Contoured Support Shoe Insole

Abstract

An insole having a top sheet, a base layer, a forefoot pad, a heel cushion, and support cushion, as well as a strength layer inserted between those components to strengthen and enhance the durability of the insole. The forefoot pad can be made a blown EVA or other material, and the heel cushion can be made of a clear TPR, soft polyurethane or blown EVA. The support cushion has a raised lateral arch and a raised medial arch, the later of which has longitudinal curvilinear indentations, a flattened central midfoot area with a metatarsal mid-foot tear-drop raised area and longitudinal ridges on the flat midfoot area. A heel cup surrounds the exterior back by a heel cup, and a heel pod opening goes through the entirety of the thickness of base layer of the insole body for placement of the heel pad so the heel pad is affixed to the bottom surface of the base layer. There is also a supersoft metatarsal raised dome on the top (foot contact) surface of the insole which would be directly above the metatarsal midfoot area.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 167,797 filed May 28, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 182,162 filed Jun. 19, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 214,595 filed Sep. 4, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 216,496 filed Sep. 10, 2015.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicable.TECHNICAL FIELD[0003]The present invention relates in general to an improved shoe insole and more particularly to an insole providing improved cushioning and support to the foot of a wearer.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]Insoles are inserted in the shoes of a user to provide one or more advantages to the comfort of the wearer or the support of the foot. Insoles are generally sold in pairs and one of each pair is adapted for use in a right shoe and the other adapted for use in a left shoe of a user. It is advantag...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]Overall, the above features appear to be novel characteristics for this insole, and seem to be patentably distinct from the other insoles. The method of construction of the present insole is also a unique and novel feature of the present invention. In accordance with principles of the present invention, a cushioning core or base is combined with a relatively stiff support cushion and a number of other pads to form an insole that provides greater cushioning, stability, and control than was conventionally known in the state of the art. The pads can have a different firmness than the base or the support cushion. The pads and support cushion assist with prevention of supination, and the supplemental heel pad assists with the prevention of pronation. The current invention is an insole that provides a balanced approach to improving longitudinal arch support, prevention of pronation and prevention of supination by incorporation of the combination of the above elements.

[0028]The characteristics of the components, their size and shape, and their position are selected to provide a desired blend of improved cushioning and control, and more specifically to achieve a desired biomechanical function. The size and compression characteristics of the pads can be adjusted to address issues of over / under pronation, over / under supination, and other problems related to foot motion, including altering the size, shape, and material properties of the pads. The firmness of the pads and support cushion can be adjusted to address issues of over / under pronation, over / under supination, and other problems related to foot motion by altering the size, shape, and material properties of the pads. The present invention accomplishes the goals to: (1) improve ankle and foot stability, (2) cushion the heel and forefoot during push-offs and landings, (3) help prevent over pronation and over supination conditions, and (4) provide enhanced cushioning features to the heel, midfoot, arch and forefoot areas. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the components of an insole are permanently affixed to each other to create an insole designed for an intended type or category of activity. Many different insole designs can be made to address a broad range of different activities.

Problems solved by technology

The human foot is a very complex biological mechanism.

Like most custom made items, custom insoles tend to be expensive because of the low volume and extensive time needed to make and fit them properly.

As such, it is not practical to make such custom made insoles for the general public.

However, for more strenuous or technically challenging activities, such as carrying a heavy backpack or traversing difficult terrain, a typical cushioning insole will not be adequate.

Under such conditions, a cushioning insole by itself would not provide enough support and control, and tends to bottom out during use by fully compressing the cushioning insole.

The rigid structure is good at controlling motion, but is not very forgiving.

As a result, when motion of the foot reaches a limit imposed by the rigid structure, the load on the foot tends to change abruptly and increases the load on the structures of the foot.

Because biological tissues such as tendons and ligaments are sensitive to the rate at which they are loaded, the abrupt change in load causes injury or damage to the foot, ankle or leg.

These prior art patents, however, do not address the problems of enhanced cushioning and stability, possible movement of the insole during shoe operation, or establishing enhanced cushioning characteristics to address running and walking usages.

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