Foldable footwear and soles for foldable footwear

Abstract

A sole ( 10 ) for foldable footwear has a plurality of defined fold lines ( 34 - 40 ) arranged such that the sole can be folded so as to have a folded length that is less than its unfolded length. A pair of foldable shoes provided with the foldable sole ( 10 ) can conveniently be packaged for sale from a vending machine.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the folded length is less than half the unfolded length. 
     
     
         3 . A sole for foldable footwear:
 said sole having a folded length and an unfolded length and being provided with a plurality of defined fold lines arranged such that said sole can be folded such that said folded length is less than said unfolded length,   said fold lines comprising inclined fold lines that extend in a widthways direction of said sole and are inclined with respect to a notional line that bisects said sole in a lengthways direction thereof, and   said inclined fold lines including at least one fold line that is inclined in a first direction and at least one fold line that is inclined in a second direction, said first direction being from an instep side of said sole towards a first end of said sole and said second direction being from said instep side towards a second end of said sole.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 3 , comprising a plurality of said inclined fold lines inclined in said first direction and at least one said inclined fold line inclined in said second direction, said inclined fold lines inclined in said first direction alternating with said at least one inclined fold line inclined in said second direction. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said sole comprises an underside having a plurality of ground contacting projections projecting therefrom, said fold lines being defined by spaces between the projections. 
     
     
         8 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said projections are ribs. 
     
     
         9 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein respective sets of the ribs disposed on each side of a said fold line extend in at least one direction that is transverse to the fold line. 
     
     
         10 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said projections are arranged such that when the sole is folded, the projections on one portion of two facing portions of the sole are received in spaces between the projections on the second of said two facing portions. 
     
     
         11 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the sole has a relaxed condition in which it is partially folded along each fold line, the sole being movable from said relaxed condition to a fully folded condition and to an unfolded use condition in which it has substantially no folds. 
     
     
         12 . A sole for foldable footwear as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said fold lines are arranged such that the sole can be moved from said relaxed condition to said fully folded condition by applying a twisting force to a toe end region of the sole and a twisting force to a heel end region of the sole, said twisting forces being applied in opposite directions. 
     
     
         13 . A foldable shoe comprising a foldable sole, said sole having a folded length and an unfolded length and being provided with a plurality of defined fold lines arranged such that said sole can be folded such that said folded length is less than said unfolded length,
 said fold lines comprising inclined fold lines that extend in a widthways direction of said sole and are inclined with respect to a notional line that bisects said sole in a lengthways direction thereof, and   said inclined fold lines including at least one fold line that is inclined in a first direction and at least one fold line that is inclined in a second direction, said first direction being from an instep side of said sole towards a first end of said sole and said second direction being from said instep side towards a second end of said sole.   
     
     
         14 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A foldable shoe as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said fold lines are arranged such that when folded said shoe has a generally triangular outline. 
     
     
         25 . A foldable shoe as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said sole is a one-piece construction. 
     
     
         26 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A foldable shoe as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising an insole and an intermediate layer between the sole and the insole, the intermediate layer comprising a plurality of stiffening members arranged in series and separated by spaces arranged to coincide with the fold lines. 
     
     
         30 . A package containing a pair of foldable shoes, each said foldable shoe comprising a foldable sole,
 each said sole having a folded length and an unfolded length and being provided with a plurality of defined fold lines arranged such that said sole can be folded such that said folded length is less than said unfolded length,   said fold lines comprising inclined fold lines that extend in a widthways direction of said sole and are inclined with respect to a notional line that bisects said sole in a lengthways direction thereof,   said inclined fold lines including at least one fold line that is inclined in a first direction and at least one fold line that is inclined in a second direction, said first direction being from an instep side of said sole towards a first end of said sole and said second direction being from said instep side towards a second end of said sole.   
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method of folding a foldable shoe having an unfolded length and a folded length that is less than said unfolded length, the foldable shoe having a sole having a plurality of defined fold lines that extend in a widthways direction of said sole and are inclined with respect to a notional line that bisects said sole in a lengthways direction thereof and including at least one said fold line that is inclined in a first direction and at least one said fold line that is inclined in a second direction, said first direction being from an instep side of said sole towards a first end of said sole and said second direction being from said instep side towards a second end of said sole, the method comprising folding the shoe along the fold lines. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 32  comprising folding the shoe by applying oppositely directed twisting forces to a toe end region and heel end region of the shoe. 
     
     
         34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein said oppositely directed twisting forces are applied simultaneously. 
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the said fold lines are spaced apart in said lengthways direction, the method comprising alternately folding the shoe in generally opposite directions at successive said fold lines. 
     
     
         36 . A package as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein said package comprises a first receptacle for a first of said foldable shoes, a second receptacle for a second of said foldable shoes and a hinge connecting said receptacles. 
     
     
         37 . A package as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein each said receptacle is generally triangular. 
     
     
         38 . A package as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein an imaginary line extending perpendicularly from a base of the triangular receptacle to an apex of the triangular receptacle has a length that is less than half said unfolded length. 
     
     
         39 . A sole for foldable footwear, said sole having an unfolded length and a folded length that is less than said unfolded length and being provided with a plurality of defined fold lines arranged such that the sole can be folded,
 said sole comprising an underside having a plurality of ground contacting projections projecting therefrom,   said fold lines being defined by spaces between said projections and being configured such that when folded said sole comprises a plurality of overlying portions, and   said projections being configured such that when the sole is folded, the projections on a first said overlying portion are received in spaces between the projections of a second said overlying portion that faces said first overlying portion.   
     
     
         40 . A sole for foldable footwear, said sole having an unfolded length and a folded length that is less than said unfolded length and being provided with a plurality of defined fold lines arranged such that the sole can be folded,
 said fold lines comprising inclined fold lines that extend in a widthways direction of said sole and are inclined with respect to a notional line that bisects said sole in a lengthways direction thereof,   said inclined fold lines including at least one first direction fold line that is inclined in a first direction and at least one second direction fold line that is inclined in a second direction, said first direction being from an instep side of said sole towards a first end of said sole and said second direction being from said instep side towards a second end of said sole, and   said first and second direction fold lines being such that said sole can be folded by applying a twisting force to said first end of the sole and a twisting force to said second end the sole, said twisting forces being applied in opposite directions.