Waterproof and breathable footwear comprising a toe cap and a heel cap

Abstract

A footwear includes an upper and an outsole. The upper includes an outer layer and a membrane. The membrane is waterproof and breathable and has a lower end. The outer layer has a lower end. The lower end of the membrane is attached to an insole around the circumference of the insole. The membrane is at least partly attached to the outer layer by means of a toe cap and/or a heel cap adhering to both the membrane and the outer layer. The toe cap is positioned between the outer layer and the membrane of the upper in a toe end of the footwear, and/or the heel cap is positioned between the outer layer and the membrane of the upper in a heel end of the footwear.

1 . A footwear comprising:
 an upper (U) and an outsole (OS), the upper (U) comprising an outer layer (OL) and a membrane (MEM),   wherein the membrane (MEM) is waterproof and breathable,   wherein the membrane has a lower end (LMEM),   wherein the outer layer has a lower end (LOL),   wherein the lower end of the membrane (LMEM) is attached to an insole (IS) around a circumference of the insole (IS),   wherein the membrane (MEM) is at least partly attached to the outer layer (OL) by means of a toe cap (TC) and/or a heel cap (HC) adhering to both the membrane (MEM) and the outer layer (OL), the toe cap (TC) being positioned between the outer layer (OL) and the membrane (MEM) of the upper (U) in a toe end (TEND) of the footwear, and/or the heel cap (HC) being positioned between the outer layer (OL) and the membrane (MEM) of the upper (U) in a heel end (HEND) of the footwear.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) include a double sided adhesive (DSA). 
     
     
         3 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) include a double sided adhesive (DSA) on both sides of the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC), respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein said double sided adhesive (DSA) on both sides of the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC) is pre-adhered. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane (MEM) is further attached to the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) along a part of the circumference of the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) extending between the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC). 
     
     
         7 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane (MEM) is further attached by an anchoring adhesive (AA) to the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) along at least a part of the circumference of the lower end of the outer layer extending between the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC). 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The footwear according  claim 1 , wherein the membrane (MEM) is further attached to the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) along the part of the circumference of the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) extending between the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) and wherein the upper is attached to the outsole (OS) by a direct injection process. 
     
     
         10 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper (U) is cemented to the outsole (OS) by at least an adhesive. 
     
     
         14 - 74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the membrane comprises a first surface (BSF) a facing foot insertion volume (FIV) and a second surface (BSO) facing the opposite direction,
 wherein the outer layer (OL) comprises a first surface (OSF) facing a foot insertion volume (FIV) and a second surface (OSO) facing outwards,   wherein the membrane second surface (BSO) is facing the outer layer (OL) first surface (OSF) and   wherein a toe cap (TC) and/or heel cap (HC) is attached at least partly to the membrane second surface (BSO) and to the outer layer (OL) first surface (OSF).   
     
     
         76 . The footwear according to  claim 75 , wherein the toe cap (TC) and/or heel cap (HC) is attached to the membrane second surface (BSO) and to the outer layer (OL) first surface (OSF) and wherein the toe cap (TC) and/or heel cap (HC) comprises double sided adhesive. 
     
     
         77 . The footwear according to  claim 76 , wherein said double-sided adhesive (DSA) of the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC) is pre-adhered to the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC), respectively. 
     
     
         78 .- 79 . (canceled) 
     
     
         80 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower end of the membrane is at least partly provided with a reinforcing member (RM) and wherein stitching (STI) attaching the insole (IS) to the membrane (MEM) is at least partly encapsulating the reinforcing member (RM). 
     
     
         81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper (U) comprises an upper top end (UTEND), an upper intermediate area (UINA) and an upper lower end (ULEND), wherein the membrane (MEM) of the upper is attached to the upper top end (UTEND) and the upper lower end (ULEND). 
     
     
         83 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer comprises an outer layer top end (TOL), an outer layer intermediate layer end (OIL) and an outer layer lower end (LOL) and wherein the membrane (MEM) is attached to the outer layer lower end (LOL) and the outer layer top end (TOL). 
     
     
         84 .- 86 . (canceled) 
     
     
         87 . The footwear according to  claim 82 , wherein the upper intermediate area (UINA) is a non-attachment area and wherein the non-attachment area is contiguous. 
     
     
         88 .- 94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . A method of manufacturing footwear, the method comprising:
 forming an upper (U) and an outsole (OS), the upper (U) comprising an outer layer (OL) and a membrane (MEM), wherein the membrane (MEM) is waterproof and breathable, wherein the membrane has a lower end (LMEM), wherein the outer layer has a lower end (LOL), wherein the footwear has a toe end (TEND) and a heel end (HEND), wherein the lower end of the membrane (LMEM) is attached to an insole (IS) around a circumference of the insole (IS), wherein the membrane (MEM) is at least partly attached to the outer layer (OL) by means of a toe cap (TC) and/or a heel cap (HC) adhering to both the membrane (MEM) and the outer layer (OL),   positioning the toe cap (TC) between the outer layer (OL) and the membrane (MEM) of the upper (U) in a toe end (TEND) of the footwear, and/or   positioning the heel cap (HC) between the outer layer (OL) and the membrane (MEM) of the upper (U) in the heel end (HEND) of the footwear thereby anchoring the membrane (MEM) to the toe end (TEND) and/or the heel end (HEND) of the outer layer (OL).   
     
     
         96 . The method according to  claim 95 , wherein the outer layer (OL) of the upper is initially processed in order to provide a 2D shape of the outer layer of the upper (U),
 wherein the membrane (MEM) of the upper is initially processed in order to provide a 2D shape of the membrane layer of the upper (U), and   wherein the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) are subsequently arranged between the 2D shaped outer layer (OL) and the 2D shaped membrane (MEM) and adhered to these.   
     
     
         97 . The method according to  claim 95 , wherein the outer layer (OL) of the upper (U) is initially processed in order to provide a 2D shape of the outer layer (OL) of the upper (U),
 wherein the membrane (MEM) of the upper (U) is initially processed in order to provide a 2D shape of the membrane layer of the upper (U), and   wherein the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) are subsequently arranged between the 2D shaped outer layer (OL) and the 2D shaped membrane (MEM) and adhered to these while 3D shaping the upper (U) and the toe cap (TC) and the heel cap (HC) in the same process.   
     
     
         98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . The method according to  claim 95 , further comprising:
 adhering the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC) to the membrane (MEM) and the outer layer (OL) by a double sided adhesive (DSA) that is pre-adhered to each side of each of the toe cap (TC) and/or the heel cap (HC), respectively.   
     
     
         100 .- 101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . The method according to  101 , wherein the membrane (MEM) is further attached to the lower end of the outer layer (LOL) along at least a part of the circumference of the lower end of the outer layer by means of an anchoring adhesive (AA). 
     
     
         103 .- 106 . (canceled)