A SHOE, AN OUTER LAYER PART FOR A SHOE AND A SHOE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

Shoe used for skateboarding are often worn and torn in specific areas needed to grip and control the skateboard. This wear and tear affects the visual appearance of the shoe as well as its function for skateboarding. According to the invention, a renewal part of the upper part of the shoe can be removed and replaced. An inner layer of the renewal part is arranged to hold a removable outer layer of the renewal part in place.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a shoe, in particular a shoe adapted for use by skateboard riders.

BACKGROUND AND RELATED ART

Basic street skateboarding causes a lot of wear and tear on the shoes. Every trick starts with an Ollie maneuver and in order to execute an Ollie the rider pivots his foot so the side and top on the foot interacts with the sandpaper griptape skateboard surface. Street skateboarders basically “juggle” the skateboard with their feet. Using the side and the top of the shoe to control the board. This interaction creates wear and tear which impairs both the appearance of the shoe and its performance properties.

Skateboarders use silicon nitride sandpaper, the most abrasive available to create friction between the foot and the deck which is used to spin and control the deck.

This destroys shoes, an active skater can wear out a pair of shoes in just a few weeks. Usually, ordinary sports shoes are used for skating. Some skateboard shoes have featured a rubber/leather reinforcement/protection located at the typical wear areas. These were permanently glued on to protect the parts that are most easily worn. However, this reinforcements also wear rather quickly and often were not made from materials that provided optimum interaction with the sandpaper griptape.

It is an object of the invention to provide shoes that are suitable for skateboarding and have a longer lifespan than prior art skateboarding shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention therefore relates to a shoe having a sole part and an upper part, at least a first portion of the upper part having a main outer surface, said shoe being characterized in that at least a portion of the upper part outside of the main outer surface comprises a renewal portion comprising an inner layer having an indented outer surface compared to the main outer surface, said indented outer surface being arranged to cooperate with a detachable outer layer having a shape matching the renewal portion, in such a way as to retain the outer layer attached to the renewal portion.

The invention therefore also relates to a shoe assembly having a sole part and an upper part, at least a replacement portion of the upper part having an inner layer and an outer layer, said outer layer attached to the shoe being releasable, wherein said outer layer has an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of the outer layer having a shape defining the outer shape of the replacement portion of the shoe and the inner surface of the outer layer being shaped to match the inner layer, said outer layer element further comprises mechanical fastening means on its inner surface arranged to cooperate with the outer surface of the inner layer, for attaching the upper layer element to the shoe.

The invention also relates to an outer layer element arranged to be applied on the outside of a shoe as defined above, matching an inner layer forming a replacement portion of the shoe, said outer layer element having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface of the outer layer having a shape defining the outer shape of the portion of the shoe and the inner surface of the outer layer being shaped to match the inner layer, said outer layer further comprises mechanical fastening means for attaching it firmly to the shoe

The invention also relates to an outer layer element arranged to be applied on the outside of a shoe but which only covers select regions of the front upper part of the shoe. In a preferred embodiment the select region include the front outer corner of the shoe, that is, the area where the toe of the shoe meets the outer side of the shoe.

By enabling the exchange of the outer surface of the shoe in the parts of the shoe where it is particularly subjected to wear and tear, the appearance of the shoe can be improved by replacing the worn part. At the same time, when the performance of the shoe has been reduced, the replacement surface will enable control of the skateboard on the same level as when the shoe was new. Preferably materials ensuring high performance and skateboard deck interaction are selected for the shoe.

The fastening means can be any means suitable for attaching the outer layer element to the shoe.

For example, the inside of the outer layer element and the outside of the inner layer of the shoe may have matching hook and loop fabric fasteners. Such hook and loop fasteners are available for example under the brand name Velcro®. In one embodiment the fabric fastener is applied over all of the respective surfaces of the inner and outer layer whole outer layer and inner layer to maximize the fixation of the outer layer element to the inner layer. If only applied to one or more portions of the inner and outer layers, the fabric fastener should be applied to matching portions on the respective surfaces and preferably at least around the edges of the surfaces to ensure that the edges of the outer layer are fixed to the inner layer.

Alternatively, an adhesive could be applied, over the whole inner and outer surfaces, or over suitable portions of them.

As yet another alternative, the inner surface of the outer layer element and the outer surface of the inner layer may be formed in materials that will cooperate to hold the outer layer element in place by means of friction.

In addition, or alternatively, other types of fastening means may be applied, such as buttons, zippers or stud buttons. These may be used around the edges, on other parts of the shoe.

In addition there may also be one or more elements such as straps arranged to fix the outer layer element to an outer surface of the main portion of the shoe, the straps arranged to be fixed both to the outer surface of the outer layer element and to the outer surface of the main portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in more detail in the following, with reference to the appended drawings, in which

FIGS. 1a-1c show a shoe and its parts according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2a-2c show a shoe and its parts according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3a-3c show a shoe and its parts according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a type of fabric fastener that is used in preferred embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1a shows a shoe according to a first embodiment of the present invention, having a sole part 11 and an upper part 13. The sole part and the upper part, and how they are joined, may be implemented in any manner known in the art. In the shoe of FIG. 1a the sole part has a vertical extension so that the sole part 11 and the upper part 13 are joined a distance above the ground. The upper part has a main portion 15 in which it is designed like a prior art shoe. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, the main portion 15 comprises the back of the shoe. The front end of the shoe has a renewal area 16 in which the shoe comprises at least two layers: an outer layer facing outwards, and inner layer, which is attached to the main part of the shoe. The inner layer may extend as an inner layer over a portion of the main part of the shoe, or may form an inner layer for the whole shoe. Hence, in the renewal area 16 there is an outer layer part 17, attached to the inner layer of the shoe which is removable so that it can be replaced, for example when wear and tear has rendered it less attractive and/or less functional.

FIG. 1b shows the outer layer part 17 removed from the shoe, according to one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the renewal area 16 comprises the whole front part of the shoe. As can be seen, the shape of the outer layer part 17 matches the renewal area as shown in FIG. 1a. The inner surface of the outer layer part 17 comprises fastening means arranged to cooperate with the outer surface of the inner layer, to hold the outer layer part 17 in place in the renewal area.

FIG. 1c shows the shoe with the outer layer part 17 removed. The main part 15 of the shoe, which is comprised of the back of the shoe, is not affected according to this embodiment, and is the same as shown in FIG. 1a. In the renewal area 16 the inner layer 19 is seen. The inner layer 19 in the renewal area 16 has an outer surface comprising fastening means arranged to cooperate with the inner surface of the outer layer part to hold the outer layer part 17 in place in the renewal area.

The nature of the fastening means will be discussed below.

FIG. 2a shows a shoe according to a second embodiment of the invention. As in FIG. 1a, the shoe has a sole part 21 and an upper part 23. The upper part 23 has a main portion 25 in which it is designed like a prior art shoe. In this embodiment, the shoe has a renewal area 26 covering a portion of the shoe in which there is normally much wear and tear when the shoe is in use. As in FIG. 1a, the shoe in the renewal area 26 comprises at least two layers: an outer layer 27 facing outwards, and inner layer 29, which is attached to the main part of the shoe. FIG. 2a shows the shoe with the outer layer 27 part removed. The inner layer 29 may extend as an inner layer over a portion of the main part of the shoe, or may form an inner layer for the whole shoe. The outer layer part 27, attached to the inner layer 29 of the shoe is removable, in this embodiment it has the form of a patch having the same outline as the renewal area 26.

FIG. 2b shows the outer layer part 27 removed from the shoe, according to the second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the renewal area 26 comprises a portion of the side of the shoe. As can be seen, the shape of the outer layer part 27 matches the renewal area 26 as shown in FIG. 2a. The inner surface of the outer layer part 27 comprises fastening means arranged to cooperate with the outer surface of the inner layer, to hold the outer layer part 27 in place in the renewal area.

The main part 25 of the shoe, which includes most of the shoe, is not affected according to this embodiment. In the renewal area the inner layer 29 is seen. The inner layer 29 in the renewal area 26 has an outer surface comprising fastening means arranged to cooperate with the inner surface of the outer layer part 27 to hold the outer layer part 27 in place in the renewal area 26.

FIG. 3a shows a shoe according to a third embodiment of the invention. As before, the shoe has a sole part 31 and an upper part 33. The upper part 33 has a main portion 35 in which it is designed like a prior art shoe. In this embodiment, as in FIG. 1a, the sole part extends vertically to form an edge around the lower part of the shoe. The shoe has a renewal area 36 covering the front of the shoe and extending over the edge formed by the sole part. As in the previous embodiments, the shoe in the renewal area 36 comprises at least two layers: an outer layer 37 facing outwards, and inner layer 39, which is attached to the main part of the shoe. The main part 35 of the shoe, which includes most of the shoe, is not affected according to this embodiment. In the renewal area the inner layer 39 is seen. The inner layer 39 in the renewal area 36 has an outer surface comprising fastening means arranged to cooperate with the inner surface of the outer layer part 37 to hold the outer layer part 37 in place in the renewal area 36. The inner layer 39 may extend as an inner layer over a portion of the main part of the shoe, or may form an inner layer for the whole shoe. The outer layer part 37, attached to the inner layer 39 of the shoe is removable, in this embodiment it has at least two areas: an upper area 37a matching the upper part of the shoe and a lower area 37b matching the vertical extension of the sole part 31.

FIG. 3b shows the outer layer part 37 removed from the shoe, according to the third embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, the outline of the outer layer part 37 matches the renewal area 36 as shown in FIG. 3a. The inner surface of the outer layer part 37 comprises fastening means arranged to cooperate with the outer surface of the inner layer, to hold the outer layer part 37 in place in the renewal area.

Preferably, in all embodiments, the outline of the upper layer part 17, 27, 37 matches the renewal area exactly. Preferably, also, the thickness of the upper layer part 17, 27, 37 matches the thickness of an indent formed and built in to the renewal area compared to the main portion, so that when in place the upper layer part and the main portion will form essentially one continuous outer surface of the shoe.

As can be seen, in all embodiments the renewal area is indented compared to the main portion 5 of the shoe, so that it can receive an upper layer part 9 in such a manner that the outer surface of the upper layer part is flush with the outer surface of the main part 5 of the shoe. This is not necessary; the upper layer part may be thicker or thinner than the indent formed by the replacement area so that it extends a bit outside of the outer surface of the main part, or ends a bit further in. Strictly speaking the inner layer does not have to be indented compared to the outer surface of the main part of the shoe, although it preferably is.

Preferably, the material or materials of the outer surface of the upper layer part 17, 27, 37 are chosen and arranged so they match the outer surface of the main part 15, 25, 35 to give the shoe an attractive appearance. This may involve matching the coloring of different parts of the shoes, the choice of materials and other aspects contributing to the visual appearance of the shoe.

FIG. 4 illustrates a preferred type of fastening means that may be used with the invention, which is a fabric fastener comprising a first 41 fastener layer and a second fastener layer 42 having cooperating surfaces 43 and 44, respectively, arranged to engage each other. The first cooperating surface 43 typically has hook fasteners and the other one 44 has loop fasteners. Preferably the fastener layer 42 having the loop surface 44 is arranged on the outer surface of the inner layer 19, 29, 39 and the fastener layer 41 having the hook surface 43 is arranged on the inner surface of the outer layer 17, 27, 37. Such hook and loop fasteners are available for example under the brand name Velcro®. The fabric fastener should be applied over at least a part of the outer layer 17, 27, 29 and the inner layer 19, 29, 39. The best fixation of the outer layer element to the inner layer will be achieved if the fastener fabric is applied over all of the respective surfaces of the inner and outer layer. If only applied to one or more portions of the inner and outer layers, the fabric fastener should be applied to matching portions on the respective surfaces and preferably at least around the edges of the surfaces to ensure that the edges of the outer layer are fixed to the inner layer.

The inner and outer surface of the outer and inner layer, respectively, may also be selected so that they bonded to each other by means of friction. For example, some combinations of a rubber surface and a fabric surface have been shown to have a high friction. In such an embodiment, the rubber could be applied across the whole inner or outer surface, or in patches on one of the surfaces or both, to ensure friction between the rubber patches and the fabric of the surfaces.

To further improve the bonding of the replaceable outer layer to the shoe, other types of fastening means may be used. For example, one or more buttons or stud buttons may be applied in corresponding positions on the outer layer part and the inner layer, for example, around the edges. It would also be possible to apply a zipper along part of the edge, or around the whole renewal portion, or use an adhesive to bond the parts together. Further, the replaceable outer layer may be secured to the inner layer by means of staples, or stitches. The other types of fastening means mentioned in this paragraph are preferably used in addition to the fabric fastener or friction bonding. One or more straps may be applied, which are connectable to both the outer surface of the main part and the outer surface of the outer layer element of the shoe, to help keep the outer layer element in place. The straps may be fastened with fabric fasteners as discussed above, or with buttons or stud buttons, or in any other suitable way.

In addition, the outer layer part 17, 37 may be shaped in such a way that it includes one or more of the holes arranged for lacing the shoe in these embodiments. In that way, the lacing of the shoe may be used for additional fixation of the outer layer part to the shoe.

Further, it should be pointed out that the replacement parts, and outer layer elements according to the invention could be applied to any type of shoe, including but not limited to sports shoes. Although the examples discussed in this document all include lacing, the invention could easily work with shoes without laces as well.

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising a sole part and an upper part, said upper part having a main outer surface, wherein at least a portion of the upper part outside of the main outer surface comprises a renewal portion comprising an inner layer having an outer attachment surface, said outer attachment surface being arranged to cooperate with a detachable outer layer element having a shape matching the renewal portion, in such a way as to retain the outer layer element attached to the renewal portion.

2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the outer attachment surface of the inner layer has an indented outer surface compared to the main outer surface.

3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the renewal portion comprises at least a part of the front portion of the shoe.

4. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the inner layer extends to form an inner layer of the upper part outside of the renewal portion.

5. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the renewal portion comprises one surface of a fabric fastener, preferably the loop surface.

6. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the renewal portion comprises a surface arranged to retain the outer layer portion by means of friction.

7. An outer layer element for a shoe arranged to match a renewal portion of a shoe according to claim 1, said outer layer element having an inner surface arranged to cooperate with an outer attachment surface of the inner layer of the shoe in such a way that the outer layer element is retained in a position substantially covering the renewal portion.

8. An outer layer element according to claim 7, having an inner surface comprising a surface of a fabric fastener, arranged to cooperate with a surface of the renewal portion.

9. An outer layer element according to claim 1, further comprising fastening means for fastening the outer layer element to the main outer surface of the shoe, said fastening means preferably comprising at least one overlap portion overlapping a portion of the outer surface of the shoe.

10. A shoe assembly comprising a shoe according to claim 1 and an outer layer element having an inner surface arranged to cooperate with an outer attachment surface of the inner layer of the shoe in such a way that the outer layer element is retained in a position substantially covering the renewal portion.

11. A shoe assembly according to claim 10, wherein the indent has a depth matching the thickness of the outer layer element, so that the shoe with the outer layer element attached has a substantially continuous outer surface.

12. A shoe assembly according to claim 10, wherein the outer layer element has an outer surface of the same material as the main outer surface.

13. A shoe assembly according to claim 10, further comprising additional fastening elements, said additional fastening elements being attachable to the outer surfaces of both the main part of the shoe and the outer layer element to help keep the outer layer element in place.

14. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the shoe comprises a sports shoe.

15. A shoe assembly according to claim 13, wherein the additional fastening elements comprise straps.