Footwear sole and method of manufacture and related aspects

Abstract

A footwear sole comprises an first sole portion including at least one protruding male engagement part and a second sole portion including at least one recessed female engagement part having a shape which closely conforms to that of a corresponding male portion, whereby when a force is applied to the first sole portion in the direction of the second sole portion, the corresponding male engagement part is fixedly retained by the female engagement part. In this manner a shoe-sock may be fixed to the second or another portion of the sole without the need for any adhesive to be used.

1 . A footwear sole comprising:
 an first sole portion including at least one protruding male engagement part;   a second sole portion including at least one recessed female engagement part having a shape which closely conforms to that of a corresponding male portion, whereby when a force is applied to the first sole portion in the direction of the second sole portion, the corresponding male engagement part is fixedly retained by the female engagement part.   
     
     
         2 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first sole portion comprises an inner sole positioned within a shoe-sock and the at least one corresponding protruding male engagement part passes through an aperture in said shoe-sock to engage with said recessed female engagement part. 
     
     
         3 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the footwear sole is used in the construction of an item of footwear and retains the position of the shoe-sock relative to the second sole portion whilst the shoe-sock is fixed to the second sole portion using non-adhesive based retaining technique. 
     
     
         4 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the non-adhesive base retaining technique comprises stitching the shoe-sock to the second sole portion. 
     
     
         5 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second sole portion comprises a mid-sole of an item of footwear. 
     
     
         6 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one additional engagement part located in at least one of said at least one protruding male engagement part; and   at least one reciprocating additional engagement part located in at least one of said at least one recessed female engagement part.   
     
     
         7 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the at least one additional engagement parts protrudes from the base of the male engagement part and at least one of the at least one reciprocating additional engagement parts comprises an additional recess in the base of the female recessed engagement part. 
     
     
         8 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the additional engagement parts protrudes from the base of a recessed female engagement part and at least one of the at least one second additional engagement parts comprises a recess in the base of the male recessed engagement part. 
     
     
         9 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the protrusion comprises an additional component part that passes through at least part of the protruding male engagement part. 
     
     
         10 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the at least one protruding additional element comprises one or more of the following:
 a dowel and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a screw and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a bolt and the reciprocal element comprises a nut in a recess;   a male part of a snap-fastener type mechanism and the reciprocal element comprises a female part of a snap-fastener mechanism.   
     
     
         11 . A method of constructing an item of footwear, the method comprising:
 forming a first sole portion having at least one protruding male engagement part;   forming a second sole portion having at least one recessed female engagement part;   positioning the first sole portion within a shoe-sock, such that said at least one protruding male engagement part extends through the foot-base of the shoe-sock;   positioning a second sole portion to align the at least one recessed female engagement part with a corresponding protruding male engagement part; and   forcing the first sole portion against the second sole portion such that the male engagement and female engagement parts engage fixedly with each other to grip the shoe sock in a substantially fixed position.   
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the shoe-sock is further secured to at least one of the second sole using an adhesive free technique. 
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the adhesive free technique comprises stitching. 
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the second sole portion comprises a mid-sole of an item of footwear, and the method further comprises covering at least part of the mid-sole with an outer sole. 
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 forming at least one additional engagement part in at least one of said at least one protruding male engagement part;   forming at least one reciprocating additional engagement part in at least one of said at least one recessed female engagement part,   wherein when the positioning of the second sole portion to align the at least one recessed female engagement part with a corresponding protruding male engagement part aligns the additional engagement part with the reciprocating engagement part.   
     
     
         16 . A method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein forcing the first sole portion against the second sole portion such that the protruding male engagement and recessed female engagement parts to engage fixedly with each other to retain the shoe sock in position further causes the additional engagement part and the reciprocating additional engagement part to engage with each other. 
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein forcing the first sole portion against the second sole portion such that the protruding male engagement and recessed female engagement parts engage fixedly with each other to retain the shoe sock in position further causes the additional engagement parts and the additional reciprocating engagement part to be suitably located for engaging using a different mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the at least one additional engagement parts protrudes from the base of the male engagement part and at least one of the at least one reciprocating additional engagement parts comprises an additional recess in the base of the female recessed engagement part. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the additional engagement parts protrudes from the base of a recessed female engagement part and at least one of the at least one second additional engagement parts comprises a recess in the base of the male recessed engagement part. 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the at least one protruding additional element comprises one or more of the following:
 a dowel and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a screw and the reciprocal element comprises a recess or cam-type locking mechanism in a recess;   a bolt and the reciprocal element comprises a nut in a recess;   a male part of a snap-fastener type mechanism and the reciprocal element comprises a female part of a snap-fastener mechanism.   
     
     
         21 . A footwear sole as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the protrusion comprises an additional component part that passes through at least part of the protruding male engagement part. 
     
     
         22 . A footwear sole as claimed in  21 , wherein the at least one protruding additional element comprises one or more of the following:
 a dowel and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a screw and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a bolt and the reciprocal element comprises a nut in a recess;   a male part of a snap-fastener type mechanism and the reciprocal element comprises a female part of a snap-fastener mechanism.   
     
     
         23 . A footwear sole as claimed in  8 , wherein the at least one protruding additional element comprises one or more of the following:
 a dowel and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a screw and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a bolt and the reciprocal element comprises a nut in a recess;   a male part of a snap-fastener type mechanism and the reciprocal element comprises a female part of a snap-fastener mechanism.   
     
     
         24 . A footwear sole as claimed in  9 , wherein the at least one protruding additional element comprises one or more of the following:
 a dowel and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a screw and the reciprocal element comprises a recess;   a bolt and the reciprocal element comprises a nut in a recess;   a male part of a snap-fastener type mechanism and the reciprocal element comprises a female part of a snap-fastener mechanism.