Claims
- 1. A ground contacting system comprising at least one 3D deformation element designed to attachably engage an underside of a sole where the element cushions foot impact, dissipates the energy associated with foot impact, reduces the peak force associated with foot impact three dimensionally, and allows for a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole relative to a ground contacting zone of the element when the element is in direct contact with a ground surface in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact which reduces joint moments associated with foot impact.
- 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wrap-up 3D deformation element attachably engaged to an underside sole having a portion parallel to the underside of the sole and having a second portion wrapping up and extending above the sole an amount sufficient to cushion lateral and/or side foot impact, to enhance stability, to inhibit rollover, to dissipate the energy associated with foot impact, to reduce force transference three dimensionally, and to allow a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole and/or shoe relative to a ground contacting zone of the element in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact.
- 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one side element attachably engaged to a side of the sole plurality of and extending above the sole an amount sufficient to cushion lateral and/or side foot impact, to enhance stability, to inhibit rollover, to dissipate the energy associated with foot impact, to reduce force transference three dimensionally, and to allow a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole and/or shoe relative to a ground contacting zone of the element in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact.
- 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first plurality of 3D deformation elements associated with the underside of the sole.
- 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of wrap-up 3D deformation elements associated with the underside of the sole and extending onto the upper.
- 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third plurality of 3D deformation elements associated with a lower part of the upper.
- 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the element has greater vertical deformation than horizontal deformation.
- 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the element has greater horizontal deformation than vertical deformation.
- 9. A shoe comprising an upper, a sole, and a ground-contacting system attachably engaged to an undersurface of the sole, where the ground-contacting system comprising at least one 3D deformation element designed to attachably engage an underside of a sole where the element cushions foot impact, dissipates the energy associated with foot impact, reduces the peak force associated with foot impact three dimensionally, and allows for a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole relative to a ground contacting zone of the element when the element is in direct contact with a ground surface in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact which reduces joint moments associated with foot impact.
- 10. The shoe of claim 9, further comprising at least one wrap-up 3D deformation element attachably engaged to an underside sole having a portion parallel to the underside of the sole and having a second portion wrapping up and extending above the sole an amount sufficient to cushion lateral and/or side foot impact, to enhance stability, to inhibit rollover, to dissipate the energy associated with foot impact, to reduce force transference three dimensionally, and to allow a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole and/or shoe relative to a ground contacting zone of the element in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact.
- 11. The shoe of claim 10, further comprising at least one side element attachably engaged to a side of the sole plurality of and extending above the sole an amount sufficient to cushion lateral and/or side foot impact, to enhance stability, to inhibit rollover, to dissipate the energy associated with foot impact, to reduce force transference three dimensionally, and to allow a slight, but measurable displacement of the sole and/or shoe relative to a ground contacting zone of the element in the direction of an applied force associated with foot impact.
- 12. The shoe of claim 9, further comprising a first plurality of 3D deformation elements associated with the underside of the sole.
- 13. The shoe of claim 9, further comprising a second plurality of wrap-up 3D deformation elements associated with the underside of the sole and extending onto the upper.
- 14. The shoe of claim 9, further comprising a third plurality of 3D deformation elements associated with a lower part of the upper.
- 15. The shoe of claim 9, wherein the element has greater vertical deformation than horizontal deformation.
- 16. The shoe of claim 9, wherein the element has greater horizontal deformation than vertical deformation.
- 17. The shoe of claim 9, wherein the sole comprising:
a sole member having an outer surface for contacting the ground, and an inner surface for contacting the foot of the wearer; the outer surface having a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a calcaneus of the foot of the wearer, a midtarsal portion at a location substantially corresponding to a midtarsal of the foot of the wearer, and a forefoot portion, the sole member also having a medial side and a lateral side; the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of the first distal phalange, a rear medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of a first metatarsal of the foot of the wearer, and a rear lateral forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of a fifth metatarsal of the foot of the wearer; the midtarsal portion being between the forefoot and heel portions, and having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of a fifth metatarsal of the foot of the wearer; the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus of the foot of the wearer, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of the calcaneus of the foot of the wearer; the sole containing a convexly rounded bulge at at least one of the medial heel part, the lateral heel part, the forward medial forefoot part, the rear medial forefoot part, the rear lateral forefoot part, and the lateral midtarsal part, the bulges projecting convexly from at least one of the outer surface, the medial side and the lateral side of the sole member.
- 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the sole comprising:
a sole member including an outsole and a midsole, the sole member having an outer surface for contacting the ground, and an inner surface for contacting the foot of the wearer; the outer surface having a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a calcaneus of the foot of the wearer, a midtarsal portion at a location substantially corresponding to a midtarsal of the foot of the wearer, and a forefoot portion, the sole member also having a medial side and a lateral side; the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of the first distal phalange, a rear medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of a first metatarsal of the foot of the wearer, and a rear lateral forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of a fifth metatarsal of the foot of the wearer; the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of a fifth metatarsal of the foot of the wearer; the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus of the foot of the wearer, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of the calcaneus of the foot of the wearer; sole member being contoured at the inner surface so that the sole member extends upwardly at at least one of the lateral and medial side to form a contour for contacting at least part of a side of the foot of the wearer, the contour comprising at least the midsole of the sole member extending upwardly at at least one of the lateral and medial sides for conforming with at least part of a side of the foot of the wearer and for forming the outer surface at the lateral or medial sides of the sole member.
- 19. The shoe of claim 9, wherein only the midsole of the sole member forms the contour.
- 20. A method for three dimensional reduction of force transference and dissipating energy associated with foot impact at contact surfaces between a shoe and a ground surface comprising the steps bringing a shoe including an upper, a sole, and a ground-contacting system having 3D deformation elements where the ground-contacting system is attached to an undersurface of the sole in contact with a ground surface and allowing the 3D elements to deform in response to foot impact three dimensionally to reduce force transference to a wearer's foot and to reduce joint moments associated with foot impact.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/327,461 filed Oct. 21, 1994 and (2) PCT Patent Application designating the U.S. Ser. No. PCT/PE 95/01128 filed Aug. 21, 1995.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08701827 |
Aug 1996 |
US |
Child |
09796157 |
Feb 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08327461 |
Oct 1994 |
US |
Child |
08701827 |
Aug 1996 |
US |