Sole and footwear

Abstract

The present invention provides a sole and footwear having a structure that facilitates an action of pushing down toes by mainly acting on a region near the toes on a bottom surface of a foot.　The toes can grip the sole by a notch provided in the sole. A sole included in a shoe, the sole having a recess on a ground contact surface and in a region facing a vicinity of a base of toes of a foot wearing the shoe, the recess facilitating bending in a direction toward the ground.

Description

Sole and Footwear

[0001] The present invention relates to various types of footwear such as sports shoes (shoes for sports competitions, etc.), ski boots, skating boots, hiking boots, sneakers, commuting shoes, boots, pumps, and sandals, and particularly relates to the structure of the sole.

[0002] In the walking and running processes, the transfer of body weight load is first applied to the back surface of the heel of the foot while rotating inward from the outer side to the inner side of the heel, and then moves forward along the back surface of the outer sole part in the longitudinal direction of the foot from the back surface of the heel while rotating outward, and then strongly steps on the ground by rotating the foot outward at the back surface of the ball part of the fifth finger, that is, the back surface of the joint between the fifth metatarsal bone and the fifth proximal phalanx, and then rolls on the ground while stepping on the ground to the back surface of the ball joint part of the first finger, that is, the back surface of the joint between the first metatarsal bone and the first proximal phalanx, and then strongly grips the ground with the back surface of the first proximal phalanx (the first finger) while warping the first proximal phalanx and the first distal phalanx and pitching, and kicks the ground with the first to fifth fingers, particularly the first, second, and third fingers, and repeats the process of moving forward while walking and running.

[0003] By the way, conventional shoe soles form grooves on the ground contact surface to impart flexibility. However, since the bending grooves are not arranged in consideration of the movement of the foot due to the skeletal structure of the foot, the deformation of the shoe sole does not follow the movement of the foot during walking and running, thereby increasing the energy transfer loss in muscle activity. In addition, when the heel touches the ground, the conventional shoe sole is not bent with respect to the landing angle, and the shock absorption and gripping functions are insufficient, lacking heel stability, and the walking performance is not satisfactory. Conventionally, in order to solve the conventional problems, for example, the invention described in Patent Document 1 shown below is known.

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 provides a shoe sole that bends the shoe sole according to the movement of the foot due to the skeletal structure of the foot, reduces the energy consumed during walking and running, improves the stability of the heel, and enables comfortable walking and running.

[0005] However, while the invention described in Patent Document 1 has a structure that facilitates bending in the direction of lifting the toes, mainly in the area from the ball of the big toe to the ball of the little toe on the sole of the foot, the sole and footwear of the present invention have a structure that facilitates bending towards the ground or bending the entire outsole into an upward convex state, mainly in the area around the toes on the sole of the foot.

[0006] Patent No. 4004831

[0007] Thus, while conventional soles and footwear are designed to facilitate flexion (dorsiflexion of the ankle joint) in the direction of lifting the toes during walking and running, they have the problem of not being designed to facilitate the movement of pushing the toes downwards towards the ground, mainly in the area around the toes.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a sole and footwear having a structure that facilitates the action of pushing down the toes, mainly in the area around the toes on the sole of the foot.

[0009] A sole according to one aspect of the present invention is a sole for a shoe, comprising a recess on the contact surface with the ground and in a region facing the base of the toes of the foot wearing the shoe, wherein the recess facilitates bending in the direction of contact with the ground.

[0010] According to the present invention, soles and footwear that facilitate the action of pushing down the toes, mainly in the area around the base of the toes on the sole of the foot, during walking and running also facilitate the action of gripping the sole with the toes during walking and running. By gripping with the toes during walking and running, the following effects are achieved: (1) Prevention of foot problems The arch of the foot plays a role in distributing and reducing the burden on the foot. However, if the arch of the foot collapses due to muscle weakness, the impact of landing acts directly on the sole of the foot, causing problems such as plantar fasciitis and tibial stress syndrome (shin splints). The soles and footwear according to the present invention can strengthen the muscles of the sole of the foot and prevent the above problems.

[0011] (2) Improved sense of balance The human body is supported by three points on the sole of the foot: the toes, the arch, and the heel. However, in modern people, the toes have weakened, resulting in "floating toes," and many people support their feet only by two points: the arch and the heel. As a result, they lose their balance when standing, walking, and running, and their feet tend to get tired. The soles and footwear according to the present invention can train not only the muscles of the soles of the feet but also the toes at the same time, so floating toes are eliminated and the toes can firmly touch the ground. As a result, it creates a body that is less likely to lose balance when standing, walking, and running, and if balance is lost, it has the effect of improving the ability to brace oneself and regain posture.

[0012] (3) Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases Flat feet increase the burden on the feet, leading to pain in the knees, hips, shoulders, and neck. As a result, the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases due to obesity increases. By strengthening the toes and soles of the feet, the arch of the foot is strengthened, resulting in walking and running that puts less strain on the body, thus preventing flat feet and consequently contributing to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. The muscle groups activated by the sole and footwear according to the present invention include the intrinsic muscles of the foot, the tibialis posterior, the flexor digitorum longus, the flexor hallucis longus, and the tibialis anterior, and the ability to raise the medial longitudinal arch of the foot can also be strengthened. With the sole and footwear according to the present invention, by performing a gripping motion with the toes, the flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus are contracted, and by flexing all the toes, force is applied in the direction of shortening the medial arch.

[0013] (4) Relief of swollen and cold feet The soles of the feet are the part of the body furthest from the heart, so blood circulation is prone to poor there. Poor blood circulation leads to poor blood and lymph flow, which can cause cold feet and swollen feet. The soles and footwear according to the present invention can strengthen the muscles of the soles of the feet, improving blood circulation and relieving swelling in the feet. (5) Other benefits The soles and footwear according to the present invention can strengthen the toes and soles of the feet, correcting posture, strengthening toe grip strength, and achieving healthy weight loss.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention enables users who wear the footwear of the present invention to correct body misalignment and acquire a healthy posture and walking method, thereby contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, "Good Health and Well-being," and Goal 8, "Decent Work and Economic Growth."

[0015] These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. These are explanatory diagrams relating to the structure of soles and footwear according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below 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 to them alone.

[0017] For the sake of clarity, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals assigned to each figure indicate the same or equivalent part, and elements with similar structure and / or function are intended, and unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, redundant explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. In this embodiment, the symbol "~" may be used to represent a numerical range, and the numbers written before and after "~" are included in that numerical range. (Embodiment 1)

[0018] Figure 1 is a bottom view of the sole of a typical left footwear. Figures 2A to 7B are bottom views of soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention shown in Figures 2A and 2B are provided with wedge-shaped notches as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, which will be described later. The direction of the notches may be parallel to the width direction as shown in Figure 2A, or they may be angled toward the big toe direction as shown in Figure 2B. The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention shown in Figures 3A and 3B are provided with multiple notches as shown in Figures 2A and 2B. The more notches there are, the more flexible the sole of the footwear becomes.

[0019] The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, shown in Figures 4A and 4B, have curved cuts that conform to the shape of the base of the toes on the sole of the foot. The curve may have a large curvature near the first toe and a small curvature near the fifth toe, or it may be a cut with a uniform curvature from near the first toe to near the fifth toe. The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, shown in Figures 5A and 5B, have multiple cuts as shown in Figures 4 and 4B. Increasing the number of cuts improves the flexibility of the footwear sole. The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, shown in Figures 6A and 6B, have additional cuts in the region opposite the arch of the foot, in addition to the cuts as shown in Figures 5A and 5B. The cuts provided near the arch of the foot may be made of complex curves or of multiple cuts.

[0020] The soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention, shown in Figures 7A and 7B, are composed of notches of uneven width. The width of the notches may be regular or irregular from one end to the other. Figures 8A and 8B are side views of the soles according to embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention. Figure 8A shows a wedge-shaped notch. Figure 8B shows a wedge-shaped notch that is wider than the one in Figure 8A. Figure 8C shows a rectangular notch. Figure 8D shows a plateau-shaped notch. Figure 8E shows a semicircular notch. Figure 8F shows a pentagonal notch. As described above, the shape of the notches may be a polygon or a curve.

[0021] Figure 9 is a side view of footwear with a sole having notches, worn on the foot, with the upper omitted. As is clear from Figure 9, the soles according to Embodiments 1 and 2 of the present invention have notches on the surface of the sole that contacts the ground in the area of ​​the sole opposite the toes. Figure 10 shows the state of the sole when the sole is gripped with the foot, especially the toes. In accordance with the flexion of the foot, the sole also flexes towards the ground around the notches. Thus, the sole and footwear of Embodiment 1 of the present invention have notches on the surface that contacts the ground, which encourage the wearer to grip the toe portion of the sole or to grip it with only the toes while walking and running. By gripping the sole with the toes or gripping it with only the toes, it is possible to train the muscles that maintain posture, balance, etc., when standing, walking, and running. Furthermore, by acquiring the correct muscles and muscle strength, it is possible to improve health and performance in daily life and sports. (Embodiment 2)

[0022] As shown in Figure 11, the sole and footwear of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention further comprises a protrusion 7 on the sole surface that contacts the sole of the foot, compared to the sole and footwear of Embodiment 1. By configuring the protrusion 7 so that its leading edge contacts the area near the base of the toes, further gripping by the toes becomes easier. Furthermore, the step of the protrusion 7 enables a stronger grip by the toes. The effects of the sole and footwear of Embodiment 2 according to the present invention are the same as those of the sole and footwear of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention.

[0023] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not in the sense described above, and all modifications are intended to be in the sense and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0024] Furthermore, the embodiments described above are illustrative examples for illustrating the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its essence.

[0025] 1. Sole (footwear) 2. Notch 3. Foot 4. Toe 5. Toes 6. Arch of the foot 7. Protrusion

Claims

1. A sole for a shoe, comprising a recess on the contact surface with the ground and in a region facing the base of the toes of the foot wearing the shoe, wherein the recess facilitates bending in the direction of contact with the ground.

2. The sole according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a protrusion on the surface that contacts the sole of the foot, and the leading edge of the protrusion contacts the area near the base of the toes.

3. The sole according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the recess in a region other than the region.

4. The sole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess is a wedge-shaped notch.

5. The sole according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess is a semicircular cut.

6. Footwear characterized by comprising a sole according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images