(12) United States Patent
`Bray, Jr. et al.
`
`USOO6931763B2
`(10) Patent No.:
`US 6,931,763 B2
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Aug. 23, 2005
`
`2
`
`eZ e a
`
`- - - -
`
`(54) SLIPPER INSOLE, SLIPPER, AND METHOD
`FOR MANUFACTURING ASLIPPER
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`(75) Inventors: Walter Thomas Bray, Jr.,
`SE'S Else
`s
`s
`(73) Assignee: R.G. Barry Corporation, Pickerington,
`OH (US)
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`(21) Appl. No.: 10/634,508
`(22) Filed:
`Aug. 5, 2003
`(65)
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2004/0134095 A1 Jul. 15, 2004
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`10/1931 Messler
`RE 18237 E
`4/1940 Debusschere ................ D2/919
`D119,742 S
`4/1940 Reeves ..........
`... D2/959
`D120,316 S
`3.3. ERCS."
`- - - - R:
`BE s
`11/1953 Preti ......
`... D2/922
`D170,768 S
`4/1955 Smith .......................... D2/923
`D174,475 S
`3. A S. Rhio
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`0
`-
`Declaration of Walter Thomas Bray, Jr. including Exhibits
`A-I (Color Photographs).
`Primary Examiner Jila M. Mohandesi
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Merchant & Gould P.C.
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`An insole is described that can be placed with an insole
`receiving area of a Slipper. The insole can be prepared by
`molding a structure comprising a foam layer having a first
`foam Side and a Second foam Side. The insole includes a heel
`(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/213,276, filed on
`region, an arch region, and a toe region. The heel region
`Aug. 5, 2002.
`includes a heel cushioning portion and a heel perimeter
`(51) Int. Cl." .................................................. A43B 1/02
`portion. The heel perimeter portion includes a retaining wall
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................. 36/9 R. 36/44; 36/11;
`that extends above the top Surface of the heel cushioning
`12/142 T
`portion. The arch region includes an arch cushioning portion
`(58) Field of Search .............................. 36/9 R, 43,44,
`36/71, 11, 12; 12/142 T, 142 G and an arch perimeter portion. The arch perimeter portion
`includes an arch Support that extends above the top Surface
`of the arch cushioning portion. The toe region includes a toe
`cushioning portion and a toe perimeter portion. A slipper and
`a method for manufacturing a slipper are described.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`D62,779 S
`D64,599 S
`
`7/1923 Hirshfield .................... D2/921
`5/1924 Muntener .................... D2/922
`
`30 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`
`MacNeil Exhibit 2162
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`US 6,931,763 B2
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`3,766,669 A 10/1973 Pearsall
`4,020,569 A 5/1977 Fukuoka
`4,020,570 A 5/1977 Shames
`4,033,054 A 7/1977 Fukuoka
`4,124.946. A 11/1978 Tomlin
`4,129,697 A 12/1978 Schapel et al.
`D276.003 S
`10/1984 McAbery ..................... D2/921
`4,508,774 A 4f1985 Grabhoefer et al.
`4.513,518 A 4/1985 Jalbert et al.
`D284,901 S
`8/1986 Tiles
`4,627,177 A 12/1986 Meyers
`4,633,877 A
`1/1987 Pendergast
`4,674.204 A 6/1987 Sullivan et al.
`D294,537 S
`3/1988 Le .............................. D2/960
`4,741951 A 5/1988 Ricciardi et al.
`4,760,655 A 8/1988 Mauch
`4,864,740 A 9/1989 Oakley
`5,146,698 A 9/1992 Tilles et al.
`5,167,999 A 12/1992 Wang
`5,203.793 A 4/1993 Lyden
`D354,389 S
`1/1995 Howlett et al.
`D354,844 S
`1/1995 Rinehart
`5,392,532 A 2/1995 Bray, Jr. et al.
`5,435,077 A
`7/1995 Pyle
`D366,140 S
`1/1996 Finn
`5483,757 A
`1/1996 Frykberg
`
`2/1996 Gay
`D366,956 S
`8/1996 Kantro .......................... 36/44
`5,542,196 A
`5,544,432 A 8/1996 Kita
`5,551,173 A 9/1996 Chambers
`5,611,153 A 3/1997 Fisher et al.
`5,664,342 A 9/1997 Buchsenschluss
`5,669,162 A 9/1997 Dyer
`5,675,914 A 10/1997 Cintron
`5,718,064 A 2/1998 Pyle
`5,787,608 A 8/1998 Greenawalt
`D399,042 S
`10/1998 Strawser et al.
`D418.281 S
`1/2000 Bray et al. ................... D2/919
`D423,766 S
`5/2000 Genga
`D426,373 S
`6/2000 Allen et al.
`D432,769 S
`10/2000 Yung et al.
`6,176,025 B1
`1/2001 Patterson et al. .............. 36/28
`6.219,941 B1
`4/2001 Kukoff
`6,226,894 B1
`5/2001 Bray, Jr. et al.
`6,286.232 B1
`9/2001 Snyder et al.
`6,338,768 B1
`1/2002 Chi ............................ 156/269
`6,418,642 B1
`7/2002 Bigg et al.
`6,662.469 B2 * 12/2003 Belley et al. .................. 36/16
`D485,664 S
`1/2004 Bray, Jr. et al.
`D485,665 S
`1/2004 Bray, Jr. et al.
`D485,666 S
`1/2004 Bray, Jr. et al.
`D490,970 S
`6/2004 Bray, Jr. et al.
`* cited by examiner
`
`MacNeil Exhibit 2162
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`Aug. 23, 2005
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`

`1
`SLIPPER INSOLE, SLIPPER, AND METHOD
`FOR MANUFACTURING ASLIPPER
`
`US 6,931,763 B2
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. appli
`cation Ser. No. 10/213,276 that was filed with the United
`States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 5, 2002. The
`entire disclosure of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/213,276 is
`incorporated herein by reference.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`The invention relates to a slipper insole, a slipper, and a
`method for manufacturing a slipper.
`
`15
`
`25
`
`35
`
`40
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The footwear industry is an old and crowded art. The
`industry is constantly attempting to design new products
`with aesthetic appeal, as well as being comfortable and
`having ease of construction.
`Various designs of SlipperS have been available for a
`number of years. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,532 (Bray, Jr. et
`al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,894 (Bray, Jr. et al.) In general,
`SlipperS are a type of footwear having a generally Soft
`construction and are generally washable in a conventional
`clothes washing machine. SlipperS are typically not manu
`factured using a last, which is often a necessary device when
`manufacturing a shoe, including a hard Sole and a leather
`upper.
`Insoles for various shoes and slippers have been manu
`factured using compression molding of various polymers.
`See U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,173 (Chambers) and U.S. Pat. No.
`3,766,669 (Pearsall). The insole provides a cushion and
`support for the foot. The comfort felt by the wearer of a shoe
`or Slipper depends, in large part, on the ability of this foam
`insole to redistribute the various forces imposed on the foot
`during walking and Standing. These forces are greatest in the
`heel, arch, and forefoot regions.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`An insole is provided according to the invention. The
`insole can be referred to as a contoured footbed and can be
`placed within an insole receiving area of a Slipper. The insole
`45
`can be prepared by compression molding a structure com
`prising a foam layer having a first foam Side and a Second
`foam Side. The insole includes a heel region, an arch region,
`and a toe region. The heel region includes a heel cushioning
`portion and a heel perimeter portion. The heel perimeter
`portion includes a retaining wall that eXtends above the top
`Surface of the heel cushioning portion. The arch region
`includes an arch cushioning portion and an arch perimeter
`portion. The arch perimeter portion includes an arch Support
`that extends above the top Surface of the arch cushioning
`portion. The toe region includes a toe cushioning portion and
`a toe perimeter portion.
`A slipper is provided according to the invention. The
`Slipper includes an outsole, an upper, and an insole. The
`outsole includes a top outsole Side, a bottom outsole Side,
`and an outsole retaining wall extending along a circumfer
`ence of the outsole. The upper includes an outsole attach
`ment area and a foot covering area, and can include a
`Stabilizing member. The Stabilizing member, when included,
`can be attached along the outsole attachment area to provide
`an insole receiving area between the Stabilizing member and
`the foot covering area. If the upper does not include a
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`2
`Stabilizing member, the insole receiving area can be pro
`vided between the outsole and the foot covering area. The
`insole can be placed within the insole receiving area.
`A method for manufacturing a slipper that includes an
`upper attached to an outsole is provided by the invention.
`The method includes a Step of placing an insole within the
`insole receiving area formed within the upper or between the
`upper and the outsole.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slipper construction
`according to the principles of the invention wherein the
`contoured footbed has been removed.
`FIG. 2 is a perspective, assembly view of an insole
`according to the principles of the invention prior to com
`pression molding.
`FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an insole according to the
`principles of the invention.
`FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the insole of FIG. 3.
`FIG. 5 is a perspective, assembly view of the slipper
`construction of FIG. 1.
`FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment
`of an insole according to the principles of the invention.
`FIGS. 7-10 are perspective views of alternative embodi
`ments of insoles according to the principles of the invention.
`FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a closed back slipper
`according to the principles of the invention.
`FIG. 12 is a side view of the closed back slipper of FIG.
`11.
`FIG. 13 is a side view of an alternative closed back slipper
`according to the principles of the invention.
`FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an open back Slipper
`according to the principles of the invention.
`FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an open back slipper
`according to the principles of the invention.
`FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an open toe Slipper
`according to the principles of the invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a slipper according to the present
`invention is shown at reference numeral 10. The slipper 10
`includes an outsole 12, an upper 14, and an insole 16. The
`insole 16 is removable from the insole receiving area 18 and
`is shown removed in FIGS. 1 and 5. The slipper 10 can be
`characterized as having a generally Soft construction while
`providing Support for a wearer's foot.
`The insole 16 has a top surface 20 and a bottom surface
`24. As shown in FIG. 3, the top surface 20 includes a contour
`design 22 in a heel cup region 23. When the insole 16 is
`provided within the insole receiving area 18, the contour
`design 22 is readily visible to Someone looking at the Slipper
`10. It is believed that the contour design 22 provides visual
`interest for a customer of the Slipper and may cause the
`customer to examine the Slipper 10 more closely. It is
`believed that customers will associate the contour design 22
`with SlipperS having an insole according to the invention. In
`addition, the contour design 22 is believed to provide
`additional cushioning.
`The insole 16 can be assembled by laminating a first layer
`26 and a Second layer 28 to provide a laminate construction
`30, and compression molding the laminate construction 30.
`The first layer 26 can be a foam layer 27, and the second
`
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`layer 28 can be a fabric layer 29. The foam layer 27 includes
`a first foam side 31 and a second foam side 32. The fabric
`layer 29 includes a first fabric side 33 and a second fabric
`side 34. The fabric layer 29 is placed over the foam layer 27
`so that the second fabric side 34 is adjacent to the first foam
`side 31. The fabric layer 29 can be held in place on the foam
`layer 27 by an adhesive. Adhesive can be applied as a dry
`powder adhesive, a hot melt adhesive, a water based
`adhesive, etc. to hold the fabric layer 29 in place on the foam
`layer 27. It is expected that the compression molding Step
`will cause a portion of the foam layer 27 to melt thereby
`creating a bond between the fabric layer 29 and the foam
`layer 27. It should be understood that compression molding
`is a generally well known technique for molding to create a
`molded article. To the extent molding techniques other than
`compression molding can be used to prepare the insole
`according to the invention, those techniques can generally
`be referred to as “molding.”
`The foam layer 27 can be prepared from any foam
`material that exhibits the desired level of Support and
`resiliency that is appropriate for use as an insole. It should
`be understood that the characterization of the desired level
`of Support and resiliency refers to properties after molding
`to provide the insole. An exemplary foam material that can
`be used includes ethylene Vinyl acetate. A particular form of
`ethylene vinyl acetate that can be used is Sponge ethylene
`vinyl acetate. The density of the foam layer should be
`sufficient to provide the desired level of support after the
`foam has been compression molded. If the foam density is
`too low, it is expected that insufficient Support will be
`provided. If the foam density is too high, it is expected that
`the foam will be too rigid. A desirable foam density range
`can be between about 4 lb/ft and about 10 lb/ft prior to
`compression molding. In general, it is difficult to measure
`the density of the foam layer 27 after compression molding
`because different parts of the insole 16 can be compressed to
`different levels and thereby provide different densities.
`It is pointed out that the foam layer 27 shown in FIG. 2
`is not necessarily drawn to Scale. It is expected that a
`relatively thick foam layer 27 will be compressed to provide
`the insole 16. For example, the foam layer can be provided
`as a 3 inch block that is molded to provide a desired final
`thickness. In addition, the foam layer can be provided as
`multiple layers of foam materials that may be the same or
`different.
`The fabric layer 29 can be provided from any type of
`fabric material that adheres to the foam layer 27 and
`provides a desired Surface texture. The fabric layer can be a
`woven material, a nonwoven material, or a knitted material.
`Because it is desirable for the contour design 22 to be
`visible, it is generally desirable for the fabric layer 29 to
`have a nap that is Sufficiently Small (if it exists at all) So it
`does not obscure the contour design 22. In general, it is
`expected that the nap will be less than about 4 mm. An
`55
`exemplary fabric material that can be used includes microfi
`ber Sueded fabric. An exemplary microfiber Sueded fabric
`includes a fabric prepared from polyester.
`It should be understood that the insole according to the
`invention can be provided without the fabric layer 29. If
`there is no fabric layer 29, the wearer's foot can directly
`contact the foam layer 27. It is expected that the fabric layer,
`when present, can be selected to provide a desired feel
`against the wearer's foot.
`The insole 16 additionally includes a retaining wall 36
`and an arch Support 38. The contour design 22, the retaining
`wall 36, and the arch support 38 can be formed during the
`
`50
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`40
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`60
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`65
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`4
`compression molding Step. The retaining wall 36 extends
`along a portion of the insole perimeter 39. The arch Support
`38 extends along a portion of the insole perimeter in the
`region where arch Support is desired.
`The insole 16 includes three general regions. These
`regions include a heel region 40, an arch region 42, and a toe
`region 44. In general, the heel region 40 includes that portion
`of the insole 16 that generally contains and Supports the
`wearer's heel. The toe region 44 includes that portion of the
`insole 16 that generally contains and Supports the wearer's
`toes. The arch region 42 is generally that portion of the
`insole 16 provided between the heel region 40 and the toe
`region 44 and provides Support for the wearer's arch. It
`should be understood that there can be Some degree of
`overlap between the regions. The heel region 40 includes a
`heel cushioning area 46 and a heel perimeter 47, the arch
`region 42 includes, an arch cushioning area 48 and an arch
`perimeter 49, and the toe region 44 includes a toe cushioning
`area 50 and a toe perimeter 51. It should be understood that
`the cushioning areas 46, 48, and 50 refer to the portions of
`the insole 16 that cushions the corresponding part of a
`wearer's foot, and the perimeters 47, 49, and 51 refer to
`portions of the insole perimeter 39 of the insole 16.
`As shown in FIG. 3, the retaining wall 36 extends around
`the heel perimeter 47 and into the arch perimeter 49. For the
`design shown in FIG. 3, the retaining wall 36 does not
`extend into the toe perimeter 51. The retaining wall 36 is
`constructed So that it extends above the heel cushioning area
`top Surface 52 and the arch cushioning area top Surface 54
`to an extent Sufficient, to help retain the wearer's foot in its
`proper location on the insole 16. The retaining wall 36 can
`have a varying height depending upon whether it is located
`in the heel region 40 or the arch region 42. The retaining
`wall 36 can have a height that is sufficient for providing
`containment and/or Support of the wearer's foot, but should
`not be So high that it causes discomfort. An exemplary range
`for the retaining wall 36 can be between about 4 inch and
`about 1 inch. In many applications, it is expected that the
`retaining wall 36 will have a height of about 7s inch above
`the heel cushioning area top Surface 52 and the arch cush
`ioning area top Surface 54. Because it is expected that the toe
`region 44 will be compressed more than the heel region 40
`and the arch region 42, it is expected that the toe cushioning
`area top surface 56 will be lower than the heel cushioning
`area top Surface 52 and the arch cushioning area top Surface
`54. In addition, it should be understood that the retaining
`wall 36 can decrease until it merges with the arch cushioning
`area top Surface 54 and/or the toe cushioning area top
`Surface 56.
`The combination of the heel cushioning area 46 and the
`retaining wall 36 provided in the heel perimeter 47 provides
`a structure that can be referred to as the heel cup region 23
`because it acts to contain the wearer's heel and keep it in a
`Stationary position. The heel cushioning area 46 includes the
`contour design 22. In addition to providing Visual interest to
`a customer, it is believed that the contour design 22 provides
`additional cushioning. The contour design 22 includes areas
`of relatively lower density foam 57 and areas of relatively
`higher density foam 58. The contour design 22 shown in
`FIG. 3 can be referred to as a starburst pattern 41 because it
`includes a relatively low density central area 59 surrounded
`by isolated domains of relatively low density foam 55. It
`should be understood that the reference to low density foam
`refers to the comparison with the adjacent areas of relatively
`higher density foam 58. The difference in height between the
`lower density foam areas 57 and the higher density foam
`areas 58 should be sufficient to be readily visible upon
`
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`

`S
`inspection of the insole 16, but should not be So large as to
`cause discomfort. In general, it is expected that the differ
`ence in height between the low density area 57 and the
`higher density areas 58 will be between about 1/16 inch and
`about 3/16 inch. It should be understood that the contour
`design may or may not be present in the heel cup region 23,
`and may include various designs. Such as those of interest to
`CuStOmerS.
`Now referring to FIG. 5, the upper 14 is shown separated
`from the outsole 12. The upper 14 includes an outsole
`attachment area 60, a foot covering area 62, and a Stabilizing
`member 64. The outsole attachment area 60 is provided
`along the upper 14 covering the length of attachment
`between the upper 14 and the outsole 12. For the construc
`tion of the upper 14 shown in FIG. 5, the outsole attachment
`area 60 extends around the entire upper circumference 61.
`That is, the outsole attachment area 60 extends to provide
`attachment to the outsole 12 in the toe region 63, the arch
`region 65, and the heel region 67. The combination of the
`outsole attachment area 60 and the foot covering area 62
`provided in the heel region 40 can be referred to as the heel
`wrap upper 66. The foot covering area 62 includes an
`opening 68 that allows for the insertion of a foot into the foot
`receiving area 18. Binding 69 can be provided along the foot
`covering area 62 to provide a finished appearance to the
`opening 68.
`The stabilizing member 64 is attached to the upper 14
`along the outsole attachment area 60. One technique for
`attaching the Stabilizing member 64 along the outsole attach
`ment area 60 is by sewing to create a stitch line 70 and a
`seam allowance 72. The upper 14 can then be attached to the
`outsole 12 along the outsole retaining wall 74 to hide the
`Stitch line 70 and the seam allowance 72. The upper 14 can
`be attached to the outsole 12 by Stitching to create a Stitch
`line 80 as shown in FIG. 1.
`The outsole 12 includes an outsole top side 82, an outsole
`bottom side 84, and an outsole retaining wall 74. The outsole
`retaining wall 74 extends above the outsole top side 82 along
`the perimeter 86. It should be understood that the outsole can
`be provided having various configurations and can be pre
`pared by various manufacturing techniques without any
`preference for particular materials and processes except to
`recognize that certain preferences may be based on various
`reasons including cost and customer preference.
`The upper 14 can be prepared from any fabric material
`commonly used in the manufacture of a slipper. The Stabi
`lizing member 64 can be provided from the same type of
`material used to provide the outsole attachment area 60. In
`general, the Stabilizing member 64 is provided to assist with
`the attachment of the upper 14 to the outsole 12. The
`Stabilizing member 64 helps the upper 14 maintain its shape
`during the Step of attaching the upper 14 to the outsole 12.
`Although the upper can be attached to the outsole by
`Stitching, it should be appreciated that other techniques can
`be used including adhesive bonding. Although the upper 14
`is shown attached to the outsole 12 along the entire perim
`eter 86 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, alternatives can
`exist where the upper is not attached to the outsole in at least
`a portion of the perimeter.
`Now referring to FIG. 6, an alternative design of an insole
`according to the principles of the invention is shown at
`reference numeral 90. The insole, 90 includes a plurality of
`perforations or holes 92 provided in the heel region 94, a
`plurality of perforations 96 provided in the arch region 98,
`and a plurality of perforations 100 provided in the toe region
`102. The perforations provide for additional air circulation
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`in order to make the slipper more comfortable to a wearer.
`In addition, the presence of the perforations 96 in the arch
`support 104 helps provide flexibility to the arch support 104.
`In general, Slippers are available in whole sizes, and slippers
`are generally not available in half sizes. Accordingly, by
`providing a more flexible arch support 104, it is possible to
`provide the insole 90 with a larger degree of fit for various
`individuals.
`The insole according to the invention can be characterized
`as a removable, contoured footbed. That is, the insole is
`removable from the insole receiving area. It is expected that
`the insole may be glued in place within the insole receiving
`area to Simply hold it in place until it is desired to remove
`the insole. The insole can be glued in place within the insole
`receiving area by Spot gluing or placing Spots of glue
`between the insole and the Stabilizing member. In addition,
`if the upper is attached to the outsole without a Stabilizing
`member, the insole can be glued directly to the outsole. The
`insole can be referred to as a footbed because of the presence
`of the retaining wall and the arch Support. The insole can be
`referred to as a contoured footbed because of the additional
`presence of the contour design. It is expected that the
`combination of the retaining wall and the arch Support, when
`combined with the outsole retaining wall, will help stabilize
`a wearer's foot within the Slipper.
`Various embodiments of the slipper and contoured foot
`bed according to the invention are shown in U.S. application
`Ser. No. 29/165,186 entitled “Closed Back Slipper With
`Contoured Footbed” and filed on Aug. 5, 2002, now U.S.
`Pat. No. D485,664; U.S. application Ser. No. 29/165,190
`entitled “Open Toe Slipper With Contoured Footbed” and
`filed on Aug. 5, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. D485,665; U.S.
`application Ser. No. 29/165.204 entitled “Closed Toe Slipper
`With Contoured Footbed” and filed on Aug. 5, 2002, now
`U.S. Pat. No. 485,666; and U.S. application Ser. No. 29/165,
`183 entitled “Contoured Footbed” and filed on Aug. 5, 2002,
`now U.S. Pat. No. D490,970, The entire disclosures of these
`four U.S. patent applications are incorporated herein by
`reference.
`Now referring to FIGS. 7-10, alternative insoles accord
`ing to the present invention are shown. It is pointed out that
`the insoles of FIGS. 7-10 are provided in U.S. application
`Ser. No. 29/165,183 that is incorporated herein by reference.
`Additional views of the insoles of FIGS. 7-10 can be found
`in U.S. application Ser. No. 29/165,183.
`Now referring to FIG. 7, the insole 200 includes a heel
`region 202, an arch region 204, and a toe region 206. A
`retaining wall 208 extends around the heel perimeter 210
`and at least part way into the arch perimeter 212. It is pointed
`out that the arch Support 214 forms a part of the retaining
`wall 208 that extends onto the arch perimeter 212. These
`features of the insole 200 (FIG. 7) are similarly found in the
`insole 200' (FIG. 8), the insole 200" (FIG. 9), and the insole
`200" (FIG. 10).
`The insole 200 is shown having a plurality of perforations
`220 in the heel region 202, a plurality of perforations 222 in
`the arch region 204, and a plurality of perforations 224 in the
`toe region 206. The plurality of perforations 222 include a
`plurality of perforations 223 in the arch support 214 and a
`plurality of perforations 225 in the arch region 204 that are
`not in the arch Support 214. In general, the perforations
`provide air flow and in the case of perforations 223, provide
`flexibility in the arch support 214. The heel cup region 228
`of the insole 200 is shown without a contour design.
`The insole 200' includes a plurality of perforations 220" in
`the heel region202, and does not include perforations in the
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`arch region 204' and the toe region 206". In addition, the heel
`region 202' includes a contour design 229' provided as a
`starburst pattern in the heel cup region 228". The perforations
`220 are shown within the central area of low density foam
`231' of the starburst pattern 233' and not in the outlying areas
`of low density foam 235" of the starburst pattern 233'. It
`should be understood that, if desired, the perforations can be
`provided in either or both of the central area of low density
`foam 231' or the outlying areas of low density foam 235".
`The insole 200" includes perforations 220" in the heel region
`202", and perforations 222" in the arch region 204". The
`insole 200" includes no perforations and includes a contour
`design 229" in the heel cup region 228".
`It should be understood that the various insole configu
`rations according to the invention can be placed in the insole
`receiving area of various Slipper configurations. FIGS.
`11-16 are provided showing alternative Slipper configura
`tions that include representative examples of insole configu
`rations. The slipper configurations shown in FIGS. 11-16
`can be found in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 29/165,186,
`29/165,190, and 29/165.204 that are incorporated herein by
`reference. It should be understood that the various insole
`configurations according to the invention, Such as those
`shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, can be substituted for those insoles
`shown in FIGS. 11-16.
`Now referring to FIG. 11, an alternative slipper design
`according to the invention is shown at reference number
`300. The slipper 300 includes an insole 302, an outsole 304,
`and an upper 306. The insole 302 can be provided as an
`insole or footbed according to the principles of the inven
`tion. The slipper 300 can be referred to as a closed back
`Slipper because the upper 306 is constructed to include a heel
`wrap upper 308 that extends upward from the outsole 304 so
`that it wraps and encloses the wearer's heel. The upper 306
`additionally includes a foot covering area 310 that covers the
`top of the wearer's foot. The upper 306 includes an opening
`through which the wearer's foot passes when taking on or off
`the slipper 300. The upper 306 can include elastic members
`314 to help allow the wearer's foot to fit through the opening
`312 by allowing a stretch between the foot top covering
`upper 316 and the side upper 318. The outsole 304 includes
`an outsole retaining wall 320 and the upper 306 is shown
`attached to the outsole retaining wall 320 along the outsole
`perimeter 322. As shown in FIG. 12, the outsole 304 can
`have an outsole retaining wall 320 having various configu
`ration and Styling as long as the upper is capable of attaching
`thereto.
`Now referring to FIG. 13, a Slipper design according to
`the invention is shown at reference number 330. The slipper
`design 330 is similar to the slipper design 300 except that the
`outsole 332 includes cuts 334 that are visible when viewing
`the outsole exterior surface 336. The cuts can be provided in
`any desired design and can be provided to help increase
`flexibility and/or traction.
`Now referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, alternative slipper
`designs according to the invention are shown at reference
`numbers 400 and 400'. The slippers 400 and 400' include an
`upper 402 and 402', and an outsole 404 and 404'. The upper
`402 and 402' include a heel wrap portion 406 and 406" that
`is relatively low to the outsole. Because the heel wrap
`portion 406 and 406" is so low, the slippers 400 and 400' can
`be referred to as open back slippers. By providing open back
`Slippers, it is generally easier to insert or remove a wearer's
`foot.
`The slippers 400 and 400' differ by the insoles 410 and
`412 provided in the insole receiving areas 414 and 414'.
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