EP0346298A2

EP0346298A2 - Shoe with ballastable sole for training and rehabilitative purposes

Info

Publication number: EP0346298A2
Application number: EP89830245A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuseppe Piccinini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-06-10
Filing date: 1989-06-02
Publication date: 1989-12-13
Also published as: EP0346298A3; IT8807016V0; JPH0236308U; IT214492Z2

Abstract

A sole for training or rehabilitative shoes with holes or cavities where ballasting means can be introduced to adjust its weight.

Description

The invention relates to a shoe with a structured sole to allow the application of weights or ballasting means of various kind.
Especially for training purposes some kind of weight or ballast is usually fitted to the body in order to artificially increase its gravity so as to strengthen one muscle or the other. At present, the means used for this purpose are gaiters, leggings, belts, waitcoats etc., which however are quite unconfortable and annoying to wear and are not suited in every circumstance.
It is instead the purpose of the invention to propose a shoe especially designed to receive some weigths or ballast means to artificially load the body and limit as far as possible the necessity to use other accessories, as gaiters and the like.
Another object of the invention is to make available a shoe to be used both for training and rehabilitative purposes, especially when some muscles of the leg need a definite training and reeducation.
Finally, the use of the shoe according to the invention should not be restricted to training only but also extended to normal conditions, allowing the adjustment of its weight by introducing the ballast required from time to time, also when it is used as a normal walking shoe.
According to the invention the proposed shoe is characterized in that it comprises a sole with a number of holes or cavities to receive and hold some removable weights or ballast means, with the possibility to close said holes or cavities by means of suitable plugs.
An indicative but not limitative execution of a shoe made according to the invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side view of a shoe fitted with weights;
Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the shoe in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a cross section according to Fig. 2, but with an empty and plugged hole.

In said drawing a shoe 11 is fitted with a sole 12 showing a number of holes or cavities 13, which may have an open or closed section and be either transversal through holes or not. Said holes may be equal or different in diameter, depth and section and/or distributed in the sole as required. Said holes or cavities are at any rate designed to receive some weights or ballast means 14, e.g. some metal elements, in order to load the shoe.
The kind of weights or means 14 and their distribution in the sole can be selected according to the purpose the shoe is to be used for and depending on the load to be added.
Weights or ballast means 14 may be fixed into their seats in any way, as for instance by means of plugs 15, which may also be used to mask the holes or cavities 13 when they are empty.
Owing to the above specified features the shoe may be loaded as required and used for training or rehabilitative purposes.
In addition, the shoe without weights may also be used as a normal walking shoe, as the holes in its sole do not modify in any way its general structure and wearability.

Claims

1. A shoe for training or rehabilitative purposes characterized in that it comprises a sole (12) with holes or cavities (1 3) to receive and hold in some removable weights or ballast means (14), with the possibility to close said holes or seats by means of plugs (15).

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, in which the holes or cavities (13) in the sole are equal or different in diameter and depth.

3. A shoe as claimed in claims 1 and 2, in which the holes or cavities 13 in the sole have either a closed or an open section.

4. A shoe as claimed in claims 2 and 3, in which the holes or cavities are either regularly or irregularly distributed in the sole and have at least one open end, the open ends of the holes or cavities to be closed by suitable plugs to insert into the sole.