Shoe with Fibers Embedded into Its Outsole

Abstract

Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for making a shoe outsole and to shoe outsoles made using such techniques. In one such technique, a sheet of composite material is produced by extruding a base material together with a sheet of fabric material. The sheet of composite material is then cut into an outsole component, and a shoe outsole is fabricated using the outsole component.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A shoe, comprising:
 an outsole comprised of an outsole component made of a base material, including:   a lower layer made of the base material alone, and   an upper layer having individual fibers embedded within the base material.   
     
     
         18 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper layer is thinner than the lower layer. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the individual fibers are natural fibers. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the individual fibers are natural, organic plant fibers. 
     
     
         21 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the individual fibers are long, natural, organic fibers. 
     
     
         22 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the individual fibers have been pressed into the surface of the base material before the base material has fully hardened. 
     
     
         23 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the outsole component has a composite surface, including a first set of areas in which the base material contacts the ground and a second set of areas in which the individual fibers contact the ground. 
     
     
         24 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the individual fibers have been pre-mixed together with the base material while the base material is in a liquid or semi-liquid form. 
     
     
         25 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper layer has a three-dimensional tread pattern. 
     
     
         26 . A shoe according to  claim 17 , wherein the outsole component includes alternating layers of the base material alone and the individual fibers embedded within the base material.