Athletic shoe or sneaker with stabilization device

• US 6,775,929 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ektio Holding LLC
• Original Assignee: Barry H. Katz
• Inventors: Katz, Barry H., Nordstrom, Thomas, Dribben, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick, Anthony D.
• Application Number:
  US10/037,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20020088144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 36/88, 36/91, 36/89, 36/90, 361/14, 36/585, 361/43, 361/44, 361/36, 361/176, 361/179, 36/25.R
• US Class Current: 36/88
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/14 Clamp fastenings , e.g. strap fastenings; Clamp-buckle fastenings; Fastenings with toggle levers
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/1493 Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements

Abstract

A stabilization device for an athletic shoe or sneaker having two elongate straps for wrapping around a foot within the shoe. The straps are attached to the inside sidewalls of the shoe and exit the shoe through lateral slits adjacent to the sole. Each strap then passes through a buckle, and the two straps are attached to each other with a VELCRO material. Two lateral support bumpers, integral with the shoe near the sole and which project outwardly on the lateral sidewall, provides further projection against foot injuries. The upper shoe component having a sufficiently stiff consistency to prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses.

Claims

1. An athletic shoe comprising:

a bottom component having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom component including a sole having an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper component extending from the top surface of the bottom component for accommodating a foot therein, the upper component having a medial sidewall, a lateral sidewall, and a back portion between the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall; and

two elongate straps, one end of each of the two elongate straps being intimately secured to an inner surface of the shoe, the two elongate straps contact a foot within the shoe, the two elongate straps support the ankle mortise and support the lateral calcaneofibular and anterior talofibular ligaments of a foot within the shoe such that a first strap of the two elongate straps cross approximately perpendicular to the anterior talo-fibular ligament and a second strap of the two elongate straps extends approximately parallel to the calcaneofibular ligament and extend across the anterior talofibular ligament, the two elongate straps each having a free end which is detachably securable to each other and an outer surface of the shoe and being tightenable to reduce or prevent ankle inversion stresses of a foot within the shoe.

13. The athletic shoe of claim 1, further comprising at least two lateral support bumpers disposed integrally with the shoe and on an outer surface of the lateral sidewall, the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the sole above the bottom surface of the bottom component, and one of the lateral support bumpers being disposed in a region where the head of the 5^th metatarsal of a foot within the shoe would be located, and a second of the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the anterior heel, the lateral support bumpers each having a base portion which projects laterally outward from the shoe at a distance of approximately ⅜

to ⅝

inches.

14. The athletic shoe of claim 1, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.

15. The athletic shoe of claim 13, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.

2. An athletic shoe comprising:

a bottom component having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom component including a sole having an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper component extending from the top surface of the bottom component for accommodating a foot therein, the upper component having a medial sidewall, a lateral sidewall, a back portion between the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall; and

two elongate straps, one end of each of the two elongate straps being intimately secured to an inner surface of the shoe, the two elongate straps capable of supporting the ankle mortise and lateral ligaments of a foot within the shoe, the two elongate straps each having a free end which is detachably securable to each other and an outer surface of the shoe and being tightenable to reduce or prevent ankle inversion stresses of a foot within the shoe,

wherein the two elongate straps comprise a first elongate strap and a second elongate strap, the first elongate strap being secured at an end portion thereof at a junction of the sole and the medial sidewall, the first elongate strap extending inside the shoe across the upper surface of the sole in a region where the mid arch of a foot within the shoe would be located, and extending horizontally for disposition on the top of a foot within the shoe, the first elongate strap exiting the shoe through the lateral sidewall adjacent to the upper surface of the sole for extending across a top surface of the shoe and passing through a first fastening device disposed on an outer surface of the shoe and adjacent to the top of the medial sidewall, the first elongate strap having a first attachment component on a free end thereof; and

the second elongate, strap being secured at an end portion thereof at the lateral sidewall of the shoe in a region where the level of the base of the 5^th metatarsal of a foot within the shoe would be located, the second elongate strap extending across the back portion of the shoe adjacent to the top of the upper component, and running parallel to the sole in the medial sidewall before exiting the medial sidewall, and extending horizontally within a tongue in an upper surface of the upper component, the second elongate strap extending across the ankle of a foot within the shoe, the second elongate strap exiting the shoe through the lateral sidewall adjacent to the upper surface of the sole and passing through a second fastening device disposed posterior to the first fastening device, the second elongate strap having a second attachment component on a free end thereof for engagement with the first attachment component of the first elongate strap.

16. The athletic shoe of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first fastening device and the second fastening device is a buckle.

17. The athletic shoe of claim 2, wherein the first elongate strap is 1⅜

to 1⅝

inches wide.

18. The athletic shoe of claim 2, wherein the first elongate strap is 1½

inches wide.

19. The athletic shoe of claim 2, wherein the second elongate strap is 1¼

to 1½

inches wide and is 9 to 11 inches long.

20. The athletic shoe of claim 19, wherein the second elongate strap is made of a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, rubber and a latex material.

21. The athletic shoe of claim 19, further comprising at least two lateral support bumpers disposed integrally with the shoe and on an outer surface of the lateral sidewall, the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the sole above the bottom surface of the bottom component, and one of the lateral support bumpers being disposed in a region where the herd of the 5^th metatarsal of a foot within the shoe would be located, and a second of the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the anterior heel, the lateral support bumpers each having a base portion which projects laterally outward from the shoe at a distance of approximately ⅜

to ⅝

inches.

22. The athletic shoe of claim 2, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.

23. The athletic shoe of claim 21, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.

3. An athletic shoe comprising:

a bottom component having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom component including a sole having an upper surface and a lower surface;

an upper component extending from the top surface of the bottom component for accommodating a foot therein, the upper component having a medial sidewall, a lateral sidewall, a back portion between the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall; and

two elongate straps, one end of each of the two elongate straps being intimately secured to an inner surface of the shoe, the two elongate straps capable of supporting the ankle mortise and lateral ligaments of a foot within the shoe, the two elongate straps each having a free end which is detachably securable to each other and an outer surface of the shoe and being tightenable to reduce or prevent ankle inversion stresses of a foot within the shoe,

wherein the two elongate straps comprise a first elongate strap and a second elongate strap, the first elongate strap being secured at an end portion thereof at a junction of the sole and the medial sidewall, the first elongate strap extending inside the shoe across the upper surface of the sole in a region where the mid arch of a foot within the shoe would be located, and extending horizontally for disposition on the top of a foot within the shoe, the first elongate strap exiting the shoe through a first slit in the lateral sidewall adjacent to the upper surface of the sole, the first elongate strap then extending across the top of the shoe, passing through a first fastening device on an outer surface of the shoe and adjacent to the top of the medial sidewall, the first elongate strap having a first releasable attachment component being disposed on an inner surface thereof and adjacent to a free end of the first elongate strap; and

the second elongate strap being secured within a channel in the lateral sidewall of the shoe in a region where the level of the base of the 5^th metatarsal of a foot within the shoe would be located, the second elongate strap extending across the back portion of the shoe adjacent to the top of the upper component, and running parallel to the sole in the medial sidewall before exiting the medial sidewall, and extending horizontally within a channel within a tongue in an upper surface of the upper component, the second elongate strap extending across an ankle of a foot within the shoe and exiting the shoe through a second slit on the lateral sidewall adjacent to the upper surface of the sole, the second elongate strap passing through a second fastening device disposed posterior to the first fastening device, the second elongate strap having a second releasable attachment component on an inner surface of a free end thereof for engagement with the first releasable attachment component of the first elongate strap.

4. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein the first releasable attachment component and the second releasable attachment component comprise a material which comprises complementary male and female forms which adhere to one another when pressed together and are separated by being pulled apart.

5. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first fastening device and the second fastening device is a buckle.

6. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein the first elongate strap is 1⅜

to 1{fraction (6/8)} inches wide.

7. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein the first elongate strap is 1½

inches wide.

8. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein the second elongate strap is 1¼

to 1½

inches wide and is 9 to 11 inches long.

9. The athletic shoe of claim 8, wherein the second elongate strap is made of a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, rubber and a latex material.

10. The athletic shoe of claim 3, further comprising at least two lateral support bumpers disposed integrally with the shoe and on an outer surface of the lateral sidewall, the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the sole above the bottom surface of the bottom component, and one of the lateral support bumpers being disposed in a region where the herd of the 5^th metatarsal of a foot within the shoe would be located, and a second of the lateral support bumpers being disposed adjacent to the anterior heel, the lateral support bumpers each having a base portion which projects laterally outward from the shoe at a distance of approximately ⅜

to ⅝

inches.

11. The athletic shoe of claim 3, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.

12. The athletic shoe of claim 10, wherein each of the medial sidewall and the lateral sidewall has a sufficiently stiff consistency to reduce or prevent acute angles that form during inversion stresses to a foot within the shoe.