A sole insert for use in footwear includes a toe plate portion, a metatarsal portion and a heel portion all formed in an integral molded member. The heel portion includes a thickened block-type reinforcing frame merging smoothly into a similarly constructed-type metatarsal portion of reduced thickness which in turn merges into the flat toe portion. The toe portion includes laterally extending weakened portion such that the insert will resist to torsional twisting but will flex about a lateral axis located in the toe portion.

A shock absorbing insole construction including an upper layer of plastic material having a storage modulus which is about 100 times the storage modulus of a lower layer of material and both materials having a relatively high loss factor. In its more particular aspects, the upper layer is a poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) and the lower layer is a viscoelastic polyurethane polymer.

An insole construction for shoe comprising an insole layer having a forward portion, an instep portion having upwardly flared walls defining a flexible support for the wearer's instep, and a heel portion having upwardly flared peripheral walls defining a heel cup and having an enlarged opening through which a segment of the heel portion projects, and an insert positioned below and secured to the insole layer.

An insole (10) for athletic shoes and the like. A first layer (12) of the insole is suitable for disposition toward a user's foot. A second molded layer (14) is comprised of a visco-elastic material. The visco-elastic material typically comprises a plasticizer, and, in minor portion, a resin material, and has the ability to flow, upon exertion of a force thereon, with sufficient elasticity to resume its original shape upon removal of the force. The second layer comprises a lower surface comprising recesses which make up less than 20% of the exterior surface in the absence of deforming forces. The recessed areas function to receive adjacent material of the second layer upon application of pressure representative of the presssure applied by the human foot. A third optional layer (16) of a foamed plastic material may be interposed between the first and second layers.

A shoe, e.g. a sports shoe or a walking shoe, has an upper and a multi-layer sole including an elastic sock liner stitched to the upper, a deformable top sole, a midsole of elastic material, and a wear resistant outsole. The top sole is anatomically shaped and formed of a material possessing a high hysteresis to conform to the contours of the foot and to retain such shape during running, walking, or active sports.