Intelligent sneaker insole

Abstract

A shoe wear indicator device for use in combination with athletic shoes for monitoring and reporting qualitative wear and tear on athletic shoes. The shoe wear indicator device includes an insole housing a power supply / user interface unit, a microchip, a sensor unit, and an interface cable. The shoe wear indicator device is used by: (1) a user inserting the device into an athletic shoe; (2) the user exercising or playing various sports; (3) the user removing the device from the shoe; (4) the user connecting the device to a terminal; the user downloading shoe usage data; and (5) the user replacing the shoe if the useful life of the shoe has been exhausted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates generally to athletic shoes having the capability to measure cumulative use and indicate the need for replacing the shoes. More specifically, the present invention relates to insertable insoles that accurately provide for qualitative evaluation of wear and tear on athletic shoes and indicate the need for shoe replacement. BACKGROUND [0002] Consumers of athletic shoes, including shoes for running, cross-training, and specialized activities (i.e. aerobics, basketball, tennis, etc.), need to know when the loss of shock-absorbing capabilities necessitates replacement of existing footwear. This is especially true for wear and tear on the outsole and in the midsole that is undetectable to consumers by visual inspection alone. Consumers benefit financially and physically by knowing when to replace their existing athletic shoes with a new pair. Because high-end athletic shoes range in price anywhere from $80.00 to over $100.00, premature ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that may be reused by merely removing the device upon detecting the expiration of the useful life of a pair of shoes and placing the device in a new pair of shoes.

[0013] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can store information regarding usage and wear so that users who wish to retrieve information regarding training performance are able to access such information.

Problems solved by technology

This is especially true for wear and tear on the outsole and in the midsole that is undetectable to consumers by visual inspection alone.

Because high-end athletic shoes range in price anywhere from $80.00 to over $100.00, premature replacement creates unnecessary expense for consumers.

Delayed replacement, however, can cause consumers pain while exercising and lead to injury.

The wear indicator device is installed between the midsole and outsole during the manufacturing process and is therefore, built-in and unobtrusive to the user.

A disadvantage of known shoe wear indicators is that calculation of wear and tear is based on the cumulative number of steps a user has taken.

This quantitative calculation does not provide the user with a precise evaluation of the actual wear and tear on the shoes because it does not take into account that high impact activities, like running, create more wear and tear on shoes than low impact activities like walking.

Another disadvantage of known shoe wear indicators is the inability for the indicators to store information regarding usage and wear.

Users who wish to retrieve information regarding training performance are unable to access such information from known show wear indicators.

Another disadvantage of known shoe wear indicators is the requirement that the indicators be built into the shoes themselves.

Yet another disadvantage related to the build-in feature of known shoe wear indicators is the inability to reuse the indicators after the useful life of the shoes has expired.

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