Granted Patent B1

US 12,611,002 · App. 19/083,944 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Inventors: Dewayne Dale (Howard City, MI); Eric P. Fracassi (Grandville, MI)

Assignee: Wolverine Outdoors, Inc.

A43B7/06

Abstract

Claims (72)

1 . A footwear construction comprising: an upper forming a void configured to receive a foot of a user, the upper including a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the upper and separating the upper into a lateral side and a medial side, the upper including a toe box and an instep extending rearward of the toe box, the instep defining an aperture bounded by a boundary edge that extends around the aperture along the medial side and the lateral side; a vent panel disposed over the aperture and joined with the boundary edge, the vent panel including a central portion aligned with the longitudinal axis, the vent panel being joined with the boundary edge around the aperture, the vent panel being disposed rearward of the toe box, the vent panel defining a plurality of slots that extend transverse to the longitudinal axis from the medial side to the lateral side, the plurality of slots extending completely through the central portion to allow airflow therethrough; a mesh panel extending across the vent panel and the plurality of slots from the medial side to the lateral side; and an outsole joined with the upper and including a plurality of ground contacting treads, wherein an airflow can pass through the plurality of slots and the mesh panel, and into the void and vice versa to provide venting to a user's foot disposed in the footwear; wherein the instep transitions to a shaft that is without a tongue and a lace, the shaft extending above an ankle region.

2 . The footwear construction of claim 1 ,

wherein the vent panel is in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid,

wherein the vent panel includes a vent panel edge having a plurality of different curved portions extending adjacent the boundary edge,

wherein the vent panel extends rearward and beyond a metatarsal phalangeal joint region and along an ankle region of the footwear construction.

3 . The footwear construction of claim 2 , wherein the shaft includes a plurality of stitching elements, wherein the outsole includes an elevated heel in a heel region of the footwear construction, the elevated heel including a first part of the plurality of ground contacting treads, wherein the outsole includes a forward portion in a forefoot region of the footwear construction, the forward portion including a second part of the plurality of ground contacting treads, wherein the elevated heel and the forward portion are separated from one another by a gap in an arch region where none of the ground contacting treads are located.

4 . The footwear construction of claim 1 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a plurality of transverse beams disposed between respective ones of the plurality of slots defined by the vent panel,

wherein each of the transverse beams extends across and transverse to the longitudinal axis.

5 . The footwear construction of claim 4 ,

wherein each of the plurality of transverse beams includes a trapezoidal cross section,

wherein each of the beams includes an exterior face and an interior face,

wherein the interior face includes a first width and the exterior face includes a second width,

wherein the first width is greater than the second width.

6 . The footwear construction of claim 4 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a lateral support on the lateral side,

wherein the vent panel includes a medial support on the medial side,

wherein each of the plurality of transverse beams span from the lateral support to the medial support,

wherein the plurality of slots are defined between the lateral support and the medial support.

7 . The footwear construction of claim 6 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a thickness of at least 3 mm in the plurality of transverse beams, the lateral support and the medial support,

wherein the vent panel is of a hyperbolic paraboloid shape and disposed rearward of the toe box,

wherein the vent panel is constructed from a polymer material and the upper is constructed from a leather material,

wherein the vent panel is joined with the boundary edge around the aperture with a stitching thread extending through the vent panel and the upper.

8 . The footwear construction of claim 7 ,

wherein the stitching thread extends through the mesh to join the mesh with the vent panel around the aperture,

wherein the mesh is conformed to the hyperbolic paraboloid shape of the vent panel.

9 . The footwear construction of claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes a plurality of stitching elements, wherein the shaft includes a first finger strap on the lateral side and a second finger strap on the medial side along an upper portion of the shaft.

10 . The footwear construction of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of slots are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,

wherein the vent panel includes a boundary step,

wherein the boundary edge is nested in the boundary step,

wherein a stitch extends through the boundary step, the boundary edge, and a mesh edge of the mesh panel around the aperture.

11 . A footwear construction comprising: an upper forming a void configured to receive a foot of a user, the upper including a forefoot region, an arch region and a heel region, the upper including a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the upper and separating the upper into a lateral side and a medial side, the upper including a toe box in the forefoot region and an instep extending rearward of the toe box within at least one of the forefoot region and the arch region, the instep defining an aperture bounded by a boundary edge that extends around the aperture along the medial side and the lateral side, the boundary edge having a first thickness; a vent panel disposed over the aperture and joined with the boundary edge, the vent panel including a central portion aligned with the longitudinal axis, the vent panel including a boundary step including a stitching flange and a wall extending away from the stitching flange, the stitching flange including a second thickness, the boundary step being stitched to the boundary edge around the aperture with a stitch extending through the first thickness and the second thickness with the 4 boundary edge being disposed adjacent the wall, the vent panel being of a hyperbolic paraboloid shape and disposed rearward of the toe box, the vent panel defining a plurality of elongated slots that extend transverse to the longitudinal axis from the medial side to the lateral side, the plurality of elongated slots extending completely through a third thickness of the central portion; a mesh panel extending across the plurality of elongated slots from the medial side to the lateral side; and an outsole joined with the upper and including a plurality of ground contacting treads, wherein an airflow can pass through the plurality of elongated slots and the mesh panel, and into the void and vice versa to provide venting to a user's foot disposed in the footwear; wherein the instep transitions to a shaft that is without a tongue and a lace, the shaft extending above an ankle region.

12 . The footwear construction of claim 11 ,

wherein the boundary step includes an outer step surface,

wherein the boundary edge includes an outer edge surface,

wherein the outer step surface and outer edge surface are flush with one another.

13 . The footwear construction of claim 12 ,

wherein the vent panel is constructed from a polymer material,

wherein the upper is constructed from a leather material,

wherein the vent panel includes a plurality of beams between the respective plurality of elongated slots,

wherein each of the plurality of beams includes the third thickness,

wherein each of the plurality of beams includes a medial end and a lateral end,

wherein the medial end is joined with a medial support extending on the medial side,

wherein the lateral end is joined with a lateral support extending on the lateral side,

wherein the boundary step extends along the medial support and along the lateral support,

wherein the mesh panel is joined with the vent panel along the lateral support and along the medial support.

14 . The footwear construction of claim 11 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a plurality of beams between the respective plurality of elongated slots,

wherein each of the plurality of beams is separated from one another by a first distance,

wherein each of the plurality of beams tapers in cross section from an interior surface of each beam to an exterior surface of each beam, such that each beam is wider near the void.

15 . The footwear construction of claim 11 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a lateral support on the lateral side,

wherein the vent panel includes a medial support on the medial side,

wherein the mesh panel is stitched with the stitch to the medial support,

wherein the mesh panel is stitched with the stitch to the lateral support.

16 . The footwear construction of claim 11 , wherein the shaft includes a plurality of stitching elements, wherein the shaft includes a first finger strap on the lateral side and a second finger strap on the medial side along an upper portion of the shaft.

17 . A footwear construction comprising: an upper forming a void configured to receive a foot of a user, the upper including a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the upper and separating the upper into a lateral side and a medial side, the upper including a toe box and an instep extending rearward of the toe box, the instep defining an aperture bounded by a boundary edge that extends around the aperture along the medial side and the lateral side, the upper including a shaft extending above the instep, the shaft including a finger strap along the shaft; a vent panel disposed over the aperture and joined with the boundary edge around the aperture, the vent panel being disposed rearward of the toe box, the vent panel defining a plurality of holes that extend transverse to the longitudinal axis from the medial side to the lateral side, the plurality of holes being separated from one another via plurality of transverse beams adjacent respective ones of the plurality of holes, the vent panel including a vent panel interior surface; a mesh panel disposed adjacent the vent panel interior surface; and an outsole joined with the upper, wherein an airflow can pass through the plurality of holes and the mesh panel, and into the void and vice versa to provide venting to a user's foot disposed in the footwear.

18 . The footwear construction of claim 17 ,

wherein the aperture and vent panel over the aperture are contained within the instep only,

wherein the vent panel is distal from the outsole and toe box,

wherein each of the plurality of holes is a slot extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,

wherein each slot includes a rounded medial end and a rounded lateral end.

19 . The footwear construction of claim 18 ,

wherein the vent panel includes a boundary step including a stitching flange and a wall extending away from the stitching flange,

wherein the boundary step is stitched to the boundary edge around the aperture with a stitch, the boundary edge being disposed adjacent the wall,

wherein the boundary step includes an outer step surface,

wherein the boundary edge includes an outer edge surface,

wherein the outer step surface and outer edge surface are flush with one another.

20 . The footwear construction of claim 19 ,

wherein each of the plurality of transverse beams tapers in cross section from an interior surface of each beam to an exterior surface of each beam, such that each beam is wider near the void.

Assignments (1)

References Cited (18)