Heat shield shoe device

#The present general inventive concept relates to footwear, and in particular to an integrated or insertable device for use in footwear to inhibit heating of a person's foot within the shoe when the sole of the shoe is exposed to excessive heat.

#It is known to provide athletic shoes and other footwear items with cooling devices or venting to prevent overheating of a user's foot. Improvements in providing footwear configured to shield a person's foot from excessive heat are desired.

#Among the devices known in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,418, issued to Kuan-Min Chi, discloses a ventilation insole which includes a bottom air chamber layer and a smooth top cover layer covered over the bottom air chamber layer, the bottom air chamber layer having a plurality of intersected ribs, a plurality of recessed air chambers respectively separated from one another by the intersected ribs and closed by said top cover layer and a plurality of air vents at intersected points of the intersected ribs, the smooth top cover layer having a plurality of air vents respectively disposed in communication with the air vents of the bottom air chamber layer.

#The following example embodiments are representative of example techniques and structures designed to carry out the objects of the present general inventive concept, but the present general inventive concept is not limited to these example embodiments. In the accompanying drawings and illustrations, the sizes and relative sizes, shapes, and qualities of lines, entities, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. A wide variety of additional embodiments will be more readily understood and appreciated through the following detailed description of the example embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an insulating shoe insert according to one example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

#FIG. 2 represents an exploded perspective of the insulating shoe insert shown in FIG. 1; and

#Turning to the Figures, FIG. 1 shows generally a perspective view of an insulating shoe insert 10 according to one example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. FIG. 2 represents an exploded view of the same insulating shoe insert shown in FIG. 1, illustrating that the insulating shoe insert 10 comprises three layers, including a core layer 20 to cushion and to resist moisture, with a top layer 30 and a bottom layer 40 to provide thermal insulation, the top layer 30 and bottom layer 40 being positioned on either side of the core layer 20 and collectively covering a substantial majority of the surface area of the core layer 20.

#FIG. 3 illustrates again the example embodiment insulating shoe insert 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the insulating shoe insert 10 in use. As shown in FIG. 3, the insulating shoe insert 10 is positioned within a shoe 50 (such as an athletic shoe) between the sole 55 of the shoe 50 and the foot 60 of a user. The insulating shoe insert 10 may be used with or without a sock.

#Generally, the core layer 20 comprises a cushioning and moisture-resistant honeycomb-like cellular material, such as a form of cork or similar material. The core honeycomb-like material can be configured as irregularly shaped and spaced cells having an average of 14 sides, providing effective insulation, cushioning, and resilient properties resistant to moisture absorption.