Sockliner

Abstract

A laminated foam sockliner for use in combination with footwear to cushion a foot inserted in the footwear. The sockliner comprises a compressibly resilient closed cell foam lower layer having top and bottom surfaces sized and shaped for insertion into the footwear and for supporting at least a portion of the foot. The lower layer has a compressibility sufficient to permit the layer to resiliently compress under the foot in response to pressure applied to the layer by the foot during periods of a gait cycle when the footwear impacts the ground thereby absorbing shock and cushioning the foot during impact. The sockliner further comprises an open cell foam upper layer having top and bottom surfaces sized and shaped for insertion in the footwear. The bottom surface of the upper layer is permanently bonded to the top surface of the lower layer for spacing the lower layer from the foot to reduce heat transfer from the lower layer to the foot and insulate the foot from thermal energy generated by the lower layer in response to compression of the lower layer by the foot during the gait cycle. In another aspect, the sockliner includes a compressibly resilient closed cell foam lower layer and a porous upper layer. The upper layer has a plurality of openings extending upward from a bottom surface aligned with openings extending through the lower layer for permitting air to pass through the upper and lower layers to cool and dry the foot.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.