US20110179668A1

Movatterモバイル変換

Info

Publication number: US20110179668A1
Application number: US12/695,609
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent Fleming; Aron Cabasan; Lenny M. Holden
Original assignee: SENIZERGUES PIERRE-ANDRE
Current assignee: SENIZERGUES PIERRE-ANDRE
Priority date: 2010-01-28
Filing date: 2010-01-28
Publication date: 2011-07-28

Abstract

A vulc style and cupsole style footwear and a method for manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The footwear includes a midsole that is directly attached to the upper. The midsole may be attached to the outsole by adhesive. In the method of manufacturing the footwear, the upper and an outsole are disposed a set distance apart. Polyurethane or other material for providing cushioning to the footwear is either injected between the upper and outsole or poured onto the outsole and the upper is traversed over the outsole so as to define the mold for defining the midsole. The polyurethane is directly attached to the upper and adhered to the outsole/cupsole.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a method and product for manufacturing vulcanized style footwear or cupsole style footwear.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart for manufacturing a traditional vulc style footwear. Initially, the outsoles and midsoles of the footwear are formed separately in two different molds and possibly at two different locations or two different areas within a production plant. After the outsoles and midsoles are formed, they are brought together and assembled by disposing the midsole on the outsole. A lasted upper is disposed on the assembled outsole/midsole. Also, an uncured foxing is wrapped about the upper and the outsole by hand. Adhesive is applied on the interconnecting surfaces so that upon application of heat and pressure, the foxing attaches the upper to the outsole. The foxing is the member that joins the upper to the outsole. The foxing is vulcanized to the upper and the outsole to hold the shoe together. The primary purpose of the midsole is to provide cushioning and does not provide significant structural attachment between the upper and the outsole. This process is a hand intensive process, requires multiple steps and the transportation of the outsole and midsole over great distances when setting up a manufacturing plant to do high volume production of footwear.

Referring now toFIG. 2, a flow chart for forming a cupsole style footwear is shown. In particular, the cupsole and the midsoles are formed separately. After the cupsoles and midsoles are formed, they are brought together and attached to each other. A lasted upper is placed (i.e., matched) on the midsole so that a cement line may be drawn on the upper. The area below the cement line is where adhesive or cement is placed on the upper to adhere the lip of the cupsole to the upper. After the cement line is drawn, the upper is removed from the cupsole. Cement is applied to the upper below the cement line. The lasted upper is then rematched onto the cupsole. Pressure and heat are applied until the cupsole is cured and attached to the upper so as to produce the shoe. Once again, the midsole does not structurally attach the upper to the cupsole or hold the shoe together.

Other methods of fabricating the midsole are also known in the prior art. By way of example and not limitation, the midsole may be injection molded into the cupsole or between the lasted upper and the outsole. Unfortunately, the injection molded midsole may include ratholes or gaps between various components of the foxing, cupsole, outsole and upper. These gaps cause structural delamination of the various components of the shoe and also hinders force transfer between the foot and the outsole which may be crucial in various technical sports requiring tactile foot skill. Additionally, when the midsole is injection molded into the shoe, the midsole does not structurally attach the upper to the outsole or cupsole.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved vulc style shoe and cupsole style shoe as well as a method for manufacturing such shoes.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The product and method described herein address the needs discussed above, discussed below and those that are known in the art.

The footwear described herein has a midsole that is directly attached to an upper of the footwear. By way of example and not limitation, the midsole may be fused with or permeate a thin fabric material at a bottom of the upper. Moreover, the midsole may be substantially continuously attached to the bottom surface of the upper so that no gaps or rat holes are formed between the upper and the midsole. This provides for better anatomical fit and support, better force transfer from the foot to the outsole or cupsole of the footwear and a longer lasting sturdier footwear construction. The midsole may be adhered or otherwise attached to the outsole or cupsole.

Direct attachment of the midsole to the upper of the footwear also reduces manufacturing costs. In particular, the midsole provides structural stability to the shoe. The midsole joins the upper to the outsole or cupsole. In the process of manufacturing the midsole directly attached to the upper, an outsole or cupsole may be placed in a fixture. Adhesive may be lined on the exposed surface of the outsole or cupsole where the midsole is formed. Polyurethane may be disposed (e.g., poured or injected) on the outsole. As the polyurethane expands, the polyurethane is adhered to the outsole by way of adhesive. The polyurethane is directly bonded to the upper.

This process may be utilized both for vulc style footwear as well as cupsole style footwear. Additionally, the footwear may be formed by way of pouring polyurethane onto the outsole or cupsole or injecting polyurethane between the upper and the outsole/cupsole defining the mold of the midsole.

More particularly, a footwear is disclosed. The footwear may comprise an upper, a midsole and an outsole. The upper may define a bottom surface and an exterior shell. The midsole may be bonded to the bottom surface of the upper and a bottom peripheral portion of the exterior shell. The midsole may define a bottom surface. The outsole may be attached (e.g., adhered, interlocked, etc.) to the bottom surface of the midsole.

The midsole and the outsole may both be polyurethane. The polyurethane of the midsole may have a lower density compared to the polyurethane of the outsole so that the midsole provides cushioning and the outsole provide wear resistance. Also, foxing which provides wear resistance may be attached to the outer periphery of the outsole and the midsole.

The outsole may have a cupsole configuration. The midsole may be adhered to the interior surface of the cupsole and a lip of the cupsole may be adhered to the bottom peripheral portion of the upper.

A method of manufacturing footwear is also disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of disposing an outsole or cupsole on a first plate wherein the outsole defines a top surface; disposing a lasted upper in a second plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position with respect to the first plate; disposing settable liquid on the top surface of the outsole; traversing the second plate to the first position with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of the lasted upper is adjacent to the settable liquid on an opposite side from the outsole, the top surface of the outsole and the bottom surface of the upper defines a mold for forming a midsole from the settable liquid; and curing the settable liquid to a solid state to bond the midsole to the bottom surface of the upper.

The method may further comprise the step of applying an adhesive to the upper surface of the outsole to adhere the midsole to the outsole.

The second plate discussed in relation to the method may also include first and second parts that clamp around the lasted upper when the first and second parts are in a closed position. In this regard, the method may further comprise the steps of first applying adhesive to a lip of the cupsole, second traversing the second plate to the first position so that the lip of the cupsole is positioned between the upper and the first and second parts, and third traversing the first and second parts to the closed position to apply pressure on the lip of the cupsole to the upper. The method may also further comprise the step of activating the applied adhesive with light or heat. The traversing step may include the step of rotating the first and second plates with respect to each other about a common pivot axis.

Another method of manufacturing footwear is also disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of disposing an outsole on a first plate wherein the outsole defines a top surface; disposing a lasted upper in a second plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position with respect to the first plate; traversing the second plate to the first position with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of the lasted upper is adjacent the outsole so as to define a mold for a midsole; injecting settable liquid between the bottom surface of the lasted upper and the outsole; curing the settable liquid to a solid state to form the midsole; and attaching the settable liquid to the upper and the outsole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a prior art process for manufacturing a vulc style shoe;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a prior art method for manufacturing a cupsole shoe;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lasted upper;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fixture (e.g., PU or polyurethane mold) for receiving the lasted upper;

FIG. 4A is an illustration of an injection molding process for manufacturing a vulc style shoe;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fixture shown inFIG. 7 with the lasted upper received into the fixture;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a footwear with a last disposed therein;

FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view of the footwear shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 7 illustrates foxing being wrapped around the footwear shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fixture for fabricating a cupsole shoe;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a pre-cured foxing being preattached to an outsole to form an outsole with a cavity;

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of activating an adhesive by flash and pouring polyurethane into the cupsole;

FIG. 10 illustrates the fixture and closing of the top plate to apply pressure to an outer periphery of the footwear;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the fixture and footwear shown inFIG. 11 showing the application of pressure to a lip of the cupsole;

FIG. 12 is an illustration of an injection molding process for manufacturing a cupsole shoe;

FIG. 13 illustrates apertures in an outsole and cupsole for purposes of flowing polyurethane through the outsole and cupsole for decorative as well as process purposes;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a fixture for providing an interchangeable back mold during manufacturing of a vulc style footwear; and

FIG. 15 is an illustration of a fixture having an interchangeable back mold during manufacturing of a cupsole footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now toFIGS. 6 and 11, amidsole10 of ashoe12 is directly attached to an upper14. The direct attachment of themidsole10 to the upper14 provides for asturdier shoe12 having a better anatomical fit with the foot of the wearer for increased comfort and better lateral force support for specialized uses such as skateboarding. Negligible or no gaps (e.g., rat holes) are formed between themidsole10 and the upper14. Rather, the entire interface between themidsole10 and the upper14 is substantially if not entirely bonded to each other. Since themidsole10 is bonded substantially or entirely to the bottom surface of the upper14, lateral forces generated during performance of skateboard tricks are better able and more quickly transmitted to the board from the wearer's foot. Additionally, over a period of time, the substantial nonexistence of rat holes or gaps between themidsole10 and the upper14 mitigates delamination of the upper14 from themidsole10 and the outsole. These attributes provide for better lateral force support, increased comfort due to a better anatomical fit and sturdier long lasting footwear construction.

Moreover, the process of directly attaching themidsole10 to the upper14 reduces the hand assembly time and cost required to manufacture theshoe12. In the process, a lasted upper16 may be secured to atop plate18 of afootwear fixture20, as shown inFIG. 4. A predetermined quantity of polyurethane or other material may be poured (seeFIG. 9) or injected into abottom plate22 of thefootwear fixture20. The polyurethane may be a low density polyurethane to provide for cushioning. Once a predetermined quantity of polyurethane is disposed in thebottom plate22, thetop plate18 may be rotated about pivot axis24 (seeFIG. 4) so that thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 is now disposed above the polyurethane in the bottom plate22 (seeFIG. 4). The polyurethane may expand and contact thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16. Upon curing of the polyurethane, the cured polyurethane which is now themidsole10 of thefootwear12 is directly attached or bonded to thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 (seeFIG. 6A), the polyurethane is fused into or permeated through thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16. Hand assembly and thus cost is reduced compared to prior art methods. Also, quality is increased since this method reduces gaps.

The footwear described herein is in relation to a vulc style footwear and a cupsole style footwear. However, the various aspects of the footwear and methodology of manufacturing the footwear may be applied or employed to other types of footwear such as boots, slip-ons, sports shoes (e.g., football shoes, wrestling shoes, etc.). As such, the discussion of the footwear and methodology in relation to vulc style footwear and cupsole style footwear are for the purposes of convenience and not limitation. Additionally, the footwear and methodology described herein utilizes an outsole or cupsole for providing wear resistance with the ground. However, in certain shoes, the outsole may be eliminated.

More particularly, referring now toFIG. 3, a lasted upper16 is shown. The lasted upper16 refers to an upper14 of thefootwear12 with a last28 inserted into the upper14. The upper14 has an exterior shell30 (seeFIG. 3) which secures the foot of the wearer to thefootwear12. The upper14 additionally has athin fabric material32 that extends across and is attached to the bottomperipheral edge34 of the exterior shell30 (see alsoFIG. 4). The polyurethane is fused into or permeates thethin fabric material32. When the last28 is inserted into the upper14, the upper14 is snuggly fitted against the last28 so as to conform to the shape of the last28. The last28 may additionally have a rig36 (seeFIG. 3). Therig36 has aplate38 attached to apost40. Theplate38 is at a predetermined distance from thethin fabric material32 of the upper14 so that thethin fabric material32 defines a surface of the mold forming the shape of themidsole10 or the polyurethane, as will be discussed further below.

Once the upper14 is lasted, the lasted upper16 is secured to thetop plate18, as shown inFIG. 4. In particular, thetop plate18 may have first and

second parts

42,44. The first and

second parts

42,44 may be pivoted about apivot axis46 to open thetop plate18 as shown inFIG. 4 or to close thetop plate18 as shown inFIG. 5. Referring back toFIG. 4, the first and

second parts

42,44 define aninner periphery48 which matches theouter periphery50 of the lasted upper16. Additionally, thefirst part42 may optionally have asleeve52 with aslot54 sized and configured to receive theplate38 and thepost40 of the lasted upper16. When theplate38 of the lasted upper16 is inserted into thesleeve52, thepost40 is received into theslot54. Also, theouter periphery50 of the lasted upper16 is snuggly received against theinner periphery48 of thefirst part42. Once the lasted upper16 is in position, thesecond part44 may be rotated to the closed position as shown inFIG. 5 and locked bylock56.

An outsole58 (seeFIG. 5) may be disposed in thecavity60 of thebottom plate22 or may be formed in thecavity60. There are at least two different methods of disposing anoutsole58 on thebottom plate22. By way of example and not limitation, anoutsole58 may be separately formed in a different mold. A plurality ofoutsoles58 may be provided in a bin or other container to be used in the process described herein. Alternatively, theoutsole58 may be formed in place in thecavity60 of thebottom plate22. In particular, high density polyurethane may be poured into thecavity60. Prior to setting of the polyurethane, amid plate62 may be rotated aboutaxis64 over thebottom plate22. Themid plate62 together with thebottom plate22 defines the mold that forms theoutsole58. An injection molding process may also be utilized to form theoutsole58 in place on thebottom plate22. In particular, themid plate62 may be rotated aboutaxis64 so as to be disposed on top of thebottom plate22. High density polyurethane may be injected into thecavity60 defined by themid plate62 and thebottom plate22 throughinjection port66. After the polyurethane is injected and cured, themid plate62 is rotated off of thebottom plate22 thereby leaving theoutsole58 in thecavity60 of thebottom plate22. The polyurethane of the outsole is typically high density polyurethane for the purpose of providing wear resistance to the footwear.

After forming or disposing theoutsole58 in thecavity60 of thebottom plate22, a low density polyurethane for the purposes of providing cushioning to thefootwear12 may be poured onto theoutsole58. Prior to setting or curing of the polyurethane, thetop plate18 with the lasted upper16 secured thereto is rotated aboutpivot axis24 so that thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 is now above the curing polyurethane. Theoutsole58, thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 and thewalls68 of thecavity60 define the mold that forms the contour of themidsole10. Prior to pouring of the polyurethane, an activatable adhesive may be applied (e.g., brushed, sprayed, etc.) to the exposed surface59 (seeFIG. 5) of theoutsole58. When the polyurethane is ready for pouring, the adhesive may be activated (e.g., flash, heat or the like). If the polyurethane is poured immediately after application of the adhesive, then an activatable adhesive is not required. Rather, a polyurethane reactive adhesive (PUR) is applied and a polyurethane is immediately poured over theoutsole58 onto the adhesive. Once the polyurethane is cured, the adhesive or PUR secures the cured polyurethane/midsole10 to theoutsole58. The polyurethane ormidsole10 is bonded (e.g., permeated with or fused with) to thethin fabric material32 of the upper14 as well as a bottomperipheral edge portion70 of the upper14 as shown inFIG. 6A. The polyurethane ormidsole10 expands as it is cured and eventually fills the entire cavity and expands up alongside the bottomperipheral edge portion70 of the upper14 and is secured thereto. Thefootwear12 may be removed from thefootwear fixture20 as shown inFIG. 6 which is ready to use. External embellishments may be added to thefootwear12 such as a foxing72, as shown inFIG. 7. The foxing72 may be pre-cured and adhered to theoutsole58 and themidsole10. The foxing72 may be wrapped around theentire footwear12. Alternatively, the foxing72 may be adhered to only thetoe portion74 of thefootwear12. In skateboarding, thetoe portion74 of thefootwear12 is utilized to manipulate the skateboard. The foxing72 provides for extra wear pads to extend the life of thefootwear12.

Alternatively, after forming or disposing theoutsole58 in thecavity60 of thebottom plate22, a low density polyurethane may be injection molded to form themidsole10, as shown inFIG. 4A. Prior to injection of the polyurethane, the lasted upper16 is positioned above theoutsole58 and thebottom plate23. Thetop plate19a, bmay be closed upon the lasted upper16 so that theoutsole58,top plate19a, band thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 defines the mold for themidsole10. Prior to movement of the lasted upper16 and thetop plate19a, b, an activatable adhesive may be applied to the exposed surface of theoutsole58 which adheres theoutsole58 to themidsole10. If the polyurethane is injected within a short period of time after application of the adhesive, then the adhesive does not need to be an activatable adhesive. Rather, the adhesive may be PUR. If a substantial amount of time is elapsed after application of the adhesive onto theoutsole58, then the adhesive should be an activatable adhesive. One that is activatable by heat or light. If the adhesive is an activatable adhesive, then prior to closing thetop plate18 above theoutsole58, the activatable adhesive is activated. Thetop plate18 is closed on top of theoutsole58. Low density polyurethane is injected into the space between thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16 and theoutsole58 by way ofinjection port66. The polyurethane expands into the space and any air is out gassed through thethin fabric material32. The polyurethane is directly attached (e.g., fused with the material32 or permeated within the material32) to the upper14. Also, the polyurethane ormidsole10 is adhered to theoutsole58.

The activatable adhesive or PUR applied to theoutsole58 may cover the entire exposed surface of theoutsole58 or something less than the entire exposed surface of theoutsole58. By way of example and not limitation, the outer peripheral portion of the exposed surface of the outsole may be covered with adhesive or PUR for providing a peripheral seal between themidsole10 and theoutsole58. Other patterns of adhesive or PUR coverage are also contemplated such as front/back, side to side, dotted, etc.

Referring now toFIG. 8, afixture20afor manufacturing a cupsole footwear is shown. Thefixture20amay include atop plate18afor positioning a lasted upper16aand abottom plate22a. Thetop plate18amay be rotated aboutaxis24aso that the top and

bottom plates

18,22 may be disposed one on top of the other. Thebottom plate22amay include acavity60asized and configured to receive acupsole76. Similar to the prior embodiment, the lasted upper16amay be mounted to thetop plate18a. Optionally, by way of example and not limitation, theplate38aof the lasted upper16 may be inserted into thesleeve52 as shown inFIG. 8. Once the lasted upper16ais in position with respect to thefirst part42a, thesecond part44ais not yet traversed to the closed position. Thecupsole76 is disposed within thecavity60a, as shown inFIG. 9. Prior to pouring polyurethane into thecupsole76, PUR or an activatable adhesive may be applied to theinterior surface78 of thecupsole76, as shown inFIG. 8. The adhesive may be activated, polyurethane poured into the cupsole76 (seeFIG. 9) then thetop plate18arotated aboutaxis24aonto thebottom part22a, as shown inFIG. 10. If the polyurethane is poured immediately after application of the adhesive, then the adhesive does not need to be an activatable adhesive. Rather, PUR is applied to theinterior surface78 of thecupsole76. The polyurethane is then immediately poured onto the PUR. After the top and

bottom plates

18a,22aare disposed on top of each other, thesecond part44ais now traversed to the closed position and locked, as shown inFIG. 10. When thesecond part44ais traversed to the closed position, theinner periphery48aof the first and

second parts

42a,44apushes against a lip80 (seeFIG. 11) of the cupsole76 so that the adhesive may bond thelip80 of the cupsole76 to the bottomperipheral edge portions70aof the upper14. The polyurethane expands in the space between the cupsole76 and thebottom surface26 of the lasted upper16. The gas between thesurface26 and thecupsole76 may be gassed out of thethin fabric material32 and the polyurethane fills theentire cavity60 so that there are negligible or no rat holes or gaps therebetween.

Referring back toFIG. 8A, thecupsole76 may also be fabricated in a two part form. In particular, theoutsole58amay be attached to a pre-cured foxing72aprior to insertion in thebottom plate22a. Additionally, the adhesive may be applied to an area less than the entire interior surface of thecupsole76. Importantly, the adhesive or bonding agent should cover the interior surface of thelip80 and thecupsole76. The adhesive may cover more than thelip80 of the cupsole76 such as a peripheral portion, front to back, side to side, dotted, etc.

Referring now toFIG. 12, an injection molding fixture for a cupsole is shown. In particular, thecupsole76bmay have anotch82. When the cupsole76bis inserted into thecavity60b, thenotch82 is aligned to aninjection port84 through which polyurethane may be injected into or on the cupsole76bat a later time.

An activatable adhesive may be applied (e.g., sprayed, brushed, etc.) to theinterior surface78bof the cupsole76b. With the cupsole76bdisposed on thebottom plate22b, the adhesive may be activated (e.g., flash activated or heat activated). After activation, the lasted upper16 may be brought down over the cupsole76bso that the bottom surface26bof the lasted upper16band the cupsole76bdefine a mold for themidsole10. Thereafter, the first and

second parts

42b,44bmay be traversed to the closed position so that the first and

second parts

42b,44bmay press against thelip80bof the cupsole76bonto the bottomperipheral edge portion70bof the lasted upper16b, as described in relation toFIG. 11. Polyurethane is now injected into theinjection port84 to fill the cavity defined by thecupsole76band the bottom surface26bof the lasted upper16b. The polyurethane may be allowed to expand into thecavity60. Any gas is out gassed through thethin fabric material32 of the lasted upper16b. The polyurethane is now attached (e.g., fused or permeated with the material32) to the upper14. Thenotch82 may be plugged with afiller96 by way of a post production process.

Referring now toFIG. 13, abottom plate22 is shown. Thetop plate18, lasted upper16 as well as other parts of thefixture20 are not shown for the purposes of clarity. In manufacturing or building the vulc style footwear or the cupsole footwear, theoutsole58 or thecupsole76 may have one ormore apertures90. Theapertures90 allow the polyurethane forming themidsole10 to fill theaperture90 in thecupsole76 or theoutsole58. The polyurethane may be visible during normal use. The outsole andcupsole76 withapertures90 may be used in both the pouring method or the injection molding method described herein. Furthermore, theapertures90 may provide for spewing of the polyurethane forming themidsole10. By way of example and not limitation, thebottom plate22 or thetop plate18 when appropriate may have recesses aligned to theapertures90. The polyurethane forming themidsole10 is expandable. The polyurethane may expand different amounts even though a regulated or predetermined amount of polyurethane is injected or poured. The excess amount of polyurethane may spew out of theapertures90. The spewed out portion of the polyurethane may be cut off or finished as a post-production process.

Referring now toFIGS. 14 and 15, a

replaceable back mold

92,94 is shown. The

replaceable back mold

92,94 may be inserted into aslot96 formed in thebottom plate22. Themold surface98 of the

replaceable back molds

92,94 may have any configuration or aesthetic pattern. During manufacturing of multiple styles of footwear, the

back molds

92,94 may be interchanged as desired to match the style of footwear being manufactured.

In manufacturing the vulc style footwear or cupsole style footwear, low density polyurethane may be attached or bonded to the bottom of the upper. In this process, the low density polyurethane expands and contacts the bottom of the lasted upper. The polyurethane conforms to the contour of the polyurethane so that a different fixture is not required for each different last. Generally, as long as thetop gage88 of the upper14 remains the same, the same fixture may be used for lasts having a different bottom surface since themidsole10 conforms to the contour of the bottom of the last28.

The footwear and methodology described herein was described in relation to polyurethane material, both high density for wear resistance or low resistance for cushioning purposes. It is also contemplated that other materials may be utilized in the method and the footwear such as any thermoset material (e.g., blown rubber, rubber, etc.) or thermoplastic (TPR, TPU, etc.). Also, various blends of polyurethane may be utilized. Additionally, thefixture20 is shown as a hand operated fixture. However, other automatic and mechanical fixtures are also contemplated. The first and

second parts

42,44 of thetop plate18 do not necessarily need to rotate aboutpivot axis46. Rather, the first and

second parts

42,44 may be hydraulically operated to come together or spread apart in automated machinery. Furthermore, thetop plate18,bottom plate22 and themid plate62 may all work together in an automated machinery environment.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various other types of fixtures. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

Claims

1. A footwear comprising:

an upper defining a bottom surface and an exterior shell;

a midsole fused to the bottom surface of the upper, the midsole defining a bottom surface; and

an outsole attached to the bottom surface of the midsole.

2. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the outsole is adhered to the bottom surface of the midsole.

3. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the exterior shell defines a bottom peripheral portion and the midsole is bonded to the bottom peripheral portion of the exterior shell.

4. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the midsole and the outsole are both polyurethane and the polyurethane of the midsole has a lower density compared to the polyurethane of the outsole so that the midsole provides cushioning and the outsole provide wear resistance.

5. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the outsole is a cupsole with the midsole adhered to the interior surface of the cupsole and a lip of the cupsole adhered to a bottom peripheral portion of the upper.

6. The footwear ofclaim 1 further comprising a foxing attached to the outer periphery of the outsole, and the midsole is adhered to the inner surface of the foxing and an upper surface of the outsole.

7. The footwear ofclaim 1 wherein the midsole is bonded to the entire bottom surface of the upper to facilitate force transfer between a wearer's foot and outsole.

8. A method of manufacturing footwear, the method comprising the steps of:

disposing an outsole on a first plate, the outsole defining a top surface;

disposing a upper in a second plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position with respect to the first plate;

disposing settable liquid on the top surface of the outsole;

traversing the second plate to the first position with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of the upper is adjacent to the settable liquid on an opposite side from the outsole, the top surface of the outsole and the bottom surface of the upper defines a mold for forming a midsole from the settable liquid;

curing the settable liquid to a solid state to bond the midsole to the bottom surface of the upper.

9. The method ofclaim 8 further comprising the step of applying an adhesive to the upper surface of the outsole to adhere the midsole to the outsole.

10. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the disposing an outsole on the first plate includes disposing a cupsole on the first plate.

11. The method ofclaim 10 wherein the second plate includes first and second parts that clamp around the lasted upper when the first and second parts are in a closed position, and the method further comprises the step of first applying adhesive to a lip of the cupsole, second traversing the second plate to the first position so that the lip of the cupsole is positioned between the upper and the first and second parts, and third traversing the first and second parts to the closed position to apply pressure on the lip of the cupsole to the upper.

12. The method ofclaim 11 further comprising the step of activating the applied adhesive.

13. The method ofclaim 12 wherein the activating step comprises the step of activating the applied adhesive with light or heat.

14. The method ofclaim 8 wherein the traversing step includes the step of rotating the first and second plates with respect to each other about a common pivot axis.

15. The method ofclaim 7 further comprising the step of lasting the upper and disposing the lasted upper in the second plate.

16. A method of manufacturing footwear, the method comprising the steps of:

disposing an outsole on a first plate, the outsole defining a top surface;

disposing a lasted upper in a second plate wherein the second plate is traverseable to a first position with respect to the first plate;

traversing the second plate to the first position with respect to the first plate so that a bottom surface of the lasted upper is adjacent the outsole so as to define a mold for a midsole;

injecting settable liquid between the bottom surface of the lasted upper and the outsole;

curing the settable liquid to a solid state to form the midsole;

attaching the settable liquid to the upper and the outsole.