IP Library Granted Patent US 12,440,000
Granted Patent B2
US 12,440,000 · App. 18/272,976 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Upper and shoe including the same

Inventors: Chihaya Suzuki (Hyogo, JP); Seiji Yano (Hyogo, JP); Hiroki Nakamura (Hyogo, JP); Satoru Abe (Hyogo, JP); Sho Takamasu (Hyogo, JP)
Assignee: ASICS CORPORATION
A43B23/0245
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,440,000
App. No.
18/272,976
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An upper includes an upper body covering the instep of a foot. An upper body includes a first layer, a second layer disposed with a gap from the first layer, and a third layer connecting the first layer and the second layer. A part of the upper body is disposed with a low stiffness region having lower stiffness than an adjacent region. At least a part of the low stiffness region has a point in which the third layer is not disposed. A plurality of holes is disposed in at least a part of a portion of the first layer and the second layer of the low stiffness region corresponding to the point in which the third layer is not disposed.

Claims (33)

1. An upper comprising

an upper body covering an instep of a foot, wherein

the upper body includes a first layer, a second layer disposed with a gap from the first layer, and a third layer connecting the first layer and the second layer,

the upper body includes a standard region, a non-hole region having a lower stiffness than the standard region, and a low stiffness region having a lower stiffness than the non-hole region,

the first layer and the second layer have no hole in the standard region,

the third layer is not disposed in the non-hole region,

the first layer and the second layer have no hole in the non-hole region,

the third layer is not disposed in the low stiffness region,

at least one hole is disposed in each of the first layer and the second layer in the low stiffness region, and

the at least one hole in the first layer and the at least one hole in the second layer are disposed at a corresponding position in the low stiffness region.

2. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole in the first layer and the at least one hole in the second layer have a same shape.

3. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the at least one hole in the first layer and the at least one hole in the second layer are a circle, an ellipse, or a 2n-polygon (n is an integer of 2 or more).

4. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein

the upper body includes an upper forefoot portion adapted to cover a forefoot of the foot, and

the low stiffness region includes a first low stiffness region disposed in the upper forefoot portion.

5. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein

the at least one hole in the first layer includes a plurality of holes disposed with a space from each other in a front-rear direction and a foot width direction, and

a total opening area of the plurality of holes in a center portion of the upper body in the foot width direction is larger than a total opening area of the plurality of holes in a side face portion of the upper body in the foot width direction.

6. The upper according to claim 4 , wherein

the first low stiffness region includes a plurality of first holes disposed side by side in a front-rear direction and a foot width direction, and

a shape of the plurality of first holes is a rhombus.

7. The upper according to claim 4 , wherein

the upper body includes an upper midfoot portion covering a midfoot of the foot, and

the low stiffness region includes a second low stiffness region disposed in the upper midfoot portion.

8. The upper according to claim 7 , wherein a point in which the third layer is disposed and a point in which the third layer is not disposed are alternately disposed in the second low stiffness region along a foot width direction.

9. The upper according to claim 7 , wherein

the second low stiffness region includes a plurality of second holes disposed side by side in a front-rear direction and in a foot width direction, and

a shape of the second holes is a square or a rectangle.

10. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein

the third layer includes a plurality of linear bodies, and

a density of the plurality of linear bodies in the third layer increases from one side to the other side in a front-rear direction.

11. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the upper body is disposed of a single material.

12. A shoe comprising: the upper according to claim 1 ; and a sole positioned below the upper.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2023
From: SUZUKI, CHIHAYA; YANO, SEIJI; NAKAMURA, HIROKI; ABE, SATORU; TAKAMASU, SHO
To: ASICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064929/0358 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240081481A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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