Footwear

Abstract

An outsole unit for an item of footwear comprises a base layer of a flexible material having fibres extending from one surface, for example a napped leather such as pigskin suede or a textile material, and one or more lugs of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) moulded directly to the fibrous surface so as to form a tread. Multiple lugs may form a regular array separated by grooves, and may be connected solely by the base layer, by a skin of TPU extending across the base layer or by narrow connecting elements of TPU. An upper of an item of footwear may comprise a backing of suede leather with a grid of strips of TPU moulded to its napped surface. An item of footwear may comprise the outsole unit of the invention, the upper of the invention, or both.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . An outsole element for an item of footwear comprising a lamina of a flexible material having a plurality of fibrous elements extending from a lower, in use, surface thereof and a plurality of ground contact bodies containing a thermoplastics polyurethane composition molded directly to said lower surface of the lamina. 
     
     
         30 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein said lamina comprises a leather material having a nap on said lower surface. 
     
     
         31 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein said lamina comprises a sheet of a woven textile fabric. 
     
     
         32 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein said ground contact bodies are connected, each to the others, by the lamina alone. 
     
     
         33 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein said ground contact bodies are connected by linking elements. 
     
     
         34 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein the ground contact bodies are linked by a skin of said thermoplastics polyurethane composition molded to the lamina and extending between the bodies. 
     
     
         35 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein said ground contact bodies comprise a substantially regular array. 
     
     
         36 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , wherein the lamina comprises a marginal portion adapted to be sewn to a remainder of the item of footwear. 
     
     
         37 . The outsole element according to  claim 29 , incorporated into an item of footwear. 
     
     
         38 . A method of producing an outsole for an item of footwear, comprising the steps of providing a lamina of a flexible material having a plurality of fibrous elements extending from a first surface thereof and molding a plurality of ground-contact bodies comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane composition to said first surface. 
     
     
         39 . A method of producing an insole according to  claim 38 , comprising the steps of providing a sheet of leather material having a napped surface and molding said ground contact bodies to said napped surface. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising the further step of treating the napped surface prior to said molding step to reduce an oil content of the napped surface. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising the steps of providing a sheet of woven textile fabric and molding said plurality of ground contact bodies to one surface of said sheet of woven textile fabric. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 38 , comprising the steps of providing a liquid composition curable to form a thermoplastic polyurethane composition, molding said composition to the lamina and curing the composition in contact therewith. 
     
     
         43 . A material adapted to be used in the production of uppers for footwear comprising a first layer of a base material having a plurality of fibrous elements extending from a first surface thereof and molded directly to said first surface an apertured second layer of a composition comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane compound. 
     
     
         44 . A material according to  claim 43 , wherein said base material comprises a leather material having a nap on one surface and said apertured layer is molded to said napped surface. 
     
     
         45 . A material according to  claim 43 , wherein the apertured second layer comprises a continuous layer of said composition having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough. 
     
     
         46 . A material according to  claims 43 , wherein the apertured second layer comprises a plurality of intersecting elongate elements defining apertures therebetween. 
     
     
         47 . A material according to  claim 43 , wherein the apertured second layer is discontinuous, said second layer comprising a plurality of unconnected zones of said polyurethane composition. 
     
     
         48 . A material according to  claim 43 , incorporated into an upper for an item of footwear. 
     
     
         49 . A method of producing a material to be used in the production of uppers for footwear comprising the steps of providing a base material having a plurality of fibrous elements extending from a first surface thereof and molding an apertured layer of a composition of a thermoplastic polyurethane compound to said first surface. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , comprising the steps of providing a sheet of leather material having a napped surface and molding said apertured layer to said napped surface. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , comprising the further step of treating the napped surface prior to said molding step to reduce its oil content.