REVERSIBLE INSOLE

Abstract

A reversible insole for use inside a supportive boot, such as used for protection and support of the lower leg or foot after injury, is disclosed. The insole provides contouring on the opposite surfaces thereof which accommodates similar contours of the human foot. By alternately positioning the insole with the one surface or the other surface upward, a single insole can provide appropriate support for either the left of right foot inside an outer boot, such as a walker boot, that may be symmetrical from medial to lateral side. Such an outerboot may thus accommodate a left or right foot in a single product.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/704,027 filed Sep. 21, 2012, and entitled REVERSIBLE INSOLE, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to insoles. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a reversible insole for use with medical walker hoots or other types of footwear that are not made in separate left and right versions.

BACKGROUND

Medical treatment for many types of lower leg or foot maladies often includes immobilization of the ankle joint, compressive support of the lower extremity and/or protection from impacts during healing. Walker boots are often utilized for these purposes. Walker boots have a firm plastic outer shell with foam, air bladders or other types of padding attached to the inner surface to support the contours of the foot and lower leg and to provide a desired compression. Walker boots are typically symmetrical from medial to lateral side such that either the patient's left or right foot may be accommodated in a single shell geometry.

Walker boots are configured to allow the bearing of body weight while the patient ambulates. But in a walker boot that accommodates either the patient's left or right foot, the insole surface upon which the foot rests is generally flat with no arch support, no heel cup, no support for the differential length of medial versus lateral metatarsals, nor any varus wedging. What is desired is a single insole that can be used with either the left or right foot and provide desired asymmetrical plantar surface support.

SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to a reversible insole that provides an appropriately supportive contour for the plantar surface of either the left or right foot, as needed for a given user. The disclosed insole allows the use of a firmer, more supportive material for the plantar surface padding than is commonly used when a material of uniform thickness must accommodate either the left or right foot. Through its reversible design, the disclosed insole allows the use of a single structural shell or frame for the walker boot that will accommodate either left or right foot, in order to reduce tooling costs and stock keeping units.

In one aspect, an insole according to the disclosure includes a body having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface includes a non-linear and asymmetrical contour configured to accommodate a plantar surface contour of a left human foot. The second surface includes a plantar surface contour of a right human foot. The insole is reversibly positionable within the walker boot to orient the first surface or the second surface for contact with the human foot for supporting either the left human foot or the right human foot.

Insoles according to the disclosure advantageously enable a single product that can accommodate either left or right feet.

In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a walker boot system. The walker boot system includes a walker boot configured to be able to receive both the right foot or the left foot of a user. The system also includes a reversible insole removably and reversibly positionable within the walker boot to receive the left foot or the right foot of the user. The reversible insole includes a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a non-linear contour configured to accommodate a plantar surface contour of a left human foot, the second surface having a plantar surface contour of a right human foot. The insole is reversibly positionable within the boot to orient the first surface or the second surface for contact with the human foot for supporting either the left human foot or the right human foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages of the disclosure are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a reversible insole according to the disclosure oriented for placement into a walker boot for receiving a right foot of a patient.

FIG. 2 shows the insole of FIG. 1 inverted for placement into a walker boot for receiving a left foot of a patient,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the insole of FIG. 1 oriented for receiving a left foot of a patient.

FIG. 4 a top plan view of the insole of FIG. 1 oriented for receiving a right foot of a patient.

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the insole of FIG. 1 oriented for placement into a walker boot for receiving a right foot of a patient.

FIG. 6 is a rear end view and FIG. 7 is a front end view of the insole of FIG. 1 oriented for placement into a walker boot for receiving a right foot of a patient.

FIG. 8 is a left side view and FIG. 9 is a right side view of the insole of FIG. 1 oriented for placement into a walker boot for receiving a right foot of a patient.

FIG. 10 shows the insole of FIG. 1 within a walker boot.

FIG. 11 shows an insole according to the disclosure within a walker boot and having a length that protrudes forward of the end of the user's toes and is folded backward over the top of the toes and fixed to an adjacent surface of a walker boot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings, there is shown a reversible insole 10 configured according to the disclosure to include a right foot receiving surface 12 and an opposite left foot receiving surface 14. The insole 10 is removably positionable within a lower surface of the walker boot. For example, both of the surfaces 12 and 14 of the insole may partly or wholly include a material that adheres to a hook-type fastener layer positioned on a portion of a surface of the walker boot located immediately below the position of the insole 10.

The surfaces 12 and 14 each have an equivalent, mirror image, non-linear, asymmetrical contour which accommodates the plantar surface contour of a human foot, such that the insole element may be repositioned with the former top surface, such as the surface 12, on the bottom and former bottom surface, such as the surface 14, on the top, to achieve appropriate support or contour for either the left or right foot of an individual.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the reversible insole 10 is configured for use with walker boots and the surfaces 12 and 14 each provide an appropriately supportive contour for the plantar surface of the right and left foot, respectively. For example, the shape of the forward toe-side edge of the insole 10 may follow a curved shape that is similar to the typical curve described by the metatarsal heads of a human foot. Also, the shape of the forward toe-side edge of the insole follows a curved shape that is similar to the typical curve described by the phalanges of a human foot.

The insole 10 is made of a firm and supportive material suitable for supporting a plantar surface. With reference to FIG. 11, the overall length of the insole 10 may be selected to protrude forward of the end of the user's toes, allowing for that portion of the insole to be folded backward over the top of the toes and fixed to an adjacent surface of a walker boot, to provide insulation or impact protection to the toes. Thus, the insole as shown in FIG. 11 is foldable upwardly within the walker boot so as to be affixable within, or onto, the walker boot to protect and insulate a toe area of the foot.

The insole 10 is configured for use with a walker boot of the type having a structural shell or frame for the walker boot that will accommodate either left or right foot, in order to reduce tooling costs and stock keeping units. Thus, in combination, the insole 10 enables improved performance, comfort and support as compared to conventional insoles, while avoiding the need to have separate insoles for the left and right foot.

The surface 12 includes structure providing an arch support 20 and a heel cup 22. The opposite surface 14 includes structure providing an arch support 30 and a heel cup 32. The arch supports 20 and 30 each provide support for the differential length of medial versus lateral metatarsals, and further cooperate to provide varus wedging.

The insole 10 may also include a toe slot 40 defined in a forward toe-side edge of the insole and a heel slot 42 defined in a rearward heel-side edge of the insole. The slots 40 and 42 may be added following molding of the insole 10. For example, the slots 40 and 42 may be cut as by use of a rotary skiving knife. The slots 40 and 42 reduce the thickness of the insole 10 at the toe and heel areas, and also serve to accommodate an upward curve of the toe and heel areas of a boot 50 with which the insole 10 may be used (FIG. 10). If desired, a strip of a dual-sided pressure sensitive adhesive may be applied interior of each of the slots 40 and 42. When the insole 10 is pressed into position in the boot 50 in the desired orientation, the adhesive will serve to keep the toe and heel areas of the insole 10 smoothly curved.

The walker boot 50 is a single structural shell or frame that will accommodate either left or right foot. The insole 10 is reversibly positionable within the walker boot 50 to orient the surface 12 or the surface 14 for contact with the human foot for supporting either the left human foot or the right human foot.

Together, use of the reversible insole 10 with the walker boot 50 enables a walker boot system that can accommodate either the left or the right foot, while providing an appropriately supportive contour for the plantar surface of the right and left foot. This enables desirable foot support, while reducing tooling costs and stock keeping units.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments for this disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A reversible insole, comprising: a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a non-linear, asymmetrical contour configured to accommodate a plantar surface contour of a left human foot, the second surface having a plantar surface contour of a right human foot, wherein the insole is reversibly positionable to orient the first surface or the second surface for contact with the human foot for supporting either the left human foot or the right human foot.

2. The reversible insole of claim 1, wherein the insole is removably attachable to an adjacent lower surface of a walker boot.

3. The reversible insole of claim 1, wherein the insole extends forward of distal ends of phalanges of a human foot and is foldable upwardly so as to be affixable within, or onto, a walker boot to protect and insulate a toe area of the foot.

4. The reversible insole of claim 1, further including a horizontal oriented slot defined in a forward toe-side edge of the insole.

5. The reversible insole of claim 1, further including a horizontal oriented slot defined in a rearward heel-side edge of the insole.

6. A walker boot system, comprising:

a walker boot configured to receive both the right foot or the left foot of a user; and

a reversible insole removably and reversibly positionable within the walker boot to receive the left foot or the right foot of the user, the reversible insole including a body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a non-linear, asymmetrical contour configured to accommodate a plantar surface contour of a left human foot, the second surface having a plantar surface contour of a right human foot, wherein the insole is reversibly positionable within the boot to orient the first surface or the second surface for contact with the human foot for supporting either the left human foot or the right human foot.

7. The walker boot system of claim 6, wherein the insole extends forward of distal ends of phalanges of a human foot and is foldable upwardly within the walker boot so as to be affixable within, or onto, the walker boot to protect and insulate a toe area of the foot.

8. The walker boot system of claim 6, further including a horizontal oriented slot defined in a forward toe-side edge of the insole.

9. The walker boot system of claim 6, further including a horizontal oriented slot defined in a rearward heel-side edge of the insole.