Dynamic Footwear that Aligns the body and Absorbs the impact

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed. According to the present invention there is provided a light-weight shoe having a sole with a hard upper section in the form of a plate with high rigidity at the lateral part, and a highly compressible lower section. Due to the soft materials used in the lower section, and due to the recesses and grooves at the ground facing side, the total average density between the hard upper section and the ground is very low. Due to the specific location of the plate and the recesses the shoe facilitates optimal body alignment in standing, walking and running.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]The present invention relates to a sole as part of footwear to stand in and to use for activities which involve brisk walking, running and jumping.[0002]Walking and running on hard roads and uneven and potentially slippery ground requires a shoe sole which protects the sole of the foot. This shoe sole needs to protect the body against sliding and against sudden or frequently repeated high impact forces on the body, as well as against acute sharp indenting into the foot sole. The shoe sole needs to be lightweight and must not hinder the normal and natural movement of the feet, ankles, knees and hips.[0003]When running or jumping, at the time that the foot comes into contact with the ground, the human body experiences a sudden increase in vertical ground reaction force, commonly termed shock or impact loading. The repeated application of such loads to the human body during running or jumping activities can contribute to musculoskeletal injuries. The repeated high loads...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention proposes a shoe sole with two sections: an upper hard section and a bottom highly compressible section. The bottom section is designed to be highly adaptable to the weight and movement of the wearer and the ground surface. It provides better impact cushioning by decelerating the movement of the body bones over a longer distance. This results in reduced injury risks and improved alignment of the human body.

Problems solved by technology

The repeated application of such loads to the human body during running or jumping activities can contribute to musculoskeletal injuries.

The repeated high loads can cause the breakdown of components of the musculoskeletal systems: joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones.

Failure of such subtle muscle responses leads to a loss of balance or the adoption of a posture which puts undue strain on the body.

A loss of balance can lead to falls and subsequent injuries such as bone fractures.

A poor posture contributes to musculoskeletal injuries and the development of osteoarthritis.

During walking activities, excessive sideway twists on the foot can overstrain the body tissues of the legs.

The features to provide shock absorption such as soft heels as in US 2010 / 032594 by Nike Inc. and EP 1240838 by Adidas International B.V. reduce the stability and encourage an unnatural heavy heel strike and therefore reduce the wearer's ability to maintain the body in a functional alignment.

A continuously soft shoe sole, such as various fashionable running shoes worn over the last 35 years, can reduce the sensory information the wearer receives, and therefore impede the reflexive feedback and feed forward system to optimise the functional activities.

When a person steps, the base of support in the medial-lateral direction is small and therefore the balance in this direction is precarious.

The weight of such soles can impede the running action of the wearer.

During walking and running activities in conventional shoes with a solid sole the wearer could inadvertently step on a stone and twist the foot and ankle.

The continuous nature of the sole made from medium or high density material does not allow for the stone to move into the sole.

The collision between the moving human body and the hard ground and stone can result in a sudden high increase in lateral ground reaction force on the body.

This twisting force can cause a strain injury on the wearer of the conventional shoe with a solid sole.

When walking and running on slippery ground in footwear without its gaps and grooves being situated between the shoe and the ground, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,800 by Adidas AG, and in U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,939 by Nike Inc., the shoe sole could easily slide across the ground with as a result a loss of balance by the wearer.

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