SHOE, ESPECIALLY FOR AIDING CHILDREN IN LEARNING TO WALK

• US 3,810,318 A
• Filed: 08/03/1972
• Issued: 05/14/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roland Epstein
• Original Assignee: Roland Epstein
• Inventors: Epstein, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawson, Patrick D.
• Application Number:
  US05/277,649
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 36/2.5R,2.5E,2.5F,69,68,67R,67D,71
• US Class Current: 36/105
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 11/02 with built-in shoe-horns
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/41 combined with heel stiffener, toe stiffener, or shank stiffener
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/30 specially adapted for babies or small children
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/143 situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1463 with removable pads to allow custom fit
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/16 with elevated heel parts inside

Abstract

A shoe, especially for aiding children in learning to walk, which includes an inner sole having an extension extending upwardly and forming the heel section, which latter together with said inner sole forms a coherent, preferably single piece structural element.

Claims

1. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, said coherent curved structural element at the area where the inner sole merges with the heel section being at least at one lateral edge provided with a V-shaped fold.

2. A shoe according to claim 1, in which the edges of said fold directly abut each other.

3. A shoe according to claim 1, in which said shoe has an outer sole with centering openings, and in which a member inside of said outer sole is provided with anti-slip protrusions extending through said outer sole, at least some of said anti-slip protrusions extending through said centering openings.

4. A shoe according to claim 1, which includes a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section.

5. A shoe according to claim 4, in which said reinforcement is located below said transition area.

6. A shoe according to claim 4, in which said reinforcemeNt is formed by a heel-shaped member cupping said heel section and said inner sole in the manner of a bucket seat.

7. A shoe according to claim 4, in which said reinforcement is formed by an injection molded part of synthetic material.

8. A shoe according to claim 7, in which said injection molded part is of polyvinylchloride.

9. A shoe according to claim 4, in which said reinforcement is injection molded onto said inner sole and said heel section.

10. A shoe according to claim 4, in which said reinforcement has its thickest area within the transition range between said inner sole and said heel section.

11. A shoe according to claim 10, in which said reinforcement becomes thinner towards its upper portion.

12. A shoe according to claim 10, in which said reinforcement becomes thinner toward its side edges.

13. A shoe according to claim 10, in which said reinforcement extends approximately to the central portion of the length of the inner sole.

14. A shoe according to claim 10, in which the shoe has a shoe upper, and in which the contour of the outer surface of said reinforcement within the region of the heel section substantially corresponds to the contour of the inner surface of the shoe upper.

15. A shoe according to claim 14, in which said shoe upper directly engages said outer surface.

16. A shoe according to claim 10, in which the shoe has a shoe upper with lateral folded portions, and in which the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole is provided with means for direct connection with said laterally folded portions.

17. A shoe according to claim 10, in which the shoe has an outer sole, and in which the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole is provided with means for direct connection to said outer sole.

18. A shoe according to claim 17, in which the shoe has a shoe upper with lateral folded portions, and in which the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole is in its marginal region offset by a distance substantially equaling the thickness of said lateral folded portions.

19. A shoe according to claim 17, in which said outer sole is provided with passage means, and in which said inner sole has anti-slip protrusion means extending through said passage means.

20. A shoe according to claim 10, in which said shoe has an outer sole provided with centering openings, and in which the inner sole is provided with centering protrusions engaging said centering openings.

21. A shoe according to claim 4, which includes an outer sole, connecting means arranged on said inner sole, and receiving means associated with said outer sole for receiving said connecting means to establish a firm connection between said inner and outer soles.

22. A shoe according to claim 4, which includes an outer sole and in which said reinforcement forms a substantially sharp edge located vertically above the roll-off edge of said outer sole.

23. A shoe according to claim 4, which includes a cushion of foam material arranged on said reinforcement within that portion of said heel section which is intended for receiving the heel of the foot.

24. A shoe according to claim 23, in which said cushion is injection molded onto said reinforcement.

25. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section, said reinforcement having thickest area thereof within the transition range between said inner sole and said heel section, said reinforcement extending approximately to the end of the ball section of a corresponding foot inserted into the shoe.

26. A shoe according to claim 25, in which said reinforcemenT extends only over a portion of the height of said heel section.

27. A shoe according to claim 25, in which the shoe has a shoe upper and in which said reinforcement ends below the upper edge of the shoe upper in the region of the heel section.

28. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section, said reinforcement having thickest area thereof within the transition range between said inner sole and said heel section, the shoe having a shoe upper with lateral folded portions, and the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole being in its marginal region offset by a distance substantially equalling the thickness of said lateral folded portions, said bottom surface being offset by an elevated section of said reinforcement, said elevated section being arranged in spaced relationship to the edge of said inner sole.

29. A shoe according to claim 28, in which a portion of said reinforcement extends approximately to the front end of the shoe and is formed by said elevated section.

30. A shoe according to claim 29, in which said portion of said reinforcement is a flat surface portion.

31. A shoe according to claim 28, in which said outer sole is provided with passage means, and in which the elevated section of said reinforcement is provided with anti-slip protrusion means extending through said passage means.

32. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section, said reinforcement having thickest area thereof within the transition range between said inner sole and said heel section, the shoe having an outer sole and the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole being provided with means for direct connection to said outer sole, said outer sole being provided with passage means, and the elevated section of said reinforcement being provided with anti-slip protrusion means extending through said passage means, said anti-slip protrusion means forming a single integral piece with said reinforcement.

33. A shoe according to claim 28, in which said shoe has an outer sole provided with centering openings, and in which the elevated section of said reinforcement is provided with centering protrusions engaging said centering openings.

34. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section, the reinforcement within the region of said inner sole having an elevated flat surface section and connecting means provided on said elevated section, an outer sole arranged below said inner sole and said heel section, and means associated with said outer sole for receiving said connecting means to establish a firm connection between said inner and outer soles.

35. A shoe according to claim 34, in which said shoe includes a shoe upper provided with means for receiving some of said connecting means.

36. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof which latter is arranged adjacent to saId inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a reinforcement arranged at least within the transition area between the inner sole and the heel section, said reinforcement having thickest area thereof within the transition range between said inner sole and said heel section, the shoe having an outer sole and the bottom surface of said reinforcement within the region of said inner sole being provided with means for direct connection to said outer sole, said outer sole being provided with passage means, and the elevated section of said reinforcement being provided with anti-slip protrusion means extending through said passage means, said anti-slip protrusion means including undercut protrusions.

37. A shoe, especially for aiding children to walk, which includes:

an inner sole and an extension thereof, which latter is arranged adjacent to said inner sole and extends upwardly while forming the heel section, said inner sole and said heel section forming a coherent curved structural element of said shoe, a shoe upper and strap means connected to the upper portion of said heel section and forming an extension thereof while protruding beyond the upper edge of said shoe upper, a first connecting element arranged on said extension and also including a second connecting element arranged on the outside of said shoe at a lower level than the upper edge of said upper for detachably engaging and holding said first connecting element.

38. A shoe according to claim 37, in which said strap means includes a centering hole having said first connecting element connected thereto.