Stimulation Shoe For the Proper Development of the Plantar Arches

Abstract

A children's shoe (1) for the stimulation of the plantar arches to the ends of the prevention or cure of flat foot, comprising a cushion-shaped element (6) having a sandwich-shaped construction, extending in correspondence of the internal portion (4) of the sole (3) of the shoe (1) and exhibiting a substantial elastic deformability during a subject's walking cycle.

Description

The present invention relates to a stimulation shoe for the proper development of the plantar arches in order to prevent or cure flat foot, and in particular to a children's shoe.

As it is known to the persons skilled in the art, we all are born with the so-called “flat foot”. When learning to walk, exercising walking we learn how to contract the muscles of the foot plant, and thereby generally the arch architecture of the plant itself organizes. Usually, mothers are advised to have children start walking on sand, as a soft and elastic support fosters the good operation of the plant and therefore a proper forming of said plantar arches.

Nevertheless, in the last decades there has taken hold the use of small shoes always more rigid and scarcely elastic also in pediatric age. If on the one hand such rigidity meets some preventive and therapeutic demands, on the other hand it has increased the incidence and the frequency of flat feet both in children and in adults.

Hence, the technical problem posed and solved by the present invention is to provide a shoe, and in particular a children's shoe, overcoming the drawbacks mentioned hereto with reference to the known art.

Such a problem is solved by a shoe according to claim 1.

Preferred features of the present invention are present in the dependent claims thereof.

The present invention provides several relevant advantages. The main advantage is that during the walking the cushion element carries out a stimulating action on the plant, fostering the correct development of the plantar arches. In particular, the shoe of the invention allows re-creating inside the shoe—and especially inside the small shoe of a child—an optimal and ideal environment for the physiological stress of the foot, so as to develop normal muscle tensions and normal plantar arches, as well as opposing the damages deriving from walking on rigid and inelastic terrains.

Other advantages, features and the modes of employ of the present invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example. Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional view of an embodiment of the shoe according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section view of a cushion-shaped element of the shoe of FIG. 1.

Initially referring to FIG. 1, a shoe according to an embodiment of the invention is globally indicated by 1. In particular, the shoe 1 is the small shoe of a child, of the kind employed for the first walks of the latter.

Alike any known shoe, the shoe 1 comprises a top vamp 2 and a bottom sole 3. In the present embodiment, both the vamp 2 and the sole 3 are elastically deformable during the walking cycle of the child. In particular, the vamp 2 is made of soft leather and the sole 3 is made of rubber.

In the top portion 4 of the sole 3, i.e. in the portion of the latter facing the foot plant, the shoe 1 has a seat 5 that receives a cushion element 6 exhibiting a substantial elastic deformability during the subject's walking cycle.

In the present embodiment, the element 6 extends basically along the entire extension of the sole 3. Variant embodiments could instead provide for the element 6 to extend only in correspondence of the portion of sole apt to supportably receive the foot portion corresponding to the plantar arches.

Always according to variant embodiments, the cushion-shaped element may be delimited by a peripheral seam, also in the absence of said seat.

In addition, there can be provided different cushion elements positioned at reflexiological areas of the plant including, yet not necessarily limited to, the plantar arches.

Moreover, the cushion element may be shaped according to the specific needs of the subject using it and have predetermined shapes and elevations.

The cushion-shaped element may also be made so as to comprise a plurality of elevations delimited by peripheral seams.

Always in the present embodiment, the element 6 has a substantially sandwich-shaped structure, comprising a top layer 7, a bottom layer 8 and an intermediate layer 9 interposed therebetween.

Preferably, the top layer 7 and the bottom layer 8 are made of para rubber.

The intermediate layer 9 is formed by a para rubber mix and by a silicone mix, both comprising particles of irregular shape the average size of which is of about 1 mm for each rubber particle and comprised in a range of about 1.5-2.0 mm for each silicone particle.

The embodiment of the intermediate layer with particles, and in particular with irregular particles, improves the elastic stimulation of foot plant.

Preferably, the cushion element 6 has a thickness comprised in a range of about 8-10 mm.

The cushion element 6 according to the invention may be stationary or removable. It will presently be better understood that, during the walking cycle, the elastic deformation of the element 6, following just the loading/unloading cycles of the foot, allows the shoe 1 to produce a stimulating action on the foot plant, enabling a correct development of the plantar arches and therefore preventing or curing the flat foot.

In the present embodiment, the elastic deformability of the sole 3 and of the vamp 4 carry out an action synergic to said stimulation.

The present invention has hereto been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that there could be other embodiments thereof afferent to the same inventive kernel, all falling within the protective scope of the claims hereinafter.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A stimulation shoe for the proper development of the plantar arches in order to prevent or cure flat foot, comprising a cushion element, extending at least at an internal top portion of the sole of the shoe facing the foot plant, said internal portion being apt to supportably receive the foot portion corresponding to the plantar arches, and having a substantial elastic deformability during the subject's walking cycle, wherein said cushion element has a substantially sandwich-shaped structure with an intermediate layer comprising particles of irregular shape.

20. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said cushion element extends substantially along the entire extension of the sole of the shoe itself.

21. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said cushion element is formed by two external layers, at least one of which comprising rubber,y the intermediate layer being interposed between said external layers.

22. The shoe according to claim 21, wherein said intermediate layer comprises a rubber mix.

23. The shoe according to claim 21, wherein the rubber forming said external layers and/or said mix is para rubber.

24. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said intermediate layer comprises a silicone mix.

25. The shoe according to claim 22, wherein said rubber mix comprises rubber particles having an average size of about 1 mm.

26. The shoe according to claim 21, wherein said intermediate layer comprises a silicone mix comprising silicone particles having an average size comprised in a range of about 1.5-2.0 mm.

27. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said cushion element is removable.

28. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said cushion element has a thickness comprised in a range of about 8-10 mm.

29. The shoe according to claim 19, the vamp of which has a substantial elastic deformability during the subject's walking cycle.

30. The shoe according to claim 19, the vamp of which is made of leather.

31. The shoe according to claim 19, having a seat, obtained in its own sole, that receives said cushion element.

32. The shoe according to claim 19, the sole of which is made of an elastically deformable material.

33. The shoe according to claim 19, the sole of which is made of rubber.

34. The shoe according to claim 19, which is a children's shoe.

35. The shoe according to claim 19, wherein said cushion element comprises a plurality of elevations.

36. The shoe according to claim 35, wherein said elevations are delimited by peripheral seams.