Orthotic insert having adjustable angular orientation

A method for supporting a person's foot in a desired angular orientation in a shoe, said method comprising the sequential steps of:

• placing an orthotic insert in a shoe, said insert comprising:
• a substantially rigid base member having a rearwardly located heel portion forming a concave heel seat, and a longitudinally extending curved arch portion, said base member having a lower surface and an upper surface, said upper surface being generally contoured to fit a plantar surface of a person's foot;
• and
• at least one U-shaped ridge formed on said lower surface of said base member and extending continuously around a rearward end of said heel portion and forwardly along both medial and lateral sides of said base member;
• said rigid ridge projecting downwardly from said lower surface of said base member a sufficient distance to support said heel seat above an upper surface of an insole a shoe;
• said ridge being formed of substantially rigid material so as to be able to support the weight of a person's foot without collapsing, said ridge also having a sharp, vertically-pointed lower edge which is defined by steep, downwardly angled inner and outer wall portions for penetrating into an insole in response to the weight of a person's foot being applied to said upper surface of said base member, so that said ridge maintains said insert in a longitudinally fixed position and supports said base member so as to position the person's foot in a desired angular orientation;
• said lower edge of said ridge being configured to permit said angular orientation to be incrementally adjusted in medial, lateral, and rearward directions by incremental removal of material from corresponding portions of said lower edge of said ridge which extends around said rearward end of said heel position and along said medial and lateral sides of said base member;
• placing a person's foot in said shoe so as to determine a first angular orientation in which said foot is supported by said insert in response to said ridge bearing the weight of said foot;
• removing said insert from said shoe;
• removing material by increments from said lower edge of said U-shaped ridge at a selected medial, lateral, or rearward location thereon so as to decrease the distance by which said ridge extends downwardly from said lower surface of said base member at said selected location;
• replacing said insert in said shoe;
• and
• replacing said person's foot in said shoe so that in response to said orthotic insert bearing said weight of said foot, said sharply-pointed lower edge of said ridge penetrates into said insole of said shoe so as to prevent said insert from slipping relative to said insole and said selected location on said ridge from which material has been removed supports said heel portion at a reduced distance above said insole so as to adjust said foot from said first angular orientation to said desired angular orientation.

A unitary orthotic insert for a shoe, said insert comprising:

• a substantially rigid base member having a rearwardly located heel portion forming a concave heel seat, and a longitudinally-extending curved arch portion;
• a first U-shaped, rigid ridge formed on a lower surface of said base member and extending around a heel end of said insert;
• a second U-shaped, rigid ridge formed on said lower surface of said base member, said second ridge being spaced inwardly from said first ridge and extending generally parallel thereto around said heel end of said insert;
• a selected one of said ridges extending downwardly from said lower surface of said insert by a greater distance than the other said ridge towards said heel end of said insert and having a sharply pointed lower edge for penetrating into and engages an insole in response to said selected ridge bearing the weight of said foot, so as to both prevent said insert from slipping relative to such an insole and support said lower surface of said insert beneath said heel seat a spaced distance above such an insole so that said heel portion is positioned in an angular orientation, said ridge having sufficient rigidity to support said heel portion under said person's foot without undergoing significant collapse;
• said lower edge of said selected one of said rigid ridges extending substantially continuously around said heel end of said insert and generally longitudinally along said arch portion on both medial and lateral sides thereof so that said angular orientation in which said heel portion of said insert is positioned when said weight is supported by said ridge is selectively adjustable in generally medial, lateral, and rearward directions by removal of material from corresponding portions of said selected ridge;
• said heel portion of said insert being substantially free of other projections extending downwardly sufficiently far from said lower surface that such other projections could abut an insole so as to prevent selective adjustment of said angular orientation by removal of material from said selected ridge alone.

A removable unitary orthotic insert for a shoe, said insert having a forward to rear lengthwise axis defining medial and lateral sides thereof and comprising:

• a substantially rigid base member having a rearwardly located heel portion forming a concave heel seat, and a longitudinally extending curved arch portion, and
• outer and inner substantially parallel, spaced apart U-shaped rigid ridges, a selected one of said parallel ridges projecting downwardly a greater distance below said lower surface of said heel portion of said base member than the other parallel ridge,
• said selected one of said ridges having a sharply-pointed lower edge which projects downwardly from said lower surface of said base member for penetrating into an upper surface of an insole of a shoe so as to maintain said insert in a fixed position therein, and for supporting said lower surface of said base member underneath said concave heel seat a spaced distance above such an insole, said ridge having sufficient rigidity to support said heel portion of said base member under a person's foot without significant collapse of said ridge;
• said U-shaped rigid ridges extending substantially continuously around the rearward end of said heel portion and generally longitudinally along said arch portion on both said medial and lateral sides of said lengthwise axis, so that said angular orientation in which said foot is positioned by said orthotic insert is selectively adjustable in generally medial, lateral, and rearward directions by incremental removal of material from corresponding portions of said selected one of said ridges.