Decorative footbeds for footwear

Abstract

Footbeds for footwear, especially sandals, are formed from weldable plastic materials, such as industrial and commercial carpeting, and are provided with patterns welded into the material and with decorative prints or patterns welded to the physical patterns. The footbeds are very decorative in appearance and produce very saleable footwear products. A process for conveniently and economically producing the decorative footbeds is also disclosed.

1 . A decorative footbed for footwear comprising a sheet of weldable or fixedly compressible material, a pattern physically welded into said material, and a decorative print or pattern on the physical pattern.  
   
   
       2 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the footbed material comprises a base having a given decorative appearance and a body of weldable fibers on the base having the same, a complementary or contrasting decorative appearance, and the decorative print or pattern has an appearance the same as, complementary to or contrasting with the decorative appearance of one or the other or both of the base and the body of fibers.  
   
   
       3 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the footbed material comprises a mass of weldable fibers and the physical and decorative patterns are welded into the fibers.  
   
   
       4 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the footbed material comprises an intertwined body of weldable plastic filaments and the physical and decorative patterns are molded into the filaments.  
   
   
       5 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the footbed material comprises a base having a first decorative appearance and a body of weldable fibers having a second decorative appearance on the base, the base being visible through the body of fibers, and the physical and decorative patterns being the same as, complementary to or contrasting with one or the other or both of the base and the fibers.  
   
   
       6 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the welded decorative pattern comprises a marginal edging on the footbed.  
   
   
       7 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the welded decorative pattern comprises a marginal edging on the footbed and is so configured as to define footbed material in the shape of an image of the plantar surface of a foot.  
   
   
       8 . A footbed as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the welded decorative pattern comprises a marginal edging on the footbed and is so configured as to define footbed material in the shape of an image of the toe, ball and heel portions of the plantar surface of a foot.  
   
   
       9 . An item of footwear comprising a sole, a footbed on the sole and means for holding the footbed and the sole to the foot of the wearer, the footbed comprising a sheet of weldable material, a pattern physically welded into said material, and a decorative print or pattern welded to the physical pattern.  
   
   
       10 . An item of footwear as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the footwear comprises an open style of footwear and the physical and decorative patterns on said footbed are visible to a viewer.  
   
   
       11 . An item of footwear as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the footwear comprises a sandal.