MODERN DANCE SHOE

Abstract

Embodiments relate generally to footwear for dancers performing modern dance. In particular, embodiments relate to modern dance footwear comprising an enclosed toe portion to surround the forefoot, and a form-fitting section to surround much of the hindfoot, having a heel strap. A particular embodiment relates to dance footwear to be worn on a human foot comprising: a fabric tube formed of an elastic first material to receive and partially cover the midfoot and hindfoot, the tube comprising a heel end and an opposite midfoot end; a forefoot portion formed of a second material different from the first material to receive and enclose the ball of the foot and the toes, the forefoot portion comprising a toe end and an opposite midfoot end, wherein the midfoot end of the forefoot portion is coupled to the midfoot end of the fabric tube; and at least one floor-engaging forefoot pad disposed on the forefoot portion to underlie a ball of the foot. The tube defines first and second openings at the heel end and a heel strap to extend around the Achilles tendon of the heel between the first and second openings and thereby retain the footwear on the foot.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2013901936 filed on 30 May 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Any and all priority claims identified in the Application Data Sheet, or any corrections thereto, are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Described embodiments relate generally to footwear for dancers performing modern dance. In particular, embodiments relate to modern dance footwear comprising an enclosed toe portion to surround the forefoot, and a form-fitting section to surround much of the hindfoot, having a heel strap.

BACKGROUND

Dancers performing modern dance, which is also called contemporary dance, often perform in bare feet. However, over the course of hours of rehearsal and practice, the bare feet of the dancer frequently drag across the floor. For parts of the foot that are not calloused, such as those areas that do not contact the ground during walking, such dragging contact with the floor can end up removing skin and be a source of discomfort. In addition to this, bare toes can often become twisted during the movement of the foot across the ground, and toes may be dislocated or broken when unprotected. Dancers performing modern dance also perform a variety of spinning, turning or rotating moves on the ball of the foot that are difficult to execute in bare feet because of the coefficient of friction of human skin against normal dance surfaces.

Some dancers wear a suede or cloth pad on the ball of the foot to alleviate some of the discomfort of dancing in bare feet. These pads are usually held in place by a number of elastic straps. However, these still leave the toes vulnerable, and are often easily displaced from the foot. Some dancers wear a half ballet slipper which covers the entire toe area, but these have no support for the mid-section or arch area of the foot and they are secured to the foot with a series of straps, which are prone to moving around and slipping off the ankle.

It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more shortcomings or disadvantages associated with prior footwear for modern dance, or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments relate to dance footwear to be worn on a human foot comprising:

• • a fabric tube formed of an elastic first material to receive and partially cover the midfoot and hindfoot, the tube comprising a heel end and an opposite midfoot end;
  • a forefoot portion formed of a second material different from the first material to receive and enclose the ball of the foot and the toes, the forefoot portion comprising a toe end and an opposite midfoot end, wherein the midfoot end of the forefoot portion is coupled to the midfoot end of the fabric tube; and
  • at least one floor-engaging forefoot pad disposed on the forefoot portion to underlie a ball of the foot;
  • wherein the tube defines first and second openings at the heel end and a heel strap to extend around the Achilles tendon of the heel between the first and second openings and thereby retain the footwear on the foot.

The first material may comprise a medical-grade compressive sock material. The second material may comprise a more durable material than the elastic first material. The second material may comprise an elastic material. The second material may comprise a stretch canvas.

Alternatively, the second material may comprise a non-stretch material. The second material may comprise a canvas or leather material.

The heel strap may comprise first and second strap portions that are continuous with the tube and are joined together at a position substantially overlying the Achilles tendon. The first and second strap portions may be stitched together.

The first material of the tube may be seamless where it overlies the midfoot. Alternatively, the tube may have a single seam where it overlies the midfoot.

The at least one forefoot pad may have an irregular shape sized to extend underneath at least some metatarsal bones of the foot but not the tarsal bones. The at least one forefoot pad may have a medial portion and a lateral portion to respectively underlie medial and lateral parts of the ball of the foot. The lateral portion may extend posteriorly to a substantially greater extent than the medial portion.

The at least one forefoot pad may comprise a single pad. Alternatively, the at least one forefoot pad may comprise separate medial and lateral pads. The at least one forefoot pad may be stitched to the forefoot portion. The at least one forefoot pad may comprise a suede material.

The first opening may be sized to allow the calcaneus to be substantially uncovered by the first material. The second opening may be sized to allow the base of the tibia and fibula to be substantially uncovered by the first material and may be sized so that the elastic first material covers less than all of the talus. The first material may extend posteriorly of the at least one forefoot pad to overlie most or all of the arches of the foot.

The tube may be mostly single-layered except for the at least one forefoot pad. The tube and the forefoot portion may have a substantially lower coefficient of friction relative to a dance floor than the at least one forefoot pad has relative to the same dance floor.

The first material and the second material may be selected to readily permit sliding of the first material over a dance floor and to have a substantially lower coefficient of friction relative to the dance floor than that of human skin.

The forefoot portion may be coupled to the tube by a stitched seam. The stitched seam may be elastic. The footwear may further comprise elastic trim applied to sections of any one or more of the forefoot portion and the tube. The forefoot portion may be formed of a unitary piece of the second material. The forefoot portion may be coupled to the tube at an area adjacent to a metatarsal region of the foot of a wearer of the footwear when the wearer is wearing a size of the footwear that corresponds to a related size of the foot of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments are described in further detail below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front and side perspective view of footwear according to some embodiments, shown on feet in a pointe position;

FIG. 2A is a bottom view of the footwear of FIG. 1, shown in a flattened form;

FIG. 2B is a top perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 1, shown in a flattened form;

FIG. 3 is a front and side perspective view of footwear according to some alternative embodiments, shown on feet in a pointe position;

FIG. 4A is a bottom view of the footwear of FIG. 3, shown in a flattened form;

FIG. 4B is a top perspective view of the footwear of FIG. 3, shown in a flattened form;

FIG. 5A is a plan view of the footwear of FIG. 1 in one stage of manufacture of the footwear;

FIG. 5B is a plan view of the footwear of FIG. 1 in another stage of manufacture of the footwear; and

FIG. 5C is a plan view of the footwear of FIG. 1 having been transformed into the footwear at a final stage of manufacture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Described embodiments relate generally to footwear for dancers performing modern dance. In particular, embodiments relate to modern dance footwear comprising an enclosed toe portion to surround the forefoot, and a form-fitting section to surround much of the hindfoot, having a heel strap.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4B, embodiments of the dance footwear 100 are shown and described in further detail. Footwear 100 is particularly intended for use by dancers performing modern dance, where it is common to practice, rehearse or perform in bare feet. Footwear 100 is intended to provide protection to the skin of the foot from rubbing or abrasion against the floor or other surfaces, and to provide a degree of arch and ankle support, compression around the midfoot, and protection of the toes, while retaining the barefoot aesthetics of the foot.

Although the term footwear is used herein in relation to the described embodiments, footwear 100 may alternatively be termed as a light shoe, foot covering, slipper, stocking or sock, or alternatively as a type of glove for a foot.

The footwear 100 is formed of an enclosed fabric or leather forefoot portion 120 and a fabric tube 110 formed of a continuous elastic material, joined together by a seam portion 115 at the region that would sit adjacent the metatarsals of the foot when worn, and together adapted to receive and partially cover the foot. Seam portion 115 may comprise one or multiple seam joins, which may include stitch seams, and may be overlayed with an elastic portion or strip to strengthen and neaten the appearance of the join. Seam portion 115 may also be described as a joining portion that joins the forefoot portion 120 and the fabric tube 110, which may or may not involve a direct joining of those parts together. For convenient reference, seam portion 115 is referred to herein as seam 115, although it may include more than a simple seam and may allow the joining or connection of footwear materials by more than just stitches.

Forefoot portion 120 comprises upper 125 and forefoot pad 130. Upper 125 is shaped such that, when worn, it wraps around the forefoot laterally and forms a seam 112 under the arch of the foot, with the distal portion of upper 125 folding underneath the toes to form pleated section 128, which is attached to forefoot pad 130. The forefoot portion 120 effectively provides a forefoot sole on its underside where the forefoot pad 130 is located. Upper 125 may be formed of a stretch material such as stretch canvas, stretch nylon or stretch denim, or of a non-stretch material such as canvas or leather, for example. Suede may additionally or alternatively be used to form part or all of upper 125, since it has soft and somewhat forgiving (slightly stretching) material characteristics. Forefoot pad 130 has a floor-engaging surface with a lower coefficient of friction being more suited for spinning, turning or rotating than the skin of the ball of the foot, while still retaining the traction required to avoid unintentional slipping of the foot on the floor.

The tube 110 may be seamless (as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B, 5A, 5B and 5C) or have one or two side seams, for example. The tube 110 may alternatively have an underside seam 118, as depicted in FIG. 3, 4A and 4B. The tube 110 may be formed of a medical grade compressive sock or stocking material, for example such as a Nylon-Spandex (elastane) material. Other suitable elastic materials for fabric tube 110 may comprise lycra, lycra mesh, neoprene cotton lycra mesh and nylon mesh, for example. Whichever material is used to form fabric tube 110, it should be woven with fibres of selected strength and elasticity to closely and snugly fit the contours of the foot in a way that provides a degree of compression to support the foot and promote (or at least not significantly hinder) blood flow. The fit of footwear 100 should not permit significant or visible puckering, sagging or looseness across any part of the foot.

Footwear 100 is intended to be form-fitting and snug and may be provided in a variety of sizes to accommodate different foot sizes. Generally, footwear 100 is designed to elastically expand somewhat in width and length as it is fitted onto a dancer's foot. The degree of elasticity of the tube material is selected (for an appropriate foot size) to provide a degree of compression that does not hinder blood flow in the foot or make the dancer uncomfortable when worn for a period of time in the order of a few hours. The forefoot portion material is selected to be durable in order to provide protection to the foot, but flexible enough to conform to the foot and is, in one embodiment of the invention, selected to have a degree of elasticity to provide for a close fit to the foot. For the most comfort to the wearer, any stitching or seams in footwear 100 should also have a degree of elasticity to allow them to conform to the foot.

Two items of footwear 100 are generally intended to be worn on the dancer's feet. In some embodiments, footwear 100 is symmetrical, so that a pair of identical items of footwear 100 is worn on the feet and each item of footwear 100 can be worn on either foot. In other embodiments, footwear 100 is asymmetrical, with each foot having footwear 100 in opposed left and right forms.

When worn on the foot, footwear 100 encloses the toes and extends back across the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the foot, including covering the phalanges, the metatarsal bones, most or all of the tarsal bones and most or all of the arches of the foot. The dorsal part of the foot is covered by a dorsal portion 140 of the tube 110 and the plantar portion of the foot is covered by a plantar portion 150 of the tube 110, while the toes and ball of the foot are covered by forefoot portion 120 at toe end 102 of footwear 100.

Seam 115 joining tube 110 to forefoot portion 120 is curved around forefoot pad 130 at plantar portion 150 of footwear 100, to allow forefoot pad 130 to be attached to forefoot portion 120. Seam 115 is positioned to generally lie under the arch of the foot of the wearer in a position that would generally avoid or minimally contact the floor when the foot is in a flat standing position, so that seam 115 is not felt by the wearer or at least does not impinge uncomfortably on the wearer's foot. Where the plantar portion 150 meets dorsal portion 140 (i.e. on medial and lateral sides of the foot), seam 115 is further positioned to avoid the area of the foot where the metatarsals join the phalanges.

Generally seam 115 is positioned to not extend over areas of flexion of the foot and areas where the foot would contact the floor. At the dorsal portion 140, seam 115 curves back towards the toes of the wearer. This produces an aesthetically pleasing line while maximising the portion of the foot covered by tube 110, allowing the compressive benefits of tube 110 to be applied to a significant portion of the foot of the wearer. In some embodiments, in order to maximise comfort and aesthetics, seam 110 will have an “S” shaped appearance when viewed from the side, as best shown in FIG. 5B, wherein the seam 115 curves convexly towards the heel of the foot at the plantar portion 150 and convexly towards the toes at dorsal portion 140.

Footwear 100 has heel and ankle openings at an opposite heel end 104 of footwear 100. The heel and ankle openings are defined by overlocking elastic material extending along opposed edges 162, 161 respectively, between which extends a heel strap 160. Heel strap 160 is preferably a continuous strap, stitched together from two strap portions at the back by stitches 163 (see FIG. 4). Heel strap 160 is arranged to extend along a generally longitudinal direction and to easily stretch and overlie the Achilles tendon above the calcaneus. The width of the heel strap 160 may be around 0.8-2.5 cm, for example, when lying flat across the Achilles tendon as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B.

The tube 110 is designed to stretch so that the heel and ankle openings allow much of the ankle and heel to remain uncovered. For example, the heel opening allows the area of the heel around the calcaneus to remain uncovered so that when the dancer is standing flat, the heel contacts the floor and provides grip and positional stability. If the heel opening is too small, the amount of contact between the heel and the floor would be diminished and the dancer may experience grip and stability problems during movement. The ankle opening is intended to allow the base of the tibia and fibula, as well as some or all of the talus, to remain uncovered. This avoids the edge of the opening being positioned at parts of the ankle that frequently flex, so that the flexible overlocking material at the edges around the ankle opening does not rub or abrade the skin at those parts.

The heel and ankle openings may be sized to be approximately the same size when the footwear 100 is not being worn, but are intended to be able to stretch in different ways to accommodate the shape of a heel 165 and ankle 167 when the footwear 100 is fitted onto a person's foot.

A forefoot pad 130 is formed on the plantar portion of the forefoot portion, positioned to correspond with the ball of the foot where it contacts the floor. Forefoot pad 130 may be formed as one piece of fabric, such as suede or similar fabrics. Forefoot pad 130 may alternatively comprise separate medial and lateral pad portions (not shown) of suede or frictionally similar fabrics. For ease of illustration, a unitary forefoot pad 130 is described and depicted in the drawings, although some variation in the exact size, shape and proportions of forefoot pad 130 is intended to be encompassed by the described embodiments.

Forefoot pad 130 may have a rounded diamond shape, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 4A. In some embodiments, forefoot pad 130 is intended to provide support under the medial and lateral metatarsophalangeal joints, as well as the lateral metatarsals, while not extending substantially under the arches of the foot. In one embodiment, forefoot pad 130 has a medial portion and a lateral portion (as shown in FIG. 4 of WO 2012/021919, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference), with the lateral portion extending more posteriorly (and roughly in alignment with the lateral metatarsals) than the medial portion. In other embodiments, forefoot pad 130 may have an oval shape.

For the depicted embodiments in which forefoot pad 130 comprises a layer of material, such material may be stitched by stiches 132 to a part of the forefoot portion that is to underlie the ball of the foot, as shown in FIG. 1. Alternative embodiments, such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, may involve the forefoot pad being adhered, embedded or impregnated into the forefoot portion material. Such alternative embodiments may employ a non-fabric material, such as a curable plastic or resin, that has frictional characteristics that provide less grip than human skin but more grip than the forefoot portion (upper) material. In further embodiments, the fabric forefoot pad may be combined with a non-fabric material disposed on the floor-engaging surface to provide selected characteristics of support, grip and/or cushioning.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, a method of manufacturing footwear 100 is described in further detail. FIG. 5A shows a plan view of a tube of material 411 in a state 410 of partial formation into footwear 100. In state 410, a section of forefoot portion 120 has been formed into pleated section 128, and forefoot pad 130 has been stitched by stitches 132 or otherwise fixed to pleated portion 128 and to the area of forefoot portion 120 roughly adjacent to, but posterior of, the toe portion 120. In some embodiments, toe portion 120 is formed into pleated section 128 by shaping canvas, denim, or other suitable material around a shoe last. This allows toe portion 120 to be formed into the shape of a forefoot. In the illustrated embodiment, forefoot portion has been joined together underneath forefoot pad 130 by seam 112. Also, prior to state 410, tube material 411 was stitched to forefoot portion 120 at seam 115, and elastic trim was overlayed to cover seam 115. Tube 411 may be manufactured as an endless, seamless straight tube using existing equipment, as in the illustrated embodiment.

In state 410, tube 411 has a straight rear edge 412 and is flattened to define a first side edge 413 and an opposed second side edge 414 adjacent the rear edge 412. At this stage, rear edge 412 defines an opening bounded by the endless band (in lateral cross-section) of the tube material.

FIG. 5B shows a further state 420 of partial manufacture of footwear 100, following stitching of the tube fabric 411 to itself using stitches 163 along a central portion of rear edge 412, thereby at least partially closing off the opening at the rear end, and transforming fabric tube 411 into fabric tube 110. Stitches 163 are made adjacent at least the centre part of the rear edge 412 and any excess material rearward of the stitching may be trimmed.

Also in state 420, portions of the tube 110 have been cut away from each lateral side and the side edges exposed by the cutting are overlocked with an elastic material, for example comprising elastic thread, and optionally covered with a suitably elastic trim. This cutting effectively defines a heel opening (extending from rear edge 412 to side edge 413) within edge 162 and an ankle opening (extending from rear edge 412 to side edge 414) within edge 161. Strap 160 extends between the heel and ankle openings and has first and second heel strap portions (only one of which is visible in FIG. 5B) coupled together by stitches 163. In alternative embodiments, other means of affixing the heel strap portions together may be used.

As is visible in FIG. 5B, the cuts of the fabric tube 110 used to form the heel and arch opening are curved, extending from the rear edge 412 to the respective closest adjacent side edge 413 or 414. The edges 162, 161 of the heel and arch openings thus extend between about a quarter and a half of the total length of the footwear. The length of the cuts is dictated by the desired size of the openings and the desired coverage of the foot by the flexible tube material.

As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the cuts along edges 161, 162 may be generally asymmetrical with respect to a longitudinal centre line extending through stitches 163 along each lateral side of the footwear 100 and the ankle opening 161 may be formed to be slightly larger than heel opening 162. Alternatively, the cuts along edges 161, 162 may be generally symmetrical, thereby defining heel and ankle openings of about the same dimensions when not worn on a foot, and relying on greater stretch of the flexible tube material 110 around the ankle opening compared to the heel opening.

FIG. 5C shows a further state 430 of manufacture, in which the partially formed footwear in state 420 is rolled or folded into an orientation that is 90 degrees from the state 420. Thus, the state 430 shows the tube 110, with forefoot portion 120, forefoot pad 130 and the openings defined by edges 161, 162 being generally longitudinally aligned. If the heel and arch openings are of roughly the same size, then the openings will also be substantially laterally aligned in state 430.

Advantages associated with the use of medical-grade compressive stocking material for the described footwear embodiments include at least the following:

1. Support: the medical-grade compressive stocking material of footwear 100 may reduce the chance of a muscle tear from vibration and limit soft tissue damage. This helps to protect the dancer against injury and to decrease muscle soreness caused from exercise

2. Blood Circulation: the medical-grade compressive stocking material of footwear 100 may reduce the amount of blood pooling in the extremities and aids in encouraging blood flow from the foot back to the heart. This improves oxygenation and can give the dancer a feeling of having more energy in the feet and legs. This action can also reduce the feeling of tired and aching legs and feet.

3. Reduced Toxins: the medical-grade compressive stocking material of footwear 100 may reduce the accumulation of toxins in the blood stream due to increased blood circulation. This is important to dancers as it facilities muscle recovery during and after exercise. Because of this, dancers can be advised to wear the footwear 100 during rest periods.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Claims

1. Dance footwear to be worn on a human foot comprising: a fabric tube formed of an elastic first material to receive and partially cover the midfoot and hindfoot, the tube comprising a heel end and an opposite midfoot end;a forefoot portion formed of a second material different from the first material to receive and enclose the ball of the foot and the toes, the forefoot portion comprising a toe end and an opposite midfoot end, wherein the midfoot end of the forefoot portion is coupled to the midfoot end of the fabric tube; andat least one floor-engaging forefoot pad disposed on the forefoot portion to underlie a ball of the foot;wherein the tube defines first and second openings at the heel end and a heel strap to extend around the Achilles tendon of the heel between the first and second openings and thereby retain the footwear on the foot.

2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a medical-grade compressive sock material.

3. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a more durable material than the elastic first material.

4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises an elastic material.

5. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material is a stretch canvas.

6. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a non-stretch material.

7. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a canvas or leather material.

8. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the heel strap comprises first and second strap portions that are continuous with the tube and are joined together at a position substantially overlying the Achilles tendon.

9. The footwear of claim 8, wherein the first and second strap portions are stitched together.

10. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the first material of the tube is seamless where it overlies the midfoot.

11. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the tube has a single seam where it overlies the midfoot.

12. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one forefoot pad has an irregular shape sized to extend underneath at least some metatarsal bones of the foot but not the tarsal bones.

13. The footwear of claim 12, wherein the at least one forefoot pad has a medial portion and a lateral portion to respectively underlie medial and lateral parts of the ball of the foot.

14. The footwear of claim 13, wherein the lateral portion extends posteriorly to a substantially greater extent than the medial portion.

15. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one forefoot pad comprises a single pad.

16. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one forefoot pad comprises separate medial and lateral pads.

17. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one forefoot pad is stitched to the forefoot portion.

18. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the at least one forefoot pad comprises a suede material.

19. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the first opening is sized to allow the calcaneus to be substantially uncovered by the first material.

20. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the second opening is sized to allow the base of the tibia and fibula to be substantially uncovered by the first material and is sized so that the elastic first material covers less than all of the talus.

21. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the first material extends posteriorly of the at least one forefoot pad to overlie most or all of the arches of the foot.

22. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the tube is mostly single-layered except for the at least one forefoot pad.

23. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the tube and the forefoot portion have a substantially lower coefficient of friction relative to a dance floor than the at least one forefoot pad has relative to the same dance floor.

24. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the first material and the second material are selected to readily permit sliding of the first material over a dance floor and to have a substantially lower coefficient of friction relative to the dance floor than that of human skin.

25. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the forefoot portion is coupled to the tube by a stitched seam.

26. The footwear of claim 25, wherein the stitched seam is elastic.

27. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the footwear further comprises elastic trim applied to sections of any one or more of the forefoot portion and the tube.

28. The footwear of claims 1, wherein the forefoot portion is formed of a unitary piece of the second material.

29. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the forefoot portion is coupled to the tube at an area adjacent to a metatarsal region of the foot of a wearer of the footwear when the wearer is wearing a size of the footwear that corresponds to a related size of the foot of the wearer.