Modular Insert System for Shoe Soles

Abstract

A support customising system is described for a sole 1 of a shoe. The sole 1 comprises a relatively soft, resilient midsole 3 and an a harder outsole 4. Hard insert elements 5 are provided for inserting into vertical cavities 2 in the midsole 3. By varying the hardnesses of different inserts 5 in different vertical cavities, a precisely-tunable pronation control effect on the wearer's gait can be effected. First-order, second-order and third-order pronation control effects are described.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to soles for articles of footwear, in particular footwear for correcting, supporting or accommodating the gait of the wearer.BACKGROUND ART[0002]In addition to providing general support for the wearer's feet while walking or running, shoe soles can be manufactured such that the degree of support for the foot differs between different regions of the sole. Thus the material of the heel region, for example, which experiences the greatest impact forces, is often manufactured to provide greatest impact cushioning effect. The desired variation in support may be achieved for example by varying mechanical properties of the material of the sole, such as the shape, thickness, density, hardness and flexural characteristics. In this way, the sole may be manufactured so as to provide optimum support for the typical wearer's feet. Since gait characteristics vary significantly from person to person, footwear manufacturers design the soles of their...

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Benefits of technology

The patent release describes a new type of invention and its technical effects. The invention allows for a more efficient and effective way of producing a specific type of chemical compound. This can be useful in various industries that use the chemical compound for various purposes.

Problems solved by technology

The wearer is therefore obliged either to settle for a sole which will cover a wide range of uses, but will not be well configured for any of those uses, or he may purchase different footwear for different uses; different shoes for road-running and for cross-country running, for example, or different shoes for different distances.

The orthotic described in this document thus provides a limited customisability of the support which is provided by the insole.

The assembled portions of the midsole may be formed into a continuous moulding, in which case the customised sole is no longer customisable.

DE20320091 describes an adaptable insert which affords a limited customisability of the support provided at a particular region of the sole.

The presence of a wide cavity reduces the overall mechanical integrity of the sole, even with the insert in place, and provides a path for water and dirt to enter the sole, and to work their way deep within the sole.

The presence of the midsole material above and below the cavity means that the effectiveness of the lateral insert is reduced, in that the amount of vertical support it provides is reduced, and the total amount of vertical support provided may the sole in the region of the insert can be less accurately defined.

Such insert elements are typically positioned in regions of the sole where greater support is required, which means that the repeated compression, and the consequent crushing of the insert material and the midsole material above and below the insert, will be particularly susceptible to degradation, and thereby shorten the wearable life of the shoe.

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