GB2451228A

GB2451228A - Sports shoe with compressible resilient members extending below the ground engaging surface of the sole

Info

Publication number: GB2451228A
Application number: GB0713407A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Katharine Elizabeth Duncan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-11
Filing date: 2007-07-11
Publication date: 2009-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-11
Also published as: GB0713407D0; GB2451228B

Abstract

The invention provides a running shoe 1 comprising a sole 2, a foot retaining upper 6 joined to the sole 2, and at least one resilient member 8 which extends below the ground engaging lower surface 4 of the sole 2 when the resilient member is not compressed, and which compresses under the wearer's weight in use so as to not extend beyond the ground engaging lower surface 4 of the sole 2. The resilient members 8 typically have a higher energy return than the sole 2 of the shoe 1 and may be made from foam or a gas encased in a plastics material. The resilient members 8 may extend through a bore or aperture in the sole 2 to contact the wearer's heel. One or more of the resilient members 8 may be removable and may be located at the heel area of the shoe or under the ball of the foot. The shoe 1 may be made from a kit.

Description

1 2451228 I Snorts shoe

3 Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a shoe useful for a range of sports, especially 6 running.

8 Background to the invention

Sports shoes comprise a sole which engages with the ground and an upper which 11 encompasses the wearer's foot Sports shoes, including running shoes, are 12 designed to enable users to practice their sport in comfort and to maximise the 13 wearer's performance.

Sports shoes require a balance between cushioning, which absorbs shock and 16 disperses the energy of impact, and elasticity which returns the energy of impact.

17 Sports shoes typically have homogenous cushioning and energy return properties, or 18 use material with different homogenous layers arranged vertically on top of each 19 other to provide the desired properties. For example, it is known to provide sports shoes including a generally horizontal layer of relatively stiff sole material which 21 underlies a generally horizontal layer of more elastic material.

23 The present invention aims to provide an improved sport shoe which combines 24 cushioning with energy return. Within this specification and the appended claims, energy return refers to the proportion of the energy which goes into compressing a 26 material in use which is returned without being dissipated. r

I Summary of the invention

3 According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shoe 4 comprising a sole with a ground engaging lower surface, a foot retaining upper which is joined to the sole, and at least one resilient member which extends below the 6 ground engaging lower surface of the sole when the resilient member is not 7 compressed, and which compresses under the wearer's weight in use so as to not 8 extend beyond the ground engaging lower surface of the sole, allowing the ground 9 engaging lower surface of the sole to engage with the ground.

11 Preferably, the or each resilient member has a higher energy return than the sole of 12 the shoe. The sole of the shoe may typically comprise a plurality of layers with 13 different energy return properties and it is the energy return of the sole as a whole 14 which is referred to.

16 The or each resilient member will resist compression and return kinetic energy, giving 17 the shoes greater bounce than would be the case if the or each resilient member was 1 8 not present.

When a wearer's foot is raised from the ground, the or each resilient member will not 21 be compressed and so will extend below the ground engaging lower surface of the 22 sole and so impact the ground slightly before the surrounding ground engaging lower 23 surface, thereby spreading out in time the impact transmitted to the wearer's legs and 24 knees as the wearer puts down their foot.

26 At least one resilient member may extend to contact the wearer's foot (or an insole, 27 where present) within the foot retaining upper and may extend above the upper 28 surface of the sole, into the foot retaining upper.

Preferably, at least one resilient member extends through an aperture in the sole.

32 Preferably, at least one heel-supporting resilient member is located in the heel region 33 of the shoe The upper surface of the or each heel-supporting resilient member may 34 comprise a dent which is in contact with the wearer's heel in use and which conforms to the shape of a heel. The rearward portion of the upper surface of the or each heel- 36 supporting resilient member may be slightly higher than the forward portion of the 37 upper surface of the heel-supporting resilient member. f e

2 A further resilient member, which is preferably smaller than the heel-supporting 3 resilient member may alternatively or additionally be provided under the ball of the 4 wearer's foot, just under the proximal end of the wearer's large toe. A further resilient member may also or alternatively be provided at the lateral side of the ball of the 6 wearer's foot (the proximal end of the big toe). This resilient member may extend 7 backwards from the lateral side of the ball of the wearer's foot (the proximal end of 8 the big toe) in a tear drop shape, tapering towards the rear. Preferably, the resilient 9 member is located underneath the wearer's second metatarsal bone and extends laterally towards the outer edge of the foot 12 Preferably, the or each resilient member comprises a foam material. Preferably, the 13 foam material comprises gas pockets which are individually encased by a plastics 14 material. The gas pockets may comprise pressurised gas. The gas pockets may be arranged in a honeycomb distribution. The gas within the gas pockets may be air.

1 7 One or more resilient members may have homogenous energy return properties. One 18 or more resilient members may have inhomogeneous energy return properties.

Preferably, one or more of the resilient members has symmetric energy return 21 properties. The or each symmetric resilient member may have a homogeneous 22 composition which may be a symmetric honeycomb distribution of gas pockets. Li

24 Preferably, at least two resilient members have different energy return properties.

26 Preferably, one or more of the resilient members has asymmetric energy return 27 properties. The or each asymmetric resilient member may have laterally asymmetric 28 energy return properties. The or each asymmetric resilient member may have an 29 inhomogeneous composition Preferably, the or each asymmetric resilient member has an inhomogeneous honeycomb distribution of gas pockets giving preferential 31 energy return properties through one side of the inhomogeneous resilient member. *1

33 Typically, the or each laterally asymmetric resilient member has an inward portion 34 and an outward portion. The inward portion may have greater energy return properties than the outward portion. Alternatively, the outward portion may have 36 greater energy return properties than the inward portion.

I Alternatively, or additionally, the or each asymmetric resilient member may have 2 longitudinally asymmetric energy return properties.

4 The or each resilient member may have energy return properties that are asymmetric to a different extent.

7 The or each resilient member may have a lower ground engaging surface adapted to 8 reduce the risk of slippage. For example, the lower ground engaging surface may 9 comprise grit.

11 The sole typically comprises rubber, a rubberised material or a plastics material.

12 Preferably, the or each resilient member has a higher coefficient of elasticity than the 13 sole.

The shoe is preferably a sports shoe, and more preferably a running shoe.

1 7 At least one resilient member may be removable.

19 In embodiments which employ at least one removable resilient member, at least one removable resilient member may be held in place by a resilient member retaining 21 formation. In this case, the or each resilient member retaining formation may 22 comprise a downwards sloping canopy, extending inwards from its perimeter and 23 downwards from the foot engaging upper surface of the sole.

The or each canopy may contain an aperture through which the removable resilient 26 member extends below the ground engaging lower surface of the sole when the 27 removable resilient member is not compressed. The or each canopy may be flexible.

28 Alternatively, the or each canopy may be rigid.

The or each removable resilient member may comprise a protrusion which engages 31 with the resilient member retaining formation. The or each protrusion may be a 32 circumferential retaining lip. The or each circumferential retaining lip may engage the 33 canopy, thereby supporting the removable resilient member and preventing the 34 removable resilient member from slipping downwards through the canopy. The or each circumferential retaining lip (or other protrusion) may extend radially beyond the 36 canopy into the foot retaining upper when in use such that the sole of the wearers 37 foot may engage with the upper surface of the lip (or other protrusion).

2 The or each removable resilient member may be removable upwards through the foot 3 retaining upper when the shoe is not in use. By providing a removable resUient 4 member the removable resilient member may be removed and replaced periodically when the removable resilient member wears out, without requiring the entire shoe to 6 be replaced.

8 The removable resilient member may be removed and replaced with a homogeneous 9 resilient member with higher or lower energy return properties, allowing customisation of the shoe to a particular wearer's foot.

12 The removable resilient member may be removed and replaced with an 13 inhomogeneous resilient member with different degrees of asymmetrical energy 14 return properties. This may be beneficial to wearers who suffer from different degrees of pronation or supination of the foot.

17 According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts 18 comprising a shoe and a plurality of removable resilient members, the shoe 19 comprising a sole with a ground engaging lower surface, a foot retaining upper which is joined to the sole, the sole including at least one resilient member retaining 21 formation, wherein the shoe and the removable resilient members are adapted such 22 that when a removable resilient member is retained by a resilient member retaining 23 formation, the retained resilient member would extend below the ground engaging 24 lower surface of the sole when the resilient member is not compressed, and compress under a wearer's weight in use so as to not extend beyond the ground 26 engaging lower surface of the sole, allowing the ground engaging lower surface of the 27 sole to engage with the ground.

29 At least two of the plurality of removable resilient members may have different energy return properties. Preferably also, at least two of the plurality of removable resilient 31 members have the same dimensions and different energy return properties allowing 32 for customisation to a particular wearers foot.

34 The plurality of removable resilient members may contain at least two heel supporting removable resilient members having different energy return properties. The plurality 36 of removable resilient members may contain at least two further removable resilient 37 members having different energy return properties which may provide support to the I ball of the wearer's foot. The plurality of removable resilient members may also or 2 alternatively contain at least two further tear drop shaped resilient members with 3 different energy return properties which may provide support to the lateral side of the 4 ball of the wearer's foot.

6 The kit of parts may be assembled to form a shoe with specific energy return 7 properties in the or each removable resilient member, allowing customisation for a 8 particular wearer's foot The or each removable resilient member may be removable upwards through the foot 11 retaining upper when the shoe is not in use. By providing a removable resilient 12 member the removable resilient member may be removed and replaced periodically 13 when the removable resilient member wears out, without requiring the entire shoe to 14 be replaced.

16 Further preferred features correspond to those discussed in relation to the first aspect 17 above.

19 Brief Description of the Drawings

21 A specific embodiment of the shoe will now be described by way of example with 22 reference to the accompanying drawings in which:--.. . Li 24 Figure 1 is a side view of a sports shoe according to the present invention when it is not in contact with the ground; 27 Figure 2 is a mid-section view of the sports shoe with removable resilient members 28 when it is not in contact with the ground; Figure 3 is a plan view of the underside of the sports shoe showing the location of the 31 resilient members; 33 Figure 4 is a side view of a removable resilient member with a circumferential 34 retaining lip; 36 Figures 5A, B and C are sectional views of homogeneous resilient members with 37 different energy return properties; 2 Figure 6 is a sectional view of an inhomogeneous resilient member with asymmetrical 3 energy return properties, and Figure 7A and B are sectional views of inhomogeneous removable resilient members 6 with different degrees of asymmetrical energy return properties.

8 Detailed Description of an Example Embodiment

Figure 1 is a side view of a sports shoe 1 according to the present invention when it is not in contact with the ground. The example sports shoe is a running shoe. Sports 12 shoe 1 comprises a sole 2 having a ground-engaging surface 4. A flexible upper 6 is 13 attached to the sole 2 and functions to retain the wearer's foot. Figure 2 is a mid- 14 section view of the sports shoe when it is not in contact with the ground.

16 The sole of the shoe is perforated by three removable resilient members 8 which are 17 located in high weight bearing areas of the shoe. (In practice, the number of 18 removable resilient members may vary). Figure 3 is a plan view of the underside of 19 the sports shoe which shows the location of the removable resilient members.

21 The largest removable resilient member 8A lies in the heel of the shoe and functions 22 as a heel-supporting removable resilient member. A second removable resilient 23 member, 8B, which is half the size of the largest resilient member is located under the 24 ball of the foot and is made from the same material. A third removable resilient member 8C is located laterally of the second resilient member and forms the shape of 26 a tear-drop. It extends slightly backwards and tapers towards the rear.

28 The upper surface of the largest removable resilient member 8A extends above the 29 sole and makes direct contact with the runner's heel. In practice, the wearer may use an insole as padding between the resilient member and the foot to allow for greater 31 comfort, if desired. The upper surface includes a dent 14 which conforms to the 32 shape of a runner's heel. The rearward portion 16 of the upper surface of the resilient 33 member is slightly higher than the forward portion of the upper surface of the resilient 34 member, to push the runner forward.

36 The removable resilient members are retained by a flexible canopy 10 functioning as 37 a resilient member retaining formation. The canopy 10 comprises an aperture I surrounding the removable resilient member allowing the ground engaging surface of 2 the removable resilient member to engage with the ground. Figure 4 illustrates a 3 removable resilient member. This member is encircled by a circumferential retaining 4 lip 20 which engages with the resilient member retaining formation 10. The circumferential retaining lip prevents the removable resilient members from slipping 6 downwards through the sole. The circumferential retaining lip, combined with the 7 canopy, provides further support for the removable resilient members. The removable 8 resilient member is removable upwards through the foot retaining upper when the 9 shoe is not in use.

11 Alternatively, or additionally, the circumferential retaining lip engages with the upper 12 foot engaging surface of the sole 3, above the canopy thus retaining the removable 13 resilient member. In this case, the resilient member retaining formation also 14 comprises the upper foot engaging surface of the sole and the canopy provides extra support to the retaining formation.

17 When the shoe is not in contact with the ground and the removable resilient members 18 are uncompressed, the lower ground engaging surface of the removable resilient 19 members extends below the ground engaging surface of the sole. On impact each removable resilient member compresses into a tight position that should provide 21 great tension in the sole of the shoe. The removable resilient members will resist 22 compression and so push the runner's foot upwards, enhancing bounce on take-off.

23 Thus, the removable resilient members function as bounce aids.

The removable resilient members have a higher energy return than the sole of the 26 shoe and so they increase the amount of energy returned during each stride, making 27 the shoe more bouncy.

29 The removable resilient members are made from a dense resilient material, for example a resilient foam, and have many small pressurised gas pockets 12 31 individually encased by plastics material. These gas pockets are arranged in a 32 honeycomb structure within the foam.

34 The resilient member retaining formation comprises a flexible canopy made from a strong supporting material, for example a rubberised or plastics material. Alternatively 36 the canopy is made from a strong rigid material, for example a rigid plastics material.

I The ground engaging part of the removable resilient member can be gritted so that 2 the wearer is less likely to slip.

4 The shoe should reduce injury, particularly to the knees or ankles, by providing more give during running than would be the case without the removable resilient members.

6 As the removable resilient members extend below the ground engaging lower surface 7 when the shoe is not in contact with the ground then they will impact the ground 8 slightly before the surrounding ground engaging lower surface during a running 9 stride, and so spread out in time the impact transmitted to the wearer's legs and knees as the wearer puts down their foot, further protecting the wearer.

12 Each individual runner will distribute their weight differently across the shoe and the 13 removable resilient members should allow for this individuality and provide a more 14 comfortable impact in these different areas than within conventional shoes.

16 The shoes can be adapted for runners of different weights, with resilient members 17 containing a greater proportion of gas pockets to foam in runners of a higher weight 18 so that there would be appropriate tension in the resilient members for their weights.

In this embodiment, the removable resilient members can be customised to a 21 particular wearer's needs. The or each removable resilient member can be removed 22 and replaced by another removable or resilient member with different energy return 23 properties. Various removable resilient members are illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7.

The removable resilient members have different degrees of energy return properties; 26 Figure 5A shows a resilient member with high energy return properties which has a 27 high number of gas pockets, a resilient member with medium energy return 28 properties is illustrated in Figure 5B which has a lower number of gas pockets and 29 Figure 5C illustrates a resilient member with low energy return properties which has the least number of gas pockets. (In practice the number of increments of energy 31 return properties may differ). Figure 6 illustrates a removable resilient member with 32 laterally asymmetric energy return properties 22. This is beneficial to the wearer who 33 has a stride defect as the lateral asymmetry of the removable resilient member is 34 custom designed to provide support for a wearer with pronation or supination of the foot 1 Figure 7 illustrates an inhomogeneous removable resilient member with asymmetrical 2 energy return properties. The asymmetric energy return properties of the 3 inhomogeneous removable resilient member can be distinctly graded to provide 4 support for severe pronation or supination of the foot 24, as illustrated in Figure 7A.

The asymmetric energy return properties of the inhomogeneous removable resilient 6 member can be distinctly graded to provide support for mild pronation or supination 7 26 of the foot, as illustrated in Figure 7B.

9 The shoes can be adapted for runners with severe or mild pronation/supination of the foot, by including one or more removable resilient members with an asymmetric or 11 inhomogeneous distribution of gas pockets to provide appropriate tension in the 12 resilient members for their condition. I,, I-,

14 As there are many gas pockets which can compensate for each other in the event that any one gas pocket should burst the shoe should have a long useful life time. A 16 removable resilient member can be removed and replaced periodically when the 1 7 removable resilient member wears out, without requiring the entire shoe to be 18 replaced.

In a second example, one or more of the resilient members 8 can be permanently 21 fixed to the sole during manufacture.

23 In embodiments which employ one or more permanently fIxed resilient members, the 24 or each permanently fixed resilient member requires no resilient member retaining formation 10 nor a circumferential retaining lip 20.

27 In this example, the structure and energy return properties of the or each permanently 28 fixed resilient members can be designed for sufferers of severe or mild 29 pronation/supination The formation and energy return properties of a group of two or more permanently fixed resilient members can be designed for sufferers of severe or 31 mild pronation/supination.

33 Further modifications can be made within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

Claims

1 Claims 3 1 A shoe comprising a sole with a ground engaging lower surface, a foot 4 retaining upper which is joined to the sole, and at least one resilient member which extends below the ground engaging lower surface of the sole when the 6 resilient member is not compressed, and which compresses under the 7 wearer's weight in use so as to not extend beyond the ground engaging lower 8 surface of the sole, allowing the ground engaging lower surface of the sole to 9 engage with the ground.

11 2. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein the or each resilient member has a 1 2 higher energy return than the sole. 1.)

14 3. A shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least one resilient member extends to -contact the wearer's foot or insole within the foot retaining upper.

17 4. A shoe according to claim 3, wherein the sole comprises an upper surface 18 and at least one resilient member extends above the upper surface of the 19 sole.

21 5. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein at least one resilient 22 member extends through an aperture in the sole.

24 6. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein at least one resilient member is removable.

27 7. A shoe according to claim 6, wherein at least one resilient member comprises 28 a circumferential retaining lip.

8. A shoe according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein at least one resilient member 31 is retained by a resilient member retaining formation.

33 9. A shoe according to claim 8, wherein at least one resilient member retaining 34 formation comprises a canopy.

36 10. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein a heel-supporting 37 resilient member is located in the heel region of the shoe.

2 11. A shoe according to claim 10, wherein the heel-supporting resilient member 3 has an upper surface which comprises a dent which is in contact with the 4 wearer's heel or insole in use and which conforms to the shape of a heel.

6 12. A shoe according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the rearward portion of the upper 7 surface of the heel-supporting resilient member is higher than the forward 8 portion of the upper surface of the resilient member.

13. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein a resilient member is 11 provided under the ball of the wearer's foot.

13 14. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein a lateral resilient 14 member is provided at the lateral side of the ball of the wearer's foot.

16 15. A shoe according to claim 14, wherein the lateral resilient member provided at 17 the lateral side of the ball of the wearer's foot extends backwards from the 18 lateral side of the ball of the wearer's foot in a tear drop shape, tapering 19 towards the rear.

21 16. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient 22 member comprises a foam material.

24 17. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient member comprises gas pockets encased by a plastics material.

27 18. A shoe according to claim 17, wherein the gas pockets are arranged in a 28 symmetric honeycomb distribution.

19. A shoe according to claim 17, wherein the gas pockets are arranged in an 31 asymmetric honeycomb distribution.

33 20. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein at least one resilient 34 member has symmetric energy return properties.

36 21. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein at least one resilient 37 member has asymmetric energy return properties.

2 22. A shoe according to any one preceding claim, wherein the or each resilient 3 member has a lower ground engaging surface adapted to reduce the risk of 4 slippage.

6 23. A kit of parts comprising a shoe and a plurality of removable resilient 7 members, the shoe comprising a sole with a ground engaging lower surface, 8 a foot retaining upper which is joined to the sole, the sole including at least 9 one resilient member retaining formation, wherein the shoe and the removable resilient members are adapted such that when a removable 11 resilient member is retained by a resilient member retaining formation, the 12 resilient member would extend below the ground engaging lower surface of 13 the sole when the resilient member is not compressed, and compress under a 14 wearer's weight in use so as not to extend beyond the ground engaging lower surface of the sole, allowing the ground engaging lower surface of the sole to 16 engage with the ground.

18 24. A kit of parts according to claim 23, wherein at least two removable resilient 19 members have different energy return properties.

21 25. A kit of parts according to claim 24, wherein at least two removable resilient 22 members are heel supporting removable resilient members with different 23 energy return properties.

26. A kit of parts according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein at least two of 26 the removable resilient members have the same dimensions.

28 27. A kit of parts according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein at least two 29 removable resilient members provide support to the ball of the wearer's foot and have different energy return properties.

32 28. A kit of parts according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein at least two tear 33 drop shaped removable resilient members provide support to the lateral side 34 of the ball of the wearer's foot and have different energy return properties.

36 29. A kit of parts which can be assembled to form a shoe according to any one of 37 claims 1 to 22 or a kit of parts according to any one of claims 23 to 28.

2 30. A shoe according to any one preceding claim which is a sports shoe.

4 31. A shoe according to any one preceding claim which is a running shoe.

6 32. A shoe substantially as described herein and illustrated in the Figures.