Device for high-heeled shoes and method of constructing

• US 7,594,346 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HBN Shoe, LLC
• Original Assignee: HBN Shoe, LLC
• Inventors: Dananberg, Howard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US11/948,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 361/45, 36155-163, 361/73, 361/74, 361/80, 36/43, 36/30.R, 36/44
• US Class Current: 36/174
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/141 having an anatomical or curved form
• 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 7/1445 situated under the midfoot, i.e. the second, third or fourth metatarsal
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/38 Elevating, i.e. height increasing with elevated heel parts inside A43B7/16; lengthening pieces for natural legs A61F3/00

Abstract

A device for insertion in a high-heeled shoe has a first crescent shaped raised area in a region underlying the forward edge of a wearer'"'"'s heel bone and a second raised area underlying the metatarsals of the wearer is described. Also described is a method for constructing a shoe using the device and the resulting shoe.

Claims

1. In a high-heeled shoe having a sole, an upper and an insole board, the improvement comprising a device which is mounted on the insole board, the device having:

a. a rear region having a first upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least an area of a wearer'"'"'s calcaneus which is forward of the edge of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, the first upper surface region having a portion which gradually rises from the rear of the device to a substantially crescent-shaped apex, the apex lying under the area of the calcaneus immediately forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus;

b. a forward region having a second upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s metatarsals, the second upper surface of the forward region having a portion which gradually rises to an apex positioned to underlie the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s second and third metatarsals; and

c. a middle region thinner than the rear and forward regions, which connects the rear and forward regions, the middle region having a third upper surface that is smoothly contoured,

wherein the device causes the weight borne by a wearer'"'"'s foot to be shifted towards the heel and off the ball of the foot.

2. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the apex of the raised portion of the forward region is 2 to 8 mm high relative to the surface immediately forward of the raised portion.

3. The shoe according to claim 2, wherein the height of the apex of the raised portion of the forward region is scaled relative to the size and height of the shoe.

4. The shoe according to claim 3, wherein the apex of the raised portion of the forward region ranges from 3 mm for a US size 1 women'"'"'s shoe to 6 mm for a US size 16 women'"'"'s shoe.

5. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the apex of the raised portion of the rear region is 2 to 8 mm high relative to the surface immediately rearward of the raised portion.

6. The shoe according to claim 5, wherein the height of the apex of the raised portion of the rear region is scaled relative to the size and height of the shoe.

7. The shoe according to claim 6, wherein the apex of raised portion of the rear region ranges from 3 mm for a US size 1 women'"'"'s shoe to 6 mm for a US size 16 women'"'"'s shoe.

8. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the forward raised portion has a shape which is wider toward the wearer'"'"'s metatarsal heads and tapers toward the rear of the metatarsal shafts.

9. The shoe according to claim 8, wherein the forward raised portion is ellipsoid shaped.

10. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the device is flexible.

11. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the thinner portion extends from the medial side of the device to the lateral side of the device.

12. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least the middle region is flexible.

13. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the raised portions are the thickest portions of the device.

14. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein all portions of the device other than the raised portions and the transitions from the raised portions to the remaining portions of the device are no more than 0.5 to 1 mm thick.

15. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the raised portions of the rear and forward regions are of approximately the same height.

16. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least the raised portions have a Shore A hardness of 20 to 90.

17. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least the raised portions have a Shore A hardness of 35 to 50.

18. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein at least the raised portions have a Shore A hardness of about 40.

19. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein the entire device is of approximately the same Shore A hardness throughout.

20. In a high-heeled shoe having a sole, an upper and an insole board, the improvement comprising a flexible device which is mounted on the insole board, the device having:

a. a rear region having a first upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least an area of a wearer'"'"'s calcaneus which is forward of the edge of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, the first upper surface having a portion which gradually rises from the rear of the device to a substantially crescent-shaped apex, the apex lying under the area of the calcaneus immediately forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus;

b. a forward region having a second upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s metatarsals, the second upper surface of the forward region having a portion which gradually rises to an apex positioned to underlie the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s second and third metatarsals; and

c. a middle region thinner than apices of the rear and forward regions, which connects the rear and forward regions, the middle region having a third upper surface that is smoothly contoured,

wherein the device causes the weight borne by a wearer'"'"'s foot to be shifted towards the heel and off the ball of the foot.

21. In a high-heeled shoe having a sole, an upper and an insole board, the improvement comprising a device which is mounted on the insole board, the device having:

a. a rear region having a first upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least an area of a wearer'"'"'s calcaneus which is forward of the edge of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, the first upper surface having a portion which gradually rises from the rear of the device to a substantially crescent-shaped apex, the apex lying under the area of the calcaneus immediately forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus;

b. a forward region having a second upper surface and positioned on the portion of the insole board that underlies at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s metatarsals, the second upper surface of the forward region having a portion which gradually rises to an apex positioned to underlie the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s second and third metatarsals; and

c. a middle region thinner than the rear and forward regions, which connects the rear and forward regions, the middle region having an upper surface which is smoothly contoured,

wherein the device has a Shore A hardness of 20 to 90, and

wherein the device causes the weight borne by a wearer'"'"'s foot to be shifted towards the heel and off the ball of the foot.

22. In a high-heeled shoe having a sole, an upper and an insole board having a forward region that underlies at least a portion of the shafts of a wearer'"'"'s metatarsals, a first upper surface of the forward region having a portion which gradually rises to an apex positioned to underlie the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s second and third metatarsals, the improvement comprising a flexible device which is mounted on the insole board in an area of the insole board that underlies at least an area of the wearer'"'"'s calcaneus which is forward of the edge of the tuberosity of the wearer'"'"'s calcaneus, a second upper surface of the device having a portion which gradually rises from the rear of the device to a substantially crescent-shaped apex, the apex lying under the area of the calcaneus immediately forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus, wherein the device causes the weight borne by a wearer'"'"'s foot to be shifted towards the heel and off the ball of the foot.

23. In a high-heeled shoe having a sole, an upper and an insole board having a forward region that underlies at least a portion of the shafts of a wearer'"'"'s metatarsals, a first upper surface of the forward region having a portion which gradually rises to an apex positioned to underlie the shafts of the wearer'"'"'s second and third metatarsals, the improvement comprising a device which is mounted on the insole board in an area of the insole board that underlies at least the area of the calcaneus forward of the edge of the tuberosity of the wearer'"'"'s calcaneus, a second upper surface of the device having a portion which gradually rises from the rear of the device to a substantially crescent-shaped apex, the apex lying under the area of the calcaneus immediately forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus,

wherein the device has a Shore A hardness of 20 to 90, and

wherein the device causes the weight borne by a wearer'"'"'s foot to be shifted towards the heel and off the ball of the foot.