Functional Shoes In Which Stimulant For Extension Growth Acceleration Is Equipped

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pair of functional shoes, which enables both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation to be transmitted to the heel portions of feet and specific portions of ankles, which are helpful in promoting height growth, using the force that is generating while walking, thus stimulating growth plates. Each of the functional shoes an ankle contact member mounted to the heel counter of the shoe, which supports the rear portion of a foot, which ranges from the heel of a foot to an ankle, formed in a shape that corresponds to the concave shape of the rear portion of the ankle, and coming into contact with an ankle stimulation portion; an ankle stimulating member mounted from the inside of a shoe outsole to the ankle contact member, and transmitting physical stimulation to the ankle stimulation portion, which is the concave rear portion of the ankle malleolus, using force that is applied by the foot while walking; a heel stimulating member mounted in the shoe outsole, which corresponds to the central portion of the rear portion of a sole, formed to have hardness higher than the outsole, and transmitting load stimulation, caused by applied force, to a heel stimulation portion, which corresponds to the central portion of the rear portion of the sole; and an electrical stimulation unit, comprising a power generation device which is mounted in the shoe outsole and generates power, and power generation points which are formed on an ankle stimulation part and/or the heel stimulation portion.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This a continuation of pending International Patent Application PCT/KR2007/003813 filed on Aug. 8, 2007, which designates the United States and claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0075040 filed on Aug. 9, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shoes and, more particularly, to a pair of functional shoes having a stimulating member for promoting height growth, which enables both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation to be transmitted to the heel portions of feet and specific portions of ankles, which are helpful in promoting height growth, using the force that is generating while walking, thus stimulating growth plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, human growth means that the size of a body, including the height, increases as the number of cells increases and as cells increase in size. In height growth, bones grow together with the surrounding muscles. Here, with respect to bones, a backbone, otherwise known as a spine, and leg bones, which are examples of long bones, play the most important role in the height growth of humans. In particular, the growth hormone, which is secreted from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, causes cell division by stimulating portions known as epiphyseal cartilages or growth plates, which exist in the knee and ankle joints, and thus the leg bones grow and the lengths thereof increase. As a result, height growth is achieved.

For this growth, proper stimulation of the growth plates through moderate exercise is widely known to be effective. Actually, it is widely known that stimulation based on jumping motion as in rope skipping, basketball, etc. can promote the growth of the bones by activating cell division in each growth plate. Such jumping motion stimulates the growth plates of knee joints, as well as the growth plates of ankle joints, through the soles of the feet, in particular, through the heels. It is known that the physical acupressure of portions close to the ankles, in particular, each malleolus, in addition to the direct stimulation of the growth plates of the knee joints, is also helpful in promoting height growth. This is based on zone therapy, which has been handed down from oriental medical science. That is, it is known that portions of each foot interact with corresponding internal organs in the human body, and thus the internal organs of the human body are influenced by applying acupressure to specific portions of the foot, and that the growth plates of the knee joints are stimulated by the stimulation of portions close to each malleolus, thus being helpful in promoting height growth by promoting the secretion of the growth hormone. In addition, it is known that the stimulation of the entire legs, stretching, etc. are helpful in promoting height growth. Many apparatuses have been developed and used since it became known, as noted above, that the stimulation of a specific portion of the soles, the acupressure of portions close to each malleolus, and proper stimulation, such as stretching, which is applied to the feet, can promote height growth by stimulating the growth plates.

As an example, an apparatus for promoting the growth of bones using artificial gravity is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2005-116030. This apparatus helps promote the growth of bones by applying predetermined stimulation to growth plates. However, this apparatus is expensive and is used only at a specialized place, so that the everyday use thereof is greatly restricted.

There is disclosed a pair of shoes which, unlike the stimulation based on stretching, stimulate the growth plates of respective knee joints by stimulating the soles of the feet and stimulating portions close to each malleolus, thus being helpful in promoting height growth. Since the shoes are ordinarily used, they are helpful in promoting height growth by stimulating the growth plates using the additional function of the shoes. A pair of shoes for promoting height growth through the physical and chemical stimulation of reflex zones and growth plates, located at the feet and the ankles, is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-409793. Furthermore, a pair of shoes for promoting height growth through the stimulation of reflex zones and growth plates, associated with the pituitary gland, is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2005-94369.

According to the technologies, the shoes are configured such that stimulation is achieved by forming protrusions at the portion where each big toe is located, and installing a support near the malleolus of each ankle. Using this structure, the shoes have a considerable acupressure effect only on the big toe, due to the protrusions, but provide little acupressure from the support located near the malleolus. In other words, the force applied to the feet when walking is transmitted to the ground through the soles, so that no acupressure is applied to portions close to the malleolus, which corresponds to the lateral portions of each foot, and thus the growth plates are not stimulated.

Unlike these technologies, according to Korean Patent. No. 10-512534, a pressing part, which is filled with air, is pressed, and thus the growth plate under each malleolus is stimulated by the flow of the air. With this structure, the following problems arise.

In this structure, the growth plate near each malleolus is not precisely stimulated. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the stimulation zone located near each malleolus is not directly under the malleolus, but is a region where a rear portion of the malleolus, which is horizontal and spans about 1 cm to 1.5 cm, intersects a vertical upward portion of the heel bone, that is, corresponds to a concave portion at the rear portion of the ankle, which is an acupressure point named taegye or gonryun in zone therapy (hereinafter, this stimulation zone of the rear portion of the ankle is referred to as “ankle stimulation portion (a)” for ease of description). In the above-mentioned technology, inflation by air pressure does not effectively stimulate the ankle stimulation portion. This is because the ankle stimulation portion (a), which is the recessed portion described above, does not come into direct contact with a heel portion of the shoe. In order to stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a), the ankle stimulation portion (a) must be moved forward and backward a predetermined distance. In the above-described structure, inflation occurs, but the forward and backward movements do not occur. As a result, a direct stimulation effect does not take place.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned technologies have the goal of stimulating the ankle stimulation portion (a). Nevertheless, the ankle stimulation portion (a) is not correctly stimulated in practice, and a direct impact is not applied to the region where the heel portion of each sole is stimulated (hereinafter, referred to as a “heel stimulation portion (b)”), and thus the growth plates of respective knee joints are not correctly stimulated.

Unlike this structure, according to Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2005-39686, an outer sole of a shoe is varied in hardness, and thereby the growth plate is stimulated by applying a direct impact to the sole. In particular, the hardness of a midsole on the outer sole is increased, and thereby the impact applied to the entire sole is increased. With this structure, the wearing sensation of the shoe is remarkably degraded. Furthermore, the direct stimulation of the growth plate using the impact of the heel stimulation portion (b) is more effective than that using the impact of the entire sole. Nevertheless, the impact is transmitted to the heel stimulation portion (b) through a stimulation transition member, a stimulation distribution member, etc. simply by increasing the hardness of the entire midsole. In practice, the stimulation transition member, the stimulation distribution member, and a heel spur prevention member do not precisely play their intended roles. Furthermore, under this structure, the ankle stimulation portion (a) is not stimulated at all, and thus growth plates are not effectively stimulated.

As described above, the existing shoes do not effectively apply physical stimulation through the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b), and thus the growth plates are not effectively stimulated in practice.

Meanwhile, in addition to the stimulation of the growth plates based on simple physical stimulation, oriental medical science uses the stimulation of the growth plates using endocrine stimulation. That is, the growth plates are stimulated by the stimulation of acupuncture spots using needles, which is used as therapy for promoting height growth. However, this endocrine stimulation therapy, such as the needle stimulation therapy, cannot be directly implemented in shoes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Technical Problem

Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pair of shoes, in which an ankle stimulation portion accurately performs physical stimulation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of shoes, in which both the ankle stimulation portion and the heel stimulation portion accurately perform physical stimulation, thus being more helpful to height growth by stimulating growth plates.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pair of shoes, which stimulates the endocrine system using electrical stimulation, thus stimulating the growth plates.

Technical Solution

In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides A pair of functional shoes having a stimulating member for promoting growth of height, each of the functional shoes including: an ankle contact member mounted to the heel counter of the shoe, which supports the rear portion of a foot, which ranges from the heel of a foot to an ankle, formed in a shape that corresponds to the concave shape of the rear portion of the ankle, and coming into contact with an ankle stimulation portion; an ankle stimulating member mounted from the inside of a shoe outsole to the ankle contact member, and transmitting physical stimulation to the ankle stimulation portion, which is the concave rear portion of the ankle malleolus, using force that is applied by the foot while walking; and a heel stimulating member mounted in the shoe outsole, which corresponds to the central portion of the rear portion of a sole, formed to have hardness higher than the outsole, and transmitting load stimulation, caused by applied force, to a heel stimulation portion, which corresponds to the central portion of the rear portion of the sole; wherein physical stimulation is applied to the heel stimulation portion of the rear portion of the sole and the ankle stimulation portion of the rear portion of the ankle by an applied load.

Furthermore, the ankle contact member is made of any of an air bag using air injection, polymer material, rubber material and synthetic resin, which have elasticity, is formed in a shape that conforms to the concave shape of the rear portion of the ankle. Furthermore, the ankle contact member is mounted along the collar of the upper end of a shoe upper, which surrounds the ankle, and is formed of a tightening band, which is made of elastic material and comes into contact with the ankle.

The ankle stimulating member includes an air bag, which is mounted in the outsole and having a doughnut shape; acupressure stimulation members, which communicate with two sides of the air bag, and are configured such that the ends of the respective acupressure stimulation members come into contact with the ankle stimulation portion, which is located in the rear portion of the ankle malleolus; wherein the ends of the acupressure stimulation members stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using air movement, attributable to contraction of the air bag by applied force. Furthermore, the ankle stimulating member includes an elastic main body, which is made of elastic polymer material, is configured such that the central portion thereof is a vacant space, is rounded and descends from a central upper side to both sides, and is contracted by a load; and stimulating pieces, which are formed to be rounded upwards from two ends of the main body, and are configured such that the ends of respective stimulating pieces are laterally inclined inwards and come into contact with the ankle stimulating portion; wherein the stimulating pieces are laterally moved by the contraction of the main body, attributable to the load, and thus stimulate the ankle stimulation portion. Furthermore, the heel stimulating member is mounted in the central vacant space of the elastic main body, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

In addition, the present invention further includes an electrical stimulation unit mounted in the shoe outsole, and formed of a power generation device, for generating power, and power generation points that are formed on an ankle stimulation part and/or a heel stimulation part, so that the ankle stimulation portion part and/or the heel stimulation portion can be stimulated more strongly.

The power generation device is a low frequency generation source that is mounted in the heel stimulating member. Furthermore, the power generation device includes a battery, which is mounted in the heel stimulating member and supplying power; and a microcurrent generation source, which converts electricity, which is supplied from the battery, into a current of several to several hundreds of microamperes. Furthermore, the power generation device is constructed using a piezoelectric element that generates voltage and microcurrent depending on applied pressure.

According to the above-described construction, both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation are simultaneously applied to the ankle stimulation portion and the heel stimulation portion, so that the growth plates can be more effectively stimulated, thus being helpful to the growth of height.

Advantageous Effects

As described above, in accordance with the present invention, both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation are simultaneously transmitted to the rear portions of the ankles and the heel portions, which are stimulation portions related to height growth, so that height growth can be promoted through the stimulation of growth plates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing the shape of a foot;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a shoe according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the principal parts of the shoe according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing an ankle contact member according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a view showing an ankle stimulating member according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing a mounted heel stimulating member according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the heel stimulating member and an electrical stimulation unit according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an electrical circuit diagram of a power generation device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view showing the operation of the shoe according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS OF PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS

• • 10: ankle contact member
  • 10a: air bag
  • 10b: polymer material (rubber material)
  • 10c: tightening band
  • 10c′: coupling piece
  • 10a′: air injection hole
  • 20: ankle stimulating member
  • 22: elastic main body
  • 22′: main body air bag
  • 24: stimulating piece
  • 24a, 24a′: stimulation points
  • 24′: acupressure stimulation members
  • 30: heel stimulating member
  • 40: electrical stimulation unit
  • 42: power generation device
  • 44: power generation points
  • 46: electric wire
  • 100: shoe
  • 120: upper
  • 130: heel counter
  • 130a: collar

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A pair of shoes according to the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a view showing an embodiment of a shoe according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the shoe according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the present invention includes an ankle contact member 10 which is mounted to a heel counter 130, which is a rear part of the shoe 100, and is configured such that an ankle stimulation portion (a) comes into contact with the inner surface of the shoe, an ankle stimulating member 20, which directly stimulates the ankle stimulation portion (a) using applied external force, a heel stimulating member 30, which directly stimulates a heel stimulation portion (b) using applied external force, and an electrical stimulation unit 40 which electrically stimulates the ankle stimulation portion (a) and/or the heel stimulation portion (b) using applied external force.

First, the ankle contact member 10 is described with reference to the drawings and FIG. 4 below.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the ankle contact member according to the present invention. The ankle stimulation portion (a) for stimulating a growth plate for height growth is a concave portion. In the structure of a typical shoe 100, the ankle stimulation portion (a) does not come into contact with the entire inner surface of the heel counter 130 of the shoe. Accordingly, in order for the ankle stimulation portion (a) to come into contact with the inner surface of the shoe, an ankle contact member 10, which corresponds to the shape of the rear portion of an ankle, in particular, the shape of the ankle stimulation portion (a), must be mounted to the heel counter 130 of the shoe.

Such an ankle contact member 10 may be implemented in various ways.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the ankle contact member 10 may be implemented in the form of an air bag 10a. In this case, the air bag 10a itself has elasticity to some extent. Thus, when a user wears the shoe, close contact with the ankle can be achieved while conforming to the concave shape of the ankle. Meanwhile, alternatively, the ankle contact member 10 may be implemented such that an air injection hole 10a′ is separately and externally constructed in the ankle contact member 10, and thus the user can inject air from the outside. In this case, the air injection hole 10a′ is formed to pass through a shoe upper 120. Accordingly, after the shoe is worn, the user injects air through the air injection hole 10a′ from the outside in a pumping manner, and thus air can be injected until the ankle contact member 10, which is formed using the air bag 10a, comes into contact with the entire ankle portion.

As a further alternative, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the ankle contact member 10 may be implemented to have a suitable shape, corresponding to the concave shape of the ankle, using polymer material or rubber material 10b, which deforms relatively freely. In the case where silicon is used as the polymer material, the silicon has elasticity to some extent. Thus, when the user wears the shoe, contact with the entire concave ankle stimulation portion (a) can be achieved. Meanwhile, the ankle contact member 10 may be made of fiber material having the shape of a soft pad. In this case, the ankle contact member 10 is manufactured to conform to the shape of the ankle, and thus contact with the ankle can be achieved. In the present embodiment, a single ankle contact member 10 is shown as being provided in the drawing. However, the ankle contact member 10 is a part having a defined form, unlike the air bag, and thus it may be divided into two parts which correspond to respective ankle stimulation portions.

Meanwhile, unlike the structure that corresponds to the concave shape of the above-described ankle stimulation portion (a), an ankle contact member 10, such as a tightening band 10c, may be used, as shown in FIG. 4(c). That is, the tightening band 10c is mounted along the collar 130a of the upper end of the heel counter 130, which constitutes the upper 120 of the shoe, so that, after the user wears the shoe, the tightening band 10c is tightened so as to be in close contact with the circumference of the ankle. The above-described tightening band 10c is made of elastic material, such as rubber or a spring, and enables contact with the entire circumference of the ankle using elasticity after the shoe is worn. Alternatively, a coupling piece 10c′ is formed between two ends of the tightening band 10c, so that the user can couple the two ends of the tightening band 10c to each other by adjusting the coupling piece 10c′, and thus contact with the entire circumference of the ankle can be achieved. The above-described tightening band 10c is configured to tighten the upper end of the upper 120, rather than causing direct contact with the concave ankle stimulation portion (a) to be achieved, as in the above-described structures of FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), thus enabling all portions of the feet to come into contact with shoes through contact with the circumference of the ankle. Here, the above-described tightening band 10c may be used together with the ankle contact member 10a or 10b, which is formed using the air bag or the polymer material. In this case, the contact with the concave portion of the ankle is achieved by the ankle contact member 10a or 10b, and the upper collar of the upper is also tightened by the tightening band 10c, so that contact with the entire ankle portion can be achieved, and robustness can also be achieved.

Next, the ankle stimulating member according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5 below.

The ankle stimulating member 20 is a member that directly stimulates the above-described ankle stimulation portion (a), and is configured to directly stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a) when pressure is applied after the user wears the shoe. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the ankle stimulating member 20 includes an elastic main body 22 which is formed using elastic plastic and contracts according to pressure applied thereto, and a stimulating pieces 24 which stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a) by expanding to correspond to the contraction length. The elastic main body 22 is configured such that the central portion thereof is open, rounding decreases from the central portion to both ends of the elastic main body 22, and the stimulating pieces 24 are connected upwards to the respective rounded ends. Meanwhile, the stimulating pieces 24, rather than being vertically formed, are obliquely formed such that the upper ends thereof, on which stimulation points 24a, which come into contact with and stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a), are provided, is inclined inwards compared with the lower ends thereof, which are connected with the main body 22. Accordingly, when pressure is applied to the surface of the elastic main body 22 by the sole of the foot, the surface of the main body 22 is pressed downwards, and the stimulation points 24a of the respective stimulating pieces are laterally moved inwards by the pressing force 24, so that a structure that can stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a) can be achieved. In the above-described structure, the degree of variation in elasticity depending on material will vary according to the degree of motion of the stimulation zone of each stimulating piece. Generally, when the shoe is worn, the concave heel portion of the ankle, in which the ankle stimulation portion (a) is located, differs from the inner surface of the upper according to the shape of a foot, but there exists a margin of about 0.2 to 0.5 mm. Accordingly, the ankle stimulation portion (a) can be directly stimulated only when the lateral movement distance of the stimulation point 24a, which is formed on the end of each stimulating piece 24, is greater than the margin. This distance can be sufficiently achieved using the ankle stimulating member 20, which is made of plastic, which is a typical elastic material.

Furthermore, the elastic main body 22 is mounted in the outsole, in which the heel of the sole is located. The stimulating pieces 24 are located along the inner surface of the upper 120. Furthermore, in the case where the above-described ankle contact member 10 is provided, the stimulating pieces 24 are mounted on the outer surface of the ankle contact member 10. In this case, the stimulation points 24a of the stimulating pieces 24 can be brought into contact with the ankle stimulation portion (a) by the ankle contact member 10. Accordingly, when pressure is applied by walking or running, the stimulation points 24a of the stimulating pieces 24 can intensively stimulate only the ankle stimulation portion (a). Furthermore, in the case where the ankle contact member 10 is not mounted, the stimulating pieces 24 are mounted along the inner wall of the shoe upper 120. In this case, the elastic main body 22 and the stimulating pieces 24 are manufactured to have relatively high elasticity. That is, in the case where the ankle contact member 10 is omitted, the ankle stimulation portion (a) does not come into contact with the entire inner wall of the upper 120, so that an ankle stimulating member 20 having a relatively higher elasticity must be provided. This functions to stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a).

Meanwhile, the central portion of the elastic main body 22 of the ankle stimulating member 20 is formed to be a vacant space. This is a portion in which the heel stimulating member 30, which will be described later, is located. As described above, the growth plates are efficiently stimulated only when the heel stimulation portion (b) and the ankle stimulation portion (a) are simultaneously stimulated, and thus the heel stimulating member 30 is mounted in the vacant space to stimulate the heel stimulation portion (b). This will be described below.

Next, another embodiment of the ankle stimulating member 20 is described.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), a main body air bag 22′, which is filled with gas therein and has a doughnut shape, and acupressure stimulation members 24, which extend upwards from both sides of the main body air bag 22′ to the ankle stimulation portion (a), and are provided with respective air movement paths therein, are formed. Here, because the main body air bag 22′ is formed in a doughnut shape, the central portion thereof has a vacant space. This functions to seat the heel stimulating member 30, which will be described below. Accordingly, the main body air bag 22′ is contracted by pressure applied thereto, so that an amount of air corresponding to the amount of contraction moves, and thus the stimulation points 24a′ of the respective acupressure stimulation members 24′ can stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a). Meanwhile, the stimulation points 24a′, which are formed on the respective ends of the acupressure stimulation members 24′, are responsible for stimulating the ankle stimulation portion (a) using inflation, attributable to air movement, and are made of flexible material so as to be inflated toward the ankle stimulation portion (a).

Meanwhile, although not separately shown in the drawings, in another embodiment of the ankle stimulating member 20, construction may be made such that the stimulating pieces 24 are coupled to respective ends of the ankle contact member 10, which are made of the above-described elastic flexible material. That is, the ankle contact member 10 and the stimulating pieces 24 may function as the ankle stimulating member 20 by coupling the stimulating pieces 24, which are made of relatively hard plastic material, with the respective ends of the ankle contact member 10, which is brought into contact with the ankle stimulation part (a). As will be described later, in the case where walking is conducted in the state in which the shoe is worn, contact with the ankle stimulation portion (a) is achieved by the elasticity of the ankle contact member 10, so that the stimulating pieces 24 of the respective ends come into direct contact with the ankle stimulation portion. In particular, the motion of the foot, attributable to walking, that is, a walking pattern, which consists of forward steps occurring in sequence from the heel of the foot to the ball thereof, causes the ankle to be naturally bent, and thus the stimulating pieces 24, which are coupled to the ends, can stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a) while directly pressing it.

As described above, causing the ankle stimulating member 20 to directly stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using the force applied by walking, that is, a vertical load, or the ankle bending, may be implemented in various ways, in addition to the present embodiment.

Next, the heel stimulating member 30 according to the present invention is described.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing the mounted heel stimulating member according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the heel stimulating member and the electrical stimulation unit according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the heel stimulating member 30 is mounted in a portion that comes into contact with the heel of the sole, is made of material harder than typical outsole material, and is mounted in the central vacant space of the ankle stimulating member 20. Furthermore, the heel stimulating member 30 is formed to be slightly lower than the ankle stimulating member 20 in the vertical dimension before the ankle stimulating member 20 is contracted. This helps the ankle stimulating member 20 smoothly operate. That is, the contraction heel stimulating member 30 is formed to be low such that contraction can be achieved to some extent because the main body of the ankle stimulating member 20 is contracted when pressure is applied to the heel. If they are formed to be the same height, stress is intensively applied only to the heel stimulating member 30, and thus the ankle stimulating member 20 is not smoothly contracted. Furthermore, the excessive impact causes side effects in the body, so that it is appropriate for the ankle stimulating member 20 to have the ability to appropriately absorb the impact using contraction, appropriate stimulation is applied only to the heel stimulation portion (b) of the central portion, and the intensive stimulation causes the subsequent stimulation of growth plates. Accordingly, in order to smoothly operate the ankle stimulating member 20 and, at the same time, transmit the appropriate amount of impact to the heel stimulation portion (b), the heel stimulating member 30 is formed such that the height thereof is slightly low, and is formed of a separate member, such as plastic, which is slightly stiffer than typical outsole material.

Furthermore, in the case where the ankle stimulating member 20 is composed of the ankle contact member 10 and the stimulating pieces 24, as described above, the air bag is mounted slightly high around the heel stimulating member 30. This functions to reduce the impact applied to the heel stimulation member 30. That is, in the case where the ankle stimulating member 20 is composed of the ankle contact member 20 and the stimulating pieces 24, as described above, the ankle stimulation portion (a) is stimulated by the force that is caused by the ankle bending, occurring upon walking, rather than the force that is caused by the vertical load. Accordingly, since the force caused by the vertical load is completely transmitted to the heel stimulating member 30, it is preferred that the air bag be mounted slightly high around the heel stimulating member 30 in order to reduce the impact attributable to excessive walking. Accordingly, the force caused by the vertical load is first absorbed by the air bag and is then transmitted to the heel stimulating member 30 after the air bag is contracted to some extent. In this case, where the outsole can absorb the impact, the heel stimulating member 30 may be directly mounted, without the use of a separate air bag.

Next, the electrical stimulation unit 40 is described.

The electrical stimulation unit 40 is responsible for more effectively stimulating the growth plates by applying electrical stimulation to the ankle stimulation portion (a) and/or the heel stimulation portion (b). As described above, a method of inserting needles into acupuncture spots and stimulating growth plates through the activation of the endocrine system has been used for height growth. However, the present invention enables electrical stimulation to be performed in the shoe in order to achieve the same end.

Generally, specialized devices using low frequencies and microcurrent have been developed and used for the purpose of treatment. In the case where electrical stimulation is directly transmitted to the ankle stimulation portion (a) or the heel stimulation portion (b) using such low frequencies or microcurrent and is used together with physical stimulation, the growth plates can be more effectively stimulated. The electrical stimulation unit 40 according to the present invention includes a power generation device 42, which is configured to supply power, and power generation points 44, that is, stimulation points 24a and 24a,′ which are formed on the respective ends of the stimulating pieces 24 of the above-described ankle stimulating member 20 or the acupressure stimulation members 24′ to directly transmit supplied electricity to the ankle stimulation portion (a), and which are made of conductive material. In this case, electrical stimulation may be applied to the heel stimulation portion (b) by allowing power generation points 44 to be provided on the upper surface of the heel stimulating member 30. Accordingly, electrical stimulation can be directly applied to the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b) through the power generation points 44 using the electricity that is supplied by the power generation device 42.

Meanwhile, in the case where the power generation device 42 for generating power to supply electricity to the electrical stimulation unit 40 is a device that implements low frequencies, it will be sufficient if a low frequency generation source is mounted in the heel stimulating member 30. Accordingly, the heel stimulating member 30 is formed in the shape of a casing, so that it can be used as a mounting location for the power generation device 42, and can also function as the heel stimulating member 30 because it is harder than the outsole. Since the low frequency generation source is a general purpose device, a detailed description thereof is omitted below. It is not preferable to use the low frequency, which is generated from the low frequency generation source, for a long time because a relatively high current of several mA is used. Accordingly, it is preferred that operation be performed for an appropriate period of time using a timer, and it will be sufficient if the user manually adjusts the operation period or if On/Off operation is adjusted by the pressure that is applied to the sole.

Next, the case where microcurrent is applied using the electrical stimulation unit 40 is described. The microcurrent is a current on the microampere scale, and generally has a magnitude of several tens to several hundreds of microamperes. It is known that this above-noted amount of current plays a helpful role in the human body, and a microcurrent of about 60 microamperes flows in the human body itself. Such microcurrent is used for treatment in various ways. In oriental medical science, treatment is conducted by inserting needles into acupuncture spots and causing microcurrent to flow therethrough.

A battery may be used as the power generation device 42 for transmitting the microcurrent to the ankle stimulation portion (a) or the heel stimulation portion (b). Furthermore, a piezoelectric sensor may be used.

The case where the battery is used as the power generation device 42 is described. When the battery is used, rated voltage and current are determined according to the capacity of the battery. Accordingly, a microcurrent generation source is necessary in order to convert the current, which is supplied to the battery, into microcurrent in order to generate the microcurrent. For this purpose, the electrical circuit diagram of the power generation device 42 according to the present invention is shown. As shown in FIG. 8, the microcurrent is generated using a condenser C, resistors R1 and R2, a transistor Tr and a variable resistor VR, or flows due to the internal resistance of the power generation points 44, which will be described later. The flow of microcurrent, described above, will be sufficiently realized if construction is made such that a switch is turned on/off by the pressure that is generated by walking or running and is applied to the sole. The power generation device 42 of the electrical stimulation unit 40, which is constructed as described above, is mounted in the heel stimulating member 30, and thus the switch can be operated by the pressure applied to the heel stimulating member 30. Accordingly, both physical stimulation, in which the heel stimulating member 30 stimulates the heel stimulation portion using applied pressure, and electrical stimulation, in which microcurrent flows due to the electrical stimulation unit 40, can be simultaneously performed.

Meanwhile, the case where the microcurrent is generated using a piezoelectric element as the power generation device 42 is described.

Such a piezoelectric element is an element that, when pressure is applied from the outside, generates current and voltage depending on the pressure, and is widely used. Basically, the amount of current or voltage that is generated by the piezoelectric element is increased in proportion to the force that is applied from the outside, but varies according to the material or the size or shape of the element. The voltage is generated as an instantaneous voltage ranging from several to several thousands of volts, but the amount of current is generally very small. Accordingly, in order to generate the microcurrent required herein, the piezoelectric element has a structure in which several to several hundreds of layers, rather than a single layer, are layered, and thus microcurrent of several to several hundreds of microamperes can be generated.

Generally, a piezoelectric element, which is used to generate a voltage ranging from several to several tens of volts and a microcurrent ranging from several to several hundreds of microamperes, is PZT-based piezoelectric ceramic, and is manufactured by combining raw materials such as PbO₂, TiO₂ and ZrO₂. A piezoelectric element having desired physical characteristics is manufactured by layering such ceramic thick films.

A principle in which the piezoelectric element generates electric current is described. The piezoelectric element generates electric charges when force is applied thereto, so that one surface thereof is positively charged and the other surface thereof is negatively charged. As a result, a difference in potential is created between the two surfaces. The total quantity of charges of each surface is proportional to the charge displacement x, and the charge displacement x is proportional to the applied force.

q=kx=SF

where k is the constant, and S is the sensitivity of charges. This charge sensitivity varies according to the material, and thus the total charge quantity is determined according to the properties of the material and the size of a piece of said material. Accordingly, the electric current is constantly increased in proportion to applied force, but it does not increase further when force greater than a predetermined value is applied thereto.

A voltage is generated in proportion to applied pressure, that is, applied force, and the sensitivity of voltage also varies according to material, and thus the range of variation of the voltage depends on the properties and size of the material. However, the voltage is continuously increased in proportion to the applied force. Accordingly, the characteristics of the current and voltage, such as the intensity thereof, depending on the applied force are determined through practical experimentation. In a theoretical description, a piezoelectric coefficient corresponds to a material, and is one of the piezoelectric characteristics of piezoelectric ceramic. The term “piezoelectric coefficient” refers to a charge quantity depending on the applied weight per unit area. This value is expressed by the following equation.

Piezoelectric Coefficient

$d_{33}=\frac{Q/A}{F/A}=\frac{Q}{F}$

(Q−Charge Quantity, A=Area to which the force is applied, F=Force)

Thus, the value of a piezoelectric coefficient d33 is the charge quantity generated by the force that is applied to a piezoelectric material.

Assuming that, when a person weighing 50 kg walks or runs, the weight applied to the heels of the feet increases from 1.5 times to 3 times, a weight of about 75 kg is applied while walking, and the force applied to the piezoelectric material is as follows.

F=ma=75kg×9.8m/s²=750N

The charge quantity generated when the force of 750N is applied to the PZT based piezoelectric material, the piezoelectric coefficient d33 of which is 1300 pC/N, is obtained as follows.

1300pC/N×750N=9.75×10⁻⁷C

Assuming that the time for which the force is applied while the foot heel is in contact with the ground generally ranges from 0.5 seconds to 1 second,

$I=\frac{Q}{Q}=0.975\mathrm{\mu A}.$

In the case of 0.5 seconds, the magnitude thereof is doubled, and thus I=1.950 μA.

Accordingly, (1) in the case where a person weighing 60 kg walks, and where the above-noted time is about 1 second, the applied weight is about 75 kg, and a single thick film of piezoelectric material generates 0.975 μA. (2) in the case where the same person is running, and thus the time is about 0.5 seconds, the applied weight is about 150 kg, and the same piezoelectric material generates 2.94 μA.

Accordingly, if 100 sheets of the piezoelectric ceramic having such a piezoelectric coefficient are layered, the current value thereof is increased 100 times. Thus, the current value amounts to 97.5 μA when walking, and 294 μA when running.

Calculating the voltage from the current value,

at V=IR (where the resistance of the piezoelectric material itself is about 90,000Ω),

97.5 μA×90,000Ω=8.78 V when walking, and

294 μA×90,000 Ω=26.46 V when running.

Since these values are theoretical values, 100% efficiency is not exhibited when an actuator is manufactured in reality. In the case of a person weighing 60 kg, the theoretical values are as follows:

the current ranges from about 90 μA to about 300 μA, and

the voltage ranges from about 8 V to about 26 V.

Accordingly, in consideration of these conditions, when a person walks or runs while wearing the shoes, the generated amount of microcurrent ranges from tens of amperes to hundreds of amperes. In this case, a voltage ranging from several volts to tens of volts is exhibited.

In the case where such a piezoelectric element is used as the power generation device 42, it will be sufficient if the piezoelectric element is mounted in the heel stimulating member 30. Accordingly, the current and voltage can be generated from the piezoelectric element in an amount proportional to the pressure applied to the heel stimulating member 30, and the heel stimulating member 30 itself can transmit the stimulation, resulting from the pressure, to the heel stimulation portion (b) without change.

As described above, the power generation device 42 required herein is a device that generates a low frequency or microcurrent, and is mounted in the shoe. However, due to the spatial restriction in view of the structure of the shoe, the power generation device 42 is preferably mounted in the heel stimulating member 30. In the case where the power generation device can be made more lightweight and compact due to the realization of a small-sized device, it may be mounted at another location. The installation of the power generation device 42 in the heel stimulating member 30 provides various advantages, such as obviation of the requirement for spatial reduction, protection from external impacts, and so on.

Meanwhile, it will be sufficient if material, such as metal, that enables electricity to flow is used as the power generation points 44 formed on the ends of an ankle stimulation part (a) or a heel stimulation part (b). The power generation points 44 may be formed on the stimulation points 24a and 24a′ of the ankle stimulating member 20, or on the upper surface of the heel stimulating member, using various methods, such as the adhesion of a metal piece or the application of a metal material. Furthermore, the power generation device 42 may be electrically connected with the power generation points 44. That is, the heel stimulating member 30 serves as a casing in which the power generation device 42 is mounted, so that it will be sufficient if the electric wire 46 is appropriately installed from the inside to the outside of the casing, and is then connected with the power generation points 44. In the case where the power generation points 44 are formed on the stimulation points 24a and 24a′ of the ankle stimulating member 20, the electric wire is installed on the inner or outer surface of the acupressure stimulation member 24′ or the stimulating piece 24 of the ankle stimulating member 20 such that the electricity can flow through the power generation points 44. Furthermore, in the case where the power generation points 44 are formed on the upper surface of the heel stimulating member 30, the electrical connection may be made from the power generation device 42 in the heel stimulating member to the upper surface of the heel stimulating member. Accordingly, the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b) are doubly stimulated by the physical stimulation generated by the external force and the electrical stimulation, so that the growth plates can be more effectively stimulated.

Now, the operation of the functional shoe according to an embodiment of the present will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 9 is a view showing the operation of the functional shoe according to the present invention, in which the left figure of FIG. 9 shows the state before pressure is applied by the foot in the state in which the shoe is worn, and the right figure of FIG. 9 shows the state after pressure is applied by the foot in the state in which the shoe is worn. As shown in the left figure of FIG. 9, in the state in which a user wears the shoe, the heel counter 130 of the shoe is repeatedly pressed such that air is injected through the air injection hole 10a′. The air is introduced into the air bag of the ankle contact member 10 through the above-described process, so that the air bag is inflated, therefore the air bag can be in contact with the concave portion of the ankle stimulation portion (a). In this case, the ankle stimulating member 20 is provided along the outer surface of the ankle contact member 10, so that the stimulation points 24a, which are formed at the respective ends of the stimulating pieces 24 of the ankle stimulating member 20, are in contact with the ankle stimulation portion.

As described above, after the setting of the ankle contact member 10 is completed, the user conducts their everyday activities, such as walking or running, while wearing the shoes. When the pressure is applied to the sole while walking or running, the elastic main body 22 of the ankle stimulating member 20 is contracted by the pressure applied to the heel. The stimulating pieces 24, which are located on the opposite sides of the elastic main body 22 according to the extent of contraction of the elastic main body 22, move, and thus the stimulation points 24a formed at the respective ends of the stimulating pieces 24 stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a).

The contraction of the elastic main body 22 can occur from the sole of the heel to the upper surface of the heel stimulating member 30. The pressure applied through the sole reaches the heel stimulating member 30. Here, the heel stimulating member 30 is harder than the outer sole, so that the portion corresponding to the heel stimulation portion (b) is subjected to relatively more stimulation. This stimulation is transmitted to the heel stimulation portion.

Meanwhile, since the piezoelectric element is mounted in the heel stimulating member 30, the current and voltage are generated from the piezoelectric element according to the pressure applied to the heel stimulating member 30. The generated current and voltage cause the electrical stimulation to be directly applied to the ankle stimulation portion (a) through the power generation points, which are formed at the stimulation points on the ends of the ankle stimulating member 20, as well as to the heel stimulation portion (b) through the power generation points, which are formed on the upper surface of the heel stimulating member 30. Accordingly, both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation are simultaneously transmitted to the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b). These combined types of stimulation increase the total stimulation of the growth plates at the cartilage of the ankles and knees, thus promoting the secretion of the growth hormone.

When the pressure is removed by elevation of the heel during walking, no pressure is applied to the ankle stimulating member 20, the heel stimulating member 30 or the electrical stimulation unit 40, and thus no stimulation is applied. Accordingly, physical stimulation and the electrical stimulation are momentarily and repeatedly applied to the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b) by the force applied momentarily to the heel during walking, so that the effective transmission of stimulation can be repeated.

The description has been made of the case in which the ankle contact member 10 is an air bag. However, in the case where the ankle contact member is made of an elastic material, the ankle contact member will be in contact in the manner of a heel counter at the same time that the shoe is worn, without the use of a separate process of injecting the air into the air bag. Furthermore, in the case where the ankle stimulating member 20 is implemented in the form of an air bag, the ankle stimulating member 20 is naturally operated by the flow of the air, which is caused by the pressure.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the tightening band is used as the ankle contact member, and the battery is used as the power generation device.

The circumference of the ankle is completely surrounded by the tightening band, which comprises the collar of the upper end of the shoe. In most cases, the ankle stimulation portion (a) comes into contact with the inner surface of the upper of the shoe to some extent. However, in the case of a user who, for instance, has a weak rear portion of the ankle, the ankle stimulation portion (a) may not completely contact the inner surface of the upper.

Even in this case, the pressure is applied by the sole, and thus sufficient horizontal movement of the stimulating pieces or acupressure stimulation members occurs in an amount of 0.5 mm or more, according to the contraction of the ankle stimulating member. Hence, the stimulation can be sufficiently transmitted to the ankle stimulation portion (a). The contact switch is turned on according to the pressure applied to the heel stimulating member, and thus the microcurrent can be transmitted to the ankle stimulation portion (a) and the heel stimulation portion (b). Of course, when the pressure is released, the contact switch is again turned off, and thus the supply of the power is stopped. Furthermore, the physical stimulation is not applied.

As yet another embodiment, in the case where the stimulating pieces 24 of the ankle stimulating member 20 are simply coupled to the ends of the ankle contact member 10, the ankle stimulation portion (a) is stimulated by the physical force caused by a walking pattern, rather than a vertical load applied to the foot. That is, the ankle stimulating member 20, shown in FIG. 9, is adapted so that the force from the vertical load is transmitted to the opposite sides of the ankle stimulation portion, thus stimulating the ankle stimulation portion (a). However, in the case where the stimulating pieces 24 coupled to the ends of the ankle contact member 10 are used, the ankle stimulation portion can be stimulated by the bending of the ankle during walking, even if no force is transmitted to the opposite sides of the ankle stimulation portion by the vertical load.

In greater detail, the stimulating pieces 24 are brought into surface contact with the ankle stimulation portion (a) by the elasticity of the ankle contact member 10. In this case, the level to which the stimulating pieces 24 stimulate the ankle stimulation portion (a) is simply determined according to the elasticity and material of the ankle contact member 10, and the ankle stimulation portion (a) is stimulated by a predetermined force. In this state, when walking, the foot takes a step in a manner such that the pressure is applied from the heel thereof to the ball thereof. In this case, the ankle is bent forward the moment that pressure is applied from the heel to the ball of the foot, compared to the time when the user stands. This bending causes the stimulating pieces 24 coupled to the ends of the ankle contact member 10 to be in closer contact with the ankle stimulation portion (a), so that the ankle stimulation portion can be stimulated more strongly. In this case, the electrical stimulation is applied through the stimulating pieces 24 by the electrical stimulation unit as well as the heel stimulation member.

As described above, in the present invention, physical stimulation and electrical stimulation are simultaneously applied to the ankle stimulation portion and the heel stimulation portion in response to the force applied when walking. Therefore, it is apparent that various changes or modifications to the present invention are possible, although not all of the details thereof are provided in the embodiments.

Claims

1. A pair of functional shoes having a stimulating member for promoting growth of height, each of the functional shoes comprising:

an ankle stimulating member mounted from an inside of a shoe outsole to a heel counter of a shoe upper, and transmitting physical stimulation to an ankle stimulation portion, which is a concave rear portion of an ankle malleolus, using force that is applied by a foot while walking;

a heel stimulating member mounted in the shoe outsole, which corresponds to a central portion of a rear portion of a sole of a foot, formed to be harder than the outsole, and transmitting load stimulation, caused by applied force, to a heel stimulation portion, which corresponds to a central portion of the rear portion of the sole; and

an electrical stimulation unit mounted in the shoe outsole, and formed of a power generation device, for generating power, and power generation points that are formed on an ankle stimulation part and/or a heel stimulation part;

wherein physical stimulation and electrical stimulation, which are caused by a load that is applied while walking, are applied to the ankle stimulation portion and/or the heel stimulation portion.

2. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

an air bag, which mounted in the outsole and having a doughnut shape;

acupressure stimulation members, which communicate with two sides of the air bag, and are configured such that ends of the respective acupressure stimulation members come into contact with the ankle stimulation portion, which is located in the rear portion of the ankle malleolus;

wherein the ends of the acupressure stimulation members stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using air movement, attributable to contraction of the air bag, caused by applied force.

3. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 2, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a central vacant space of the air bag, and is formed to have hardness higher than that of the shoe outsole.

4. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 3, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted slightly lower than the air bag before being contracted.

5. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

a main body, which is made of elastic polymer material, is configured such that a central portion thereof is a vacant space, is rounded and descends from a central upper side to both sides, and is contracted by a load; and

stimulating pieces, which are formed to be rounded upwards from two ends of the main body, and are configured such that ends of respective stimulating pieces are laterally inclined inwards and come into contact with the ankle stimulating portion;

wherein the stimulating pieces are laterally moved by the contraction of the main body, attributable to the load, and thus stimulate the ankle stimulation portion.

6. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 5, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a central vacant space of the main body, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

7. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 6, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted lower than the main body before being contracted.

8. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

an ankle contact member, which is made of elastic polymer material, and is mounted on a portion of the shoe upper that corresponds to the ankle stimulation portion; and

stimulating pieces, which are mounted to respective ends of the ankle contact member, and are made of synthetic resin that is harder than the ankle contact member;

wherein the stimulating pieces stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using ankle bending, occurring upon walking.

9. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 8, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a rear portion of the shoe outsole that comes into contact with a heel, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

10. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 8, wherein the heel stimulating member further comprises an air bag that is formed higher than the heel stimulating member, is mounted around the heel stimulating member, and is contracted by a vertical load.

11. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the power generation device is a low frequency generation source that is mounted in the heel stimulating member.

12. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 11, wherein the low frequency generation source is configured such that a switch is turned on or off by pressure that is applied to the heel stimulating member.

13. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 12, wherein the low frequency generation source is configured such that a switch unit for ON/OFF operation is provided on an outer surface of the upper and adjustment is performed.

14. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the power generation device comprises:

a battery, which is mounted in the heel stimulating member and supplying power; and

a microcurrent generation source, which converts electricity, which is supplied from the battery, into a current of several to several hundreds of microamperes;

wherein stimulation is performed by the microcurrent.

15. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 14, wherein:

the power generation device comprises a switch unit which operates using pressure applied by the ankle stimulating member; and

the microcurrent generation source comprises a condenser, resistors, a transistor and a variable resistor, or is configured such that microcurrent flows due to internal resistance of the power generation points that are formed on ends of the ankle stimulation part and/or the heel stimulation part.

16. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 1, wherein the power generation device is constructed using a piezoelectric element that is mounted in the heel stimulating member and generates voltage and microcurrent depending on applied pressure.

17. A pair of functional shoes having a stimulating member for promoting growth of height, each of the functional shoes comprising:

an ankle contact member mounted to a heel counter of the shoe, which supports a rear portion of a foot, which ranges from a heel of a foot to an ankle, formed in a shape that corresponds to a concave shape of a rear portion of the ankle, and coming into contact with an ankle stimulation portion;

an ankle stimulating member mounted from an inside of a shoe outsole to the ankle contact member, and transmitting physical stimulation to the ankle stimulation portion, which is a concave rear portion of the ankle malleolus, using force that is applied by the foot while walking; and

a heel stimulating member mounted in the shoe outsole, which corresponds to a central portion of a rear portion of a sole, formed to have hardness higher than the outsole, and transmitting load stimulation, caused by applied force, to a heel stimulation portion, which corresponds to a central portion of the rear portion of the sole;

wherein physical stimulation is applied to the heel stimulation portion of the rear portion of the sole and the ankle stimulation portion of the rear portion of the ankle by an applied load.

18. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle contact member is formed in a form of an air bag based on air injection.

19. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 18, wherein the ankle contact member is configured such that an air injection hole is formed outside a shoe upper, and contact with the ankle is adjusted using air that is injected by a user.

20. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle contact member is made of any of polymer material, rubber material and synthetic resin, which have elasticity, is formed in a shape that conforms to a concave shape of the rear portion of the ankle, and comes into contact with the rear portion of the ankle.

21. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle contact member is mounted along a collar of an upper end of a shoe upper, which surrounds the ankle, and is formed of a tightening band, which is made of elastic material and comes into contact with the ankle.

22. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 21, wherein the tightening band is configured such that coupling pieces are provided on respective ends of the upper collar of the shoe and enable a degree of contact to be adjusted.

23. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle contact member comprises:

a tightening band, which is mounted along a collar of an upper end of a shoe upper, which surrounds the ankle, and is made of elastic material;

an ankle contact part, which is mounted to the heel counter of the shoe, is formed in a shape that conforms to a concave shape of the rear portion of the ankle, and comes into contact with the rear portion of the ankle.

24. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

an ankle contact member, which is made of an elastic polymer material, and is mounted on a portion of the shoe upper that corresponds to the ankle stimulation portion; and

stimulating pieces, which are mounted to respective ends of the ankle contact member, and are made of synthetic resin which is harder than the ankle contact member;

wherein the stimulating pieces stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using ankle bending, occurring upon walking.

25. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 24, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a rear portion of the shoe outsole that comes into contact with the heel, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

26. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 25, wherein the heel stimulating member further comprises an air bag which is formed to be higher than the heel stimulating member, is mounted around the heel stimulating member, and is contracted by a vertical load.

27. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

an air bag, which is mounted in the outsole and having a doughnut shape; acupressure stimulation members, which communicate with two sides of the air bag, and are configured such that ends of the respective acupressure stimulation members come into contact with the ankle stimulation portion, which is located in the rear portion of the ankle malleolus;

wherein the ends of the acupressure stimulation members stimulate the ankle stimulation portion using air movement, attributable to contraction of the air bag by applied force.

28. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 27, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a central vacant space of the air bag, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

29. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 18, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted slightly lower than the air bag before being contracted.

30. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 17, wherein the ankle stimulating member comprises:

an elastic main body, which is made of elastic polymer material, is configured such that a central portion thereof is a vacant space, is rounded and descends from a central upper side to both sides, and is contracted by a load; and

stimulating pieces, which are formed to be rounded upwards from two ends of the main body, and are configured such that ends of respective stimulating pieces are laterally inclined inwards and come into contact with the ankle stimulating portion;

wherein the stimulating pieces are laterally moved by the contraction of the main body, attributable to the load, and thus stimulate the ankle stimulation portion.

31. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 30, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted in a central vacant space of the elastic main body, and is formed to be harder than the shoe outsole.

32. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 31, wherein the heel stimulating member is mounted lower than the main body before being contracted.

33. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 25, further comprising an electrical stimulation unit, which comprises:

a power generation device mounted in the shoe outsole, and configured to generate power; and

power generation points formed on an ankle stimulation part and/or a heel stimulation part;

wherein electrical stimulation is applied to the ankle stimulation portion and/or the heel stimulation portion.

34. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 33, wherein the power generation device is a low frequency generation source, which is mounted in the heel stimulating member.

35. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 34, wherein the low frequency generation source is configured such that a switch is turned on or off by pressure that is applied to the heel stimulating member.

36. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 35, wherein the low frequency generation source is configured such that a switch unit for ON/OFF operation is provided on an outer surface of the upper and adjustment is performed.

37. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 33, wherein the power generation device comprises: wherein stimulation is performed by the microcurrent.

a battery mounted in the heel stimulating member and supplying power; and

a microcurrent generation source converting electricity, which is supplied from the battery, into a current of several to several hundreds of microamperes;

38. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 37, wherein:

the power generation device comprises a switch unit, which operates at a pressure applied by the ankle stimulating member; and

the microcurrent generation source is composed of a condenser, resistors, a transistor and a variable resistor, or is configured such that microcurrent flows by internal resistance of the power generation points, which are formed on ends of the ankle stimulation part and/or the heel stimulation part.

39. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 36, wherein the microcurrent generation source is configured to generate a voltage ranging from several to several tens of volts, and a current ranging from several to several hundreds of microamperes.

40. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 33, wherein the power generation device is constructed using a piezoelectric element, which is mounted in the heel stimulating member and generates voltage and microcurrent depending on applied pressure.

41. The pair of functional shoes according to claim 40, wherein the piezoelectric element generates a voltage ranging from several to several tens of volts and a current ranging from several to several hundreds of microamperes according to a vertical load applied to the foot.

42. A pair of functional shoes having a stimulating member for promoting growth of height, each of the functional shoes comprising:

an ankle contact member mounted to a heel counter of the shoe, which supports a rear portion of a foot, which ranges from a heel of a foot to an ankle, formed in a shape that corresponds to a concave shape of a rear portion of the ankle, and coming into contact with an ankle stimulation portion;

an ankle stimulating member mounted from an inside of a shoe outsole to the ankle contact member, and transmitting physical stimulation to the ankle stimulation portion, which is a concave rear portion of the ankle malleolus, using force that is applied by the foot while walking;

a heel stimulating member mounted in the shoe outsole, which corresponds to a central portion of a rear portion of a sole, formed to be harder than the outsole, and transmitting load stimulation, caused by applied force, to a heel stimulation portion, which corresponds to a central portion of the rear portion of the sole; and

an electrical stimulation unit, comprising a power generation device which is mounted in a heel stimulation part and generates power, and power generation points which are formed on an ankle stimulation part and/or the heel stimulation portion;

wherein both physical stimulation and electrical stimulation, attributable to a load, are simultaneously applied to the ankle stimulation portion and/or the heel stimulation portion.