Footwear, and methods of preparing same

Abstract

Footwear soles, footwear items and associated methods of manufacturing are provided. Some aspects of the invention provide a footwear sole in a form of a single unitary layer composed of a composition having unique and beneficial qualities. Some aspects of the invention provide a footwear sole wherein the composition comprising: ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), and rubber. Some aspects of the invention provide a footwear sole wherein the composition comprising: EVA, rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent. Some aspects of the invention provide a method of preparing a footwear sole composed of a single unitary layer, comprising: forming, by mixing while heating, a molten composition comprising: EVA, rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent; inserting the molten composition to a mold; and forming the sole while curing the molten composition in the mold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear item, comprising:
 an upper;   a sole attached to the upper;   wherein the sole is in a form of a single unitary layer composed of a composition comprising ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one of a bridging agent and a color master agent. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:
 EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;   rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;   bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;   foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;   bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and   color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.   
     
     
         4 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of:
 EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;   rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;   bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;   foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;   bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and   color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.   
     
     
         5 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper is composed essentially of said composition. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer is generally homogeneous. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the layer has two opposite-facing sides, the first side having a top-facing surface and the second side having a bottom-facing surface; each surface extending from an anterior end to a posterior end of a wearer's foot;
 wherein one or more of the top- and bottom-facing surfaces having a plurality of surface regions comprising at least one arrangement of a plurality of surface structures selected from the group of apertures, grooves, notches, protrusions, and cavities.   
     
     
         8 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , formed in a single-step process. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , formed by injection molding. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , having one or more of the following properties:
 density in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.6 mg per cubic meter, determined according to ASTM D297;   compression set of not more than about 30%, determined according to SATRA TM156:2002,620n;   Shore A hardness in the range of about 20H to about 35H, determined according to ASTM D2240;   Shore C hardness in the range of about 35H to about 48H, determined according to ASTM D2240;   abrasion resistance in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5 g after 10,000 cycles, determined according to ASTM D3886-99; and   skid resistance of dry in the range of u 0.30 to u 0.80, and wet in the range of u 0.35 to u 0.60, determined according to F2913-2011.   
     
     
         11 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , wherein the density is in the range of about 0.26 to about 0.35 mg per cubic meter, the compression set is not more than about 25%; the Shore A hardness is in the range of about 23H to about 30H, the Shore C hardness is in the range of about 38H to about 45H, and the skid resistance of dry is in the range of u 0.4 to u 0.67, and wet in the range of u 042 to u 0.55. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear item according to  claim 1 , being selected from the group consisting of a shoe, a boot, a slipper, a sock, a ballet slipper, a sandal and a sport shoe. 
     
     
         13 . A boot, comprising:
 a boot shaft, and   a sole attached to the boot shaft;   wherein the sole is in a form of a single unitary layer composed of a composition comprising ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent.   
     
     
         14 . The boot according to  claim 13 , wherein the composition comprises:
 EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;   rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;   bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;   foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;   bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and   color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.   
     
     
         15 . The boot according to  claim 13 , wherein the boot shaft is composed essentially of said composition. 
     
     
         16 . The boot according to  claim 13 , wherein the layer is generally homogeneous. 
     
     
         17 . The boot according to  claim 13 , wherein the layer has two opposite-facing sides, the first side having a top-facing surface and the second side having a bottom-facing surface; each surface extending from an anterior end to a posterior end of a wearer's foot;
 wherein one or more of the top- and bottom-facing surfaces having a plurality of surface regions comprising at least one arrangement of a plurality of surface structures selected from the group of apertures, grooves, notches, protrusions, and cavities.   
     
     
         18 . The boot according to  claim 13 , formed in a single-step process. 
     
     
         19 . The boot according to  claim 13 , having one or more of the following properties:
 density in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.6 mg per cubic meter, determined according to ASTM D297;   compression set of not more than about 30%, determined according to SATRA TM156:2002,620n;   Shore A hardness in the range of about 20H to about 35H, determined according to ASTM D2240;   Shore C hardness in the range of about 35H to about 48H, determined according to ASTM D2240;   abrasion resistance in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5 g after 10,000 cycles, determined according to ASTM D3886-99; and   skid resistance of dry in the range of u 0.30 to u 0.80, and wet in the range of u 0.35 to u 0.60, determined according to F2913-2011.   
     
     
         20 . The boot according to  claim 13 , wherein the density is in the range of about 0.26 to about 0.35 mg per cubic meter, the compression set is not more than about 25%; the Shore A hardness is in the range of about 23H to about 30H, the Shore C hardness is in the range of about 38H to about 45H, and the skid resistance of dry is in the range of u 0.4 to u 0.67, and wet in the range of u 042 u 0.55.