Footwear promoting natural motion

Abstract

A shoe is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. The shoe is constructed with a cupped heel, a contoured arch, a radiused forepart and neutral heel / forefoot position to create a foot bed that anatomically cradles a wearer's foot. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The outsole is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application claims priority to and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 491,404 filed on May 31, 2011.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to footwear which promotes a natural motion of the foot by simulating a barefoot experience, and which more specifically relates to anatomically shaped footwear having flexible materials located at anatomically correct flexure locations.[0003]The “barefoot” running trend in footwear is gaining in popularity, with many examples of footwear coming onto the market with variations of this minimalist theme. Market leaders have created an iconic platform—a thin rubber outsole and elastic textile uppers that are assembled with individual toe segmentation to create “fingers”. Other brands have taken a similar approach without improving on the benefits delivered.[0004]However, there are many problems with such “barefoot” running shoes,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]A shoe is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. To begin the design process, the shoe is constructed with a cupped heel, a contoured arch, a radiused forepart and neutral heel / forefoot position to create a foot bed that anatomically cradles a wearer's foot. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The outsole is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.

[0010]Such a construction allows for: (a) increased contact between the foot and shoe interior; (b) a flexibility improvement such that less foot force is required to bend the shoe; (c) an improved gait by enabling natural motion during walking; (c) promoting more midfoot versus heel strike; (d) reduced weight over conventional shoes; (e) and increased foot stimulation through more utilization of bones, tendons, and muscles during footstrike.

Problems solved by technology

Other brands have taken a similar approach without improving on the benefits delivered.

However, there are many problems with such “barefoot” running shoes, and their “fingers.” The lack of cushioning and protection underfoot, combined with encouragement to users that they land on their forefoot (rather than their heels) increases the impact force and potential discomfort experienced by the wearer.

Further, the radical design is a turn-off to many mainstream consumers, which limits the end use and wearing occasions.

Essentially, the “fingers” design is too much, too fast—the extreme design changes in the footwear are more than what the average consumer can adjust to wearing right out of the box.

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