An insole and outsole construction is provided which is particularly applicable to athletic shoes, but which has general utility in a wide variety of boots and shoes. The insole construction includes three pads formed on its upper surface for engaging the bottom of the foot and which will be designated herein as the tri-plane heel pad, the lateral heel pad and the buttress pad. The outsole construction includes the provision of inserts of relatively dense material directly under the lateral and tri-plane pads. The pads and inserts cooperate to provide adequate stability, particularly to the foot and ankle during violent movements thereof; and to minimize movement of the foot within the shoe, thereby to cut down to a large extent generation of frictional heat. The insole pads also serve to minimize foot elongation and thereby decrease movement of the forefoot and thereby prevent injury to the toes. The outsole inserts tend to inhibit the tendency of the shoe to turn violently with resulting injury during strenuous athletic exercise. The insole pads also serve to stabilize the foot in the shoe with a minimum of muscle activity, resulting in minimizing fatigue.
A footwear is provided with pressure projections adapted to pressure-stimulate effective spots of a foot and provide simulated finger-pressure treatment. Each of the pressure projections has a magnet for applying magnetism to the effective spots. The effective spots of the foot are therefore subjected to the multiple stimulating effects obtained by the pressure stimulation due to the pressure projections and the magnetic stimulation due to the magnets.
A shoe is disclosed utilizing interrelated structural elements for dynamic cooperation with the human foot to reduce the likelihood of injury or deterioration during strenuous activity or over extended intervals of time, while affording greater comfort and ease of motion. The shoe bottom includes a sole above which a platform provides a plurality of cylindrical spaces that receive plugs in loose telescopic relationship, to define spaces for coil springs. So mounted, the coil springs are stabilized against lateral displacement. Above the platform, the shoe bottom is affixed to an upper shoe covering to define a space for the wearer's foot. At the rear quarter of the shoe upper, a heel cup stabilizes the heel of a wearer's foot against lateral, medial, or posterior displacement as well as to distribute the forces on the heel reducing the likelihood of trauma. As disclosed, the heel cup comprises an air-containing bladder to provide a cushioned wedge which prevents excessive extension of the limb while allowing effective pronation. Finally, a ridge is provided at the inner sole for gripping engagement by the toes (sulcus) for more effective use of the forward portion of the foot.
The present invention relates to a method and a device for preventing injuries resulting from overloading the plantar surface of an individual during an intense physical activity such as locomotion, jumping or the like. More specifically, the invention relates to a biofeedback interface to be interposed between the plantar surface and the ground surface. The biofeedback interface functions to substantially enhance the specific unpleasant sensations perceived by the individual during heavy plantar surface loading (locomotion and jumping) which are required to produce an enhanced protective behavioral response; the behavior avoids the unpleasant sensation, which in turn, decreases the loading with a reduction in the risk of physical injury.
