Segmented Footwear Sole Structure for Proprioceptive Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear designs do not adequately enhance proprioception by providing targeted comfort, flexibility, and support to accommodate natural foot movements, leading to suboptimal performance and sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
The sole structure of the footwear features distinct regions with varying angles, materials, and curvatures, including a forefoot region with a concave sidewall and heel region with a convex sidewall, along with different tread angles and densities, to provide enhanced proprioceptive feedback and support during gait cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional footwear designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but proprioception enhancement and foot movement accommodation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sole structure is divided into multiple distinct regions (heel region, midfoot region, forefoot region) with different geometric configurations. Each region has specific curvature characteristics and material properties tailored to accommodate different foot movements and provide targeted proprioceptive feedback, resolving the contradiction by making complexity functional rather than arbitrary.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the sole structure have locally optimized properties: the heel region has a first curvature for shock absorption, the midfoot region has a second curvature for arch support, and the forefoot region has a third curvature for toe flexion accommodation. This local differentiation enhances proprioception without requiring complete redesign of the entire sole.
2Ease of operation
If uniform sole structure is used, then manufacturing ease is maintained, but natural foot movements and lateral force distribution are not adequately accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The sole structure employs asymmetric curvature profiles across different regions. The heel region, midfoot region, and forefoot region each have distinct curvature characteristics that mirror the asymmetric nature of foot anatomy and movement patterns, enabling better accommodation of natural foot movements while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized curvature generation methods.
3Reliability
If single-material sole construction is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but targeted comfort and support in different regions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sole structure utilizes composite material construction where different materials or material densities are assigned to different regions (heel, midfoot, forefoot). This allows each region to have optimized mechanical properties for its specific function while still being manufacturable as an integrated component through injection molding or similar processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes material parameters (density, hardness, elasticity) across different regions of the sole to match the varying support requirements. The heel region may use softer, more cushioning materials while the forefoot region uses firmer materials for stability, creating targeted support without requiring entirely separate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A footwear upper and a sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The footwear sole can include a forefoot region having a first bottom portion extending between a lateral side and a medial side of the footwear, a heel region having a second bottom portion extending between the lateral side and the medial side of the footwear, and a midfoot region disposed between the heel region and the forefoot region. The second bottom portion can be disposed along an inclined plane defined between the lateral side and the medial side, and the inclined plane rises from the medial side to the lateral side. The first bottom portion is disposed along a reference plane, and the inclined plane is disposed at an angle with respect to the reference plane.