초록 ▼

This invention relates generally to footwear with a shoe sole, including at least one insertable midsole orthotic. The insertable midsole orthotic is removably inserted within the shoe upper, the sides of which hold it in position. The shoe sole includes a concavely rounded side or underneath portio

This invention relates generally to footwear with a shoe sole, including at least one insertable midsole orthotic. The insertable midsole orthotic is removably inserted within the shoe upper, the sides of which hold it in position. The shoe sole includes a concavely rounded side or underneath portion, which may be formed in part by the insertable midsole orthotic. The insertable midsole orthotic may extend the length of the shoe sole or may form only a part of the shoe sole and can incorporate cushioning or structural compartments or components. The insertable midsole orthotic permits replacement of midsole material which has degraded or has worn out in order to maintain optimal characteristics of the shoe sole and allows customization for the individual wearer to provide tailored cushioning or support characteristics for the purpose of orthopedic, podiatric, corrective, prescriptive, therapeutic and/or prosthetic purposes.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An orthotic inner shoe which comprises: an insertable midsole orthotic sized to fit inside and form part of the sole of a shoe designed to receive and retain said insertable midsole orthotic; a secondary outer sole on at least a portion of the outer surface of the insertable

What is claimed is: 1. An orthotic inner shoe which comprises: an insertable midsole orthotic sized to fit inside and form part of the sole of a shoe designed to receive and retain said insertable midsole orthotic; a secondary outer sole on at least a portion of the outer surface of the insertable midsole orthotic to provide traction or wear resistance when said orthotic inner shoe is worn without the shoe designed to receive and retain said insertable midsole orthotic; a device associated with the insertable midsole orthotic for retaining the orthotic inner shoe on an intended wearer's foot when worn without the shoe designed to receive and retain the insertable midsole orthotic; and wherein said orthotic inner shoe is removable from said shoe in order to wear said orthotic inner shoe independently of said shoe. 2. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device for retaining the orthotic inner shoe on an intended wearer's foot comprises an integral secondary upper. 3. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the insertable midsole orthotic provides the corrective orthotic effect and the upper portion of the insertable midsole orthotic comprises less than half of the thickness of the sole of the insertable midsole orthotic. 4. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one computer controlled compartment, and wherein the computer control for the computer controlled compartment is located in an upper portion of the insertable midsole orthotic and the upper portion of the insertable midsole orthotic comprises less than half of the thickness of the sole of the insertable midsole orthotic. 5. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one portion of an outer surface of a side of the insertable midsole orthotic is concavely rounded relative to an inner section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 6. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one portion of an inner surface of a side of the insertable midsole orthotic is convexly rounded relative to a section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 7. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 6, wherein each at least one convexly rounded inner surface portion and each at least one concavely rounded outer surface portion is located at a corresponding location on the insertable midsole orthotic to thereby form at least one concavely rounded side portion of the insertable midsole orthotic located between said convexly rounded inner surface portion and the concavely rounded outer surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition, said concavity of each said concavely rounded side portion being determined relative to a portion of the insertable midsole orthotic which is adapted to receive the foot of an intended wearer; and said at least one concavely rounded side portion is located at a location on the insertable midsole orthotic which corresponds to the position of at least one of the following parts of an intended wearer's foot when inside the insertable midsole orthotic: a base of a calcaneus, a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, a head of a first distal phalange, a longitudinal arch, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, and a base of the fifth metatarsal. 8. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 7, wherein a thickness of the insertable midsole orthotic tapers from a greater thickness measured at said at least one concavely rounded side portion to a lesser thickness at a location on one side of said concavely rounded side portion, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 9. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein said thickness of the insertable midsole orthotic tapers to a lesser thickness on both sides of said concavely rounded side portion, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the orthotic inner shoe is upright and in an unloaded condition. 10. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 7, comprising at least two concavely rounded side portions and an indentation located between said two concavely rounded side portions, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 11. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein each said concavely rounded side portion further comprises a concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the insertable midsole orthotic, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition, said concavity of the concavely rounded portion of the outer surface being determined relative to an inner section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion. 12. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insole. 13. The orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said device is an upper. 14. A shoe comprising: a shoe upper and a shoe sole including at least a bottom sole; at least a portion of said shoe sole being formed by an orthotic inner shoe as claimed in claim 1; at least a portion of the side of said shoe upper being attached directly to the bottom sole such that the shoe upper abuts at least a portion of the outer surface of the orthotic inner shoe when said orthotic inner shoe is inserted into the shoe; and wherein said orthotic inner shoe is removable from the shoe and insertable into said shoe through an opening in the shoe upper provided for entry and exit of an intended wearer's foot into and out of said shoe. 15. A shoe as claimed in claim 14, wherein said orthotic inner shoe is releasably secured to said shoe by a releasable securing structure selected from the group consisting of mechanical fasteners, a snap fit, interlocking geometries and combinations thereof. 16. An insertable midsole orthotic sized to fit inside a shoe and form part of the shoe designed to received and retain said insertable midsole orthotic, which comprises: an inner surface and an outer surface which together define an insertable midsole orthotic having a lateral side, a medial side and a middle portion located between the lateral and medial sides; a plurality of protrusions on at least one side of said insertable midsole orthotic that interact with the shoe to retain said insertable midsole orthotic in said shoe; at least one portion of the outer surface of each said protrusion is concavely rounded relative to an inner section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition; at least one portion of an inner surface of a side of the insertable midsole orthotic is convexly rounded relative to a section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and-in an unloaded condition; and wherein said insertable midsole orthotic is removable from said shoe. 17. An insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one said protrusion is located on the lateral side of the insertable midsole orthotic and another of said protrusions is located on the medial side of the insertable midsole orthotic. 18. The insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 16, wherein each at least one convexly rounded inner surface portion and each at least one concavely rounded outer surface portion is located at a corresponding location on the insertable midsole orthotic to thereby form at least one of said protrusions. 19. The insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 18, wherein each said protrusion is located at a location on the insertable midsole orthotic which corresponds to the position of at least one of the following parts of an intended wearer's foot when inside the insertable midsole orthotic: a base of a calcaneus, a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, a head of a first distal phalange, a longitudinal arch, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, and a base of the fifth metatarsal. 20. The insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 19, wherein a thickness of the insertable midsole orthotic tapers from a greater thickness measured at each said protrusion to a lesser thickness at a location on one side of each said protrusion, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 21. The insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 20, wherein the thickness of the insertable midsole orthotic tapers to a lesser thickness on both sides of each said protrusion, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 22. The insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 18, further comprising an indentation located between said two protrusions, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 23. A shoe comprising: a shoe upper and a shoe sole including at least a bottom sole; at least a portion of said shoe sole being formed by an insertable midsole orthotic as claimed in claim 16; at least a portion of the side of said shoe upper being attached directly to the bottom sole such that the shoe upper abuts at least a portion of the outer surface of the insertable midsole orthotic when said insertable midsole orthotic is inserted into the shoe; and wherein said insertable midsole orthotic is removable from the shoe and insertable into said shoe through an opening in the shoe upper provided for entry and exit of an intended wearer's foot into and out of said shoe. 24. A shoe as claimed in claim 23, wherein the at least two protrusions on the side of the insertable midsole orthotic are in abutting relationship with the bottom sole when the insertable midsole orthotic is inside the shoe, so that the protrusions occupy corresponding recesses in the bottom sole to thereby releasably retain said insertable midsole orthotic in said shoe. 25. A shoe as claimed in claim 24, wherein a thickness of the insertable midsole orthotic tapers from a greater thickness measured at one said protrusion to a lesser thickness at a location on one side of said protrusion, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 26. A shoe as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least one portion of the outer surface of a side of the insertable midsole orthotic is concavely rounded relative to an inner section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 27. A shoe as claimed in claim 26, wherein at least one portion of an inner surface of a side of the insertable midsole orthotic is convexly rounded relative to a section of the insertable midsole orthotic directly adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the insertable midsole orthotic is upright and in an unloaded condition. 28. A shoe as claimed in claim 27, wherein each at least one convexly rounded inner surface portion and each at least one concavely rounded outer surface portion is located at a corresponding location on the insertable midsole orthotic to thereby form at least one of said protrusions. 29. A shoe as claimed in claim 28, wherein each said protrusion is located at a location on the insertable midsole orthotic which corresponds to the position of at least one of the following parts of an intended wearer's foot when inside the insertable midsole orthotic: a base of a calcaneus, a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, a head of a first distal phalange, a longitudinal arch, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, and a base of the fifth metatarsal.