Adjustable footwear with an integrated unit sole

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to footwear, including at least shoes and boots. The footwear includes a single unit integrated adjustable sole. Additionally, the present disclosure is directed to methods of manufacture of such footwear. The footwear includes a variable sole length. The integrated sole includes a single unit adjustable sub-assembly, a front sole, and a rear sole. The adjustable sub-assembly includes a front portion, a rear portion, and multiple mid sidewall portions that are longitudinally positioned between the front portion and the rear portion. The integrated sole includes a sole sidewall that is formed by at least the mid sidewalls and sidewalls of the front and rear soles. The adjustable sub-assembly is longitudinally positioned between and coupled to each of the front and rear soles. The sole length is varied by varying the adjustable sub-assembly length. A footwear upper is coupled to the integrated sole to form the adjustable footwear.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An integrated ground-engaging assembly for footwear having a variable sole length, the integrated ground-engaging assembly comprising:
 an adjustable sub-assembly comprising:
 a front portion; 
 a rear portion; 
 a mid sidewall disposed intermediate the front portion and the rear portion; and 
 an adjustable sub-assembly length defined by a distance between the front portion and the rear portion; 
   a front ground-engaging member that includes a front sidewall, wherein the front ground-engaging member is coupled to the front portion of the adjustable sub-assembly;   a rear ground-engaging member that includes a rear sidewall, wherein the rear ground-engaging member is coupled to the rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly such that the sole length is varied by varying the adjustable sub-assembly length, and   a ground-engaging assembly sidewall is formed by the front sidewall, the mid sidewall, and the rear sidewall.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of an underside of the adjustable sub-assembly is exposed between a rearward portion of a ground-engaging surface of the front ground-engaging member and a forward portion of a ground-engaging surface of the rear ground-engaging member. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the exposed portion of the adjustable sub-assembly is recessed relative to at least one of the ground-engaging surface of the rear ground-engaging member or the ground-engaging surface of the front ground-engaging member. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sole length varies between a minimum sole length and a maximum sole length. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 4 , wherein when the sole length is the maximum sole length, a gap in the ground-engaging assembly sidewall is formed between the mid sidewall and an adjacent portion of at least one of the front sidewall or the rear sidewall. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 4 , wherein a difference between the maximum sole length and the minimum sole length is equivalent to at least a whole shoe size. 
     
     
         7 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the ground-engaging assembly sidewall is configured and arranged to couple to an integrated footwear upper. 
     
     
         8 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the integrated footwear upper includes an elastic lateral side region that is coupled to at least one of a rearward portion of the front sidewall or a forward portion of the rear sidewall and the elastic lateral side region accommodates the variable sole length. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 1  further comprising:
 an adjusting module that is configured and arranged to vary the adjustable sub-assembly length. 
 
     
     
         10 . The integrated ground-engaging assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the adjustable module is integrated into the adjustable sub-assembly. 
     
     
         11 . A method for assembling an article of footwear that includes a variable sole length, the method comprising:
 forming an integrated sole that includes a sole sidewall, wherein forming the integrated sole includes the following steps:
 coupling a front ground-engaging member to a front portion of an adjustable sub-assembly, wherein the adjustable sub-assembly includes a mid sidewall and the front ground-engaging member includes a front sidewall; 
 coupling a rear ground-engaging member to a rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly, wherein the rear ground-engaging member includes a rear sidewall, the adjustable sub-assembly is configured and arranged to vary the sole length, and the sole sidewall is formed by the front sidewall, mid sidewall, and the rear sidewall; and 
   coupling an integrated footwear upper to the integrated sole by coupling at least a portion of an upper sidewall to at least a portion of a sidewall of the integrated sole.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein coupling the front ground-engaging member to the front portion of the adjustable sub-assembly includes coupling an underside of the front portion of the adjustable sub-assembly to an upperside of the front ground-engaging member. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein coupling the rear ground-engaging member to the rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly includes coupling an upperside of the rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly to an underside of the rear ground-engaging member. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the integrated sole further includes:
 forming a channel in an underside of the rear ground-engaging member to receive the rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the integrated sole further includes:
 forming a recessed region in an upperside of the front ground-engaging member to receive the front portion of the adjustable sub-assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the integrated sole further includes:
 positioning the rear portion of the adjustable sub-assembly intermediate a ground-engaging surface of the rear ground-engaging member and a portion of the rear ground-engaging member that includes the read sidewall.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the integrated sole further includes:
 exposing a portion of an underside of the adjustable sub-assembly, wherein the portion of the underside of the adjustable sub-assembly is disposed intermediate a rearward portion of a ground-engaging surface of the front ground-engaging member and a forward portion of a ground-engaging surface of the rear ground-engaging member.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the exposed portion of the underside of the adjustable sub-assembly is laterally intermediate a pair mid sidewalls. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein forming the integrated sole further includes:
 forming a channel in at least one of an underside or an upperside of the rear ground-engaging member, wherein the channel includes a region through a portion of the rear sidewall that is configured and arranged to receive a portion of an adjusting module included in the adjustable sub-assembly, wherein the adjusting module is configured and arranged to vary a length of the adjustable sub-assembly.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 coupling at least a portion of the integrated footwear upper to the adjustable sub-assembly.   
     
     
         21 . An adjustable article of footwear comprising:
 an integrated sole having an adjustable sole length, the integrated sole comprising:
 a sole sidewall; 
 an integrated adjustable sub-assembly comprising:
 a front portion; 
 a rear portion; 
 a mid sidewall longitudinally disposed intermediate the front portion and the rear portion; and 
 an adjustable sub-assembly length defined by a distance between the front portion and the rear portion; and 
 
 a front sole that includes a front sidewall, wherein the front portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is coupled to the front sole; and 
 a rear sole that includes a rear sidewall, wherein the rear portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is coupled to the rear sole such that the sole length is varied by varying the adjustable sub-assembly length, and wherein the ground-engaging assembly sidewall is formed by the front sidewall, the mid sidewall, and the rear sidewall; and 
   an integrated footwear upper coupled to the sole sidewall.   
     
     
         22 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the integrated footwear upper is a single piece upper. 
     
     
         23 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein a portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is recessed from and exposed between a ground-engaging surface of the front sole and a ground-engaging surface of the rear sole. 
     
     
         24 . The article of footwear of  claim 23 , wherein the exposed portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is laterally intermediate a pair of mid sidewalls. 
     
     
         25 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein when the sole length is lengthened, a gap in the sole sidewall is formed between the mid sidewall and an adjacent portion of at least one of the front sidewall or the rear sidewall. 
     
     
         26 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein an underside of the front portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is coupled to an upperside of the front sole. 
     
     
         27 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the rear portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is coupled to a channel in the rear sole. 
     
     
         28 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the rear portion of the integrated adjustable sub-assembly is received in a trench positioned intermediate a ground-engaging surface and a foot engaging surface of the rear sole. 
     
     
         29 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the integrated adjustable sub-assembly further comprises:
 an adjusting module that is configured and arranged to provide tactile feedback when employed to vary the adjustable sub-assembly length.   
     
     
         30 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein when the sole length is adjusted to a minimum sole length, a forward portion of the mid sidewall is flush with a rearward portion of the front sidewall and a rearward portion of the mid sidewall is flush with a forward portion of the rear sidewall. 
     
     
         31 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein the integrated adjustable sub-assembly further comprises:
 a locking mechanism that is configured and arranged to secure the adjustable sub-assembly length.   
     
     
         32 . The article of footwear of  claim 21 , wherein a portion of the integrated footwear upper is coupled to the mid sidewall.