Rocker shoes, rocker shoe development kit and method
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs
InventorsAndrew H. Hansen, Sara R. Koehler, Charles J. Schultz, Eric A. Nickel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rocker shoe has a lower rocker surface extending across the plantar surface of the shoe sole from the heel and terminating short of the toe. A rocker shoe construction kit has a rigid or substantially rigid rocker piece having an upper surface for securing over a major portion of a lower plantar surface of the sole of a shoe upper and a lower surface of predetermined rocker shape, a cushioning layer for securing over the lower surface of the rocker piece, and a layer of tread material configured for securing over the lower surface of the cushioning layer and any exposed portion of the plantar surface of a shoe.
Claims20
A rocker shoe construction kit, comprising
- at least one rocker piece of rigid or semi-rigid material having an upper surface configured for securing over a major portion of a lower plantar surface of the sole of a shoe extending from the heel towards the toe of the shoe, and a lower surface of predetermined rocker shape;
- at least one intermediate layer for securing over the lower surface of the rocker piece and a portion of the sole of the shoe that is closer to the toe of the shoe than the at least one rocker piece;
- and
- at least one layer of tread material configured for securing over the lower surface of the intermediate layer and a portion of the sole of the shoe that is closer to the toe of the shoe than the at least one intermediate layer.
A rocker shoe construction kit, comprising:
- at least one rocker piece of rigid or semi-rigid material having an upper surface configured for securing over a major portion of a lower plantar surface of the sole of a shoe extending from the heel towards the toe of the shoe, and a lower surface of predetermined rocker shape;
- at least one intermediate layer for securing over the lower surface of the rocker piece;
- at least one layer of tread material configured for securing over the lower surface of the intermediate layer and any exposed portion of the plantar surface of a shoe to which the kit is secured;
- and
- a shoe upper, wherein at least one side of a sole of the shoe upper has a first indicator at least approximately aligned with an ankle joint of a wearer of the shoe, and a corresponding side of the rocker piece has a corresponding second indicator for alignment with the first indicator when the rocker piece is secured to the sole.
A rocker shoe construction kit, comprising:
- at least one rocker piece of rigid or semi-rigid material having an upper surface configured for securing over a major portion of lower plantar surface of the sole of a shoe extending from the heel towards the toe of the shoe, and a lower surface of predetermined rocker shape;
- at least one intermediate layer for securing over the lower surface of the rocker piece;
- at least one layer of tread material configured for securing over the lower surface of the intermediate layer and any exposed portion of the plantar surface of a shoe to which the kit is secured;
- and
- wherein the at least one intermediate layer comprises one or more enclosures containing a shear thinning fluid.
A method of constructing a rocker shoe, comprising:
- attaching an upper surface of a rocker piece of rigid or semi-rigid, non-deformable material to the lower surface of the sole of a shoe upper with a rear end of the rocker piece at the heel of the shoe upper and the forward end spaced from the toe of the shoe upper;
- attaching an intermediate layer of different material from the rocker piece over a lower surface of the rocker piece and a portion of the sole of the shoe that is closer to the toe of the shoe than the forward end of the rocker piece;
- and
- attaching a layer of tread material over a lower surface of the intermediate layer and a portion of the sole of the shoe that is closer to the toe of the shoe than the forward end of the intermediate layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.