Footwear

Abstract

To provide footwear capable of performing walking or running smoothly.SOLUTION: In footwear 1 having a bottom part 2 partially in contact with the ground, the bottom part 2 includes a middle foot part 4 in which a contact area partially in contact with the ground is formed flatly, and an arch part of a user is arranged, and a heel part 3 where a user's heel is arranged, and the middle foot part 4 is formed thicker than the heel part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear.

Background Art

[0002] Devices related to footwear such as clogs and sandals are described in patent documents. The footwear in the patent document includes a pedestal on which the foot is placed, and front teeth and rear teeth that protrude downward from the back surface of the pedestal. Further, in order to prevent the space between the front teeth and the rear teeth from catching on the corner of the stairs when going up and down the stairs, a gap filling member is provided in the gap between the front teeth and the rear teeth. The footwear further has a tapered surface that slopes from the front teeth toward the toe tip in order to prevent the front surface of the front teeth from catching on the corner of the stairs and to achieve a foot movement similar to that of shoes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the walking and running of many people start with heel strike where the heel touches the ground, followed by foot flat where the entire sole of the foot touches the ground, heel off where the heel leaves the ground, and toe off where the toes leave the ground, which are repeated in order. Here, focusing on the ground reaction force in the front-rear direction, at heel strike, a backward (opposite to the direction of travel) force acts on the human body, hindering smooth walking and running.

[0005] Such a phenomenon occurs not only when walking or running wearing shoes such as sneakers, but also when walking or running wearing the footwear described in the above patent document. That is, since the rear teeth are provided at the location where the heel is placed in the footwear of the above patent document, a backward force acts through the rear teeth at heel strike.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide footwear that can smoothly walk or run.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, the footwear of the present invention is footwear having a bottom portion that is partially in contact with the ground, wherein the bottom portion has a flat ground contact surface that is partially in contact with the ground, and a middle foot portion where the user's instep is disposed, and a rear foot portion where the user's heel is disposed, and the middle foot portion is formed thicker than the rear foot portion.

[0008] Further, the bottom portion includes a front foot portion where the user's stepping portion is disposed, and the front foot portion is formed such that the thickness gradually decreases from the middle foot portion side toward the tip.

[0009] Further, the ground contact surface of the middle foot portion extends from the rear foot portion to the center portion of the user's instep.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, since the middle foot portion is formed thicker than the rear foot portion and the ground contact surface that is partially in contact with the ground is formed flat, walking or running can be performed without heel contact, and a ground reaction force in the direction opposite to the traveling direction does not act. Therefore, walking or running can be performed smoothly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, footwear according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [First Embodiment]

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the footwear 1 according to the first embodiment is a clog-like footwear 1, and has a wooden base 10, a known strap 6 attached to the base 10, and a rubber sole 20 adhered to the base 10.

[0015] The base 10 is made of wood and is formed long in the longitudinal direction of the user's foot. The heel placement portion 11 where the heel is placed, the instep placement portion 12 where the instep is placed, and the stepping placement portion 13 where the stepping portion is placed are integrally formed. The heel placement portion 11 is formed in a rectangular plate shape extending horizontally, and two mounting holes 11c that function as mounting portions for mounting the rear end portion of the strap 6 are provided. The mounting holes 11c are holes penetrating from the upper surface 11a where the heel is placed to the lower surface 11b, and the rear end portions of the strap 6 passed through the respective mounting holes 11c are connected to each other. The instep placement portion 12 is formed in front of the heel placement portion 11. The instep placement portion 12 is formed in a thick plate shape extending horizontally, and the upper surface 12a where the instep is placed is formed on the same plane as the upper surface 11a of the heel placement portion 11. The lower surface 12b of the instep placement portion 12 is formed flat and is provided so as to protrude downward from the lower surface 11b of the heel placement portion 11. The stepping placement portion 13 is formed in front of the instep placement portion 12. The stepping placement portion 13 is formed in a plate shape having a horizontally extending upper surface 13a and a lower surface 13b inclined toward the tip. The upper surface 13a of the stepping placement portion 13 is formed on the same plane as the upper surface 11a of the heel placement portion 11 and the upper surface 12a of the instep placement portion 12. The lower surface 13b of the stepping placement portion 13 is formed so as to incline upward from the tip of the lower surface 12b of the instep placement portion 12.

[0016] In this embodiment, the thickness of the heel placement portion 11 is formed to be 10 mm. The thickness of the instep placement portion 12 is formed to be 25 mm. The stepping placement portion 13 has a thickness of 25 mm at the rear end and a thickness of 10 mm at the front end. Thus, the instep placement portion 12 is formed to be thicker than the heel placement portion 11 and to protrude downward. Further, the stepping placement portion 13 is formed such that the thickness gradually decreases from the rear end (the tip of the instep placement portion 12) toward the front end (the toe). And on the lower surfaces 12b and 13b of both the instep placement portion 12 and the stepping placement portion 13, a rubber sole 20 with a thickness of about 5 mm is adhered. Note that the dimensions of each part of this embodiment are as described above, but the dimensions of each part in the present invention are not limited to these dimensions.

[0017] In the footwear 1 of this embodiment formed in this way, the base portion 10 and the rubber sole 20 constitute the bottom portion 2 of the footwear 1. Further, the heel placement portion 11 functions as the rear foot portion 3 where the heel of the foot is placed, the instep placement portion 12 and the rubber sole 20a on the lower surface of the instep placement portion function as the middle foot portion 4 where the instep of the foot is placed, and the stepping placement portion 13 and the rubber sole 20b on the lower surface of the stepping placement portion function as the front foot portion 5 where the stepping portion of the foot is placed. And the lower surface of the middle foot portion 4 becomes a flat ground contact surface that is partially in contact with the ground in the user's upright state. According to the footwear 1, since the middle foot portion 4 is formed thicker than the rear foot portion 3, no heel contact occurs during walking or running, so the ground reaction force in the direction opposite to the traveling direction does not act. For this reason, walking and running can be performed smoothly. Also, when standing upright, since the user's center of gravity is applied to the middle foot portion 4, the center of gravity movement when starting walking or running is reduced, and walking and running can be started nimbly.

[0018] [Second Embodiment]

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the footwear 100 according to the second embodiment is a sneaker and includes an upper 7 having a known configuration and a sole 102. The sole 102 includes a midsole 110 and an outsole 120.

[0020] The midsole 110, similar to the base 10 of the first embodiment, is integrally formed with a heel placement portion 111 where the heel is placed, an instep placement portion 112 where the instep is not placed, and a tread placement portion 113 where the tread portion is placed. The instep placement portion 112 is formed to be thicker than the heel placement portion 111 and to protrude downward. Also, the tread placement portion 113 is formed such that its thickness gradually decreases from the rear end toward the front end. Note that the lower surface of the tread placement portion 13 of the first embodiment is a flat inclined surface, while the lower surface of the tread placement portion 113 of the second embodiment is a curved inclined surface. The outsole 120 is adhered to the lower surfaces of both the instep placement portion 112 and the tread placement portion 113, similar to the rubber sole 20 of the first embodiment.

[0021] In the footwear 100 of this embodiment formed in this way, the sole 102 constitutes the bottom. Also, the heel placement portion 111 functions as the rear foot portion 103 where the heel of the foot is placed. Further, the instep placement portion 112 and the outsole 120a on the lower surface of the instep placement portion function as the mid foot portion 104 where the instep of the foot is placed. Also, the tread placement portion 113 and the outsole 120b on the lower surface of the tread placement portion function as the front foot portion 105 where the stepping portion of the foot is placed. And the lower surface of the mid foot portion 104 serves as a ground contact surface that partially contacts the ground in the user's upright state. According to the footwear 100, since the mid foot portion 104 is formed thicker than the rear foot portion 103, no heel contact occurs during walking or running, so no ground reaction force in the direction opposite to the traveling direction acts. For this reason, walking and running can be performed smoothly. Also, when standing upright, since the user's center of gravity is applied to the mid foot portion 104, little center of gravity movement is required when starting to walk or run, and walking, running, etc. can be started nimbly.

[0022] The footwear of the present invention is not limited to the footwear of the first embodiment or the sneakers of the second embodiment, and may be, for example, in the form of the following modification.

[0023] [Modification 1] In order to enhance the effects of the footwear according to the first and second embodiments, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the midfoot portions 4, 104 of the footwear 1, 100 are preferably formed from the rearfoot portion 3 to the center of the instep. Specifically, the midfoot portion 4 is preferably formed to be positioned below the tibia.

[0024] [Modification 2] The instep placement portions 12, 112 of the first and second embodiments may include a plurality of layers of different materials. For example, it may include a gas layer containing compressed gas and a polyurethane layer for sealing the compressed gas. Further, the stepping placement portions 13, 113 may include a plurality of layers of different materials. Furthermore, the layers included in the instep placement portions 12, 112 and the layers included in the stepping placement portions 13, 113 may be made of different materials.

[0025] [Modification 3] In the first and second embodiments, the midfoot portions 4, 104 are formed thicker than the rearfoot portions 3, 103 because the thickness of the instep placement portions 12, 112 is formed thicker than that of the heel placement portions 11, 111. However, for example, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the instep placement portion 212 and the stepping placement portion 213 are formed to have the same thickness as the heel placement portion 211, and the thickness of the rubber sole 220 (outsole) is increased, that is, the thickness of the rubber sole 220a at the portion adhered to the lower surface of the instep placement portion 212 is increased, so that the midfoot portion 204 may be formed thicker than the rearfoot portion 203.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0026] 1, 100 Footwear 2, Bottom 102 Sole (Bottom) 3, 103 Rearfoot Portion 4, 104 Midfoot Portion 5, 105 Forefoot Portion

Claims

1. A clog having a wooden base to which a noseband is attached, including the base and having a bottom that partially contacts the ground, wherein the bottom is formed with a front foot portion where a user's stepping portion is disposed, a middle foot portion where the user's instep is disposed, and a rear foot portion where the user's heel is disposed, in this order continuously, the rear foot portion is formed in a rectangular plate shape extending horizontally, and the noseband is fixed on the lower surface side, the middle foot portion extends horizontally and is formed in a thick plate shape thicker than the rear foot portion, the front foot portion is formed such that the thickness gradually decreases from the middle foot portion to the tip, the upper surfaces of the front foot portion, the middle foot portion, and the rear foot portion are disposed on the same plane, the lower surface of the rear foot portion is formed horizontally, the lower surface of the middle foot portion is formed horizontally and horizontally long, and is located below the noseband on the lower surface side of the rear foot portion, the lower surface of the front foot portion is formed to be inclined from the lower surface of the middle foot portion to the tip, and extends longer in the front-rear direction than the lower surface of the middle foot portion, the clog.

2. The clog according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the middle foot portion extends from the rear foot portion to the center of the user's instep. ​

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