Hybrid skate boot
View Patent ↗A method of making a skate boot upper, including integrally molding a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and at least part of a tendon guard, manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material, and assembling the upper by attaching edges of the quarters to the boot portion with the quarter overlapping the boot portion only along said edges. Also, a method of making a skate boot upper, including manufacturing a boot portion from a first material, the boot portion including at least an instep portion and at least part of a tendon guard, manufacturing two quarters of a second material more rigid than the first material, and assembling the upper by attaching edges of the quarters to the boot portion through stitching, adhesive or lamination.
1. A skate boot for receiving a wearer's foot and ankle therein, the boot comprising:
a boot upper fixed to an outsole, the boot upper including:
first and second quarters, each quarter having a bottom section for covering a respective side of the foot and a top section extending from the bottom section at a rear thereof to cover a respective side of the ankle,
a vamp for covering a front portion of the foot and connected to the quarters,
an instep portion connected to the vamp and quarters for at least partly covering a top portion of the foot, and
a rear portion connected to the quarters for covering a rear portion of the foot and ankle;
wherein at least the instep portion is made of a first material;
wherein the first and second quarters are made of a second material, the second material being more rigid than the first material, at least a major part of the instep portion being free of the second material; and
wherein the first and second quarters are connected to the vamp, the instep portion and the rear portion through stitching, adhesive or lamination.
2. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein at least an upper part of the rear portion is also made of the first material.
3. The skate boot according to claim 2 , wherein at least the instep portion and the upper part of the rear portion are integrally molded in a single piece.
4. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein each quarter overlaps the vamp, the instep portion and the rear portion only along edges of the quarter and is connected to the the vamp, the instep portion and the rear portion along said edges.
5. The skate boot according to claim 4 , wherein each quarter is made of a single piece.
6. The skate boot according to claim 5 , wherein at least the instep portion and the upper part of the rear portion are integrally molded in a single piece.
7. The skate boot according to claim 4 , wherein the top and bottom sections of each quarter together have an approximate “L” shape.
8. The skate boot according to claim 7 , wherein each quarter is made of a single piece.
9. The skate boot according to claim 8 , wherein at least the instep portion and the upper part of the rear portion are integrally molded in a single piece.
10. The skate boot according to claim 9 , wherein the first material has a rigidity at least equal to that of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
11. The skate boot according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second quarters are more rigid than the vamp and the rear portion.
12. The skate boot according to claim 7 , wherein the first material includes ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and the second material includes at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA).
13. The skate boot according to claim 4 , wherein the first material has a rigidity at least equal to that of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
14. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the first material has a rigidity at least equal to that of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
15. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the first material includes ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and the second material includes at least one of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA).
16. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the second material includes filaments.
17. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the second material includes a plurality of laminated layers.
18. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein each quarter is made of a single piece.
19. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second quarters are more rigid than the vamp and the rear portion.
20. The skate boot according to claim 1 , wherein the top and bottom sections of each quarter together have an approximate “L” shape.