Footwear and a method for making the same

Abstract

A method for making a footwear includes the steps of disposing a pad between an upper and an outsole, placing an assembly of the pad, the upper, and the outsole in a mold in such a manner that the assembly forms first, second and third gaps thereamong, and filling and molding a molding material in the first, second and third gaps in the mold to form a midsole bonded to the pad, the upper, and the outsole.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method for making a footwear, comprising the steps of: 
 preparing an upper that has a bottom surface, an outsole that has a bottom wall with front and rear ends, and a peripheral side wall which extends from a periphery of said bottom wall, and a pad that has top and bottom faces, and a peripheral side face interconnecting said top and bottom faces;    mounting said upper on a last;    placing said outsole, said pad, and an assembly of said upper and said last in a mold in such a manner that said pad is disposed between said outsole and said upper, that said pad extends between said front and rear ends of said bottom wall of said outsole, that said top face of said pad confronts and is spaced apart from said bottom surface of said upper to form a first gap therebetween, that said bottom face of said pad confronts and is spaced apart from said bottom wall of said outsole to form a second gap therebetween, and that said peripheral side face of said pad confronts and is spaced apart from said peripheral side wall of said outsole to form a third gap which is in fluid communication with said first and second gaps; and    filling and molding a molding material in said first, second, and third gaps in said mold so as to form a midsole that is bonded to said bottom surface of said upper, said bottom wall and said peripheral side wall of said outsole, and said top face, said bottom face, and said peripheral side face of said pad.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pad is disposed between said upper and said outsole via a positioning unit that includes a plurality of spaced apart positioning posts which are integrally formed with said outsole and which project from said bottom wall of said outsole toward said pad, said pad being formed with a plurality of positioning holes, each of which is confined by a hole-confining wall, said positioning posts extending into said positioning holes and being in frictional contact with said hole-confining walls of said positioning holes, respectively, so as to position said pad between said upper and said outsole.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said positioning unit further includes a plurality of supporting seats, each of which is integrally formed with and each of which projects from said bottom wall of said outsole toward said pad and each of which has a top face in contact with said bottom face of said pad so as to enhance positioning of said pad between said upper and said outsole.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pad is made from a mixture of ethylene vinylacetate copolymer and plastic waste, said molding material being made from a mixture of polyols and isocynate.  
     
     
         5 . A footwear comprising: 
 an upper having a bottom surface;    an outsole vertically spaced apart from said bottom surface of said upper, and having a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall that extends from a periphery of said bottom wall toward said upper, said bottom wall having opposite front and rear ends;    a pad extending between said front and rear ends of said bottom wall of said outsole and disposed between said upper and said outsole, said pad having a top face that confronts and that is spaced apart from said bottom surface of said upper to form a first gap therebetween, a bottom face that confronts and that is spaced apart from said bottom wall of said outsole to form a second gap therebetween, and a peripheral side face that confronts and that is spaced apart from said peripheral side wall of said outsole to form a third gap which is in fluid communication with said first and second gaps; and    a midsole which is a separate piece from said pad, which is made from a molding material that fills said first, second, and third gaps, and which is bonded to said bottom surface of said upper, said bottom wall and said peripheral side wall of said outsole, and said top face, said bottom face, and said peripheral side face of said pad.    
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 5 , further comprising a positioning unit for interconnecting said pad and said outsole so as to position said pad between said upper and said outsole, said positioning unit including a plurality of spaced apart positioning posts that are integrally formed with said outsole and that project from said bottom wall of said outsole toward said pad, said pad being formed with a plurality of positioning holes, each of which is confined by a hole-confining wall, said positioning posts extending into said positioning holes and being in frictional contact with said hole-confining walls of said positioning holes, respectively, so as to position said pad between said upper and said outsole.  
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 6 , wherein said positioning unit further includes a plurality of supporting seats, each of which is integrally formed with and each of which projects from said bottom wall of said outsole toward said pad and each of which has a top face in contact with said bottom face of said pad so as to enhance positioning of said pad between said upper and said outsole.  
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 7 , wherein said pad is further formed with a plurality of apertures that are in fluid communication with said first and second gaps and that are filled by said midsole.  
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 5 , wherein said pad is made from a mixture of ethylene vinylacetate copolymer and plastic waste, and said molding material is made from a mixture of polyols and isocynate.