Patent Application
20140113100
In many styles of dance, the dancer performs dance moves on the tip of a dance shoe. There are numerous movements including variations of toe stands and toe drops. These movements occur in all genre of dance: pointe, ballet, tap, jazz, character, modern, hip hop, and the like. There have been innovations that have helped the dancer achieve a more stable or prolonged position “en pointe” or on the tip toes. These prior innovations include adding a platform or similar type of flat surface to the toe area of the dance shoe to help execute the movements. This solution has been previously applied to pointe shoes and dance sneakers. Until now, there has not been the same innovation adapted for, and applied to, tap shoes.
While performing, practicing or studying the art of tap dance, the dancer may be required to stand on the toe or tip of the shoe. To execute this motion, the dancer lifts upwards and forwards through their body and their feet using their shoe as a tool to get them on pointe and keep them there. The shoe protects the foot and provides strength to the foot in order to complete this motion. Due to the nature of tap shoes as they have traditionally been made, the dancer is forced to stand on the rounded front portion of the tap which is mounted on the sole of the shoe. This is prohibitive to achieving optimal balance and affects both short and prolonged toe stands. It also hinders the ability of the dancer to string dance moves and motions together while “en pointe”, because the rounded tip forces the dancer to unnecessarily work harder in order to achieve the proper body alignment and position. Extra effort is required to maintain proper and safe technique and produce the required/desired sound to achieve the art as it is meant to be heard and seen. Since there is no safe area for the dancer to balance on existing taps and related footwear, there is an added risk for injury while performing such intricate and technical footwork and body motion.
In addition to utilizing the tap in the front or toe portion of the shoe, tap dancers also utilize the side portions of the sole of the shoe. There are dance movements that require dancers to produce sounds while engaging in scuffing movements using the inside and outside edge of the shoe's sole. Since the sound producing metal tap portion of a tap shoe does not always extend to be flush with the edge of the shoe's sole construction, for reasons varying from shoe size to last shape, producing a sound utilizing the edge of the sides of the foot can be difficult. The toe tap is frequently arranged further in towards the center of the ball of the foot of the shoe, leaving an area of the sole of the shoe exposed around the tap, i.e. framing the tap, preventing it from being easily accessible at the edges of the shoe. In order to access this area of the foot, and thereby generating the tapping sound, the dancer must twist the foot and ankle into positions that can create injury, either immediately, or over time. While the motion and desired sound result is achievable, the tap shoes used to achieve it could be improved upon to reduce the possibility of injury.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a tap for a dance shoe wherein the tap includes a base having a forward edge adjacent to the toe area of the dance shoe, a rear edge extending toward the ball area of the dance shoe, and side edges between the toe and rear edges. The side edges of the tap extend toward the side edges of the shoe. A projection extends upwardly from the base forward edge. The projection and base forward edge have a flat configuration to define a support platform which provides stability to the dancer when performing certain dance movements where the dancer elevates onto the toes of the feet.
The side edges of the base have a constant perimeter which is configured to match the outer perimeter of the sole of the dance shoe. The base side edges have a curvature defined by a gradual transition of radius which increases from the rear edge to the forward edge.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the perimeter of the side edges of the base is co-linear with the outer perimeter of the dance shoe sole. In addition, the base includes a lip which extends upwardly and continuously around the perimeter of the side and forward edges. The projection extends upwardly from the lip.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:
In
The tap 4 is shown in detail in the remaining
As shown particularly in
The flatter surface area at the forward edge 8 creates a platform so that there is a place for the dancer to find stability during specific types of movement. This surface will counteract the round shape of the toe portion of the dance shoe, thus acting like a buttress between the dancer and the dance floor. The flattened front edge portion of the base of the tap is rounded at the opposite ends where the front edge merges into the side edges of the tap. Thus, there are no hard corners that detract from the overall aesthetic or traditional look of the tap shoe.
The flat tap platform area may extend from the outer perimeter of the tap, although this is not required. If so, the extension is relatively small, on the order of 1 mm on the dorsal side tip of the toe, positioned on the perpendicular plane relative to the strike zone of the tap. The flattened forward edge of the tap further includes a projection 14 which extends upwardly from the tap. The projection extends vertically up the front portion of the dance shoe. The projection is preferably integral with the base of the tap so that it is formed from one continuous piece of material.
The tap includes at least one opening 16 which is used to connect the tap to the sole of the shoe. In the drawing, a plurality of openings is shown. The openings are adapted to receive screws, studs or other fasteners to connect the tap to the shoe sole. The tap can be designed to standard dimensions and serve as a replacement tap on a standard tap shoe. Alternatively, the tap shoe can be modified to include a blunt forward sole edge to match the flattened portion of the tap forward edge. Dancers prefer that the tap fit snugly against the edges of the sole of the dance shoe to provide a clean visual line of the tap all around the profile of the toe. In addition, a proper fit of the tap provides a higher quality sound and enables the dancer to execute tap movements that utilize scuffs or sound producing motions on the medial and lateral portions of the foot.
The tap 4 according to the present invention is designed with a constant outer tap perimeter, particularly along the side edges 12 of the base. The constant perimeter allows a dancer to execute a dance movement with a higher degree of accuracy and technical ability while reducing the amount of physical effort required. It also provides a cleaner aesthetic at the profile of the shoe. The perimeter of the tap portion may extend up to 2 mm from the edge of the shoe sole and may taper toward the toe platform or toward the rear edge of the tap base. The shape of the tap will always follow the shape of the shoe sole. The curvature of the perimeter is defined by a gradual transition of radius which increases from the rear edge to the forward edge of the base.
According to a preferred embodiment, the base includes an integral lip 18 extending upwardly and continuously around the perimeter of the side and forward edges as shown particularly in
The tap is wide enough to accommodate several shoe sizes without changing the profile of the shoe. Thus, the tap can be applied to any tap shoe, as it is not limited to just one specific shoe model. The tap is snug fit to the shoe without sacrificing the tap cavity between the base portion 4 and the shoe sole or the ability for the tap to produce the desired sound.
The bottom surface of the base is preferably contoured rather than flat. As shown in
With the lip on the tap extending upwardly and over the side edges of the shoe sole, it is easier for the dancer to execute tap movements that utilize scuffs and sound producing motions on the medial and lateral portions of the foot. This is a vast improvement over prior taps which were centered in the strike zone but did not extend to the edge of the shoe or beyond. With the improved tap according to the invention, the dancer is not required to force the foot unnaturally beyond its normal inversion and eversion range in order to effectively sound the tap. This reduces repetitive stress injuries.
While the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth above.
