Athletic shoes with reverse slope construction

• US 5,491,912 A
• Filed: 12/13/1993
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clifford Larkins, John C. Snabb
• Original Assignee: Clifford Larkins, John C. Snabb
• Inventors: Larkins, Clifford, Snabb, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAYOAN, BETHANNE CAROLINE
• Application Number:
  US08/166,243
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 36/25 R, 36/91, 36/127, 36/11.5, 36/114, 36/30 R, 36/116, 36/113
• US Class Current: 36/114
• 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 13/148 Wedged end portions
• 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 7/141 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 7/1425 situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/143 situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1435 situated under the joint between the fifth phalange and the fifth metatarsal 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

Abstract

New application of biomechanical principles of elastic stretch and braking force are combined in an athletic shoe. The new design implements the concepts by placing the heel significantly lower than the ball of the foot and toes. Tests show that an inner sole reverse slope of about 31/2° provides an optimum significant improvement in jumping in particular. The reverse slope is substantially flat from the center of pressure beneath the heel to the five centers of pressure beneath the ball of the foot. The flat slope provides more assurance that the weight of the user will be applied to the shoe through the centers of pressure in preference to locations under the arch. The invention is applicable to "explosive" movement sports such as basketball, track and field, volleyball, tennis and soccer. Preferably the shoes are constructed with formed or curved heels to retain the feet properly positioned in the shoes by preventing the feet from sliding too far back within the shoes. The increased athletic performance appears to arise from a two fold effect. First, the reverse slope because of the toe elevation additionally stretches the achilles tendon resulting in the ability to generate greater jumping force as the calf muscle contracts. Second, the reverse slope because of the continuous flat nature of the slope, provides a greater stopping or braking force, thus improving the ability to convert forward momentum into vertical or lateral motion.

Claims

1. A running, jumping and braking athletic shoe comprising a horizontal outer sole and an inner sole thereabove, an upper attached to at least one of the outer sole and inner sole adjacent the periphery thereof, the inner sole elevated above the outer sole at a location defined by a ball of a foot being higher than the inner sole is elevated above the outer sole at a location defined by a heel of a foot to form a negative slope,

the improvement comprising the inner sole negative slope being substantially flat laterally across the shoe and longitudinally from a heel location rearward of a location defined by the center of pressure at the heel of a foot at least to ball locations defined by the centers of pressure at the ball of a foot, said negative flat slope retained a proper negative substantially flat slope under the application of multiple times the weight of the user to the heel and ball centers of pressure, whereby the likelihood of excessive impact loading of the user'"'"'s arch is reduced and the arch protected.

2. The athletic shoe of claim 1 wherein the inner sole flat negative slope is within an angular range of 1°

to 5°

relative to the horizontal outer sole.

3. The athletic shoe of claim 1 wherein the inner sole flat negative slope is at an angle of 31/2°

relative to the horizontal outer sole for optimum enhancement of athletic performance.

4. The athletic shoe of claim 1 wherein the inner sole is curved upward behind the heel of a foot to prevent backsliding of the foot within the shoe.

5. The athletic shoe of claim 1 wherein the sole continuosly increases in thickness from the heel location to the ball locations of the foot and the sole is substantially constant in thickness from the centers of pressure of the ball of the foot forward under the toes.

6. An athletic shoe for enhanced athletic performance comprising a sole with an outer surface, an inner surface and a periphery, an upper attached to the periphery,

said sole supporting the ball and toes of a foot above the heel of the foot relative to the outer surface at horizontal,

said sole effectively increasing in thickness at a constant rate from a heel location rearward a location defined by the center of pressure at the heel of a foot to a ball location forward of a location defined by the forwardmost center of pressure at the ball of a foot to thereby form a flat inner negative slope, said flat inner negative slope extending laterally across the shoe,

said flat inner negative slope retained a substantially flat proper negative slope under the application of multiple times the weight of the user to the heel and ball centers of pressure whereby the likelihood of excessive impact loading of the user'"'"'s arch is reduced, and the arch protected,

and the inner surface forward of the flat inner negative slope being sloped at a lesser angle to horizontal than the slope of the flat inner negative slope.

7. The athletic shoe of claim 6 wherein the flat inner negative slope is from 1°

to 5°

relative to horizontal.

8. The athletic shoe of claim 6 wherein the flat inner negative slope is optimized at about 31/2°

relative to the horizontal.

9. The athletic shoe of claim 6 wherein the inner surface slope forward the ball of a foot forwardmost center of pressure is about 0°

.

10. The athletic shoe of claim 6 wherein the inner sole is curved upward at the back of the heel of a foot to prevent backsliding within the shoe.