| Converse Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20130055590 | Article of Footwear Including Upper Having a Mesh Material - An article of footwear includes include an upper and a mesh material. The mesh material may be incorporated into the upper. The mesh material may include high tensile strength strands and non-high tensile strength strands. The high tensile strength strands and non-high tensile strength strands may interlock so that the high tensile strength strands are substantially held in place. The mesh material may be provided as a woven material or a knitted material. The mesh material can have a stylish design, which can be a plaid pattern, herringbone pattern, seersucker pattern, or other pattern. | 03-07-2013 |
| 20120167417 | Unitary Upper and Midsole - Embodiments of the present invention relate to an article of footwear having a unitary upper and midsole referred to as a mupper. The mupper includes both a midsole portion and an upper portion. An outsole may be coupled to the midsole portion to provide a ground contacting surface. Additionally, a bootie may be coupled to the interior of the mupper. A reinforcement may be utilized in conjunction with the mupper and/or the bootie to resist lasting deformation of apertures formed into the mupper for a lacing structure. The reinforcement may be coupled to the bootie, the mupper, or other portions of the shoe. In an embodiment, the reinforcements are constructed from a material different from that which the mupper is formed. Consequently, a traditional crisscross lacing pattern may be utilized while still realizing benefits of having a unitary upper and midsole. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120144698 | THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE INFUSED MESH - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”) infused mesh material that is molded to form at least a portion of a shoe. The TPU infused mesh may be formed as an upper, a portion of sole or other components of a shoe. The TPU infused mesh is formed, in an exemplary embodiment, through the application of liquid TPU to a surface of a spacer mesh. The liquid TPU infused spacer mesh is then cured, cut to a pattern, and heat molded to form a desired portion of the shoe. The heat molded TPU mesh is coupled to other portions of the shoe (e.g., sole) to form an article footwear in an exemplary embodiment. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120144695 | Footwear Sole With Midsole Protrusions - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a footwear sole including a midsole and an outsole. The midsole includes of a plurality of protrusions extending downwardly from a bottom surface of the midsole toward the outsole. The outsole may include a plurality of recesses positioned to mate with a corresponding protrusion from the midsole. The outsole may also include one or more protrusion extending downwardly from the bottom of the outsole. The outsole protrusions may correspond with an associated recess of the outsole top surface. The protrusions may be hemispherical in shape at their distal ends so that a portion of the distal end may be received by the corresponding recess of the outsole top surface. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120144631 | Multiple Material Tying Lace - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a tying lace constructed of an outer braided cover having a first thread type and a second thread type. The second thread type is formed from a different material and/or has a different cross-sectional area than the first thread type. In an exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional area is at least twice that of the first thread type. Additionally, the second thread type may be of a material having higher elastic properties and/or a greater coefficient of friction than the first thread type. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the tying lace is constructed with an elastic core extending the length of the tying lace. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120079746 | Heel-End Slip Shoe - Embodiments of the present invention relate to the construction of a shoe that is comprised of a disengageable-heel portion that may be disengaged from an upper. Disengagement of the heel portion from the upper allows the heel portion to fold away from the upper, which exposes a heel-end opening that a foot may pass through to gain entry to the interior of the shoe. Additionally, a stretchable lacing material may be utilized to allow the shoe to absorb energy exerted on to it by a wearer of the shoe without disengaging the heel portion from the upper. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120079742 | Easy Slip Shoe - Embodiments of the present invention relate to a construction of a shoe that includes a tongue that has a first fastener attached along a portion of either a medial side or a lateral side of the tongue. Additionally, a stretchable member is attached near a portion of the medial side or the lateral side of the tongue that is opposite of the first fastener. The first fastener is attachable to the upper near the location of the first fastener on the tongue. Similarly, the stretchable member is attached to the upper near the location of the stretchable member on the tongue. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120017355 | COMBINATION SOCK AND SHOE - A combination sock and shoe includes a shoe sole, an exterior sock that is secured to the shoe sole, an intermediate sock positioned inside the exterior sock, and an interior sock positioned inside the exterior sock and inside the intermediate sock. The intermediate sock is constructed as an anklet having an elastic ankle opening. The exterior and interior socks conceal the intermediate sock from view by sandwiching the intermediate sock between them. When a wearer's foot is inserted into the combination sock and shoe, the elastic ankle opening of the intermediate sock securely engages around the ankle of the wearer's foot and holds the wearer's foot to the shoe sole, thereby preventing the shoe sole from separating away from the heel of the wearer's foot during walking. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110109686 | Utilizing A Printer To Customize Apparel In A Retail Facility - Customized articles of footwear are produced by providing options and graphics that are selected by a customer when submitting a custom order at a retail facility. The graphics are selected from a catalog while the options, such as a shoe model or a shoe size, are selected at an order interface rendered at a computing device. The computing device processes the order by uploading printing instructions associated with the customer-selected graphic or by converting specifications of the order into the printing instructions. The printing instructions are passed to a printer that is configured to move inkjet nozzles in a pattern and, concurrently, control a timed release of coloring agent from the inkjet nozzles based on the printing instructions. Releasing the coloring agent over the article of footwear physically applies a design thereto, which substantially resembles the customer-selected graphic. An oven typically cures the design via infrared heat over a timeframe. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20100122471 | Article Of Footwear Having Shock-Absorbing Elements In The Sole - A shoe is provided having a sole that provides excellent shock absorption without reducing support and stability or such a shoe that is generally light in weight. The shoe may have a sole for supporting a foot of a wearer, and a shoe upper adjacent the sole. The sole may include an upper force-distribution plate portion, a lower force-distribution plate portion spaced below the upper plate portion, a lateral shell connecting the upper and lower force-distribution plate portions, and at least one resilient shock-absorber element in contact with and between both the upper and lower plate portions. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100037484 | Slip On Athleisure Shoe - A construction of an oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearer's foot and held securely on the foot without the need for lacing on the shoe. This provides the shoe with the appearance of a lace up shoe that is worn without lacing. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20090188130 | Slip On Athleisure Shoe - A construction of an oxford type, lace up athleisure shoe enables the shoe to be slipped on the wearers foot and held securely on the foot without the need for lacing on the shoe. This provides the shoe with the appearance of a lace up shoe that is worn without lacing. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090158503 | Combination Sock and Shoe - A combination sock and shoe includes a shoe sole, an exterior sock that is secured to the shoe sole, an intermediate sock positioned inside the exterior sock, and an interior sock positioned inside the exterior sock and inside the intermediate sock. The intermediate sock is constructed as an anklet having an elastic ankle opening. The exterior and interior socks conceal the intermediate sock from view by sandwiching the intermediate sock between them. When a wearer's foot is inserted into the combination sock and shoe, the elastic ankle opening of the intermediate sock securely engages around the ankle of the wearer's foot and holds the wearer's foot to the shoe sole, thereby preventing the shoe sole from separating away from the heel of the wearer's foot during walking. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20080307670 | Footwear with Free Floating Upper - A novel shoe construction provides a unique fit and feel to the shoe wearer's foot. The shoe construction is a variation in what is typically called vulcanized shoe construction. Wherein the conventional vulcanized shoe construction bands of flexible material are permanently adhered or vulcanized to the shoe sole and to a portion of the upper adjacent the shoe sole, in the shoe construction of the invention upper sections of the bands are let loose by being unattached to the shoe upper. In addition, a toe cap of the shoe and a heel counter of the shoe are secured to the shoe sole, but are unattached to the shoe upper. This construction results in a shoe that not only has a unique appearance, but also has a unique feel to the shoe wearer's foot with the upper surrounding the foot being free floating along the sides of the foot as well as across the toes and heel of the foot. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080301887 | SIMPLIFIED SHOE CONSTRUCTION WITH MIDSOLE HAVING OVERMOLDED INSERT - A shoe construction employs a midsole molded of flexible, resilient material around a rigid plate, where the midsole and encapsulated plate are insertable into a separately constructed outsole and shoe upper. | 12-11-2008 |
