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.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 633,275 filed Nov. 19, 1975, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,984.
This invention relates to an orthopedic canvas shoe having a continuous flexible sole and to orthopedic soles adapted to be attached to conventional uppers. More particularly, this invention relates to an orthopedic canvas shoe having a flexible sole and to orthopedic soles adhesively attached to uppers to form an orthopedic shoe wherein the shoe enables the wearer to maintain a proper foot position.
Flexible soled canvas shoes are well known in the art and are often referred to under various names such as tennis shoes, deck shoes, gym shoes, sneakers and the like. Such shoes are usually designed for either athletic or casual wear, but are becoming increasingly popular as the principal shoe for children in school and every day wear.
Such shoes are often not rigidly constructed and offer little or no assistance in insuring proper positioning of the feet. As a result of improper support in the arch and heel areas, there is a tendency for the arch to collapse and for the foot to be forced inwardly thereby resulting in the knees becoming closer together and the metatarsal and phalanges area of the foot to extend outwardly. Such a condition is referred to as a "pronated foot". A person with a pronated foot is often referred to as having flat feet because of the collapse of the muscles in the area of the arch.
In a normal foot position there is an essentially straight line relationship extending from the innerside of the heel past the navicular bone to the point of juncture of the big toe with its corresponding metatarsal. This area is commonly referred to as the ball of the foot. Similarly, there is a straight line relationship running from the center of the heel longitudinally, along the foot through the second toe of the foot. This line runs essentially parallel to the first line mentioned above. On the other hand, in a pronated foot a line drawn from the calcaneus or heel bone to the navicular bone and a line drawn from the navicular bone to the ball of the foot will form intersecting lines rather than being a straight line. Also, there is no straight line relationship from the heel to the second toe of the foot. In such a pronated foot the plantar arch has collapsed and the ligaments in the foot have given way failing to lend the proper support to the arches.
Because of the lack or rigidity, improper placement of the arch support and general construction of flexible soled canvas top shoes, there is often a tendency for pronation of the feet to occur and be accentuated. As a result, the arch area on the inside of the shoe is often overrun by the foot and the toe of the shoe will extend outwardly.
Similar deficiencies are often found in other types of shoes having a leather or skin upper. The arch often collapses and the design of the shoe does not prevent the foot from becoming pronated. Shoes in general are made in such a manner as to give little or no support to the plantar arch. The soles and uppers are shaped to exclude material support under or along the plantar arch and are stitched to each other through the welt.
Recent technology has made it possible to form flexible soles into which an upper can be seated and adhesively attached without having to result to stitching.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible soled canvas shoe which will correct or inhibit pronation of the feet.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a flexible soled canvas shoe wherein proper support is placed in the area of the arch of the foot and whereby overrunning in the arch area is inhibited.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a flexible soled canvas shoe wherein the medial side of the heel portion of the shoe is elevated with respect to the lateral side.
Another object of the invention is to provide an orthopedic sole that can be attached by adhesives to any conventional upper to correct or inhibit the pronation of the feet.
A different object of this invention is to provide an orthopedic sole having a medial wedge in the heel portion and providing support by extending said sole under and alongside the plantar arch and wherein the sole is adapted to be adhesively connected to any type of upper.
These and other objects may be accomplished by means of a flexible soled canvas shoe, the principal features of which include the proper placement of an arch in the inside of the shoe and a medial wedge in the flexible sole of the shoe. Additionally a sole containing a medial wedge and support along the plantar arch portion may be adapted for use with any type of upper.
Flexible soled shoes currently marketed contain an arcuate sole pattern on the medial side of the sole extending from the beginning of the metatarsal area of the foot underlying the plantar arch and curving outwardly in the area of the heel. In the present invention, the sole is so constructed that there is no such arcuate area. The sole follows a solid essentially straight line from the heel to the point of juncture of metatarsals with the phalanges, i.e., the ball of the foot. Moreover, the sole contains a contiguous medial wedge in the heel thereby making the heel portion of the sole in the medial area of greater depth than at the lateral area. Said slope gradually decreases transversely across the sole to the lateral side and longitudinally to the forward portion of the sole terminating just forward of the navicular bone. Such sole may be adhesively attached to any upper whether constructed of woven or unwoven material or natural or synthetic materials. Additionally, if desired, the arch support contained under the innersole of the shoe is positioned such that the highest portion of the arch is immediately beneath the navicular bone in the tarsal area of the foot. Said arch gradually slopes downwardly in both longitudinal and lateral directions.
Disclosed herein is a new and improved running shoe in which the structure and anatomy of the shoe, including the upper and the thermoplastic rubber unit bottom to which it is secured is balanced and synchronized with the complex action of the wearer's foot in order to tend to optimize the functioning of the multitudinous bones and muscles of the foot and leg during running movements, in general, and during the mid-stance period of the running gait in particular. The unit bottom of the new running shoe has a specially configured and contoured plantar surface having a narrow throat portion with specially shaped integral medial and lateral pad portions disposed therein intermediately of the anterior and posterior portions thereof. The dorsal surface of the new unit sole is generally contoured to conform faithfully to the anatomy of the plantar portion of the wearer's foot when the foot is in its neutral position. In general, the overall construction of the unit bottom, including its specific geometry and its honeycombed internal support, is arranged to accommodate and to promote proper flexion and extension of the wearer's foot during pronated and supinated movements of the foot and leg during running and striding, and in particular during the "stance" portion of the runner's gait, i.e. the portion of the gait in which the foot is in contact with the ground. The upper of the new running shoe is of generally ultra-lightweight porous material and reinforced with leather to provide a roomy boxed toe configuration in the distal part and a cushioned, high heel counter portion in the proximal part of the shoe. In addition, an independent heel cushion is interposed between a lightweight insole and the distal dorsal surfaces of the unit bottom. Moreover, cooling channels are formed on the dorsal anterior and posterior surfaces of the unit bottom, which channels communicate with ports exposed to the atmosphere at the leading and trailing edges of the unit bottom to allow for air cooling.
Footwear having an upper and a bottom, the bottom having an inwardly curved mid region, a protuberance is formed at the mid region which extends medially from the mid region beyond an imaginary line drawn from the widest part of the toe section of the footwear to the widest section of the heel of the footwear. In its preferred embodiments, the protuberance is convex in top plan view and convex in transverse sections starting from the widest area at the bottom of the protuberance and narrowing towards the top and in top plan view starting from a narrow front end of the protuberance being widest at midlength and then narrowing again at the end of the protuberance. Preferably, the protuberance is a medial extension of the longitudinal medial arch support of the footwear and has its vertical center line slightly rearward of the vertical center line of the longitudinal medial arch support.
An orthopedic sole structure includes an insole made from a first polymeric material with a first stiffness, and an insert made from a second polymeric material with a second stiffness. The insole includes a metatarsals support portion, a tarsals support portion and an intermediate arch support portion interposed therebetween. The intermediate arch support portion has an upper surface and a lower surface that defines a recess to receive the insert therein in such a manner that the upper surface thereof is lifted upward to permit resting of an intermediate arch portion of a user's foot when the foot is disposed on the orthopedic sole structure.
