FOOTWEAR, AND METHODS OF PREPARING SAME

1 . A footwear item, comprising:

an upper;

a sole attached to the upper;

wherein the sole is in a form of a single unitary layer composed of a composition comprising ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent.

2 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one of a bridging agent and a color master agent.

3 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:

EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;

rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;

bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;

foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;

bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and

color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.

4 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the composition consists essentially of:

EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;

rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;

bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;

foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;

bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and

color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.

5 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the upper is composed essentially of said composition.

6 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the layer is generally homogeneous.

7 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the layer has two opposite-facing sides, the first side having a top-facing surface and the second side having a bottom-facing surface; each surface extending from an anterior end to a posterior end of a wearer's foot;

wherein one or more of the top- and bottom-facing surfaces having a plurality of surface regions comprising at least one arrangement of a plurality of surface structures selected from the group of apertures, grooves, notches, protrusions, and cavities.

8 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , formed in a single-step process.

9 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , formed by injection molding.

10 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , having one or more of the following properties:

density in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.6 mg per cubic meter, determined according to ASTM D297;

compression set of not more than about 30%, determined according to SATRA TM156:2002,620n;

Shore A hardness in the range of about 20H to about 35H, determined according to ASTM D2240;

Shore C hardness in the range of about 35H to about 48H, determined according to ASTM D2240;

abrasion resistance in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5 g after 10,000 cycles, determined according to ASTM D3886-99; and

skid resistance of dry in the range of u 0.30 to u 0.80, and wet in the range of u 0.35 to u 0.60, determined according to F2913-2011.

11 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , wherein the density is in the range of about 0.26 to about 0.35 mg per cubic meter, the compression set is not more than about 25%; the Shore A hardness is in the range of about 23H to about 30H, the Shore C hardness is in the range of about 38H to about 45H, and the skid resistance of dry is in the range of u 0.4 to u 0.67, and wet in the range of u 042 to u 0.55.

12 . The footwear item according to claim 1 , being selected from the group consisting of a shoe, a boot, a slipper, a sock, a ballet slipper, a sandal and a sport shoe.

13 . A boot, comprising:

a boot shaft, and

a sole attached to the boot shaft;

wherein the sole is in a form of a single unitary layer composed of a composition comprising ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), rubber, and at least one agent selected from a bulking agent and a foaming agent.

14 . The boot according to claim 13 , wherein the composition comprises:

EVA in the range of 20% to 60%;

rubber in the range of 25% to 70%;

bulking agent in the range of 6% to 12%;

foaming agent in the range of 0.5% to 12%;

bridging agent in the range of 1% to 5%; and

color master agent in the range of 0% to 2%.

15 . The boot according to claim 13 , wherein the boot shaft is composed essentially of said composition.

16 . The boot according to claim 13 , wherein the layer is generally homogeneous.

17 . The boot according to claim 13 , wherein the layer has two opposite-facing sides, the first side having a top-facing surface and the second side having a bottom-facing surface; each surface extending from an anterior end to a posterior end of a wearer's foot;

wherein one or more of the top- and bottom-facing surfaces having a plurality of surface regions comprising at least one arrangement of a plurality of surface structures selected from the group of apertures, grooves, notches, protrusions, and cavities.

18 . The boot according to claim 13 , formed in a single-step process.

19 . The boot according to claim 13 , having one or more of the following properties:

density in the range of about 0.2 to about 0.6 mg per cubic meter, determined according to ASTM D297;

compression set of not more than about 30%, determined according to SATRA TM156:2002,620n;

Shore A hardness in the range of about 20H to about 35H, determined according to ASTM D2240;

Shore C hardness in the range of about 35H to about 48H, determined according to ASTM D2240;

abrasion resistance in the range of about 0.1 to about 0.5 g after 10,000 cycles, determined according to ASTM D3886-99; and

skid resistance of dry in the range of u 0.30 to u 0.80, and wet in the range of u 0.35 to u 0.60, determined according to F2913-2011.

20 . The boot according to claim 13 , wherein the density is in the range of about 0.26 to about 0.35 mg per cubic meter, the compression set is not more than about 25%; the Shore A hardness is in the range of about 23H to about 30H, the Shore C hardness is in the range of about 38H to about 45H, and the skid resistance of dry is in the range of u 0.4 to u 0.67, and wet in the range of u 042 u 0.55.