GB2061695A

GB2061695A - Insoles

Info

Publication number: GB2061695A
Application number: GB8031705A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HORT W
Current assignee: HORT W
Priority date: 1979-10-01
Filing date: 1980-10-01
Publication date: 1981-05-20
Also published as: CH653221A5; DE2939731C2; IT8025046A0; ATA488280A; AT373767B; FR2466206A1; FR2466206B1; DE2939731A1; IT1133642B; GB2061695B

Abstract

An insole is made of hot-formable material for individual adaptation to a user's foot, preferably of polyethylene formable at 160 DEG C. Toe section 10 is softer than heel section 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Foot bed for a sports shoe The invention relates to an interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, especially but not exclusively for a running shoe.

Sports shoes used hitherto have no special foot bed particular to each user. This disadvantage comes to the fore especially in the case of sports shoes used by high-performance athletes, owing to the large loads which occur and to which the feet are exposed. Measures taken with known sports shoes to twist the shoe on the torsion principle are ineffective, since the relatively flexible shoe can twist itself.

An object of the present invention, at least in its preferred embodiments, is to provide a sports shoe providing optimal foot support for each individual user, without the hitherto existing good properties such as heel guidance and heel bedding or profiled sole being relinquished.

According to the invention there is provided an interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, made of hot-formable material for individual adaptation to a user's foot.

The material of the foot bed preferably consists of polyethylene formable at a temperature of 1 600C.

Thus, by means of the invention, sports shoes which generally have a more or less flat foot bed can be adapted so that the foot bed complies with the anatomical conditions of a respective user and, furthermore, the requirements of different kinds of sports can be taken into account in the shaping of the foot bed.

In a further development of the invention it is provided that the foot bed is in two parts, the region of the front of the foot being softer than the region of the heel. This measure is especially advantageous since almost all athletes run only on the front of the foot, so that even in the case of accentuated heel running the development of force underthe ball of the big toe is largerthan at the heel, with the result that a damping of the front of the foot is obtained by means of this proposed measure.

The damping of the line of the big toe is further improved according to the invention if the foot bed has a dished region for receiving the ball of the big toe.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a foot bed provided according to the invention for a sports shoe; Figure 2 is a side view of the foot bed of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrow II; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the foot bed along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-section of the foot bed in the plane IV-IV of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a cross-section of the foot bed in the planeV-V of Figure 2.

The foot bed according to the invention, illustrated in the drawings, is made of polyethylene which is formable at 160"C, for example of FRELEN of the firm Carl Freudenberg, Weinheim. As shown in Figure 3, the foot bed is in two parts, the region 10 of the front of the foot consisting of a softer material than the region 12 of the heel. An increased damping of the front of the foot and especially of the line of the big toe is thereby obtained.

A dished region 14 for the deep support of the ball of the big toe is formed in the region 10. Due to the formation of the dished region 14 in the foot bed, no thinning of the sole of the shoe results, so that the necessary soft bedding remains guaranteed.

To obtain a detorsion it is advantageous to pull up the region of the small ball to some extent, which appears to be suitable in the case of a flat foot for example.

As particularly Figures 2 and 3 further illustrate, the foot bed has an elevated region 16 for the toe joint end, whilst the longitudinal arch of the foot is modelled distinctly.

As shown by Figures 2 and 3, a dished heel bed 18 which surrounds the heel is supported scarcely higher than the dished region 14 for the ball of the big toe, since the heel is loaded only slightly during running.

The material of the foot bed according to the invention can readily be covered with a "froth6" material and can be washed in a washing machine at 30"C to 60 C. Since the foot bed can be taken out of the sports shoe, the individual requirements demanded by the type of sport can easily De satisfied, for example higher or lower, softer or harder supporting of the front of the foot and/or of the heel.

It is advantageous to prefabricate the foot bed according to the invention in the form of a blank and to work the special foot bed out of this by stamping.

Adaptation of the shape of the foot bed to the foot configuration of an individual user can be effected by well known abrasive techniques if necessary, it being understood that the foot bed as otherwise provided in accordance with the invention is of a standard shape, usually varying only in foot size.

1. An interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, made of hot-formable material for individual adaptation to a user's foot.

2. A foot bed according to claim 1, which is in two parts, the region of the front of the foot being softer than the region of the heel.

3. Afoot bed according to claim 1 or 2, which has a dished region to receive the ball of the big toe.

4. A foot bed according to any of the preceding claims, which has an elevated region to receive the toe joint bend.

5. A foot bed according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the longitudinal arch of the foot is modelledinto the foot bed.

6. A foot bed according to any of the preceding claims, which has a dished region to receive the heel.

7. A foot bed according to any of the preceding claims, which has an elevated region to receive the transverse arch of the foot.

8. A foot bed according to any of the preceding claims, which is made of polyethylene formable at 1 60 C.

9. An interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Foot bed for a sports shoe The invention relates to an interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, especially but not exclusively for a running shoe. Sports shoes used hitherto have no special foot bed particular to each user. This disadvantage comes to the fore especially in the case of sports shoes used by high-performance athletes, owing to the large loads which occur and to which the feet are exposed. Measures taken with known sports shoes to twist the shoe on the torsion principle are ineffective, since the relatively flexible shoe can twist itself. An object of the present invention, at least in its preferred embodiments, is to provide a sports shoe providing optimal foot support for each individual user, without the hitherto existing good properties such as heel guidance and heel bedding or profiled sole being relinquished. According to the invention there is provided an interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, made of hot-formable material for individual adaptation to a user's foot. The material of the foot bed preferably consists of polyethylene formable at a temperature of 1 600C. Thus, by means of the invention, sports shoes which generally have a more or less flat foot bed can be adapted so that the foot bed complies with the anatomical conditions of a respective user and, furthermore, the requirements of different kinds of sports can be taken into account in the shaping of the foot bed. In a further development of the invention it is provided that the foot bed is in two parts, the region of the front of the foot being softer than the region of the heel. This measure is especially advantageous since almost all athletes run only on the front of the foot, so that even in the case of accentuated heel running the development of force underthe ball of the big toe is largerthan at the heel, with the result that a damping of the front of the foot is obtained by means of this proposed measure. The damping of the line of the big toe is further improved according to the invention if the foot bed has a dished region for receiving the ball of the big toe. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a foot bed provided according to the invention for a sports shoe; Figure 2 is a side view of the foot bed of Figure 1 in the direction of the arrow II; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the foot bed along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-section of the foot bed in the plane IV-IV of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a cross-section of the foot bed in the planeV-V of Figure 2. The foot bed according to the invention, illustrated in the drawings, is made of polyethylene which is formable at 160"C, for example of FRELEN of the firm Carl Freudenberg, Weinheim. As shown in Figure 3, the foot bed is in two parts, the region 10 of the front of the foot consisting of a softer material than the region 12 of the heel. An increased damping of the front of the foot and especially of the line of the big toe is thereby obtained. A dished region 14 for the deep support of the ball of the big toe is formed in the region 10. Due to the formation of the dished region 14 in the foot bed, no thinning of the sole of the shoe results, so that the necessary soft bedding remains guaranteed. To obtain a detorsion it is advantageous to pull up the region of the small ball to some extent, which appears to be suitable in the case of a flat foot for example. As particularly Figures 2 and 3 further illustrate, the foot bed has an elevated region 16 for the toe joint end, whilst the longitudinal arch of the foot is modelled distinctly. As shown by Figures 2 and 3, a dished heel bed 18 which surrounds the heel is supported scarcely higher than the dished region 14 for the ball of the big toe, since the heel is loaded only slightly during running. The material of the foot bed according to the invention can readily be covered with a "froth6" material and can be washed in a washing machine at 30"C to 60 C. Since the foot bed can be taken out of the sports shoe, the individual requirements demanded by the type of sport can easily De satisfied, for example higher or lower, softer or harder supporting of the front of the foot and/or of the heel. It is advantageous to prefabricate the foot bed according to the invention in the form of a blank and to work the special foot bed out of this by stamping. Adaptation of the shape of the foot bed to the foot configuration of an individual user can be effected by well known abrasive techniques if necessary, it being understood that the foot bed as otherwise provided in accordance with the invention is of a standard shape, usually varying only in foot size. CLAIMS

9. An interchangeable foot bed for a sports shoe, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A sports shoe having a foot bed as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.