Moisture wicking and absorbing footwear or footwear insert

Abstract

A pad material for providing cushioning, guiding absorption and/or evaporation of moisture, or both, including a lofted nonwoven material, such as a carded and lapped fibrous material. The pad material may be adapted for use within an article of footwear. The teachings also pertain to an article of footwear having a sole and an upper, where a portion of the sole, a portion of the upper, or both include the pad material.

1 . An article comprising:
 a pad material for providing cushioning, guiding absorption and/or evaporation of moisture, or both, comprising:
 a lofted nonwoven fibrous material; and 
 one or more contact portion, 
   wherein the lofted nonwoven fibrous material is a carded and lapped fibrous material or an air laid material;   wherein the pad material is adapted for use within an article of footwear.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The article of claim  4 , wherein the carded and lapped fibrous material is a vertically lapped or rotary lapped material. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the pad material is adapted for use as an insole of an article of footwear. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the pad material is adapted for use with an upper of an article of footwear. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the pad material includes one or more air flow channels. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more air flow channels permit ventilation from the article of footwear, air flow into the article of footwear, or both. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more air flow channels extend generally parallel to a leg of the wearer such that heat from within the article of footwear can rise from the article of footwear. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein one or more air flow channels are formed by a localized compression operation, stitching, thermoforming, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the pad material has a compression set such that the pad material retains at least a partial form of the wearer upon removal of the article of footwear for at least a certain period of time. 
     
     
         14 . The article of any of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contact portion is located between a wearer and the fibrous material. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contact portions is located between an outer portion of the article of footwear and the fibrous material. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contact portions is a facing layer. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 17 , wherein the facing layer is a permeable wicking material. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material includes hydrophilic fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of fibers, laps, segments between loops, or a combination thereof, of the fibrous material are generally vertical relative to a surface adapted to contact a user, wherein generally vertical is about 45 to about 135 degrees. 
     
     
         21 . An article of footwear comprising:
 a. a sole; and   b. an upper;
 wherein a portion of the sole, a portion of the upper, or both, comprises the pad material of  claim 1 . 
   
     
     
         22 . The article of  claim 21 , wherein the upper comprises a vamp and a quarter, and wherein the pad material is located in the vamp, the quarter, or both. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 21 , wherein the pad material comprises one or more air flow channels positioned at or near one or more openings or permeable portions in the article of footwear. 
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 21 , wherein the pad material comprises one or more air flow channels extending to a collar of the article of footwear. 
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 21 , wherein the sole comprises an insole, and wherein the insole comprises the pad material.