GB2613192A

GB2613192A - Modular insole

Info

Publication number: GB2613192A
Application number: GB2117128.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oxbrough Matthew
Original assignee: Wearertech Ltd
Current assignee: Wearertech Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-26
Filing date: 2021-11-26
Publication date: 2023-05-31
Also published as: GB202117128D0

Abstract

A modular insole 20 for footwear, comprising an insole body 30 and a discrete arch support 60 releasably connectable to each other via connection means 52, 68, preferably in the form of two or more rounded tabs spaced on a lateral side (66, fig.4) of the arch support and two or more rounded recesses spaced on a medial side (34, fig.3) of the insole body. The arch support may be received in a recess or cut-out (48, fig.3) provided on a side of the insole body. The arch support may be one of a plurality of differently shaped arch supports as part of a kit (80, fig.5). A method of forming the insole body by removing an arch-receiving portion to form the recess or cut-out is also provided. A shoe or footwear for use with the modular insole is also provided.

Description

MODULAR INSOLE

The present invention relates to a modular insole, an arch support for a modular insole, an insole body for a modular insole, a kit comprising arch supports fora modular insole, and a method for modifying an insole to produce an insole body for a modular insole.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Insoles, also known as "inner soles", are pieces of material which are inserted inside a shoe or other item of footwear to make it more comfortable to wear and provide support. Insoles can provide a better fit, insulate the bottom of the footwear, and mitigate against blisters developing during extended periods of use.

Insoles are available in different forms. Half-length insoles usually provide support for the heel and rear half of a foot, three-quarter length insoles usually provide support from the heel to the ball of the foot, and full-length insoles usually provide support for the entirety of the foot. Inserts can be made of various materials such as foam, gels, and cork.

A person may use insoles in order to provide a greater degree of arch support for their feet. Using insoles with arch supports can help to relieve foot pain and help distribute pressure more evenly. The heel and the ball of the foot generally experience more pressure than the arches of the foot, as shown by Figure 1. Arch support is often used to refer to support for the medial longitudinal arch of the foot, but an insole may also support one or both of the transverse arch and lateral longitudinal arch of the foot.

Foot arches differ in size and shape for different people. An arch support designed for a low arch will generally not provide suitable arch support for someone with a medium or high arch, for example.

It is usually not easy to tell whether an insole will provide the right level of arch support for a particular person's foot without the person actually trying the insole, which may require the person to buy the insoles in order to test them out. If, on testing the insoles, they do not provide enough support in the right area(s) of that person's foot, there is the hassle of returning the bought insoles (assuming returns are allowed) and buying a different pair of insoles which may or may not provide a more suitable level of support.

To avoid guesswork in finding insoles which provide the right level of support, it is possible to have bespoke insoles made which have arch supports tailored to the specific dimensions of each of a person's foot, but the cost tends to be prohibitive for most people, both for the initial purchase and for any subsequent replacements or additional pairs of insoles. Additionally, a pair of insoles tailored for a specific pair of shoes may not fit into another pair of the user's shoes, and so multiple bespoke insoles may be required.

Off-the-shelf insoles vary in retail price, with full length insoles tending to cost more than shorter insoles. A good pair of insoles may cost £25 or more at current rates, which is less expensive than a pair of custom-made insoles but not an insignificant amount. It is also possible to buy shoes containing insoles which mould to a user's feet through use, in order to provide a tailored level of support. However, they are still relatively expensive and the moulded arch supports will not provide corrective support as they will only mirror the arch. For example, if a person has a low arch, the moulded insole will provide a low arch support, whereas the person would require a higher arch support to raise the low arch Where insoles are used daily, they can wear out relatively quickly, e.g. within a few months. An insole may not necessarily show visible signs of wear when worn out -but if the arch support portion has failed or dropped through enough use (i.e. repeated compressions during walking or running) then it may provide inadequate support and require replacement.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce or substantially obviate the aforementioned problems.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a modular insole for footwear comprising an insole body, an arch support which is discrete from the insole body, and connection means which releasably connects or holds the arch support and the insole body together.

The insole is modular in that the insole is divided into multiple parts. These parts may be independently replaced and/or exchanged with other parts. This allows the insole to provide a better fit, through selecting and connecting one or more arch supports better suited to supporting one or more of the arches of a foot of a user. Additionally, by providing an insole in discrete parts, parts may be individually replaced when they are worn, rather than replacing the entire insole, potentially reducing excess wastage resulting from disposing parts of an insole which are not yet worn.

Parts of the modular insole may be replaced to provide corrective support over a period of time. For example, a user may use an initial arch support to raise an arch of their foot. Once the arch has been raised, the initial arch support may be replaced with a higher arch support to further raise the arch of the foot. This may later be repeated with one or more times using one or more further arch supports of different heights.

The modular insole may consist of a first piece and a second piece, wherein the second piece releasably fits together with the first piece, wherein the first piece is the insole body, and the second piece is the arch support. The modular insole may be sized and shaped to fit within a shoe.

The modular insole may comprise a ball-receiving portion for receiving a ball of a foot when in use. The modular insole may comprise a heel-receiving portion for receiving a heel of a foot when in use. The modular insole may comprise a medial longitudinal arch portion, positioned under a medial longitudinal arch of a foot when in use. The modular insole may comprise a lateral longitudinal arch portion, positioned under a lateral longitudinal arch of a foot when in use.

The modular insole may comprise multiple arch supports for supporting multiple arches.

The insole body may be as described in the second aspect of the invention. The arch support(s) may be as described in the third aspect of the invention.

Wien at least one arch support is connected to the insole body, an upper surface of the arch support(s) and an upper surface of the insole body may meet to form a continuous upper surface. A continuous upper surface provides a smooth surface, free from protrusions which may otherwise cause discomfort on the underside of a user's foot.

The connection means may be positioned in a region between the ball-receiving portion, the heel-receiving portion and the lateral longitudinal arch portion. By positioning the connection means in this region of the modular insole, the connection means is not positioned under a sensitive area of the foot when in use. By positioning the connection means away from a sensitive area of the foot, it is less likely the connection means will be felt by the user during use which may otherwise result in discomfort.

Connecting the arch support(s) to the insole body prevents the arch support(s) from changing position relative to the insole body when in use. This reduces the possibility of the arch support(s) and insole body moving apart. If the arch support(s) and insole body were to move apart, the boundary may be felt by the underside of the user's foot, potentially resulting in discomfort and the arch support(s) being less effective.

The connection means may comprise a connection means on one of the insole body and the arch support and a complementary connection means on the otherof the insole body and the arch support.

The connection means may comprise one or more tabs on the arch support and/or insole body, and one or more tab recesses in the arch support and/or insole body for co-operating with the one or more tabs.

Tabs and tab recesses may have rounded profiles or edges. It has been found that tabs and tab recesses with rounded profiles or edges result in minimised discomfort on the underside of a foot when in use.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an insole body for a modular insole, comprising at least a heel portion, a lateral side and a medial side for corresponding to lateral and medial sides of a foot respectively, and an arch support connection means disposed on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the insole body for releasably engaging an arch support of the modular insole.

The insole body may have a lateral edge and a medial edge for corresponding to the lateral and medial sides, respectively. The insole body may have a front edge, wherein the front edge is an edge of the insole body closest to a front of a foot when in use. The insole body may have a back edge, wherein the back edge is an edge of the insole body closest to the back of a foot when in use. The insole body may comprise a ball-receiving portion for a foot. The insole body may provide at least one arch support receiving area. The insole body may have a thickness of 5 to 20mm, preferably 5 to 15mm. At least a portion of the lower surface may be substantially planar. The substantially planar portion may be substantially parallel to a bottom surface of footwear, when the insole body is disposed inside footwear.

The insole body may comprise at least one arch support receiving area. The arch support receiving area(s) may be disposed in a region substantially between the ball-receiving and heel receiving portions of the insole body. The arch support receiving area(s) may be on one or both of the lateral side and medial side of the insole body.

VVhere a ball-receiving portion is not provided, the arch support receiving area(s) may extend from the heel-receiving portion. An arch support receiving area disposed between the ball-receiving portion and the heel-receiving portion of the insole body on the medial side of the insole body allows the insole body to receive an arch support to support a medial longitudinal arch. An arch support receiving area disposed between the ball-receiving portion and the heel-receiving portion of the insole body on the lateral side of the insole body allows the insole body to receive an arch support to support a lateral longitudinal arch.

At least part of the medial edge or lateral edge of the insole body may be disposed at or adjacent to a longitudinal axis of the insole body, where the longitudinal axis runs from the centre of the front edge of the insole body to a centre of the back edge of the insole body.

At least one of the lateral and medial side of the insole body may have a substantially concave or otherwise curved profile. A minimum distance between the substantially concave curve and the other of the medial and lateral edges may be in a middle of the insole body. The minimum distance between the substantially concave curve of one of the medial and lateral edges and the other of the medial and lateral edges may be between 1 cm and 5 cm.

At least part of an edge of the insole body may feature a curved shape, curving upwards in a direction away from the planar portion of the lower surface of the insole body. The curved edge provides further support for the foot and mitigates the foot slipping out of the insole during use. The extent of the curvature of the edge may be greater at the heel-receiving portion. The curved edge extending from the edge of an upper surface of the heel-receiving area may form a heel cup. A heel cup supports a heel and relieves pressure on the Achilles tendon.

The insole body may include a shock absorbing material in at least part of the insole body to reduce pressure exerted on the foot during use.

The dimensions of the insole body may correspond to standard shoe sizes.

The arch support receiving area(s) may be in the form of a recess or cut-out. The recess or cut-out may be provided on at least one side of the insole body. The cut-out(s) may be provided enclosed within the insole body. The recess may extend from the lateral side and/or the medial side. The recess may be substantially concave in shape. The minimum distance between the recess and an opposite side of the insole body may be between 1 cm to 5 cm. The recess(es) or cut-out(s) provide space for the arch support(s) to be connected to the insole body.

The arch support connection means may include one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses. The one or more tabs may protrude from at least one edge of the insole body. The one or more tabs may protrude by 5 mm to 25 mm. The one or more tabs may have a maximum width of greater than 5 mm. The one or more tabs may have a tab neck disposed at the point where the tab protrudes from the insole body. The tab neck(s) may have a width less than the maximum width of the tabs.

The one or more tab recesses may recede from at least one edge of the insole body.

The one or more tab recesses may recede by 5 mm to 25 mm. The one or more tab recesses may have a maximum width of greater than 5 mm. The one or more tab recesses may have aperture with a width less than the maximum width of the tab recesses.

VVhere the insole body includes at least one recess or cut-out, one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses may be provided in at least one recess or cut-out. Where the insole body includes two or more tabs, the two or more tabs may be spaced apart on the medial and/or lateral side of the insole body. Where the insole body includes two or more tab recesses, the two or more tab recesses may be spaced apart on the medial and/or lateral side of the insole body. The one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses may provide a means for connection of the arch support(s) in the arch support receiving area(s).

The tabs and tab recesses on the insole body may have rounded profiles or edges. It has been found that tabs and tab recesses with rounded profiles or edges result in minimised discomfort on the underside of a foot when in use.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an arch support for a modular insole, the arch support comprising a lower surface, an upper surface which is contoured for supporting an arch of a foot, a lateral side and a medial side for corresponding to lateral and medial sides of a foot respectively, and an insole connection means disposed on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the arch support for releasably engaging the arch support to an insole body of the modular insole.

The arch support may support at least one arch of a foot when in use.

The medial side may have a substantially convex or curved profile. The lateral side may have a substantially convex or concave profile. The arch support may have both a medial side with a substantially concave or convex profile and a lateral side with a substantially concave or convex profile. The arch support may have a maximum arch height of 1 cm to 4 cm where the maximum arch height is defined by the vertical distance between the lowest point of the arch support and the highest point of the arch support.

The arch support may support a medial longitudinal arch of the foot. The arch support may support a lateral longitudinal arch of the foot. The arch support may support a transverse arch of the foot. The modular insole may contain multiple discrete arch supports to support multiple arches.

The arch support may have a length spanning the length of the arch it supports when in use. The arch support may have a width spanning the width of the arch it supports when in use.

At least a portion of the lower surface of the arch support may make contact with an upper surface of a bottom of a shoe when in use. That is, the underside of the arch support may abut the interior base of a shoe during use.

At least a portion of the lower surface of the arch support may make contact with an upper surface of an insole body when in use. That is, the underside of the arch support may abut an upper surface of the insole body, when connected to the insole body.

The insole connection means may include one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses.

The one or more tabs may protrude from at least one edge of the arch support. The one or more tabs may protrude by 5 mm to 25 mm. The one or more tabs may have a maximum width of greater than 5 mm. The one or more tabs may have a tab neck disposed at the point where the tab protrudes from the arch support. The tab neck(s) may have a width less than the maximum width of the tabs.

The one or more tab recesses may recede from at least one edge of the arch support. The one or more tab recesses may recede by 5 mm to 25 mm. The one or more tab recesses may have a maximum width of greater than 5 mm. The one or more tab recesses may have aperture with a width less than the maximum width of the tab recesses.

Where the medial and/or lateral sides of the arch support feature a substantially convex or concave profile, the tabs and/or tab recesses may be provided in the substantially convex or curved profile. Where the arch support includes two or more tabs, the two or more tabs may be spaced apart on the medial and/or lateral side of the arch support.

Where the arch support includes two or more tab recesses, the two or more tab recesses may be spaced apart on the medial and/or lateral side of the arch support. The one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses may provide a means for connection of the arch support(s) to an insole body.

The tabs and tab recesses on the arch support may have rounded profiles or edges. It has been found that tabs and tab recesses with rounded profiles or edges result in minimised discomfort on the underside of a foot when in use.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit comprising a plurality of the arch supports described above, in which the kit contains a plurality of arch supports in which at least one of the arch supports has a first arch support shape, and in which at least one other of the arch supports has a different second arch support shape.

The plurality of arch supports may include arch supports with different maximum arch heights, where the maximum arch height is defined by the vertical distance between the lowest point of the arch support and the highest point of the arch support. The highest points of different arch supports in the plurality of arch supports may be disposed in different positions relative to the insole connection means. The kit may allow a user to try on multiple arch supports to decide which type and or size of the arch support suits the user better without buying multiple insoles.

The plurality of arch supports may be colour-coded. The plurality of arch supports may include a coloured portion of a surface of each arch support. The coloured portion of the surface of each arch support may indicate the dimensions of the maximum arch height. The colour-coding may indicate which arch the arch support is designed to support. The colour-coding facilitates visually identifying the maximum height of the arch support and/or the type of arch support.

The kit may further include at least one insole body. The insole body may be as described in the second aspect of the invention.

The connection means of each arch support may be substantially the same to allow each arch support to be interchanged with each other on a single insole body.

The kit may include a left arch support and a right arch support for left and right feet respectively. The left and right arch supports may have different shapes. The left and right arch supports may have different maximum arch heights. The highest points of the left and right arch supports respectively may be disposed in different positions relative to the insole connection means of the respective arch support. Different positions may include different heights relative to the base of the arch support and/or different positions in the top surface of the arch support.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of modifying an insole to produce an insole body for a modular insole, comprising the steps a) providing an insole for a shoe; b) removing an arch portion of the insole, to produce an insole body with a recess for receiving the arch support on the side of the insole.

The insole body produced lacks an arch portion which may be replaced with an arch support. It has been found that it may be more cost effective to remove material from mass produced insoles than the alternative of initially forming insole bodies comprising a recess. Adding an additional step to current methods of mass-producing insoles may be simpler and/or more cost effective than alternatives.

The method for producing an insole body may include a step where information indicating the size and shape of the arch support is provided. This information may be used to define the size and shape of the arch portion of the insole. After the size and shape of the arch portion of the insole is defined, it is removed to provide an arch support receiving area.

The insole body produced may comprise a connection means. The connection means may comprise a perimeter of the recess. The perimeter of the recess and a perimeter of the arch support may be complementary in shape along at least a portion of the perimeter of the recess. This connection means may allow an arch support to releasably engage to an insole body produced. The insole body produced may be as described in the second aspect of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a contour plot of the pressure exerted on the underside of a foot; Figure 2 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a modular insole according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a plan view of an embodiment of an insole body according to the invention; Figure 4 shows a plan view of an embodiment of an arch support according to the invention; Figure 5 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a kit according to the invention; and Figure 6 shoes a side view of three arch supports according to the invention. 10 DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring firstly to Figure 1, a contour plot is generally indicated at 10. The contour plot indicates the pressure exerted on regions of the underside of a foot when the foot is stood on. The contour plot includes contour lines. The greater the number of contour lines within a region, the greater the pressure exerted on that square. Where no contour lines are shown, the pressure applied is negligible.

The contour plot can be used to compare the pressure exerted on a ball of the foot 12, a heel of the foot 14, a lateral arch of the foot 16 and a medial longitudinal arch of the foot 18. The lateral and medial arches of the foot 16, 18 are positioned on lateral and medial sides of the foot, respectively. Figure 1 demonstrates, generally, a greater amount of pressure is applied to the ball of the foot 12 and the heel of the foot 14 in comparison to the medial and longitudinal arches of the foot 16, 18.

Now referring to Figure 2, a modular insole is generally indicated at 20. In a preferred embodiment, the modular insole consists of two parts. A first part is an insole body 30, shown in more detail in Figure 3 and described in more detail below. A second part is an arch support 60, shown in more detail in Figure 4 and described in more detail below.

The two parts of the modular insole are releasably connected by a connection means 52, 68 forming an insole for supporting a foot. When connected, the two parts form an insole.

In a preferred embodiment, the connection means is in the form of tabs 68 on the arch support 60 cooperating with complementary tab recesses 52 on the insole body 30. The tabs 68 and tab recesses 52 are described in more detail below.

Referring to Figure 3, the insole body 30 has an upper surface 32. The insole body 30 has a lower surface, which sits in an item of footwear. The lower surface is substantially parallel to a ground surface, below the insole body, when in use. A medial side 34 for supporting a medial side of a foot is provided. A medial edge 36 extends around the medial side 34. A lateral side 38 for supporting a lateral side of a foot is provided. A lateral edge 40, extends around the lateral side 38.

In this embodiment, the insole body 30 has a ball-receiving portion 42 for receiving a ball of the foot when in use. The ball-receiving portion extends between the lateral edge 40 and the medial edge 36. In other embodiments, the ball-receiving portion 42 may be absent.

The insole body 30 has a heel-receiving portion 44 for receiving a heel of the foot when in use. The heel-receiving portion 44 extends from the lateral edge 40 to the medial edge 36. In other embodiments, the heel-receiving portion may be absent.

The insole body 30 includes a lateral arch portion 46. The lateral arch portion 46 is disposed on the lateral side 38 of the insole body 30. The lateral arch portion 46 of the insole body 30 connects the ball-receiving portion 42 and the heel-receiving portion 20 44.

The insole body 30 has a thickness of 5 mm to 15 mm. In other embodiments the insole may have a thickness greater than 15 mm where a thicker insole body 30 is required, for example, to enable a foot to fit within a shoe more comfortably.

The medial side 34 features a recess 48. The recess 48 is disposed on the medial side 34 of the insole body 30. The recess 48 is a substantially concave curve. The recess 48 is disposed between the ball-receiving portion 42 and the heel receiving portion 44. The recess 48 is disposed adjacent to the lateral arch portion 46. The recess 48 extends towards the lateral side 38 of the insole body 30. The minimum distance between the concave curve of the medial edge 36 and the lateral edge 40 is 1 cm to 4 cm, preferably 2 cm to 4 cm.

The recess 48 provides an arch support receiving portion 50. The arch support receiving portion 50 is for receiving a medial longitudinal arch support (60, see Figure 4).

The recess 48 has an arch support connection means. The arch support connection means allows an arch support to be releasably connected to the insole body. The arch support connection means is provided by tab recesses 52. The tab recesses 52 are disposed in the recess of the insole body 48.

In this embodiment four tab recesses 52 are provided. In other embodiments one or more tab recesses 52 may be provided. The tab recesses 52 recede from the medial edge 36 by 5 mm to 15 mm. The tab recesses 52 are spaced apart from one another by 2 cm to 5 cm. The tab recesses 52 feature a rounded shape. It has been found that tab recesses 52 with rounded profiles or edges result in minimised discomfort on the underside of a foot when in use.

Each tab recess 52 includes a tab aperture 54. The tab aperture 54 of each tab recess 52 has a width smaller than the maximum width of the tab recess 52. In this embodiment, the width of the tab aperture 54 is 1 mm to 3 mm smaller than the maximum width of the tab recess 52. Wien a tab (68, see Figure 4) of a complementary shape is inserted into the tab recess 52, the narrower width of the tab aperture 54 prevents the tabs (68, see Figure 4) from disconnecting from the tab recess 52. In other embodiments the size and shape of individual tab recesses 52 may be nonidentical.

Referring to Figure 4, an arch support is generally indicated at 60.

The arch support 60 has an upper surface 62. The arch support 60 has a lower surface. The arch support 60 has a medial edge 64 corresponding to a medial side of the foot.

The arch support has a lateral edge 66 corresponding to a lateral side of a foot.

In this embodiment the arch support 60 is a medial longitudinal arch support for supporting the medial longitudinal arch.

The medial edge 64 is curved. The curved medial edge 64 is a concave curve. The concave curve of the medial edge 64 corresponds to the profile of the underside of a 30 foot.

The lateral edge 66 features a curved profile. The extent of the curvature of the lateral edge 66 is greater than that of the medial edge 64. The curved profile of the lateral edge 66 is a convex curve. In this embodiment the convex curve of the lateral edge 66 is complementary in shape to the recess of the insole body (48, see Figure 3).

The upper surface 62 is contoured for supporting a medial longitudinal arch 60. The upper surface 62 of the arch support 60 has a maximum arch height (84abc, see Figure 6). The maximum arch height (84abc, see Figure 6) is defined by the vertical distance between the lowest point of the arch support and the highest point of the arch support. The maximum arch height (84abc, see Figure 6) is between 1 cm to 4 cm.

The lower surface of the arch support 60 features a contour. The contour of the lower surface of the arch support 60 generally corresponds to the contour of the upper surface 62 of the arch support.

The arch support 60 includes an insole body connection means. The insole body connection means is disposed on the lateral edge 66 of the arch support 60. The insole body connection means allows the arch support 60 to be releasably connected to the insole body (30, see Figure 3). The arch support connection means is provided by tabs 68 protruding from the lateral edge 66 of the arch support 60.

In this embodiment four tabs 68 are provided. The tabs 68 are complementary in shape to the tab recesses (52, see Figure 3) of the insole body (30, see Figure 3). In other embodiments one or more tabs 68 may be provided. The tabs 68 protrude from the lateral edge 40 by 5 mm to 15 mm. The tabs 68 are spaced apart from one another by 2 cm to 5 cm. The tabs 68 feature a rounded shape. It has been found that tabs 68 with rounded profiles or edges result in minimised discomfort on the underside of a foot when in use.

Each tab 68 has a tab neck 70. The tab neck 70 of each tab 68 is disposed at the point where the tab 68 protrudes from the lateral edge 66. The tab neck 70 of each tab 68 has width less than the maximum width of the tab 68. In this embodiment, the width of each tab neck 70 is 1 mm to 3 mm shorter than the maximum width of the tab 68. When a tab 68 of a complementary shape is inserted into the tab recess (52, see Figure 3), the narrower width of the tab neck 70 prevents the tabs 68 from disconnecting from the tab recess (52, see Figure 3). In other embodiments, the size and shape of individual tabs 68 may be nonidentical.

Referring to Figure 5, the contents of a kit are generally indicated at 80.

The kit contains a plurality of arch supports 82 as described above. The plurality of arch supports 82 are provided as pairs, namely a first pair 82a, a second pair 82b and a third pair 82c. Each pair of arch supports 82abc contains a medial longitudinal arch support (60, see Figure 4) for a left foot and right foot.

The kit includes a pair of insole bodies 86. The pair of insole bodies 86 includes insole bodies (30, see Figure 3) as described above.

Referring to Figure 6, a side view of one of each arch support (60, see Figure 4) provided in the kit is generally shown. Each arch support (60, see Figure 4) belonging to an individual pair of arch supports 82abc differs in size and shape. Each arch support (60, see Figure 4) belonging to an individual pair of arch supports 82abc has a different maximum arch height (84abc, see Figure 6), where the maximum arch height (84abc, see Figure 6) is the vertical distance between a lowest point of the arch support (60, see Figure 4) and a highest point of the arch support (60, see Figure 4). The arch support (60, see Figure 4) belonging to the first pair of arch supports 82a has a maximum arch height 82a of 25 mm to 30 mm. The arch support (60, see Figure 4) belonging to the second pair of arch supports 82b has a maximum arch height 84b of 20 mm to 25 mm. The arch support (60, see Figure 4) belonging to the first pair of arch supports 82c has a maximum arch height 84c of 15 mm to 20 mm.

The pairs of arch supports 82abc comprise identical insole body connection means.

The insole body connection means are as described above. This allows the pairs of arch supports 82abc in the kit to be interchanged using the same insole body (30, see Figure 3).

The insole body (30, see Figure 3) described above can be produced from a modified insole. Firstly, an insole is provided. Material is subtracted from the insole to produce an insole body (30, see Figure 3). The material subtracted corresponds to an arch portion. This produces the recess in the insole body (30, see Figure 3). The size and shape of the recess formed is defined by the material removed.

The material is removed by stamping out a shape with a cutter. The shape has a profile substantially similar to the profile of the arch support (60, see Figure 4) described above. The recess produced features the tab recesses (52, see Figure 3) described above.

In this embodiment, material is removed from the medial side of the insole to produce the recess (48, see Figure 3) in the medial side (34, see Figure 3) of the insole body (30, see Figure 3).

The embodiments described above are provided by way of example only, and various changes and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A modular insole for footwear, comprising an insole body, an arch support which is discrete from the insole body, and connection means which is configured to releasably connect or hold the arch support and the insole body together to form an insole.
2. A modular insole as claimed in claim 1, in which the modular insole consists of a first piece and a second piece which releasably fits together with the first piece, wherein the first piece is the insole body and the second piece is the arch support.
3. A modular insole as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which an arch support receiving area in the form of a recess or cut-out is provided on a side of the insole body.
4. A modular insole as claimed in claim 3, in which the insole body has ball-receiving and heel-receiving portions for a foot, and the arch support receiving area is disposed in a region substantially between the ball-receiving and heel-receiving portions.
5. A modular insole as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the insole body has a lateral edge and a medial edge for corresponding to lateral and medial sides of a foot respectively, and at least part of the medial edge or lateral edge is disposed at or adjacent to a longitudinal axis of the insole body.
6. A modular insole as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the connection means comprises one or more tabs on the arch support and/or insole body, and one or more tab recesses in the arch support and/or insole body for cooperating with the one or more tabs.
7. A modular insole as claimed in claim 6, in which the tabs and tab recesses have rounded profiles or edges.
8. A modular insole as claimed in any preceding claim, in which, when the arch support is connected or held in position relative to the insole body, an upper surface of the insole body and an upper surface of the arch support meet to form a substantially continuous surface.
9. A modular insole as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the arch support is as claimed in any of claims 10 to 15, and/or in which the insole body is as claimed in any of claims 16 to 20.
10. An arch support for a modular insole, the arch support comprising a lower surface, an upper surface which is contoured for supporting an arch of a foot, a lateral side and a medial side for corresponding to lateral and medial sides of a foot respectively, and an insole connection means disposed on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the arch support for releasably engaging the arch support to an insole body of the modular insole.
11. An arch support as claimed in claim 10, in which the arch support is a medial longitudinal arch support.
12. An arch support as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, in which one of the lateral side and the medial side has a substantially convex or curved profile.
13. An arch support as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, in which the insole connection means includes one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses.
14. An arch support as claimed in claim 13, when dependent on claim 12, in which the tabs and/or tab recesses are provided in the substantially convex or curved profile.
15. An arch support as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, in which two or more rounded tabs are spaced apart on the lateral side of the arch support.
16. An insole body for a modular insole, comprising at least a heel portion, a lateral side and a medial side for corresponding to lateral and medial sides of a foot respectively, and an arch support connection means disposed on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the insole body for releasably engaging an arch support of the modular insole.
17. An insole body as claimed in claim 16, in which the insole body comprises a ball-receiving portion for receiving a ball of a foot, and at least part of the medial side or lateral side of the insole body curves inwards to a position at or adjacent to a longitudinal axis of the insole body which runs between the heel portion and the ball-receiving portion.
18. An insole body as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, in which one of the lateral side and the medial side of the insole body has a substantially concave or curved profile.
19. An insole body as claimed in any of claims 16 to 18, in which the arch support connection means includes a recess or cut-out in the insole body, and one or more tabs and/or one or more tab recesses are provided in the recess/cut-out.
20. An insole body as claimed in claim 19, in which two or more rounded tab recesses are spaced apart on the medial side of the insole body.
21. A kit comprising a plurality of arch supports each as claimed in any of claims 10 to 15, in which at least one of the arch supports has a first arch support shape, and in which at least one other of the arch supports has a different second arch support shape
22. A kit as claimed in claim 21, in which the kit includes an insole body as claimed in any of claims 16 to 20.
23. A kit as claimed in claim 21 or claim 22, in which insole connection means of each arch support is substantially the same.
24. A method of modifying an insole to produce an insole body for a modular insole, comprising the steps: a) providing an insole for a shoe; b) removing an arch-receiving portion of the insole, to produce an insole body with a recess for receiving an arch support on the side of the insole.
25. A method as claimed in claim 24, in which information indicating the size and shape of the arch support is used to define the size and shape of the arch-receiving portion of the insole.
26. A method as claimed in claim 24 or claim 25, in which the insole body comprises a connection means comprising a perimeter of the recess, wherein the perimeter of the recess and a perimeter of the arch support are complementary in shape along at least a portion of the perimeter of the recess.
27. A shoe or footwear comprising any one or more of: a modular insole as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9; an arch support as claimed in any of claims 10 to 15; an insole body as claimed in any of claims 16 to 20, or manufactured by a method as claimed in any of claims 24 to 26; a kit as claimed in any of claims 21 to 23.