Footwear piece

This invention relates to a footwear piece according to the preamble of claim 1. More specifically, it relates to a light and soft fabric footwear piece intended and designed primarily for the outdoors, but, if needed, also for indoors, which is also elastic and which is comfortable to use also without a separate sock.

There are generally available different types of footwear pieces for both outdoor and indoor use on the market.

Of footwear pieces for outdoor use, different types of footwear pieces for walking are known, which are generally made of relatively hard surface and sole materials. These footwear pieces are intended for use on the feet with socks, wherein sores, calluses or other consequences caused by the footwear are possibly avoided, but not nearly always. These types of footwear pieces for walking often require a long period of use, before they become comfortable for the user and mould to fit the user. These types of footwear pieces may additionally cause the user different types of muscle pain, etc.

Also found on the market are different types of footwear pieces for indoor use, which are generally made of softer surface and sole materials. These footwear pieces are not intended for outdoor use, as they do not withstand harsh outdoor wear or harsh outdoor conditions, such as dirt and moisture etc.

Further, different types of socks to be placed on the foot are known, which are mainly intended only for indoor use as well as use outdoors along with some type of outdoor footwear, but under no conditions alone outdoors.

General prior art is represented by reference publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,399, in which is presented a lightweight footwear piece, which is intended for providing the user with additional comfort as well as grip in relation to the ground.

Further known is i.a. “coverboot” type footwear protection solution, in which a light fabric protection is pulled over the footwear piece to be used. Also known are i.a. down slippers, which are used indoors to provide the user with additional comfort and warmth for the feet when the indoor area or floor is cold or the feet are otherwise cold.

The object of the invention is to obviate the disadvantages described above and to provide a footwear piece, which is like a combination of a footwear piece and socks and which can be used outdoors as well as indoors.

The footwear piece is soft and light to use on the foot and with it a “barefoot feeling” is achieved for its user. The footwear piece essentially moulds completely to the shapes of its user\'s foot and when using the footwear separate socks are not necessarily needed at all. This is a light and machine-washable as well as breathable footwear piece essentially sewn entirely of textile/fabric, sort of an “outdoor socks” or “gloves for the feet” with soft soles.

Ordinary hard-soled footwear pieces limit the movements of their user\'s foot and movement while walking. Ordinary footwear pieces prevent growth in the width of the foot at the ball of the foot when taking a step and they support the muscles of the sole of the foot and the toes too much, causing weakening of said muscles.

A soft-soled, light fabric footwear piece according to the invention enables moving and walking outdoors with a completely “barefooted feeling”, but nevertheless provides protection to the skin of the sole of the foot.

Walking using this type of a soft-soled footwear piece according to the invention strengthens the soles of the feet and muscles of the foot sole and also essentially improves its user\'s balance, walking contact and also the health of the feet. These matters and advantages are particularly important to i.a. athletes and those interested in such activities, in which the foot is of particularly great significance. These types of sport activities are i.a. board sports, running sports, physical exercise in general and accuracy sports such as i.a. shooting etc.

One important user group for the footwear piece is diabetics, who often have weakened blood circulation as well as weakened sensation in their legs. For this reason, they cannot walk with entirely bare feet, because that would be dangerous due to the fact that they do not sense it if they step, for example, on some sharp object, such as a rock, glass etc. A footwear piece according to the invention provides an excellent aid to this type of problems and removes this problem.

For such a special user group, a footwear piece can comprise, but not necessarily, the elements for supporting the ankle of the user. A footwear piece of this type can comprise a supported shaft.

The purpose of a footwear piece according to this invention is to provide the user with such a “barefoot feeling” that it is as if the user had on no footwear piece at all, but rather something like a soft sock. For this reason, the footwear piece does not attempt to completely protect the sole of the foot by being completely or at least partially impenetrable, but would just slightly spread the pricks of unevenness produced by i.a. rocks, cones and other things on the ground over a larger area such that said pricking that is felt does not seem as great to the user as it would, for example, if walking barefoot.

More particularly, a footwear piece according to the invention is characterized in that which is presented in the characterizing part of the independent claim.

The dependent claims present additional features of the embodiments of a footwear piece according to the invention.

The invention is described in more detail in the accompanying claims. A footwear piece according to the invention has a sole, which is made of a second fabric material, which footwear piece is characterized in that the second fabric material comprises strong fibres.

At least a portion of said strong fibres of the second fabric material of the sole are preferably, but not necessarily, aramid fibres, para-aramid fibres, glass fibres, carbon fibres, polyethylene fibres, boron fibres, silicon carbide fibres, ceramic fibres or polyethylene fibres, or combinations of above-mentioned fibres.

At least a portion of said strong fibres of the second fabric material of the sole are preferably, but not necessarily, woven into the second fabric material.