Shoe with improved stability
AssigneeSazzi IP, LLC
InventorMark Aaron Thatcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shoe with an interstitial (e.g., between the toes) support for the user's foot that provides improved stability to the user's foot. The internal toe-reliant support includes two to four posts that extend into the gaps between toes in the foot and are positioned proximate the vertices or posterior ends of the gaps. The posts inhibit or limit motion of the foot within the shoe, such as when initiating or terminating a motion in a medial, lateral or forward direction (e.g., while walking, hiking or running on level ground or downhill), or when initiating or terminating a clockwise or counterclockwise pivoting motion about the toe portion of the shoe.
Claims9
An athletic shoe, comprising:
- a sole;
- an upper attached to the sole about a circumference of the sole, the upper and sole defining an interior space configured to receive and enclose a human foot therein;
- two to four posts of flexible non-stretchable material disposed in a forefoot portion of the interior space, the flexible non-stretchable material configured to stretch less than 5% of its original length, the posts extending between and attached to the upper and the sole, the posts spaced apart from a front end of the shoe, each of the posts configured to extend into a gap between adjacent toes in the foot and be positioned at proximate a vertex of the gap between the adjacent toes, each post having one or more leverage control surfaces that engage the vertex between said adjacent toes to allow a user to initiate and terminate a sideways or forward motion or initiate and terminate a pivoting action more quickly, one or more of the posts configured to be disposed on a medial side of a center or third toe of the foot and/or one or more of the posts configured to be disposed on a lateral side of the center or third toe of the foot when the foot is inside the shoe;
- and
- an adjustable strap having a first strap portion extending around an upper portion of a heel counter of the shoe configured to be disposed behind an Achilles tendon of the foot, the first strap portion extending anteriorly from said upper portion of the heel counter along a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, one end of the first strap portion extending to and fixedly and directly anchored in the medial side and the lateral side of the sole, a loop or buckle attached to an end of a second strap portion that extends to an end of the second strap portion extending to and fixedly and directly anchored in the lateral side of the sole, the loop or buckle receiving an end of the first strap portion to fasten the first strap portion to the second strap portion of the strap;
- wherein the posts are configured to distribute a load exerted by the foot to the upper and sole during motion of the foot, and wherein the strap is adjustable to adjust a distance between the upper portion of the heel counter and the posts to thereby move the foot anteriorly so that each post is positioned at the vertex between adjacent toes, the leverage control surfaces of each post engaging the vertex to thereby bear on the foot to allow the user to initiate and terminate a sideways or forward motion or change direction of motion more quickly while preventing shifting or sliding of the foot inside the upper, thereby optimizing athletic performance and comfort during use of the shoe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.