Footwear having improved walking comfort

Abstract

An article of footwear including an outer sole assembly and an upper, the upper including a vamp. The upper includes at least one portion structured to deform elastically and reversibly, so that the deformations are controlled.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an outer sole assembly;   an upper;   a front end, a rear end, a lateral side, a medial side, and a top;   a length extending along a longitudinal direction from the rear end to the front end;   a width extending along a transverse direction between the lateral side and the medial side;   a height extending between the outer sole assembly and the top portion;   the upper comprising:
 a vamp; 
 at least one deformation control portion structured and arranged to deform elastically and reversibly to control deformations of the upper. 
   
     
     
         2 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the deformation control portion includes a textile layer and an elastic membrane.   
     
     
         3 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the textile layer and the elastic membrane are affixed to one another.   
     
     
         4 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the textile layer and the elastic membrane are assembled to one another with glue.   
     
     
         5 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the membrane has openings exposing the textile layer.   
     
     
         6 . An article of footwear according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the holes are hexagonal in shape.   
     
     
         7 . An article of footwear according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the openings are sized to control elasticity of the deformation control portion.   
     
     
         8 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the textile layer and membrane form an outer surface of the deformation control portion.   
     
     
         9 . An article of footwear according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the textile layer of the deformation control portion is air breathable.   
     
     
         10 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the elastic membrane is on an outer surface of the upper.   
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the vamp comprises:
 a rear portion structured and arranged to cover the metatarsus of a foot of a wearer; 
 a front portion structured and arranged to cover toes of the wearer; 
 an intermediate portion structured and arranged to cover a junction between the toes and the metatarsus of the foot of the wearer; 
 the intermediate portion connecting the rear portion and the front portion of the vamp and extending from the lateral side to the medial side of the article of footwear; 
 the intermediate portion of the vamp comprising the deformation control portion of the upper. 
   
     
     
         12 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 a median zone of the front portion of the vamp includes an outer textile layer not covered by the elastic membrane.   
     
     
         13 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the membrane has portions extending continuously from a front end to a rear end of the textile layer of the intermediate portion of the vamp.   
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the elastic membrane forms a belt surrounding a lower zone of the front portion of the vamp.   
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the elastic membrane is comprised of a film having a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm.   
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the rear portion of the vamp and the front portion of the vamp include textile layers;   the textile layer of the intermediate portion of the vamp is fixed to the textile layers of the front and rear portions of the vamp by stitches, the stitches being covered by said elastic membrane.   
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the intermediate portion of the vamp has a width greater than 5 mm along an entire length of the intermediate portion between a medial side and a lateral side of the outer sole assembly.   
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 a rear portion of the upper comprises a medial wall and a lateral wall separated by an opening, one end of the opening being demarcated by the intermediate portion of the vamp.