an exterior layer and an interior waterproof layer, the exterior layer having a bottom portion with medial and lateral side portions; and

a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprises: an outsole made of a first material; a midsole connected to a top of the outsole and made of a second material different than the first material; and a chassis made of a third material different than the second material, the chassis having a cradle configuration and being attached to a top of the midsole intermediate the chassis and the outsole, the chassis having a body with a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, the body being supported atop the midsole, the chassis having a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions, and a lateral sidewall projecting from the lateral side portion and extending between the toe and heel portion, the medial and lateral sidewalls and the body defining a concave receiving area forming the cradle configuration that receives a portion of the upper therein between the medial and lateral sidewalls, wherein the medial and lateral side portions of the exterior layer are stitched with stitching to the medial and lateral sidewalls, respectively, with a Welt construction, and wherein the stitching does not extend through the interior waterproof layer.

22. The assembly of claim 21 wherein at least one of the exterior layer or the interior waterproof layer is cemented to the body of the chassis.

23. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the exterior layer has a toe portion connected to the medial and lateral side portions, and wherein the lateral and medial sidewalls terminate at forward end portions spaced apart from each other and proximate to the toe portion of the exterior layer, and the outsole has a toe bumper disposed between the forward end portions and connected to the toe portion of the exterior layer.

24. The assembly of claim 23 wherein the forward end portions of the medial and lateral sidewalls are immediately adjacent to edges of the toe bumper and are fully uncovered by the toe bumper.

25. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the exterior layer has a heel portion connected to the medial and lateral side portions, and wherein the lateral and medial sidewalls terminate at rearward end portions spaced apart from each other and proximate to the heel portion of the exterior layer, and the outsole has a heel guard disposed between the forward end portions and connected to the heel portion of the exterior layer.

26. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the body is a full-length member that fully covers a top surface of the midsole.

27. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the waterproof inner layer is a full-foot booty with an underfoot portion positioned atop the body of the chassis.

28. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the medial and lateral sidewalls wrap around the toe and heel portions of the body and are integrally connected to each other, and the medial and lateral side portions of the exterior layer are stitched to the medial and lateral sidewalls around the toe and heel portions in a Welt construction.

29. A method of manufacturing a footwear assembly having an upper and a sole assembly, wherein the sole assembly has an outsole layer, a midsole layer attached to a top portion of the outsole layer, and a chassis layer, the method comprising:

attaching the chassis layer to a top portion of the midsole layer wherein the midsole layer is intermediate the chassis and the outsole;

positioning the upper on the chassis, wherein the upper has a bottom portion with medial and lateral side portions, and the chassis has a body with a toe portion, a heel portion, a medial side portion and a lateral side portion, the body being supported atop the midsole, the chassis having a medial sidewall projecting from the medial side portion and extending between the toe and heel portions, and a lateral sidewall projecting from the lateral side portion and extending between the toe and heel portion, the medial and lateral sidewalls and the body defining a cradle configuration with a concave receiving area that receives a portion of the upper therein between the medial and lateral sidewalls, the upper being positioned with the medial side portion of the upper adjacent to the medial sidewall of the chassis and the lateral side portion of the upper adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the chassis;

stitching the medial side portion of the upper directly to the medial sidewall of the chassis in a Welt construction; and

stitching the lateral side portion of the upper directly to the lateral sidewall of the chassis in a Welt construction.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising cementing a portion of the upper's bottom portion to the body of the chassis.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the chassis has a toe sidewall extending between the medial and lateral sidewalls, and further comprising stitching a toe portion of the upper to the toe sidewall.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the chassis has a heel sidewall extending between the medial and lateral sidewalls, and further comprising stitching a heel portion of the upper to the heel sidewall.