Footwear device

Abstract

The disclosure provides a footwear device, a footwear assembly, a method for making the footwear device, and a method for making the footwear assembly that can reduce manufacturing costs and complexities.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A footwear device comprising:
 a longitudinal member comprising:
 a substantially curved wall; and 
 a first substantially planar wall, 
   wherein the substantially curved wall and the first substantially planar wall form at least a portion of an outer boundary of the longitudinal member.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second substantially planar wall. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear device of  claim 2 , wherein the substantially curved wall, the first substantially planar wall, and the second substantially planar wall form at least a portion of an outer boundary of the longitudinal member. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear device of  claim 1 , further comprising a first stitch member that is configured to extend longitudinally along the longitudinal member of the footwear device. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear device of  claim 4 , wherein the first stitch member comprises either a natural fiber material or a synthetic fiber material. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear device of  claim 4 , further comprising a second stitch member that is configured to extend longitudinally along the longitudinal member of the footwear device. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear device of  claim 6 , wherein the second stitch member fastens the first stitch member to the longitudinal member. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear device of  claim 1 , further comprising a material that is selected from the group consisting of: rubber, synthetic rubber, silicone, metal silicone, leather, plastic, a textile, a plaiting material, neoprene, wood, cork, and rubber. 
     
     
         9 . A footwear assembly comprising the footwear device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . The footwear assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an upper portion; and   a lower portion,   wherein an interface section of the lower portion is affixed to a first surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member arid a section of the upper portion is affixed to a first surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member.   
     
     
         11 . The footwear assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the footwear assembly is selected from the group consisting of: a shoe, a boot, a slipper, a dress shoe, a dance shoe, a sandal, a pump, and an athletic shoe. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the interface section of the lower portion is affixed to the first surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of: glues, rubber cements, polychloroprene-based adhesives, solvent based polyurethanes, polyurethane dispersions, copolyamide or ethylene vinyl acetate hot melts, and reactive hot melt urethanes. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the section of the upper portion is affixed to the first surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of: glues, rubber cements, polychloroprene-based adhesives, solvent based polyurethanes, polyurethane dispersions, copolyamide or ethylene vinyl acetate hot melts, and reactive hot melt urethanes. 
     
     
         14 . A method of making a footwear assembly, comprising:
 providing a footwear device comprising a longitudinal member that comprises:
 a substantially curved wall; and 
 a first substantially planar wall, 
   wherein the substantially curved wall and the first substantially planar wall form at least a portion of an outer boundary of the longitudinal member;   providing an upper portion;   providing a lower portion;   affixing an interface section of the lower portion to a surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member; and   affixing a section of the upper portion to a surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises at least one of:
 applying an adhesive to at least one of the interface section of the lower portion of the footwear assembly and the surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member before affixing the interface section of the lower portion to the surface of the first substantially planar wall; and   applying an adhesive to at least one of the section of the upper portion of the footwear assembly and the surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member before affixing the section of the upper portion to the surface of the substantially curved wall.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the adhesive is applied to both the interface section of the lower portion and the surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the adhesive is applied to both the section of the upper portion and the surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the interface section of the lower portion is affixed to the surface of the first substantially planar wall of the longitudinal member with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of glues, rubber cements, polychloroprene-based adhesives, solvent based polyurethanes, polyurethane dispersions, copolyamide or ethylene vinyl acetate hot melts, and reactive hot melt urethanes. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the section of the upper portion is affixed to the surface of the substantially curved wall of the longitudinal member with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of glues, rubber cements, polychloroprene-based adhesives, solvent based polyurethanes, polyurethane dispersions, copolyamide or ethylene vinyl acetate hot melts, and reactive hot melt urethanes.