Open footwear with rigid, porous surface
It is desired to teach an open footwear article where the upper surface contacting the foot is partially combined with, or wholly comprised of, a substantially rigid material that has some degree of open porosity. The purpose of said rigid, porous material serves to immediately absorb perspiration and/or water from the feet. Subsequent drying of the porous, rigid material occurs when the sandal is not in use as water/perspiration are evaporated from within the pores. The porous, rigid material also effects a massaging action while walking. It is the intent of this invention to capture a preferred combination of these two embodiments.
1. An open footwear article whose contact surface with the foot is partially comprised of sandstone and a non-rigid portion of the footwear article wherein the non-rigid portion of the footwear article comprises ethyl-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), poly-ethylene (PE), poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), thermos-plastic rubber (TPR) or pure rubber as well as combinations of these polymers.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 1-40%.
3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 1-20%.
4. The article of claim 3 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 1-10%.
5. The article of claim 2 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-25 GPa.
6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-10 GPa.
7. The article of claim 6 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-5 GPa.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the sandstone material deployed is also produced for another application.
9. An open footwear article whose contact surface with the foot is wholly comprised of sandstone and a non-rigid portion of the footwear article wherein the non-rigid portion of the footwear article comprises ethyl-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyurethane (PU), poly-ethylene (PE), poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), thermos-plastic rubber (TPR) or pure rubber as well as combinations of these polymers.
10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 0.1-40%.
11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 0.1-20%.
12. The article of claim 11 , wherein the sandstone has a degree of porosity of 0.1-10%.
13. The article of claim 10 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-25 GPa.
14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-10 GPa.
15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the sandstone has a modulus-of-rigidity of 0.1-5 GPa.
16. The article of claim 8 , where the other application is a coaster.