Insert liner for footwear and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

An insert liner is provided and is configured to be removably received in an inner cavity of a shoe. The elastomeric liner includes: a longitudinal portion: opposing first and second lateral portions; and opposing front and rear portions, wherein the longitudinal, lateral, front, and rear portions define a cavity having an opening configured below the opposing front and rear portions and configured to receive a user's foot; and a fastener coupled to at least the front portion and the rear portion of the liner while being bond free relative to a toe portion of the shoe, the front portion is configured to releasably adhere to the tongue portion to maintain the opening below an upper edge of at least one of the heel portion and the opposing sidewall portions and to define the opening configured to receive the user's foot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insert liner configured to be removably received in an inner cavity of a shoe having a heel portion, a toe portion, a tongue portion, an insole portion, and opposing sidewall portions, the insert liner comprising:
 an elastomeric liner made of a fabric layer of yarns having a wicking material and an antimicrobial material, the elastomeric liner comprising:
 a longitudinal portion; 
 opposing first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the longitudinal portion; and 
 opposing front and rear portions extending from opposite ends of the longitudinal portion, wherein the longitudinal, lateral, front, and rear portions define a cavity having an opening configured below the opposing front and rear portions and configured to receive a user's foot; and 
   a fastener coupled to at least the front portion and the rear portion of the liner while being bond free relative to a toe portion of the shoe, the rear portion is configured to releasably adhere to the heel portion, the longitudinal portion is configured to releasably adhere to the insole portion, and the front portion is configured to releasably adhere to the tongue portion to maintain the opening below an upper edge of at least one of the heel portion and the opposing sidewall portions and to define the opening configured to receive the user's foot such that the bond between front portion and the tongue portion facilitates a counter-pulling force as the user's foot is inserted into the cavity, the fabric layer is configured to stretch around the user's foot to expand the wicking material and the antimicrobial material of the yarns.   
     
     
         2 . The insert of  claim 1  wherein the fastener comprises a hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         3 . The insert of  claim 2  wherein the hook and loop fastener comprises a hook coupled to the insert liner and comprises a loop coupled to the shoe, 
     
     
         4 . The insert of  claim 3  wherein the hook is permanently coupled to the insert liner and the loop is semi-permanently coupled to the shoe. 
     
     
         5 . The insert liner of  claim 3  wherein the hook is coupled to the insert liner by at least one of a fused, sewn, adhered, glued, and ultrasonically welded attachment on to at least a portion of the exterior surface of the insert liner allowing the insert liner to remain in place as the user slips in and out of the shoe barefoot. 
     
     
         6 . The insert liner of  claim 3  wherein the hook comprises an ultra-thin hook fused onto at an outer portion of the insert liner by at least one of gluing, a hot melt adhesive, sewing, and ultrasonically welding process. 
     
     
         7 . The insert liner of  claim 3  wherein the hook is washable and reusable. 
     
     
         8 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the fastener is washable and reusable. 
     
     
         9 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the fastener comprises a male hook fused or sewn to the outside of the insert liner and is paired with congruent pieces of loop or other knit, woven or non-woven fabric material with a texture able to receive the male hook, that are adhered to the interior cavity of a shoe using a pressure sensitive adhesive coated on the back of the loop. 
     
     
         10 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the fastener comprises a liner with a magnetic field knit using magnetic yarns in certain portions or pieces of the outside of the insert liner, paired with congruent pieces of loop or other knit, woven or non-woven fabric material with magnetic yarns knit into the loop, which are adhered to the interior cavity of a shoe using a pressure sensitive adhesive coated on the back of the loop. 
     
     
         11 . The insert liner of  claim 1 , wherein no or a limited portion of the front portion of the insert liner includes fastening such that the insert liner wraps around the users foot and/or toes upon entering the shoe and stretches as the user enters the shoe, giving the feeling of wearing a typical thin dress sock. 
     
     
         12 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the fabric layer comprises an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         13 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the insert liner comprises a fabric configured to wick moisture away from the user's foot. 
     
     
         14 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein from approximately 5 percent to approximately 100 percent of the insert liner comprises an antimicrobial material or antimicrobial yarn designed to eliminate 99.9% of odor causing bacteria. 
     
     
         15 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein when the insert liner is releasably coupled to the interior cavity of the shoe, the insert liner is configured to extend below a collar portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         16 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the insert liner is releasably coupled to at least one of the heel, sidewall, insole, and tongue portions of the shoe and the insert liner is not adhered to the toe portion of the shoe such that the front portion of the insert liner is configured to stretch forward toward the toe portion of the shoe when a user's foot is inserted into the insert liner. 
     
     
         17 . The insert liner of  claim 1  wherein the insert liner is releasably coupled to the tongue portion of the shoe; and the insert liner is not adhered to the toe portion of the shoe such that a front portion of the insert liner is configured to stretch forward toward the toe portion of the shoe when a user's foot is inserted into the insert liner. 
     
     
         18 . An insert liner configured to be removably received in an inner cavity of a shoe having a heel portion, a toe portion, a tongue portion, an insole portion, and opposing sidewall portions, the insert liner comprising:
 an elastomeric liner made of a fabric layer of yarns having a wicking material and an antimicrobial material, the elastomeric liner comprising:
 a longitudinal portion; 
 opposing first and second lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the longitudinal portion; and 
 opposing front and rear portions extending front opposite ends of the longitudinal portion; 
   a retainer coupled to the front portion, wherein the longitudinal, lateral, front, rear portions and the retainer define an opening configured below the opposing front and rear portions and configured to receive a user's foot; and   a fastener coupled to at least the longitudinal portion and the rear portion of the liner while being bond free relative to the toe portion and tongue portion of the shoe, the rear portion is configured to releasably adhere to the heel portion, the longitudinal portion is configured to releasably adhere to the insole portion, and the front portion is configured to releasably adhere to the tongue portion to maintain the opening below an upper edge of at least one of the heel portion and the opposing sidewall portions and to define the opening configured to receive the user's foot such that retainer facilitates a counter-pulling force as the user's foot is inserted into the cavity, the fabric layer is configured to stretch around the user's foot to expand the wicking material and the antimicrobial material of the yarns,   
     
     
         19 . The insert liner of  claim 18  wherein the front portion of the liner is separated and spaced away from the tongue portion of the shoe. 
     
     
         20 . The insert liner of  claim 18  wherein the retainer comprises at least one of an ultra-strong Spandex yarn and a Lycra type yarn