Footwear having function of correcting posture of human body

Abstract

Provided is footwear having the function of correcting the posture of a body by correcting a user with bow legs or knock legs so that the user can land on the heel naturally and walk with the center of gravity turned outwards. This footwear comprises a foot platform and a cover part that is placed over the instep, and the foot platform has a toe part and a heel part on which the heel of the foot rests. When the foot platform is further divided into an inner portion including the big toe of the foot and an outer portion including the little toe, the inner portion has a flat, thick region, and the other portion of the foot platform is a flat, thin region. The thick region extends from the toe portion, past the portion facing the big toe and the base thereof, to a portion facing the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. The thin region extends continuously in the longitudinal direction of the foot platform, from the portion facing the middle toe, the ring toe, the little toe, and the bases thereof, past the portion facing the outer longitudinal arch of the foot, to the heel portion.

Description

Footwear with a function to correct human body posture

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear, such as sandals, that has a sole portion on which the user's feet rest and an upper portion that covers the user's feet, and in particular to footwear that has a function of correcting the posture of the human body.

[0002] Footwear such as sandals generally consist of a flat sole shaped like the sole of the foot, with an upper part that includes a belt, thongs, etc. Sandals with various functions have also been developed, such as those with protrusions on the sole that stimulate pressure points on the sole of the foot while walking.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses footwear with a footrest, a toe strap, and a thong, in which the footrest is formed by adhering a first layer with a thin portion to a second layer without a thin portion, and the thin portion of this first layer is missing on the little toe side of the toe strap and on the toe side of the heel. This structure allows the user's center of gravity to be shifted inward when walking in this footwear, and if the user has bow legs, it can narrow the distance between the user's knees. Patent Document 1 also discloses footwear in which the heel portion of the footrest is missing in an arc or linear shape, allowing the user to walk on their toes.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses footwear having a sole portion on which the user's foot rests, an upper portion that encases the instep, and an inner sole portion, in which the sole is divided into a toe portion and a heel portion near the arch, and when the toe portion is further divided into a big toe side (inner side) and a little toe side (outer side), the half of the little toe (outer side) is configured to generally face a thin portion. Patent Document 2 also describes an example in which the heel portion of the sole is missing. The missing portion in the footwear described in Patent Document 2 allows the user to walk on tiptoe, and walking while wearing the footwear makes it possible to naturally train the muscles in the calves and the muscles from the back of the thighs to the buttocks.

[0005] Patent No. 7166035 Patent No. 7454299

[0006] Landing on the heel of the foot (heel striking) when walking in footwear is said to have several advantages. First, by landing on the heel and then absorbing the impact of the ground with the entire foot, it is possible to reduce the impact on the feet, knees, and hips. In addition, heel striking makes it easier to stabilize the body's center of gravity, making it easier to maintain balance while walking and reducing the risk of falling. Furthermore, heel striking distributes the burden on the muscles and joints throughout the foot, making it relatively less tiring to walk for long periods of time. Furthermore, by landing on the heel and then using the entire sole of the foot to push against the ground, energy loss can be reduced and walking efficiency can be improved.

[0007] Here, people with bow legs (genu valgus) have knees that splay outward, which means their feet tend to tilt outward when walking. This puts excessive pressure on the outside of the heel and the outside of the foot, making landing on the heel unstable and often resulting in landing biased toward the toes or the inside of the foot. This type of landing places the center of gravity forward, and since it uses the muscles in the front thigh, it is easy for the thighs to become overweight. It also makes it difficult to maintain balance while walking, making walking unstable. Furthermore, stress is placed on the ankle joint, and if left untreated, it can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee.

[0008] On the other hand, people with bow legs (genu varum) have knees that lean inward, which can cause their feet to tilt inward when walking, which can lead to pressure concentrating on the inside of the foot and toes, placing excessive strain on the inside of the heel and foot, and causing the heel to strike unevenly. Furthermore, weight tends to shift to one side, making it difficult to maintain balance, resulting in unstable walking and an increased risk of falling.

[0009] The inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a simple structure that allows the user to walk on tiptoes, but still has the function of correcting bow legs. However, the drawback of bow-legged people being unstable when landing on their heels is not fully addressed. Furthermore, Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not mention users with bow legs.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide footwear with a simple structure that allows users with bow legs or knock-knees to strike their heels naturally when walking and smoothly shift their center of gravity from heel to toe with an outward-curving center of gravity, thereby making it easier to maintain balance and correcting human posture. Another objective is to provide footwear that supports correct posture simply by standing, with the knees facing forward when standing and the pelvis closed simply by standing. Furthermore, the unevenness of the insole of the footwear changes the landing location and landing order of the sole of the foot when walking, allowing the user to walk using the correct muscles and skeletal structure, thereby restoring the human muscles and skeletal structure to the correct position for physical health, thereby supporting correct standing and walking.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, the footwear comprises a footrest on which the foot is placed and a cover portion that is placed over the instep of the foot, the footrest having a shape that conforms to the outer circumference of the foot and a toe portion and a heel portion on which the heel of the foot is placed, and when the footrest is further divided into an inner portion including the big toe and an outer portion including the little toe, the inner portion has a flat, thick region, and the other portions of the footrest are flat, thin region, the thick region extending in the longitudinal direction of the footrest from the toe portion through the portion facing the big toe and its base to the portion facing the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, and the thin region extending continuously in the longitudinal direction of the footrest from the portion facing the middle toe, ring toe, little toe and their bases through the portion facing the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot to the heel portion.

[0012] According to the present invention, when a user walks wearing the footwear, the footwear is designed so that the user's weight first lands on the heel of the thin-walled region of the foot platform, and then the user's weight is transferred sequentially from the heel to the portion facing the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot, and then from the lateral portion of the toe box to the medial portion of the thick-walled region where the thong is located. This allows the user's center of gravity to be smoothly shifted from the heel to the medial side of the foot, with an outward-curving center of gravity. Furthermore, the portion facing the medial longitudinal arch (arch) of the foot is a thick-walled region, preventing the user's center of gravity from shifting to the medial side. Therefore, whether the user has bow legs or knock-knees, the user's weight is smoothly transferred from the heel to the toe box with an outward-curving center of gravity. This allows the user to maintain proper walking posture and ultimately improve their overall posture. When the user stands and walks wearing this footwear, the footwear supports proper walking by restoring the human muscles and skeleton to the proper positions for physical health. By continuously wearing this footwear, people with bow legs or knock-knees can improve their posture and walk by unconsciously landing on their heels, which strengthens the abdominal muscles and also has the effect of closing the buttocks and pelvis as the knees turn outward.

[0013] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of footwear according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pair of footwear according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the footwear according to the first embodiment and the soles of a user's feet; FIG. 4 is a side view of footwear according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a rear view of footwear according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is an image diagram showing the movement of the main contact area (C) where the sole of the user's foot comes into contact with the footwear and the center of gravity position (G) on which the user's weight (center of gravity) acts significantly when the user walks wearing the footwear according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the desired walking situation of a user with bow legs or knock-knees when undergoing walking training wearing the footwear of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the desired walking situation of a user with bow legs or knock-knees when undergoing walking training wearing the footwear of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the state of the skeleton of a user with bow legs as viewed from the front when walking; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state of the skeleton of a user with bow legs as viewed from the front when standing upright wearing the footwear of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the state of the skeleton of a user with bow legs as viewed from the side when standing upright wearing the footwear of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view of a footwear according to a second embodiment.

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. [First Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of footwear according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2A is a plan view of a pair of footwear. Fig. 2B is a diagram showing the relationship between the footwear and a user's foot. Footwear 1 is a so-called beach sandal, and includes a footrest 10 on which the user's foot rests and a thong 20 that functions as a cover for the instep. Fig. 1 shows footwear 1 to be worn on the user's left foot. The pair of footwear 1 is symmetrical, with footwear 1R worn on the right foot and footwear 1L worn on the left foot (see Fig. 2A).

[0015] The footrest 10 is made of rubber, EVA urethane, or the like, and is a flat plate-like member shaped to fit the outer periphery of the foot, and includes a heel portion 10a on which the heel 202 of the user's foot 200 rests, and a toe portion 10b on which the toe 201 of the user's foot 200 rests. The footrest 10 has a flat, thick region 120 on its inner portion, and the other portion of the footrest is a flat, thin region 100. A boundary portion 130 between the thick region 120 and the thin region 100 forms a chamfered, inclined surface.

[0016] The thong 20 is made of cloth or synthetic resin and is composed of a front thong portion 21 and a side thong portion 22. The front thong portion 21 extends upward from the surface of the footrest 10 and is the portion that is held between the big toe 204 and the index toe 205 of the user's foot 200, and is located at the toe portion 10b of the footrest 10. The side thong portion 22 is made of a string-like or band-like member made of cloth or synthetic resin and is divided into two portions: an inner thong portion 22a that extends from the front thong portion 21 toward the side of the footrest 10 on the big toe side (hereinafter referred to as the inner side) and an outer thong portion 22b that extends toward the side of the footrest 10 on the little toe side (hereinafter referred to as the outer side). Ending ends 22e of the inner thong portion 22a and the outer thong portion 22b are fixed to both sides of the arch area of ​​the footrest 10, respectively. The thickened region 120 extends in a tongue-like manner in the longitudinal direction of the footrest 10 from the toe portion 10 b of the footrest 10 to a position 122 corresponding to the inside of the terminal end 22 e of the cross cord portion 22 .

[0017] 2B is a diagram showing the relationship between the footwear 1 and the user's foot 200. If the line segment connecting the front lace portion 21 of the footwear 1 and the center of the heel portion 10a on which the heel 202 of the user's foot 200 rests is taken as the center line O-O, the thick region 120 of the footrest 10 extends in the longitudinal direction of the footrest from the medial portion of the toe portion 10b, i.e., the portion facing the big toe 204 and its base, to a boundary portion 130 facing the medial longitudinal arch (arch) 207 of the foot 200, slightly beyond the center line O-O. In other words, the thick region 120 is slightly wider in the width direction of the footrest 10 near the toe side of the front lace portion 21 and near a position corresponding to the medial end portion 22e of the lateral lace portion 22, and is slightly narrower in the intermediate position. Meanwhile, the thin-walled region 100 extends continuously in the longitudinal direction of the foot platform 10 from the toe portion 10b, i.e., the portion facing the middle toe, ring toe, and little toe 206 and their bases, through the portion facing the lateral longitudinal arch 208 of the foot, to the heel portion 10a. The heel portion 10a is a flat region without a thick region, and is a large region with an area sufficient to support the heel 202 of a user with poor balance, such as bow legs or knock-knees.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a side view of footwear 1, and Fig. 4 is a rear view of footwear 1. The thin region 100 of the foot platform 10 has a sufficient thickness to absorb the impact force on the foot when the heel strikes the ground. For example, the thin region 100 has a thickness of approximately 25 mm to 35 mm depending on the size of the footwear 1. The thick region 120 of the foot platform 10 has a thickness H of, for example, 10 mm to 25 mm depending on the size of the footwear 1. Therefore, the surface of the thick region 120 has a height of, for example, approximately 50 mm from the bottom surface of the footwear 1.

[0019] The toe portion 10b of the footrest 10 is inclined so as to be higher than the other surfaces of the thick region. That is, the toe portion has an inclined surface 10C that is higher than the thickness H of the thick region 120. Depending on the size of the footwear 1, the tip of the inclined surface 10C may be higher by, for example, about 10 mm than the plane of thickness H that forms the main part of the thick region 120. This is to prevent the toes of the user's foot from slipping forward when wearing sandals 1 without a cover due to the wedge effect of the inclined surface 10C of the footrest 10.

[0020] 5 is an image diagram showing the movement of a user's weight on the footwear 1 when the user walks wearing the footwear according to the first embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 5 is an image diagram showing the movement of the main contact area (C) where the sole of the user's foot comes into contact with the footwear 1 and the center of gravity (G) on which the user's weight (center of gravity) acts significantly on the footwear 1 when the user walks wearing the footwear. If the sole of the user's foot is divided into two areas near the arch, a toe side and a heel side, and the toe side is further divided into a big toe side (inner side) and a middle finger, ring finger, and little toe side (outer side), the portion of the transverse head of the adductor hallucis muscle (C3) located on the "outer" part of the sole and a portion of the flexor digitorum minimi muscle (C2) on the side of the arch are generally opposed to the thin-walled region 100. When walking, a user wearing the footwear of the present invention first lands on the heel, which is the thin-walled region, heel portion 10a (C1). At this time, the center of gravity of the user's weight also acts on the heel position (G1), which is the same as (C1). When a user walks wearing footwear 1 of the present invention, the main contact area between the sole of the user's foot and footwear 1 moves forward in an outward direction along the thin-walled regions (C2) and (C3) on the lateral side of the sole, and finally lands on the "outside" part of the big toe (C4). Similarly to the main contact area, the position of concentration of the user's weight also moves forward in an outward direction. That is, the center of gravity of the user's weight also moves forward from the heel position (G1) of the sole, moving outward along the sole to (G2), (G3), and (G4). In this way, by directing the user's center of gravity from the heel position (G1) toward the thin-walled areas (G2) and (G3), a front center of gravity is avoided.

[0021] Furthermore, a thickened region 120 faces the vicinity of the arch 207 of the sole of the foot. This thickened region 120 contacts the arch of the user's foot, preventing the user's foot from tilting excessively inward, resulting in an inward center of gravity. This makes it possible to guide the user's center of gravity toward the big toe (G4) rather than moving excessively inward from the heel (G1). In other words, even if the user has bow legs or knock-knees, the user's walking style can be brought closer to a standard form by maintaining an appropriate knee spacing.

[0022] By wearing this footwear 1, users with bow legs or knock-knees can position their center of gravity at the heel when standing, aligning their skeletal structure and achieving correct posture. Simply standing in this footwear 1, such as sandals, closes the user's pelvis. Simply standing in the sandals supports correct posture. Furthermore, the surface of the sandals is formed with uneven steps created by the thin-walled regions 100 and the thick-walled regions 120. These uneven steps change the location and order of foot contact during walking, allowing the user to walk using the correct muscles and skeletal structure of their feet. Therefore, by walking while maintaining correct posture, the muscles used change, resulting in the user's buttocks and pelvis closing. However, users with bow legs or knock-knees will not immediately achieve the desired effect by simply wearing this footwear 1 without making any changes to their mental state. Walking training is required to wear this footwear 1 effectively. That is, walking training that focuses on heel strike is required (see Figures 6 and 7).

[0023] According to this embodiment configured as described above, when a user with bow legs wears the footwear 1, the center of gravity of the user's feet can be properly turned outward from the heel to the toes, and the distance between the user's knees can be corrected to a closer to normal. Furthermore, when a user with bow legs wears the footwear 1, excessive concentration of the user's weight on the medial side of the sole can be prevented, and the distance between the user's knees can be corrected to a closer to normal. When a user stands and walks wearing the footwear 1, the sandals of the present invention support correct walking by restoring the human muscles and skeleton to the correct positions for physical health.

[0024] Figures 6 and 7 show the desired walking conditions of a user with bow legs or knock-knees wearing sandals, which are the footwear of the present invention, when undergoing gait training. As shown in Figure 6, when walking, the user of footwear 1 needs to land, for example, on the heel of the left foot 200, which is the thin-walled region 10a (Point-1). Next, the outer half of the toe side of the left foot 200 contacts the thin-walled region 100 of the footrest 10, and the user's center of gravity is placed on the thin-walled region of the footwear 1 (Point-2). After that, the medial longitudinal arch 207 of the left foot 200 contacts the thick-walled region 120 of the footrest 10, and the user's center of gravity is placed on the thin-walled region 100 of the footwear 1, which further shifts the center of gravity of the left foot to the big toe. For users with knock-knees, the center of gravity is less likely to be excessively placed on the thin-walled region 100.

[0025] As shown in Figure 7, while the left foot is firmly supported by the thin and thick regions of the footrest 10 of the footwear 1 (Point-3), the big toe of the right foot, whose center of gravity is located at the big toe, leaves the ground last (Point-4). This is because the toe portion of the footrest 10 has an inclined surface 10C that is higher than the other surfaces of the thick region, preventing the toes of the left foot from sliding forward, and the big toe of the right foot leaves the ground last. In this way, even for users with bow legs or knock-knees, the center of gravity of the user of the footwear 1 can be properly adjusted to an inward position. This ensures that when walking, weight is smoothly transferred from the heel to the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot and then to the toes with an outwardly curled center of gravity. In other words, even for users with bow legs or knock-knees, it is easy to maintain balance while walking without weight being biased to one side.

[0026] 8 is a diagram showing the state of the human skeleton 300 as seen from the front when a user with bow legs walks. When a user with bow legs wears regular footwear, the lateral longitudinal arches of the left and right feet 200R, 200L tend to concentrate pressure on the outer parts of the feet, causing the femur 302 to twist and resulting in poor posture.

[0027] Figure 9 is a diagram showing the state of the skeleton as seen from the front when a user with bow legs stands upright wearing footwear of the present invention. As explained above, when wearing footwear 1 of the present invention, the user's weight is transferred from the heel of the foot through the inner part of the toe, i.e., the big toe, to the thick area where the front part is located. As a result, the user's feet do not become bow-legged, and the correct posture as shown in Figure 9 is maintained. In the case of bow-legged, the user's feet are prevented from becoming bow-legged, and the correct posture is maintained.

[0028] Next, Figure 10 is a diagram showing the state of the skeleton 300 as seen from the side when a user with bow legs stands upright wearing the footwear of the present invention. "Good posture" for the human body is said to be when the ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are in a straight line. When a user with bow legs stands upright wearing the footwear of the present invention, their posture is corrected and a straight line is formed from the heel 202 of the foot 200 to the sternum 330. Furthermore, since the user can walk while being conscious of the heel 202 of the foot 200, the abdominal muscles 320 of the person's body are strengthened, and since the knees point outward, the buttocks 310 and pelvis are closed.

[0029] Next, Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of footwear according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a side view of the footwear according to the second embodiment. This footwear comprises a sole portion (footrest) 10 on which the foot is placed and an upper portion 23 fixed to the outer periphery of the sole portion and enveloping at least the instep of the foot placed on the sole portion. As with the first embodiment, the sole portion (footrest) 10 has a thin region 100 and a thick region 120. The shapes of the thin region 100 and the thick region 120 are substantially the same as those of the footwear according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The upper portion 23 serves as a substitute for the thong 20 of the first embodiment. Because the upper portion 23 prevents the toes of the foot from sliding forward, the footwear according to the second embodiment does not have anything equivalent to the inclined surface 10C of the first embodiment. The shapes of the thin-walled region 100 and the thick-walled region 120 of the footwear of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, except for the inclined surfaces, and the actions and effects thereof are also the same as those of the footwear of the first embodiment.

[0030] As described above, the footwear of the present invention, while having a simple structure, allows users with bow legs or knock-knees to naturally strike their heels when walking and smoothly shift their center of gravity from heel to toe with an outward rotation, thereby facilitating balance and correcting human posture. Furthermore, the footwear is designed so that the knees face forward when standing and walking, and the pelvis is closed simply by standing while wearing the footwear, supporting correct posture simply by standing while wearing the footwear. Furthermore, the unevenness of the insole changes the landing location and landing order of the sole of the foot when walking, allowing the wearer to walk using the correct muscles and skeletal structure, thereby restoring the human muscles and skeletal structure to the correct position for physical health and supporting correct standing and walking. Furthermore, the unevenness of the insole also provides a structure that makes it easy to kick off with the big toe when walking.

[0031] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, although the above-described embodiments have been described using beach sandals as an example, the present invention can also be applied to indoor sandals, etc. Furthermore, although the foot board is made of rubber or EVA urethane material, the material of the foot board is not limited to these. For example, the foot board may be made of wood.

[0032] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Footwear 10 Footrest 10a Toe portion 10b Heel portion 100 Thick region 10d Thin region 20 Cover portion 20a Toe strap 21 Front strap portion 22 Side strap portion 22a Inner side strap portion 22b Outer side strap portion

Claims

1. Footwear comprising a footrest on which the foot is placed and a cover portion that is placed over the instep of the foot, wherein the footrest is shaped to the outer circumference of the foot and has a toe portion and a heel portion on which the heel of the foot is placed, and wherein, when the footrest is further divided into an inner portion including the big toe and an outer portion including the little toe, the inner portion has a flat, thick region and the other portions of the footrest are flat, thin region, the thick region extending in the longitudinal direction of the footrest from the toe portion through the portion facing the big toe and its base to the portion facing the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, and the thin region extending continuously in the longitudinal direction of the footrest from the portion facing the middle toe, ring toe, little toe and their bases through the portion facing the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot to the heel portion.

2. Footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that, when a user walks wearing the footwear, the user's weight is transferred with an outward center of gravity from the heel portion of the footrest through the portion of the foot facing the lateral longitudinal arch, and from the toe portion to the portion facing the big toe and its base.

3. Footwear as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the thicker region has a thickness of 10 mm to 25 mm greater than the thinner region depending on the size of the footwear, and the boundary between the thicker region and the thinner region is a chamfered inclined surface.

4. Footwear as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the footwear is a sandal equipped with a thong consisting of a horizontal strap that is placed over the instep, and a footrest to which the horizontal strap is attached and on which the foot is placed, the thickened area extending from the tip of the footrest through a portion facing the big toe and its base to a portion facing the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, and having an end at the connection between the horizontal strap and the footrest.

5. Footwear according to claim 4, characterized in that the toe portion of the foot platform is inclined so as to be higher than other surfaces of the thickened region.

6. Footwear according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the footwear comprises a sole portion on which the foot is placed, and an upper portion fixed to the outer periphery of the sole portion and enveloping at least the instep of the foot placed on the sole portion.

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