Anatomical shoe insert assembly

Abstract

A shoe construction including a shoe upper, an intermediate insert assembly and at least an outsole, the insert assembly including a sockliner having a raised area positioned to underlie an arch of a wearer's foot and a recessed area positioned to underlie a heel of a wearer's foot, and a relatively rigid board member having recessed areas underlying the sockliner in the heel and arch areas.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a shoe construction with improved comfort and has particular utility in connection with various types of footwear.[0002]At first glance, dress shoes are stylish, trendy and make a strong fashion statement. However, most design detail and attention is focused on the outside of the shoe rather than on the inside. A closer look beyond the cosmetic design details reveals that the base materials used to construct the shoe are rigid, dense, inflexible, have mostly flat foot contacting surfaces and low density foam padding that is initially soft but “bottoms out” immediately. While comfort is always marketed, it is not always delivered.[0003]Throughout the years, shoes have been made lighter, more durable and more comfortable. Numerous patents have been issued relating to structures attempting to accomplish this goal. Typically, comfort has been achieved by the addition of cushioning to a shoe construction, for example, by provi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The anatomically shaped and formed sockliner is designed from the inside out and reflects the natural shapes of the human foot. The shaped plantar surface topography maximizes surface contact with the wearer's foot and increases comfort. An extended “heel seat” design in the sockliner utilizes more of the rear part of the foot and shoe to bear weight and distribute pressure. A reduced heel center thickness is provided to avoid peak heel pressure during heel impact.

[0013]The shape and outline of the sockliner reflects the natural shapes of the human foot. The molded or formed insole board with a concaved heel seat creates an improved foundation to support the sockliner and the human foot. As the foot is “loaded” with body weight during heel strike, the present sockliner compresses and fills the formed concaved insole board member and supports the foot, insuring maximum contact. This formed board member effectively locks in the anatomical shape within the shoe and prevents inconsistencies in assembly.

[0014]When a foot is inserted into a shoe that houses the present sockliner, the recessed area of the sockliner serves to receive and locate the heel in a substantially concaved heel area, and the raised area portion supports the medial arch of the wearer's foot so that the sockliner contacts substantially the entire bottom surface of the wearer's foot. The combination of a raised area under the medial arch, a recessed area immediately under the heel, and the use of a sockliner material that does not bottom out improves the distribution of the pressure and the comfort of shoes made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

Problems solved by technology

While comfort is always marketed, it is not always delivered.

In most cases, layers of foam or other similar materials are added to the sole construction to create the initial perception of comfort but such constructions typically lose their effect in a short time and actually create discomfort.

A wearer of these shoes typically compromises on comfort in order to wear the stylish shoes.

The stylish shapes designed into the uppers of shoes do not translate into comfort when applied to the bottoms.

Nonetheless, many conventional shoes such as high-heeled shoes have a reputation for being extremely popular yet uncomfortable because raising the heel is unnatural and such a construction creates anatomical issues and pain.

Thus, it is known that many users of such shoes experience foot pain related to the shoes immediately, and the majority of users experience such pain after as little as several hours of use.

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