Shoe toe or heel end stiffener

Abstract

A shoe toe or heel end stiffener consisting of a net, at least some strands of which are of hot melt adhesive material having an activation temperature of between 50° C. and 80° C. Suitable adhesive materials include polycaprolactone and certain polyesters. The stiffeners are of improved stiffness per unit weight, in comparison with previously known stiffeners.

1 . A shoe toe or heel end stiffener consisting of a net, at least some strands of which are of hot melt adhesive material having an activation temperature of between 50° C. and 80° C.  
     
     
         2 . A stiffener according to  claim 1  wherein all of the strands of the net are of hot melt adhesive.  
     
     
         3 . A stiffener according to  claim 1  wherein the net is a rectangular net in which, when incorporated in a shoe, the hot melt adhesive strands are generally parallel to the shoe sole and the strands at right angles thereto do not have a hot melt activation temperature below 80° C.  
     
     
         4 . A stiffener according to  claim 1  where some, at least, of the strands are bi-component, one component being hot melt adhesive material having an activation temperature between 50° C. and 80° C. and the other component having a hot melt activation temperature above 80° C.  
     
     
         5 . A stiffener according to any of claims  1 - 4 , wherein the openings in the net have an area between 0.03 square cm and 0.4 square cm.  
     
     
         6 . A stiffener according to any of claims  1 - 4 , wherein the openings in the net have an area between 0.06 square cm and 0.2 square cm.  
     
     
         7 . A stiffener according to any of claims  1 - 4  having a weight between 250 and 600 g per square metre.  
     
     
         8 . A stiffener according to  claim 7  having a weight between 300 and 450 g per square metre.  
     
     
         9 . A stiffener according to any one of claims  1 - 4 , wherein the hot melt adhesive material comprises polycaprolactone.