Shoe employing negative toe rocker for foot muscle intensive sports

• US 5,142,797 A
• Filed: 08/12/1991
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles D. Cole III
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Cole III
• Inventors: Cole, Charles D. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Meyers, Steven N.
• Application Number:
  US07/747,466
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 36/50, 36/51, 36/103, 36/88, 36/107, 36/113, 36/43, 36/44, 36/25 R, 36/78, 36/114, 36/71
• US Class Current: 36/113
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/143 provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/146 Concave end portions, e.g. with a cavity or cut-out portion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/181 Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
• 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 5/003 for free climbing

Abstract

A shoe employing negative toe rocker is disclosed which enhances athletic performance in sports which are foot-muscle intensive. The negative toe rocker in the shoe is induced by a structurally resilient inner sole preformed to place the sole of the shoe in a preloaded condition arcuately downward from the heel to the toe. An upper having staggered instep lacing and cutouts containing elastic web to evenly distribute and maintain the closure tension of the shoe, and heel engaging pads located on the inner surface of the medial and lateral portions of the heel of the upper constrain the foot of the wearer in the shoe. The downwardly preloaded sole provides mechanical advantage to the wearer in sports requiring significant muscle strength in the foot. Conversion of kinetic energy into potential energy by flattening of the preloaded sole and structural rigidity of the sole in static conditions transferring load from foot muscles to the stronger calf muscles enhances athletic performance.

Claims

1. A shoe providing resilient support for supplementing the lantar muscle strength in a wearer'"'"'s foot, the foot having toes, a ball, an instep and heel the shoe comprising:

a resilient sole downwardly arched from a heel end to a toe end, the toe end terminating proximate the extremity of the toes of the wearer'"'"'s foot, the downward arch preloading the sole to resiliently resist flattening responsive to a force applied substantially perpendicular to the sole on a toe portion of the sole extending from the ball of the wearer'"'"'s foot to the extremities of the toes;

an upper attached to the sole and providing means for tightening the shoe across the instep of the foot, the means for tightening having medial and lateral lips in the upper each having an opposing edge defining a closure over a tongue;

a first plurality of tensioning means proximate the edge of each lip;

a second plurality of tensioning means distal the edge of each lip alternately spaced intermediate the first plurality of tensioning means;

means for preventing wrinkling of the lips comprising a plurality of cutouts intermediate the first plurality of tensioning means and extending from the edge of each lip to a vertex proximate the alternating second plurality of tensioning means, each cutout having an elastic web fastened therein, the elastic web expanded when the shoe is in a first downwardly arched preloaded condition and contracted with the shoe is in a second flattened condition; and

means for engaging the heel of the foot to prevent extracting the heel from the shoe when the wearer'"'"'s weight is brought to bear on the sole of the shoe creating the force on the toe portion of the sole.

2. A shoe as defined in claim 8 wherein the first plurality of tension means comprises:

a first plurality of holes proximate the edge of each lip;

the second plurality of tensioning means comprises a second plurality of holes distal the edge of each lip; and

a continuous lace extends alternately through the first and second plurality of holes.

3. A climbing shoe for providing resilient support for supplementing plantar muscle strength in a climber'"'"'s foot having an instep and a heel, the shoe comprising:

an inner sole of multiply oriented structural fiber encased in a high modulus resin matrix preformed to arch downwardly from a heel end to a toe end;

an outer sole of high friction rubber attached to the inner sole;

an upper attached to the inner sole having a toe portion, an instep portion and a heel portion, the instep portion having two lips each with an opposing edge defining a closure over a tongue, each lip having a first plurality of laceholes proximate the edge, a second plurality of laceholes alternately intermediate the first plurality of laceholes distal the edge of each lip, a third plurality of cutouts extending from the edge of each lip intermediate the first plurality of laceholes, each of the cutouts terminating in a vertex proximate the second plurality of laceholes, and each cutout containing an elastic web therein;

a continuous lace inserted alternately through the first plurality of laceholes and the second plurality of laceholes for tensioning closure of the lips;

a pad extending inwardly from each of a medial and lateral side of the heel portion of the upper, the pads located to engage a medial and a lateral depression respectively in the climber'"'"'s heel;

a rand of abrasion of resistant rubber covering the toe portion of the upper; and

a quarter cover of abrasion resistant rubber covering the heel portion of the upper.