FOOTWEAR

• US 20020083622A1
• Filed: 03/17/2000
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michel Joubert, Patrice Roy
• Original Assignee: Michel Joubert, Patrice Roy
• Inventors: Joubert, Michel, Roy, Patrice
• Granted Patent: US 6,442,875 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/117.6
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/02 wedge-like or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/023 wedge-like A43B17/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 19/00 Shoe-shaped inserts; Inserts covering the instep
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0405 Linings, paddings or insertions; Inner boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/141 having an anatomical or curved form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1415 characterised by the location under the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1445 situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/145 situated under the toes, i.e. the phalanges
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders

Abstract

A boot comprising a sole with an upper which includes an asymmetrical medial and lateral quarter. Strategically located pads are provided on the inner of the upper on opposite sides of the metatarsal in the vamp area and around the ankle. Flexible compressible inserts are provided in the medial dorsal area and in the posterior lateral area, providing compression and extension in the sagittal plane. A scewered lacing arrangement is provided with the lower segment of the lacing extending with the median axis of the lacing approximately at the fourth metatarsal bone and the upper segment of the lacing being provided in the anterior area of the ankle. A light-weight tongue follows the contours of the gap formed by the lacing and is connected to the lateral quarter of the upper along the side thereof and at the front is anchored to a toe box which has a rear edge forming a parabolic outline coincident with the joints between the metatarsus and the phalanges. A footbed is provided which has a deep heel cavity, a pronounced parabolic arch and a cuboid bump.

Claims

1. In a boot having a sole, an upper, including a medial quarter and a lateral quarter, the improvement including a plurality of pads on the interior of the upper, wherein the pads include at least a medial metatarsal pad between the base and the head of the first metatarsal bone, a lateral metatarsal pad near the head of the joints between the metatarsus and the phalanges, a medial malleolal pad having a vertical component between the Achilles tendon and the ankle and a horizontal component below the ankle, a lateral malleolal pad having a vertical component between the Achilles tendon and the ankle, and a horizontal component just below the ankle for the purpose of blocking the foot within the boot to provide a rigid lever with the gliding runner.

2. A boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the medial metatarsal pad and the lateral metatarsal pad are positioned asymmetrically and have a quadrilateral outline with a convexly curved dome surface.

3. A boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the vamp pad is crescent-shaped and has a convex surface facing the dorsal portion of the foot.

4. A boot as defined in claim 1, wherein the medial and lateral malleolar pads are somewhat J-shaped and include the horizontal component and the vertical component.

5. A boot as defined in claim 4, wherein the medial and lateral malleolar pads are J-shaped and have an upper horizontal portion which extends over the ankle to further block the foot in the boot and prevent movement of the foot relative to the boot when the foot is being lifted.

6. A boot as defined in claim 4, wherein the medial and lateral malleolar pads are asymmetrically located and are placed to limit the pronation about the subtalar joint axis.

7. A boot as defined in claim 1, wherein a footbed is provided within the boot, wherein the footbed includes a pronounced parabolic arch with the apex of the arch in the cuneiform medial and a cuboid bump is provided on the top surface of the footbed in the lateral portion thereof, and coincident with the cuboid of the foot.

8. A boot for use with gliding runners, the boot having a sole and an upper, including a medial quarter and a lateral quarter, the improvement including a footbed extending over the sole wherein the footbed includes a relatively deep recess in the area of the calcaneum and the calcaneum slopes at 5°

from the horizontal to the frontal plane, thus opposing the pronation force about the subtalar joint axis, a pronounced parabolic arch extending so that the apex of the arch is in a cuneiform medial, and a cuboid bump is provided on the surface of the footbed in the lateral portion thereof, and relative to the location of the cuboid in the foot.

9. A boot as defined in claim 8, wherein a forward portion of the footbed has a 7°

slope in the frontal plane from the horizontal but excluding the first metatarsal bone and the forward portion extends below the heads of the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones, including the toe.

10. A boot as defined in claim 9, wherein the forward portion has a thickness of 3 mm, the arch is a parabola, the apex of which in the case of a 9½

size boot is 33 mm high measured from the surface of the footbed.

11. A boot as defined in claim 8, wherein the cuboid bump is a semi-cylindrical shape with the axis of the cylinder extending transversely of the axis of the footbed.

12. A boot as defined in claim 11, wherein the cuboid has an apex of 4 mm high over the top surface of the footbed.

14. A boot as defined in claim 13, wherein the front edges of the lateral and medial quarters include a second pair of fastening rows above the first pair, wherein the second pair of fastening rows are offset from the first pair and aligned with the anterior portion of the ankle.

15. A boot as defined in claim 13, wherein the fastening rows are provided with a series of lacing eyelets.

16. A boot as defined in claim 14, wherein a lacing band extends about the rear of the boot and includes forward projections overlapping the medial and lateral quarters respectively and lacing fingers extending towards the second fastening rows and the lacing fingers including lacing hooks to receive and accommodate a boot lace.

17. A boot as defined in claim 14, wherein a tongue is provided which is attached to a vamp portion of the upper and the tongue includes a contour which follows a gap defined between he first pair of fastening rows and around to the offset second pair of fastening rows.

18. A boot as defined in claim 17, wherein the tongue is fastened along its lateral edge to the lateral quarter and extends between the lateral portion of the first metatarsal bone to the medial portion of the fifth metatarsal bone.

19. A boot as defined in claim 16, wherein the lacing band is fixed to a portion of the upper coincident with the area of the Achilles tendon and a pair of fingers extend forwardly of the band, overlapping over the medial quarter and lateral quarter respectively.

13. A boot for use with gliding runners, the boot having a sole and an upper, the upper having a medial quarter and a lateral quarter and defining a first pair of parallel fastening rows around the front edge of each quarter, at least in the vamp area of the boot, and the median axis of the rows extends between he third and the fourth metatarsal bones of the foot.

20. A boot having a sole and an upper including an medial quarter and a lateral quarter, the improvement comprising a medial cut out in the medial dorsal area and a lateral cut out defined in the lateral quarter aligned in a common axis with the medial dorsal and the posterior lateral area in order to permit flexion and extension in the sagittal plane along said axis.

21. A boot as defined in claim 20, wherein each insert is fixed in each cut out area of the respective quarters and each insert is a compressible energy return means made of a corrugated plastic material with the ribs of the corrugated plastic material extending at right angles to the sagittal plane.

22. A boot as defined in claim 21, wherein the inserts have an oval outline.

23. A boot for use with gliding runners, the boot having a sole with a toe portion and a heel portion, and an upper, the improvement comprising a rigid toe box having a lower edge coincident with the toe portion of the sole, and a rear edge of the toe box being asymmetric and having a parabolic outline between a portion coincident with the joint of the first metatarsal bone and the respective phalange of the foot, and another portion coincident with the joint of the fifth metatarsal bone and the respective phalange.