Athletic shoe with two-piece upper forepart section

Claim 2

In an athletic shoe comprising a sole and an upper attached to the sole the improvement comprising: a multi-layered forepart section of the upper for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the athletic shoe, said forepart section including an inner layer of stretchable and moldable material and an outer layer of breathable nonstretchable material, a major portion of the inner layer being unconnected to the outer layer whereby the inner layer is free to stretch a limited degree to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of the wearer.

Claim 3

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inner layer is joined to said outer layer substantially only along the edges of the forepart section where the inner and outer layers join with the sole and with the remaining portion of the upper.

Claim 4

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outer layer is comprised of a nonstretchable mesh material.

Claim 5

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 3 wherein said nonstretchable mesh material is nylon.

Claim 6

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said inner layer is formed of leather.

Claim 7

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 5 wherein said leather is split cowhide having a weight of less than four ounces.

Claim 8

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 6 wherein said split cowhide is two ounce split cowhide.

Claim 9

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 5 wherein said leather is pigskin having a weight less than three ounces.

Claim 10

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 5 wherein the leather of said inner layer is perforated.

Claim 11

In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 9 wherein the perforations in said leather are approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter.

Claim 12

ll. In an athletic shoe in accordance with claim 5 wherein the leather of said inner layer is a preselected type of leather having a weight less than is required to form a forepart section solely from the preselected type of leather which would not stretch out of shape.

Claim 13

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having a lower surface for contacting the ground; and an upper connected to said sole, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the athletic shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable and moldable leather or leather-like material and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers both being attached along their respective lower areas to said sole and along their respective rearward edges to the remainder of the upper such that the portions of the inner and outer layers not connected to the sole and the remainder of the upper are substantially unconnected to one another to leave a slight gap between the inner surface of the outer layer and the outer surface of the inner layer whereby said inner layer is permitted only a limited degree of stretch to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of a particular wearer without stretching excessively out of shape.

Claim 14

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having a lower surface for contacting the ground; and an upper connected to said sole, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the athletic shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable and moldable leather or leather-like material and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers both being attached along their respective lower areas to said sole and along their respective rearward edges to the remainder of the upper such that the portions of the inner and outer layers not connected to the sole and the remainder of the upper are substantially unconnected to one another to leave a slight gap between the inner surface of the outer layer and the outer surface of the inner layer whereby said inner layer is permitted only a limited degree of stretch to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of a particular wearer without stretching excessively out of shape.

Claim 15

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 12 wherein said gap has an average dimension in the range of approximately 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch.

Claim 16

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 12 wherein said . inner and outer layers of said forepart section are attached to said sole on the medial side of said shoe from a point rearward of the first metatarsal head of the foot of 'a wearer of the shoe forwardly to the forward end of the sole and backward therefrom along the lateral side of the shoe to a point rearward of the fifth metatarsal head of the foot of a wearer of the shoe.

Claim 17

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 14 wherein said rearward edges of said inner and outer layers of said forepart section extend upward and forward from their points of attachment to the sole on the medial and lateral sides of said shoe.

Claim 18

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 14 wherein said rearward edges of said inner and outer layers are located rearward of all of the metatarsal heads of the foot of the wearer of the shoe whereby the inner layer can stretch a limited degree to mold to the particular metatarsal heads of the wearer of the shoe.

Claim 19

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 14, 15 or 16 wherein said outer layer is made of a nonstretchable nylon mesh material.

Claim 20

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 17 wherein said nylon mesh material is a monofilament material.

Claim 21

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 17 wherein said inner layer is made of a leather having a weight of three ounces or less.

Claim 22

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 19 wherein said leather inner layer is perforated.

Claim 23

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having a lower surface for contacting the ground; and an upper attached to said sole, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the athletic shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable thin leather and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers both being attached along their respective lower areas to said sole on the medial side of said shoe from a point rearward of the first metatarsal head to the forward end of the sole and along the lateral side of the sole from the forward end to a point rearward of the fifth metatarsal head and along their respective edges to the remainder of the upper rearward of all the metatarsal heads such that the portions of the inner and outer layers not connected to the sole and the remainder of the upper are substantially unconnected to one another to leave a slight gap between the inner surface of the outer layer and the outer surface of the inner layer whereby said leather inner layer is permitted only a limited degree of stretch to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of a particular wearer without stretching excessively out of shape.

Claim 24

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having a lower surface for contacting the ground; and an upper attached to said sole, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the athletic shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable thin leather and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers both being attached along their respective lower areas to said sole on the medial side of said shoe from a point rearward of the first metatarsal head to the forward end of the sole and along the lateral side of the sole from the forward end to a point rearward of the fifth metatarsal head and along their respective edges to the remainder of the upper rearward of all the metatarsal heads such that the portions of the inner and outer layers not connected to the sole and the remainder of the upper are substantially unconnected to one another to leave a slight gap between the inner surface of the outer layer and the outer surface of the inner layer whereby said leather inner layer is permitted only a limited degree of stretch to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of a particular wearer without stretching excessively out of shape.

Claim 25

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 21 wherein said nonstretchable synthetic mesh material is a monofilament nylon.

Claim 26

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 22 wherein said monofilament nylon is at least 400 denier.

Claim 27

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 22 or 23 wherein said mesh material has a square weave.

Claim 28

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having an outer sole layer and a midsole layer, said outer sole layer being formed of a resilient material and having a lower surface for contacting the ground and an opposite upper surface, said midsole layer being attached to the upper surface of said outer sole layer and being formed of a resilient material less hard than the material of said outer sole layer; and an upper attached to said midsole layer, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable leather or leather-like material and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers each having lower portions attached to said sole, rear edges attached to the remainder of said upper and unconnected portions not attached to one another, said unconnected portions extending between said attached lower portions and said rear edges, a slight gap being formed between the outer surface of the unconnected portion of said inner layer and the inner surface of the unconnected portion of said outer layer whereby said inner layer is permitted to stretch a limited degree to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of the wearer without stretching an excessive amount.

Claim 29

An athletic shoe comprising: a sole having an outer sole layer and a midsole layer, said outer sole layer being formed of a resilient material and having a lower surface for contacting the ground and an opposite upper surface, said midsole layer being attached to the upper surface of said outer sole layer and being formed of a resilient material less hard than the material of said outer sole layer; and an upper attached to said midsole layer, said upper including a forepart section for extending around the forepart portion of the foot of a wearer of the shoe, said forepart section having an inner layer of a stretchable leather or leather-like material and an outer layer of a nonstretchable synthetic mesh material, said inner and outer layers each having lower portions attached to said sole, rear edges attached to the remainder of said upper and unconnected portions not attached to one another, said unconnected portions extending between said attached lower portions and said rear edges, a slight gap being formed between the outer surface of the unconnected portion of said inner layer and the inner surface of the unconnected portion of said outer layer whereby said inner layer is permitted to stretch a limited degree to accommodate and mold to the forepart portion of the foot of the wearer without stretching an excessive amount.

Claim 30

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 25 wherein the mesh material of said outer layer is attached to said sole with the bias of the mesh oriented at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the shoe whereby motion of the mesh material along its bias occurs at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the shoe.

Claim 31

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 26 wherein said mesh material is made of a monofilament nylon having a square weave.

Claim 32

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 26 or 27 wherein said inner layer is made of a leather having a weight of three ounces or less.

Claim 33

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 25 wherein said outer layer is made of a nonstretchable nylon mesh.

Claim 34

An athletic shoe in accordance with claim 25 wherein said rearward edges of said inner and outer layers are located rearward of all of the metatarsal heads of the wearer of the shoe whereby the inner layer can stretch a limited degree to mold to the particular metatarsal heads of the wearer.

Claim 35

In a method of manufacturing an athletic shoe having a sole and an upper attached to it, with the upper having a forepart section comprised of a stretchable leather inner layer and a synthetic mesh nonstretchable outer layer, comprising the steps of: . cutting the leather inner layer and the mesh outer layer on dies having the same shape and size; stitching the inner layer to the outer layer along at least a portion of the borders of the layers; attaching a rearward edge of the inner and outer layers to the remainder of the upper; forming the upper about a last to stretch the leather inner layer; attaching the sole to the upper; and removing the upper from the last and allowing the inner layer to shrink from its stretched conditin on the last to form a slight gap between the outer surface of the inner layer and to inner surface of the outer layer.

Claim 36

In a method of manufacturing an athletic shoe having a sole and an upper attached to it, with the upper having a forepart section comprised of a stretchable leather inner layer and a synthetic mesh nonstretchable outer layer, comprising the steps of: . cutting the leather inner layer and the mesh outer layer on dies having the same shape and size; stitching the inner layer to the outer layer along at least a portion of the borders of the layers; attaching a rearward edge of the inner and outer layers to the remainder of the upper; forming the upper about a last to stretch the leather inner layer; attaching the sole to the upper; and removing the upper from the last and allowing the inner layer to shrink from its stretched conditin on the last to form a slight gap between the outer surface of the inner layer and to inner surface of the outer layer.