SHOE

Abstract

A shoe has an upper (2a, 2b) that is provided on a midsole (1) to form an internal space for accommodating a toe between the midsole (1) and the upper (2a, 2b). The upper includes an upper body 2a fixed to 1, a movable toe portion 2b that can be connected to an end portion of a toe side of the upper body 2a and is freely rotatable around the end portion so as to approach the upper body 2a, and a pair of fixtures (3a to 5a, 3b to 5b) provided on outer surfaces of the upper body 2a and the movable toe portion 2b, wherein the inner space can be opened outside the shoe at the toe side by rotating the movable toe portion 2b, and the internal space can be kept opened at the toe side by fixing the rotated movable toe portion 2b on the outer surface of the upper body 2a by the fixtures (3a-5a, 3b-5b).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe, especially a running shoe.

2. Description of Related Art

When running a long distance like a marathon, a pair of shoes (brogues) capable of supporting a runner to run faster while suppressing the fatigue of the runner wearing the shoes is required. For example, Patent document 1 discloses shoes to enable efficient running to utilize the impact of the landing as energy by attaching the plate spring to the bottom of the shoe. However, the technology of Patent document 1 is not enough from the viewpoint of the assistance of the runner. Thus, further technology had been demanded.

[Patent documents 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-162318

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a shoe to suppress the fatigue of the wearer and enables the wearer to run or walk faster.

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a shoe having a midsole and an upper that is provided on the midsole to form an internal space for accommodating a toe between the midsole and the upper, wherein the upper includes: an upper body that is fixed to the midsole; a movable toe portion that can be connected to an end portion of a toe side of the upper body and is freely rotatable around the end portion so as to approach the upper body; and a pair of fixtures that is provided on outer surfaces of the upper body and the movable toe portion, the internal space can be opened outside the shoe at the toe side by rotating the movable toe portion, and the internal space can be kept opened at the toe side by fixing the rotated movable toe portion on the outer surface of the upper body by the fixture.

Therefore, according to the shoe of the present invention, the fatigue of the wearer is suppressed and it is possible for the wearer to run or walk faster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the shoe for the right foot according to an embodiment of the present invention, schematically illustrating the outline of the configuration in a closed state in which the tip of the internal space is closed.

FIG. 2 is a view (plan view) of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the top surface.

FIG. 3 is a view (bottom view) of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the lower surface.

FIG. 4 is a view (front view) of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front to the tiptoe side.

FIG. 5 is a view (rear view) of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front of the heel side.

FIG. 6 is a view (right side view) of the inside of the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention, where the thumb side is seen from the front.

FIG. 7 is a view (left side view) of the outside of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from the front of the pinky side.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, schematically illustrating the outline of the configuration in an open state in which the tip of the internal space is opened.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a partially enlarged tip in the closed state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a partially enlarged tip in the closed state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from A-A line direction in FIG. 2.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a partially enlarged tip in the open state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a partially enlarged tip in the open state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from A-A line direction in FIG. 2.

FIG. 13 is a plan view schematically showing the state of the toes of the tip in the open state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14A is a diagram schematically showing the state of the force applied to the ground from the back side of the tip of the toe in the open state of the shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14B is a diagram schematically showing the state of force applied to the ground from the back side of the toes of the tip in the internal space of the shoe according to the conventional comparative example.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the shoe according to the first modification of the embodiment of the present invention, schematically illustrating the outline of the configuration in the closed state in which the distal end of the internal space is closed.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the shoe according to a second modification of the embodiment of the present invention, schematically illustrating the outline of the configuration in the closed state in which the distal end of the internal space is closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the following drawings, the same or similar mark is given to the same or similar part. But the drawing is schematic, and note that the relation between the thickness and plane dimensions and ratios of thickness of each device and each material is different from the real thing. Therefore, as for the concrete thickness and dimensions should be determined by referring to the following explanation. In addition, of course, a part varying in the relation and the ratio of the dimensions is included in each of the drawings. In addition, the direction of “right and left” and “top and bottom” in the following explanation is a definition of convenience of merely explanation and is not a thing limiting technical thought of this invention. Thus, “right and left” and “top and bottom” can be switched if the paper is rotated 90 degrees, and “left” can be switched to “right” and “right” can be switched to “left” if the paper is rotated 180 degrees, for example, of course.

<Structure of Shoes>

First of all, shoes are usually formed of a pair of shoes on the right and left side. Because the shoes of the right foot and the left foot side have a symmetrical structure to each other, the shoe of the right foot side is referred merely to as “shoe” in the following description. Thus, the duplicate description of the left foot side is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, a shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention is a running shoe is comprised of a midsole 1 and an upper (2a, 2b) provided on the midsole 1 to form an internal space for accommodating the toes between the midsole 1 and the upper. The upper (2a, 2b) includes an upper body 2a fixed to the midsole 1, and a movable toe portion 2b which is connected to the end portion of the toe side of the upper body 2a and is freely rotatable around the connected portion (end portion of the toe side of the upper body 2a) so as to approach the upper body 2a. A pair of fixtures (3a to 5a, 3b to 5b) is provided on outer surfaces of the upper body 2a and the movable toe portion 2b.

As shown in FIG. 2, an insole 11 is removably arranged in the internal space of the shoe on the upper surface of the midsole 1 to buffer the impact to the sole. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an outsole 6 having a tread pattern is provided under the midsole 1. The illustration of a detailed tread pattern is omitted. The midsole 1 can be made of rubber materials including natural rubber and plastics, and the midsole 1 forms the sole body of shoes.

The upper body 2a and the movable toe portion 2b of the upper (2a, 2b) include fiber materials made, for example, of natural fiber material and synthetic materials such as polyamide and polyester, and can be prepared with a fabric having flexibility. In the embodiment of the present invention, the upper body 2a and the movable toe portion 2b are integrally prepared using the same fabric, but may be prepared using a separate fabric. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower end of the upper body 2a is coupled to the peripheral area of the upper surface of the midsole 1. Thus, the upper body 2a and midsole 1 are firmly integrated.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the movable toe portion 2b integrally wraps and covers an inside (thumb side) of the toes, the tip of the five toes, an outside (pinkie side) of the toes and the upper portion of five toes. The movable toe portion 2b is substantially the same shape as the toe portion of the general upper (2a, 2b). However, although the movable toe portion 2b of the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to the upper body 2a at the bending position V shown in the dashed virtual line in FIG. 1, the movable toe portion 2b is detachably attached to the lower midsole 1 side.

Since the movable toe portion 2b is removable from the midsole 1, the opening and closing mechanism for partially opening and closing the internal space to wrap the toes are provided between the movable toe portion 2b and the midsole 1. The opening and closing mechanism can switch between a closed state and an open state of the internal space. The internal space is closed by fixing the outer surface of the movable toe portion 2b to the outer surface of the upper body 2a while aligning a position of the movable toe portion 2b with a tip of the movable toe portion 2a on the midsole 1. The internal space can be opened outside the shoe at the toe side by rotating the movable toe portion 2b toward the outer surface side of the upper body 2a so that the movable toe portion 2b is separated from the midsole 1. In the embodiment of the present invention, slide fasteners are used for the opening and closing mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 8, the slide fastener is provided with a strip-shaped lower tape 7a and a lower element group 8a consisting of a plurality of elements (work teeth) which are arranged on the upper end of the lower tape 7a along the direction of extending the band. The slide fastener is provided with a strip-shaped upper tape 7b provided on the lower tape 7a and an upper element group 8b provided on the lower end of the upper tape 7b so that a plurality of elements of the upper element group 8b are arranged to mesh with the lower element group 8a. FIG. 8 exemplifies a state that the movable toe portion 2b is turned up and the inner surface is exposed to the outside and the upper tape 7b and the upper element group 8b are provided on the inner surface so as to extend to the distal end side (tip side).

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the slide fastener is provided with a slider 9 for freely clutches the heads of the upper element group 8b and the lower element group 8a with each other and a pull 10 provided on the slider 9. The lower element group 8a is arranged lower than the upper surface of the insole 11.

The slide fastener is provided so that the opening and closing area is formed over the area leading from the base of the thumb to the base of the pinky finger through the tip side of the five toes. That is, the opening and closing area is selectively formed from the intermediate position between the middle toe joint and the interphalangeal joint of the thumb side of the toes over the intermediate position between the middle toe joint and the interphalangeal joint of the pinkie side at the tip of the upper (2a, 2b) so that the opening extends horizontally. The middle toe joint is usually located at a position corresponding to the projected area where the thumb is maximally projected outward on an opposite side of the pinkie. The middle toe joint is located at a position corresponding to the projected area where the pinky is maximally projected outward on an opposite side of the thumb.

As shown in FIG. 10, the lower end of the tip of the movable toe portion 2b is hanging down to the mounting position where the lower tape 7a is mounted on the midsole 1. The bottom of the lower tape 7a is attached to the tip of the midsole 1. The upper portion of the upper tape 7b is attached to the back side of the tip of the movable toe portion 2b so as to hang down along the tip of the movable toe portion 2b. That is, the entire slide fastener is shielded by the tip of the movable toe portion 2b.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fixtures (3a to 5a, 3b to 5b) are realized by three pairs of fixings provided on the outer surface of the upper body 2a and the movable toe portion 2b. On the central region of the surface of the movable toe portion 2b and the left and right regions sandwiching the central region from both sides when viewed from the upper surface, the central fixture 3a, the inner fixture 4a and the outer fixture 5a of the movable toe portion 2b side are provided with a predetermined interval.

On the other hand, on the central region of the surface of the scapular of the upper body 2a and both sides of the central region, the central fixture 3b, the inner fixture 4b and the outer fixture 5b are provided with a predetermined interval. The central fixture 3a of the movable toe portion 2b side, the inner fixture 4a and the outer fixture 5a respectively correspond to the central fixture 3b, the inner fixture 4b and the outer fixture 5b of the upper body 2a side. In the embodiment of the present invention, hooks which are repeatedly detachable with each other are employed as a pair of fixings. The hooks are fixed by sewing or the like to the fiber cloth of the movable toe portion 2b.

The central fixture 3b of the upper body 2a side, the inner fixture 4b and the outer fixture 5b, which respectively correspond to the central fixture 3a of the movable toe portion 2b side, the inner fixture 4a and the outer fixture 5a, are separated with each other at almost equivalent intervals from the center of the bending position V. The intervals are measured along the outer surface. For example, when an adult male has a foot length of about 27.5 cm, the upper limit of the interval between the central fixture 3a of the movable toe portion 2b side and the central fixture 3b of the upper body 2a side is, particularly and preferably set to about 4.8 mm.

When the movable toe portion 2b is fixed to the upper body 2a as shown in FIG. 12, the almost V-shaped protruding portion protruded to the distal end side is formed. If the interval exceeds 4.8 mm, the distance between the fixed position and the bending position V of the fixture becomes too large and the protruding portion is increased. Thus, the protruding portion may be hung down to the toes side by the vibration during the running and the protruding portion may be in contact with the toes. When the interval is set to about 4.8 mm or less, it is possible to effectively prevent the protruding portion from being contacted with the toes. The lower limit of the interval can be appropriately set depending on the shape and specifications of the fixture or the like.

<Opening and Closing Operation>

Then, the opening and closing operation of the upper (2a, 2b) in the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention will be explained. First, the slide fastener, which is an opening and closing mechanism, is exposed by flipping the tip of the movable toe portion 2b of the upper (2a, 2b).

Then, the slider 9 is moved through the pull 10 of the slide fastener to separate the upper element and the lower element. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the movable toe portion 2b of the upper (2a, 2b) is rotated to the upper body 2a side and bent at the bending position so that the outer surface of the movable toe portion 2b and the outer surface of the upper body 2a come close to each other and opposite to each other. Thus, the area of the tip of the internal space is opened at the toe side.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the central fixture 3a provided on the outer surface of the movable toe portion 2b and the central fixture 3b of the upper body 2a side are connected. Similarly, the inner fixture 4a of the movable toe portion 2b side and the inner fixture 4b of the upper body 2a side are connected, and the outer fixture 5a of the movable toe portion 2b side and the outer fastener 5b of the upper body 2a side are connected respectively. By connecting three pairs of fixings, the folded (rotated) outer surface of the movable toe portion 2b is fixed on the outer surface of the upper body 2a in the proximity position. Thus, the internal space can be kept opened at the toe side.

As shown in FIG. 13, since the tip of the internal space of the shoe is opened, the top surface of the five toes is exposed to the opening. Here, the opening and closing area of the slide fastener is formed from the intermediate position between the middle toe joint j1_L and the interphalangeal joint j2_L of the thumb side to the intermediate position of the middle toe joint j1_R and the interphalangeal joint J2_R of the pinkie side. Therefore, in the open state, five toes are able to stretch larger than the case where the muscle group and the flexor group straddling each of the middle toe joint are in the close state. Thus, the five toes can be greatly displaced to the outside of the shoe than the case of the closed state so that the gaps between the adjacent toes are spread when viewed from the upper surface. FIG. 13 exemplifies a state in which the thumb and pinky protrude further outward than the outer edge of the midsole 1.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14A, on the back side of the five toes in contact with the insole, the force in which each of the fingertips depresses perpendicular to the ground is enhanced. The force that depresses perpendicular to the ground in the area of the forefoot 13 including a thenar eminence 12 is enhanced. In FIG. 14A, the region where force is added to the ground from the back side of the foot is illustrated schematically with diagonal lines.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES

On the other hand, in the case of shoes according to a comparative example having no movable toe portion at the tip of the upper, the five toes are sandwiched between the inner surface and the insole of the upper in the tip. Thus, it is not possible to displace the five toes outward. Also, in some cases, the five toes are tucked into the internal space in a state that each of the joints between the finger bones are bent tightly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14B, on the back side of the five toes, both the fingertip and forefoot 13 cannot sufficiently strengthen the force to step against the ground. The force in each case shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B is obtained under the equivalent conditions except for the configuration of the shoe.

In addition, the other part except the toe of the runner's right leg is wrapped by the upper body when running. Because the right foot is held firmly in the shoe through the contact portion of the upper body and the insole, the shoe will not become a hindrance by falling off the right leg while running.

In order to close the area of the toe side of the internal space, first, the fixing of the movable toe portion is released by separating the three pairs of the fixtures respectively to restore the original position by rotating the movable toe portion to the distal end side. If the upper element and the lower element are meshed and connected by moving the slider through the pull of the slide fastener, the area of the tiptoe side of the internal space is closed. Then, the tip of the movable toe portion can be covered on the slide fastener.

According to the shoe of the embodiment of the present invention, by the rotational operation of the movable toe portion of the upper, when the toe side of the internal space is opened, each of the five toes can be greatly displaced so that the gaps between the adjacent toes are spread. Therefore, it is possible to strengthen the force that depresses the ground from one toe and the forefoot 13.

Especially in the running, the motion of the runner who becomes resistance to gravity acts as a brake. Suppressing this resistance behavior, in order to run faster using the energy more efficiently, using the foot finger back and forefoot, it is very important to be strongly stepping perpendicular to the ground. According to the running shoes of the embodiment of the present invention, as the strength of the depression increases, the strength of the body is efficiently transmitted from the feet to the ground, allowing runners to run faster and more efficiently by suppressing fatigue.

In the shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention, due to the rotational operation of the movable toes, the upper tip region of the top of the five toes is removed entirely, and therefore the inner surface of the upper does not contact with the upper portion of the toes repeatedly at the time of running. Therefore, the occurrence of inflammation by contact is prevented, and it is possible to reduce the fatigue of the toes.

In the shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to switch the state in which the movable toe portion is fixed to the midsole to close the internal space and the state in which the movable toe portion is separated from the midsole to open the internal space. Therefore, it becomes possible to increase the unity of the entire upper as shoes in the closed state.

In the shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention, the lower element group of the slide fastener, which is an opening and closing mechanism, is placed lower than the upper surface of the insole, the lower element group disposed on the insole does not interfere with the toes. Therefore, the force from the foot to the ground is transmitted more efficiently, and it is possible to prevent the lower element group to interfere and contact with the toes.

In the shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the closed state of the internal space, the entire slide fastener is shielded by the tip of the movable toe portion. Therefore, even when the opening and closing mechanism has a slight gap, it is possible to prevent the rain and moisture, etc. from entering into the internal space of the shoe. Further, it is possible to enhance the protection of the toe tip. Further, by covering the slide fastener, it is possible to realize the shape according to the normal design pattern. Thus, it is preferable when wearing the shoes in other than running at such as walking around the city, for example.

FIRST VARIATION EXAMPLE

For example, as shown in the shoes according to the first modification in FIG. 15, the present invention can be achieved even if the slide fastener is exposed to the tip of the upper (2a, 2c). In the movable toe portion 2c of the shoe according to the first variation example, since the portion shielding the tip is not required, it is possible to reduce the material cost and to simplify the manufacturing process.

For the configurations other than the movable toe portion 2c of the shoe according to the first variation example, the overlap description is omitted because the configurations are equivalent to the members having the same name in the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1-14. In the shoes according to the first variation example, the same effect as in the case of shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

SECOND VARIATION EXAMPLE

Also, for example, as in the shoes according to the second variation example shown in FIG. 16, the surface fastener may be employed as a fixture (3a1 to Sa1, 3b1 to 5b1). The central fixture 3a1 of the movable toe portion 2b side, the inner fixture 4A1 and the outer fixture 5a1 exemplified in FIG. 16 correspond respectively to the central fixture 3a of the movable toe portion 2b side, the inner fixture 4a and the outer fixture 5a shown in FIG. 1, for example. They can be realized by the hook portion of the surface fastener. The central fixture 3b1 of the upper body 2a side, the inner fixture 4b1 and the outer fixture 5b1 exemplified in FIG. 16 correspond respectively to the central fixture 3b of the upper body 2a side, the inner fixture 4b and outer fixture 5b shown in FIG. 1. They can be realized by the loop portion corresponding to the hook portion.

For the configurations other than the fixtures of the shoe according to the second variation example (3a1 to 5a1, 3b1 to 5b1), the overlap description is omitted because the configurations are equivalent to the members having the same name in the shoe according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 14. In the shoes according to the second variation example, the same effect as in the case of shoes according to the embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

Other Embodiments

The present invention has been described by the embodiments disclosed above, descriptions and drawings that form a part of this disclosure should not be understood to be limited to the present invention. For those skilled in the art of various alternative embodiments, various examples and operational techniques should be considered and revealed from this disclosure.

For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, a state where the movable toe portion is fixed to the midsole to close the internal space and a state where the movable toe portion is separated from the midsole to open the internal space can be switched by the opening and closing mechanism. However, as long as the movable toe portion is rotatably connected to the upper body, the opening and closing mechanism is not necessarily required. In other words, the present invention can be carried out without the structure for closing the opening.

Although the slide fastener which is a line fastener is employed as an opening and closing mechanism, the opening and closing mechanism is not limited to the slide fastener. It is enough to open and close the tip of the internal space of the upper by the runner as an operator. For example, other opening and closing mechanism such as the surface fastener or the like may be used at the position of the slide fastener shown in FIG. 8.

Although the movable toe portion shields only the left and right side of the five toes but also the tip and the upper region, it is not necessary to shield the tip and the upper region. If at least one of the left and right is openably shielded, five toes can be displaced to the side, and it is possible to strengthen the force that depresses the ground.

Although the fibrous fabric constituting the upper in the embodiment of the present invention is described as a piece of cloth for convenience of explanation, the fibrous fabric is not limited to a piece of cloth. A multi-layered fibrous fabric superimposed multiple fabrics may be employed. The coupling structure between the upper body and the movable toe portion in the embodiment of the present invention is realized by bending one continuous fiber cloth. However, the coupling structure of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a metal member such as a hinge, other fibers such as a fabric having flexibility can be prepared as a coupling device to interpose it between the upper body and the movable toe portion comprising a separate fiber cloth and the like, respectively. Thus, it is possible to connect the upper body and the movable toe portion to be freely openable.

Also, it is possible to realize the shoes according to the present invention in combination partially the structure of the shoes shown in FIGS. 1-16. The shoes according to the present invention is very suitable for running, but without being limited to running shoes, other applications, such as for example so-called town sneakers for walking. Thus, it can also be applied to shoes used in various other applications. As described above, the present invention includes a variety of embodiments, etc. that are not mentioned above, the technical scope of the present invention is determined only by the invention specific matters according to the scope of reasonable claims from the above description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 midsole

2 a upper body

2 b, 2c movable toe portion

3 a, 3a1 central fixture

3 b, 3b1 central fixture

4 a, 4a1 inner fixture

4 b, 4b1 inner fixture

5 a, 5a1 outer fixture

5 b, 5b1 outer fixture

6 outsole

7 a lower tape

7 b upper tape

8 a lower element group

8 b upper element group

9 slider

10 pull

11 insole

12 thenar eminence

13 forefoot

J1L, J1R middle toe joint

J2L, J2R interphalangeal joint

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising: a midsole; andan upper that is provided on the midsole to form an internal space for accommodating a toe between the midsole and the upper,the upper includes: an upper body that is fixed to the midsole;a movable toe portion that can be connected to an end portion of a toe side of the upper body and is freely rotatable around the end portion so as to approach the upper body; anda pair of fixtures that is provided on outer surfaces of the upper body and the movable toe portion, whereinthe internal space can be opened outside the shoe at the toe side by rotating the movable toe portion, andthe internal space can be kept opened at the toe side by fixing the rotated movable toe portion on the outer surface of the upper body by the fixture.

2. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein an opening and closing mechanism for switching between a closed state and an open state is further provided,in the closed state, the internal space is closed by fixing the outer surface of the movable toe portion to the outer surface of the upper body while aligning a position of the upper body with a tip of the movable toe portion on the midsole, andin the open state, the internal space is opened by rotating the movable toe portion so that the movable toe portion is separated from the midsole.

3. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the opening and closing mechanism is a slide fastener,an insole arranged in the internal space is further provided, andthe lower element group of the slide fastener is arranged lower than an upper surface of the insole.