TWI539906B - Vapor-permeable shoe with waterproof and vapor-permeable sole - Google Patents

Description

Breathable shoes with waterproof and breathable soles

The present invention relates to a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole.

As is known, the part of the foot that has the greatest perspiration effect is the sole of the foot.

Therefore, the area where the shoe can accumulate the moisture caused by sweating at most is the interface between the sole of the foot and the sole of the shoe.

At that point, the sweat produced saturates the air and mostly condenses, thereby accumulating on the sole insert.

Only a small amount of moisture generated by sweating spreads to the side of the upper and leaves away from it on the side of the upper.

This effect of sweat accumulation in the sole region is particularly pronounced in rubber sole shoes; in these situations, the complete impermeability of the sole of the shoe actually prevents vapor from penetrating through the sole of the shoe.

As is known, the accumulation of sweat in the sole region of the foot creates a discomfort to the user of the shoe and also constitutes a priority for the growth of bacterial cultures known as sources of unpleasant odors.

Therefore, it is generally felt that it is necessary to prevent moisture from sweating from accumulating in the sole area of the shoe.

A first attempt to meet this need consists of the solution disclosed in EP 0382904.

The teaching contained in this patent consists in dividing the rubber sole into two layers, the lower of the two layers having penetrating microperforations, and the semi-permeable membrane joined to the two layers at the periphery to be inserted thereto in order to avoid water Infiltrate and therefore get no A sole that is permeable to water in a liquid state and permeable to water vapor.

For the sake of simplicity, an element having a property of being impermeable to water in a liquid state and permeable to water vapor is hereinafter referred to as waterproof and gas permeable.

The semi-permeable membranes used in the teachings of EP 0 382 904 are of the type disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,187,390 to U.S. Pat.

These films are provided by a film made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) having a thickness substantially varying from 19 microns to 70 microns and being waterproof and breathable.

Its microstructure is characterized by the presence of a dense region called a node interconnected by stretched filaments called fibrils.

Such semi-permeable films originally envisioned for use in the military field have been developed and used in the field of clothing and footwear in order to avoid accumulation of vapor from sweating in the garment and to provide a shoe with an upper having an upper Waterproof and breathable lining.

Since the market for clothing and footwear is always demanding soft and comfortable items, there is a strong need in the described applications to ensure that the film intended as a functional layer does not detract from such characteristics.

This need has been expressed in real-world technology, which envisions the need to use a film that has a low thickness for lamination with a supporting and/or aesthetic finishing material, such as fabric or leather, such that it is flexible, foldable, Finished laminate elements that are soft, smooth, compressible and extensible, and have a low profile per unit surface weight.

However, indeed, due to the low thickness of the film, the film providing such films has Poor mechanical strength properties.

In fact, it should be noted that the value of the strength of the laminate is mainly derived from the characteristics of the fabric layer or the support layer to which the film is coupled.

In particular, useful films made of polymeric materials to provide such films as mentioned have a thickness substantially between 19 microns and 70 microns, which thickness will have poor penetration resistance (ie, These membranes are administered below 5N).

The expression "penetration resistance" specifies the characteristics defined by the measurement performed according to the method described in "Determination of the penetration resistance of the sole" in Chapter 5.8.2 of the ISO 20344-2004 standard for safety footwear.

This poor mechanical penetration resistance has led the inventors of EP 0382904 to prevent the film from coming into contact with foreign objects by limiting the diameter of the hole in the sole that the film faces.

However, this solution has been shown to limit the area of the sole that is assigned to vapor permeation, and in addition, the holes can be blocked.

While the teachings disclosed in the same applicant's EP 858,270 disclose solutions to overcome such disadvantages, the solution does not completely overcome such disadvantages and is not perfect.

This patent discloses a shoe having a sole made of a perforated elastomer and comprising a midsole comprising a waterproof and breathable layer preferably laminated on the lower protective layer of felt treated to resist water. film.

Since the protective layer is not made of a waterproof material, it is not possible to provide a direct seal between the midsole and the sole, but a waterproof peripheral element that provides a sealed bridge between the waterproof and breathable film and the sole.

As mentioned, the present invention has some aspects that can be refined while allowing effective protection of the film from penetration by foreign objects.

In particular, the protective element progressively loses its water-repellent properties and thus tends to become water-saturated and/or become filled with mud or other types of smudges that are absorbed through the holes of the tread, thereby detrimental to the breathability of the sole. In addition, an environment is created which is advantageous for the proliferation of microorganisms such as molds and bacteria, which can cause the shoes to have an unpleasant odor.

Another disadvantage is that during use, the cyclic deflection and traction experienced by the midsole during walking tends to cause progressive wear and tear of the film, thus causing the sole to lose its water repellency.

Another solution is proposed in US Pat. No. 6,580,015 to Rauch Max, which discloses a sole structure having two superposed layers that are designed to be oriented toward the upper portion of the sole structure of the shoe to be elastic and permeable to water. Vapor.

The lower layer covering less than 70% of the upper layer has the function of supporting the upper layer and provides a tread surface.

The upper layer, for example, is made of a sintered plastic or non-woven fabric to have a microporous structure, which is not waterproof under any circumstances.

A disadvantage of this solution is that during the use of the shoe, the upper layer of the microporous exposed by the lower layer tends to become water saturated when it comes into contact with water, absorbs water, retains water and partially releases water over time, thereby contaminating The surface on which the shoe user walks.

In addition, the upper layer tends to degrade when in contact with the absorbed water.

In order to obtain the waterproofness of the sole, this patent discloses teaching to treat the upper layer so that it is water repellent or covered by a waterproof and breathable film disposed thereon. Show.

However, the hydrophobic treatment has a short life, causing the sole to lose its water repellency, while the application of a breathable and waterproof film on the upper layer can be reproduced in a manner comparable to the structure of the structure already described, wherein the film is protected by one or more layers. To support, so once again face the same shortcomings and restrictions on the quantitative aspects of gas permeability.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole that allows for overcoming the limitations of currently known footwear and soles (in particular by allowing retention and release of water that is accessible during use) ), with effective and durable breathability and water resistance.

Within this aim, one of the objects of the present invention is to design a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole that has an object that tends to penetrate beyond the sole of the shoe during use of the breathable shoe, such as with respect to currently known products (such as , the greater resistance of the pebbles, especially in the case of their sharp points, or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole that is more durable and more breathable than currently known products.

This and other objects will become more apparent hereinafter by means of a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole comprising: - an upper assembly, - a sole, which is joined To the upper assembly and comprising a body made of a waterproof material, the body having a shoe tread and being permeable to water vapor a region that is less than one, at least one waterproof and breathable film that covers the at least one region toward the interior of the shoe, at least one protective member that at least partially covers a lower surface of one of the at least one film, the shoe being characterized by Further comprising at least one protective shield that is waterproof and breathable, the protective barrier covering the at least one region and substantially interposed between the region and the at least one protective element, the protective barrier being at least one At least one of the sections of the body surrounding the zone is sealed to the body in a waterproof manner.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of the preferred and non-exclusive embodiments of the waterproof and breathable sole of the present invention as illustrated by way of non-limiting example.

Referring to the drawings, in the first embodiment, a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole is generally indicated by reference numeral 10, the breathable shoe comprising: - an upper assembly 11, - a sole 12 that is joined to the upper And comprising a body 13 made of a waterproof material, the body 13 having a tread surface 14 and having at least one region 15 permeable to water vapor, a waterproof and breathable film 16 facing the inner footprint 15 of the shoe 10. , a protective element 17 covering the lower face 16a of the film 16.

According to the invention, preferably as described below, the shoe 10 is characterized by its In addition, a waterproof and breathable protective barrier 18 is provided. The protective barrier 18 covers the region 15 and is substantially inserted between the region and the protective member 17, and the protective barrier is waterproofed at the partition 13a of the body 13 around the region 15. 18 is sealed to the body 13.

While the tread surface 14 is conveniently the lower surface of the body 13 that is in contact with the ground during use, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, in an equivalent manner, the tread surface 14 can be separated from the body 13 in a lower region. And the components associated with the body 13.

Conveniently, zone 15 is defined by a plurality of apertures 15a through body 13.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, in a substantially equivalent manner, the zone may be defined by at least one wide opening, wherein structural elements for reinforcing and supporting the protective barrier, for example to form a grid, may be provided.

Depending on the requirements, in an alternative embodiment of the breathable footwear according to the present invention, the shoe comprises a sole having at least one zone that is generally permeable to water vapor and covered by at least one waterproof and breathable film, in the waterproof and breathable film At least one protective element is disposed underneath, and at least one of the protective barriers is further disposed at the at least one zone.

Advantageously, the protective baffle 18 is microporous and has small pores having an average pore size of less than 1 μm; preferably, the small pores have an average pore size of less than 0.5 μm, and particularly conveniently, at least 50 of the small holes % has an average pore size of less than 0.5 μm.

Advantageously, the protective baffle 18 is formed from a sheet of material obtained from a substantially uniform mixture of the following: - a polyolefin having a high molecular weight, which constitutes a mixture between 8% and 98%. Percent by volume concentration of the compound, a filler adapted to promote the formation of micropores, which constitutes a volume percent concentration of the mixture between 1% and 92%, - a plasticizer, which constitutes between 1% and 40% The volume percent concentration of the mixture.

Wherein the polyolefin is preferably UHMW polyethylene (UHMW means ultra high molecular weight) and the filler is conveniently selected between cerium oxide and citric acid, the plasticizer being a water-insoluble oil, preferably petroleum. .

As an alternative, the protective barrier 18 is conveniently selected from the group consisting of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE), polyurethane (PU), polyester (PES), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) Made of materials in and the like.

Preferably, the protective baffle 18 has a structure selected from the group consisting of: a structure consisting of a single integrated layer that is preferably extruded to have a thickness substantially comprised between 0.1 mm and 5 mm. a structure composed of a plurality of layers joined by lamination to form a multilayer component having a thickness substantially comprised between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, a structure composed of a plurality of laminated layers, A permeable material is disposed between and bonded to the layers.

The protective element 17 is conveniently made of a material selected from the group consisting of felts that are water repellent, non-woven, and the like that are resistant to hydrolysis and gas permeable, and conveniently have a substantial inclusion between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. thickness.

The film 16 is conveniently of the type commonly available as a commercially available breathable and waterproof film, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE), Polyurethane (PU) or the like is made, and at least one web of reinforcing film 16 is conveniently associated with film 16.

Furthermore, element 19 is advantageously provided for sealing peripheral portion 16b of film 16 to body 13, which element 14 is conveniently bridged to its laterally adjacent edges, sealing the edges to each other.

By way of non-limiting example, the portion of the sealing element 19 that provides the watertight seal of the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16 to the body 13 is shown in Figure 1 by the interdigitated line segment indicated by reference letter A.

The sealing element 19 is advantageously made of a water-repellent polymeric material and is hermetically adhered to the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16 and adhered thereto by a layer of glue which is resistant to hydrolysis and which ensures an effective sealing of the preferred polyurethane type. Body 13.

The waterproof polymeric material from which the sealing member 19 is formed is conveniently polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or the like.

In an alternative and substantially equivalent embodiment, the sealing element is advantageously a hot melt thermoplastic adhesive made of polyurethane or polyester, polyamide or polyolefin which can be activated by heat and pressure. The film.

Films particularly suitable for providing the sealing element are sold by the company Bemis Associates Inc (Product Code 3218) or by the company Collano AG, XIRO Adhesive Films (Product Code XAF 36.004 (Puro)).

Moreover, in another and alternative embodiment of the embodiment of the sealing member, in a substantially equivalent manner, the member is provided by a material that forms the body of the sole, joined such that a watertight seal is formed at the peripheral region of the film.

Advantageously, the protective barrier 18 is attached to the body 13 to conveniently form a watertight seal at the perimeter 13a around the perimeter 15.

The waterproof sealing connection is preferably provided by adhesive bonding or by high frequency welding.

As an alternative, depending on the possible requirements of embodiments of the present invention, the sealed connection is conveniently provided by clamping the material used to provide the body 13 that is projected into the mold during the forming step to the protective barrier 18.

In particular, in this case, the sealed connection is obtained by co-molding the material of the body 13 or its components (for example, in the case where the assembly is formed by the lower portion and the midsole) on the protective pad 18. .

In this manner, in effect, the material forming the body 13 or its components clamps the protective baffle 18 to facilitate the formation of a watertight seal at the section 13a of the body 13 around the water vapor permeable zone 15.

In the accompanying figures, as a non-limiting example, the sealed connection is illustrated by the dotted line indicated by reference letter B.

Advantageously, depending on the kinetic requirements of the present invention, the upper assembly 11 schematically illustrated in phantom in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprises at least: - an outer breathable upper, - an inner breathable lining, and - A breathable insole that joins the upper and lower lining flaps to the breathable insole in a manner known per se (for example, according to a permanent construction or by, for example, Strobel type sewing).

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the upper assembly 11 is schematically shown in phantom and the upper, the inner lining and the inner sole are not shown, since this is a component known per se, the structure of the components is advantageous The structure is selected from known structures in a manner consistent with the possible requirements for the performance of the present invention.

Preferably, a spacer 20 covering the upper surface 16c of the film 16 is provided.

The primary purpose of the spacer 20 is to protect the film 16 from possible wear of the insole, and the spacer 20 is interposed between the film 16 and the insole.

Conveniently, the spacer 20 is made of a gas permeable or apertured material (e.g., felt or fabric or polymeric or cellulosic material).

A second embodiment of a shoe according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 as a non-limiting example (wherein the shoe is indicated by reference numeral 100 and wherein the elements corresponding to the elements described so far are also referred to by the same reference numerals In the specification, the body 13 advantageously comprises a lower portion 21 and an upper portion 22 sealing the protective baffle 18 to the lower portion 21, in which the partition 13a is at the periphery of the region 15.

Conveniently, the upper portion 22 is joined to the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16 to provide a watertight seal.

The watertight sealing joint is preferably provided by gluing as a non-limiting example in FIGS. 2 and 3 by means of a dotted line segment indicated by reference letter C, or as an alternative, according to the invention The possibility of execution is conveniently provided by clamping the material for providing the upper portion 22 of the mold during the step for forming the sole 13 to the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16.

Specifically, in this case, the sealed connection is obtained by co-molding the material forming the upper portion 22 on the peripheral portion 16b.

In particular, the sole 100 preferably includes a spacer 20 that is permeable to water vapor and overlaid on the film 16 to cover the film 16, thereby protecting the film 16 from the insole during use of the shoe 10. Any grinding it applies Damage action.

Advantageously, the spacer 20 is made of a gas permeable or apertured material (eg, felt or fabric or plastic or cellulosic material).

If the upper portion 22 is provided by co-molding, the spacer 20 also advantageously acts as a barrier for the material providing the upper portion 22 to pass through the film 16 during ejection from the mold.

In an alternative constructive change that is not shown in the accompanying figures, the spacer is replaced by a body having a hole or through opening to replace a central portion of the upper portion of the permeable water vapor to define a water vapor permeable sole Part of the area.

In this alternative variation, the lower portion of the sole body is completely covered by the upper portion of the sole body.

Referring specifically to Figure 3, in a variation of this second embodiment, in the shoe according to the invention indicated by reference numeral 100a, the protective baffle 18 advantageously has a protective pad 18 covered in a lower zone. The protective element 17 and the film 16 expose the outer peripheral band 18a.

At the peripheral band 18a, the protective baffle 18 is associated with the upper portion 22 of the body 13 of the sole 12 to provide a watertight seal.

The waterproof seal association is conveniently provided by gluing in FIG. 3 by a dotted line segment indicated by reference letter D as a non-limiting example, or in the condition of forming the upper portion 22 by co-molding. Next, it is provided by clamping the material for providing the upper portion 22 shot out of the mold to the peripheral band 18a.

Illustrated in accordance with the present invention as a non-limiting example in FIG. A third embodiment of a breathable shoe of a water and breathable sole (wherein the breathable shoe is generally indicated by reference numeral 200 and wherein the elements corresponding to the elements described so far are indicated by the same reference numerals), upper assembly 11 A breathable upper 23, a breathable liner 24 and a breathable insole 25 are conveniently included.

In general, the upper assembly conveniently includes at least one upper, a lining, and an inner bottom that are breathable, depending on the requirements.

Advantageously, the film 16 forms a layer below the breathable insole 25 or is conveniently associated with the layer of the breathable insole 25 in a substantially equivalent manner.

The outer breathable upper 23 and the lower flap of the breathable inner liner 24 are preferably joined to the inner breathable bottom 25 by stitching the seam.

In this case, the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16 and the body 13 of the sole 12 are conveniently provided to provide a watertight seal by means of a material for providing the body 13 or its components, by co-molding in the upper assembly 11 When the body 13 is formed, the material grips the peripheral portion 16b to provide a watertight seal.

As an alternative, the peripheral portion 16b of the film 16 and the body 13 of the sole 12 are conveniently provided to provide a watertight seal by adhering the film 16 to the body 13 of the sole 12 or a component thereof, such as a midsole.

Furthermore, the protective baffle 18 and the body 13 are advantageously connected to provide a watertight seal at the section 13a around the water vapor permeable zone 15.

The sealed connection between the film 16 and the body 13 of the sole 12 is illustrated in FIG. 4 by way of non-limiting example by the dotted line segment indicated by the reference letter E.

Thus, similar to the sealed connection described so far, the sealed connection between the protective pad 18 and the body 13 of the sole is illustrated in FIG. 4 by way of non-limiting example by the dotted line segment indicated by reference letter B. .

Advantageously, the waterproof sealing connection of the body 13 to the protective baffle 18 is provided by adhesive or co-molding the material of the body 13 as described with reference to the sealed connection of the body 13 to the film 16.

In practice, it has been found that the present invention achieves the intended purpose and object by providing a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole that allows for overcoming the limitations of currently known shoes and soles, and in particular allowing for blocking during use. The retention and release of water that can be contacted by the sole, because of the presence of the protective baffle, which prevents water from reaching the protective element of the film by being impermeable to water and sealed to the body of the sole, but the protective baffle is Breathable.

Furthermore, a breathable shoe having a waterproof and breathable sole according to the present invention has a pair of objects (such as pebbles, especially at its tip) that may tend to penetrate beyond the sole during use of the breathable shoe. In the case of, or the like, greater resistance to induced damage; in fact, even in the case of penetrating the protective pad, the film protected by the protective element maintains the water resistance and breathability of the sole.

The shoe with waterproof and breathable sole according to the present invention also has more durable waterproofness and gas permeability than the currently known products, because of the cooperation of the film and the protective pad, the film and the protective pad protect the sole from being waterproof. The aspects cooperate and are also breathable.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, and all modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims. All the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used (as long as they are compatible with the particular application) and the possible shapes and sizes may be any according to requirements and current state of the art.

10‧‧‧ breathable shoes

11‧‧‧Shoe assembly

12‧‧‧ sole

13‧‧‧Ontology

13a‧‧‧ Division

14‧‧‧Shoe tread

15‧‧‧ District

15a‧‧‧ hole

16‧‧‧film

16a‧‧‧lower side

16b‧‧‧ peripheral parts

16c‧‧‧ upper surface

17‧‧‧Protection components

18‧‧‧Protection pad

18a‧‧‧outer zone

19‧‧‧Sealing components

20‧‧‧ spacers

21‧‧‧ lower part

22‧‧‧ upper part

23‧‧‧External breathable upper

24‧‧‧ Breathable lining

25‧‧‧ Breathable insole

100‧‧‧ breathable shoes

100a‧‧‧ breathable shoes

200‧‧‧ breathable shoes

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a breathable shoe according to the present invention in a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a breathable shoe according to the present invention in a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the breathable shoe according to the present invention; A cross-sectional view of a breathable shoe according to the present invention in a variation; and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a breathable shoe according to the present invention in a third embodiment.

10‧‧‧ breathable shoes

11‧‧‧Shoe assembly

12‧‧‧ sole

13‧‧‧Ontology

13a‧‧‧ Division

14‧‧‧Shoe tread

15‧‧‧ District

15a‧‧‧ hole

16‧‧‧film

16a‧‧‧lower side

16b‧‧‧ peripheral parts

16c‧‧‧ upper surface

17‧‧‧Protection components

18‧‧‧Protection pad

19‧‧‧Sealing components

20‧‧‧ spacers

Claims (14)

A breathable shoe (10, 100, 100a, 200) having a waterproof and breathable sole, comprising: an upper assembly (11), a sole (12) coupled to the upper assembly (11) and The utility model comprises a body (13) made of a waterproof material, the body (13) having a shoe tread (14) and having at least one region (15) permeable to water vapor, at least one waterproof and breathable film (16), The interior of the shoe (10, 100, 100a, 200) covers the at least one zone (15), at least one protective element (17) at least partially covering the lower face (16a) of the at least one film (16) The shoe (10, 100, 100a, 200) is characterized in that it further comprises at least one protective barrier (18) that is waterproof and breathable, the protective barrier (18) covering the at least one zone (15) and substantially inserted Between the zone (15) and the at least one protective component (17), the protective barrier (18) is waterproofed at at least one partition (13a) of the body (13) around the at least one zone (15) The method is sealed to the body (13), wherein a peripheral portion (16b) of the at least one film (16) is impermeable to the body (13). A breathable shoe according to claim 1, comprising a permeable spacer (20) at least partially superposed on the film (16) to protect the film (16). A breathable shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one protective stop pad (18) is microporous and has small holes having an average porosity of less than 1 μm. A breathable shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one protective barrier (18) comprises a sheet of material obtained from a substantially uniform mixture of one of the following: a polyolefin having a high molecular weight, Forming a volume percent concentration of the mixture between 8% and 98%, a filler adapted to promote the formation of micropores, which constitutes between 1% and 92% by volume of the mixture, a plasticizer, It constitutes a volume percent concentration of the mixture between 1% and 40%. A breathable shoe according to claim 4, wherein the polyolefin is UHMW polyolefin (UHMW means ultra high molecular weight). A breathable shoe according to claim 4, wherein the filler is selected between cerium oxide and citric acid, and the plasticizer is a water-insoluble oil. The breathable shoe of claim 1, wherein the at least one protective barrier (18) is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, and the like. to make. The breathable shoe of claim 7, wherein the at least one protective barrier (18) has a structure selected from the group consisting of a single integrated layer having a structure substantially comprised of 0.1 mm. a thickness between 5.0 mm and a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers being joined by lamination to form a multilayer component having a thickness substantially comprised between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm. a laminated layer forming a structure, a permeable material Placed between and bonded to the layers. The breathable shoe of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one protective barrier (18) is adhered at the at least one partition (13a) of the body (13) at the periphery relative to the at least one region (15) The joint is impermeable to the body (13). A breathable shoe according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the material forming at least one component of the body (13) is co-molded to the at least one protective barrier (18) for clamping the protective barrier (18), And forming a waterproof seal at the at least one partition (13a) of the body (13) around the at least one zone (15). The breathable shoe of claim 1 or 2, wherein the shoe comprises a lower portion (21) of the body (13) and an upper portion (22), the at least one protective barrier (18) being sealed to have at least one The lower half (21) of the at least one partition (13a) surrounding the zone (15). The breathable shoe of claim 11, wherein the protective barrier (18) has an outer peripheral band (18a) exposed by the protective member (17) and the film (16), the protective barrier (18) being in the outer peripheral band (18a) is associated with the upper portion (22) to provide a waterproof seal. A breathable shoe according to claim 11, wherein the upper portion (22) has a central portion having a through opening or aperture forming a portion of the region (15). The breathable shoe of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper assembly (11) comprises at least one outer breathable upper (23), a breathable inner liner (24), and a breathable insole comprising the film (16) ( 25) the at least one upper (23) and the lower fin of the at least one inner liner (24) are joined to the inner bottom (25), and the body (13) is further connected Connecting to the following to provide a waterproof seal: the peripheral portion (16b) connected to the at least one film (16) in a lower region, and the portion around the region (15) permeable to water vapor (13a) is connected to the at least one protective pad (18).