GB2461015A

GB2461015A - Dance shoe

Info

Publication number: GB2461015A
Application number: GB0802890A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Claire Louise Wyon; Matthew Alexander Wyon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-02-18
Filing date: 2008-02-18
Publication date: 2009-12-23
Also published as: GB0802890D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a shoe, and in particular but not exclusively a dance or performing arts shoe, comprising a fore foot section 1, mid section 2 and heel section 3 to form a unitary part. The shoe includes a split sole 4, and in an embodiment, the mid section is formed from two pieces joined under the mid foot section.

Description

SHOE

The invention relates to a shoe and in particular but not exclusively a dance or performing arts shoe, especially, which provides a wearer with enhanced levels of comfort, durability, stability and shock absorption, and to methods for constructing said shoe.

It is convenient to refer to the field of ballet dancing to set the background for the invention but aspects of the background discussion apply equally to other fields, such as shoes and sports shoes in general.

During training and performances, male and children, and to a lesser extent female ballet dancers are required to wear soft shoes upon their feet. Soft shoes are generally constructed by hand using layers of fabrics. The sole is generally constructed from leather, microfibre or other man-made materials.

It can be either a complete section or a split sole design with fore and heel sections with upper material between the two parts. An outer layer of fabric or " upper" is sewn to the sole and usually gathered in pleats under the toe.

This section is usually made from canvas or satin. This design and manner of construction is labour intensive and expensive to produce.

Conventional ballet soft shoes have a number of drawbacks, for example, the materials used do not allow the foot to expand during weight bearing and have little or any shock absorbing capabilities. A ballet dancer will often attempt to compensate for the lack of shock absorption by softening the impact on the floor which may detract from the performance or cause injury.

Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a split sole shoe comprising a toe section and heel section joined by a mid section of material to form a unitary part.

It will be appreciated that references herein to shoe include all shoes but particularly those which are used for dance or performing arts. In one embodiment the shoe is a soft ballet shoe.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an outer mid section configured to be able to stretch in multiple directions.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided shock absorbing pads in the fore foot and heel sections of the shoe.

The advantage of providing a section that can expand in length is that the shoe can accommodate the changes in foot length and width during weight bearing and non-weight bearing activities. Such an arrangement provides the advantage that the shoe does not become either baggy on the foot or cause the toes to curl up.

In one embodiment, the first shock absorbing portion is constructed from an open celled polyurethane foam or gel like substance. The first shock absorbing portion has the advantage of providing quiet contact between the shoe and the floor so that a ballet dancer can achieve graceful movement.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the shank has a second shock absorbing portion attached or moulded to the heel region thereof. In a yet further embodiment, the second shock absorbing portion is constructed from a foam comprising an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, a neoprene rubber or an open celled polyurethane foam or gel like substance.

En a yet further embodiment, the second shock absorbing portion is constructed from an open celled polyurethane foam.

In a further embodiment of the invention, all surfaces of the shoe fore foot and heel sections which are in contact with the users foot are lined with a soft, resilient coating selected from a foam comprising a polyurethane, a cross-linked polyethylene, a polyvinylchioride and nitrile rubber blend or an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer. In a yet further embodiment, the surface of the shank portion in contact with the user's foot is lined with a soft, resilient coating. In a yet further embodiment, the soft, resilient coating is an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer.

In a yet further embodiment, the soft resilient coating additionally comprises odour controlling means. In this embodiment, the odour controlling means may be incorporated within the outer covering (e.g. by application of odour controlling agents) or the odour controlling means may be separately applied to the surface of the shank portion in contact with the user's foot (e.g. by the presence of a detachable insole) by any of the attachment means mentioned herein. In one embodiment, the odour controlling means comprise a separate insole separately attached to the surface of the fore foot and heel portions in contact with the user's foot by way of a releasable or permanent attachment, e.g. Velcro TM, an adhesive (either permanent or temporary) or any other means of attachment.

In one embodiment, wherein the outer of the fore foot and heel sections are constructed from a man-made wick like material, microfibre material, satin or other material (e.g. silk, nylon). This has the advantage of drawing perspiration away from the foot. In a further embodiment, the outer is constructed from a microfibre material which provides the benefit of allowing the foot of a user to breathe. The microfibre material has a further advantage of providing a greater degree of flexibility or stretching in one direction when compared with a perpendicular direction. In another embodiment the mid section is made out a high stretch material (e.g. neoprene) to allow increased shoe length adaptation. This section can be made from either a single piece or multiples pieces of material.

In one embodiment, the outer comprises a slip-resistant portion, the sole.

This has the advantage of providing additional grip for the ballet dancer to prevent slips and falls and therefore minimise the chances of injury.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of the shoe; Figure 2 shows a cross section of the shoe.

Figure 3 shows the sole view of the shoe.

Referring first to Figure 1, a shoe, shown generally as 1, comprises a fore foot section 1, a heel section 2 and a mid section 3. The split sole 4 and side ties 5 are also indicated. In this embodiment, the shoe is drawn as a ballet soft shoe, although the invention finds wider applicability in a variety of other footwear. Referring to Figure 2, the fore foot section 1 additionally comprises a shock absorbing portion A that attaches or is placed to the inner surface of the fore foot section. The heel section 3 comprises a shock absorbing portion B that can be attached to the section or placed in this position. Referring to Figure 3, the split sole construction 4 is evident along with the fore foot 1, mid 2 and heel 3 sections. In this embodiment the mid section has been made in two pieces and these are joined under the mid foot section.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A shoe comprising a fore foot, mid and heel sections that form a unitary part.
2. A shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer of the fore foot and heel sections are constructed from a man-made wick like material, microfibre material, satin or other material.
3. A shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the mid section comprises a high stretch portion (e.g. neoprene).
4. A shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer covering comprises a slip-resistant portion.
5. A shoe defined in claim 1, wherein said fore foot and heel shock absorbing portions are constructed from an open celled polyurethane foam or gel-like substance.