Footwear

#The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to footwear having recesses for accommodating protrusions of the foot.

#As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, typical human feet, designated by the reference character O, have protrusions resulting from skeletal structures beneath the skin. For example, a head H1 of a first metatarsal M1 and a base B1 of a first proximal phalanx P1 cause a protrusion at a base of a first toe T1 (i.e., the great toe) which extends from the foot in a medial direction X1 (i.e., toward a centerline of the body) as shown in FIG. 2. A head H5 of a fifth metatarsal M5 and a base B5 of a fifth proximal phalanx P5 cause a protrusion at a base of a fifth toe T5 which extends from the foot in a lateral direction X2 (i.e., away from the centerline of the body). Further, the fifth proximal phalanx P5 of the fifth toe T5 extends farther laterally than a fifth middle phalanx MP5 and a fifth distal phalanx DP5 so the proximal phalanx forms a protrusion on the fifth toe immediately in front of the protrusion caused by the head H5 of the fifth metatarsal M5 as shown in FIG. 2. Several protrusions are caused by metatarsal and mid-tarsal bones MT which protrude upward from the top of the foot O as shown in FIG. 1. Further, distal heads of the tibia and fibula, designated by T and F, respectively, form protrusions extending medially and laterally outward from an ankle A as illustrated in FIG. 3.

#Typical footwear has an upper attached to a sole. The upper surrounds the foot O to retain it in position inside the footwear when walking or running. As the foot O moves inside the footwear, the upper exerts pressure on features of the foot including the previously described protrusions. The protrusions also move relative to the upper, causing friction between the upper and the skin covering the protrusions. Sometimes the pressure and friction cause ailments such as swelling and irritation of the skin and underlying tissue. Some conventional footwear has extra padding in some of the areas of the upper corresponding to the protrusions to alleviate these ailments. However, the padding wears out over time and becomes less effective in alleviating the ailments. Moreover, the extra padding in conventional footwear is not precisely anatomically positioned for alleviating the ailments.

#FIG. 1 is a medial side elevation of a foot showing interior skeletal structures;

#FIG. 2 is a top plan of the foot showing interior skeletal structures;

#FIG. 3 is a front elevation of an ankle portion of the foot showing interior skeletal structures;

#Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

#Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 4 and 5, footwear of a first embodiment of the present invention is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 20. The footwear 20 includes a sole, generally designated by 22, for supporting a foot (not shown) and an upper, generally designated by 24, attached to the sole for covering the foot. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the sole 22 and upper 24 define an interior 26 of the footwear. The interior 26 is sized and shaped for receiving the foot.

#As further illustrated in FIG. 6, the upper 24 includes a lining 30 forming an inner surface of the upper adapted for engaging the foot O when it is received in the interior 26 of the footwear 20. Although the lining 30 may be made of other materials without departing from the scope of the present invention, in the first embodiment the lining is made of cloth. The upper 24 also includes an outer shell 32 forming an outer surface of the upper and an exterior of the footwear 20. Although the shell 32 may be made of other materials without departing from the scope of the present invention, in the first embodiment the shell is made of leather. A compressible cushioning, generally designated by 34, is sandwiched between the lining 30 and the outer shell 32 for permitting the upper 24 to conform to the foot O when it is received in the interior 26 of the footwear 20 to improve the fit of the footwear. Although the cushioning 34 may be made of other materials without departing from the scope of the present invention, in the first embodiment the cushioning is made of an open cell foam. Alternatively, the cushioning 34 may be made of other conventional footwear materials such as gels, closed cell foams and synthetic rubbers. In addition, the lining 30, shell 32 and cushioning 34 may be assembled using any conventional means such as with adhesives or by sewing.