Upper of Shoe

Abstract

An upper including: a reinforcement member on a medial or a lateral side being provided, the reinforcement member being less stretchable than a member forming a sock and extending from a medial or lateral eyelet stay to a sole while being attached to a medial or lateral side surface of the sock, the lateral reinforcement member including a first reinforcement portion covering a fifth proximal phalanx from a side surface, and a second reinforcement portion covering a shaft or a base of a fifth metatarsal bone from a side surface, the medial reinforcement member including a third reinforcement portion covering a ball of a big toe from a side surface, and a width of at least one of the reinforcement portions being smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof.

1 . An upper of a shoe comprising:
 a sock;   lateral and medial edge portions placed respectively on lateral and medial edges of an opening of the sock, the lateral and medial edge portions being less stretchable than a member forming the sock, and defining a plurality of holes through which a shoelace passes;   at least one reinforcement member on a lateral side, the at least one reinforcement member being less stretchable than the member forming the sock and extending from the lateral edge portion to a sole or a heel counter while being attached to a lateral-side surface of the sock; and   at least one reinforcement member on a medial side, the at least one reinforcement member on the medial side being less stretchable than the member forming the sock and extending from the medial edge portion to the sole or the heel counter while being attached to a medial side surface of the sock, wherein:   the at least one reinforcement member on the lateral side includes   a first reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a fifth proximal phalanx from a side surface and   a second reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a shaft or a base of a fifth metatarsal bone from the side surface;   the at least one reinforcement member on the medial side includes a third reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a ball of a big toe from a side surface; and   a width of at least one of the reinforcement portions is smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The upper according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one reinforcement member on the medial side further comprises a fourth reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a navicular bone from the side surface; and   the fourth reinforcement portion has a width, and a width of the fourth reinforcement portion at a lower end portion thereof is smaller than a width of the fourth reinforcement portion at an upper end portion thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The upper according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a lateral-side soft region, in which the member forming the sock is exposed, defined between two virtual lines, the two virtual lines extended downwardly, one from a most anterior one of the plurality of holes and another from a most posterior one of the plurality of holes in the lateral edge portion along the lateral-side surface and along a vertical plane; and   a medial-side soft region, in which the member forming the socks is exposed, defined between two virtual lines, the two virtual lines extended downwardly, one from a most anterior one of the plurality of holes and another from a most posterior one of the plurality of holes in the medial edge portion along the medial-side surface and along a vertical plane,   wherein an area of the medial-side soft region is larger than an area of the lateral-side soft region.   
     
     
         4 . The upper according to  claim 2 , wherein a center line of the fourth reinforcement portion along a direction in which the fourth reinforcement portion extends extends in a diagonally rearward and downward direction toward the sole, and
 an angle formed between the center line of the fourth reinforcement portion and a horizontal line is smaller than an angle formed between a center line of the first reinforcement portion along a direction in which the first reinforcement portion extends and the horizontal line, and   the angle is smaller than an angle formed between a center line of the second reinforcement portion along a direction in which the second reinforcement portion extends and the horizontal line.   
     
     
         5 . The upper according to  claim 4 , wherein a center line of the third reinforcement portion along a direction in which the third reinforcement portion extends in a diagonally rearward and downward direction toward the sole. 
     
     
         6 . The upper according to  claim 4 , wherein the angle formed between the center line of the fourth reinforcement portion and the horizontal line is smaller than an angle formed between a center line of the third reinforcement portion along a direction in which the third reinforcement portion extends and the horizontal line. 
     
     
         7 . The upper according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a line along a rear end of the fourth reinforcement portion is more tilting forward than a line along a rear end of the second reinforcement portion; and   a lower end of the line along the rear end of the fourth reinforcement portion is placed posterior to a lower end of the line along the rear end of the second reinforcement portion, with the fourth reinforcement portion configured to cover a front portion of a lower portion of a calcaneal bone from a side surface.   
     
     
         8 . The upper according to  claim 2 , wherein an area of a medial-side soft region, in which the member forming the sock is exposed, between the third reinforcement portion and the fourth reinforcement portion on the medial side surface is larger than an area of a lateral-side soft region, in which the member forming the sock is exposed, between the first reinforcement portion and the second reinforcement portion on the lateral-side surface. 
     
     
         9 . The upper according to  claim 2  wherein the third reinforcement portion has a width, and a width of a lower end portion of the third reinforcement portion is smaller than a width of an upper end portion of the third reinforcement portion. 
     
     
         10 . The upper according to  claim 2  wherein the second reinforcement portion has a width, and a width of a lower end portion of the second reinforcement portion is smaller than a width of an upper end portion of the second reinforcement portion. 
     
     
         11 . The upper according to  claim 2  wherein the first reinforcement portion has a width, and a width of a lower end portion of the first reinforcement portion is smaller than a width of an upper end portion of the first reinforcement portion. 
     
     
         12 . The upper according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the width of the third reinforcement portion is smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof;   the width of the second reinforcement portion is smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof; and   the width of the first reinforcement portion is smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The upper according to  claim 12 , wherein an area of a medial-side soft region, in which the member forming the sock is exposed, between the third reinforcement portion and the fourth reinforcement portion on the medial-side surface is larger than an area of a lateral-side soft region, in which the member forming the socks is exposed, between the first reinforcement portion and the second reinforcement portion on the lateral-side surface. 
     
     
         14 . The upper according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a center line of the fourth reinforcement portion along a direction in which the fourth reinforcement portion extends in a diagonally rearward and downward direction toward the sole,   an angle formed between the center line of the fourth reinforcement portion and a horizontal line is smaller than an angle formed between a center line of the first reinforcement portion along a direction in which the first reinforcement portion extends and the horizontal line, and   the angle is smaller than an angle formed between a center line of the second reinforcement portion along a direction in which the second reinforcement portion extends and the horizontal line;   a line along a rear end of the fourth reinforcement portion is more tilting forward than a line along a rear end of the second reinforcement portion;   a lower end of the line along the rear end of the fourth reinforcement portion is placed posterior to a lower end of the line along the rear end of the second reinforcement portion; and   the fourth reinforcement portion is configured to cover a front portion of a lower portion of a calcaneal bone.   
     
     
         15 . The upper according to  claim 1  wherein:
 the plurality of holes includes four or more holes configured to be provided on each of a lateral side and a medial side of a foot; and 
 a width of each of the reinforcement portions at the upper end portion thereof is set in such a manner that the upper end portion faces a plurality of holes of the four or more holes on the lateral or medial side. 
 
     
     
         16 . An upper of a shoe comprising:
 a sock;   a lateral edge portion and a medial edge portion each placed on an edge near a center of the sock in a foot width direction, the lateral and medial edge portions being less stretchable than a member forming the sock;   at least one reinforcement member on a lateral side, the at least one reinforcement member being less stretchable than the member forming the sock and extending from the lateral edge portion to a sole or a heel counter while being attached to a lateral-side surface of the sock; and   at least one reinforcement member on a medial side, the at least one reinforcement member on the medial side being less stretchable than the member forming the sock and extending from the medial edge portion to the sole or the heel counters while being attached to a medial-side surface of the sock, wherein:   the at least one reinforcement member on the lateral side includes   a first reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a fifth proximal phalanx from a side surface and   a second reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a shaft or a base of a fifth metatarsal bone from the side surface;   the at least one reinforcement member on the medial side includes a third reinforcement portion configured to cover at least a portion of a ball of a big toe from a side surface; and   a width of at least one of the plurality of reinforcement portions is smaller at a lower end portion thereof than at an upper end portion thereof.   
     
     
         17 . The upper according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a lateral-side soft region in which the member forming the sock is exposed, defined between two virtual lines extended downwardly, one from a part of the lateral edge portion configured to correspond to a front end of a ball of a little toe and another from a part of the lateral edge portion configured to correspond to a rear end of a lateral malleolus, along the lateral-side surface and along a vertical plane; and   a medial-side soft region in which the member forming the socks is exposed, defined between two virtual lines extended downwardly, one from a part of the medial edge portion configured to correspond to a front end of a ball of a big toe and another from a part of the medial edge portion configured to correspond to a rear end of a medial malleolus, along the medial-side surface and along a vertical plane, wherein   an area of the medial-side soft region is larger than an area of the lateral-side soft region.