| BROWN SHOE COMPANY, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20110179669 | CUSHIONING AND SHOCK ABSORBING MIDSOLE - A midsole adapted for attachment to a shoe having multiple layers of varying materials each having a different hardness level. More particularly, the present midsole includes a top, middle and bottom layer wherein all three layers of material have a different hardness range and wherein at least one of the layers is made from thermoplastic rubber (TPR). In one embodiment, the thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer lies between the top and bottom layers and in another embodiment, the thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer is the bottom layer. The thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer may also have a length shorter than the other two layers forming the midsole. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110126422 | SHOE SOLE WITH COMPRESSIBLE PROTRUDING ELEMENT - A footwear sole assembly with at least one compressible protruding element extending downwardly beyond the bottom surface of the outsole, the at least one protruding element providing a natural instability to a wearer when the sole assembly initially contacts a supporting surface. The at least one protruding element is a three-dimensional structure formed of a substantially solid elastomeric material. In another embodiment, the at least one protruding element may also protrude upwardly beyond the sole assembly in such a manner that the wearer's foot can apply pressure to the top portion of said at least one protruding element. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20100293817 | SOFT STEP TOP LIFT FOR SHOES AND METHOD THEREOF - A soft top lift member for a shoe heel wherein the top lift member is made by mixing a filler carbon material with a thermoplastic elastomer to form a filled elastomer. The filled elastomer is then formed into a top lift member for a shoe heel by using an injection molding process. The top lift member is then attached to a shoe heel. The thermoplastic elastomer can be a relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane material and the carbon material can be a carbon powder. The filler or carbon powder is provided to enhance abrasion resistance properties. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100281717 | TOP LIFT ASSEMBLY FOR A SHOE HEEL - A dowelled top lift assembly for a shoe heel including an anchor member affixed or molded to a dowel pin member and a top lift member for contacting the walking surface affixed, molded to and encapsulating the anchor member. The anchor member is made of a harder material as compared to the top lift member, the anchor member being made of a hard thermoplastic material and the top lift member being made of a softer thermoplastic material such as a thermoset polyurethane elastomer or a softer thermoplastic polyurethane. The anchor member may include one or more ridges for cooperatively engaging grooves associated with the head portion of the dowel pin member. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100275468 | AIR CIRCULATING FOOTBED AND METHOD THEREOF - An air circulating footbed adapted for insertion into a shoe including first and second layers of material shaped and attached to each other so as to define at least two cavities therebetween, the first cavity being disposed generally in the forefoot region of a shoe and the second cavity being disposed generally in the heel region of a shoe, the first and second cavities being in fluid communication with each other whereby foot pressure exerted by a wearer's foot in the forefoot and heel regions of the footbed during a wearer's walking or running gait will circulate air flow back and forth between the at least two cavities. The cavities may also include low density polyurethane (PU) foam in the density range of 0.20 to 0.50 pounds per cubic foot. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100263240 | SHOE SOLE AND METHOD - A shoe outsole and method of manufacture wherein the outsole is formed using recycled rubber granules generated during the shoe manufacturing process, the recycled rubber granules being used as a filler material and being mixed with various thermoplastic materials or vulcanized rubber to form the shoe outsole. The recycled rubber granules are mixed with the thermoplastic material or vulcanized rubber to form a filled elastomer which includes at least 50% by weight of a virgin thermoplastic material and no more than about 30% by weight of the recycled rubber granules. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20090307932 | SHOE WITH TRACTION OUTSOLE - A shoe with an outsole having at least one traction zone, the traction zone including a base surface in a first plane, a plurality of ground engaging members in a second plane and a plurality of intersecting grooves defined by a pair of opposing walls and a groove surface located in a third plane. The base surface includes a plurality of spaced apart base surface elements. The plurality of intersecting grooves are positioned adjacent the plurality of base surface segments and the ground engaging members. The first, second and third planes are positioned elevationally in spaced apart arrangement from one another. The ground engaging members project out beyond the first plane while the intersecting grooves are recessed from the first plane toward a shoe upper. Each of the ground engaging members includes side walls and an angled first surface for contacting the ground. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090249656 | SHOE SOLE AND METHOD - A shoe outsole and method of manufacture wherein the outsole, or various components thereof such as various inserts and/or additional layers associated with a particular outsole, are formed using various scrap materials generated during the shoe manufacturing process such as leather, leather dust, jute, and other fibrous material, the scrap materials being used as a filler material and being mixed with various elastomeric materials to form the shoe outsole and various components thereof. The outsole can be formed as a substantially one-piece unit, or it can be formed as a base sole layer having one or more additional layers associated therewith including inserts associated with the forefoot and heel regions of the outsole. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090188131 | CUSHIONED SHOE CONSTRUCTION - A shoe construction including a shoe upper, an intermediate composite structure and an outsole. The composite structure underlies at least a portion of the upper and overlies at least a portion of the outsole. The composite structure includes cushion members with one cushion member being positioned to underlie a heel of a wearer and another cushion member being positioned to underlie the ball of the foot. The cushion member underlying the ball may be perforated. The composite structure can also include a relatively rigid lower member which can be perforated in the area of the ball of the foot underlying the cushion member for the ball of the foot. The composite structure can provide a flexure discontinuity in the shoe forward of the midfoot zone of the shoe. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090031589 | SHOE SOLE - An outsole for a shoe has a backing member of thermoplastic rubber and on an area of the exterior surface of that backing member an intermediate layer of thermoplastic polyurethane and an outermost layer of fabric, the area comprising at least 51 percent of the contact surface of the outsole. In producing the outsole, a sheet of fabric is overlain with a sheet of thermo plastic urethane, the sheet is heated to about the melting point of the TPU to permit the TPU to adhere to the fabric, and the fabric is cooled. The TPU-covered fabric is cut to the size and shape required to fit a backing member, and position in a mold on a bottom surface of a mold, and a quantity of TPR is injected at a temperature lower than the melting point of the TPU but high enough to render the TPU tacky, to insure the inherence of the TPU-covered fabric to the backing, including the resultant outsole. | 02-05-2009 |
