US20160242497A1

US20160242497A1 - Shoe-leveling insole

Info

Publication number: US20160242497A1
Application number: US15/047,291
Authority: US
Inventors: Todd A. Alviso
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-02-19
Filing date: 2016-02-18
Publication date: 2016-08-25

Abstract

A negative-heel insole comprising a substantially tapered body of material (30), having a predetermined thickness of the forefoot portion (32) of the insole, being substantially thicker than the predetermined thickness of the heel portion (34) of said insole. The base (30) of the insole is made of a flexible material that can be repeatedly bent or flexed without fracturing, such as ethylene vinyl acetate foam, polyurethane foam, polyethylene, rubber, leather, silicone, encased gel, etc. . . . In addition, a fabric layer top portion (20) is bonded with adhesive to the top superior surface of the base (30).

Description

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/118,456, filed Feb. 19, 2015.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to shoe insoles, specifically to such insoles which are used to replace, or place on top of, insoles that are used in the raised-heeled shoe construction.
2. Description of Prior Art
Shoe manufacturers commonly provide consumers with various shoe styles and designs with varying heel heights. Some shoes are constructed to provide a relatively flat footbed for the user, meaning that when the human foot is in the shoe, the forefoot region of the foot is positioned at approximately the same height from the ground surface, as the heel portion of the foot. Other shoe designs provide for a raised-heel construction, meaning that when the human foot is in the shoe, the forefoot region of the foot is lower than the heel portion of the foot. Most shoes provide an insole that covers the footbed of the shoe, in order to help cushion or support the foot, when wearing the shoe.
Throughout the years, a raised-heeled shoe design may have been viewed by many as simply a fashion choice, as the deleterious affects of raised-heeled footwear on the structure and function of the human foot and body may not have been fully recognized at the time. However, today, there are numerous studies and clinical evidence of the potentially harmful effects of wearing raised-heeled shoes. Wolff's Law of bone and soft-tissue remodeling states that, “bone and soft-tissue remodel according to the stresses imposed upon the tissues.” Thusly, dependant upon the biomechanical forces applied to the foot and body, the body's reformation will be influenced at least in part, according to the stresses imposed by the shoe, and or the forces applied to the foot and body.
We already know of many clinical conditions of the human foot such as hallux valgus, bunions, plantar fascitis, flat foot and hammer toes, that in some cases, may directly result from either ill-fitting or poorly designed footwear or shoes, most commonly from a raised-heeled shoe design. Body posture may also be directly related to human foot structure and function, as the feet are the foundation of the skeletal frame, and contain various neurological reflexes for orienting the positioning of the human body. Faulty biomechanical function of the human foot and body may contribute to premature degenerative changes in the tissues affected. It is for these reasons, as well as an issue of overall comfort of the shod foot, and an attempt to restore the body to a more natural, biomechanical state and shape, that it becomes important to attempt to level the foot when wearing shoes.
With advancements in footwear technology and design, various insoles have been provided for the consumer, in order to attempt to help improve comfort and support of the human foot when wearing shoes. However, all the insoles heretofore known, suffer from several primary disadvantages:
(a) Manufacturers of insoles do not provide an insole that is designed to level the foot, from heel to forefoot, when wearing raised-heeled shoes;
(b) Manufacturers of insoles typically provide various components to the insole that raise the heel portion of the insole and thusly the foot, increasing the heel-height;
(c) Manufacturers of insoles do not provide a negative-heel insole, meaning that the forefoot is thicker than the heel region, to either replace or set on top of the existing insole of raised-heeled shoes.
(d) Manufacturers of insoles do not attempt to improve the natural biomechanics of the human foot and body by leveling the foot while wearing raised-heeled shoes.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide an insole for raised-heeled shoes, that can approximately level the human foot from heel to forefoot, when wearing the shoe;
(b) to provide an insole for raised-heeled shoes that can be molded to various thickness ratios in the heel and forefoot regions, in order to accommodate a variety of heel-heights, provided by raised-heeled shoes;
(c) to provide a negative-heel insole, meaning that the forefoot is thicker than the heel region, to either replace or set on top of the existing insole of raised-heeled shoes.
(d) to provide a negative-heel insole, in order to attempt to improve the natural biomechanics of the human foot and body, by leveling the foot while wearing shoes.
Further objects and advantages are to provide an insole which can be easily manufactured to conform to the human foot with various material selection options, while providing comfort and support, by simply leveling the foundation of the human foot and body, when wearing raised-heeled shoes. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description an drawings.

DRAWING FIGURES

All references pertaining to medial, lateral, superior, and inferior aspects of drawings or components, are based upon the standard anatomical position that is utilized to provide positioning references for human anatomical structures. The insole of the present invention shown in the drawings is for the right shoe of the individual user.

FIG. 1 shows a medial, superior, top, oblique perspective view of the insole.

FIG. 2 shows a lateral, superior, top, oblique perspective view of the insole.

FIG. 3 shows a medial, inferior, bottom, oblique perspective view of the insole.

FIG. 4 shows a lateral, inferior, bottom, oblique perspective view of the insole.

FIG. 5 shows a medial, inside, orthogonal view of the insole.

FIG. 6 shows a lateral, outside, orthogonal view of the insole.

FIG. 7 shows a superior, top, orthogonal view of the insole with delineation of cross section views.

FIG. 8 shows a medial, longitudinal cross section view, split at the approximate longitudinal heel and toe center line.

FIG. 9 shows a transverse cross section view, split at the approximate transverse, ball center line, traversing the medial and lateral aspects of the forefoot.

FIG. 10 shows a transverse cross section view, split at the approximate transverse, midfoot center line, traversing the medial and lateral longitudinal arches.

FIG. 11 shows a transverse cross section view, split at the approximate transverse, heel center line, traversing the medial and lateral aspects of the hindfoot.

FIG. 12 shows a medial, inferior, bottom, oblique perspective view of the insole, with added cushioning and support components bonded into the insole base bottom.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS


20	fabric top	30	base
32	forefoot region	34	heel region
35	heel medial region	36	medial longitudinal arch region
37	heel lateral region	38	top central region
39	ball medial region	40	bottom central region
41	ball lateral region	42	forefoot ball cushioning pad
44	heel cushioning pad	50	heel cup posterior wall
51	heel cup medial sidewall	52	medial longitudinal arch wall
53	heel cup lateral sidewall	54	lateral longitudinal arch wall
56	midfoot support stabilizer	57	midfoot medial arch region
58	midfoot lateral arch region

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a negative-heel insole comprising a substantially tapered body of material, having a predetermined thickness of the forefoot portion of the insole, being substantially thicker than the predetermined thickness of the heel portion of said insole.

DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 12

The human foot and ankle provide for a combination of flexibility and stability, due to the numerous bones in the feet (approximately 25% of all the bones in the body), and their various shapes. In general, the foot can be divided into three sections, regions, or portions, including the hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot. The hindfoot includes the talus bone, forming the ankle joint, and the calcaneus bone, forming the heel. The midfoot consists of the tarsal bones, including the navicular bone, cuneiforms, and cuboid and contributes to the transverse arch. The forefoot consists of the metatarsals, also contributing to the transverse arch, and the phalanges. The medial longitudinal arch is formed by the calcaneal tuberosity, the talus, the navicular bone, three cuneiform bones, and the first, second, and third metatarsal bones. The lateral longitudinal arch is formed by the calcaneus, cuboid, and fourth and fifth metatarsal bones of the foot. The ball of the foot is a general term used to describe the padded forefoot portion of the foot between the toes and the midfoot transverse arch, and contributing arch regions. In general, the heel is the prominence at the inferior posterior portion of the hindfoot, formed by the calcaneus bone, or heel bone.
A typical embodiment of the foot and shoe-leveling insole of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 (medial, superior, top, oblique, perspective view) and FIG. 2 (lateral, superior, top, oblique, perspective view). The insole has a thin fabric material top 20 of uniform thickness that is bonded to a thicker foam base 30. Foam base 30 provides cushioning and support formation for the bone and soft-tissue elements of the human foot, including the medial and lateral longitudinal arches and transverse arch, as well as providing for a variable thickness between the corresponding forefoot region of the insole base and the heel region of the insole base. This variable thickness of the base 30 between the forefoot and the heel is utilized to create a heel portion of the insole that is lower, or thinner, than the forefoot portion of the insole, which is relatively higher, or thicker, than the heel portion of the insole. When the individual places this variable thickness insole into a shoe that is constructed with a relatively raised-heel shoe design (when heel height is compared to the forefoot height of the shoe), and the individual wears the shoes, the user's feet will be essentially level when standing or walking in the shoe.
In the preferred embodiment, the base is made of a flexible foam, such as polyurethane (PU) foam, or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, or closed cell memory foam. However, the base can consist of any other materials that can be repeatedly bent or flexed without fracturing, such as polyethylene, rubber, leather, silicone, encased gel, etc. Typical injection molding or compression molding can be used for an ethylene vinyl acetate foam base. Cold pour polyurethane foam processes can be used for PU foam. The fabric top 20 can be made of various materials and thickness, bonded directly on top of the base 30 with adhesive.
FIGS. 1 to 4 shows the forefoot portion 32 of the insole, inclusive of the region of the insole beneath the metatarsal heads and the toes of the human foot, has an increased thickness, as opposed to the heel portion 34 of the insole, where the heel of the foot, most specifically the calcaneus bone, lies. This heel region is of a decreased thickness, relative to the forefoot region. This variable thickness as described above, gradually decreases its thickness from the forefoot region to the heel region of the insole. This base thickness variation can be visualized by comparing central portion base top surface 38, to central portion base bottom surface 40, as this central portion of the insole extends from the region of the insole that supports the forefoot, then through the midfoot, and finally extends to the region of the insole that supports the hindfoot. This thickness comparison can be visualized in FIG. 1 through FIG. 4. However, optionally, the longitudinal medial arch region 36 of the insole, supporting the midfoot region of the foot, may temporarily increase the base thickness in the midfoot portion of the medial longitudinal arch region of the insole, in order to provide for a raised arch of varying heights, depending on the desired medial arch height of the insole.
The thickness of the insole will vary depending on the size of the insole used for fitting various shoe sizes. These variations in thickness are in accordance with standard methods of grading shoes and their insoles, in order to provide for the variety of shoe sizes. There may also be variations of insole thickness depending on the shoe type and heel height. Various heel heights are provided by shoe manufacturers, and obviously, depending on the heel height, not all shoes will be able to utilize the present insole invention, due to such factors as toe box height, which affects the amount of room available in the forefoot, inclusive of the toe region of the shoe. For example, if the heel height is too great, relative to the forefoot, then the foot cannot be leveled by the present invention insole, because the thickness increase in the forefoot region of the insole, necessary to level the heel height, will be too thick in the forefoot region, precluding the forefoot and toes to fit comfortably in the shoe.
In the typical embodiment for a Untied States of America (USA) men's size 11 standard width insole, with a 3 mm raised heel, relative to the ball or forefoot, the forefoot portion 32 of the insole base would measure approximately 6.5 millimeters (mm) in depth or thickness, while the heel portion 34 of the insole base would measure approximately 3.5 mm in depth or thickness. This variation in thickness longitudinally from the forefoot to the heel region of the insole, can be visualized in various cross sectional views, both longitudinally and transversely. FIG. 9 shows a top orthogonal view of the insole, with four different cross sectional figure lines, one positioned longitudinally, and three transversely across the insole, indicating the regions that the four cross sectional views show in FIG. 8 through FIG. 11. FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional longitudinal view, as seen from the medial aspect. The slanted cross hatching lines indicate the various thickness of the insole as it progresses from heel to toe. FIG. 9 is a transverse cross sectional view that shows the thickness of the insole, in the portion corresponding to the ball region of the forefoot. FIG. 10 is a transverse cross sectional view that shows the thickness of the insole, in the portion corresponding to the medial and lateral longitudinal arch regions of the midfoot. FIG. 11 is a transverse cross sectional view that shows the thickness of the insole, in the portion corresponding to the heel region of the hindfoot.
The fabric top portion 20 of the insole that is adhered to the insole base 30 can have a uniform thickness of approximately 0.5 mm to 1 mm or more, depending on preference. When measuring the thickness of the insole forefoot portion 32, by measuring across, transversely, the metatarsal or forefoot portion (from the big toe, digit 1, to the little toe, digit 5), the thickness may vary from the first metatarsal to the fifth metatarsal, providing for any wedging preference that are at times utilized for insoles, in order to help prevent excessive pronation of the foot, when wearing shoes. Therefore, the medial side of the ball portion of the insole 39, may increase its thickness of the medial side, when compared to that of the lateral side of the ball portion of the insole 41. This same potential for creating a wedge in the corresponding forefoot portion of the insole, can also be used in the heel regions 34, by increasing the thickness of the medial side of the heel portion 35 of the insole, relative to the lateral side of the heel portion 37, in order to help decrease excessive foot pronation, emanating from the hindfoot. Whether or not the measured thickness from lateral to medial is increased in an embodiment of the insole or not, the central portion 38 of the insole, in the forefoot and heel regions, maintains an increased thickness longitudinally in the forefoot portion of the insole, relative to the heel portion of the insole, thereby maintaining the leveling effect on the shoe, as attained by the present insole invention, and thusly, leveling the foot when the shoe is worn with the leveling insole, as described herein.
The durometer or hardness of the insole base 30 may be of varying degrees or hardness, according to the user's or manufacturer's preference. Typical durometers may be of various densities and may range from approximately 5 degrees to 60 degrees, Shore A, when cast in the aforementioned material options, providing for a flexible, cushioned base. In addition to the aforementioned material options, a typical enclosed insole cushioning enhancer may be added to the bottom side of the base of the insole in the forefoot portion 42, and cushioning enhancer 44 in the heel portion. The forefoot and heel cushioning enhancer components can be made of various materials, such as polyurethane elastomere, polyurethane foam, poliyou foam, rubber, silicone, encased gel, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, etc. The durometer of hardness of these cushioning enhancer components may vary from 5 degrees to 50 degrees, Shore A.
In the preferred embodiment, a heel cup posterior backwall 50 is formed by the insole sidewalls extending upwards from the insole base 30. Midfoot medial insole sidewall support 52 is formed by the continuation of the medial heel cup sidewall 51, antero-medially alongside the insole, corresponding to the medial longitudinal arch region of the foot, and terminating in the medial ball region of the foot. Lateral midfoot insole sidewall support 54 is formed by the continuation of the lateral heel cup sidewall 53 antero-laterally alongside the insole, corresponding to the lateral longitudinal arch region of the foot, and terminating in the insole region, slightly anterior to the where the lateral base of the fifth metatarsal region of the foot would rest.
The corresponding medial longitudinal arch region 36 of the insole base 30 may increase its thickness, relative to the forefoot and heel portions of the insole, in order to provide for an enhanced, raised arch support for the medial longitudinal arch. As viewed in FIG. 10, the cross sectional view shows an increase in thickness of the insole transversely across the medial and lateral longitudinal arches of the midfoot, increasing the thickness from the thinner, lateral arch portion 58 of the insole, to the thicker, medial arch portion 57 of the insole. The insole base underlying the portion of the medial longitudinal arch region of the foot, may have additional support or cushioning, provided by midfoot and medial arch stabilizer 56, bonded to insole base 30. The medial arch stabilizer may be bonded or adhered to the underside of the insole base 30 with adhesive. The medial arch stabilizer 56 may be made of various materials, such as polyurethane elastomer, polyurethane foam, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, memory foam, poliyou foam, silicone, gel, leather, plastic, graphite, etc. The durometer or hardness of the medial arch stabilizer may vary from 5 degrees to 95 degrees, shore A, depending on the manufacturer's or user's preference.

Operation

The manner of using the foot and shoe leveling insole is identical to that for insoles in present use. Namely, one places the shoe-leveling insole of the present invention into the raised-heeled shoe, either on top of the insole that is already present in the shoe, or they may first remove the insole that is present in the shoe, and replace it with the shoe-leveling insole. Next, one places their feet into the shoes with the foot and shoe-leveling insoles, and then wears the shoes, providing for a relatively level foot position, meaning the heel portion of the foot and the forefoot portion of the foot are relatively, or approximately level during both stance and gait.
The individual using the foot and shoe leveling insoles will want to measure the heel height of the shoes that they intend to use the foot and shoe-leveling insoles. An approximate measurement can be attained by taking two separate measurements. One measurement is taken at the region of the shoe where the ball of the foot is located on the medial side, and one measurement is taken at the region of the shoe, where the heel of the foot is located on the medial side. If the individual plans to use the foot and shoe-leveling insole by removing the existing insoles of the shoes intended for use, then prior to measurement, the individual should remove the existing shoe insoles. If the individual will be using the foot and shoe-leveling insoles by placing them on top of the existing insoles, then the individual should leave the existing insoles inside of the shoes, during measurement.
The first measurement obtained, measures the thickness or vertical depth of the outsole and midsole portion of the shoe, located approximately at the area of the shoe that supports the infero-medial aspect of the ball region of the foot, on the medial side of the shoe, where the head of the first metatarsal bone lies on the footbed of the shoe. To note, some shoes do not have midsoles, or have the midsole portion of the shoe, bonded or molded as part of the outsole. In this example for obtaining measurement, we refer to a shoe that has either a bonded separate midsole and outsole, or a midsole that is molded as part of the outsole. If the shoe that the individual user selects does not have a midsole, then the same protocol can be used as described herein, using measurements from the outsole only.
In order to obtain the first measurement, in order to determine the relatively raised heel height of any shoe construction, the individual should place the tip of their index finger inside the shoe at this ball of the foot region, and push downward and outwards, towards the outside of the shoe, on the medial side, in order to contact the region of the shoe formed by the inside sidewall of the outsole, and the floor of the inside of the shoe. When pushing downwards and outwards at this portion of the shoe, the individual can feel and see from the outside of the shoe, where the forefoot, or ball of the foot sits in the shoe, as visualized from the outside. Next, the individual may take a ruler or similar measuring device, and place it against the outsole and midsole, and measure the thickness or depth of the outsole and midsole, now knowing where the floor of the inside of the shoe contacts the sidewall of the outsole and midsole. The individual will record this measurement, in order to compare it to the second measurement that will be taken of the heel portion of the shoe outsole and midsole thickness or depth.
The second measurement obtained, measures the thickness or vertical depth of the outsole and midsole portion of the shoe, in the heel region of the medial side of the shoe, where the longitudinal center of the calcaneus bone lies. In order to obtain this second measurement, the individual should place the tip of their index finger inside the shoe at this heel of the foot region, and push downward and outwards, in order to contact the region of the shoe formed by the inside sidewall of the outsole, and the floor of the inside of the shoe. When pushing downwards and outwards at this portion of the shoe, the individual can feel and see from the outside of the shoe, where the calcaneus, or heel portion of the foot sits in the shoe, as visualized from the outside. Now, the individual may take a ruler or similar measuring device, and place it against the outsole and midsole, and measure the thickness or depth of the outsole and midsole, now knowing where the floor of the inside of the shoe contacts the sidewall of the outsole and midsole. The individual will record this measurement, in order to compare it to the first measurement that was taken of the outsole and midsole thickness of the shoe, corresponding to the ball region of the foot.
In a raised-heeled shoe, the heel portion measurement of the outsole and midsole region will be thicker or deeper in thickness than the ball portion measurement of the outsole and midsole. In order to determine the difference in thickness between these two portions of the shoe, the individual can subtract the thickness measurement of the ball portion of the shoe outsole and midsole, from the thickness measurement of the heel portion of the shoe outsole and midsole. For example, a ball portion outsole and midsole measurement of 12 mm (millimeters) thickness, subtracted from a heel portion outsole and midsole measurement of 15 mm thickness, would determine that the raised-heeled shoe construction, in this case, would be a 3 mm raised heel difference.
Once the individual determines this raised-heel measurement difference, the individual would then know to select the foot and shoe-leveling insole of this present invention that would correct the raised-heel height difference. In this case of a 3 mm raised-heel difference, the individual would select the foot and shoe-leveling insole heel portion of the insole that is 3 mm lower in the heel, when compared to the forefoot portion of the insole. Thereby, when the individual will place the foot and shoe-leveling insole into the shoes that measured a 3 mm raised-heel difference shoe construction, the individual would obtain a relatively level foot during both stance and gait, as provided by the foot and shoe-leveling insole with a 3 mm correction, accomplished by a 3 mm thinner heel portion of the insole, when compared to the 3 mm thicker forefoot portion of the insole. The left side insole will be placed into the left shoe, and the right side insole will be placed into the right shoe, and the user will wear the shoes with shoe-leveling insoles of the present invention.

CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE

Accordingly, the reader will see that the shoe-leveling insole of this invention can be used to level the human foot, meaning that the forefoot portion of the foot will be at approximately the same height from the ground, as the heel portion of the foot, when wearing raised-heeled footwear or shoes. In addition, the human body can maintain a more natural, biomechanical state and shape of the human body by providing a relatively level foundation for the human foot, when wearing the negative-heel insole of this invention, in their raised-heeled shoes. Furthermore, the shoe-leveling insole has the additional advantages in that

- it reduces aberrant biomechanical forces to the ball of the foot, commonly associated with hallux valgus deformity and bunion formation caused at least in part, if not whole, by wearing raised-heeled shoes;
- it reduces aberrant biomechanical forces throughout the body, commonly associated with postural deficit, affected in some part by raised-heeled shoes; and
- it provides shoe comfort improvement in many cases, due to the leveling of the foundation of the body, the feet.

Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. For example the shoe-leveling insole can be of variable thickness, in order to accommodate various raised heel-heights that shoe or footwear manufacturers provide.
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

I claim:

1. A shoe insole of the type comprising a substantially, longitudinally tapered body of material, having a predetermined thickness of the forefoot portion of the insole, being substantially thicker than the predetermined thickness of the heel portion of said insole, the improvement wherein said insole when placed in raised-heeled footwear or shoes of a pre-determined raised-heeled height, will have an approximate leveling effect on the human foot, whereby when wearing said raised-heeled footwear or shoes, the forefoot and the heel of the human foot will be positioned substantially level to each other, providing the benefits therein.

2. The insole of claim 1 wherein said tapered body of material is composed of ethylene vinyl acetate foam.

3. The insole of claim 1 wherein said tapered body of material is composed of polyurethane foam.

4. The insole of claim 1 further including a thin fabric top layer bonded with adhesive to the superior surface of said tapered body, covering the entire superior surface of the insole.

5. The insole of claim 1 wherein said tapered body is wedged by increasing its thickness of the insole transversely across the forefoot and heel regions of the insole, thereby providing for a means to help prevent excessive foot pronation.

6. The insole of claim 1 further including a cushioning enhancer positioned under the forefoot region, whereby cushioning is enhanced.

7. The insole of claim 1 further including a cushioning enhancer positioned under the heel region of said insole, whereby cushioning is enhanced.

8. The insole of claim 1 further including midfoot, medial and lateral longitudinal arch stabilizer positioned beneath the midfoot, medial and lateral longitudinal arch region of said insole, whereby midfoot and medial longitudinal arch support of the human foot is enhanced.

9. The insole of claim 1 further including heel cup, medial and lateral arch sidewalls, whereby the hindfoot and midfoot regions of the human foot are cushioned and stabilized by said sidewalls.

10. The insole of claim 1 wherein said tapered body is wedged by increasing its thickness of said insole transversely from a medial to lateral direction across the midfoot region of said insole, thereby providing for a means to improve medial longitudinal arch support, and to help prevent excessive foot pronation.

11. The insole of claim 1 wherein the forefoot portion of said insole thickness ranges between 3 and 5 millimeters thicker than the heel portion of said insole.

12. The insole of claim 1 wherein the medial longitudinal arch region of said insole is elevated, when compared to the lateral longitudinal arch region.

13. A shoe insole of the type comprising a substantially longitudinally tapered body of material, having a predetermined thickness of the forefoot portion of the insole, inclusive of the region of the insole beneath the metatarsal heads and the toes of the human foot, said forefoot portion having an increased thickness, when compared to the hindfoot or heel portion of said insole, most specifically the region where the calcaneus bone lies, the improvement wherein said insole when placed in raised-heeled footwear or shoes of a predetermined raised-heeled height, will have an approximate leveling effect on the human foot, whereby the forefoot and the heel of the human foot will be positioned substantially level to each other.

14. The insole of claim 13 wherein said tapered body of material is composed of ethylene vinyl acetate foam.

15. The insole of claim 13 wherein said tapered body of material is composed of flexible materials that can be repeatedly bent or flexed without fracturing.

16. The insole of claim 13 further including a thin fabric top layer bonded with adhesive to the superior surface of said tapered body, covering the entire superior surface of the insole.

17. The insole of claim 13 wherein said tapered body is wedged by increasing its thickness of said insole transversely from a medial to lateral direction across the midfoot region of said insole, thereby providing for a means to improve medial longitudinal arch support, and to help prevent excessive foot pronation.

18. The insole of claim 13 wherein said tapered body is wedged by increasing its thickness of said insole transversely from a medial to lateral direction across the forefoot and hindfoot or heel regions of the said insole, thereby providing for a means to help prevent excessive foot pronation.

19. The insole of claim 13 further including a cushioning enhancer positioned under the forefoot and heel regions of said insole, whereby cushioning is enhanced.

20. The insole of claim 13 further including midfoot and medial longitudinal arch stabilizer positioned beneath the midfoot, inclusive of the medial arch region of said insole, whereby midfoot and medial longitudinal arch support of the human foot is enhanced.