WO2008050090A1

WO2008050090A1 - Shoe

Info

Publication number: WO2008050090A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/003947
Authority: WO
Inventors: Keith Alexander Derek Maunder
Original assignee: Keith Alexander Derek Maunder
Priority date: 2006-10-27
Filing date: 2007-10-16
Publication date: 2008-05-02
Also published as: GB0621441D0

Abstract

A shoe sole with a hard outer sole (5) with a pivot axis in the mid section (6) and rounded sections at the front toe (8) and back heel (7). There is a mid-sole (4) and an inner sole (3), with a heel insert (1) of soft material set into an upper surface of the mid sole (4).

Description

Shoe

Technical Field

This invention relates to a shoe but more particularly a shoe sole that promotes good posture.

Background Art

A typical shoe will have a raised heel at the back end of the sole with no support in the middle, which tips the wearer forwards onto the balls of his/her feet. This promotes a forward lean of the body wherein the position and weight of the head is too far forwards causing undue strain on the musculature and collapse of posture. In addition, normal shoes for city wear are very unhealthy because the soles are often too hard and generally have a flat shape that encourages a slapping down of the foot whilst walking.

There are various shoe designs that have attempted to rectify this situation. EP0999764, EP1124462, US6341432 and US6782639 have a convex-shape sole with a pivot axis and a "heel sensor" built into the bottom of the heel. The shoe has a deliberate instability to encourage more active walking, however the instability of the shoes mean that they are dangerous in slippery or icy conditions. As a result accidents have been known to happen. In addition the "heel sensor" in this type of shoe, made of a soft, spongy material is in an exposed position and susceptible to damage from sharp sticks and stones and sensitive to aggressive liquids containing salt, oil, manure, blood, etc. DK118442B and DK124723B describe a shoe that tips postural alignment back towards the heels by a wedge-shaped sole that is thicker towards the front end of the foot sole. This has become known as "negative heel technology". However, too much weight is put on the heel and places an undue strain on the calf muscles.

Disclosure of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to address problems identified in the prior art or, at least, present an alternative form of shoe that promotes good posture.

In one broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a shoe sole with rounded sections at the front toe and back heel, including an outer sole, a mid sole and an inner sole, wherein there is a heel insert of soft material at an upper surface of the mid sole.

Preferably the outer sole has a pivot axis somewhere in the middle third of its length with rounded front toe and back heel ends each being anywhere between 33.3% to 66.6% of the outer sole length. The outer sole is preferably made of hard rubber to give a good grip.

Preferably the insert sits in a heel recess set into the top surface of the mid sole that can be circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or wedge shaped. Preferably it extends forwards from the back heel end to between a quarter and half of the sole length. The pivot axis in the middle third of the foot sole gives a more stable foot support and a better grip in wet and slippery conditions, being constructed with more lateral stability in the mid-sole area compared to the prior art, by having a thin 2 mm thick metal shank in the shoe instead of a thick 5 mm fiber glass shank as in the prior art which is not as wide as the shoe width and thus induces a lateral instability when the body weight shifts to the sides of the shoe. Meanwhile, the rounded nature of both the heel and toe sections encourage the wearer to balance more in the middle part of the foot. This promotes healthy upright posture of the body and a correct heel-to-toe, heel-to-toe pattern of walking.

The uniquely positioned heel recess with a soft, elastic, spongy heel insert encourages the heel to sink down into the shoe to ensure a softer, more natural style of walking, as if through soft sand. The position of the heel insert is also much less susceptible to mechanical damage or damage from aggressive liquids compared to prior art designs and can be easily replaced once the elasticity of the heel insert has worn out, by simply lifting the inner sole.

Brief Description of the Drawing

Figure 1 shows a shoe and shoe sole according to the invention.

Mode(s) For Carrying Out The Invention

In Figure 1 a shoe is shown according to the invention with a heel insert 1, preferably made from a soft, spongy elastic material set inside a heel recess. This can be a circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or wedge shape. The recess/insert 1 extends from the back of the shoe' s heel to a point X located on an upper part of a mid-sole 4. This point is somewhere between the midpoint of the length of the shoe and a quarter of the shoe sole length measured forwards from the back of the heel.

The heel insert 1 is positioned underneath an inner sole 3 and above the mid-sole 4. It is easily replaceable when worn out by lifting the inner sole for access to the recess.

A shoe upper 2 of unique or conventional design as shown is made from leather, textile or synthetic material and attached to the shoe sole enabling the shoe to be worn.

The inner sole 3 is also made from textile, synthetic or leather material positioned over the mid-sole 4 and the heel insert 1.

The mid-sole 4 is preferably made of medium-hard shock absorbent material, such as polyester-urethane (P. U.) foam. This is rounded at the front and back end of the shoe sole to encourage the wearer to walk with a heel-to-toe rolling motion to the foot. The angle that the rounded toe end of the shoe sole makes with the horizontal axis of the shoe sole (roughly parallel with the inner sole 3) , is preferably somewhere in the range of 5 to 25°

(represented as the angle alpha in Figure 1) . The angle that the rounded heel end of the shoe makes to the horizontal axis of the shoe sole is preferably somewhere in the range of 10 to 35°

(represented as the angle beta in Figure 1) . An outer sole 5 with tread made of hard rubber for grip is also provided. The outer sole 5 is shaped so that it has a pivot axis anywhere in the mid-section 6, which is 33.3% to 66.6% of the length of the shoe.

A heel section 7 is 33.3% to 66.6% of the length of the shoe sole.

A rounded toe section 8 is 33.3% to 66.6% of the length of the shoe sole.

The shoe and more particularly shoe sole of the invention provides a more stable alternative to the prior art, still with benefits to posture and exercise.

It will be apparent that a shoe sole with an accessible, replaceable or interchangeable insert located underneath the inner sole is applicable to all shoe types, e.g. a dress shoe that otherwise has a flat sole and heel, and not only the posture improving shoes described herein.

Industrial Applicability

The present invention as hereinbefore described can be implemented using traditional or more modern methods and materials for production.

Claims

Claims :

1. Δ shoe sole including an outer sole, a mid sole and an inner sole, wherein there is a heel insert of soft material at an upper surface of the mid sole.

2. The shoe sole of claim 1 wherein the outer sole has a pivot axis in the middle third of its length.

3. The shoe sole of claim 1 or 2 including a rounded front toe and a rounded back heel.

4. The shoe sole of any of the preceding claims wherein the heel insert is circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or wedge shaped.

5. The shoe sole of any of the preceding claims wherein the heel insert extends forwards from a back heel end to between a quarter and half of the sole length.

6. The shoe sole of claim 3 wherein the angle that the rounded toe of the sole makes to the horizontal is 5 to 25°, and the angle that the rounded heel of the shoe sole makes to the horizontal is 10 to 35°.

7. A shoe comprising an inner sole of leather, synthetic or textile material, a heel insert of spongy, elastic material at an upper part of a mid-sole of medium-hard material such as polyester-urethane foam that is shock absorbent and elastic, and an outer sole of hard rubber.

8. The shoe according to claim 7 including a shoe upper of leather, synthetic or textile material.

9. The shoe of claim 7 or 8 wherein the insert is replaceable from within the shoe, under the inner sole.