Footwear

Abstract

Footwear (2) includes an upper assembly (4) having an outer construction (40, 42) and further having a bootie (50) made with a waterproof, breathable laminate, the waterproof, breathable laminate (51) including a one-piece functional layer (54) and at least one textile layer (56, 58), and a sole (6) attached to the upper assembly, wherein the bootie has elasticity in a circumferential direction of the bootie, wherein the bootie is fixed in position in a toe region (90) of the footwear and fixed in position in a heel region (96) of the footwear, and wherein the bootie is not attached to the outer construction on an upper side of a midfoot portion (92) of the bootie.

1 . Footwear ( 2 ) comprising:
 an upper assembly ( 4 ) comprising an outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) and further comprising a bootie ( 50 ) made with a waterproof, breathable laminate, the waterproof, breathable laminate ( 51 ) comprising a one-piece functional layer ( 54 ) and at least one textile layer ( 56 ,  58 ), and   a sole ( 6 ) attached to the upper assembly,   wherein the bootie has elasticity in a circumferential direction of the bootie,   wherein the bootie is fixed in position in a toe region ( 90 ) of the footwear and fixed in position in a heel region ( 96 ) of the footwear, and   wherein the bootie is not attached to the outer construction on an upper side of a midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie.   
     
     
         2 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein an air gap ( 52 ) is present between the bootie ( 50 ) and the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) on the upper side of the midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie. 
     
     
         3 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein the bootie ( 50 ) and the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) are jointly extendable on the upper side of the midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie. 
     
     
         4 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the midfoot portion ( 92 ) extends along at least 80%, in particular along at least 90%, further in particular along 100%, of the length from a foot instep portion of the upper assembly corresponding to a navicular area of a foot forward to a ball portion of the upper assembly corresponding to metatarsal point  1 —phalanges joint of the foot. 
     
     
         5 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the midfoot portion ( 92 ) extends along at least 80%, in particular along at least 90%, further in particular along 100%, of the length from an upper tongue portion of the outer construction forward to a toe box area of the outer construction. 
     
     
         6 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) is not attached to the outer construction ( 40 , 42 ) around at least 50%, in particular around at least 60%, further in particular around at least 65%, of the circumference of the bootie in the midfoot portion ( 92 ). 
     
     
         7 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one-piece functional layer is seamless on the upper side of the midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie ( 50 ). 
     
     
         8 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one-piece functional layer is a seamless, one-piece functional layer. 
     
     
         9 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the upper assembly ( 4 ) comprises an assembly insole ( 44 ) and wherein the bootie ( 50 ) is attached to at least one of the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) and the assembly insole in the toe region ( 90 ) and to at least one of the outer construction and the assembly insole in the heel region ( 96 ). 
     
     
         10 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein the bootie ( 50 ) is not attached to the assembly insole ( 44 ) on a lower side of the midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie. 
     
     
         11 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein the bootie ( 50 ) forms an outermost lower part of the upper assembly ( 4 ) towards the sole ( 6 ) of the footwear and wherein the bootie is attached to at least one of the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) of the upper assembly and the sole in the toe region ( 90 ) and to at least one of the outer construction of the upper assembly and the sole in the heel region ( 96 ). 
     
     
         12 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the bootie ( 50 ) is not attached to the sole ( 6 ) on a lower side of the midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie. 
     
     
         13 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) is attached to the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) of the upper assembly ( 4 ) in a collar region ( 98 ) of the footwear. 
     
     
         14 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) has a midfoot circumference in the midfoot portion ( 92 ) that is between 60% and 99%, in particular between 70% and 95%, further in particular between 80% and 90%, of a foot circumference in the midfoot portion. 
     
     
         15 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) has elasticity in a longitudinal direction of the bootie. 
     
     
         16 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the bootie ( 50 ) has a longitudinal elasticity of at most 15 N/cm, in particular of at most 5 N/cm, at 10% elongation in the longitudinal direction of the bootie. 
     
     
         17 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) has a circumferential elasticity of at most 15 N/cm, in particular of at most 5 N/cm, at 30% elongation in the circumferential direction of the bootie. 
     
     
         18 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie ( 50 ) has an elastic recovery of at least 75% in at least one of the longitudinal direction of the bootie and the circumferential direction of the bootie. 
     
     
         19 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the one-piece, seamless functional layer comprises at least one of ePTFE, PU, PP, PES, and high density PE. 
     
     
         20 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one textile layer is one of knitted, woven or non-woven textile. 
     
     
         21 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) comprises a breathable outer material. 
     
     
         22 . Footwear ( 2 ) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sole ( 6 ) has water vapor discharge holes towards a lateral side of the sole and/or towards a bottom surface of the sole, with water vapor from the foot being discharged through the bootie ( 50 ), through a sole interior, and through the water vapor discharge holes to an outside environment of the footwear. 
     
     
         23 . Bootie ( 50 ) for use in footwear according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bootie is made with a waterproof, breathable laminate, the waterproof, breathable laminate comprising a one-piece functional layer and at least one textile layer, and wherein the bootie has elasticity in a circumferential direction of the bootie. 
     
     
         24 . Method for producing footwear ( 2 ) comprising an upper assembly ( 4 ) having an outer construction ( 40 ,  42 ) and a sole ( 6 ), the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a bootie ( 50 ) made with a waterproof, breathable laminate ( 51 ), the waterproof, breathable laminate ( 51 ) comprising a one-piece functional layer ( 54 ) and at least one textile layer ( 56 ,  58 ), wherein the bootie has elasticity in a circumferential direction of the bootie, and   arranging the bootie ( 50 ) in an inner space of the upper assembly ( 4 ) and the sole ( 6 ), with the bootie being fixed in position in a toe region ( 90 ) of the footwear and fixed in position in a heel region ( 96 ) of the footwear and with the bootie not being attached to the outer construction on an upper side a midfoot portion ( 92 ) of the bootie.   
     
     
         25 . Method according to  claim 24 , wherein the one-piece functional layer ( 54 ) is a seamless, one-piece functional layer, with the step of providing the bootie ( 50 ) comprising the step of expanding the seamless, one-piece functional layer over a last.