footwear

Abstract

To provide footwear that has a simple structure and enables a user with bow legs or knock-knees to land stably on the heel when walking, stabilizes the center of gravity of the body, makes it easier to maintain balance when walking, reduces the risk of falling, and distributes the burden on the muscles and joints of the entire foot. [Solution] Footwear 1 is equipped with a sole 2 on which the user's foot is placed and which has an outer circumferential shape that follows the outer periphery of the foot, and a fixing assisting part 3 that helps fix the foot to the sole 2. The heel-facing surface 2a on the upper surface of the sole 2 that faces the heel of the foot has both side edges 2a', 2a' and a rear end edge 2a'' that follow the outer circumferential edge of the upper surface of the heel-facing part of the sole 2, and is a concave surface that is recessed toward the ground surface of the sole 2, with both side edges 2a', 2a' and the rear end edge 2a'' as the upper edges, so that the footwear 1 has an approximately circular outer circumferential shape in a plan view.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear that enables users with bow legs or knock-knees to land stably on their heels when walking, stabilizes the body's center of gravity, makes it easier to maintain balance when walking, reduces the risk of falling, and distributes the burden on the muscles and joints of the entire foot. [Background technology]

[0002] It is generally believed that landing on the heel of the foot (heel striking) when walking in footwear has several advantages. By first landing on the heel and then absorbing the impact of the ground with the entire foot, the impact on the feet, knees, and hips can be reduced. It also makes it easier to stabilize the body's center of gravity, making it easier to maintain balance while walking, reducing the risk of falling, and distributing the strain 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 pushing against the ground with the entire sole of the foot, energy loss can be reduced and walking efficiency can be improved.

[0003] However, people with bow legs (genu valgus) have knees that splay outward, which means their feet tend to tilt outward when walking, placing excessive pressure on the outside of their heels and feet, making landing on the heel unstable and often resulting in landing on the toes or inside of the foot. Landing in this manner makes it difficult to maintain balance while walking, making walking unstable. It also places stress on the ankle joint, which, if left untreated, can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee. Furthermore, because the center of gravity is forward, and the muscles in the front thigh are used, the thighs are prone to become overweight.

[0004] Additionally, people with bow legs (genu valgus) 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, making landing on the heel unstable. Furthermore, weight tends to shift to one side, making it difficult to maintain balance, resulting in unstable walking and an increased risk of falling.

[0005] Conventionally, footwear that has a posture correction function has been proposed by making ingenious efforts to modify the sole of sandals and other footwear. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-264037 (Patent Document 1) discloses footwear that promotes ideal walking and posture and alleviates lower back pain and knee pain, and that has toe placement recesses formed in the sole where the foot is placed near the area where the toes are located, which are deep enough to allow the toes to bend downward, a heel placement recess formed higher than the toe placement recesses and in which the heel is placed, near the area of ​​the sole where the heel is placed, and further has a sole with the outer side higher than the inner side.

[0006] However, with the footwear of Patent Document 1, although it is possible to avoid putting stress on the hips and knees by maintaining a forward-leaning posture, the part where the heel is placed is formed higher than the toe placement recess, and the heel placement recess is not formed in a size that can fully accommodate the heel, so the drawback of people with bow legs being unstable when landing on their heels is not fully improved.

[0007] Therefore, Japanese Patent No. 7166035 (Patent Document 2) discloses footwear with a simple structure that has the function of correcting bow legs, and includes a sole, a front part, and a thong, the sole being formed from an upper first layer with a thin portion and a lower second layer to which the thin portion is bonded and which has no thin portion, the thin portion of the first layer being missing on the little toe side of the front part and in the toe area relative to the heel. With this structure, when a user walks wearing this footwear, it is possible to shift the center of gravity of the user's foot inward, and if the user has bow legs, it is possible to narrow the distance between the user's knees.

[0008] However, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 does not sufficiently address the drawback of people with bow legs finding it difficult to land on their heels. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 does not mention people with bow legs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2010-264037 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7166035 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide footwear that has a simple structure yet allows users with bow legs or knock-knees to land stably on their heels when walking, stabilizes the body's center of gravity, makes it easier to maintain balance when walking, reduces the risk of falling, and distributes the burden on the muscles and joints of the entire foot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The footwear of the present invention comprises a sole on which the user's foot is placed and which has an outer circumferential shape that follows the outer periphery of the foot, and a fixing auxiliary part that helps fix the foot to the sole, and is characterized in that the heel-facing surface on the upper surface of the sole that faces the heel of the foot has both side edges and a rear end edge that follow the outer circumferential edge of the upper surface of the heel-facing part of the sole, and is a concave surface that is recessed toward the ground surface of the sole, with the both side edges and the rear end edge as the upper edges, so that it has an approximately circular outer circumferential shape in a plan view.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heel-facing surface has a dish-like curved shape recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface forming it toward its center, a shape complementary to the shape of the heel of the foot, a tray-like shape having an edge recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface and a flat bottom, or an inverted cone-like shape recessed conically from the outer periphery of the concave surface toward its center.

[0013] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sole has, on its upper surface, a thick portion extending from the big toe side in the longitudinal direction of the sole and occupying a predetermined region, a thin portion thinner than the thick portion and occupying a region other than the thick portion, and a boundary portion connecting the thick portion and the thin portion, the thick portion extends from the big toe side to a vicinity of an arch-opposing portion that opposes the arch of the foot, the thin-walled portion comprises a first thin-walled portion extending from the little toe side to the vicinity of the arch-opposing portion, and a second thin-walled portion having the heel-opposing surface as an upper surface; the boundary portion has a first boundary portion connecting a surface of the thick portion and a surface of the first thin portion, and a second boundary portion connecting a surface of the thick portion and a surface of the second thin portion, The second boundary portion is provided in the arch-facing area and has an inclined surface that smoothly connects the surface of the thick portion and the heel-facing surface of the second thin portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The footwear of the present invention has a heel-facing surface that is a concave surface large enough to accommodate the user's heel, so despite its simple structure, even people who tend to land on their toes, such as those with bow legs or knock-knees, can land steadily on their heels when walking, stabilizing the body's center of gravity and making it easier to maintain balance while walking, reducing the risk of falling, and distributing the strain on the muscles and joints of the entire foot.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when a user walks wearing the footwear, the foot first lands on the heel of the thin portion of the sole, and the user's weight is then transferred sequentially from the heel to the portion facing the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot, through the lateral portion of the toe box, and then to the medial portion of the thick portion where the thong is located. This allows the user's center of gravity to be smoothly shifted from the heel to the medial portion of the foot with an outwardly rotating center of gravity. Furthermore, the portion facing the medial longitudinal arch (arch) of the foot is thickened, preventing the user's center of gravity from shifting to the medial portion. Therefore, whether the user has bow legs or knock-knees, the user's weight is smoothly shifted from the heel to the toe box with an outwardly rotating center of gravity. This allows the user to maintain proper walking posture and ultimately improve overall body posture. When the user stands and walks wearing this footwear, the footwear supports proper walking by restoring the human muscles and skeleton to the correct 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 point outward.

[0016] This invention enables users wearing the footwear of the invention to correct body distortions, leading to the acquisition of healthy posture and walking methods, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 3 "Good health and well-being" and Goal 8 "Decent work and economic growth" of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing footwear according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the footwear shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an outline of the relationship between the footwear shown in FIG. 1 and the sole of a user's foot, where (a) is a plan view showing the footwear shown in FIG. 1 and (b) is a bottom view showing the user's foot. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a right side view of the footwear shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the footwear shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 2, and (b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing part B in (a). [Figure 7] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing an outline of the footwear and the shift of the center of gravity of the sole of the foot when a user wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1 walks, where (a) is a plan view showing the footwear shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is a bottom view showing the user's foot. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic diagram showing an appropriate walking state of a user wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is another schematic diagram showing an appropriate walking state by a user wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the skeletal state of a user with bow legs who is wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the skeleton when a user with bowlegs wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1 is provided with support for correction. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a user with bow legs wearing the footwear shown in FIG. 1 receiving support for correction. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of footwear according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the footwear shown in FIG. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 14. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the components described in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. For the sake of convenience, the same symbols in each drawing indicate the same or equivalent parts unless otherwise specified, and elements having similar structures and / or functions are intended, and unnecessary detailed descriptions may be omitted. Furthermore, duplicated explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. In addition, in the present embodiment, the symbol "~" may be used to represent a numerical range, and the numerical values ​​written before and after "~" are included in the numerical range. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as is clear from Figures 1 to 15, the term "foot" can refer to the part below the ankle, the "leg" which is the entire part below the joint at the base of the thigh, or the "sole of the foot."

[0019] [First embodiment] FIG. 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 the footwear shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an outline of the relationship between the footwear shown in FIG. 1 and the sole of the user's foot, FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the footwear shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a back view showing the footwear shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6(b) is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing part B in FIG. 6(a).

[0020] Footwear 1 includes a sole 2 on which the user's foot is placed, the sole 2 having a circumferential shape that conforms to the outer periphery of the foot 4, and a fixing aid 3 that functions to help fix the foot 4 to the sole 2. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the fixing aid 3 is of a flip-flop type (thong type), but it may also be of a clog type as shown in FIG. 13, or other structures such as clogs, gurkhas, thongs, or belt types. Note that FIGS. 1 to 6 show footwear 1 for the user's right foot. The left footwear that is paired with right footwear 1 has a shape that is bilaterally symmetrical to right footwear 1, and is therefore not shown.

[0021] The material of the sole 2 is preferably elastic, and examples of materials that can be used include rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyurethane, and polyethylene.

[0022] 1, 2, and 6, the sole 2 has a heel-facing surface 2a that faces the heel of the foot on its upper surface, and a toe portion 2b on which the toes of the user's foot (leg) 4 are placed. Furthermore, the sole 2 has, on its upper surface, a thick portion 20 that extends from the big toe side in the longitudinal direction of the sole 2 and occupies a predetermined area, thin portions 21 and 22 that are thinner than the thick portion 20 and occupy areas other than the thick portion 20, and boundary portions 23 and 24 that connect the thick portion 20 and the thin portions 21 and 22.

[0023] The heel-facing surface 2a has side edges 2a', 2a' and a rear edge 2a'' along the outer periphery of the upper surface of the heel-facing portion of the sole 2, and is a concave surface recessed toward the ground surface of the sole 2 with these edges 2a', 2a', 2a'' as the upper edges. Therefore, the heel-facing surface 2a has an area sufficient to accommodate the heel 41 of a user who has bowlegs or knock-knees, which makes the user unstable when landing. In the example shown, the heel-facing surface 2a has a substantially annular outer periphery in plan view, which corresponds to the shape of the outer periphery of the heel-facing portion of the sole 2. Here, the term "substantially annular" includes shapes such as a rounded, substantially rectangular, elliptical, etc. In other words, the heel-facing surface 2a has a substantially annular outer periphery in plan view, which corresponds to the shape of the outer periphery of the heel-facing portion of the sole 2.

[0024] In the illustrated example, heel-facing surface 2a has a gently curved, dish-like shape recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface forming it toward its center, but is not limited to this shape and may have any shape that can accommodate the user's heel 41, such as a shape complementary to the shape of the heel of the foot, a tray-like shape with an edge recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface and a flat bottom, or an inverted cone-like shape recessed conically from the outer periphery of the concave surface toward its center. Although not intended to be limiting, the depth D of the deepest part (center in the illustrated example) of heel-facing surface 2a, measured from the upper edge (side edges 2a', 2a' and rear edge 2a'') of heel-facing surface 2a as the reference, is preferably 3 mm to 20 mm, and more preferably 3 mm to 15 mm.

[0025] As described above, the footwear of the present invention has a heel-facing surface 2a that is a concave surface of a size that is large enough to accommodate the user's heel 41. Therefore, despite its simple structure, even people who tend to land on their toes, such as those with bow legs or knock-knees, can land stably on their heels when walking, stabilizing the body's center of gravity and making it easier to maintain balance when walking, reducing the risk of falling, and distributing the strain on the muscles and joints of the entire foot.

[0026] The thick portion 20 extends in the longitudinal direction of the sole 2 from the big toe side toward the heel side to the vicinity of the arch-opposing portion 25 that faces the arch 40 of the foot. The thick portion 20 is thicker than the thin portions 21, 22, and acts to lift the inside of the sole and the toes, centered around the arch 40, when the user of the footwear 1 stands.

[0027] The thin portions 21, 22 include a first thin portion 21 that extends from the little toe side to the vicinity of the arch-facing region 25, and a second thin portion 22 whose upper surface is the heel-facing surface 2a. The boundaries 23, 24 include a first boundary portion 23 that connects the surface of the thick portion 20 to the surface of the first thin portion 21, and a second boundary portion 24 that connects the surface of the thick portion 20 to the surface of the second thin portion 22. The second boundary portion 24 is provided in the arch-facing region 25 and extends across both edges in the width direction of the sole 2, and is equipped with an inclined surface 2c that smoothly connects the surface of the thick portion 20 to the heel-facing surface 2a of the second thin portion 22.

[0028] As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the inclined surface 2c of the second boundary portion 24 preferably smoothly connects to the inclined surface of the concave edge of the heel-facing surface 2a, which rises toward the surface of the thick portion 20 in the vicinity of the inclined surface 2c. That is, the inclined surface 2c of the second boundary portion 24 and the inclined surface of the concave edge of the heel-facing surface 2a preferably intersect at a slight angle α or substantially zero. This intersection angle, i.e., the intersection angle α between the inclined surface 2c of the second boundary portion 24 and the inclined surface of the concave edge of the heel-facing surface 2a, is preferably ±15 degrees or less, more preferably ±10 degrees or less. The inclined surface 2c is preferably flat, but may also be a gently concave or convex curved surface. This configuration of the inclined surface 2c reduces the strain on the arch 40.

[0029] Materials that can be used for the fixing aid 3 include cloth, leather, synthetic resin, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1 , for example, the fixing aid 3 includes a front cord 30 and a side cord 31. The side cord 31 includes an inner side cord 31a and an outer side cord 31b. The front cord 30 extends upward from the plate surface of the sole 2 and is the portion that is held between the big toe and index toe of the user's foot 4, and is disposed in the toe portion 2b of the sole 2. The side cord 31 is configured in the shape of a string or a band, and includes an inner side cord 31a that extends from the front cord 30 as a base end toward the side of the sole 2 on the big toe side (hereinafter referred to as the "inner side") and an outer side cord 31b that extends toward the side of the sole 2 on the little toe side (hereinafter referred to as the "outer side"). Both end portions 31c, 31c of the inner lateral cord portion 31a and the outer lateral cord portion 31b are fixed to both side edges of the sole 2 in the vicinity of the region 25 facing the arch of the foot.

[0030] 3(a) and 3(b) are diagrams schematically illustrating the relationship between the footwear shown in FIG. 1 and the sole of a user. The thickened portion 20 extends in the longitudinal direction of the sole 2 from the toe portion 2b of the sole 2 to the vicinity of the second boundary portion 24 facing the arch 40 of the foot 4, i.e., to a position corresponding to the inside of the vicinity of both end portions 31c, 31c of the transverse cord portion 31. If the line segment connecting the front cord portion 30 of the footwear 1 and the center of the heel-facing surface 2a on which the heel 41 of the user's foot 4 rests is defined as a center line OO, the thickened portion 20 of the sole 2 has a width extending from the inner edge to a position slightly beyond the center line OO throughout its entire area. The thickened portion 20 narrows in the width direction of the sole 2 near the ball of the foot and widens in the width direction of the sole 2 near the arch-facing region 25.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a side view of footwear 1, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of footwear 1. The first and second thin portions 21, 22 of sole 2 have sufficient thickness to absorb the impact force on the foot when the heel strikes the ground. For example, they have a thickness of approximately 15 mm to 35 mm depending on the size of footwear 1. The thick portion 20 of sole 2 has a thickness H of, for example, 3 mm to 25 mm depending on the size of footwear 1. The surface of thick portion 20 has a height of, for example, approximately 20 to 50 mm from the bottom surface of footwear 1.

[0032] The toe portion 2b of the sole 2 is inclined vertically toward the tip of the sole 2 so that it is higher than the other surfaces of the thick portion 20. That is, the toe portion 2b has an inclined surface 2d that is higher than the thickness H of the thick portion 20. The inclined surface 2d may be flat or concavely curved. Depending on the size of the footwear 1, the tip of the inclined surface 2d may be higher by, for example, about 3 to 10 mm than the plane of thickness H that forms the main part of the thick portion 20. This is because, when the fixing auxiliary part 3 is shaped so as not to cover the toes as shown in the figure, the wedge effect of the inclined surface 2d of the sole 2 prevents the toes of the user from sliding forward.

[0033] 7(a) and 7(b) are schematic diagrams showing the movement of the location on the sole 2 to which the user's weight is applied when the user walks wearing the footwear 1 according to the first embodiment. That is, 7(a) and 7(b) show the movement of the main contact area (C) where the sole of the user's foot comes into contact with the sole 2 and the weighted area (G) on which the user's weight acts significantly on the sole 2 when the user walks wearing the footwear. If the sole of the user is divided into two areas, the toe side and the heel side, near the arch 40, and the toe side is further divided into the big toe side (inner side) and the middle finger, ring finger, and little toe side (outer side), the lateral head (C3) of the adductor hallucis muscle, located on the "outer" part of the sole, and the portion (C2) of the flexor digitorum minimi muscle on the side of the arch 40, generally face the first thin-walled portion 21.

[0034] When walking, a user wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention first lands on the heel-facing surface 2a, which faces the contact area (C1) in the thin-walled portion 22. At this time, the user's weight also acts as a weighted area (G1) at the heel position, which is the same as the contact area (C1). When a user walks wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the main contact area (C) between the sole of the user and footwear 1 moves forward in an outward direction (along the outside) through contact areas (C2) and (C3) facing the first thin-walled portion 21 on the lateral side of the sole, and finally moves to a region on the upper surface of the sole 2 facing the contact area (C4) at the big toe, where the user lifts off the ground. Similarly to the main contact area (C), the weighted area (G) of the user's weight also moves forward in an outward direction. That is, the weighted area (G) to which the user's weight is applied also moves outward and forward from the weighted area (G1) on the heel-facing surface 2a to the weighted areas (G2), (G3), and (G4) in this order. By moving the user's weighted area (G) from the weighted area (G1) at the heel position to the weighted areas (G2) and (G3) on the thin-walled portion 21 in this order, the center of gravity is prevented from being unevenly distributed forward, enabling proper walking.

[0035] As described above, the footwear of the present invention has a heel-facing surface 2a that is a concave surface large enough to fully accommodate the user's heel 41, thereby widening the contact area (C1). As a result, despite its simple structure, even people who tend to land on their toes, such as those with bow legs or knock-knees, can land stably on their heels when walking, stabilizing the body's center of gravity and making it easier to maintain balance while walking, reducing the risk of falling, and distributing the strain on the muscles and joints of the entire foot.

[0036] When the user stands or walks, the footwear 1 has the function of pushing up the medial part of the sole with the thickened part 20, encouraging the weight of the user's body to be applied to the lateral part of the sole 2. Therefore, this function makes it possible to prevent the weight from being applied to the medial part of the sole when the user stands or walks.

[0037] The second boundary portion 24 faces the arch 40 of the sole. The surface of the thick portion 20 of the sole 2 and the surface of the second boundary portion 24 are smoothly connected. In other words, the intersection angle β (see FIG. 6(b)) between the surface of the thick portion 20 of the sole 2 and the surface of the second boundary portion 24 is small, which has the effect of reducing the burden on the arch 40. This intersection angle β is preferably 45 degrees or less, and more preferably 30 degrees or less. Furthermore, the corner where the surface of the thick portion 20 and the surface of the second boundary portion 24 intersect is rounded, which has the effect of further reducing the burden on the arch 40. This makes it possible to smoothly guide the weight-bearing area (G) of the user's foot from the weight-bearing area (G1) corresponding to the heel portion 2a to the big toe portion (G4) without moving inward. In other words, even if the user has bow legs or knock knees, it is possible to properly maintain the direction and distance between the user's knees when standing and walking, and to assist in correcting them to the appropriate position.

[0038] Wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, users with bow legs or knock-knees are helped to position their heels as their center of gravity when standing, aligning their bone structure and maintaining proper posture. Footwear 1 also helps tighten the user's pelvis when standing. Furthermore, the surface of sole 2 is formed with uneven steps formed by thin-walled portions 21 and thick-walled portions 20. These uneven steps appropriately correct the order of movement of the contact area (C) and weight-bearing area (G) between the sole and sole 2 during walking, enabling the user to walk using the original, correct muscles and bone structure of the foot. Therefore, by maintaining proper posture and walking with appropriate weight transfer, the muscles used change, resulting in the user's buttocks tightening and the pelvis tightening.

[0039] However, users with bow legs or knock knees will not necessarily achieve the desired effect by simply wearing the footwear 1 unconsciously. They will need to undergo walking training to properly wear the footwear 1. That is, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, walking training is required that pays attention to landing on the heel, keeping the center of gravity on the outside, and toe-off.

[0040] 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing appropriate walking conditions of a user with bow legs or knock-knees who is undergoing walking training while wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 8, when walking, the user of footwear 1 lands, for example, on the heel-facing surface 2a of thin-walled portion 21 of sole 2 (Point 1). Next, after landing with left foot 4, the weighted area (G) and the contact area (C) between sole 2 and the sole of the foot move from the center of the heel to the outer side of the heel (Point 2).

[0041] Next, as shown in Figure 9, as walking progresses, the weight-bearing area (G) and the contact area (C) between the sole and the sole of the foot move from the heel to the toe along the outer area of ​​the sole (Point 3). Just as when the right foot leaves the ground, the left foot also leaves the area of ​​the sole of the sole of the foot facing the big toe last (Point 4).

[0042] The tip region of the toe of the sole 2 is provided with an inclined surface 2d that is higher than the other surfaces of the thickened portion 20, and this inclined surface 2d can prevent the toe from sliding forward. This more reliably ensures that the big toe portion of the sole of the foot comes off the ground last. In this way, even for users with bow legs or knock-knees, the weight bearing area of ​​the user of the footwear 1 can be adjusted to an appropriate position on the inside. The thickened portion 20 of the sole 2 ensures that, during walking, the weight bearing area moves from the heel to the arch 40 and to the toe portion with an outward curling center of gravity, and finally comes off the ground at the part of the sole 2 that faces the big toe.

[0043] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the human skeleton 5 when a user with bow legs is viewed from the front. When a user with bow legs wears normal footwear, the weight tends to concentrate on the outer parts of the left and right feet 4R and 4L, causing the femur 50 to twist and resulting in an improper posture.

[0044] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the user's skeleton as viewed from the front when the user with bow legs is standing while wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. When wearing footwear 1, the user's weight is evenly distributed on the outer soles of the feet. As a result, the user's knees face forward, correcting the bow-legged state of the feet. As a result, the user's posture is corrected to and maintained at the appropriate posture as shown in FIG. 11. In the case of bow legs, the bow-legged state of the user's feet is corrected, and the appropriate posture is maintained.

[0045] Next, FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the skeletal musculature 6 as viewed from the side when a user with bow legs stands wearing footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, "good posture" of the human body is said to be ideal when "when viewed from the side, the ankles, knees, pelvis (greater trochanter), shoulders (acromion), and ears are aligned in a straight line, and the physiological curvature of the spine (the curve of the spine) is well-aligned and natural." When a user with bow legs stands wearing footwear 1, the user's distorted posture is corrected, the rib cage expands, and the chest 60 is lifted. Furthermore, since the user can walk while paying attention to the heels 41 of the feet 4, the abdominal muscles 61 are strengthened, and the knees are directed forward, which also has the effect of tightening the buttocks 62 and pelvis.

[0046] [Second embodiment] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the appearance of footwear 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a plan view of the footwear shown in FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 14. Footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and footwear 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention differ in the fastening aid part 3. While the fastening aid part 3 in footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is of the flip-flop type, the fastening aid part 3 in footwear 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is of the clog type. Footwear 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as footwear 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, except for the shape of the fastening aid part 3, and has the same functions, actions, and effects as footwear 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0047] As explained above, the footwear according to the present invention has a simple structure, yet is designed so that the knees face forward and the pelvis is tightened when standing and walking, for both normal users and users with bow legs or knock-knees, allowing the heel to land stably when walking and assisting in the smooth transfer of body weight from the heel to the toes with an outward curling center of gravity, making it easier to maintain balance in the body's skeleton, etc., and providing the function of adjusting the posture of the human body and correcting distortions.

[0048] Furthermore, the footwear uses the uneven steps of the sole 2 to properly correct the landing location and landing order of the sole of the foot when walking, allowing the wearer to walk using the original, appropriate muscles and skeleton, correcting the muscles and skeleton to return to a position appropriate for the body's health and assisting in the implementation of appropriate stance and walking methods.

[0049] Furthermore, the uneven steps of the sole 2 and the inclined surface 2d of the thick portion 20 provide a structure that makes it easy to push off with the big toe when walking.

[0050] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0051] Furthermore, in the processes or operations described above, the processes or operations can be freely modified as long as no inconsistencies in the processes or operations occur, such as the use of a configuration that should not yet be available in a certain step. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1. Footwear 2. Sole 2a... Heel facing surface 2a'...side edge 2a''...posterior edge 2b Toe area 2c,2d...slanted surface 20...Thick wall part 21, 22... Thin-walled section 23, 24... Boundary 25. Arch area 3...Fixing auxiliary part 30... Maeobe 31. Horizontal section 31a... inner horizontal section 31b...outside horizontal section 31c...Terminal part 4. Feet (legs) 4R: Right foot 4L...left foot 40 Arch 41. Heel 5. Skeleton 50...femur 6. Skeletal Muscle System 60...Chest 61 Abdominal muscles 62...buttocks

Claims

1. In a footwear comprising a sole on which a user's foot is placed and which has an outer peripheral shape that follows the outer peripheral edge of the foot, and a fixing auxiliary part that helps fix the foot to the sole, the heel-facing surface of the upper surface of the sole that faces the heel of the foot has both side edges and a rear end edge that follow the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the heel-facing part of the sole, and is a concave surface that is recessed toward the ground surface of the sole, with the both side edges and the rear end edge as upper edges, so as to have a substantially annular outer peripheral shape in a plan view, the sole has, on its upper surface, a thick portion extending from the big toe side in the longitudinal direction of the sole and occupying a predetermined region, a thin portion thinner than the thick portion and occupying a region other than the thick portion, and a boundary portion connecting the thick portion and the thin portion, the thick portion extends from the big toe side to a vicinity of an arch-opposing portion that opposes the arch of the foot, the thin-walled portion comprises a first thin-walled portion extending from the little toe side to the vicinity of the arch-opposing portion, and a second thin-walled portion having the heel-opposing surface as an upper surface; the boundary portion has a first boundary portion connecting a surface of the thick portion and a surface of the first thin portion, and a second boundary portion connecting a surface of the thick portion and a surface of the second thin portion, the second boundary portion is provided in the arch-facing region and includes an inclined surface that smoothly connects a surface of the thick-walled portion and the heel-facing surface of the second thin-walled portion, Footwear characterized in that the inclined surface of the second boundary portion is smoothly connected to the inclined surface of the concave edge of the heel-facing surface that rises toward the surface of the thick portion in its vicinity, so that when the user stands and walks, the thick portion lifts the inside and toe side of the sole, encouraging the weight of the user's body weight to be applied to the outer portion of the sole.

2. Footwear as described in claim 1, characterized in that the intersection angle between the inclined surface of the second boundary portion and the inclined surface of the concave edge portion of the heel-facing surface is ±15 degrees or less, and the intersection angle between the surface of the thick portion and the inclined surface of the second boundary portion is 45 degrees or less.

3. Footwear according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heel-facing surface has a dish-shaped curved shape recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface forming it toward its center, a shape complementary to the shape of the heel of the foot, a tray-shaped shape having an edge recessed from the outer periphery of the concave surface and a flat bottom, or an inverted cone-shaped shape recessed conically from the outer periphery of the concave surface toward its center.

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