Patent Application
20250176661
Embodiments described herein relate to an inner sole for a sports shoe. Some embodiments described herein relate to a sole component for a sports shoe. Further embodiments relate to an upper for a sports shoe.
A vast array of factors is known to influence sport performance. The most prevalent ones are related to human physiology, biomechanics and various motor control factors. Traditional sports equipment has been regarded for the longest time as a facilitator, or enhancer of these factors in order to improve core performance and minimize injury and discomfort. During the last fifty to sixty years, academic and industry based researchers and engineers have pushed the boundaries of both sports theoretical knowledge and practical applications by means of developing ever increasingly sophisticated materials, product designs and training routines aimed at increasing performance.
While these developments are still ongoing, in certain areas the boundaries of what can be achieved from an engineering and design perspective have been reached, and the industry is in search of other venues that could lead to novel performance products that have a significant and perceivable effect on performance.
A relatively new class of sport products focuses on manipulating perception and attention in order to optimize game performance. One of the underlying mechanisms is called proprioception (also kinesthesia) and relates to the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. Proprioception is mediated by proprioceptors, mechanosensory neurons located within the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints. Proprioceptive signals are transmitted to the central nervous system, where they are integrated with information from other sensory systems, such as the visual system and the vestibular system, to create an overall representation of body position, movement, and acceleration. Sensory feedback from proprioceptors is important for stabilizing body posture and coordinating body movement.
For example, US 2022/0134046 A1, refers to a mechanoreception stimulation garment having a plurality of protuberances disposed across an interior surface of a fabric garment, said plurality of protuberances configured in size, grouping, and spacing to specifically target cutaneous receptors when brought in contact with a user.
US 2005/252039 A1 relates to a method for providing an insole and an insole for footwear for increased sensory stimulation of a foot in the footwear. The method includes preselecting positions on the foot with nerves at these positions to be stimulated and providing means for stimulating elevation of said insole at said preselected positions during step movement of said foot on said insole.
DE 10 2005 053768 A1 relates to a method for producing an insole, in particular a proprioceptive insole for footwear, which has at least one predetermined raised area, generally several such areas, on an essentially flat support with an essentially constant thickness.
Background information on the stimulation of cutaneous receptors or afferents can for example be found in Kennedy et al.: “Distribution and behaviour of glabrous cutaneous receptors in the human foot sole” (Journal of Physiology (2002), 538.3, pp. 995-1002) as well as Katic et al.: “Modeling foot sole cutaneous afferents: FootSim” (iScience 26, 105874, Jan. 20, 2023).
However, known sports shoes still leave room for improvement with respect to proprioception and athletic performance, in particular with respect to the location of stimulation of the foot but also with respect to considering other aspects that result in a positive training and competition experience, such as a comfortable feeling and reducing unnecessary pressure on the foot.
The above-mentioned objects are at least partially achieved by the claimed subject-matter. Additional embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims, and other suitable embodiments are described through the overall disclosure of the present application.
In one aspect, these objects are addressed by an inner sole for a sports shoe having a top surface arranged to face a foot of a wearer of a shoe when the inner sole is arranged in the shoe, wherein the top surface includes at least two textured areas, wherein the textured areas each include a plurality of protuberances, recesses, holes, or a combination thereof, wherein the top surface includes at least one untextured area not having any protuberances, recesses or holes, wherein a first textured area is located in a toe region of the inner sole and a second textured area is located in a heel region of the inner sole.
An inner sole in the context of the present application is understood as being adapted to be arranged in or being arranged in a shoe, such that a foot of a wearer would touch the inner sole with a sole of the wearer's foot when wearing the shoe in a usual manner. An inner sole is sometimes called insole or sockliner. It generally has a flat shape and extends from a toe region of the shoe to a heel region. In the context of the present application, the inner sole can be fixedly or removably attached to a shoe. The top surface of the inner sole is understood as the surface of the inner sole facing a foot of a wearer when the inner sole is arranged in a shoe. It is understood that a shoe as well as the inner sole may be “left” or “right” and that a “left” inner sole is intended to be inserted or assembled into a “left” shoe and a “right” inner sole is intended to be inserted or assembled into a “right” shoe.
According to some embodiments, the inner sole includes at least two textured areas. An area is understood as a portion of the top surface of the inner sole. A textured area includes a plurality of protuberances, recesses, holes, or a combination thereof. Generally, a protuberance is understood as a protruding feature of the top surface that includes a pronounced tip, a recess is understood as an indentation in the top surface that does not form a hole, and a hole is understood as an aperture that extends to the opposing bottom surface. In some embodiments, the textured areas include a plurality of such protuberances, recesses, holes, or a combination thereof. Thus, the textured areas can be distinguished from other areas not having such protuberances, recesses, or holes, which are denoted as untextured areas. In some embodiments, untextured area may be an area of top surface that is smooth, flat, or planar.
It is understood that the textured areas may either include just protuberances, just recesses, just holes or combinations of protuberances, recesses, or holes. Thus, a textured area may include just protuberances, or it may include just recesses, or it may include just holes, or it may include just protuberances and recesses, or it may include just protuberances and holes, or it may include just recesses and holes, or it may include protuberances, recesses, and holes. Also, the first textured area may include one of the mentioned combinations and the second textured area may include another one of the mentioned combinations. For example, the first textured area may include just recesses, whereas the second textured area may include just protuberances or vice versa. Surprisingly, the inventors found out that a proprioceptive effect can be achieved by protuberances, recesses and holes.
Further, according to some embodiments, a first textured area is located in a toe region of the inner sole. The toe region of the inner sole is understood as the area in which the toes of a wearer would be located when the inner sole is properly arranged in a shoe the wearer is wearing. Generally, throughout this description, any reference to anatomical areas or regions on the inner sole or on a shoe upper or sole of a shoe is understood in relation to a human foot wearing a shoe having such inner sole, upper or sole. Thus, a heel area or region is understood as any area or region being located at a heel of a human foot. Similar definitions apply for “metatarsal”, “arch”, “metatarsal-to-arch transition”, “medial” and “lateral” areas or regions.
Further, according to some embodiments, a second textured area is located in a heel region of the inner sole. Thus, the inner sole defines at least two textured areas being located in a toe region and in a heel region, respectively, and furthermore at least one untextured area. The inventors discovered that this arrangement of protuberances, recesses or holes allows for an optimal stimulation of the most important cutaneous receptors or afferents. By stimulating at least the toe and the heel region of an athlete, proprioception in the foot is able to measurably increase athletic performance, responsiveness and agility. On the other hand, the untextured area adds to the comfort because not all areas of the human foot are similarly important for proprioception and protuberances, recesses or holes in high pressure areas of the foot might be perceived as uncomfortable. Furthermore, stimulating targeted locations of the foot increases the proprioceptive effect.
Thus, the inner sole according to embodiments described herein strikes a balance between a pronounced proprioceptive effect on athletic performance and a comfortable feeling. In addition, protuberances, recesses and holes formed in the inner sole add to the ventilation of the foot. While air may directly ventilate through holes formed in the inner sole, protuberances and recesses formed on and in the inner sole lead to the formation of lateral air channels under the foot. Slight movements of the foot in the shoe facilitate the flow and exchange of air which leads to a certain thermoregulation.
Another advantageous effect of the embodiments of the present application is a massage effect on the foot which fosters blood circulation. Consequently, the foot does not get numb so easily compared to untextured surfaces. Furthermore, the surface texture formed by protuberances, recesses and holes increases the friction between the inner sole and the foot or sock which adds to the overall stability of the shoe. Also, holes generally help to save material and weight of the shoe.
It is understood that an inner sole according to embodiments described herein may be a separate element, i.e. distinct from other components of a shoe, or an integral component, i.e. integral with another component or components of a shoe. For example, the inner sole may be integral with a midsole, outsole or outsole plate of a shoe. It is also possible that the inner sole is integral with a lasting board or a Strobel sole. Thus, the protuberances, recesses or holes would be arranged on the inner surface of the midsole, outsole or outsole plate. Alternatively, the protuberances, recesses or holes may be arranged on an inner surface of a lasting board or Strobel sole.
The textured areas may correspond to areas of a human foot having a higher density of mechanoreceptors compared to areas of the human foot corresponding to untextured areas of the inner sole. In this way, a targeted stimulation is possible in areas of the foot resulting in the most pronounced advantageous proprioceptive effect. Areas of the inner sole corresponding to a lower density of mechanoreceptors may be untextured which adds to the comfortable feeling and allows a more differentiated and anatomically precise stimulation. “Mechanoreceptors” as used herein are understood as cutaneous receptors or afferents in the sole of the human foot that are able to sense mechanical pressure or skin stretch or absence thereof on the skin of the human foot.
Another advantage of the inner sole according to embodiments described herein is that it may reduce foot movement within the footwear, which may also improve comfort and performance during certain movements. Thus, the protuberances, recesses or holes increase the friction between the inner sole and a foot or sock of a wearer. In this way, the inner sole helps to specifically create interactions between the inner sole or sockliner and a sock, skin or foot. Those interactions have a higher friction than in existing footwear and even allow reducing the amount of stability required from an upper of the shoe which in turn could save manufacturing costs but also results in a more lightweight shoe. Also, often athletes and players wear specific grip socks, the need for which could potentially be reduced by the inner sole according to embodiments described herein. Rather, athletes or players could wear socks that focus on comfort rather than grip.
The first textured area and the second textured area may be distinct and separated by the untextured area. Thus, the first and second textured areas form separated and distinct regions on the top surface of the inner sole. The untextured area according to this particular embodiment is at least partially arranged between the textured areas to separate them. This allows a very targeted stimulation of the mechanoreceptors in the human foot while the untextured area between the two stimulating textured areas adds a contrast in stimulation which adds to the proprioceptive effect as well as the wearing comfort. In addition, a distinct pattern of textured and untextured areas might also provide movement-specific stimulation. For example, specific stimulation can be provided during different phases of a gait cycle such as rolling through the stance phase, push-off, landing, etc.
The second textured area may be located in a rearmost portion of the heel region. The inventors have found that this particular location on the human foot is important for a positive proprioceptive effect.
The inner sole may further include a third textured area located in a lateral portion of the heel region and a fourth textured area located in a medial portion of the heel region. This arrangement of textured areas advantageously stimulates the heel during side motions in which the strain on the foot, and thus on the shoe and inner sole is more on the lateral or medial side. The third and fourth areas may be separate and distinct from each other. For example, an untextured area may be arranged between the third and fourth textured areas.
The first untextured area may be located in a central portion of the heel region. Usually, the highest pressure of the heel of a human foot on a plane surface such as an inner sole is exerted by the central portion of the heel. Anatomically, the heel bone or calcaneous is located in the heel which has a globular shape that gives rise to such a peak-like pressure distribution. By arranging the untextured area in this central heel region, an uncomfortable feeling due to protuberances, recesses or holes is avoided. Yet, textured areas like for example the third and fourth textured areas mentioned above, which may be arranged around the central heel region, still provide for sufficient proprioception to achieve a measurable positive effect on athletic performance and responsiveness.
The first untextured area may extend from the heel region along a medial region into a metatarsal region and may not extend into a toe region. The lack of protuberances, recesses or holes on the medial side and in a part of the metatarsal region does not negatively affect proprioception but instead increases the wearing comfort.
The first textured area may extend from the toe region along a lateral region in a midfoot region and may end before the heel region. The inventors found that these regions are important for proprioception and that protuberances, recesses or holes in these regions add to a positive proprioceptive effect.
An untextured area may be located in a big toe region. This adds to the general wearing comfort but does not impair the positive proprioceptive effect mentioned herein.
An untextured area may be located in a medial metatarsal region and surrounded by the first textured area. In this way, unnecessary pressure in the medial metatarsal region is avoided. Yet, as this area is surrounded by protuberances, recesses or holes, a pronounced proprioceptive effect is achieved.
The untextured area may be located at a lateral metatarsal-to-arch transition region. Similar to the location mentioned above, unnecessary pressure is avoided, yet a pronounced proprioceptive effect is achieved.
The inner sole may further include a fifth textured area located in a medial metatarsal-to-arch transition region. The inventors have found that this particular location advantageously adds to the proprioceptive effect. This is due to the fact that this particular area shows a high density of mechanoreceptors.
The density of protuberances, recesses or holes may be higher on a first portion of the inner sole compared to a second portion of the inner sole. For example, the density of protuberances, recesses or holes may be higher on a lateral side of the inner sole compared to a medial side of the inner sole. The density of mechanoreceptors is generally higher on the lateral side of a human foot such that a higher density of protuberances, recesses or holes on this side generally achieves a pronounced positive proprioceptive effect, while the medial side may have a lower density of protuberances, recesses or holes which adds to the wearing comfort, but also tangibly contrasts with the lateral side which again amplifies the proprioceptive effect. Density in the context of the present application is understood as the number of protuberances, recesses or holes per surface area, e.g. protuberances, recesses or holes per square centimeter. The surface area may encompass textured and untextured areas of the inner sole, such that the density is understood as an average value.
The hardness of the protuberances may vary across the inner sole. In some embodiments, a first textured area may have protuberances of a first hardness, and a second textured area may have protuberances of a second hardness that differs from the first hardness. In this way, the hardness may be adapted to the density and sensitivity of mechanoreceptors in the human foot. Additionally, or alternatively, the hardness may reflect the local hardness of the skin of the human foot with harder protuberances being placed in harder areas of the skin of the human foot compared to softer areas. In another example, the hardness of the protuberances may reflect the thickness of fat tissue in the human foot.
The hardness of the protuberances may correlate with the hardness of the skin of a human foot. Thus, harder protuberances are placed in areas of the human foot having a higher skin hardness and softer protuberances may be placed in areas of the human foot having a lower skin hardness. In this way, underlying mechanoreceptors may still be sufficiently stimulated even in case of harder skin covering those mechanoreceptors. On the other hand, mechanoreceptors covered by softer skin are not excessively stimulated. Moreover, the wearing comfort is increased by targeting the hardness of the protuberances to the surface properties of the human foot.
The untextured areas may be located in areas having a local maximum of a pressure distribution of pressure caused by a human foot standing on the inner sole. The pressure distribution of the human foot can generally be measured by pressure plates resulting in a distribution of pressure, i.e. a particular pressure value associated with a particular location on the pressure plate. When the inner sole described herein is arranged in a shoe, the pressure distribution of the foot of the wearer will be similar, if not identical to the measured pressure distribution. The pressure distribution will show local maxima in which the pressure is highest compared to surrounding locations. Arranging untextured areas in such local maxima of the pressure distribution adds to the wearing comfort.
At least one local maximum of the pressure distribution may be surrounded by a textured area. In this way, a proprioceptive effect described herein is achieved while avoiding negative effects of protuberances, recesses or holes being located in the local pressure maximum. A local maximum of pressure may for example be present in the central region of the heel and in the central region of the ball of the toe. Protuberances, recesses or holes may be perceived as uncomfortable in those locations.
The protuberances may have a pyramidal shape. The inventors found out that this shape allows for a very pronounced positive proprioceptive effect. Also, pyramids are advantageous from a production perspective and may for example be obtained by molding.
The pyramids may have a rounded tip. The inventors found that rounded tips do not impair proprioception, but are perceived as more comfortable compared to pointed tips. Also, the wear of socks is reduced with rounded tips.
The protuberances may have an average diameter of 1-10 mm, 2-5 mm, or 3-4 mm. The inventors found that these dimensions produce the desired proprioceptive effect on the mechanoreceptors of a human foot yet are perceived as comfortable.
The protuberances may have an average height of 0.5-5 mm, 0.75-3 mm, or 1-1.5 mm. The inventors found that these ranges of height produce the desired proprioceptive effect on the mechanoreceptors of a human foot yet are perceived as comfortable.
The protuberances have a hardness of 40-70 Shore-A, or 50-60 Shore-A. The inventors found that this hardness range produces the desired proprioceptive effect on the mechanoreceptors of a human foot yet are perceived as comfortable.
The inner sole may further include a textile layer, wherein the protuberances, recesses or holes are arranged on the textile layer. A textile layer adds to a comfortable feeling. Moreover, textiles have the ability to wick moisture which is an important aspect for an inner sole.
The inner sole may further include a foam layer, wherein the textile layer is arranged on the foam layer. A foam layer produces a soft feeling on the foot and is able to compensate for different foot anatomies of different wearers. In addition, it may provide some level of cushioning. Despite a foam layer, the protuberances, recesses or holes on the inner sole still provide the positive proprioceptive effect described herein.
The foam layer may include a polymeric foam, in particular, at least one of polyurethane (PU) foam, such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) foam, polyamide (PA) foam, polyether-block-amide (PEBA) foam, thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (TPEE) foam. Alternatively the foam layer may include a particle foam material, in particular one or more of the following materials: expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU); expanded polyamide (ePA); expanded polyether-block-amide (ePEBA); expanded polylactide (ePLA); expanded polyethylene terephthalate (ePET); expanded polybutylene terephthalate (ePBT); expanded thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (eTPEE).
The foam particles may be made of, or include, expanded thermoplastic materials, especially thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactate (PLA), polyamide (PA), polyether block amide (PEBA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (TPEE). The foam particles may be a bead containing multiple polymer types in one foam particle or the foam particles may be a mixture of different particles of different foam polymers or combinations thereof. The foam particles may include 90% by weight of one or a mixture of these materials. These foam particles are particles that include a so-called bead foam, also known in the art as a pellet or particle foam. Often the foams derived from the use of connected foam particles are given the designation “e” to denote the bead form of the polymer foam component, for example, eTPU.
Generally, the foam layer may have multiple hardness components or materials. For example, the foam layer may have a higher hardness in a heel region as compared to a toe region. In another example, the foam layer may include EVA and PU.
The height of the protuberances may vary across the inner sole. For example, the protuberances may be higher in a heel region of the inner sole compared to other regions of the inner sole. In general, the size of the protuberances may be adapted to the sensitivity of regions of the foot.
The shape of the protuberances may vary across the inner sole. In general, the shape of the protuberances may be adapted to the sensitivity of regions of the foot.
The inner sole may have been manufactured by an additive manufacturing process. Exemplary additive manufacturing processes include material extrusion, stereolithography, liquid additive manufacturing and laser sintering. Additive manufacturing allows for geometries that are not possible with molding and has a high potential for customization.
The inner sole may be integral with a sole component of a shoe. The sole component may be a midsole, outsole or outsole plate. Thus, the protuberances would protrude from the midsole, outsole or outsole plate. An integral inner sole advantageously reduces the weight of the shoe but also avoids a movement of the inner sole in the shoe.
The inner sole according to embodiments described herein may be an orthopedic insert. Thus, the orthopedic insert may include protuberances, recesses or holes as described herein. An orthopedic insert may be customized for a particular wearer and may compensate for orthopedic issues the wearer might have. As such, an orthopedic insert may not cover the entire foot of a wearer. For example, an orthopedic insert may extend along a medial or lateral side only. In another example, an orthopedic insert may not extend over the full length of a foot. For example, an orthopedic insert may just cover a heel region, an arch region or a toe region of a foot.
Some embodiments described herein relate to a shoe having an inner sole as described herein. It goes without saying that the technical properties shown or described for the inner sole, the advantages and the improvements over the state of the art are likewise applicable to the shoe, which is in particular a sports shoe. Same applies vice versa.
The shoe may further include a midsole, outsole or outsole plate, wherein the inner sole may be a separate element from the midsole, outsole or outsole plate, or wherein the inner sole may be integral with the midsole, outsole or outsole plate. In this way, the advantageous effects described herein may be provided by the midsole itself or by a separate element. This allows for either a highly integrated solution or for the option to customize the inner sole.
Some embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing an inner sole as described herein. The method includes the steps of providing a base layer; and molding the protuberances to the base layer to form the textured and untextured areas. Again, it goes without saying that the technical properties shown or described for the inner sole, the advantages and the improvements over the state of the art are likewise applicable to the method.
Generally, a sports shoe in embodiments described herein may be a soccer shoe, a running shoe, and outdoor shoe or a basketball shoe. This list is not exhaustive but the inventors have noticed advantageous proprioceptive effects in particular with the mentioned types of sports shoes.
In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the following figures:
In the following only some possible embodiments are described in detail. However, the present application is not limited to these embodiments, and a multitude of other embodiments are applicable without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein can be modified in a number of ways and combined with each other whenever compatible and certain features may be omitted in so far as they appear dispensable. In particular, the disclosed embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.
It is to be understood that not all features of the described embodiments have to be present for realizing the technical advantages provided by the present disclosure, which is defined by the subject-matter of the claims. The disclosed embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment. Specifically, the skilled person will understand that features and functional elements of one embodiment can be combined with technically compatible features and functional elements of any other embodiment of the present disclosure given that the resulting combination falls within the definition of the present disclosure.
While the embodiments below are described primarily with reference to a sole for a shoe, in particular for a sports shoe, the skilled person will recognize that the disclosure can equally be applied in a plurality of different technical fields or use cases.
Throughout the present application, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, certain aspects of components or steps of certain embodiments are presented without undue detail where such detail would be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings herein or where such detail would obfuscate an understanding of more pertinent aspects of the embodiments.
As understood by the skilled person and in order to avoid redundancies, reference is also made to the explanations in the preceding sections, which also apply to the following description. Further, not all features, parts, elements, aspects, components or steps are expressly indicated by reference signs for the sake of brevity and clarity. This particularly applies, where the skilled person recognizes that such features, parts, elements, aspects, components or steps are present in a plurality.
Generally, as far as protuberances are shown in the figures and mentioned in the following description, it is understood that those could be replaced by recesses or holes to achieve a similar proprioceptive effect. Similarly, as far as holes are shown in the figures and mentioned in the following description, it is understood that those could be replaced by protuberances or recesses. Similarly, as far as recesses are shown in the figures and mentioned in the following description, it is understood that those could be replaced by protuberances or holes. In particular, any particular pattern of protuberances could be replaced by a similar pattern of recesses or holes, any particular pattern of holes could be replaced by a similar pattern of protuberances or recesses and any particular patter of recesses could be replaced by a similar pattern of protuberances or holes.
In the exemplary embodiment of
Alternatively, the foam layer 11 may include a particle foam material, in particular one or more of the following materials: expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU); expanded polyamide (ePA); expanded polyether-block-amide (ePEBA); expanded polylactide (ePLA); expanded polyethylene terephthalate (ePET); expanded polybutylene terephthalate (ePBT); or expanded thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (eTPEE).
The foam particles may be made of, or include, expanded thermoplastic materials, especially thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactate (PLA), polyamide (PA), polyether block amide (PEBA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (TPEE). The foam particles may also be a bead containing multiple polymer types in one foam particle or the foam particles may be a mixture of different particles of different foam polymers or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the foam particles are 90% by weight of one or a mixture of these materials. These foam particles are particles that include a so-called bead foam, also known in the art as a pellet or particle foam. Often the foams derived from the use of connected foam particles are given the designation “e” to denote the bead form of the polymer foam component, for example, eTPU.
Generally, the foam layer 11 may include multiple hardness components or materials. For example, the foam layer 11 may have a higher hardness in a heel region as compared to a toe region. In another example, the foam layer 11 may include EVA and PU.
On top of the foam layer 11, a textile layer 10 is arranged. The textile layer 10 in the example of
In the embodiment of
Also, in other embodiments, the shape of the protuberances 4a could vary across the surface of the inner sole 1. Thus, the protuberances 4a could have a different shape in the toe region compared to the heel region. Likewise, while in the embodiment of
The protuberances 4a in the exemplary embodiment of
In some embodiments, protuberances, recesses, or holes may be arranged in one or more rows or columns, with rows extending in a direction between medial and lateral sides of inner sole 1 and columns extending in a direction between toe region and heel region. Thus, protuberances, recesses, or holes may be arranged in a grid-like pattern. The number of protuberances, recesses, or holes in each row or column may differ to provide the desired layout of textured areas.
Inner sole may include one or more textured areas, as shown in
In a step 110, an EVA foam layer is cut from a block of EVA material. Cutting can be done by a knife, laser, a water jet, etc. The process of cutting can be automated, e.g. by a robot arm. Alternatively, the EVA foam layer is directly molded in a mold. To this end, EVA raw material (e.g. as a granulate) is placed in a mold and formed to shape using pressure and/or heat. In step 120 the cut or molded EVA foam layer is cold pressed, and in step 130 the EVA foam layer is trimmed to the desired shape.
In step 140 PU is poured in a mold having indentations corresponding to the protuberances 4a on the inner sole to be manufactured. The PU is then molded to a textile, e.g. a textile as shown in
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the inner sole as described herein, a study with 20 participants was performed. The study investigated the differences between the textured insoles as described herein and control insoles having a smooth top surface in side-cut and start-stop tasks. In the side-cut task, participants were asked to perform a running exercise on a grass turf, where two parallel lines were marked with cones. Participants began on either the left or right side, were selected randomly, and ran along the designated line for 50 meters while maintaining a consistent speed. Throughout this exercise, they listened for an auditory cue, the word “now”. Upon hearing the cue, they were required to make an immediate and sharp (45-degree) cut in their running direction, transitioning to the other parallel line. This task was designed to test agility and the ability to change direction quickly.
In the start-stop task, which took place along a similar 50-meter straight track, participants were asked to commence running upon hearing the word “start” and cease immediately upon hearing the word “stop”. Throughout the task, auditory cues were repeatedly administered, with each participant hearing a total of 15 commands (start, stop, and now) in each task, each “start” command was consistently followed by a “stop” command, and vice versa. These stimuli were separated at random intervals ranging from 2500 to 5000 milliseconds during which participants were expected to respond appropriately.
A third test (“acoustic stroop”) consisted of a series of 16 randomized words “right” or “left” (8 each). The words were recorded using a two channel (stereo) recorder such that each individual word is only heard in one ear (right or left) when wearing a headset. For half of these words the meaning of the word corresponded to the ear in which it is heard (“right”—right ear; “left”—left ear) while the other half were switched (“right”—left ear; “left”—right ear). The order of the consonant and dissonant word-ear pairs was randomized and so was the time gap between consecutive words (random times between 2.5 and 5 seconds). Participants were instructed to react immediately after hearing the word and respond “Correct” for consonant word-ear situation and “Wrong” for the dissonant word-ear situation. The response was recorded on the same AV track as the stimulus using a remote phone recording device. During processing, the audio files were digitized to create a sound envelope for both the stimulus and the response, and the time between the peak of the stimulus and the response was quantified and recorded as the “reaction time”.
The participants then completed all three tests and the reaction times for each test were recorded. The entire dataset recorded for the study consisted of 120 independent sessions (40 sessions for each of the independent tests: acoustic stroop, side-cut and start-stop). Of these, data from 7 sessions (5.8%) were not usable due to data recording or synchronization issues. The results of the study showed that the participants who wore the inner soles described herein showed a significant increase in reaction times (p-value=0.044) for the side-cut task. The reaction time for the start-stop task was virtually identical (p-value=0.33) for the two conditions. The mean reaction time for the textured insoles was 1.34 s for the side-cut task and 1.40 s for the start-stop task. The mean reaction time for the control condition was 1.41 s for the side-cut task and 1.42 s for the start-stop task. The mean acoustic stroop test reaction values were 606 ms for the control condition and 526 ms for the textured insole condition. The difference between the two conditions was significant (p-value=0.003).
The study shows that the textured inner sole as described herein reduces the reaction time by a significant amount for a standard cognitive task (acoustic stroop test) and also led to the improvement of a common football task (side cut). The side cut time improvement reached statistical significance for 20 subjects. Thus, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of the inner sole described herein.
The midsole 20 in the exemplary embodiment of
Alternatively, the sole component may include a particle foam material, in particular one or more of the following materials: expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU); expanded polyamide (ePA); expanded polyether-block-amide (ePEBA); expanded polylactide (ePLA); expanded polyethylene terephthalate (ePET); expanded polybutylene terephthalate (ePBT); or expanded thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (eTPEE).
The foam particles may be made of expanded thermoplastic materials, especially thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactate (PLA), polyamide (PA), polyether block amide (PEBA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or thermoplastic polyester ether elastomer (TPEE). The foam particles may also be a bead containing multiple polymer types in one foam particle or the foam particles may be a mixture of different particles of different foam polymers or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the foam particles are 90% by weight of one or a mixture of these materials. These foam particles are particles that include a so-called bead foam, also known in the art as a pellet or particle foam. Often the foams derived from the use of connected foam particles are given the designation “e” to denote the bead form of the polymer foam component, for example, eTPU.
The protuberances 4a in the exemplary embodiment of
In the embodiment of
The protuberances 4a in the embodiment of
In the following, embodiments relating to the sole component 20 are described:
In the embodiment of
Generally, for the embodiments of
In contrast,
Some embodiments relate to an upper 30 for a sports shoe. An exemplary embodiment is shown in
The upper 30 in the example of
The protuberances 4a may be provided during the manufacturing process of the textile making up the upper. For example, in case of a knitted upper, certain knit elements may be provided during the knitting process which protrude from the surface of the knitted textile. Alternatively, the protuberances may be provided to an existing textile, e.g. by gluing, welding or sewing. Another possibility is the molding of protuberances to a textile as described above with respect to the textile layer 10 of the inner sole 1.
Generally, the inner sole 1, sole component 20 and upper 30 as described herein having protuberances, recesses or holes to achieve a proprioceptive effect may be customized according to the needs of a wearer. In particular a first inner sole 1, sole component 20, upper 30 or a shoe including one or more of those components with a certain textured pattern may be provide to a wearer. Then the proprioceptive effect is measured, for example as described above. This provides information on which influence the inner sole 1, sole component 20 or upper 30 has on the performance of the wearer. The wearer's feedback is taken into account and the textured pattern may be re-designed and the inner sole 1, sole component 20, upper 30 or a shoe including one or more of such components is given again to the wearer for another round of testing. By such feedback loops, the inner sole 1, sole component 20 or upper 30 can be customized and performance further improved.
Some embodiments described herein relate to an inner sole for a sports shoe that includes a top surface arranged to face a foot of a wearer of a shoe when the inner sole is arranged in the shoe. The top surface includes at least two textured areas, wherein the textured areas each include a plurality of protuberances, recesses or holes. The top surface includes at least one untextured area not having protuberances, recesses or holes. A first textured area is located in a toe region of the inner sole and a second textured area is located in a heel region of the inner sole.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the textured areas correspond to areas of a human foot having a higher density of mechanoreceptors compared to areas of the human foot corresponding to untextured areas of the inner sole.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the textured areas are distinct and separated by the untextured area.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the hardness of the protuberances correlates with the hardness of the skin of a human foot.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the untextured area is located in an area corresponding to a local maximum of a pressure distribution of pressure caused by a human foot standing on the inner sole. In some embodiments, at least one local maximum of the pressure distribution is surrounded by a textured area.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the protuberances have an average diameter of 1-10 mm, 2-5 mm, or 3-4 mm.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the protuberances have an average height of 0.5-5 mm, 0.75-3 mm, or 1-1.5 mm.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the protuberances have a hardness of 40-70 Shore-A or 50-60 Shore-A.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the inner sole has been manufactured by an additive manufacturing process.
In any of the various embodiments described herein, the inner sole is integral with an additional sole component of a shoe.
Some embodiments described herein relate to a method of manufacturing an inner sole as described herein, the method including the steps of providing a base layer, and one or both of: molding protuberances to the base layer to form textured and untextured areas, and forming recesses or holes in the base layer to form the textured and untextured areas.
