Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43D—MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
  • A43D3/00—Lasts
  • A43D3/14—Stretching or spreading lasts; Boot-trees; Fillers; Devices for maintaining the shape of the shoe
  • A43D3/1433—Shoe-trees
  • A43D3/1491—Shoe-trees with means for sweaty feet, e.g. with disinfecting or deodorant means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/081—Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/086—Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like
  • A43B23/087—Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like made of plastics
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
  • A43B1/0045—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially of deodorant means
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/081—Toe stiffeners
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
  • A43B23/08—Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/081—Toe stiffeners
  • A43B23/086—Toe stiffeners made of impregnated fabrics, plastics or the like
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear 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
  • A43B7/1455—Footwear 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 with special properties
  • A43B7/147—Footwear 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 with special properties for sick or disabled persons, e.g. persons having osteoarthritis or diabetes

Definitions

• Shoes are subject to deformations, whether due to wear-and-tear or simple gravity, thereby perturbing the patency and aesthetics of the footwear.
• plastic changes appear as creases or wrinkles on the front of the shoe just above where the toes are situated (i.e. toe box area), the sidewalls and heels of footwear.
• creases or wrinkles detract from the overall appearance and functionally can diminish the useful life of the shoes.
• the present invention relates to a special wearable shoe insert, designed to be positioned within the interior of various types of shoes, thereby helping maintain the original shape of the shoe and preventing the front area (or toe box area) side walls and/or heels from creasing.and wrinkling over time.
• the wearable shoe tree can be inserted each time the footwear is worn or installed permanently by the footwear manufacturer.
• the shoe tree insert can also maintain the shape of the footwear, even when the footwear is not being worn, since the legs of the flexible thin plastic shell lock it into the interior superior walls of the shoe.
• the invention has useful medical or health applications.
• the invention may allow individuals with amputations to present the appearance of a normal foot in a shoe.
• diabetic neuropathy diabetic patients may not size their shoes appropriately due to numbness of the toes.
• the deformation of the toe box can cause debilitating abrasions of the toe knuckles in these patients.
• portions of the plastic shoe tree can be manually cut out from the shoe tree, the invention can be worn by individuals with corns, bunions and other anomalous growths on feet and toes.
• the invention can also be used as an aid to both athletic shoe customization and/or beautification. Since the legs of the flexible plastic wearable shoe tree shell lock it into the walls of the shoe and create a crease-free exterior surface, the shoe can be painted, shined or similarly modified in a distortion-free manner.
• Insert footwear devices or caps are known in the Art for the protection of toes from compressible or bending forces.
• the Gray Patent (U.S. Patent No. 3,950,865) discloses a rigid safety toe box insert with a balanced phalange design thereby prevention rotation of the toe box rear edge downwardly upon application of external forces while increasing the bearing area of the box on the soling materials used in the footwear.
• the Yang Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0144809) discloses a shoe toe cap having interior and exterior surface with multiple reinforcement layers.
• the toecap is made with a reinforced composite allowing flexible binding so the toecap can be fastened to other parts of the shoe, such as an upper, a tongue and a sole with stitches.
• the Gougelet et al. Patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,598,323Bl) discloses a shoe toe protection device having a smoother outer layer and inner layer composed of reinforcing rib members.
• the protector comprises a top, front end and open back end and sides contiguous with the top and front.
• the Gesso Patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,170,174) discloses a shock absorbing liner attached to the interior of a baseball shoe to help protect the toes and upper portion of the player's foot.
• the protective shell composed of layers of hard plastic, are shaped to cover essentially the entire upper foot region including the toes.
• the shell members are joined by bendable elements to allow flexion.
• the Streit et al Patent (U.S. Patent No. 3,561,142) discloses a shoe having a toe box protection portion with a force-transmitting spring metal strip.
• the Wang Patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,832,633) discloses a toe cap, having an open and closed end, comprised of several layers of fibers to provide toe protection that gives structural protective strength without the electrical/magnetic complications of metal toe caps.
• the Rose design Patent (U.S. Patent No. D316,772) is directed to an ornamental design for a safety shoe toe cap.
• the invention disclosures are directed to the toe box region of the shoe (i.e. the upper portion of the footwear that roughly covers the toes) wherein the inserts are intended to protect the toe area against compressible or tensile forces yet allowing the shoe to maintain some degree of flexibility.
• the inserts are intended to protect the toe area against compressible or tensile forces yet allowing the shoe to maintain some degree of flexibility.
• 'construction-type' footwear and shoes used in particular high-impact sports activities are the main useful purpose of the toe boxes or caps.
• the inventions are not intended to prevent creasing, wrinkling or maintenance of a shoe's patency for aesthetics or similar purposes.
• the protective inserts are limited to the toe box area and do not protect other foot regions in the shoe.
• the Shaw et al. Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0070262A1) describes a curved plastic toe cap insert for athletic shoes to prevent wrinkling of the toe end of the shoe upper.
• the disclosed insert shell has a contoured front wall curving rearwardly into an upper wall and curving on opposite sides into opposed side walls. The insert does not extend rearward beyond the toe box.
• the construction of the insert can help prevent wrinkling of the toe cap region of the shoe, it does not prevent wrinkling or creasing in any other region of the footwear.
• the Spar et al. Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0148607A1) discloses a shoe insert composed of a semi-rigid inner shell and an outer shell that would prevent the front area or toe section from creasing. It is not designed to conform itself to the interior of any shoe nor is it designed to maintain the shape and patency of the whole shoe.
• the invention consists of an insert that is placed in the shoe just like a shoe tree and allows a user to wear the sneakers or shoes with the insert in the shoe. These inserts will allow the user to keep the original shape of the footwear while being worn or not. It also gives the user the benefit of wearing the shoes or sneakers while the inserts are still inside the shoe thus giving an extra level of protection against the wear-and-tear that would normally occur. Other advantages derive from the ability of the wearable shoe tree to maintain the patency of footwear. In the medical/health field, for example, individuals with complete or partial foot amputations can present the appearance of a normal foot in a shoe. For patients with diabetic neuropathy, the invention can protect the toes from collapse or deformation of the toe box.
• the invention can be worn by individuals with corns, bunions and other anomalous growths on feet and toes.
• the wearable shoe tree can be used as an aid to athletic shoe customization and beautification. Since the legs of the flexible plastic shoe tree shell lock it into the walls of the shoe and create a crease-free exterior surface, the shoe can be painted, shined or similarly modified in a distortion-free manner.
• the wearable shoe tree is made of plastic with a closed shape at the top box or cap region and two legs that extend down the sides of the footwear.
• the ends of the legs are flexible, but firm enough, so that the legs can be bent together slightly thereby creating tension.
• the shoe tree can then be inserted into the footwear. Once the tensional force on the two legs is removed, the legs of the shoe tree naturally snap back to their original position, thereby "locking" the shoe tree to the inside surface of the shoe upper.
• the plastic material can be cut or shaped to allow greater comfort for the user.
• the legs of the shoe tree extend all the way back along the sidewalls of the shoe to, and around, the heel. This configuration would allow maintenance of the patency of the complete shoe upper including toe region, sidewalls and heel.
• the shoe tree insert is fenestrated, thereby decreasing the weight of the insert and allowing aeration within the shoe.
• the shoe tree is made of a material that would allow it to be permanently tailored or manufactured into the shoe.
• ⁇ he exterior surface of the plastic shoe tree can be glued, or modified, to allow it to be permanently affixed to the shoe.
• padding or other material can be affixed to the inside surface of the shoe tree. This could increase the comfort of the shoe or allow an appropriate filler for certain medical or health conditions.
• the insert can have various cutouts of the material to allow greater comfort and/or flexibility in particular regions of the feet.
• the insert is made from a non-plastic material such as wood, rubber, metal or ceramic.
• Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of shoe with insert installed
• Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of insert
• Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of insert
• Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of insert
• Fig. 5 illustrates a top view of insert.
• the wearable shoe tree comprises a shoe tree-type insert that keeps the shape of the whole upper shoe when the shoe is not being worn. Furthermore, the shape and size of the insert allows it to be comfortably worn by the user, thereby preventing creasing or other damage to the shoe that normally occurs with use. The insert does not otherwise interfere with the wearing of the shoe.
• Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the insert 10 in a shoe.
• the insert snugly molds, via pressure tension of the legs of the insert, to the inner surface of the uppers.
• the construction of the insert protects against deformations (e.g. creasing, wrinkling, etc.) of the toe box area 20 and sidewalls 30 of the uppers.
• the insert shell extends all the way around the shoe thereby also protecting against deformations in the heel upper.
• Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the insert 10.
• the toe box region 20 of the insert provides a convex ceiling 70 that snugly fits to the inner surface of the shoe upper and follows the contours from the shoe upper down to the floor of the shoe where the upper meets the sole.
• the two legs 30 of the insert extend from the toe box region to snugly (via pressure tension) snap into the inner surface of the shoe sidewalls 60.
• the two legs of the insert create a "U" wherein the "U" space 40 between the two legs allows for flexibility and comfort in the vamp region of the shoe.
• the thin volume of the insert can be fenestrated to decrease the insert weight and increase aeration.
• Figures 3, 4 and 5 show other view planes of the shoe tree.
• the front (Fig. 3) and side (Fig. 4) views show the curved nature of the insert from a horizontal and vertical viewpoint. It basically points out that the curvature follows the natural curvature of a shoe's upper at the toe box and around the side walls. The lower walls of the insert sit atop the floor of the shoe's upper.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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• 2008
  • 2008-07-30 JP JP2010519228A patent/JP2010535065A/ja active Pending
  • 2008-07-30 CA CA2694164A patent/CA2694164C/en active Active
  • 2008-07-30 EP EP08826743A patent/EP2175754A4/de not_active Ceased
  • 2008-07-30 US US12/670,923 patent/US20100325817A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-07-30 WO PCT/US2008/009165 patent/WO2009017730A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-07-30 CN CN200880101987A patent/CN101815449A/zh active Pending
• 2022
  • 2022-05-20 US US29/839,382 patent/USD970203S1/en active Active

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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