Socks and other footwear with enhanced features

Abstract

A sock and/or outer footwear having one or more portions with reduced frictional characteristics. One or more of the heel portion, the arch portion and the ball portion of the sock and/or interior of the outer footwear is fabricated with one or more fibers having the reduced frictional characteristics. The reduced frictional characteristics are established with the one or more low-friction fibers that are integrated with fibers having additional complementary characteristics of thermal regulation and moisture management. The provision of reduced frictional characteristics in one or more of the heel, arch and ball facilitates insertion of a foot into footwear.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sock comprising:
 a leg portion,   a heel portion,   an instep portion,   a foot portion including a top arch portion,   a toe portion, and   a sole portion including a ball portion,   wherein the leg portion, the heel portion, the instep portion, the foot portion, the toe portion and the sole portion are fabricated of one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics, wherein entanglements of the one or fibers are established to create interstices as tortuous pathways that regulate progression of moisture through the sock, wherein the heel portion, the top arch portion and the ball portion further include fibers having reduced-friction characteristics, wherein the fibers having reduced-friction characteristics are integrated with the one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics, wherein the one or more fibers are treated with chitosan and wherein the one or more fibers are woven together in a gradient compression weave.   
     
     
         2 . The sock of  claim 1  wherein the fibers having reduced friction characteristics are fibers that have a lower coefficient of friction than a coefficient of friction of the one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics. 
     
     
         3 . The sock of  claim 2  wherein the fibers with the lower coefficient of friction are silicone fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The sock of  claim 3  wherein the one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics are fibers made of materials selected from manmade fibers, natural fibers and blends thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The sock of  claim 4  wherein the fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics are made of materials selected from: nylon, polyester, polypropylene, cotton, wool, alpaca and blends thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The sock of  claim 3  wherein the one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics include hollow fibers. 
     
     
         7 . The sock of  claim 1  wherein Gold or Silver is bonded to at least one of the one or more fibers having thermal regulation and moisture management characteristics. 
     
     
         8 . The sock of  claim 1  wherein the anti-microbial reconstruction of elements of Gold and Silver comprises bonded of Gold and Silver elements.