Patent Application
20250057280
The present invention generally relates to exercise shoes, and more particularly the present invention relates to a shoe for the exercising and stretching of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the legs, ankles, and feet of a wearer.
The subject matter discussed in this background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention herein. Similarly, any problems mentioned in this background section or associated with the subject matter of this background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter as disclosed in this background section merely represents different approaches related to exercise shoes, wherein such shoes themselves may also correspond to implementations of the claimed technology and invention.
In the contemporary context of a health-conscious society, physical activity, including exercise and sports participation, has gained significant popularity. However, this heightened engagement in physical activities has brought about an increase in sports-related injuries. Notably, injuries to the legs and back due to excessive exertion, strain, or impact during exercise and sports activities have become more prevalent. Furthermore, addressing the rehabilitation and physical therapy needs of individuals with disabilities has emerged as an important concern for enhancing their overall well-being. Consequently, the fields of sports medicine and rehabilitative therapy have witnessed heightened attention, leading to the development of specialized techniques focused on stretching and strengthening specific injured areas such as the knee, ankle, and foot. These rehabilitative and therapeutic approaches are meticulously tailored to fortify and restore injured joints and limbs, as well as to facilitate enhanced mobility and self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.
In the realm of aiding physical therapy and rehabilitating injuries to the back, legs, feet, and ankles, a variety of specialized therapeutic aids, such as braces or splints, have been introduced. Notably, specialized exercise footwear has been innovated to provide support and immobilization to the feet, ankles, and joints of individuals during exercise routines. These footwear designs safeguard the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the feet, ankles, and legs, minimizing the exposure to additional stresses and potential injuries while rehabilitation and strength-building exercises.
For instance, Darby's U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,481 showcases a boot specially crafted to envelop a lightweight cast around a patient's ankle and foot, with the aim of immobilizing the foot. This boot encourages a smooth gait as the patient walks, thereby preventing undue stress and strain on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons during normal walking motion. Similarly, Koskela's U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,842 and Fuscone's U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,216 present sole components for athletic shoes intended to alleviate muscular strain and stress on the muscles and tendons between the feet and legs of the wearer during exercise.
However, existing rehabilitative footwear and sole elements mainly concentrate on shielding specific muscles, ligaments, and tendons from stress and stretching, aiming to reinforce these structures. Nonetheless, these conventional approaches fall short in equally enhancing and cultivating all muscles, ligaments, and tendons across the entire leg and foot, thus limiting comprehensive rehabilitative benefits. Rather than promoting the stress required for holistic development, the conventional rehabilitative footwear primarily aims to alleviate such stress.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved and ergonomic exercise shoe that systematically stresses and exercises the muscles, ligaments, and tendons between the feet and legs of wearers throughout various ranges of motion, enabling robust strengthening and comprehensive rehabilitation of virtually all leg, ankle, and foot muscles and tendons.
According to embodiments illustrated herein, a novel, simple, and easy-to-use exercise shoes is disclosed. The exercise shoe comprises an upper structure, and a sole structure secured to the upper structure. The sole structure comprises a base structure having an inner compartment fabricated towards a rear end of the base structure. A slate door is detachably coupled to the inner compartment. The slate door defines a cavity to receive one or more weights of varying mass within the inner compartment. Further, an upper sole is positioned over the base structure and configured to provide cushioning effect.
In some embodiments, the housing includes materials commonly used in sports shoe construction, such as textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather.
In some embodiments, the slate door comprises a closure mechanism to open and close the inner compartment.
In some embodiments, the closure mechanism comprises a zipper, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, or a combination thereof.
In some embodiments, the upper sole is made from a material selected from a group of materials of polymer foam, leather, textile, and synthetic.
In some embodiments, an adjustable strap or lacings is provided for securing the upper structure on a user's foot.
In some embodiments, the selectable resistance provided by the weights enhances the user's muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.
In some embodiments, the upper structure is designed to blend seamlessly with conventional clothing, allowing inconspicuous wear throughout the day.
In some embodiments, the upper structure features a variety of styles, colors, and designs to cater to individual preferences.
In some embodiments, the inner compartment is integrated with one or more sensors to detect motion and other vital parameters for a user.
In some embodiments, a smartphone application or electronic interface is provided for monitoring and adjusting the amount of weight inserted into the inner compartment.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of systems, methods, and embodiments of various aspects of the disclosure. Any person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the various boundaries representative of the disclosed invention. It may be that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In other examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive descriptions of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon the illustrated principles.
Various embodiments will hereinafter be described in accordance with the appended drawings, which are provided to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner, wherein similar designations denote similar elements, and in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, corresponding or similar reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or corresponding parts. Moreover, references to various elements described herein, are made collectively or individually when there may be more than one element of the same type. However, such references are merely exemplary in nature. It may be noted that any reference to elements in the singular may also be construed to relate to the plural and vice-versa without limiting the scope of the disclosure to the exact number or type of such elements unless set forth explicitly in the appended claims.
Some embodiments of this disclosure, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.
It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the present disclosure, the preferred systems, and methods are now described.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the present disclosure may, however, be embodied in alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples.
Referring to
The exercise shoe 100 comprise an upper structure 102 and a sole structure 104 secured to the upper structure 102. In some embodiments, the upper structure 102 includes materials commonly used in sports shoe construction, such as textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. The sole structure 102 may comprise an upper sole 106 and a base structure (not shown). In some embodiments, the upper sole 106 is made from a material selected from a group of materials of polymer foam, leather, textile, and synthetic. The upper sole 106 is fabricated from a material selected from a group that includes polymer foam, leather, textile, and synthetic materials, thereby enhancing comfort during physical activities.
Further, the upper structure 102 may comprise lacings 108 to secure the exercise shoe 100 on a user's foot. In some embodiments, the lacing 108 may correspond to an adjustable strap. In some example embodiments, a hook and loop fastener or a Velcro may be used to secure the exercise shoe 100 on the user's foot.
The sole structure 102 may comprise a base structure 202 having an inner compartment 204 fabricated towards a rear end 206 of the base structure 202. Further, the sole structure 102 may comprise a slate door 208. In some embodiments, the slate door 208 is detachably coupled to the inner compartment 204. It may be noted that the slate door 208 defines a cavity (not shown) to receive one or more weights of varying mass within the inner compartment 204.
In some embodiments, the slate door 208 may be provided with a closure mechanism (not shown) to open and close the inner compartment 204 and ensure secure containment of the inserted weights. In some embodiments, the closure mechanism comprises a zipper, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, or a combination thereof.
The slate door 208 may be removably connected to the inner compartment 204. The slate door 208 acts as an access point and defines the cavity for the insertion of one or more weights of different masses, allowing users to personalize the resistance they encounter while engaging in physical activities. In some embodiments, the slate door 208 may be made of a material selected from a group of durable and hard materials, such as but not limited to, polyethylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), hard rubber, etc.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the one or more weights may provide resistance mechanism that contributes to the enhancement of the user's muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, ultimately promoting effective exercise routines.
In some embodiments, the one or more weights 210 may be used for walking, cycling, gymnastics, etc. It may be noted that the weight of the one or more weights 210 may be varied as per user preference. It may also be noted that the upper sole 106 may provide a cushioning effect with the one or more weights hidden within the inner compartment 204.
In some embodiments, the upper structure 102 of the exercise shoe 100 may be thoughtfully designed to harmoniously blend with conventional clothing. This design characteristic ensures inconspicuous wear throughout the day, making the exercise shoe suitable for continuous use.
In some alternate embodiments, exercise shoe 100 may be provided with one or more sensors (not shown) to detect motion and other vital parameters for a user. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors may be integrated within the inner compartment 204.
In some other alternate embodiments, a smartphone application or electronic interface may be provided for monitoring and adjusting the amount of weight inserted into the inner compartment. It may be noted that the smartphone application may receive and transmit data from the one or more sensors to detect real-time vital parameters, especially, cardiovascular, blood pressure, glucose, heart rate, etc.
Referring to
The present invention provides customizable resistance levels, revolutionizing the way users approach physical activities. In some alternate embodiments, the wearer has the liberty to fine-tune the resistance, enabling targeted engagement of muscles in the legs, ankles, and feet. Such a personalized approach facilitates gradual strength and endurance enhancement. The upper structure's discreet design ensures seamless integration with everyday attire, while sensor integration and a smartphone application provide real-time monitoring and adjustment options. In some embodiments, the present disclosure transcends conventional exercise shoes, catering to a diverse user base, from fitness enthusiasts seeking versatile workouts to individuals in need of tailored rehabilitation, all aimed at fostering comprehensive muscle development and optimizing overall physical well-being.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structures embodying various embodiments of the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.
This disclosure claims the benefit of the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/510,697 entitled “Wings Shoes” and filed on Jun. 28, 2023. The above-identified application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
