Foot support structure and shoe assembly

Abstract

A foot support structure for a shoe includes a toe box, a connection member facilitating adjustable connection of the toe box to a cooperable connection member on a separate shank portion of a shoe, an opening defined by a peripheral edge of the toe box portion, and a toe box liner lining the inner surface of the toe box portion. The toe box and toe box liner are each moulded from a thermoplastic polymer material and the toe box liner extends beyond the peripheral edge of the toe box at its opposing lateral sides to form foot-supporting side wings; and wherein the thermoplastic polymer material of the toe box has a greater stiffness than that of the toe box liner.

1 . A foot support structure for a shoe comprising:
 a toe box;   a connection member facilitating adjustable connection of the toe box to a cooperable connection member on a separate shank portion of a shoe;   an opening defined by a peripheral edge of the toe box portion; and   a toe box liner lining the inner surface of the toe box portion;   wherein the toe box and toe box liner are each moulded from a thermoplastic polymer material and the toe box liner extends beyond the peripheral edge of the toe box at its opposing lateral sides to form foot-supporting side wings; and wherein the thermoplastic polymer material of the toe box has a greater stiffness than that of the toe box liner.   
     
     
         2 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein each side wing extends rearwardly away from each lateral side of the toe box by distance lying in the range of 20 mm to 60 mm. 
     
     
         3 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of each side wing relative to the toe box diminishes with increasing distance from the toe box opening. 
     
     
         4 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the toe box liner lies in the range of 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of each side wing diminishes with increasing distance from the toe box opening. 
     
     
         6 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein each side wing is formed from a continuation of a unitary piece of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material forming the toe box liner. 
     
     
         7 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material of the toe box is polypropylene. 
     
     
         8 . A foot support structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the Shore hardness of the polypropylene is 60A. 
     
     
         9 . A shoe assembly comprising a foot support structure including:
 a separable toe box and shank each provided with a series of cooperable connection members for facilitating their respective adjustable connection;   a toe box opening being defined by a peripheral edge of the toe box; and   a toe box liner lining the inner surface of the toe box;   wherein the toe box, the shank and the toe box liner are each moulded from a thermoplastic material; the toe box liner extending beyond the peripheral edge of the toe box opening at its opposing lateral sides to form foot-supporting side wings; and wherein the thermoplastic material of the toe box has a greater stiffness than that of both the toe box liner and the shank.   
     
     
         10 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein an outsole is connected to the underside of the shank and toe box. 
     
     
         11 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein toe box is at least partially covered by an outer covering layer of an upper of the shoe assembly. 
     
     
         12 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein an intermediate layer of thermoplastic polymer material is interposed between the toe box and an outer covering layer of an upper of the shoe assembly. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate layer of thermoplastic polymer material extends over substantially the entire vamp portion of the upper of the shoe assembly but does not extend to a boundary separating the vamp and quarter portions of the upper of the shoe assembly. 
     
     
         14 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the intermediate layer of thermoplastic polymer material does not overlap the ends of side wings which are most distant from the toe box. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein a strip of fibre reinforced polymer extends transversely across the vamp of the shoe assembly. 
     
     
         16 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the opposite ends of the strip of fibre reinforced polymer are attached to an outsole and/or an inner liner layer of the upper of the shoe assembly. 
     
     
         17 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the strip of fibre reinforced polymer is connected to the outsole at positions behind the foremost extent of a throat line of the shoe defined by a foot-receiving opening in an outer covering layer. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the strip of fibre reinforced polymer extends over each side wing. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the strip of fibre reinforced polymer extends across the vamp of the shoe assembly in a generally curved or sinusoidal path. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the strip of fibre reinforced polymer is adapted to be widest at its most lateral positions on the vamp and narrowest at its central uppermost position on the vamp.