US3545107A - Boot and shoe construction - Google Patents

Description

-8, 1970 V.E.'CINQUEGRANA E 4 3,545,101-

BOOT AND SHOE I CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 28, 1969 INVENTORS V/NCE/VT E-CUVQUEGRANA #LLOYD IV- EC/(ES ATTORNEYS United States Patent 61 ifice 3,545,107 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 US. Cl. 3650 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boot and shoe construction is disclosed having a padded back part insert for providing a cushioned upper back portion for reducing and substantially eliminating chafing or binding thereby improving the wear comfort characteristics of the boot and shoe construction.

The present invention relates to an all-purpose outdoor boot and shoe construction, especially a so-called walking or sports boot and shoe provided with an improved upper portion.

As is well-known, one common prior design of an outdoor boot and shoe construction includes upwardly extending sides having a rear or back portion made of the same material and of substantially the same thickness as the vamp and lower quarters. While these prior art boots and shoes are rugged and generally have good wear characteristics, they may sometimes be relatively uncomfortable to wear because of chafing and binding.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide an improved walking boot and shoe construction which is rugged, has as good wear characteristics as the boots and shoes of the prior art; and, in addition, is relatively more comfortable to wear.

It is another object of the invention to provide a boot and shoe construction which provides a cushioned back part for reducing and substantially eliminating chafing and binding.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a boot and shoe formed of separate portions to provide a boot and shoe construction having an attractive, distinctive styling.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boot and shoe construction in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the back or rear of the boot and shoe construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the boot and shoe construction of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the boot and shoe construction of the invention comprises a foot portion including a conventional sole 11 and heel 12 on which is ailixed a conventional vamp 13 and lower quarter 14 of suitable material such as leather, The upwardly extending sides 16 and 18 of the boot and shoe construction have a conventional reinforced forward open edge including eyelets 22 and hooks or studs 24 for receiving the laces 25.

formed in essentially a U-shape with the open edge 29 of the sides being spaced from one another, see FIG. 4. The lower heel portion 20 of the boot and shoe construction is common to sides 16 and 18 and is relatively rigid and fits and conforms to the wearers foot.

A back part insert 30 (see FIG. 4) is shaped to conform to that part of the leg on which the insert bears. Insert 30 is also shaped to fit the open edge 29, the top of sides 16 and 18, and is aifixed to the sides 16 and 18 as by stitching (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The back part insert 30 provides a relatively soft, padded, yieldable member which extends from just above the heel portion 20 area to the top of the boot and shoe construction. Note that the cushioned back part insert 30 conforms to the contour of the part of the leg around which it is worn.

In the embodiment shown, the upper section of back part insert 30 may extend upwardly from sides 16 and 18. The back part insert 30 of this embodiment thus includes a cushioned top collar 31 fitting almost completely around the leg of the wearer. Also, the front portion of collar 31 may include eyelets or hooks for receiving a lace. The back part insert 30 may be made of a different and preferably softer type material that the other portions of the boot and shoe construction 10.

In one embodiment, the back part insert 30' is formed in ribbed or quilted style wherein padding or cushioning material 33, indicated by stippling in FIG. 3, is placed between two thicknesses 32A and 32B of the material back part insert 30'. Next, horizontal stitches 35, spaced and essentially parallel, are taken to sew the thicknesses 32A and 32B together and thereby retain the padding 33 therebetween, as clearly shown in the exploded view of FIG. 3. The ribbed or quilted configuration tends to provide extra strength as well as compliance to the material of back part insert 30.

In the embodiment shown, the rear part 36 (see FIG. 4) of insert 30 includes approximately one-fourth of an inch thickness of foam padding, and the side parts 37 of insert 30 each include approximately one-half inch thickness of foam padding.

It should be understood that the back insert 30 may also be of smooth rather than quilted design. I

The inclusion of cushioned or padded back part insert 30 thus provides a boot and shoe construction 10 which is long wearing and rugged, and yet is very comfortable to wear, since it tends to eliminate chafing or binding on the wearers foot.

We claim:

1. A boot and shoe construction including a pair of sides extending upwardly and having a forward open edge including a closure means, the lower rear portion of said sides being joined for forming a heel, the upper rear portion of said pair of sides defining spaced apart edges, and a padded back part insert permanently afiixed to said upper rear portion along said spaced apart edges for providing cushioning for the wearer.

2. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1 wherein the spaced apart edges define a U-shape from back view and said back part insert conforms to the associated part of the leg where it is worn.

3. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1 wherein the back part insert is formed of a first thickness of material, a second thickness of material, a padding placed between said thicknesses, and spaced parallel stitch lines afiixing said first and second thicknesses of material and said padding in quilted form.

4. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1 wherein said back part insert includes a cushioned top collar, and said back part insert is afiixed to the top of said sides as well as to said edges.

5. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1 wherein said back part insert is padded to a first thickness along its sides and a lesser thickness along its rearmost portion.

6. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1 wherein said back part insert includes a portion which extends above said sides, and wherein said back part insert includes holes in its forward portion through which lacing can be inserted.

7. A boot and shoe construction as in claim 1, where- 4 in the back part insert is formed of a first thickness of material, a second thickness of material, a padding placed between said thicknesses, and stitching afiixing said first and second thicknesses of material and said padding in quilted form.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 75,048 3/1868 Perley 3671X 2,789,374 4/1957 Planert 3671 2,918,734 12/1959 Hyde 3671X PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 36-25, 71

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