CA2837674A1 - Footwear promoting natural motion - Google Patents

Footwear promoting natural motion Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2837674A1
CA2837674A1 CA2837674A CA2837674A CA2837674A1 CA 2837674 A1 CA2837674 A1 CA 2837674A1 CA 2837674 A CA2837674 A CA 2837674A CA 2837674 A CA2837674 A CA 2837674A CA 2837674 A1 CA2837674 A1 CA 2837674A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
outsole
foot
shoe sole
sole construction
shoe
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA2837674A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
David L. Vattes
Cody Peterson
Jonathan SWEGLE
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Caleres Inc
Original Assignee
Brown Shoe Co Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Brown Shoe Co Inc filed Critical Brown Shoe Co Inc
Publication of CA2837674A1 publication Critical patent/CA2837674A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/1415Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
    • A43B7/144Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/38Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B13/00Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
    • A43B13/38Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process
    • A43B13/41Built-in insoles joined to uppers during the manufacturing process, e.g. structural insoles; Insoles glued to shoes during the manufacturing process combined with heel stiffener, toe stiffener, or shank stiffener
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B23/00Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
    • A43B23/22Supports for the shank or arch of the uppers
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/141Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form having an anatomical or curved form
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A43FOOTWEAR
    • A43BCHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
    • A43B7/00Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
    • A43B7/14Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
    • A43B7/1405Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
    • A43B7/1415Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
    • A43B7/142Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Abstract

A shoe is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. The shoe is constructed with a cupped heel, a contoured arch, a radiused forepart and neutral heel/forefoot position to create a foot bed that anatomically cradles a wearer's foot. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The outsole is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.

Description

FOOTWEAR PROMOTING NATURAL MOTION
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to footwear which promotes a natural motion of the foot by simulating a barefoot experience, and which more specifically relates to anatomically shaped footwear having flexible materials located at anatomically correct flexure locations.
The "barefoot" running trend in footwear is gaining in popularity, with many examples of footwear coming onto the market with variations of this minimalist theme.
Market leaders have created an iconic platform ¨ a thin rubber outsole and elastic textile uppers that are assembled with individual toe segmentation to create "fingers". Other brands have taken a similar approach without improving on the benefits delivered.
However, there are many problems with such "barefoot" running shoes, and their "fingers." The lack of cushioning and protection underfoot, combined with encouragement to users that they land on their forefoot (rather than their heels) increases the impact force and potential discomfort experienced by the wearer. Further, the radical design is a turn-off to many mainstream consumers, which limits the end use and wearing occasions.
Essentially, the "fingers" design is too much, too fast ¨ the extreme design changes in the footwear are more than what the average consumer can adjust to wearing right out of the box.
There's a need for "more shoe" than what's being offered for everyday use.
This invention improves upon the "barefoot" running trend without utilizing "fingers," while still providing comfort benefits delivered in more standard running footwear.
Specific advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and the description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A shoe is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. To begin the design process, the shoe is constructed with a cupped heel, a contoured arch, a radiused forepart and neutral heel/forefoot position to create a foot bed that anatomically cradles a wearer's foot. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The outsole is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support.
An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.
Specifically, the insole may be constructed of a high resiliency foam, such as neoprene, polyurethane, SEBS, EBA or rubber. Preferably, these materials would have a hardness of between about 10C and 60C on an Asker C scale. The outsole is preferably constructed from rubber or polyurethane, in either single or dual compound areas. For example, a dual compound outsole may have high-traction compound at high ground-contact locations, and a wear-resistant compound toward the perimeter of the outsole.
Preferably, the hardness of either or both of these compounds would be in the range of about 45A to 75A on a Shore A scale.
The sock liner is preferably comprised of a base foam, including EVA, polyurethane or blended co-polymers. Sock liner hardness would preferably be in the range of about 25C
to 70C on an Asker C scale. An insert may be made of foam or gel, including:
thermoplastic rubber, polyurethane or SEBS, with a hardness of between about 25C and 60C on an Asker C
scale. The midfoot support element is preferably made from molded plastic, rigid EVA, or Texon/tuck board, with a thickness of between about lmm and 3mm, and with a hardness of between about 50A and 90A on a Shore A scale Such a construction allows for: (a) increased contact between the foot and shoe interior; (b) a flexibility improvement such that less foot force is required to bend the shoe;
(c) an improved gait by enabling natural motion during walking; (c) promoting more midfoot versus heel strike; (d) reduced weight over conventional shoes; (e) and increased foot stimulation through more utilization of bones, tendons, and muscles during footstrike.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a three dimensional perspective view of a last, sock liner, strobel sock insole and outsole of the present invention.
It should be understood that the present drawings are not necessarily to scale and that the present embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should also be understood that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Like numbers utilized throughout the various Figures designate like or similar parts or structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the present invention, shoe construction is provided which improves comfort during running. As shown in FIG. 1, a shoe will include a last or "upper" 5, sock liner 10, strobel sock insole 18 and outsole 20. Outsole 20 is positioned on the underside of the shoe for engagement with a walking surface such as the ground, sidewalk, floor or other supporting surface. Preferably, the top surface of the outsole is shaped to conform to the bottom surface of the sock liner 10 and/or strobel sock insole 18. The sock liner 10, strobel sock insole 18 and outsole 20 may be secured to one another using any suitable attachment means including cement, adhesives, glue, welt and direct attachment constructions For ease of reference herein, the foot of a human may be considered to have three regions: the forefoot region (area adjacent the toes), the midfoot region (area adjacent the arch), and the hind foot region (area adjacent the heel). As shown in FIG. 1 the sock liner 10 and outsole 20 similarly includes three regions substantially underlying the above-referenced corresponding three regions of the wearer's foot: the forefoot region 16, 26 of the sock liner 10 and outsole 20, respectively; the midfoot region 14, 24 of the sock liner 10 and outsole 20, respectively; and the hind foot region 12, 22 of the sock liner 10 and outsole 20, respectively.
It should be understood, however, that the boundaries between the forefoot, midfoot and hind foot areas are not precise and that these terms should be interpreted loosely and with a great deal of flexibility. The ball of the foot is generally the area of the foot at the juncture between the metatarsal bones and the phalange bones. The sockliner 10 may include soft pad sections on the bottom thereof at the forefoot region 16, midfoot region 14 and/or hind foot region 12.
The midfoot region 14, 24 of the sock liner 10 and outsole 20 is preferably raised to underlie the medial arch of the wearer's foot, while the hind foot region 12, 22 is cupped to underlie the heel of the wearer's foot. The hind foot region 12, 22 is defined by the peripheral edges 13, 23 formed around the hind foot region 12, 22 from the medial side to the lateral side of the heel. The peripheral edge 13, 23 in the hind foot region 12, 22 forms a raised portion where it wraps around the heel of the wearer's foot. The forefoot region 16, 26 includes a radiused forepart and a neutral heel/forefoot position. The anatomically shaped and formed sock liner 10 and outsole 20 are thereby designed to reflect the natural shapes of the human foot. The shaped plantar surface topography maximizes surface contact with the wearer's foot and increases comfort. The midfoot region 24 of outsole 20 may include a support shank 28 having a stiffness which is higher than the rest of outsole 20 so as to properly provide arch support to the wearer. Support shank 24 may instead be positioned between outsole 20 and strobel sock insole 18.
The shoe is constructed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole (or strobel sock insole) 18 is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The strobe stitched insole 18 preferably includes a foam interior sandwiched between fabric layers on the top and bottom. The outsole 20 is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot 26 of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support. An optional midfoot support element 28 may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness toward the midfoot 15 region 14, 24. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.
Such a construction allows for: (a) increased contact between the foot and shoe interior; (b) a flexibility improvement such that less foot force is required to bend the shoe;
(c) an improved gait by enabling natural motion during walking; (c) promoting more midfoot 20 versus heel strike; (d) reduced weight over conventional shoes; (e) and increased foot stimulation through more utilization of bones, tendons, and muscles during footstrike.
Further, the overall dimensions of the present shoe as well as the specific shape and configuration of the various sections thereof are also subject to wide variations and may be sized and shaped into a wide variety of different sizes and configurations so as to be compatible with the size and shape of the particular footwear onto which the present structures may be mounted, or to conform with any space limitations associated therewith without impairing the teachings and practice of the present invention.
It is also understood that various modifications may be made to all of the various embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a footwear which promotes a natural foot motion. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms "having" and "including" and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of "optional" or "may include" and not as "required". Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings.
All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims (9)

1. A shoe sole construction having a hind foot region, a midfoot region and a forefoot region, the shoe sole construction comprising:
an anatomically shaped sockliner;
a strobel sock insole including a foam inner layer sandwiched between top and bottom fabric layers;
an anatomically shaped outsole; and a support shank located between the strobel sock insole and the outsole, the support shank having a higher stiffness than the outsole.
2. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the support shank is integrated with the outsole.
3. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the sockliner includes at least one soft pad section on a bottom surface thereof.
4. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the sockliner includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot.
5. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the outsole includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot.
6. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the sockliner includes raised peripheral edges around the hind foot region thereof to receive and wrap around a heel of a wearer's foot.
7. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the outsole includes raised peripheral edges around the hind foot region thereof to receive and wrap around a heel of a wearer's foot.
8. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the sockliner includes a radiused portion at the forefoot region.
9. The shoe sole construction of claim 1 wherein the outsole includes a radiused portion at the forefoot region.
CA2837674A 2011-05-31 2012-05-31 Footwear promoting natural motion Abandoned CA2837674A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201161491404P 2011-05-31 2011-05-31
US61/491,404 2011-05-31
PCT/US2012/040110 WO2012166857A1 (en) 2011-05-31 2012-05-31 Footwear promoting natural motion

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2837674A1 true CA2837674A1 (en) 2012-12-06

Family

ID=47259836

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2837674A Abandoned CA2837674A1 (en) 2011-05-31 2012-05-31 Footwear promoting natural motion

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US20120304489A1 (en)
CN (1) CN103841850A (en)
CA (1) CA2837674A1 (en)
MX (1) MX2013014140A (en)
WO (1) WO2012166857A1 (en)

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US10238168B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2019-03-26 Laurence James Shoe construction
US10362835B2 (en) 2014-06-25 2019-07-30 Fuerst Group, Inc. Strobel lasted injected footwear
EP3578096A1 (en) * 2018-06-07 2019-12-11 Koninklijke Philips N.V. A wearable device
NO346240B1 (en) * 2019-12-06 2022-05-02 Gaitline As Shoe with sole providing a dynamic heel support
NO346239B1 (en) * 2019-12-06 2022-05-02 Gaitline As Shoe with sole providing a dynamic foot arch support
CN115279222B (en) 2020-03-26 2024-05-31 耐克创新有限合伙公司 Encapsulated strobel with cushioning member and method of manufacturing an article of footwear
US20220039516A1 (en) * 2020-08-10 2022-02-10 Ashley Miller Footwear Insert and Method of Manufacture

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US4055699A (en) * 1976-12-02 1977-10-25 Scholl, Inc. Cold insulating insole
AU1455988A (en) * 1987-05-21 1988-11-24 Bata Limited Sole arrangement for footwear
US4942679A (en) * 1989-02-21 1990-07-24 Genesco, Inc. Styled comfort shoe construction
US5467536A (en) * 1991-05-24 1995-11-21 Ramer; John Shoe construction
CN1161817A (en) * 1995-12-04 1997-10-15 全球体育技术公司 Sport shoe with sole component containing at least one composite material layer
US5893186A (en) * 1997-01-17 1999-04-13 Columbia Insurance Company Method for construction of footwear
US5946825A (en) * 1997-01-31 1999-09-07 Nine West Group, Inc. Footwear having slow recovery liner
US7010870B2 (en) * 2003-07-01 2006-03-14 Totes Isotoner Corporation Tufted foam insole and tufted footwear
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US7540100B2 (en) * 2006-05-18 2009-06-02 The Timberland Company Footwear article with adjustable stiffness
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CN201048606Y (en) * 2007-04-29 2008-04-23 陈昆生 Sole structure
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US8713818B2 (en) * 2008-01-24 2014-05-06 Brown Shoe Company, Inc. Cushioned shoe construction

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
MX2013014140A (en) 2014-08-01
CN103841850A (en) 2014-06-04
WO2012166857A1 (en) 2012-12-06
US20120304489A1 (en) 2012-12-06

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request

Effective date: 20131128

FZDE Discontinued

Effective date: 20160601