An orthopedic canvas shoe containing a supporting arch and having a continuous flexible sole wherein the sole is formed such that the inside heel and arch portions of the sole are slightly elevated with respect to the remainder of the sole. The arch of the shoe is positioned such that the highest portion of the arch fits directly beneath the navicular bone of the foot. The arch is further supported and the foot held in proper position by extending the sole forwardly from the heel to the widest portion of the shoe supporting the ball of the foot in a straight line. Orthopedic soles having the same medial heel and arch elevations and having a filled in arch portion are adapted to be adhesively connected to any conventional upper to form an orthopedic shoe and thereby provide a method to correct and/or prevent the pronation of feet.

An insert for a shoe or a shoe interior comprises a central portion which prevents excess pronation, a front portion which extends arcuately and transversely across the foot to support the transverse metatarsal arch, a rear portion which extends transversely across the foot and contacts the forward edge of the heel, a lateral, slanted edge which is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the arch and support the fifth metatarsal shaft of the foot, and a fourth portion which slopes medially. The device is designed to fit the area of void on the plantar side of the human foot to support the structure of the foot to prevent excess pronation and to substantially reduce foot morbidity.

A podiatric orthesis for the tridimensional plantal development of the foot of a patient, which orthesis is conceived according to medical anatomical standards. It comprises a base having a rear part in the shape of a cupola, dimensioned for adapting to the calcaneus, and a median part projecting forwardly of and as an extension of the rear part. The latter is designed to hold the vertical axis of the calcaneus coaxial with the axis of the leg. The bottom of the cupola rises forwardly at an angle of about 30.degree. with respect to the ground to orient the calcaneus forwardly and at the same angle. The longitudinal axis of the rear part is oriented toward the fifth metatarsus of the foot so as to likewise orient the calcaneus. The median part has an inner border which concavely curves to support the subtalar.

A construction for a shoe, particularly an athletic shoe such as a running shoe, includes a sole that conforms to the natural shape of the foot, particularly the sides, and that has a constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections. The thickness of the shoe sole sides contour equals and therefore varies exactly as the thickness of the load-bearing sole portion varies due to heel lift, for example. Thus, the outer contour of the edge portion of the sole has at least a portion which lies along a theoretically ideal stability plane for providing natural stability and efficient motion of the shoe and foot particularly in an inverted and everted mode. In a more conventional embodiment, wherein the side contours of the shoe sole are formed by variations in the bottom surface alone, the edge portion of the sole is contoured and defined by an arc of a circle having a radius equal to the thickness of the sole portion of the sole and its center at a point lying on the plane of the upper surface of the sole thickness. A number of variations in shoe sole designs based on these concepts are disclosed.

A sole having the ability to provide both stability and cushioning includes at least one stabilizer positioned at selected locations around the perimeter of the sole. Stabilizers are positioned at perimeter locations where sudden impacts are unlikely and greater resistance to compression is needed to stabilize the running motion. The perimeter areas of the sole most likely to experience sudden impacts during running and like activities remain unencumbered of the stabilizers.