GB2205480A

GB2205480A - Releasably attachable insole

Info

Publication number: GB2205480A
Application number: GB08713424A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Franck Raoul-Duval
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-09
Filing date: 1987-06-09
Publication date: 1988-12-14
Also published as: GB8713424D0

Abstract

A shoe 1, particularly a pointed shoe, comprises a leather sole 2 having a fabric upper 3 stitched thereto. A reinforcing insole 16 is releasably attached inside the shoe by touch and hold fasteners, the stiff base 17, for example of metal, plastic, cardboard or wood, having a layer 18 of touch and hold fabric affixed to its underside, a complementary layer 14 of touch and hold fabric being affixed to the upper surface of the sole 2. A range of reinforcing insoles may be provided at the point of sale and a fractured insole may be readily replaced. <IMAGE>

Description

SHOE The present invention relates to a shoe and in particular to a sports shoe, such as a jogging shoe, and a dance shoe, more particularly a ballet shoe.

Pointe or toe shoes for ballet comprise a sole portion, typically of leather, to which is sewn a fabric upper of the shoe. A stiff insole is attached to the sole portion on the inside of the shoe by gluing, nailing or stitching to the sole and provides reinforcement for the sole to support the foot and prevent undue bending. The material, rigidity, length and shape of the insole are adapted to suit the requirements of the dancer or the part danced.

Hence it is necessary for a range of shoe types to be stocked to suit a dancers needs, or for shoes to be made to order.

The present invention provides a shoe having a sole portion, an upper attached to the sole portion, and an insole readily removably attached to the sole portion.

Preferably the insole reinforces the shoe, providing additional strength to the sole area of the shoe.

Preferably, the insole is attached by means of a touch and hold fastener, such as that marketed under the trade name Velcro.

By providing an insole portion attachable to the sole portion in this manner a range of insoles can be provided at the point of sale. Also, the insole in a pointe ballet shoe is usually the first part to fail, fracturing in the arch region of the dancers foot, and so a shoe may be readily repaired by replacing the insole.

Other preferred features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying claims.

The invention will be further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a ballet shoe according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line II-II of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line III-III of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a ballet shoe 1 is of the pointe or toe type and comprises a leather sole 2 and a fabric upper 3 sewn to the sole 2. The upper may be glued to the sole as well as or instead of sewing. The sole 2 is formed with a step 4 at its peripheral edge and the fabric upper is stitched to the edge by stitches 5 extending through the fabric into the step 4 and through the top 6 of the sole 2.

In other forms, the stitching may pass vertically through the sole, the upper being on top, or the upper may be sandwiched between two layers of sole and held by stitching and/or gluing.

The upper 3 has a hardened toe portion 7 formed by glue impregnated matting or a moulded plastic shell 8 housed between inner and outer skins 9, 10 of the fabric. Typically two or three layers of matting are used. Straps 11 may be stitched to the neck or border 12 of the upper 3. Often the shoes are sold without straps attached, these are sewn on by the dancer.

The construction thus far described is well known in the art and need not be described in further detail here.

The shoe is provided with a removable insole as follows. A first layer 14 of a touch and hold fabric material, such as that marketed under the trade name Velcro, is glued to the inside upper surface 6 of the sole 2. The layer may also be nailed to the sole.

Preferably layer 14 covers the edge 15 of the upper material.

An insole 16 comprises a stiff base 17 formed of the usual insole material, for example of metal, plastics, cardboard or wood, having a layer 18 of touch and hold fabric material glued to its underside, the layer 18 being complementary to the layer 14.

Preferably the layer 18 is the layer of hooks, the softer loop layer being used on the sole.

The insole 16 is attached to the sole 2 simply by inserting it in the shoe, the layers 14 and 18 coming together to hold the insole firmly in position. The insole therefore provides the necessary reinforcement of the shoe whilst the insole can be removed readily by simply "unpeeling" it from the layer 14 attached to the sole. The attachment prevents any substantial slip between the sole and insole.

The insole 16 may be in a variety of shapes. In particular it need not extend the full length of the shoe but may extend only half or three-quarters of the shoe length from the toe, where the user does not require reinforcement in the heel region.

A range of insoles 16 may be provided, having a variety of lengths and materials, and thicknesses or stiffness.

When an insole fractures during use it may be readily replaced by. a fresh insole.

Various modifications may be made. For example, an additional reinforcement or inner shank may be provided permanently on the inside surface of the sole, below the layer 14, as is known in the art.

The additional reinforcement may be provided on the removable insole, preferably between the base 17 and layer 18.

The invention is also applicable to other shoe t- particularly sports or leisure shoes. In sports shoes, particularly for jogging, an attachable, replaceable insole may provide an additional layer of padding and/or reinforce the sole to provide additional stiffness. The insole may be replaced when the padding becomes less effective, or when a different overall stiffness is required, for example when running on different surfaces.

It will be appreciated that the sole and upper may be of various materials as generally used in the art.

It is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising a sole and an upper attached to the sole, wherein an insole is readily removably attached to the sole.

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insole reinforces the sole to provide increased stiffness.

3. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the insole is attached by a touch and hold fastener.

4. A shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein the touch and hold fastener comprises a first part attached to the sole and a second part attached to the insole.

5. A shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first part comprises a plurality of loops and the second part comprises a plurality of hooks.

6. A shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first part covers an upper surface of the sole and the second part covers an undersurface of the insole.

7. A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the shoe is a dance shoe.

8. A shoe as claimed in claim 7, wherein the shoe is a ballet shoe.

9. A shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the shoe is a pointe shoe.

10. A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a reinforcing shank is provided on the sole.

11. A shoe as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a reinforcing shank is provided on the insole.

12. A shoe substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A reinforcing insole for a shoe as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12.