An insole or upper for footwear

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an insole including a lower layer, an upper layer and an intermediate layer arranged between the lower layer and the upper layer. The lower layer or base of the insole is a supporting layer designed to be placed, in use conditions of the insole, above a sole of an item of footwear. The upper layer is designed to be placed, in use conditions of the insole, in contact with a foot, with or without a sock, of a user. The intermediate layer includes natural feathers distributed uniformly and treated so as not to allow displacement thereof along the intermediate layer. The disclosure further relates to an upper of an item of footwear.

1 . An insole or upper for footwear comprising:
 a lower or external layer;   an upper or internal layer; and   an intermediate layer arranged between the lower or external layer and the upper or internal layer comprising, in at least a portion thereof, natural feathers.   
     
     
         2 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the natural feathers are distributed uniformly in said intermediate layer. 
     
     
         3 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a plurality of cells, the natural feathers being housed in said cells, each cell being at least partly or completely separated from adjacent cells in such a way as to prevent passage of feathers between the cells. 
     
     
         4 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer of natural feathers comprises loose feathers, said loose feathers being maintained in a respective position, by glues, bonds or mechanical members, so as to prevent displacement of the feathers within the intermediate layer. 
     
     
         5 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer of natural feathers comprises at least one of: stabilised feathers, reciprocally compacted feather, and a feather textile. 
     
     
         6 . The insole or upper according to  claim 5 , wherein said stabilised feathers, if present and said reciprocally compacted feathers, if present, are treated by a stabilising process that comprises bonding the feathers together with a bond, wherein said bond possesses elastic properties or wherein said bond comprises at least one of particles of glue and elastomeric filaments. 
     
     
         7 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the natural feathers comprise down. 
     
     
         8 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is a thermal insulator, enabling at least one of thermal insulation and thermoregulation of a foot in such a way as to, in use conditions of the insole:
 maintain a predetermined temperature range of the foot;   reduce the likelihood of excessive heat build-up;   prevent transmission of heat between the upper or internal layer and the lower or external layer; and   provide for entry of cooler or warmer air from outside of an item of footwear in which the insole or upper is inserted.   
     
     
         9 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the natural feathers of the intermediate layer form minuscule air cells configured for preventing transmission of heat between the upper or internal layer and the lower or external layer and for thermally insulating the foot. 
     
     
         10 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is at least one of breathable and hygroscopic and is configured for enabling passage and circulation of at least one of air and water vapor, while maintaining the foot dry. 
     
     
         11 . The insole or upper according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower layer is a supporting lower layer, or base of the insole, designed to be placed, in use conditions of the insole, above a sole of an item of footwear. 
     
     
         12 . The insole according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a main body; and   a foldable portion engaged to the main body of the insole, the foldable portion being capable of assuming at least:   a substantially flat configuration wherein said foldable portion lies substantially coplanarly to a lie plane of the main body of the insole; and   a folded configuration wherein said foldable portion lies substantially on a plane that is transversal or parallel to a lie plane of the main body of the insole.   
     
     
         13 . The insole according to  claim 12 , wherein the foldable portion is configured for assuming at least a first folded configuration in which it lies substantially on a plane that is transversal to the lie plane of the main body of the insole and forms with the main body of the insole an angle (α):
 between about 60° and about 150°; 
 between about 75° and about 120°; or 
 about 90°. 
 
     
     
         14 . The insole according to  claim 12 , wherein the foldable portion is configured for assuming at least a second folded configuration in which it is folded with respect to the main body of the insole and lies on a plane that is substantially parallel to the lie plane of the main body of the insole; wherein, in said second folded configuration the foldable portion is configured as an auxiliary support portion for a heel of a foot of a user of the insole. 
     
     
         15 . The insole according to  claim 12  wherein said foldable portion comprises a main body extension portion having a first end and a second end, reciprocally opposite, the foldable portion being an extension of the main body of the insole, at the first end thereof, the foldable portion further comprising an appendage engaged to the main body extension portion of the foldable portion, at the second end thereof, said appendage being configured so as to function substantially as a further extension of the main body extension portion of the foldable portion and being further capable of assuming at least one of:
 a substantially flat configuration in which said appendage lies substantially coplanarly to a lie plane of the main body extension portion of the foldable portion; and 
 a folded configuration in which said appendage is configured to: 
 lie substantially on a plane that is transversal to a lie plane of the main body extension portion of the foldable portion; project externally of an item of footwear in which the insole is inserted; or 
 a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
         16 . An item of footwear comprising an insole or an upper according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . The insole or upper according to  claim 7 , wherein the down is goose down and/or duck down and/or down of animals in the anatidae family. 
     
     
         18 . The insole or upper according to  claim 11 , wherein the upper layer is configured to be placed, in use conditions of the insole in contact with a foot, with or without a sock, of a user. 
     
     
         19 . An item of footwear, comprising:
 a footwear sole comprising a bottom portion for contacting ground and a top portion opposite the bottom portion; and   support means configured as an insole for the item of footwear, for supporting a foot of a user of the footwear disposed on the top portion of the footwear sole.   
     
     
         20 . The item of footwear according to  claim 19 , further comprising thermoregulation means for maintaining an ambient temperature of the foot of the user during conditions of use of the item of footwear.