MEMORY FOAM SHOE INSERT

• US 20070234595A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KDD Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: KDD Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Kristene
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/94
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/12 Dancing shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/28 Adapting the inner sole or the side of the upper of the shoe to the sole of the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 999/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Improved shoe inserts (22, 56, 63) are provided which are designed for placement within the toe regions (37, 52, 64) of shoes (34, 50, 62) to provide enhanced comfort to the shoe wearers. The inserts (22, 56, 63) are preferably cut from initial pillow-shaped bodies (20) to give the custom-designed inserts (22, 56, 63). The inserts (22, 56, 63) are designed to substantially occupy the distal end of the shoe toe region and present a proximal toe-engaging face that substantially spans the cross-sectional dimension of the toe-region. The inserts (22, 56, 63) are preferably formed of heat-sensitive, viscoelastic, polyurethane foam material.

Claims

1. The combination comprising:

a shoe including a sole and a shoe upper, which cooperatively present a substantially enclosed toe region having an open cross-sectional dimension; and

a resilient insert being located within the toe region and comprising an insert body formed of memory foam,

said insert body presenting a shape that generally corresponds with a portion of the toe region,

said insert body including a proximal toe-engaging face that substantially spans the cross-sectional dimension,

said toe-engaging face being positioned so that the insert body is compressed by at least some of the toes of a wearer of the shoe.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, said cross-sectional dimension of the toe region tapering distally.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, said sole including a downwardly projecting heel having a height of at least about one and one-half inches.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1, said memory foam comprising heat-sensitive, viscoelastic polyurethane.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4, said memory foam having a density of from about 1-5 pounds.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 1, said proximal face being substantially flat.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, said toe region having a proximal boundary, said proximal face of the insert body being spaced distally from the proximal boundary of the toe box.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 6, said insert body having opposite upper and lower surfaces and opposite sides, with the surfaces and sides tapering distally from the toe-engaging face.

9. A shoe insert comprising:

a substantially quadrate body formed of heat-sensitive, viscoelastic polyurethane memory foam,

said body having a length of from about two to four inches, a width of from about three-quarter to one and one-half inches, and a maximum thickness of from about one-quarter to three-quarter of an inch,

said body being severable to present a preformed and pre-sized insert body adapted to be placed within the toe region of a shoe.

10. The shoe insert as claimed in claim 9, said quadrate body having a length of about three inches, a width of about one inch, and a maximum thickness of about one-half of an inch.

11. The shoe insert as claimed in claim 9, said quadrate body having a substantially continuous peripheral edge and an enlarged generally bulbous mid-section.

12. The shoe insert as claimed in claim 9;

and

an open-sided fabric casing disposed over the quadrate body, said quadrate body being removable from the casing.

13. The shoe insert as claimed in claim 9, said body having a density of from about 1-5 pounds.

14. A method of increasing the comfort of a shoe during wearing thereof, wherein the shoe presents a substantially closed toe region having a cross-sectional dimension, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a shoe insert body formed of memory foam, with the insert body including a proximal toe-engaging face dimensioned to substantially span the cross-sectional dimension of the toe region;

(b) placing the insert body within the toe region of the shoe, with the toe-engaging face directed proximally; and

(c) donning the shoe so that at least some of the toes of the wearer come into contact with the toe-engaging face and compress the insert body.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, step (a) including the step of cutting the insert body from a relatively larger, initial foam body so that the insert body conforms in shape and size to at least a portion of the toe region.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, said initial foam body having a generally quadrate shape with a tapered outer margin, step (a) including the step of bisecting the initial foam body such that the toe-engaging face is defined along the bisectional line.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, step (a) including the step of forming the memory foam of heat-sensitive, viscoelastic polyurethane.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14;

and

(d) resizing the insert body as the wearer'"'"'s foot grows.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, step (d) including the step of trimming the insert body to a new smaller-sized insert body.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, step (d) including the step of removing a proximal portion of the insert body, such that a new proximal toe-engaging face is defined after the proximal portion has been removed.