KICKING SHOE

Abstract

An athletic shoe particularly suited for kicking sports comprises an outsole, and upper section and an insole. The insole has at least three compressible layers, the outsole has relatively straight inside and outside edges, as well as a grooved bottom surface. The inner and outer sides of the upper section may also be relatively flat. The shoe may further comprise a padded inner tongue and a flat outer tongue.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to human apparel and more specifically to a shoe suited for kicking sports.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kicking games are popular pastimes all over the world. Games such as soccer, footbag, and football are well known in North America and Europe. Sepak takraw, a soccer/volleyball combination game, is well established in Asia and is gaining popularity around the world.

Suitable kicking footwear is preferably comfortable, supportive and shock absorptive to reduce risk of injury. A lightweight shoe is preferred, in order to reduce fatigue and facilitate quick movement. It is also advantageous to incorporate some padding or protection to cushion the impact upon the foot. Ideally, the outsole should provide good traction. Further, a suitable kicking surface is needed in order to ensure maximum control when kicking the ball. Some of the above-mentioned features may be difficult to reconcile. For example, padding and protection tends to add weight to the shoe, which must be balanced with the desire for a lightweight shoe.

Accordingly, there is a need for a shoe suitable for kicking sports which is lightweight, padded, supportive, has good traction and provides suitable kicking surfaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kicking shoe that is lightweight, comfortable and supportive. Preferably, the shoe should also provide good traction and suitable kicking surfaces.

A first aspect of the invention provides for a shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section, and an insole, wherein the insole has at least three compressible layers.

A second aspect of the invention provides for a shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section, an insole, a padded inner tongue and a toe area within the upper section, the toe area comprising interior padding.

A third aspect of the invention provides for a shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section and an insole, wherein the outsole comprises an inside edge which corresponds to an inner side of a wearer's foot, and an outside edge which corresponds to an outer side of the wearer's foot, and wherein the inside edge and the outside edge are relatively straight.

A further aspect of the invention provides for a shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section and an insole, wherein the outsole has a grooved bottom surface. The grooves may be zigzag shaped or straight, or both.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:

FIG. 1 is a bottom view of an insole of a shoe of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the insole along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the insole along line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the insole looking from the rear at a left foot shoe;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an arch support for use with the insole;

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional side view of a front portion of the shoe;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the shoe showing a padded outer tongue upside down adjacent to the shoe to illustrate the cooperating strips of hook and loop fastener by which the outer tongue is fastened over the laces of the shoe;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the shoe of the invention with dual zipper shoe fastening means and the outer tongue removed;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 8 with the outer tongue installed between the ridges along the top of the shoe.

FIG. 10 illustrates the shape of an outsole for a shoe of the prior art.

FIG. 11 illustrates the shape of the outsole of the kicking shoe of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the shoe of the prior art, illustrating the shape of the sides of the upper section as compared to shoes of the prior art.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a mold showing the shape of the outsole of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the insole of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the insole shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top view of the inner tongue and toe area of the kicking shoe of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the inner tongue shown in FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a side cross-sectional view of the shoe illustrating the inner tongue and toe area of the shoe.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the outsole and shoe bottom of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the outsole and foxing of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a bottom view of the shoe, illustrating a possible embodiment of the bottom surface of the outsole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

According to the present invention there is provided lightweight shoe which may be made from canvas or other light, breathable fabric. The shoe comprises an outsole and insole, and an upper section which constitutes the covering for the wearer's foot. Much or all of the upper section may be padded in order to provide comfort and shock absorption. The shoe may include additional padding in the toe area so as to be weighted forward towards the toe, to facilitate controlled, powerful kicking

An insole comprising at least three compressible layers, preferably made from foam, provides comfort and lateral support, and a choice of arch supports can be provided and readily installed with the insole.

The first, or top, layer of the insole extends the full length of the wearer's foot. It is preferably made from a soft foam such as 3 mm soft density EVA foam. The foam may be covered in anti-odor material. Additional arch support may also be included by incorporating a softer, arch-shaped section of foam into the first layer.

The second layer of the insole also extends the full length of the wearer's foot. It is preferably made from a medium density foam such as 5 mm medium density EVA foam.

The third layer of the insole extends only from the ball to the heel, and is preferably made from a high density foam such as 5 mm harder density EVA foam. The third layer may also be tapered from a minimum thickness near the ball of the foot up to a greater thickness at the heel.

For added comfort, the second and third layers may further comprise relatively non-compressible sections made from cushioning rubber, silicone or air implants and located, for example, at the ball and heel areas of the foot. This provides for better cushioning, support and shock absorption under the high compression areas of the ball and heel.

The second and third layers may be slightly wider than the shoe so that they curve around the foot slightly, thus providing lateral stability for the foot from the ball area back to the heel. The first layer may also be slightly wider than the shoe so as to wrap around the foot slightly, giving the foot a snugger fit and added stability.

A fourth layer may also be present, in the form of a heel cup that extends only along the heel area, and also wraps around the sides of the heel. This serves to provide lateral stability for the back and side of the foot.

The layers all together are designed to, over time, mold to the shape of the wearer's foot, thus providing additional comfort, while still providing cushioning and shock absorption.

The at least three layers of the insole preferably include at least one layer that extends from the heel to the ball of the foot, rather than the entire length of the foot. This results in a shoe which, though appears to be quite flat on the outside, still provides for a lift in the heel. The wearer's heel may be higher than his or her toe, which helps to project the body forward and relieves pressure on the heel and back of the leg.

The shoe fastening means may comprise conventional laces or dual zipper. The dual zipper allows the wearer to put on or remove the shoes quickly, and creates a smooth surface over the bridge of the foot.

A padded inner tongue is located under the fastening means, and a flexible but relatively stiff section, made from, for example, foam, may be positioned between the outer shell and the thicker, softer foam of the inner tongue, under the fastening means, to cushion the impact when kicking, and also to prevent the inner tongue from bunching up. Cushioning on the top of the foot and toes provides for greatly increased comfort, particularly in kicking sports. Padding around the toes and the front part of the foot is also provided, and preferably the inner tongue is continuous with this inner padding.

A removable padded outer tongue can be provided that attaches over the fastening means with hook and loop fasteners after the shoe fastening means are closed. The outer tongue provides added padding, and a smooth kicking surface to allow for increased control when kicking. The top of the outer tongue can be left plain, with no surface design, and thus provide advertising opportunities by allowing for the addition of team, club, school or sponsors' names or logos. The removable outer tongues could potentially become trading items among wearers of the shoes.

The outsole has relatively straight sides along the inside and outside edges of the foot (as compared to conventional shoes, which are shaped to mimic the shape of the foot), so that the shoe surfaces along the inner and outer sides of the foot and angle are relatively flat to allow for good control of the ball when it is kicked. Preferably the outsole is made from natural rubber to provide the best grip possible. Further, the bottom surface of the outsole is flat (i.e. not curved), but grooved. Preferably the grooves include zigzag or wave shaped grooves or straight grooves or both. The grooves create peaks and valleys in the bottom surface of the shoe, and preferably the peaks protrude below the inner and outer edges of the outsole. In the prior art, shoes are often designed so that the bottom surface of the shoe are flush with the edge of the outsole. By contrast, the protrusion of peaks past or below the edges of the outsole may allow for better grip on surfaces such as grass and artificial turf, as well as indoor floors such as cement, wood and tile.

The outsole preferably has distinct edges rather than rounded edges at the heel and sides. A strip of rubber foxing is wrapped around the shoe, and the bottom edge of the foxing meets the edge of the outsole. This is different from prior art shoes in which the outsole may continue past the bottom surface of the shoe over the edge of the foxing.

The sides of the shoe (i.e. the upper section) extend substantially vertically from the bottom of the shoe, while the outsole is relatively straight along the sides of the foot. The outsole may be glued onto the upper section and then wrapped with a foxing band. While this design minimizes weight, it usually does not have flat edges like box outsole shoes (which typically are heavy and curve inward along the side of the foot). The present design, by contrast, provides for relatively flat and straight shoe edges with a lightweight foxing style outsole.

The shoes of the present invention are suitable for a wide variety of sports, especially kicking sports. However, they are also suitable court shoes for sports such as tennis, badminton or volleyball, as well as for skateboarding or even simply as walking shoes.

FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom view of the insole 2 of an embodiment of the kicking shoe of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic section along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic section along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

The insole 2 comprises a third layer 4 extending from the heel 6 of the shoe about halfway along the length of the insole 2 toward the toe 8 of the shoe. The third layer 4 tapers from about a negligible thickness at the front end thereof to about 0.5 cm at a mid-portion designated generally at line A, and then at that thickness back to the rear heel end thereof. The second and first layers 10, 12 extend the full length of the insole 2. The layers 4, 10, 12 are made from a compressible material, preferably lightweight cushion foam material.

As can be seen in the section views of FIGS. 2 and 3 each layer may be slightly wider than the upper section of the shoe (not shown), and also is softer at the upper outer portions. The insole extends wraps around the foot slightly to cushion and support the foot, tending to keep the foot in the center of the insole 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-section of the insole 2 inside a right foot shoe of the invention looking from the rear. The insole is contained within an upper section which comprises an outer shell and inner padding. The outer shell 14 of the shoe is canvas or other fabric which readily allows air to pass through, allowing the foot to breathe. The inner side of the shoe includes an inner pad 16 to cushion impact when kicking with the inside of the foot. A similar outer pad 18 cushions impact when kicking with the outside of the foot. The pads 16, 18 are preferably made from foam, or other lightweight material, covered with a thin layer of fabric, and may further include breathing holes punched through the material to allow air to move through the pads.

A removable arch support 20 may also be provided. It may be attached to the insole 2 by, for example, Velcro™ fastening. It may adjusted to be placed in the most comfortable position for the wearer.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a lengthwise section of the front portion of the shoe. The toe portion 24 of the outer shell 14 can be covered with a protective layer 26 of leather, rubber or the like to reduce wear. A relatively thin layer of stiff protective foam 28 is attached to the inside of the toe portion 24 of the outer shell 14, and as illustrated extends up to the top of the tongue 34. Interior padding 32 is attached inside the outer shell 14 between the stiff foam 28 and the user's foot.

The illustrated inner tongue 34 comprises a cushion pad 36 under the canvas outer shell material 14. The inner tongue 34 is located under the laces 30. The inner tongue and interior padding may comprise a single continuous piece, thus eliminating a potentially uncomfortable seam at the end of the inner tongue.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the shoe 40, and beside the shoe an outer tongue 42 is illustrated upside down to show the strip of hook and loop fastener 44 around the bottom perimeter of the outer tongue 42 that is configured to engage a corresponding strip of cooperating hook and loop fastener 46 attached to the top of the shoe 40. The outer tongue 42 is also padded slightly and is attached over the laces 30 with hook and loop fasteners 44, 46 after the laces 30 are tied. The outer tongue 42 provides added padding, and the canvas top of the outer tongue 42 provides a smooth kicking surface to increase control when kicking a ball or like object.

FIG. 7 also illustrates that the toe 50 of the shoe 40 may be somewhat squared off to provide increased kicking surface to contact the ball, and thus increased power and accuracy. Alternatively, the toe may also be rounded.

FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the shoe 140 with dual zippers 130 as the shoe fastening means, one zipper on each side of a cover 134 preferably made from a strong, thin and stretchy material, located over top of the inner tongue (not shown).

Side ridges 160 extend up from the front-top-sides of the shoe 140 and are configured such that the removable outer tongue 142 will fit between the ridges 160 as illustrated in FIG. 9. Hook and loop fastener strips 144 attached to the ridges 160 and the outer tongue 142 cooperate to maintain the outer tongue 142 in position. The shoe can also be worn neatly without the outer tongue by folding the side ridges inward and down onto the corresponding side hook and loop fastener strips, effectively covering them up.

When the removable outer tongue 142 is in place it is set down between the ridges 160, and tapers down to the top of the toe portion of the shoe 140 providing a flat surface 162 from the toe to the top of the shoe 140 for improved ball control.

The illustrated top surface 162 of the outer tongue 142 is plain without any design so that teams' names & logos, advertising, and the like may be readily printed or embroidered thereon.

The conventional outsole of the prior art (FIG. 10) is shaped like the bottom of a person's foot so that when the upper section is attached, the upper will be like an extension of the foot-shaped outsole and will fit snuggly around the foot from the bottom up. But kicking an object with such a curved surface often poses control problems. In order to have perfect control when kicking a ball or other object with the sides of the foot, the outsole and the inner and outer sides of the shoe that extend upwardly from the outsole are preferably relatively flat and straight rather than curved.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the outsole of an embodiment of the present invention has straighter sides. When the outsole of FIG. 11 is attached to a conventional upper as shown in FIG. 12, the edges do not match up properly. In order to create an upper section of suitable shape, a mold or form as shown in FIG. 13, with flatter sides, may be created to allow for a suitably shaped upper.

As shown in FIG. 14, the insole comprises at least three layers (4,10,12) of compressible material, such as EVA foam. A heel cup 100 may be included at the bottom to wrap around the foot and provide padding and comfort for the heel. Third layer 4 preferably extends from the ball to the heel of the foot, and may be made from a relatively stiff foam. Third layer 4 may further include a rubber cushioned portion 102 which will not compress over long use. This allows for improved support at the heel, which is a high pressure area. First and second layers 12,10 extend the full length of the foot. Second layer 10 is preferably made from medium density foam and may further include a rubber cushioned portion 106 at the ball of the foot. First layer 12 is preferably made from soft foam and may further include an arch section 104 made from ultra soft foam. A removable arch support 20 may also be attached to the first layer 12, for example with a Velcro strip or other means known in the art.

The insole 2 is designed to absorb shock as well as to mold to the shape of the foot over time, thus increasing comfort. Holes 108 may also be present in one or more layers to help promote air circulation around the foot.

As shown in FIG. 15, the first, second and third layers 12,10,4 stack on top of one another and fit into heel cup 100.

A continuous toe-tongue section comprising an inner tongue 34 and toe padding 110 may be included, as shown in FIG. 16. The inner tongue 34 includes at least two layers of foam 112,114 which may be encased in a lining 116, as shown in FIG. 17. A side cross-sectional view of the inner tongue 34 and toe padding 110 is shown in FIG. 18.

As shown in FIG. 19, the outsole 118 may be attached to a bottom layer 120 which is preferably made from high density foam. These may then be directly attached to the upper 14 into which the insole 2 is fitted. The outsole is preferably thin, such as 2 mm to 5 mm in thickness. As shown in FIG. 20, the outsole 118 includes peaks 124 which may protrude past the edge of the outsole. Foxing 122 may be wrapped around the bottom of the shoe to create a definite edge, so that the outsole 118 does not continue up over the side, back or front of the shoe.

As shown in FIG. 21, the outsole 118 may comprise grooves 126 which create peaks 124. The grooves may be straight or zigzag/wave shaped, or both.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section, and an insole, wherein the insole has at least three compressible layers.

2. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least three compressible layers comprise a full length top layer, a full length second layer, a heel-to-ball third layer, and a heel cup bottom layer.

3. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a removable arch support.

4. A shoe as claimed in claim 2 wherein the full length second layer comprises a relatively non-compressible ball support section, and the heel-to-ball third layer comprises a relatively non-compressible heel support section.

5. A shoe as claimed in claim 2 wherein the full length top layer comprises a built-in arch support.

6. A shoe as claimed in claim 3 wherein the full length top layer is made from soft foam, the full length second layer is made from medium density foam, and the heel-to-ball third layer is made from hard density foam.

7. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least three compressible layers is wider than the upper section, such that the at least one compressible layer curves upwards around a wearer's foot.

8. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a padded inner tongue.

9. A shoe as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a toe area within the upper section, the toe area comprising interior padding.

10. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein the padded inner tongue is continuous with the interior padding of the toe area.

11. A shoe as claimed in claim 8 wherein the inner tongue comprises at least two layers.

12. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outsole comprises an inside edge which corresponds to an inner side of a wearer's foot, and an outside edge which corresponds to an outer side of the wearer's foot, and wherein the inside edge and the outside edge are relatively straight.

13. A shoe as claimed in claim 12 wherein the upper section comprises an inner side attached to the inside edge of the outsole, and an outer side attached to the outside edge of the outsole, the inner side and the outer side of the upper section being relatively flat.

14. A shoe as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outsole has a bottom surface that is grooved.

15. A shoe as claimed in claim 14 wherein the bottom surface of the outsole comprises zigzag shaped grooves and straight grooves.

16. A shoe as claimed in claim 15 wherein the grooves comprise peaks and valleys, and wherein the peaks protrude below the inside and outside edges of the outsole.

17. A shoe as claimed in claim 14 wherein the outsole comprises at least first and second layers.

18. A shoe as claimed in claim 17 wherein the first layer comprising the bottom surface is made from rubber, and the second layer located on top of the first layer is made from foam.

19. A shoe as claimed in claim 14 wherein the outsole is between 2 and 5 mm thick.

20. A shoe as claimed in claim 8 further comprising an outer tongue.

21. A shoe as claimed in claim 20 wherein the outer tongue is padded, and is removable.

22. An athletic shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section, an insole, a padded inner tongue, and a toe area within the upper section, the toe area comprising interior padding.

23. An athletic shoe as claimed in claim 22, wherein the padded inner tongue is continuous with the interior padding of the toe area.

24. An athletic shoe as claimed in claim 22, further comprising an outer tongue.

25. An athletic shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section and an insole, wherein the outsole comprises an inside edge which corresponds to an inner side of a wearer's foot, and an outside edge which corresponds to an outer side of the wearer's foot, and wherein the inside edge and the outside edge are relatively straight.

26. An athletic shoe as claimed in claim 25 wherein the upper section comprises an inner side attached to the inside edge of the outsole, and an outer side attached to the outside edge of the outsole, the inner side and the outer side of the upper section being relatively flat.

27. An athletic shoe comprising an outsole, an upper section and an insole, wherein the outsole has a bottom surface comprising zigzag shaped grooves and straight grooves.

28. An athletic shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein the grooves comprise peaks and valleys, and wherein the peaks protrude below the inside and outside edges of the outsole.

29. An athletic shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein the outsole comprises at least first and second layers.