Methods for Forming Seamless Shoe Inserts

Abstract

Waterproof, breathable socks, booties, shoe inserts, and footwear assemblies containing the shoe inserts are provided. The booties and shoe inserts include a laminate of a seamless ePTFE membrane and at least one textile. The bootie is conformable over a range of sizes and shoe shapes, and may be shaped to fit numerous sizes and shapes of asymmetrical shoe lasts. The bootie may shrink to fit, or, alternatively, be stretched to fit, an asymmetrical last having a desired size to form a shoe insert. Such a conformable bootie eliminates the need to have multiple sizes of shoe inserts correlating to particular shoe sizes. In embodiments where the ePTFE is seamless and continuous, the shoe insert eliminates the need for a waterproof seam tape, which is conventionally used to make shoe inserts waterproof. Methods of forming the socks, booties, and shoe inserts are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a seamless shoe insert comprising:
 applying an adhesive on one of (1) a side of a textile or (2) a side of a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction;   positioning said textile on a symmetrical last;   stretching said conformable ePTFE tape over said textile and said symmetrical last to form a bootie;   heating said bootie on said symmetrical last to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C.;   placing said bootie on an asymmetrical last; and   heating said bootie and said asymmetrical last to form a seamless shoe insert having substantially the shape of said asymmetrical last.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bootie and said asymmetrical last are heated to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 300° C. to form said shoe insert. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said textile is affixed to said ePTFE membrane with a discontinuous adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said textile is affixed to said ePTFE membrane with a continuous breathable adhesive. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bootie has substantially the shape of said symmetrical last. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a thickness variation from a first location in said shoe insert to a second location in said shoe insert of at least 1.2:1. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling said bootie prior to placing said bootie on said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising cooling said shoe insert and removing said shoe insert from said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said shoe insert is breathable over its entirety. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said textile is at least partially elastic. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said textile is selected from the group consisting of a knitted textile tube, a woven textile tube, a tubular sock and a formed sock. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said textile is a formed sock having toe and heel reinforcements. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising heating said bootie to a temperature from about 340° C. to about 375° C. to amorphously lock said ePTFE membrane. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said stretching step comprises:
 positioning said ePTFE tape over said symmetrical last; and   rotating said symmetrical last through said ePTFE tape to form said second composite.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said bootie shrinks to fit said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a density greater than about 2.0 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said ePTFE membrane, said first textile, and said second textile has at least one additional layer thereon. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an abrasion resistant coating. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an oleophobic coating. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising positioning at least one polymeric overlay on said shoe insert. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising attaching at least one second component to said shoe insert or a portion thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one second component creates regions in said shoe insert, at least one of said regions possessing a function or feature different from another said region. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said at least one second component is selected from the group consisting of a textile, a laminate, a textile laminate, a polymer membrane and a second ePTFE membrane different from said conformed ePTFE membrane. 
     
     
         24 . A method of forming a seamless shoe insert comprising:
 applying a first adhesive on one of (1) a side of a first textile or (2) a side of a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction;   positioning said first textile on a symmetrical last;   stretching said conformable ePTFE tape over said first textile and said symmetrical last to form a first composite comprising a conformed ePTFE membrane, said first adhesive, and said first textile;   positioning a second composite comprising a second adhesive and a second textile on said first composite such that said second adhesive is positioned on said ePTFE membrane to form a bootie;   placing said bootie on an asymmetrical last;   heating said bootie and said asymmetrical last from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a seamless shoe insert having substantially the shape of said asymmetrical last.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said bootie and said asymmetrical last are heated to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form said shoe insert. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said bootie has substantially the shape of said symmetrical last. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a thickness variation from a first location in said shoe insert to a second location in said shoe insert of at least 1.2:1. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising heating said bootie to a temperature from about 340° C. to about 375° C. to amorphously lock said ePTFE membrane. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said stretching step comprises:
 positioning said ePTFE tape over said symmetrical last; and   rotating said symmetrical last through said ePTFE tape.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said first textile and said second textile is affixed to said ePTFE membrane with a discontinuous adhesive. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said first textile and said second textile is affixed to said ePTFE membrane with a continuous breathable adhesive. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said ePTFE membrane, said first textile, and said second textile has thereon a discontinuous adhesive; and
 wherein at least one of said ePTFE membrane, said first textile, and said second textile has thereon a continuous breathable adhesive.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said bootie shrinks to fit said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said positioning step comprises stretching said bootie over said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising cooling said shoe insert and removing said shoe insert from said asymmetrical last. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said first textile and said second textile possess at least some elastic properties. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said first textile and said second textile is selected from the group consisting of a knitted textile tube, a woven textile tube, a tubular sock and a formed sock. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein said formed sock has toe and heel reinforcements. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said shoe insert is self-supporting. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a density greater than about 2.0 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of said ePTFE membrane, said first textile, and said second textile has at least one additional layer thereon. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an abrasion resistant coating. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an oleophobic coating. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising positioning at least one polymeric overlay on said shoe insert. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising attaching at least one second component to said shoe insert or a portion thereof. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said at least one second component creates regions in said shoe insert, at least one of said regions possessing a function or feature different from another said region. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said at least one second component is selected from the group consisting of a textile, a laminate, a textile laminate, a polymer membrane and a second ePTFE membrane different from said conformed ePTFE membrane. 
     
     
         48 . A method of forming a seamless shoe insert comprising:
 applying an adhesive on one of (1) a side of a first textile or (2) a side of a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction;   positioning said first textile on an asymmetrical last;   stretching said conformable ePTFE tape over said first textile and said symmetrical last to form a first composite comprising an ePTFE membrane, said first adhesive, and said first textile;   positioning a second composite comprising a second adhesive on a second textile on said first composite such that said second adhesive is positioned on said ePTFE membrane to form a bootie;   placing said bootie on an asymmetrical last; and   heating said bootie and said asymmetrical last from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a seamless shoe insert,   wherein said seamless shoe insert has substantially the shape of the asymmetrical last.   
     
     
         49 . A method of forming a shoe insert comprising:
 stretching a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction over a symmetrical last to form a shoe insert comprising a seamless, conformed ePTFE membrane.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising heating said shoe insert to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said shoe insert has a substantially symmetrical shape. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has at least one additional layer thereon. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an abrasion resistant coating. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein said abrasion resistant coating is present on at least one of an inner surface of said shoe insert and an outer surface of said shoe insert. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said ePTFE membrane has a thickness variation from a first location in said shoe insert to a second location in said shoe insert of at least 1.2:1. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 49  wherein said ePTFE membrane is amorphously locked. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a density greater than or equal to about 2.0 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein said shoe insert is breathable over its entirety. 
     
     
         59 . A method of forming a shoe insert comprising:
 stretching a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction over an asymmetrical last to form a shoe insert comprising a seamless, conformed ePTFE membrane.   
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising heating said shoe insert to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said shoe insert has a substantially asymmetrical shape. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has at least one additional layer thereon. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said at least one additional layer is an abrasion resistant coating. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein said abrasion resistant coating is present on at least one of an inner surface of said shoe insert and an outer surface of said shoe insert. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a thickness variation from a first location in said shoe insert to a second location in said shoe insert of at least 1.2:1. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said ePTFE membrane is amorphously locked. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said ePTFE membrane has a density greater than or equal to about 2.0 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein said shoe insert is breathable over its entirety. 
     
     
         69 . A method of forming a seamless shoe insert comprising:
 applying an adhesive to a first side of a textile to form a first composite;   positioning said first composite on a symmetrical last with said adhesive facing outwardly away from said symmetrical last;   stretching a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction over said composite to form a second composite comprising an ePTFE membrane, said adhesive, and said textile;   heating said second composite on a symmetrical last to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a bootie;   placing said bootie on a symmetrical last; and   heating said bootie and said symmetrical last to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a seamless shoe insert having substantially the shape of said symmetrical last.   
     
     
         70 . A method of forming a seamless shoe insert comprising:
 applying an adhesive to a first side of a textile to form a first composite;   positioning said first composite on a symmetrical last with said adhesive facing outwardly away from said symmetrical last;   stretching a conformable ePTFE tape having an extensibility of at least 1.5× in at least one direction over said first composite to form a second composite comprising an ePTFE membrane, said adhesive, and said textile;   heating said second composite on a symmetrical last to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a bootie;   placing said bootie on an asymmetrical last; and   heating said bootie and said asymmetrical last to a temperature from about 50° C. to about 200° C. to form a seamless shoe insert having substantially the shape of said asymmetrical last.   
     
     
         71 . A seamless shoe insert formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         72 . A seamless shoe insert formed by the method of  claim 24 . 
     
     
         73 . A seamless shoe insert formed by the method of  claim 48 . 
     
     
         74 . A seamless shoe insert formed by the method of  claim 69 . 
     
     
         75 . A seamless shoe insert formed by the method of  claim 70 .