US1818731A - Footwear - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 11, 1931. y N. D. MATTlsoN 1 1,818,731

` 'l FooTwEAR Filed Jan. 1:5, 1930 4 Fly-4 l sa Patented- Aug.` l11,193.1r i

UNITI-:Dy STATES PATENT OFFICE NORMAN 1: Harrison, or N nw Ionic, er.

roofrwnan.

Application sled January 1s, 1930. seran No. 420,437.

exerfted on thel ball of the foot at the innerv This invention lrelates to shoes and other.

footwear, hereinafter referred to as shoes. The examination and treatment of agreat number of defective feet has demonstrated 5 that one ofthe most common ,foot defectslof the more serious types consists in the tendency ofthe foot to roll inwardly 'into what is known asta pronated positlon. The present invention is especially concerned with more especially shoe heels and the relation- .ship of the heel to other parts of`a shoe with a view to promoting correct foot balance and restoring normal muscular action proper muscular habits. The nature' of the invention will be readily understood from thel following description when read in connection with the accompan ing drawings, and the novel features will particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawin s,I y Figure 1 vis a an view of the bottom lof 'a shoe constructs in accordance with this invention; 4

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a slightly different construction embodying the invention 4 Fi s. 3 and 4'are views the hnes 3 3 and 4-40 spectively; and

artly in section on `Figs. 1 and-2, re-

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the heel por --tion of a shoe in an inverted position show-- in afurther modification.

' relinnary to a detailed description of the constructmns shown in the drawin s it vmay be pointed out that in the act of wa g the heel of the shoe 'strikes the ground first, the reater part of the weight comin first on the eel of the foot and an instant ater being divided between the heel and the-ball of 'the footas the sole of the shoe comes in contact with .the ground. 4In a normal foot, in correct balance, 'the pressure on the plantar surface ofthe forepart is much heavier at the outer or left-hand side of the longitudinal vmedian axis of the. foot, indicated by 4the line -A-B, Fig. 1, at this particular pomt in the ste than at the inner or right-hand side of sai axis. In fact, very little pressure is this fact, and it aims to improve shoes andl along the inner side of this axis when the weight first comes on the forepart of the foot, provided the muscular action and the balance are correct. As the heel liftsand thebody 'progresses forward a shift of the weight occurs, the weight then being delivered directly and evenly to the entire ball of the foot, and the foot hingin \evenly at the ankle, without'inrollin n a pronated foot the distribution o the weight 1s quite different. The heel, of course,

es the ground first, but as the -weight stri artly shifts tothe forepart Aor ball of the oot a much greater proportion of it is im'- pressed upon the plantar surfaces ofthe ball at the inner side of the axis A-B. 1 As the heellifts and the body moves forward a still greater proportion of the weight comes on the plantar .surfaces at the inner side of the axis A-.LB than is` the case in a normal foot This is the reason for the irritation, callouses and bunions frequently fond on the ball surface` of a pronated foot under and adjacent to the great toe joint.

There. is also an important difference in the distribution of muscular action in the two -feet above described. That is, in a normalfoot they greater part of the muscular effort Ais directed along what is frequently termed the'cuboid stream r alon the outer longitudinal arch of the foot, w `le in the ronated foot much more of the muscular e ort is exerted along the iscaphoid stream, or

ongitudinalarch of the foot. And this difference in the distribution of muscular action has an importanteifecton the strains imposed on the muscles in the ankle and leg. i Y The present invention proposes to utilize the inrolling tendency of a pronated foot and Athe .consequent faulty distribution of wei ht to create a consciousness of improper oot balance and to produce a demand for correction. .i

Referring now to Fi s. 1 and 3, it will be observed that the trea median axis A-B of the s oe into what may be termed an outer section 2 and an inner section 3, since the former of these sections surface of. the .heel there' shown is divided b the longitudinal lies at the outer side of the axis .Ar--B while the latter lies at the inner side of said axis. The main body of the heel also is divided approximately along this axis into inner and outer sections, as is`clearly shown in Fig.

be composed of a highly resilient grade of rubber; or if the outer section 2 is made of rubber of the usual characteristics used in the manufacture of rubber heels, the inner section 3 should be made of a softer and substantially more yielding grade of rubber, so that in an f event the section?) will be incapable o supportin the foot lwith the weight of the body on 1t at as high an elevation as the outer. section, and therefore will permit the foot to roll inwardly, if it has any material tendency'to doso. So far as supporting the weight of the body vis concerned, the section 3 could be omitted, but such a construction obviously would be objectionable for several reasons, particularly that of appearance; The heel provided, therefore, while preferably having approximately the outline of a common heel, permits the foot to rock or roll on the axis A-B atY the'unction of the two sections 2 and 3 as a fu crum-into an inrolled or pronated position. The action is such, however, that the walker instantly 'becomes conscious of the inrollin of his foot and he automaticall and instlnctivel corrects its position by rol ing it outward y, thus bringing thev weight l on tothe flat surface of the firm outer section 2. This shifting of the weight to the outer side of the longitudinal median axis A-B is exactly what is desired to improve the distributionrof the Weight and promote proper muscular balance. Continued use of a shoe of this character trains the foot to cor- `rect muscular habits, directs the muscular effort along'tlie cuboid stream in the desired manner, and gradually establishes correct foot usage.

In ya very large proportion of pronated feet better results are obtained. by using the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 4 which 1s not quite so radical a departure from prior standards as that shown in Fi 1. It will be observed that the longitu inal median axis A-B ofthe shoe passes through the central part of the second toe, and that the heel Shown in-Figs. 2 and 4 instead of being divided alon this axis, is divided by the` axis C-D whic i extends along the inner longitudinal arch of the foot and runs arallel to the axis A--B. The position o this axis C-D'canbe varied considerably, but I lhave obtained excellent results by so locating it that it runs through the iimer margin of the' ball region at the great toe joint, approximately as shown in Fig. 2. It is preferable, also, for many patients notv to divide the heel at the rear rounded end thereof but to leave this area integral with the outer section 4 and to stop the inner'section 5 at a point somewhat forward of the region at the curved rear end. The relative proporv receive the initial impact of the foot while still providing an inadequate .support for the inner margin of the heel of the foot so that the foot can readily roll into a pronated position. Such inrolling is immediately impressed upon the consciousness of the individual and he tends, largely through reflex action, to correct .the position of his foot instantly. y i

It will be noted that in both of the constructions above described the firm sections 2 and 4 of the heel are considerably larger than their cooperating yielding sections 3 and 5, respectively. Preferably this firm section, which is designed to take the weight of the body, includes both the central and outer portions of the heel. vAt the same time the softer and more yielding sections of the heel are made of substantial width so that a definite inrolling of the foot is permitted along a fulcrum lying between the axis of the heel and the inner edge ofthe heel. This axis need -not necessarily lie parallel to the axis Ar-B,

although I refer this arrangement. In Fig. 2 the axis o the heel is shown at 1r-b. A person with normal feet could wear a shoe like that shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and be entirely unconscious of anything. unusual in the construction of the shoe so long as his feet remained in balance. i

A-shoe having a heel which operates functionally substantially like that' shown in Fig. 4is illustrated in Fig. 5, the section 4" corresponding to that shown at 4 in Figs. 2 and 4, and the cutaway portion 5.permitting the inrolling which is also permitted by the yielding section L5 of the heel shown in Figs. 2 and 4,' although the construction 'illustrated lin Fig. 5 permits a somewhat greater degree of inrolling than is obtainable in that shown in Fig, 4, and in fact a greater degree than is iso however, to create a consciousness of faulty balance and to promote a demand for and an effort towardcorrect balance, thus strengthening the muscles which are weak and are largely responsible for the faulty foot action', building up normal muscular action and creating or restoring the proper command of balance.

While I have herein shown and described A typical embodimentsof my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. y l

' Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A shoe heel formed of materials of relatively diferent firmness and resiliency, the

weight supporting area of the heel being composed of the material of greater firmness and extending over the central and outer portions ofthe heel and across the curved rear end thereof, and the area to be disposed below the posterior aspect of the inner longitudinal arch of the foot being largely composed of resilient material of lesser firmness.

2. A shoe portion affording firm support under the central and outer portions of the heel of the foot and across the curved rear end of the heel, that art of the shoe portion to be disposed belowt e posterior aspect of the inner longitudinal arch of the foot being largelly composed of resilient material of lesser hrnliness Ythan the supporting portion for the 3. A shoe having a'heel including a tread section of relatively iirm material at the outer side of the vlongitudinal axis extending a proximately through the ball 'region at tliie great toe joint and parallel to the longitudi# nal median axis of the shoe, said section affording firm support under the' central and outer portions an across the curved rear end of the heel of the foot, and another tread secton disposed below the posterior aspect of the inner longitudinal arch. of the foot, said latter section being com osed largely of resilient material of lesser rmness than said first section.

4.v A shoe heel divided longitudinally into inner and outer sections, the outer section extending over the central and outer portions and across the curved rear end of the heel and being made of firm material ca able'of 'I supporting the wei ht of the body, t e inner section being locate fol-,disposition below the posterior aspect of thel inner longitudinal arch of the foot and being largely composed of resilient material of lesser firmness than said outer section,the junction of said sections forming a fulcrum on which the heel can tip into a pronated position, said inner section ermitting such tippingl movement and said ulcrum lying between t e central axis of said heel and the inner le of the heel.

Non N D. Munson. f

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