GB2597654A

GB2597654A - A foot protector for wearing inside of a shoe

Info

Publication number: GB2597654A
Application number: GB2011059.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kumar Dewnnarain Hemant
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-07-17
Filing date: 2020-07-17
Publication date: 2022-02-09
Also published as: GB202011059D0

Abstract

A foot protector, for the prevention of blisters, comprising a front portion 30, midsole 20 and rear portion 10. The rear portion further comprises a heel cup 11 which defines a topline 14 which is configured to extend around an ankle. The rear portion furthermore has an achilles strap 17 that has first 18 and second 19 strap portions. The topline may extend downward to meet the midsole. The rear portion may comprise a foot strap 15. The heel cup may define a main strap 13. The heel cup may compromise a pad (fig 4, 41). The front portion may be divided into five open ended sleeves for receiving the respective toes of a foot. A separate embodiment of footwear (fig 5-6) is disclosed with a foot protector.

Description

A FOOT PROTECTOR FOR WEARING INSIDE OF A SHOE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a foot protector for wearing inside of a shoe, for example to protect the foot from blistering inside the shoe during athletic activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to add additional protection to the foot before inserting the foot into a shoe, to help guard against blistering, cracking and/or tearing of the skin that may occur due to friction between the foot and the shoe.

However, known solutions often fail in these objectives through poor fit, shape, or materials It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved foot protector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a foot protector for wearing inside of a shoe. The foot protector comprises a front portion for receiving a front part of a foot, a rear portion having a heel cup, and a midsole extending from the front portion to the rear portion. The heel cup defines a topline of the foot protector, the topline configured to extend around an ankle of the foot, and the rear portion comprises an achilles strap that has first and second strap portions. The first strap portion extends upwardly from the topline at the rearmost point of the topline, and the second strap portion extends from the first strap portion at an opposite end of the first strap portion from the topline, wherein the second strap portion is configured to encircle a lower leg above the foot.

The presence of the achilles strap that is configured to run up the achilles of the wearer and anchor around the lower leg, prevents the rear portion of the foot protector from slipping down the foot inside of the shoe, and either exposing the skin of the foot to the shoe or becoming uncomfortable to wear. Thus, a person wearing the foot protector on their foot and lower leg can subsequently put their foot with the foot protector into a shoe, and benefit from reduced susceptibility to blistering, tearing, cracking, etc of the skin.

The foot protector is intended to protect the foot without causing overheating, and so the topline preferably extends downwardly to meet the midsole of the foot protector between the rear portion and the midsole. Therefore, the foot protector may not extend up the sides of the foot at the midsole, and/or may be devoid of any quarter between the heel cup and the front portion. The topline defines the top entranceway into the foot protector for the foot, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

To help keep the heel cup in place around the heel, the rear portion may also comprise a foot strap that extends from opposing sides of the topline and is configured to extend over a top portion of the foot.

The heel cup preferably also comprises a pad configured to cushion a bottom of the heel of the foot. The achilles strap may also have a further strap portion that extends downwardly along the heel cup from the first strap portion at the topline, and an opposite end of the further strap portion from the topline may be anchored to the pad. Then, the achilles strap assists in holding the pad in the correct position underneath the heel of the foot.

The topline of the heel cup may be defined by a main strap, to which the achilles strap is anchored. This helps the achilles strap hold the heel cup in position on the heel and helps to stop the heal cup from slipping downwards during use. The main strap is attached to a sheet of material defining a cup for cupping the heel, the sheet of material preferably being elasticated to give a close fit around the heel.

The main strap may extend through the midsole, and form a rearmost edge of the front portion of the foot protector. Accordingly, the main strap may be used to pull the front and rear portions towards one another and the mid sole, to help keep the foot protector in the correct position on the foot. The main strap is preferably elasticated, although stretches less easily than the sheet of material defining the cup of the heel cup.

The main strap may define the rearmost edge of the front portion in a V shape, with the point of the V shape configured to point forwardly towards toes of the foot. Then, the tension on the main strap is evenly distributed across the front portion over the top of the foot, helping keep an upper sheet of material forming the front portion in close contact with the top of the foot.

The front portion may comprise upper and lower sheets of material that together define a main sleeve configured to receive the front part of the foot. The upper sheet of material may be an elasticated material to help the sleeve conform to the foot, and the lower sheet of material may be a non-elasticated material to prevent repetitive movement and/or stretching of the material underneath the foot and so avoid unnecessary rubbing against the skin.

At least one pad may be mounted to the lower sheet to cushion a bottom of the front part of the foot, for example against impacts during running.

The front portion preferably comprises individual holes for receiving respective toes of the foot, to prevent the front portion from compressing the toes towards one another and causing rubbing. The front of the front portion may divides into five open-ended toe sleeves for receiving the respective toes of the foot, the open ends of the toe sleeves being the individual holes. Each open ended toe sleeve protects the corresponding toe, and the open ends provide ventilation and help avoid overheating. Preferably, toe sleeves are configured to only partially cover the toes, and so the ends of the toes protrude out of the open ends of the toe sleeves during use.

The foot protector is preferably formed as a single piece, configured to closely cover the sole, metatarsals and heel, effectively acting as a second skin to protect the foot inside of the shoe..

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided footwear comprising a shoe and a foot protector configured to fit inside of the shoe. The shoe comprises a sole, an upper, and five individual cavities configured to receive toes of a foot when placed in the shoe. The foot protector comprises a front portion having individual holes for receiving respective toes of the foot, and at least one pad configured to cushion a bottom of the front part of the foot when in the shoe.

The individual cavities of the shoe provide extra comfort to the toes of the user, keeping them apart from one another and allowing them to act more naturally during activities such as running. The foot protector is specifically sized and adapted to fit inside of the shoe, and the front portion protects each one of the toes against rubbing when the toe is in the corresponding cavity of the shoe. The foot protector may comprise a rear portion having a heel cup, and a midsole extending from the front portion to the rear portion, to help secure the foot protector on the foot. Optionally, the foot protector may be the same as the foot protector of the first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic right side view of a foot protector according to an embodiment of the invention being worn on a foot; Fig. 2 shows a schematic left side view of the foot protector of Fig 1 when removed from the foot; Fig. 3 shows a schematic bottom view of the foot protector of Fig 1 when being worn on the foot; Fig. 4 shows a schematic top view of the foot protector of Fig. 1 when being worn on the foot; Fig. 5 shows a schematic top view of a foot protector according to another embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 6 shows a schematic view top of a shoe for receiving the foot protector of Fig. 5.

The figures are not to scale, and same or similar reference signs denote same or similar features.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig.1 shows a foot protector that is being worn on the lower leg 2 and foot 4 of a person. The foot 4 is shown with toes 6 protruding from the foot protector at a front of the foot protector. The foot protector comprises a rear portion 10, a midsole 20, and a front portion 30. The midsole 20 extends from a front of the rear portion 10 to a rear of the front portion 30. The various parts of the shoe are described with reference to the up/down/rearwards/forwards directions shown on axes 5.

The rear portion 10 comprises a heel cup 11 having a cup 12 formed from a sheet of material and a rear loop 13a of a main strap 13. The rear loop 13a extends around the ankle of the foot 4 and along the top of the cup 12, thereby defining a topline 14 of the foot protector.

The rear portion 10 further comprises an achilles strap 17, which has a first strap portion 18, a second strap portion 19, and a further strap portion 16 (shown in Figs. 2 and 3). The first strap portion 18 has an end attached to the rearmost point of the rear loop 13a, adjacent the achilles tendon of the foot. The first strap portion 18 extends upwardly from the topline 14, generally parallel to the achilles tendon, to an opposite end where the second strap portion 19 is connected. The first strap portion 18 is generally linear, but the second strap portion 19 is a band that encircles around the lower leg 2 of the wearer, as shown.

The rear portion 10 further comprises a foot strap 15, which has two opposite ends connected to the rear loop 13a at opposite sides of the foot to one another. Therefore, the foot strap 15 loops over the top of the foot 4, from the topline at the left side of the foot to the topline at the right side of the foot.

The main strap 13 is in the shape of a figure of 8, and comprises the rear loop 13a, a front loop 13c, and a junction 13b between the rear and front loops where the main strap crosses over itself (best seen in Fig. 3). The rear loop 13a forms part of the rear portion 12, the junction 13b forms pad of the midsole 20, and the front loop 13c forms part of the front portion 30. Accordingly, the main strap 13 defines a continuous circuit within the foot protector. The two opposing ends of the main strap 13 are conveniently connected to one another at the rearmost point of the topline 14, where the main strap connects to the achilles strap.

Still referring to Fig. 1, the rear loop 13a that defines the topline 14 extends around the ankle of the foot 4 and down to the midsole 20. Thus, the topline 14 extends down to the midsole at the front of the rear portion 10, and so the foot protector is devoid of any quarter between the heel cup 12 and the front portion 30, leaving the sides of the foot exposed to help avoid overheating.

The midsole 20 comprises two sheets of material 22 at the bottom of the foot one left and right sides of the junction 13b (best seen in Fig. 3). The sheet of material forming the cup 12 and the sheets of material 22 may be constituted by a single sheet of material having the main strap 13 attached to it.

Still referring to Fig. 1, the front portion 30 comprises a lower sheet 32 and an upper sheet 34, which are joined to one another along their edges to define a sleeve 35 that receives the front of the foot 4. The front loop 13c of the main strap extends along the rearmost edge of the front portion 30, the rearmost edge of the lower and upper sheets 32 and 34, and the rearmost edge of the sleeve 35. At the front of the front portion, the sleeve 35 divides into five open-ended toe sleeves 36 for receiving the respective toes of the foot. Each toe sleeve 36 has an open end 37, through which the end of the corresponding toe 6 protrudes out of the foot protector. Also refer to Fig. 2, which shows the foot protector when removed from the foot 4, and in which the five toe sleeves 36 with openings 37 are easily seen.

Referring to Fig. 3, the foot protector has three pads 41, 42, and 43 that are positioned underneath the foot 4 to provide additional comfort and shock absorption, and to help prevent rubbing of the skin against the inside of the shoe that the foot protector is worn within. The pads are perforated with air holes (not shown in Figs) for moisture regulation.

The pad 41 is mounted on the sheet of material forming the cup 12 of the heel, and the further strap portion 16 of the achilles strap extends down along the cup 12 and is anchored to the pad 41. The forces exerted by the heel of the foot 4 on the pad 41 are therefore prevented from shifting the pad 41 forwardly underneath the foot by the achilles strap that extends upwardly from the pad 41 and is secured around the lower leg 2 by the second strap portion 19.

The sheet of material forming the cup 12 and the midsole portions 22 is a four-way stretch material, and so can stretch in both width and length directions to closely conform to the foot 4. The same material is also used for the upper sheet 34, and may be formed of elastane fibres, for example Lycra (RTM). The sheets 12, 22 and/or 34 have a different texture on the side of the sheet facing the foot compared to on the side of the sheet facing away from the foot. In this embodiment, the side of the sheet facing the foot is soft and velvety, whereas the side of the sheet facing away from the foot has elastic members that elasticate the sheet. The main strap, achilles strap, and/or foot straps are formed of an elastic material that does not stretch as easily as the material of the sheets 12, 22 and/or 34. That is, the straps have a higher Young Modulus than the sheets. The straps are therefore used to help hold the foot protector securely on the foot, and may be sewn, embedded within, or otherwise attached to the sheets.

The pad 42 is mounted on the lower sheet of material 32 of the front portion 30, and is primarily located underneath the ball of the foot, again to provide comfort and shock absorption. A smaller pad 43 is also mounted on the lower sheet of material 32, positioned underneath the toe sleeve 36 corresponding to the wearer's big toe, as significant force also passes through the big toe.

The lower sheet of material 32 is a non-elasticated material such as leather, contrary to the elasticated upper sheet of material 34. The sheets of materials 32 and 34 are joined to one another at the sides of the sleeve 35, corresponding to the left and right sides of the foot, as best seen in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 4, the front loop 13c of the main strap 13 above the foot at the rearmost edge of the front portion is in the shape of a V that points towards the front of the foot, for comfort and security.

Another embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows a schematic top view of a foot protector having a front portion 130 which is substantially the same as the front portion 30 of the foot protector of Fig. 1 to 4. However, the foot protector of Fig. 5 lacks any midsole or rear portion. Instead, the main strap 113 extends beneath the foot 4 directly from one side of the foot to the other, defining the rearmost edge of the foot protector and defining the entrance into the foot protector for the foot 4. It has an upper sheet 134, similar to the upper sheet 34, and also a lower sheet (not visible) that is joined to the upper sheet 134 around the sides and front of the foot, similar to the lower sheet 32. The front has five toe sleeves 136, into which the toes 6 fit, similar to the toe sleeves 36.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic top view of a shoe 50 being worn on the foot 4. The shoe 50 has a sole, an upper 51, a tongue 52 and laces 54. The shoe 50 extends all of the way around the foot 4, including behind the ankle (although not visible in Fig. 5). The shoe 50 has a specially shaped front with five individual cavities 56 for receiving respective toes 6 of the wearer. The shoe 50 is formed of soft and flexible materials, and so the cavities 56 can flex separately from one another and provide a more natural walking/running experience.

The wearer first places the foot protector of Fig. 5 over the front of their foot, and then places their foot inside the shoe 50. The toes sleeves 136 fit into the individual cavities 56 to reduce rubbing on the skin of the toes when the individual cavities 56 are flexed during walking/running. It would alternatively be possible for the wearer to wear the foot protector of Figs. 1 to 4 inside of the shoe 50, to provide protection to the toes. The individual cavities 56 fully enclose each corresponding toe inside of the shoe to provide protection against the external environment, and the toe sleeves 136 only partly cover each toe, providing protection against rubbing and leaving the end of each toe exposed to avoid overheating.

Many other variations of the described embodiments falling within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A foot protector for wearing inside of a shoe, the foot protector comprising a front portion for receiving a front part of a foot, a rear portion having a heel cup, and a midsole extending from the front portion to the rear portion, wherein the heel cup defines a topline of the foot protector, the topline configured to extend around an ankle of the foot, and the rear portion comprises an achilles strap that has first and second strap portions, wherein the first strap portion extends upwardly from the topline at the rearmost point of the topline, and the second strap portion extends from the first strap portion at an opposite end of the first strap portion from the topline, wherein the second strap portion is configured to encircle a lower leg above the foot.
2. The foot protector of claim 1, wherein the topline extends downwardly to meet the midsole of the foot protector between the rear portion and the midsole.
3. The foot protector of claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear portion comprises a foot strap that extends from opposing sides of the topline and is configured to extend over a top portion of the foot.
4. The foot protector of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the heel cup comprises a sheet of material defining a cup shape, and a main strap defining the topline of the heel cup, the achilles strap anchored to the main strap.
5. The foot protector of claim 4, wherein the main strap extends through the midsole, and forms a rearmost edge of the front portion of the foot protector.
6. The foot protector of claim 5, wherein the rearmost edge of the front portion has a V shape with the point of the V shape configured to point forwardly towards toes of the foot.
7. The foot protector of claim 4 or 5, wherein the main strap is substantially in the shape of a figure of 8, with a rear loop of the figure of 8 defining the topline, and a front loop of the figure of 8 defining the rearmost edge of the front portion of the foot protector, the rearmost edge configured to extend over a top of the foot.
8. The foot protector of claim 7, wherein a junction between the rear loop and front loop of the figure of 8 is within the midsole of the foot protector.
9. The foot protector of any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the sheet of material defining the cup shape is formed of an elasticated material.
10. The foot protector of any preceding claim, wherein the heel cup comprises a pad configured to cushion a bottom of a heel of the foot.
11. The foot protector of claim 10, wherein the achilles strap comprises a further strap portion that extends downwardly along the heel cup from the first strap portion at the topline, and wherein an opposite end of the further strap portion from the topline is anchored to the pad.
12. The foot protector of any preceding claim, wherein the front portion comprises at least one pad configured to cushion a bottom of the front part of the foot.
13. The foot protector of claim 12, wherein the front portion comprises upper and lower sheets of material together defining a main sleeve that is configured to receive the front part of the foot, and the least one pad mounted to the lower sheet.
14. The foot protector of claim 13, wherein the upper sheet of material is an elasticated material and the lower sheet of material is a non-elasticated material.
15. The foot protector of any preceding claim, wherein the front portion comprises individual holes for receiving respective toes of the foot.
16. The foot protector of claim 15, wherein a front of the front portion divides into five open-ended toe sleeves for receiving the respective toes of the foot, the open ends of the toe sleeves being the individual holes.
17. Footwear comprising a shoe and a foot protector configured to fit inside of the shoe, wherein the shoe comprises a sole, an upper, and five individual cavities configured to receive respective toes of a foot when placed in the shoe, wherein the foot protector comprises a front portion having individual holes for receiving respective toes of the foot, and at least one pad configured to cushion a bottom of the front part of the foot when in the shoe.
18. The footwear of claim 17, wherein the foot protector comprises a rear portion having a heel cup, and a midsole extending from the front portion to the rear portion.
19. The footwear of claim 18, wherein the foot protector is also in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 16.