Multi-part footwear for the treatment, correction and / or prevention of foot deformities

Abstract

Multi-part footwear (10) for the treatment, correction and / or prevention of foot deformities, in particular in connection with hallux valgus, comprising at least: - an insole (14) with a loop (16) fixed thereto for receiving and enclosing a toe (40) of a human foot (32) standing on an upper side (18) of the insole (14), and - a shoe or a sandal (12) with an outsole (20) which is provided on the upper side for receiving and / or connecting to the insole (14) and which has shoe upper parts or sandal loops (22) surrounding the foot (32).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-part footwear for the treatment, correction and / or prevention of foot deformities, in particular in connection with the symptoms of hallux valgus.

[0002] Foot deformities, particularly hallux valgus, occur regularly in large segments of the population due to illness and / or age, and / or prolonged wearing of incorrect or unsuitable footwear. In the symptoms of hallux valgus, the big toe changes its position and migrates outward, triggered by a flattening of the inner longitudinal arch of the foot and an external rotation of the lower leg. Depending on the severity, hallux valgus can lead to walking difficulties and pain in those affected.

[0003] The symptoms or symptoms of hallux valgus can be clinically classified into different degrees of severity using X-ray imaging and / or the hallux valgus angle. Depending on the severity, conservative treatment options, such as physiotherapy and orthopedic technology, and / or surgical procedures are available. The choice of corrective procedure depends on the severity of the affected individual's deformity. Conservative treatment options include splints, bandages, tapes, socks with integrated tapes, and silicone wedges.

[0004] DE 201 12 537 U1 and DE 20 2005 006 701 U1 each disclose a big toe bandage formed by at least one elastic band. The big toe bandage comprises two connections and a fastener, wherein the elastic band is held together at two intersection points by the two connections such that the big toe is surrounded by the elastic band in such a way that the elastic band is guided along the top side of the big toe, over the first intersection point at the attachment point of the big toe on the foot, and diagonally backward on the bottom side of the foot to form a loop around the intersection point. The fastener allows the bandage to be secured to the wearer's ankle.

[0005] DE 92 04 651 U1 discloses a medical orthosis for treating stress deformities in the big toe area. The orthosis consists of an elastic band-like material for correcting hallux valgus. A hook-and-loop fastener, whose circumference is continuously adjustable, is firmly attached to the front end of the band. A hook-and-loop fastener is attached centrally to the outside of the band, to which a hook-and-loop strip is attached at one end. The free end of the hook-and-loop strip, which can be wrapped around the midfoot, is attached to the hook-and-loop surface. Furthermore, a hook-and-loop strip is attached to the inside of the rear end of the band, which wraps around the ankle and is attached to the hook-and-loop surface.

[0006] However, these solutions have proven disadvantageous in that the bandage must be wrapped by the wearer themselves during use, and / or the wrapping process has proven complicated, as the crossing points must be positioned at precisely defined locations to exert the appropriate tensile forces on the big toe. Inexperienced users and incorrect wrapping can result in the opposite of correcting toe misalignments.

[0007] Furthermore, DE 10 2021 108 100 A1 discloses a footwear with an elastic correction band for the treatment and prevention of foot deformities. Designed as a lightweight sandal, the footwear comprises a holding element for securing a foot relative to the footwear and a tensioning element to be attached to a toe. When the footwear is attached to the foot, the tensioning element is configured to exert a first corrective force on the toe and a second corrective force, directed opposite to the first corrective force, on a metatarsophalangeal joint. The tensioning element is formed by an elastic correction band.

[0008] However, the disadvantage of conventional shoes for correcting the described foot or toe misalignments has proven to be that they usually require individual adjustment to the wearer's foot. Furthermore, corrective devices equipped with loops are mainly suitable only for sandals, as putting on closed shoes is particularly laborious due to the need to thread the toes into the provided elastic loops.

[0009] In view of the identified disadvantages and limitations of the known correction systems and shoes, it can be considered the primary aim of the present invention to provide a universally applicable footwear for the correction and / or prevention of foot deformities, which can be used in particular in connection with the treatment of hallux valgus, and which is suitable for both open shoes such as sandals and closed shoes, without causing unreasonable difficulties for the wearer when putting on and taking off the correction devices.

[0010] This set of identified objectives is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are described by the respective dependent claims.

[0011] To achieve at least some of the above-mentioned objectives, the invention described herein proposes a multi-part footwear for the treatment, correction, and / or prevention of foot deformities, particularly in connection with hallux valgus. The multi-part footwear according to the invention comprises at least one insole with a loop fixed thereto for receiving and enclosing a toe of a human foot resting on an upper side of the insole, as well as a shoe or sandal with an outsole, the upper side of which is provided for receiving and / or connecting to the insole, and which has shoe upper portions or sandal loops enclosing the foot.

[0012] The essential inventive aspect thus lies in the multi-part nature of the footwear, whereby the insole together with the at least one elastic loop correcting the toes and influencing the position of the toes can be combined and joined together as a separate component in almost any way with different shoes, sandals or other footwear.

[0013] In the multi-part footwear according to the invention, the outsole can expediently have a receiving recess on the upper side that corresponds to the shape of the insole, so that these two parts, with their undersides (insole) and upper sides (outsole) lying flat against each other, fit together well and can be joined together without slipping or play. Thus, the insole can be inserted into the preferably appropriately shaped receiving recess of the outsole and / or secured there if necessary, which can be achieved, for example, by gluing or by means of adhesive strips of a hook-and-loop fastener or the like.

[0014] The loop of the insole that holds the toe and corrects its position can preferably have longitudinal elasticity and extend from a region of the insole close to the enclosed toe to a lateral region of the insole on a medial side of the enclosed toe, so that it can optimally exert its corrective effect.

[0015] Optionally, in a variant of the multi-part footwear, the loop can be designed in at least two parts, with the two loop sections preferably being detachable from each other and fixable to each other in different positions to adjust the effective length of the loop. This allows for better adaptation to different foot and / or toe sizes, in particular also to different toe positions.

[0016] Preferably, in this variant of the multi-part footwear, a second loop section can extend from a region of the insole near the enclosed toe to an overlap area with the first loop section. Furthermore, the first loop section can extend to a lateral region of the insole on a medial side of the enclosed toe.

[0017] The two loop sections can be advantageously connected to each other in the overlapping area using, for example, detachable snap fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, or magnetic surfaces. They can be detached at any time as needed to reconnect them at a different length. This detachment and reconnection can be performed almost as often as required thanks to the use of such adhesive elements.

[0018] Furthermore, it can be useful if the insole is adapted to the foot contour of the respective wearer and preferably provides an anatomically shaped footbed.

[0019] One embodiment of the multi-part footwear according to the invention can provide for the outsole to be designed as part of a sandal with at least one support strip enclosing the wearer's foot on the upper side. The at least one support strip of the sandal can be optionally adjustable in length and adaptable to different foot sizes of the wearer.

[0020] An alternative embodiment of the multi-part footwear according to the invention can provide that the outsole is designed as part of a closed shoe with a shaft part enclosing the foot and with an upper opening for receiving the insole and for receiving the foot of the wearer of the footwear.

[0021] A further alternative embodiment of the multi-part footwear according to the invention can also provide that the outsole is designed as part of a closed boot with a shaft part enclosing the foot, the ankle and parts of the lower leg and with an upper opening for receiving the insole and for receiving the foot of the wearer of the footwear.

[0022] If, from the point of view of the person skilled in the art, they can be combined with one another in a meaningful way, some or all of the aforementioned variations or embodiments of the multi-part footwear according to the invention can optionally also be combined with one another in order to at least partially achieve the aim formulated above and / or to achieve the desired effect of the invention.

[0023] The invention also provides a kit for a multi-part footwear according to one of the embodiments described above, wherein the footwear is intended in the manner already explained above for a treatment, a correction and / or a prevention of foot deformities, which is to be seen in particular in connection with hallux valgus.

[0024] The kit according to the invention comprises at least the insole described above, to which a loop is attached, which serves to receive and encompass a toe of a human foot resting on an upper surface of the insole. Furthermore, the kit comprises a shoe or sandal with an outsole, which is provided on the upper side for receiving and / or connecting to the insole, and which has shoe upper sections or sandal loops that encompass the foot.

[0025] The special feature of the kit and the footwear is that the insole can be inserted into a recess formed on the top of the outsole to form the footwear or the sandal ready for use, or it can be removed from there to separate the two parts.

[0026] The kit provides a universally applicable, easy-to-manufacture treatment option for foot and toe misalignments that can be used with a wide variety of shoe styles. The insole can be easily inserted into a wide variety of shoe or sandal styles, provided the insoles are appropriately designed with their recesses. Since the recess can be a conventional footbed, typically without an inserted insole, a suitably shaped insole represents an additional element that can be inserted into almost any shoe or sandal. This allows the desired correction of foot or toe misalignments to be achieved with the conventional shoe or sandal, once the big toe has been accommodated by the insole loop.

[0027] In the following, exemplary embodiments will explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The relative sizes of the individual elements in the figures do not always correspond to the actual sizes, as some shapes are simplified and others are enlarged relative to other elements for better illustration. Fig. 1 shows a perspective and schematic view of a sandal constituting an embodiment of a multi-part footwear according to the invention. Fig. 2A to 2C show various perspective views of an insole which is a component of the multi-part footwear according to the invention according to Fig. 1 forms. Fig. 2D and Fig. 2E show an alternative embodiment of an insole in two different perspective views, in which a loop for correcting a toe misalignment is designed to be longitudinally adjustable. Fig. Figure 3 shows a perspective and schematic view of the insole removed from or inserted into the sandal. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a sandal according to Fig. 1, which is located on the foot of a wearer wearing the sandal.

[0028] For identical or similarly acting elements of the invention, the following description of the figures generally uses identical reference numerals. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, in many cases only those reference numerals are used in the individual figures that are necessary for the description of the respective figure. The illustrated embodiments merely represent examples of how the multi-part footwear according to the invention can be designed and do not represent a final limitation. Furthermore, the features described below are not to be understood in close connection with other features of the respective exemplary embodiment, but can each be provided in a general context or used for this purpose.

[0029] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective and schematic view of an embodiment of a multi-part footwear 10 according to the invention, which is suitable for the treatment and / or correction of foot deformities, particularly in connection with the complaint or clinical picture of hallux valgus. Furthermore, the multi-part footwear 10 shown is particularly suitable for the prevention of such a complaint or clinical picture by pulling the big toe into a healthy position and holding it there while the footwear is worn.

[0030] The Fig. 1, Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B, Fig. 2C, Fig. 2D, Fig. 2E, Fig. 3 and Fig. The multi-part footwear 10 according to the invention shown in various views and details in Fig. 4 is illustrated using a sandal 12 and described below, but this is not to be understood as limiting, since the principles illustrated here by way of example using a sandal 12 can be equally applied to any other footwear and can also be easily implemented in low shoes, boots, sports shoes and even special shoes of the most diverse designs and for different purposes.

[0031] The Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a left sandal 12, specifically in a view obliquely from above onto its medial side, i.e., its inner side. The footwear 10 formed by the sandal 12 comprises, according to the invention, an insole 14 with a loop 16 fixed thereto for receiving and enclosing the left big toe of a human foot standing on an upper side 18 of the insole 14 (cf. Fig. 3) as well as the actual sandal 12 with an outsole 20, which is provided on the upper side for receiving and / or connecting with the insole 14 and is shaped accordingly.

[0032] Since the footwear 10 shown here is a sandal 12, it has sandal loops 22 anchored laterally to the outsole 20 forming the frame of the sandal 12. These loops enclose and surround the wearer's foot on top and prevent the sandal 12 from slipping off the wearer's foot. To allow for easy slipping into the sandal 12, an opening for the sandal loops 22 is provided at its rear heel area 24. A rear loop holding the heel is not present on the sandal 12 shown here, but could be provided optionally.

[0033] If the multi-part footwear 10 according to the invention were to be a closed shoe instead of the sandal 12 shown, the outsole would be connected to correspondingly shaped shoe upper areas, usually to a shaft of a shoe or a boot.

[0034] The outsole 20 of the sandal 12 carries the insole 14 placed there and has a receiving recess 26 on the upper side corresponding to the shape of the insole 14, which, however, is not shown in the illustration of the Fig. 1 is covered by the insole 14 located there and is therefore not visible.

[0035] According to the present invention, the insole 14 can be inserted into the correspondingly shaped receiving recess 26, which is located on the upper side of the outsole 20. This ready-to-use state of the sandal 12 is shown in the Fig. 1. Depending on the desired variant of the sandal 12, the insole 14 can also be secured in the receiving recess 26 and, for example, glued there, but this will not be described further here. In the present context, the variant will be described in which the insole 14 is simply placed on top of the outsole 20 and inserted into its correspondingly shaped receiving recess 26. Since the wearer constantly presses the insole 14 into the receiving recess 26 of the outsole 20 while wearing the sandal 12, the parts do not need to be adhesively connected, but rather adhere to one another on their own.

[0036] The three perspective views of the Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B and Fig. 2C show the insole 14 separated from the sandal 12, together with the loop 16 anchored to the top of the insole 14, which is appropriately positioned and intended to encircle the wearer's left big toe and preferably pull it into the anatomically correct position. For this purpose, the loop 16 preferably has longitudinal elasticity and, as shown, extends from a region of the insole 14 close to the encircled toe to a lateral region of the insole 14 on the medial side of the encircled toe.

[0037] The loop 16 protrudes from the front area on the upper side 18 of the insole 14, so that it surrounds the big toe on its lateral side with respect to the midline of the body, i.e., on the side facing the adjacent smaller toe, runs over the upper side of the big toe, and is anchored in the area of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe on a medial longitudinal side 28 of the insole 14, so that the toe is held by the loop 16. Since the loop 16 has a defined longitudinal elasticity, which can be adapted to the respective wearer or to the severity of the respective foot deformity, it pulls the encompassed big toe towards the medial longitudinal side 28 of the insole 14.

[0038] The principles for correcting foot deformities, particularly hallux valgus, implemented here can essentially follow the principles described in German patent application DE 10 2021 108 100 A1 with regard to the effect of the loop 16, since there, too, the big toe is held in a similar loop, which is referred to there as a tensioning element or correction band. For further details, please refer to the disclosure content of this document.

[0039] It can be useful to provide that the insole 14 is adapted to the foot contour of the respective wearer and preferably provides an anatomically shaped footbed 30, which is shown here in the Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B is merely indicated by a reference line with an arrow and a corresponding reference number.

[0040] The two perspective views of the Fig. 2D and Fig. 2E shows a further embodiment of the insole 14 separated from the sandal 12, including the loop 16 anchored to the top of the insole 14, which is also positioned accordingly in this embodiment and is intended to encircle the wearer's left big toe and preferably pull it into the anatomically correct position. For this purpose, the loop 16 can, on the one hand, have the longitudinal elasticity described above; it extends in the manner described above (cf. Fig. 2A, Fig. 2B and Fig. 2C) from a region of the insole 14 close to the encompassed toe to a lateral region of the insole 14 on the medial side of the encompassed toe.

[0041] In contrast to the first variant according to Fig. 2A to 2C, loop 16 is the one in the Fig. 2D and Fig. However, in the variant shown in Figure 2E, it is longitudinally adjustable and interrupted for this purpose, so that a first loop section 16-1 can be connected to a second loop section 16-2 in a desired manner to vary an effective length of the loop 16, specifically at different positions, so that the first loop section 16-1 can overlap with the second loop section 16-2 to varying degrees. This overlap region 16-3 can be of different lengths, resulting in the different and variable effective length of the loop 16.

[0042] The loop 16 protrudes with its second loop section 16-2 from the front area on the upper side 18 of the insole 14, so that it surrounds the big toe on its lateral side—with respect to the midline of the body—i.e., the side facing the adjacent smaller toe. The second loop section 16-2 extends over the upper side of the big toe and forms a free end that can be connected to the first loop section 16-1 in an overlapping manner and with a variable overlap length.

[0043] This first loop section 16-1, which has a free end in the overlapping area 16-3 for connection to the free end of the second loop section 16-2, is anchored with its other end in the area of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe on a medial longitudinal side 28 of the insole 14, so that the toe is held by means of the loop 16, the length of which can be varied. Since the loop 16 thus has a variable length, it can be optimally adapted to the respective wearer or to the severity of the respective foot deformity, whereby its effect consists in pulling the enclosed big toe towards the medial longitudinal side 28 of the insole 14.

[0044] Optionally, the loop 16 can also have the defined longitudinal elasticity already described above, which can ensure an even better adaptation to the respective wearer or to the severity of the respective foot malposition, and which ensures that the loop 16 pulls the enclosed big toe in the direction of the medial longitudinal side 28 of the insole 14.

[0045] At the overlapping area 16-3, the connection between the free ends of the first loop section 16-1 and the second loop section 16-2 can be made, for example, with snap fasteners (cf. Fig. 2B), by means of a hook-and-loop fastener or also, for example, by means of magnetic surfaces adhering to one another, whereby all of these fasteners are easy to open and adjust and, when adhering to one another, can reliably fix the overlapping area 16-3.

[0046] The Fig. 3 illustrates the simple possibility of removing the insole 14 from the correspondingly shaped receiving recess 26 of the outsole 20 (see curved directional arrow A from bottom right to top left) or inserting it there (see curved directional arrow B from top left to bottom right) and thus placing it in its intended location for the intended use of the sandal 12.

[0047] In this respect, the presentation of the Fig. 3, the reference numerals 10 (footwear) and 12 (sandal) are to be understood as applicable as soon as the insole 14 has been inserted into the sandal 12, while the illustration shown is to be understood as meaning that the reference numerals 10 and 12 additionally comprise the insole 14 removed from the sandal 12.

[0048] The schematic and perspective view from the front and diagonally above of the Fig. Figure 4 again shows a variant of the multi-part footwear 10 according to the invention, in which the outsole 20 is formed as part of the sandal 12 shown with two parallel holding strips 34 that surround the wearer's foot 32 on the upper side. The two holding strips 34 form the sandal loops 22, which are already Fig. 1 were shown and described.

[0049] As the Fig. As can also be seen in Figure 4, the two retaining strips 34 of the sandal 12 can each be adjustable in length and adapted to different sizes of the wearer's foot 32. The front retaining strip 34, located closer to the toes 36, is open in the illustration shown, and its halves, which meet approximately in the middle of the instep, are folded apart. These two halves of the retaining strip 34 can overlap and be releasably connected to one another by means of corresponding adhesive surfaces 38, with the respective functional surfaces of a hook-and-loop fastener being particularly suitable as adhesive surfaces 38.

[0050] The rear retaining strip 34, located closer to the wearer's ankle, is placed on top of each other with its adhesive surfaces (not visible here) adhering to each other, so that the length is adjusted to suit the wearer. This retaining strip 34 can also preferably be loosened and readjusted in the same way, allowing the width of the sandal 12 to be adjusted in the manner described.

[0051] The Fig. 4 also shows the big toe 40 inserted into the loop 16 which is stretched and therefore develops elastic restoring forces and which, together with the entire sole of the wearer's foot, stands on the upper side 18 of the insole 14.

[0052] The illustrations show that the same insole 14 can be inserted and used in almost any conventional shoe, provided its receiving recess 26 is dimensioned accordingly. A very flat insole 14 with an almost flat underside 42 (cf. Fig.2C) can even be used as a universally usable insole 14, which does not require a correspondingly shaped receiving recess 26 in the shoe, as described above.

[0053] The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it is conceivable for a person skilled in the art that modifications or variations of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims. List of reference symbols 10 Footwear, multi-part footwear, shoe 12 sandals 14 Insole 16 loop, elastic loop 16-1 first loop section 16-2 second loop section 16-3 Overlap area 18 Top 20 outsole 22 Loop, sandal loop 24 heel area 26 receiving trough 28 medial long side 30 footbed 32 feet 34 holding strips 36 toes 38 adhesive surface 40 Big toe 42 bottom QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 201 12 537 U1

[0004] DE 20 2005 006 701 U1

[0004] DE 92 04 651 U1

[0005] DE 10 2021 108 100 A1 [0007, 0038]

Claims

[1] Multi-part footwear (10) for the treatment, correction and / or prevention of foot deformities, in particular in connection with hallux valgus, comprising at least: - an insole (14) with a loop (16) fixed thereto for receiving and enclosing a toe (40) of a human foot (32) standing on an upper side (18) of the insole (14), and - a shoe or a sandal (12) with an outsole (20) which is provided on the upper side for receiving and / or connecting to the insole (14) and which has shoe upper parts or sandal loops (22) surrounding the foot (32). [2] Multi-part footwear (10) according to claim 1, wherein the outsole (20) has on its upper side a receiving recess (26) corresponding to the shape of the insole (14). [3] Multi-part footwear (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insole (14) can be inserted into the receiving recess (26) of the outsole (20) and / or fixed there. [4] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the loop (16) has a longitudinal elasticity and extends from a region of the insole (14) close to the enclosed toe (40) to a lateral region (28) of the insole (14) on a medial side of the enclosed toe (40). [5] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the loop (16) is divided at least into two parts and the two loop sections (16-1, 16-2) can be detached from one another and fixed to one another in different positions in order to adjust an effective length of the loop (16). [6] Multi-part footwear (10) according to claim 5, wherein a second loop portion (16-2) extends from a region of the insole (14) near the encompassed toe (40) to an overlap region (16-3) with the first loop portion (16-1), and wherein the first loop portion (16-1) extends to a lateral region (28) of the insole (14) on a medial side of the encompassed toe (40). [7] Multi-part footwear (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the two loop sections (16-1, 16-2) in the overlapping area (16-3) can be connected to one another in a variable manner by means of detachable snap fasteners, by means of a hook-and-loop fastener or by means of magnetic surfaces. [8] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the insole (14) is adapted to the foot contour of the respective wearer and preferably provides an anatomically shaped footbed (30). [9] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, in which the outsole (14) is designed as part of a sandal (12) with at least one holding strip (34) enclosing the foot (32) of the wearer on the upper side. [10] Multi-part footwear (10) according to claim 9, wherein the at least one retaining strip (34) of the sandal (12) is adjustable in length and adaptable to different sizes of the wearer's foot (32). [11] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outsole (20) is designed as part of a closed shoe with a shaft part enclosing the foot (32) and with an upper opening for receiving the insole (14) and for receiving the foot (32) of the wearer of the footwear (10). [12] Multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the outsole (20) is designed as part of a closed boot with a shaft part enclosing the foot (32), the ankle and parts of the lower leg and with an upper opening for receiving the insole (14) and for receiving the foot (32) of the wearer of the footwear (10). [13] Kit for a multi-part footwear (10) which can be used for the treatment, correction and / or prevention of foot deformities, in particular in connection with hallux valgus, which kit comprises at least: - an insole (14) with a one-part or multi-part loop (16) fixed thereto for receiving and enclosing a toe (40) of a human foot (32) standing on an upper side (18) of the insole (14), and - a shoe or sandal (12) with an outsole (20) which is provided on the upper side for receiving and / or connecting to the insole (14) and which has shoe upper portions or sandal loops (22) surrounding the foot (32), - wherein the insole (14) can be inserted into a receiving recess (26) formed on the upper side in the outsole (20) to form the footwear (10) prepared for use, or can be removed from there to separate the two parts (14, 20) from one another. [14] Kit according to claim 13, which is essentially formed by a multi-part footwear (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12 with the individual parts defined therein, which cooperate in the manner described.

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