SHOE

Abstract

A shoe with a curved rocker bottom sole member with an H-shaped pad that is decoupled from the sole member. The shoe promotes a mid-foot region footstrike and a more even distribution of pressure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to athletic shoes and, in particular, a shoe that provides more efficient and natural running by promoting a mid-foot region—rather than a heel region—footstrike (i.e., the place where the foot first strikes the ground during the gait cycle) and a more even distribution of pressure which, in turn, leads to greater running efficiency. All of this is achieved by combining a rocker bottom curved sole member with an H-shaped pad which is placed within, but decoupled from, the sole member.

2. Description of Related Art

Prior art shoes have encouraged users to land on their heels first and transition to their toes during running, thereby putting the center of pressure and thus the most pressure and load on the heel region of the foot when it first strikes the ground. That is not the most efficient or natural motion for running Striking in the heel region of the foot leads to poor shock absorption, slower running, over-striding, wasted energy and poor form. Prior art shoes have attempted to mimic a more natural motion by adding heel clefts, crash pads, posts and cushioning devices such as air bags, etc. However, there have been no prior art shoes with a rocker bottom curved sole member combined with a specialized decoupled H-shaped pad.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe that promotes a mid-foot strike, moves the center of pressure of the foot strike forward to the mid-foot region, and has a more even distribution of pressure, so as to enable a more natural motion and greater efficiency during running

The present invention achieves this objective by combining a rocker bottom curved sole member with an H-shaped pad that is decoupled from the sole member. This configuration results in the user first striking the ground during the gait cycle in the mid-foot region (rather than in the heel region as with conventional shoes) and pressure being more evenly dispersed.

The shoe comprises an upper and a sole member, each having a medial side and a lateral side. The medial side is the side closest to the user's opposite leg (and the same side as the user's big toe) and the lateral side is the side that is opposite the medial side, away from the user's other leg (and the same side as the user's small toe). The outsole may also be integrated into or be part of the midsole. In the preferred embodiment, the outsole is integrated and is part of the midsole. The midsole/outsole combination is therefore described with reference to the surface that contacts the ground as the sole member. The upper, midsole and outsole each has a front-most point and a rearmost point substantially opposite the front-most point. As the terms imply, each front-most point (or front tip) is closer to the user's toes than each rearmost point and correspondingly each rearmost point (or rear tip) is closer to the user's heel than each front-most point.

The upper and sole member each has a forefoot region. The forefoot region includes the region that extends substantially from the medial side to the lateral side at a location that begins in the vicinity of the front tip of the shoe and extends from there to a location that is approximately one third of the distance toward the rear tip of the shoe.

The upper and sole member each has a heel region. The heel region includes the region that extends substantially from the medial side to the lateral side at a location that begins in the vicinity of the rear tip of the shoe and extends from there to a location that is approximately one third of the distance toward the front tip of the shoe.

The upper and sole member each has a mid-foot region. The mid-foot region includes the region that extends substantially from the medial side to the lateral side at a location that extends approximately between the forefoot region and heel region.

The sole member has a rocker bottom curved shape. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes a sole member that, when no load is applied, curves continuously upward in a direction toward the upper beginning at a location near the mid-foot region of the sole member and ending at a location near the rearmost point (or rear tip) of the sole member. When the shoe is unloaded in its normal position on the ground, a substantial portion of the mid-foot region of the sole member contacts the ground whereas the other portions do not contact the ground.

A plate may also be present within the sole member. In the embodiments of the shoe, different plates, placed within the sole member may contribute to help disperse and diffuse pressure on the foot. The plate is usually placed in a portion of the mid-foot region of the sole member and/or a portion of the mid-foot region to the heel region of the sole member. However, the plate may extend the entire length of the sole member. The plate may be a flat member or a uniquely shaped member comprised of thermoplastic polyurethane, carbon fiber, aluminum or another rigid material.

The sole member has an H-shaped pad that is decoupled from the rest of the sole member. It may be decoupled by being a completely separate piece of the sole member or the sole member may be extruded and have fissures that allow the H-shaped pad to be decoupled. Regardless of whether it is completely separated from the rest of the sole member or not, the H-shaped pad is an independent unit that maintains its shape and position when the forefoot region or heel region of the sole member is flexed.

The H-shape is due to the fact that the pad is comprised of two legs that extend longitudinally along the lateral and medial parts of the sole member and are connected by a strip of material or “bridge” that extends transversely across the sole member, thus creating an “H-shape”. The H-shaped pad is placed in a portion of the mid-foot region of the sole member toward the heel region.

The combined effect of the rocker bottom shape and decoupled H-shaped pad is a mid-foot region (rather than heel region) footstrike and a more even distribution of pressure during the gait cycle which, in turn, leads to greater running efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

By way of example only, selected embodiments and aspects of the present invention are described below. Each such description refers to a particular figure (“FIG.”) which shows the described matter. All such figures are shown in drawings that accompany this specification. Each such figure includes one or more reference numbers that identify one or more part(s) or element(s) of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view of a foot pressure chart that illustrates how pressure is dispersed in a prior art shoe.

FIG. 1A is a depiction of how the foot strikes in a prior art shoe.

FIG. 2 is a view of a foot pressure chart that illustrates how pressure is dispersed according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a depiction of how the foot strikes according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the H-shaped pad.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the H-shaped pad in a preferred configuration in a sole member.

FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the sole member.

FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the sole member.

FIG. 5C is a top plan view of an embodiment of the sole member.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the sole member of the present invention

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of an alternative embodiment of the invention along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to properly understand the invention, prior art shoes must be examined, specifically, the pressure on the bottom of the foot due to the footstrike pattern induced by the shoe. FIG. 1 shows the pressure on the bottom of the feet 100 during the footstrike. The bottom of the feet 100 contains individual circles 104. Each individual circle 104 represents pressure on the bottom of the feet 100. The darker the circle, the greater the pressure. The lines 102 show the direction of the movement of the center of pressure which begins in the heel region 110 and progresses towards the mid-foot region 108 and then moves to the forefoot region 106.

FIG. 1A is a depiction of how the footstrike occurs in a prior art shoe. The heel region 110 has a relatively large angle formed by the intersection of a longitudinal line from heel to toe and the ground. The shoe touches the ground 130 first in the heel region 110, then in the mid-foot region 108, and finally in the forefoot region 106.

As seen in FIG. 1, the greatest pressure occurs at the heel region 110 and the forefoot region 106 as the center of pressure moves along line 102. During footstrike, when the foot first impacts the ground, the center of pressure is in the heel region and therefore the most pressure is also placed on the heel region. This is not ideal for proper running and puts undue pressure on the heel and the surrounding joints.

FIG. 2 shows the pressure on the bottom of the feet 200 during footstrike for the invention. The bottom of the feet 200 contains individual circles 204. Each individual circle 204 represents pressure on the bottom of the feet 200. The darker the circle, the greater the pressure. The lines 202 show the direction of the movement of the center of pressure as the user lands in the mid-foot region 208 and then transitions to the toe-off in the forefoot region 206. FIG. 2A is a depiction of how the footstrike occurs in the invention, with the shoe contacting the ground first in the mid-foot region 208 and then in the forefoot region 206.

As seen in FIG. 2, the greatest pressure occurs at the mid-foot region 208 to the forefoot region 206 as the center of pressure moves along line 202. During footstrike, when the foot first impacts the ground, the center of pressure is in the mid-foot region and therefore the most pressure is also placed on the mid-foot region rather than the heel region. This is ideal for proper running and diffuses the pressure more evenly across the foot.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the H-shaped pad 300. The H-shaped appearance is due to the fact that the pad 300 is comprised of two legs 302 that extend longitudinally along the lateral and medial parts of the sole member. The legs are connected by a strip of material or bridge 304 that extends transversely across the sole member, thus creating an H-shape. The H-shaped pad 300 is placed in a portion of the mid-foot region 208 to the heel region 210.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the H-shaped pad 300 placed in the appropriate location in the mid-foot region 208 to the heel region 210 of the sole member 410 of the invention. The H-shaped pad 300 is decoupled from the rest of the sole member 410.

FIG. 5A is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the sole member 410. FIG. 5A shows the H-shaped pad 300 decoupled from the sole member 410. In this embodiment, the H-shaped pad 300 is not completely separated from the rest of the sole member 410 but is decoupled from it by fissures 502. However, in other embodiments, the H-shaped pad 300 may be completely separated from the sole member 410. The H-shaped pad 300, due to it being decoupled from the sole member 410, is an independent unit that maintains its shape and position even when the forefoot region or heel region of the sole member is flexed.

FIG. 5A also shows the rocker bottom curved shape of the sole member 410. As shown, the sole member 410 curves upwardly in a direction toward the upper (not shown) beginning at a location near the mid-foot region 208 and ending at a location near the rearmost point of the heel region 210. The combined effect of the rocker bottom shape of the sole member 410 and the H-shaped pad 300 is a mid-foot region (rather than heel region) footstrike and a more even distribution of pressure during the gait cycle which, in turn, leads to greater running efficiency.

FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the sole member. FIG. 5B depicts the fissures 502 completely separating the H-shaped pad 300 from the sole member 410, thus showing an alternative of how the H-shaped pad may be decoupled.

FIG. 5C shows a top plan view of an embodiment of the sole member 410. The H-shaped pad 300 is shown in phantom because it is on the bottom of the sole member 410. The line 6-6 is a cross section of the sole member 410.

A plate 504 is also shown in FIG. 5C. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the plate 504 is placed in the middle of the sole member 410. The plate allows pressure to be further diffused across the sole member 410. The plate is placed in a region in the vicinity of the mid-foot region 208 and may extend to a region in the vicinity of the heel region 210. In alternative embodiments, the plate may extend the entire length of the sole member 410. The plate 504 is shown in phantom because it is located in the center of the sole member 410.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the invention along line 6-6. It shows the sole member 410 with fissures 502 that decouple the H-shaped pad 300 from the sole member 410.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the sole member 710. As seen, the plate 704 extends from a portion of the mid-foot region 708 to a portion of the heel region 710.

FIG. 8 is a cross section along line 8-8 of the sole member shown in FIG. 7. It shows the sole member 710 with fissures 802 that decouple the H-shaped pad 300 from the sole member 710.

As can be seen in the figures and as described above, the present invention uses a sole member with a curved rocker bottom and a decoupled H-shaped pad to promote a mid-foot region (rather than heel region) footstrike and a more even distribution of pressure, which, in turn, leads to greater running efficiency.

While the foregoing detailed description sets forth selected embodiments of the present invention, the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. The claims that follow herein collectively cover the foregoing embodiments. The following claims further encompass additional embodiments that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shoe having an upper and sole member wherein said sole member comprises: a front tip, a rear tip, a forefoot region, a mid-foot region, a heel region, a lateral side and medial side, wherein said sole member has a curvature that curves upwardly towards the upper from a portion of the mid-foot region to the rear tip; anda pad located in the mid-foot region to the heel region of the sole member.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the pad is H-shaped and extends substantially from the lateral side of the sole member to the medial side of the sole member.

3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein the pad is decoupled from the sole member.

4. The shoe of claim 1 further comprising a rigid plate.

5. A shoe having an upper and sole member wherein said sole member comprises: a front tip, a rear tip, a forefoot region, a mid-foot region, a heel region, a lateral side and medial side, wherein said sole member has a curvature that curves upwardly towards the upper from a portion of the mid-foot region to the rear tip; andan H-shaped pad located in the mid-foot region to the heel region of the sole member.

6. The shoe of claim 5, wherein the H-shaped pad is decoupled from the sole member.

7. A shoe of claim 5 further comprising a rigid plate.

8. A shoe having an upper and sole member wherein said sole member comprises: a front tip, a rear tip, a forefoot region, a mid-foot region, a heel region, a lateral side and medial side; andan H-shaped pad comprising a lateral leg and a medial leg connected by a strip, such H-shaped pad being placed in the mid-foot region to the heel region of the sole member.

9. The shoe of claim 8, wherein said sole member has a curvature that curves upwardly towards the upper from a portion of the mid-foot region to the rear tip.

10. The shoe of claim 8, wherein the H-shaped pad is decoupled from the sole member.

11. The shoe of claim 8 further comprising a rigid plate positioned in the sole member.

12. A shoe having an upper and sole member wherein said sole member comprises: a front tip, a rear tip, a forefoot region, a mid-foot region, a heel region, a lateral side and medial side, wherein said sole member has a curvature that curves upwardly towards the upper from a portion of the mid-foot region to the rear tip; anda pad that is placed in the mid-foot region to the heel region of the sole member.

13. The shoe of claim 12, wherein the pad is decoupled from the sole member.

14. The shoe of claim 13 further comprising a rigid plate positioned in the sole member.