HK1167296B - Sole unit for footwear and footwear provided therewith - Google Patents

Description

Sole unit for footwear and footwear provided with the same

Footwear having a waterproof and water vapor permeable upper, and therefore an upper area that is both waterproof and sweat-permeable, is well known. In order to allow perspiration to escape also in the region of the sole, provision is made for the sole structure to comprise an outsole with through-hole openings extending through the thickness of the outsole, and a water-and water-vapor-permeable sole functional layer on top of the outsole, for example in the form of a film. EP 0382904 a2 shows an example, the outsole of which comprises through-hole openings in the form of micro-holes, which correspondingly limit the permeability to water vapor.

To better meet the pronounced tendency of a person to sweat, EP 0275644 a2 proposes providing an outsole with through-hole openings that are relatively large compared to micropores in order to obtain a particularly high water vapor permeability.

The larger the through-hole opening in the outsole, the greater the risk of the waterproof membrane above the through-hole opening in the outsole being damaged by foreign objects, for example, small stones penetrating the through-hole opening, and thus the waterproofness of the sole is lost. EP 0275644 a2 therefore proposes placing a protective layer consisting of a wire or felt material, for example, between the outsole and its through-opening and the film thereon, with the aim of preventing foreign bodies penetrating through the through-opening in the outsole from advancing to the film.

Further examples are known from WO 2004/028284 a1, WO 2006/010578 a1, WO 2007/147421 a1 and WO 2008/003375 a1, which examples include large through-hole openings in the outsole, which are sealed with a membrane to prevent water penetration into the interior of the shoe, while a protective layer is present under the membrane to prevent penetration of foreign objects into the membrane. In all these cases, the film is usually a foil or a self-supporting sheet, one side of which is laminated with a textile backing in the form of a finely incorporated material. The mesh-like protective layer provided between the membrane and the through-hole openings of the outsole does provide a degree of protection against penetration of foreign objects into the membrane. In order to increase the protective effect on the film, a further protective layer, which may be a felt layer, for example, is also arranged between the film and the web-shaped protective layer. This results in a film double protection system comprising two superposed layers, each having an independent, technical protection function.

The materials chosen for these layers, their thickness and the values of the penetration resistance must be adapted to the requirements of the specific practical application, which is applicable to the known solutions as well as to the solutions proposed by the present invention.

WO2007/101624 a1 shows another example of very large sole openings, according to which the large through-hole openings in the outsole are stabilized by means of stabilizing bars and/or stabilizing grids, which support a textile material permeable to water vapor, for example a felt-like material fitted in the through-hole openings. The sole assembly thus constructed is bonded to the upper, and the bottom of the upper of the assembly is sealed with a waterproof and water vapor permeable upper bottom functional layer, so that the entire shoe is both waterproof and water vapor permeable.

The textile material is particularly suitably a fibrous layer comprising at least two fibrous components having different melting temperatures, wherein at least a portion of the first fibrous component has a first melting temperature and a lower first softening temperature range and at least a portion of the second fibrous component has a second melting temperature and a lower second softening temperature range, both the first melting temperature and the first softening temperature range being higher than the second melting temperature and the second softening temperature range, and wherein the fibrous layer is heat-cured while retaining water vapour permeability in the region of the heat-cure as a result of thermal stimulation of the second fibrous component with a tack temperature in the second softening temperature range. The through-hole opening or two or more through-hole openings in the outsole (as appropriate) may be sealed with a single piece of textile material, or alternatively, all of the through-hole openings in the outsole may be sealed with a single piece of textile material.

In this known footwear, the textile material has two functions. One function is to stabilize the sole structure, particularly if the outsole with the large opening is not sufficient by itself to provide stability to the sole structure. This is because the textile material is formed with a relatively high self-stability, which is beneficial to the overall stability of the sole structure. A second function of the textile material is to protect the waterproof and breathable membrane above the sole structure of the finished footwear from damage caused by foreign objects such as small stones, for example as described in WO2007/101624 a 1.

The textile material suitably comprises in particular a selected polymer, for example selected from PES (polyester), polypropylene, PA (polyamide), and mixtures of various polymers.

In one embodiment, according to the previously mentioned WO2007/101624 a1 reference, the textile material consists of a fleece-like assembly of fibers having two fiber components, each constructed with polyester fibers, which is mechanically heat-consolidated and surface heat-consolidated by a surface heat treatment. The first fibrous component having a higher melting temperature forms the carrier component of the fibrous assembly, while the second fibrous component having a lower melting temperature forms the reinforcing component. To ensure that the thermal stability of the entire fibre assembly reaches at least 180 c, since the footwear is exposed to relatively high temperatures during its manufacture, for example during injection moulding of the outsole, the embodiments in question use polyester fibres with a melting temperature above 180 c for both fibre components. There are variations of polyester polymers that have different melting temperatures and correspondingly lower softening temperatures. In the felt-like material example in question, a polyester polymer with a melting temperature above 230 ℃ is used for the first fibre component and a polyester polymer with a melting temperature above 200 ℃ is used for the second fibre component. The second fiber component may be a sheath core fiber, in which case the inner core of the fiber is comprised of a polyester having a softening temperature of about 230 c and the sheath of the fiber is comprised of a polyester having a tack temperature of about 200 c. Such a fiber component has two fiber-containing portions having different melting temperatures, and is also called bicomponent fiber (bico). Further details regarding such textile materials, e.g. felt materials, can be found in the previously cited WO2007/101624 a1 reference.

Fig. 11 shows a sole unit 115 to be modified, which comprises an outsole 117 provided with an outsole through-hole opening 119 in order to obtain a high water vapor permeability, and a barrier layer 121 which forms the upper side of the outsole 117 in the region of the outsole through-hole opening 119 and which provides mechanical protection for a waterproof, water vapor permeable upper bottom film located above the barrier layer 121 in the finished shoe and forms part of the upper structure to be bonded to the sole unit 115. This type of sole is typically bonded or injection molded to the upper structure. In order to obtain high wear resistance and sole stability, the materials used include materials such as rubber or plastics, e.g. Polyurethane (PU), which are each rather hard and heavy materials. This impairs wearing and walking comfort. Furthermore, the outsole through-hole openings 119 extend over a relatively large height, making it difficult to remove dirt contained within the outsole through-hole openings 119.

JP 9-140404 a discloses a shoe which is waterproof and water vapor permeable in the sole region and is constructed using an upper structure with an upper bottom, which comprises a waterproof, water vapor permeable element, and a water and water vapor permeable sole assembly with a perforated outer bottom layer. The waterproof, water-vapor-permeable element has a three-layer structure and comprises, as an intermediate layer, a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable film, the upper side of which is arranged on it a very fine-meshed textile layer and the lower side of which is arranged on it a coarse-meshed textile layer, which textile layer, although not mentioned in this document, can provide a certain degree of mechanical protection to the film which is normally sensitive to destructive behavior, for example, damage due to penetration of foreign objects such as small stones through perforations in the outer bottom layer. Between the outer bottom layer and the lower upper end region of the sole side, there is a midsole which is formed peripherally for weight reduction and which is replaced in the central region by a material such as cork or sponge. Apart from the fact that cork tends to break into pieces and therefore to add mechanical stress to the sensitive film, sponge, like cork, becomes saturated with water by the perforations in the outer bottom layer, not only impairing walking comfort, but also leading to a significant increase in the weight of the sole assembly, cork and sponge being materials with a relatively low permeability to water vapor compared to perforated outer bottom layers, in particular in the case of perforation by means of large through-hole openings, thus running counter to any permeability to water vapor obtained with outer bottom layers perforated with large through-hole openings. If the cork or sponge layer is provided with through-hole openings corresponding to the through-hole openings in the outer bottom layer, dirt becomes lodged and almost very difficult to remove along the relatively large total length of the respective outer bottom layer through-hole openings and the respective through-hole openings in the cork or sponge, on the other hand foreign objects such as small stones will proceed without hindrance to the coarse-meshed textile layer, which provides only a relatively small mechanical protection. However, even if such foreign objects do not pass through the coarse mesh textile layer, they can cause the coarse mesh textile layer to arch, which can create localized stresses on the protected film.

The present invention provides a sole unit for footwear that provides better mechanical protection to a waterproof and water vapor permeable functional layer, for example in the form of a membrane, located above the sole unit, combined with the ability to more easily remove dirt contained within the through-hole openings of the sole, as well as improved comfort due to lighter weight and/or higher underfoot cushioning.

This is achieved by the sole unit according to the invention as claimed in claim 1, whereby the footwear according to the invention as claimed in claim 23 can be produced. Embodiments of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims.

The water-vapor-permeable sole unit according to the invention has an outer bottom layer which is constructed using an outer bottom material, can be formed from a plurality of pieces and/or is provided with an outer bottom portion arranged thereunder, the thickness of which outer bottom layer is reduced in the peripheral region by means of a recess extending from the upper side of the outer bottom layer opposite the tread of the sole unit, the outer bottom layer being provided with an outer bottom layer through-hole opening extending through the thickness thereof. The sole unit also has a water vapor permeable barrier layer which is disposed at least partially within the recess of the outer sole layer, extends only over a partial height of the recess, and is constructed using a barrier layer material to block the forced-through foreign object. The sole unit also has a water vapor permeable comfort layer disposed over the barrier layer in the recess and is constructed using a comfort layer material having a lower hardness and/or a lower specific gravity than the outsole material.

Preferably, the sole unit according to the invention is configured for coupling to a sole-sided lower end region of an upper structure having an upper bottom provided with a waterproof, water-vapor-permeable functional layer.

Since a portion of the volume of the depression in the outer sole layer is replaced by the material of the comfort layer, the comfort layer is not subjected to wear conditions of the outer sole material and does not necessarily contribute to the stability of the sole to the same extent as the outer sole material, the material selected for the comfort layer may be lighter and/or softer and more resilient than the material selected for the outer sole layer, depending on whether the sole unit is produced with less weight and/or better underfoot cushioning. Thus, the footwear designer is free to select materials for a portion of the sole unit that are related to weight and/or underfoot comfort in a manner that is different from the outsole material he or she selects.

The solution provided by the invention is that there is a certain distance between the membrane of the bottom of the upper and the barrier layer. In other words, the upper bottom film and the barrier layer are in principle separated from each other by the comfort layer.

Since the barrier layer is arranged between the outer bottom layer and the comfort layer, i.e. at a distance from the upper bottom membrane, which is located above the sole unit in the finished shoe, and has the comfort layer interposed between the barrier layer and the upper bottom membrane, the barrier layer can advantageously be constructed of a material that is less smooth and/or strong and possibly less uneven than if the barrier layer were directly adjacent to the upper bottom membrane. This is because the comfort layer is interposed between the barrier layer and the upper bottom film and the comfort layer can be made of a softer material, which can give the upper bottom film a padding protection against a rough and/or non-smooth barrier layer, especially when good underfoot cushioning is achieved. The barrier layer may therefore be made of a material with a certain stiffness, such that such stiffness can contribute to the stability of the sole unit, in particular when a good underfoot cushion is sought using a corresponding soft comfort layer material.

In particular when the barrier layer is also configured to stabilize the sole unit, one embodiment of the invention utilizes a thermally consolidated fibrous material as the barrier material, which has a degree of reinforcement that allows for high water vapor permeability. Such a barrier material therefore need not be provided with through holes. Even if the fibrous material is provided with through-hole openings to improve the water vapour permeability, these through-hole openings can be considerably smaller than the through-hole openings in the outer bottom layer, as in a comfort layer when the comfort layer consists of a material that is practically impermeable to water vapour. In any event, the barrier layer forms a dirt barrier that prevents dirt that has penetrated into the outer base layer through-hole opening from penetrating into the comfort layer through-hole opening. In other words, such dirt can only be accommodated in the through-hole openings of the outer bottom layer of relatively low height, which again makes it considerably easier to remove the dirt than in the case of a sole design in which the through-hole openings extend through the entire thickness of the sole unit. This applies in particular to the heel region, where the sole generally has a relatively large overall thickness.

In one embodiment, the shank may be disposed below the comfort layer, or may even be integrated within the comfort layer. In the case of a heel shoe, an arch pad is particularly desirable to impart the necessary stability to the shoe against twisting and bending. The shank may also be made of metal in particular and have sharp edges, which in turn may potentially damage the membrane in the bottom area of the upper. Due to the comfort layer, in this embodiment, there is no such risk. Of course, the shank should be constructed to attenuate as little as possible the ability of water vapor to pass through the sole unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, a water vapor permeable material is used to construct the comfort layer. The water vapour permeability of the material can be set high enough that any perforation of the comfort layer becomes unnecessary.

In one embodiment of the invention, the comfort layer is constructed using a material selected from the group consisting of: leather, microporous open foam materials, water vapor permeable textile laminate materials, water vapor permeable textile fleece materials, water vapor permeable felt materials, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment of the invention, the comfort layer is constructed using a multilayer pull loop of knitting having a plurality of loops displaced from one another in a layer-wise manner. In addition to high water vapor permeability, the multilayer structure can achieve simultaneous deflection of the turns of the individual layers relative to one another; good mechanical penetration resistance against foreign objects such as small stones, but also to a certain extent against nails, tiles, etc., and thus a high mechanical protection of the membrane of the bottom of the upper above the sole unit against damage caused by such foreign objects, and a high water vapor permeability.

In one embodiment of the invention, the comfort layer is constructed using a water vapor permeable textile material selected at least in part from the group of materials consisting of: polyamide, polyester and polypropylene plastic materials.

Particularly when using materials that are not inherently water vapor permeable to construct the comfort layer, there is an embodiment of the invention in which the comfort layer is provided with comfort layer through-hole openings that extend through the thickness of the comfort layer and at least partially overlap the outsole layer through-hole openings. The highest total water vapor permeability of the sole unit is achieved when as many of the outsole layer through-hole openings and the comfort layer through-hole openings as possible are of equal size and are aligned with one another.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the comfort layer may be made of a foam material selected from the following group of materials: polyurethane (PU) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA). When the sole unit is to be used to provide particularly good underfoot cushioning, i.e., the comfort layer material is to be soft and elastic, then the soft elastic level of the PU may be selected from the PU spectrum, or EVA, which is known for its soft elastic properties, may be selected. Foamed plastic materials can be used as a comfort layer, especially when it is the sole or additional requirements that make the sole unit lightweight. The comfort layer can also be designed as a classic midsole, which is visible in the sole when viewed laterally from the outside.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the through-hole opening of the comfort layer extends through the comfort layer at an oblique angle with respect to the tread surface of the sole unit such that the through-hole opening of the comfort layer forms a sloped wall portion that can block penetration of foreign objects. The through hole opening of the comfort layer is designed in such a way that the comfort layer can block the penetration of foreign objects into the upper bottom film above the sole unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the outsole layer through-hole opening and/or the comfort layer through-hole opening has a width of at least 0.5cm²The area of (a). However, the outsole layer through-hole opening and/or the comfort layer through-hole opening may also have a larger area, i.e. at least one is at least 1cm²And the others are at least 5cm²Or alternatively, an area of at least 20cm²Or an area of at least 40cm²。

In one embodiment, the comfort layer may be permeable to water vapor both horizontally and vertically. In this embodiment, the comfort layer can also be formed with lateral openings to the outside, in which case at least one further sole layer of the sole unit is correspondingly configured with lateral outlet openings.

In one embodiment of the invention, the comfort layer is constructed using at least vertical ventilation layers in the form of a breathable spacer structure. The spacer structure may additionally be air permeable in the horizontal direction.

In one embodiment of the invention, the air-permeable spacer structure is constructed using a sheet-like structure and a plurality of spacer elements projecting perpendicularly and/or at an angle between 0 ° and 90 ° from the sheet-like structure.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spacer elements of the spacer structure form clusters.

In one embodiment of the invention, an air-permeable spacer structure is constructed using two sheet-like structures which are parallel to each other and are connected to each other and are kept spaced apart in an air-permeable manner by means of spacer elements.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spacer structure is constructed using reinforcement-forming loop knitwear.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spacer structure is formed in a wave or zigzag shape.

In one embodiment of the invention, the barrier layer is configured to mechanically stabilize the sole unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the barrier layer is constructed using a fiber assembly comprising at least two fiber components that differ in their melting temperature. At least a portion of the first fibrous component has a first melting temperature and a lower first softening temperature range, and at least a portion of the second fibrous component has a second melting temperature and a lower second softening temperature range, with the first melting temperature and the first softening temperature range being higher than the second melting temperature and the second softening temperature range. The fibrous assembly is thermally consolidated by thermally exciting the second fibrous component with a tack temperature in the second softening temperature range while maintaining water vapor permeability in the thermally cured region.

In one embodiment of the invention, the outer substrate is constructed using a material selected from the group of materials consisting of: rubber, PU (polyurethane), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), TR (technical rubber), and leather, or combinations thereof. This is because the outer substrate should have good abrasion resistance.

Thermoplastic polyurethane is a general term for a number of different polyurethanes, which may have different properties. The outsole may comprise thermoplastic polyurethane, which has high stability and slip resistance as well as high wear resistance. When the comfort layer is to provide impact resistance cushioning for the wearer of the shoe for walking movements, a suitable elastically resilient material may be selected, for example EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or PU (polyurethane).

In one embodiment, the outsole layer does not form the actual outsole with the tread surface, but only forms the midsole, and an additional actual outsole is provided under the outsole layer, which consists of rubber or some other sole material, for example, it may be made in one piece or formed of two or more outsole portions. The actual outsole or outsole portion should have a high wear resistance.

The invention also provides footwear comprising an upper structure comprising an upper bottom provided with an upper bottom functional layer and thus being waterproof and water vapor permeable; a sole unit coupled to a sole-side end region of the upper structure in accordance with at least one of the illustrated embodiments is also included.

In one embodiment of the invention, the upper of the footwear is provided with an upper functional layer which is joined to the upper bottom functional layer in a waterproof manner, so that the footwear as a whole is waterproof and water-vapor-permeable.

One embodiment of the invention provides footwear with a sole unit which, according to the invention, is provided with a comfort layer and has an upper arranged in a sole-side upper end region with a water-and water vapor-permeable upper bottom functional layer, wherein the sole unit is fastened to the upper end region of an upper structure provided with the upper bottom functional layer in such a way that the upper bottom functional layer is not connected to the comfort layer at least in the region of the comfort layer through-hole openings. In fact, the comfort layer obtains a particularly high water vapor permeability, since there is no adhesive between the comfort layer and the bottom functional layer of the upper in the area of the through-holes openings of the comfort layer, which reduces the water vapor permeability.

In one embodiment of the invention, the footwear, like the upper bottom functional layer, comprises, within the water-vapor-permeable upper material, an upper functional layer which extends over a large area of the upper material and which is joined in a waterproof manner to the upper bottom functional layer or is joined thereto to form a bootie.

Such footwear (except for the openings where the foot can be easily put on or taken off) is generally waterproof and water vapor permeable.

Definition and test methods

Footwear with improved lateral stability：

The foot cover has a closed upper (upper structure) that includes an opening through which the foot can be easily put on and taken off, and includes at least one sole or sole unit.

Upper material：

The material forming the outer surface of the upper structure is, for example, composed of, or constructed from, leather, textiles, plastic or other known materials or combinations thereof, and is typically composed of a water vapor permeable material. The sole-side lower end of the upper material forms an area that abuts the upper edge of the sole or sole unit or is above the boundary plane between the upper and the sole or sole unit.

Mounting sole (inner sole)：

The mounting sole is part of the bottom of the upper. At least one underside lower upper end region is secured to the mounting sole.

Sole of shoe：

The sole has at least one outsole, but may also have a plurality of sole layers, which are stacked on top of each other and form a sole unit.

Outer sole：

The outsole is the portion of the sole region that touches or primarily contacts the floor/ground. The outsole has at least one tread surface that touches the floor.

Short boot：

A bootie is a soft shoe-type liner of the upper structure. The bootie forms a pocket-type lining of the upper structure that substantially completely covers the interior of the shoe.

Functional layer：

Water-repellent and/or water-vapor-permeable layers, for example in the form of films, or in the form of suitably treated or processed materials, for example plasma-treated textiles. The functional layer in the form of an upper bottom functional layer can form at least one upper bottom of the upper structure, but can additionally also serve as an upper functional layer at least partially lining the upper. Both the upper functional layer and the upper bottom functional layer can be part of a multilayer, typically a two-, three-or four-layer film stack. The upper functional layer and the upper bottom functional layer can each be part of a functional layer bootie. When an upper functional layer and a separate upper bottom functional layer are used instead of the functional layer bootie, they are sealed in a waterproof manner with respect to one another, for example in the lower region of the sole side of the upper structure. The upper bottom functional layer and the upper functional layer may be formed from the same or different materials.

Suitable materials for the water-repellent and water-vapor-permeable functional layer are in particular polyimides, polypropylenes and polyesters, including polyetheresters and laminates thereof, as described in printed publications US-A-4,725,418 and US-A-4,493,870. In one embodiment, microporous, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is used to construct the functional layer, as described in printed publications U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,566 and 4,187,390. In one embodiment, the functional layer is constructed using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene provided with A hydrophilic impregnant and/or A hydrophilic layer, see for example printed publication US-A-4,194,041. A microporous functional layer is one having an average pore size of between about 0.2 μm and about 0.3 μm.

Laminate：

Laminates are multi-ply components that are permanently bonded or connected to each other, usually to each other. In the case of a functional layer laminate, the waterproof and water-vapor-permeable functional layer is provided with at least one textile layer. The at least one textile layer or backing is primarily used to protect the functional layer during treatment of the functional layer. This is referred to as a two-layer laminate. The three-layer laminate consists of a waterproof and water-vapor-permeable functional layer embedded between two textile layers. The bonding between the functional layer and the at least one textile layer is effected, for example, by means of a continuous water-vapor-permeable adhesive layer or by means of a discontinuous water-vapor-impermeable adhesive layer. In one embodiment, the adhesive in a dot pattern may be applied between the functional layer and the textile layer, or between two textile layers. Spot or discontinuous application of the adhesive is chosen because a homogeneous adhesive layer which is not permeable to water vapor itself may block the water vapor permeability of the functional layer.

Barrier layer：

The barrier layer serves as a barrier to prevent substances, in particular substances in the form of particles or foreign bodies, such as small stones, from penetrating through the layer of material to be protected, in particular the mechanically sensitive functional layer or the functional layer film.

Water-proof property：

A functional layer/functional layer laminate/film comprising a seam arranged on the functional layer/functional layer laminate/film is considered to be waterproof if a water inlet pressure of at least 1x104Pa is ensured. Preferably, the functional layer material ensures that the water inlet pressure is about 1x105 Pa. The water inlet pressure was measured using a test method in which distilled water of 20 + -2 deg.C was applied to 100cm with an increase in pressure²On a sample of the functional layer of (1). The pressure of the water is 60 + -3 cm/minAnd (4) a head. The water inlet pressure is then equal to the pressure at which water first appears on the other side of the sample. The details of the procedure are mandatory in ISO standard 0811, 1981 edition.

It is possible to test whether the shoe is waterproof, for example using A centrifugal structure of the kind described in US-A-5329807.

Permeable to water vapor：

If the material has a thickness of less than 150m²The water vapour permeability value Ret of xPaxW-1, the material, in particular the functional layer/functional layer laminate, is then considered to be water vapour permeable. The water vapor permeability was tested according to the Hohenstein (Hohenstein) skin model. This test method is described in DIN EN 32092(02/94) and ISO 11092 (1993).

The water vapor permeability values of the various layers of the sole unit according to the invention, i.e. the water vapor permeability values of the outer sub-layer, the barrier layer and the comfort layer, can be tested by means of the cup method of DIN EN ISO 15496 (09/2004).

In one embodiment of the invention, the barrier layer has a water vapor transmission rate of at least 4000g/m²24 h. In a practical embodiment, at least 7000g/m may be selected²24h or 10000g/m²Water vapor transmission rate of 24 h.

In one embodiment of footwear having a footwear bottom structure comprising a sole unit constructed according to the invention and a superior upper bottom functional layer or upper bottom functional layer laminate, the footwear structure, together with the upper bottom functional layer or upper bottom functional layer laminate, has a water vapor transmission rate (MVTR) in the range of 0.4g/h to 3g/h, which in a practical embodiment may be in the range of 0.8g/h to 1.5g/h, and 1 g/h.

The water vapor transmission rate of the sole can be determined using the method specified in document EP 0396716B 1, which is designed to measure the water vapor transmission rate of the entire shoe. In order to measure only the water vapor transmission rate of the sole unit of a shoe, by using the measurement setup shown in fig. 1 of document EP 0396716B 1, the measurement method described in document EP 0396716B 1 can be used in two successive measurement scenarios as well, i.e. once when a shoe has a water vapor permeable sole unit and once again when another identical shoe has a water vapor impermeable sole unit. The difference between the two measurements can then be used to determine a fraction of the water vapor permeability that is due to the water vapor permeability of the water vapor permeable sole unit.

Each measurement scenario is carried out using the measurement method described in document EP 0396716B 1, i.e. the successive steps are as follows:

1. conditioning the shoe by leaving it in a conditioned space (23 ℃, 50% relative humidity) for at least 12 hours

2. Removing embedded sole (insole)

3. A waterproof and water-vapor-permeable lining material for insertion in shoes, suitable for fitting inside shoes, which, in the region of the foot opening of the shoe susceptible to penetration and removal, can be sealed with waterproof and water-vapor-impermeable sealing plugs (for example, plexiglas and inflatable cuffs) to form a water-and water-vapor seal

4. Injecting water into the lining material, and blocking and sealing the opening of the shoe through which the foot of the shoe is easy to penetrate and pull out by using the sealing plug

5. The water-filled shoes were preconditioned by allowing the shoes to last for a certain time (3 hours) while maintaining the water temperature at a constant 35 ℃. The conditions of the surrounding space were also kept constant at 23 ℃ and 50% relative humidity. During this test the shoe was subjected to a direct forward blow from a fan at an average speed of at least 2m/s to 3m/s (to destroy the layer of static air formed around the standing shoe, which would create considerable resistance to the passage of water vapour)

6. After preconditioning, the sealed, water-filled shoe was reweighed (weight m2[ g ])

7. The actual test period of 3 hours is maintained under the same conditions as step 5

8. After the 3-hour test period, the sealed water-filled shoes (weight m3[ g ]) were reweighed

9. The water vapor transmission rate of the shoe was determined from the amount of water vapor escaping through the shoe (M2-M3) over a test period of 3h, according to the formula M ═ M2-M3 [ g ]/3[ h ]

After two measurement scenarios, firstly the water vapor permeability value (value a) of the entire shoe with the water vapor permeable sole unit is measured and secondly the water vapor permeability value (value B) of the entire shoe with the water vapor impermeable upper bottom structure is measured, and from the difference a-B only the water vapor permeability value of the water vapor permeable sole unit can be determined.

In measuring the water vapor permeability of a shoe characterizing a water vapor permeable sole unit, it is important to avoid direct contact of the shoe or its sole with the shoe or the continuous surface underneath the sole. This can be achieved by lifting the shoes or placing the shoes on a grid structure, ensuring that the air flow blown along the outsole is better present or indeed is present there at all.

For each test set-up, it is advisable to perform repeated measurements on any one shoe and to calculate the mean value from them, so that a better estimate can be obtained from the dispersion of the measurements. For each shoe, at least two measurements should be made with the measurement setup. All measurements should assume a natural fluctuation of the measurement results of + -0.2 g/h for an actual value of, for example, 1 g/h. Thus, in this example, measurements between 0.8g/h and 1.2g/h can be obtained for the same shoe. Factors affecting these numerical fluctuations may be due to the person performing the test, or due to the amount of stay at the upper edges. Reporting multiple individual measurements for one and the same shoe may use actual values to obtain a more accurate graph.

All values of water vapor permeability of the sole unit are based on a common strapped men's shoe size of 43 (french size), although this size is not standardized and shoes of different manufacturers may have different actual sizes.

Hardness of：

Shore A and Shore D hardness tests (DIN 53505, ISO 7619-1, DIN EN ISO 868)

Principle of：

Shore hardness is the resistance of a shaped object to penetration under a specified spring force. Shore hardness is the difference between the value 100 and the penetration depth (in mm) through the object divided by the value of the ratio 0.025mm under the test force.

The Shore A hardness test was conducted using a truncated cone having an opening angle of 35 °, and the Shore D hardness test was conducted using a cone having an opening angle of 30 ° and a tip radius of 0.1mm as a penetrating object. The penetrator is made of polished hard steel.

The measurement formula is as follows:

HS＝100-h/0.025

F＝550+75HSA

F＝445HSD

h units mm, F units mN

Wherein:

HS is Shore hardness

HAS is Shore A hardness

HSD is Shore D hardness

The application range is as follows:

since the resolution of the two Shore hardness tests differs in the different hardness ranges, materials with a Shore A hardness of > 80 are advantageously tested according to Shore D, whereas materials with a Shore D hardness of < 30 are tested according to Shore A.

Hardness scale use

Shore A soft rubber, very soft plastics

Shore D hard rubber, soft thermoplastics

The invention will now be elucidated with additional reference to examples, which constitute only non-limiting examples for carrying out the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a shoe having an upper and a water vapor permeable sole unit of the present invention, wherein the sole unit has not been bonded to the upper;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 having a first embodiment of the sole unit of the present invention, wherein the sole unit likewise has not been bonded to the upper;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1 having a second embodiment of the sole unit of the present invention, wherein the sole unit likewise has not been bonded to the upper;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a sole unit of the present invention that may be bonded to the upper structure shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a sole unit of the present invention that may be bonded to the upper structure shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 6 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of a breathable layer for use as a comfort layer, in the form of a breathable spacer structure;

fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of a breathable layer for use as a comfort layer, in the form of a breathable spacer structure;

fig. 8 shows a schematic view of a third embodiment of a breathable layer for use as a comfort layer, in the form of a breathable spacer structure;

fig. 9 shows a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a breathable layer for use as a comfort layer, in the form of a breathable spacer structure;

fig. 10 shows a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a breathable layer for use as a comfort layer, in the form of a breathable spacer structure; and

figure 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a sole unit modified by the present invention that may be similarly bonded to the upper structure shown in figure 1.

Terms such as upper, lower, right, left, and the like are used only for specific description of the same figures and are not intended to have an absolute meaning.

Fig. 1 shows an oblique upward perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a shoe 11 of the present invention, the shoe 11 having an upper 13 and a sole unit 15 of the present invention. Figure 1 shows the shoe 11 in an assembled stage before the sole unit 15 is secured to the upper 13. The shoe 11 has an opening 17 which is sufficiently easy to put in and take out. Fig. 1 shows, for the tread surface of the sole unit 15, a specific relief topography regarding the outsole layer through-hole openings 16, which is purely illustrative and not essential to the invention. However, in order for the sole unit 15 to obtain good water vapor permeability and thus good removal of perspiration moisture from the interior of the shoe through the sole unit 15, a large outer sole through-hole opening 16 is required.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower end of the upper 13 is sealed to the upper bottom 19 before the sole unit 15 is bonded to the upper 13. The upper bottom 19 is provided with a waterproof and water-vapor-permeable upper bottom functional layer, for example in the form of an upper bottom film 21 (visible in fig. 2 and 3). Upper 13 and upper bottom 19 form upper structure 22. Typically, the upper bottom film is processed as part of an at least two-layer laminate.

The cross-sectional views shown in fig. 2 and 3 are exemplary sectional views through the forefoot region of the footwear, which illustrate different embodiments that differ from one another not only in the structure of the sole unit 15, but also in the structure of the upper.

Fig. 2 and 3 each show a shoe in which, firstly, the sole unit 15 has not yet been glued to the upper structure 22, and, secondly, the shoe 11 is shown without a footbed. The embodiment shown in fig. 2 is designed for a sole that is injection molded onto upper structure 22, while the embodiment shown in fig. 3 is designed for a sole that is bonded to upper structure 22. This is, however, not essential for the invention, and may be reversed, corresponding to the embodiment of fig. 2 and 3, as appropriate to the final solution.

The upper structures 22 of the two exemplary embodiments shown in fig. 2 and 3 simultaneously each comprise an upper 13 with a water-vapor-permeable upper material 23, an upper functional layer, for example in the form of an upper membrane 25, which is arranged on the inner surface of the upper, and an upper lining 27 on the inner surface thereof. In both cases, the upper bottom 19 comprises a three-layer upper bottom film laminate 33 comprising, as a middle layer, an upper bottom film 21, which film 21 comprises, on one of its surfaces, a supporting textile layer 35 and, on its other surface, a supporting net 37. An upper bottom film laminate having some other number of layers, for example, a two layer laminate, may also be used. In both cases, the entire upper bottom 19 (fig. 2), or more precisely the inner sole 29 of the upper bottom 19, is joined to the sole-side lower end region of the upper membrane 25 and the upper lining 27 by means of a seam 31, for example a Strobel seam or a zigzag seam.

However, the two embodiments shown in figures 2 and 3 differ in the structure of the respective upper bottom 19 and the structure of the respective sole unit 15. These two embodiments also differ in the coupling between the upper structure 22 and the sole unit 15.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the inner sole 29 is formed by a three-layer upper bottom film laminate 33, according to its function of mounting the lower end of the upper in the desired form, also commonly referred to as mounting sole. In this embodiment, the sole-side lower end of the upper material 23 ends at a distance before the seam 31 to form a projection of the sole-side lower end of the upper membrane 25 relative to the sole-side lower end of the upper material 23. This distance between the upper material 23 and the seam 31 can be spanned by means of a mesh belt 39 of liquid-permeable plastic.

The embodiment shown in fig. 2 comprises a sole unit 15 constructed with an outer bottom layer 41, the lower surface of which outer bottom layer 41 is configured as the tread surface 42, with a depression 43 on the upper side of the outer bottom layer removed from tread surface 42, which depression results in a reduction in the thickness of outer bottom layer 41 in the area of depression 43. The outer bottom layer 41 is positioned in the area of the depression 43 such that the outsole layer through-hole opening 45 extends through the thickness of the outer bottom layer 41 at this point to render the outer bottom layer 41 permeable to water vapor. These outsole layer through-hole openings 45 are as large as possible to achieve correspondingly high water vapor permeability of the outsole layer 41 and the sole unit 15. Located within the recess 43 is at least a portion of a barrier layer 47 that serves as a mechanical protection for the upper bottom membrane 21 from damage due to foreign objects such as small stones penetrating into the outer bottom layer through-hole opening 45. In one embodiment, the barrier layer 47 is constructed using the above-described thermally reinforced fiber material, such that the barrier layer, in addition to providing mechanical protection to the upper bottom membrane 21, may also be constructed as a stable material for the sole unit 15. Within the recess 43 and on the upper side of the barrier layer 47, there is a comfort layer 49 which, in the embodiment shown in fig. 2, is provided with comfort layer through-hole openings 51, which extend, for example, through the thickness of the comfort layer 49, since the comfort layer 49 is constructed from a material impermeable to water vapor. Depending on whether the comfort layer 49 is intended to contribute to a reduction in the weight of the sole unit 15, whether the underfoot pad is modified to improve walking comfort, or both, the material used for the comfort layer 49 may be lighter than the outer sole material, softer than the outer sole material, or both. EVA is an example of a useful material for the comfort layer when good underfoot is to be achieved. When a weight reduction is to be achieved compared to the outer sole material, then foamed plastics with a correspondingly lower specific gravity are suitable. Foamed EVA is then a suitable material when both improved underfoot padding and weight reduction are to be achieved for the outer substrate material. However, there are many other types of materials that can be used.

The embodiment shown in fig. 2 is particularly designed for footwear in which the outsole is attached by injection molding. In the manufacture of the shoe, the material of the outer bottom layer 41 is formed by means of the liquid sole material of the outer bottom layer or of some other sole layer of the midsole, by injection moulding (not shown) onto the upper bottom 21, which is placed at the location of the bottom side of the upper structure 22, and before the injection moulding operation the barrier layer 47 and the comfort layer 49 are laid inside the mould, so that firstly the shape of the outer bottom layer 41 shown in fig. 2 and the laterally drawn-up peripheral edges are created, and secondly the injection-moulded outer bottom layer material extends laterally so that it can penetrate to the lower sole-side end of the upper material 23 and, via the web 39, to the lower end region of the upper membrane 25, which region is located behind the web 39 and is not covered by the upper material 23, in order to form, on the one hand, a waterproof bond between the outer bottom layer 41 and the upper membrane 25 at this location, on the other hand, a waterproof connection between the upper membrane 25 and the upper bottom membrane 21 is achieved at the seam 31. Since only the support net 37, but not the supporting textile layer 35, is penetrable by the liquid sole material to such an extent that the liquid sole material can penetrate through to the upper bottom film 21 and not into the latter, in this embodiment the upper bottom film laminate 33 is arranged with its support net 37 on the downward-facing side of the upper bottom film 21.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the outsole layer 41 and the comfort layer 49 each have through-hole openings 45 and 51, respectively, that are not only just of equal size, but also are aligned with one another, i.e., overlap to the greatest extent. This provides in particular a high water vapour permeability for the sole unit 15. However, in many cases, it is sufficient that the outsole layer through-hole opening 45 and the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 only partially overlap, for example, in order to be able to achieve a different relief appearance of the outsole layer 41 and the comfort layer 49. It is important for the outsole layer through-hole openings 45 and the comfort layer through-hole openings 51 to ensure a minimum overlap thereof to ensure water vapor permeability of the sole unit 15. In this embodiment, the upper bottom film laminate 33 is arranged with the support mesh 37 facing downwards, i.e. towards the sole unit 15, and is penetrable by the liquid sole material during the injection moulding operation. Thus, as shown in fig. 2, the liquid sole material flows in the direction of the area surrounding the mesh strip 39, the seam 31 and the peripheral area of the upper bottom film laminate 33, and will not only penetrate through the mesh strip 39 into the corresponding area of the upper film, but also through the support mesh 37 into the corresponding area of the upper bottom film laminate 33, which are sealed by including the seam 31 in the finishing operation.

The embodiment shown in fig. 3 is designed for a bonded outsole. Thus, in another way than that shown in the embodiment of figure 2, a waterproof coupling is formed between the upper bottom membrane 21 and the upper membrane 25. Furthermore, the upper bottom 19 of the embodiment shown in fig. 3 differs from the upper bottom 19 of the embodiment shown in fig. 2 in that the function of the inner sole is not performed by the upper bottom membrane laminate, but by the inner sole 29, which is additionally provided to the upper bottom membrane laminate 33 and is joined to the upper membrane 25 and the lining 27 by a seam 31, which may also be a Strobel seam or a zigzag seam. In this embodiment, the sole-side lower end region of the upper membrane 25 and the peripheral region of the upper bottom membrane 21 are joined together in a water-proof manner by means of a waterproof adhesive 53. Since this waterproof adhesive 53 can penetrate only through the support mesh 37 and not through the supporting textile layer 35 to the upper bottom film 21 and thus not through the latter, the upper bottom film laminate 33 in this embodiment is oriented upside down compared to the embodiment shown in fig. 2, so that in the embodiment shown in fig. 3 the support mesh 37 is located on the upper side of the upper bottom film 21 and the supporting textile 35 is located on the lower side of the upper bottom film 21. The upper bottom film laminate 33 is located on the underside of the inner sole 29, i.e. on the side of the inner sole 29 facing the sole unit 15. Waterproof adhesive 53 also serves to secure upper bottom film laminate 33 to upper structure 22 so that no additional adhesive is required.

In this embodiment according to fig. 3, the sole-side lower upper material end region is continued by means of a permanent adhesive 55 to below the peripheral edge of the upper bottom film laminate 33. In this embodiment, the outsole layer 41 of the sole unit 15 is bonded to the sole-side lower end region of the upper material 23 and at least partially to the peripheral region of the upper bottom 19 by means of a sole adhesive 57 applied to the peripheral edge region of the upper side of the outsole layer 41.

The sole unit 15 shown in fig. 3 differs from the sole unit 15 shown in fig. 2 in terms of the form of the outsole layer portions between the outsole layer through-hole openings 45, which portions are in the form of studs in the case of fig. 2 and narrow strips in the case of fig. 3. In general, this is not important for the function of the sole unit 15 and the function of the shoe 11. If in both cases all of the outer bottom layer through-hole openings 45 together create a total area of equal size, this will result in substantially the same water vapor permeability.

While the embodiment shown in fig. 2 includes a comfort layer 49, for example, having a comfort layer through-hole opening 51, because the comfort layer 49 is comprised of an inherently water vapor impermeable material, the embodiment shown in fig. 3 includes a schematically illustrated comfort layer 49, for example, comprised of an inherently water vapor permeable material, such as a textile layer, comprised of a multi-layer textile having a plurality of loops offset relative to one another in an interlaminar manner.

In both embodiments shown in fig. 2 and 3, an upper bottom film laminate 33 (fig. 2), which performs the function of the inner sole, or correspondingly the inner sole 29, is joined to the lower end of the upper by means of a Strobel seam 31, which is why it is often referred to as a Strobel inner sole.

The schematic sectional views in fig. 2 and 3 are only partial in the sense of simplifying the construction of the upper, only the left-hand upper part and the upper bottom being shown in each case, but not the right-hand upper part, as is also conceivable.

Fig. 4 and 5 each show only a sole unit 15 that can be glued to the upper structure, the sole unit 15 being, as required, a sole structure according to fig. 2 or a sole structure according to fig. 3, or a similar sole structure. Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 2, it is the feature of the sole unit 15 in fig. 4 and 5 that the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 does not extend perpendicular to the tread surface 42 of the outsole layer 41, but rather at an oblique angle relative to the tread surface 42. Although all the comfort layer through-hole openings 51 in fig. 4 extend in the same inclination direction, the left comfort layer through-hole opening 51 in fig. 5 and the right comfort layer through-hole opening 51 in fig. 5 have inclination angles in different directions. This enables the comfort layer through-hole openings 51 to be positioned on both sides of the edge of the recess 43 closer to the outer bottom layer 41 than in the case where all the inclination angles of the comfort layer through-hole openings 51 are directed in the same direction as shown in the case of fig. 4.

In embodiments of the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 having an oblique direction, the angle of inclination, the thickness of the comfort layer 49 and the diameter of the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 must be coordinated to produce an inclined wall portion of the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 that can block penetration of foreign objects; i.e., perpendicular to the footrest surface 42 or, correspondingly, to the barrier layer 45, the comfort layer through-hole opening 51 has no free space that would allow a foreign object that has successfully penetrated the barrier layer 45 to enter through the comfort layer 49 without hindrance.

As mentioned above, the comfort layer 49 may be configured as a breathable layer in the form of a breathable spacer structure. Fig. 6 to 10 show alternative examples of air-permeable layers.

In the embodiment of fig. 6 in which a comfort layer 49 is constructed using a spacer structure 60 as the breather layer 40, the lower plate-like structure 64 has an approximately arched, hemispherical projection or bulge 65, the apex of which forms the upper bearing surface. In one embodiment, the spacer structure 60 comprises an initially plate-like loop-forming knit, or a solid material which, after being formed into the illustrated shape, for example by a deep drawing operation, is rigid or becomes rigid, so that it will maintain that shape in the face of a load during walking, even when a shoe comprising a sole unit 15 equipped with the spacer structure is worn. In addition to deep drawing operations, other measures may be taken, namely forming and strengthening by thermoforming operations or impregnation with synthetic resins curable to the desired shape and rigidity.

Fig. 7 shows an illustrative example of a comfort layer 51 constructed using a spacer structure 60, the spacer structure 60 serving as the breather layer 40, the lower and upper bearing surfaces of the spacer structure 60 being formed by two breather sheet-like structures 62 and 64 parallel to each other, selected from the group of: such as polyolefins, polyamides, and polyesters, the sheet-like structures 62 and 64 are joined together while being separated in an air-permeable manner by support fibers 66. At least some of the fibers 66 are disposed between the sheet-like structures 62 and 64 as at least approximately vertical spacers. The fibers 66 are comprised of a flexible, deformable material such as polyester or polypropylene. Air may flow between the sheet-like structures 62, 64 and the fibers 66. The sheet-like structures 62 and 64 comprise open-cell woven or knitted textile materials. Such spacer structures 60 may be Tylex or Mueller Textil spacer fabrics.

The spacer structure 60 shown in fig. 8 has a similar construction to the spacer structure shown in fig. 6, but consists of loop-forming knitted fabric made of loop-forming knitted fibers or loop-forming knitted filaments, which are formed into the shape and cured into the shape, for example by a thermal operation or impregnation with synthetic resin.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a spacer structure 60 having a zigzag or saw-tooth shape formed by an initially flat material such that upper and lower vertices 60a and 60b form respective upper and lower bearing surfaces of the spacer structure 60. This form of spacer structure 60 can also be formed and cured to the desired stiffness using the already mentioned methods.

Fig. 10 shows another illustrative example of a spacer structure 60 for use as the ventilation layer 40 of the comfort layer 51 of the present invention. In this embodiment the spacer element is formed not as a protrusion or an upward bulge on a single lower sheet structure 68, but as a fibre tuft 70, which stands upright on the sheet structure 68, the upper free ends of the fibre tufts together forming an upper bearing surface. The fiber clusters 70 may be formed by flocking the lower sheet structure 68.

Claims (24)

1. A water vapor permeable sole unit (15) comprising:

an outer bottom layer (41) constructed using an outer bottom material, which may be formed from several pieces, and/or provided with an outer bottom portion arranged thereunder, the thickness of which outer bottom layer is reduced in a peripheral area by means of a recess (43) extending from the upper side of said outer bottom layer (41), said outer bottom layer being provided with an outer bottom layer through-hole opening (45) extending through the thickness thereof,

a water vapor permeable barrier layer (47) disposed within said depressions (43) of the outer substrate (41), extending only part of the height of said depressions (43) and below the upper surface of said outer substrate, and constructed using a barrier material configured to block the forced passage of foreign objects;

a water vapor permeable comfort layer (49) disposed within the recess (43), the water vapor permeable comfort layer being positioned above the barrier layer (47), the comfort layer being constructed using a comfort layer material having a lower hardness or a lower specific gravity, or both, than the outsole material.

2. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using a water-vapor-permeable material.

3. The sole unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using a material selected from the group of materials consisting of: leather, microporous open-cell foam, water vapor permeable textile knitted material, water vapor permeable textile fleece material, water vapor permeable felt material, and combinations thereof.

4. The sole unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constituted using a plurality of layers of knitting with a plurality of drawing loops, which are displaced from one another in a layer-wise manner.

5. The sole unit according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using a water-vapor-permeable textile material selected at least partially from the following group of materials: polyamide, polyester and polypropylene plastic materials.

6. The sole unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is provided with comfort layer through-hole openings (51) which extend through the thickness of the comfort layer and at least partially overlap the outer bottom layer through-hole openings (45).

7. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using a material impermeable to water vapor and is provided with comfort layer through-hole openings (51) extending through the thickness of the comfort layer and at least partially overlapping the outer bottom layer through-hole openings (45).

8. The sole unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using plastic, foamed or unfoamed material, a material selected from the following group of materials: polyurethane (PU) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA).

9. The sole unit according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said through hole opening of said comfort layer (49) extends through the comfort layer (49) and is angled obliquely with respect to the tread surface of said sole unit (15) so that the through hole opening (51) of said comfort layer forms a slanted wall portion which blocks the penetration of foreign objects.

10. The sole unit according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that at least one of said outer bottom through hole opening (45) or said comfort layer through hole opening (51), or both said outer bottom through hole opening (45) and said comfort layer through hole opening (51) have a thickness of at least 0.5cm²The area of (a).

11. The sole unit of claim 10, wherein at least one of the outer bottom through-hole opening (45) or the comfort layer through-hole opening (51), or both the outer bottom through-hole opening (45) and the comfort layer through-hole opening (51) have a width of at least 5cm²The area of (a).

12. The sole unit of claim 11, wherein at least one of the outer bottom through-hole opening (45) or the comfort layer through-hole opening (51), or both the outer bottom through-hole opening (45) and the comfort layer through-hole opening (51) have a width of at least 20cm²The area of (a).

13. The sole unit of claim 12, wherein at least one of the outer bottom layer through-hole opening (45) or the comfort layer through-hole opening (51), or both the outer bottom layer through-hole opening (45) and the comfort layer through-hole opening (51) have at least 40cm²The area of (a).

14. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the comfort layer (49) of the sole unit is constructed using a vapor-permeable layer (40) in the form of a vapor-permeable spacer structure (60).

15. The sole unit according to claim 14, characterized in that said breathable spacer structure (60) of said sole unit comprises a sheet-like structure (62) and a plurality of spacer elements (65, 66) which protrude perpendicularly and/or at an angle of between 0 ° and 90 ° from the sheet-like structure (62).

16. The sole unit according to claim 15, characterized in that said spacer elements (65) of said spacer structure (60) are tufted.

17. The sole unit according to claim 14, characterized in that a breathable spacer structure (60) is formed using two sheet-like structures (62, 64) parallel to each other and connected to each other and kept spaced apart in a breathable manner by means of said spacer element (66).

18. The sole unit according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that the spacer structure (60) of the sole unit is constructed using reinforcement-formed loop knitting.

19. The sole unit according to any one of claims 14 to 17, characterized in that said spacer structure (60) of the sole unit is configured in a wave or zigzag shape.

20. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the barrier layer (47) of the sole unit is configured to provide mechanical stability to the sole unit (15).

21. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the barrier layer (47) of the sole unit is formed using a fiber assembly comprising at least two fiber components differing in their melting temperatures,

wherein at least a portion of the first fibrous component has a first melting temperature and a lower first softening temperature range and at least a portion of the second fibrous component has a second melting temperature and a lower second softening temperature range, and the first melting temperature and the first softening temperature range are higher than the second melting temperature and the second softening temperature range,

wherein the fibrous assembly is thermally consolidated by thermally activating the second fibrous component with a tack temperature within the second softening temperature range while maintaining water vapor permeability in the thermally cured region.

22. The sole unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer bottom layer (41) of the sole unit is constructed using a material selected from the following group of materials: rubber, PU (polyurethane), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate), TR (technical rubber), and leather, or combinations thereof.

23. Footwear comprising an upper structure (22) comprising an upper bottom (19), said upper bottom being provided with an upper bottom functional layer (21) therein and thus being waterproof and water vapor permeable; further comprising a sole unit (15) according to claim 1, coupled to a sole-side end region of said upper structure (22).

24. Footwear according to claim 23, the upper (13) of which is provided with an upper functional layer (25) which is joined to the upper bottom functional layer (21) in a waterproof manner, so that the footwear as a whole is waterproof and water-vapor-permeable.