# US 10,477,915 B2 · Device for high-heeled shoes and method of constructing a high-heeled shoe > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,477,915 B2 - Document ID: US10477915B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/819,951 - Filed: 2017-11-21 - Published: 2018-04-05 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01 - Assignees: Hbn Shoe, LLC - Applicants: Hbn Shoe, LLC - Inventors: Brian G. R. Hughes; Howard Dananberg - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10477915B2 ## CPC - A43B 7/141: {having an anatomical or curved form} - A43B 7/1425: situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange - A43B 7/144: situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone - A43B 7/1445: situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal - A43B 7/148: Recesses or holes filled with supports or pads - A43B 17/02: wedge-like or resilient - A43B 17/14: made of sponge, rubber, or plastic materials - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR ## Abstract Provided is a device for insertion into a heeled shoe, having a rear region positioned to underlying a wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, the rear region being shaped to accommodate a planer surface of the wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, an upper surface of said rear region having a raised portion underlying an area of the wearer's calcaneus immediately forward of the wearer's calcaneus tuberosity; and a forward region positioned to underlie at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer's metatarsals, the second upper surface of said forward region having a raised portion which gradually rises to an apex position to underlie the shafts of the wearer's second and third metatarsals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for insertion into a heeled shoe, the device comprising: a rear region having a foot supporting surface configured to underlie a wearer's calcaneal tuberosities; a forward region having a foot supporting surface configured to underlie at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer's metatarsals; a lateral side; and a distal side; wherein the rear region foot supporting surface includes first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region, the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region being 2-5 times larger in area and deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region to underlie respectively the lateral and medial tuberositites of the wearer's calcaneus; wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the medial side of the device; wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the lateral side of the device; wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region is shorter in length than the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped region; and wherein an upper surface of said rear region has a raised portion configured to underlie an area of the wearer's calcaneus forward of the wearer's lateral and medial tuberosities; and an upper surface of the forward region is configured to underlie at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer's metatarsals, the upper surface of said forward region having a generally rounded or ellipsoid shape raised portion which rises to an apex configured to underlie the shafts of the wearer's second and third metatarsals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is larger in volume than the second ellipsoid-shaped depressed region by 40 to 120 percent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein forward region is raised by 1 to 10 degrees relative to the rear region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is about 0.3 mm deeper than the second ellipsoid-shaped depressed region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein forward ends of the first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions rise to crescent shaped apices configured to underlie an area forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus of the wearer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the device is 2-8 mm thick at a thickest location. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device is 2-8 mm thick at a thickest location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a heel piece incorporating the rear region and a metatarsal piece incorporating the forward region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the left and right shoe pieces are mirror images of one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A heeled shoe having a device as claimed in claim 1 mounted therein. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A heeled shoe as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device is mounted or incorporated into an insole board or sock liner of the shoe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method for increasing comfort in heeled shoe comprising providing the shoe with a device as claimed in of claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the device as installed in a shoe during construction of the shoe. ### Claim 14 A device for insertion into a heeled shoe comprising: a heel cup configured to underlie a wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, the heel cup being shaped to underlie the wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, wherein the heel cup includes a foot supporting surface having first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions, the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region being 2-5 times larger in area and deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region, wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the medial side of the device, the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the lateral side of the device; wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region is shorter in length than the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped region; and wherein an upper surface of said heel cup has a raised portion configured to underlie an area of the wearer's calcaneus forward of the wearer's calcaneus tuberosity. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 40 to 120 percent larger in volume than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the forward end of the device is raised at an angle of from 1 to 10 degrees relative to the rear end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the first elongated ellipsoid shaped depressed region is about 0.3 mm deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein forward ends of the first and the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions rise to crescent shaped apices configured to underlie a portion of a foot of a wearer forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus of the wearer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 2.7 times larger in plan than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 2.7 times larger in plan than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.