FOOTWEAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Footwear includes an upper, an outsole attached to a lower portion of the upper; and a sock liner disposed within to the upper and attached to a region of the upper above a bottom portion of the sock liner, the sock liner having a heel portion spaced above a top surface of the outsole, the sock liner attached to the upper
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This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 60/986,074, filed Nov. 7, 2007, and entitled “Footwear Suspension System,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDThis invention relates to footwear.
Each year two out of three runners are sidelined by a running related injury. The injuries are caused by cumulative micro-trauma caused by repetitive impact experienced during running. A runner's heel strike generates a force that can equal as 2.5 times body weight at the foot and as much as seven times body weight at the hip. For several decades, footwear manufacturers have sought to alleviate detrimental heel strike through changes in running shoe design. This mission brought about the cushioning trend in running footwear. The idea was that a cushioning midsole will respond to impact by absorbing and storing some of the impact force as elastic energy. Unfortunately, the cushioned midsole of the modern running shoe deprives the system of important sensory information necessary for ankle, knee, and hip response to impact. The arch support (or “orthotic”) in modern running shoes prevents the arch suspension system from absorbing energy by averting flattening. Current arch support systems can eventually lead to intrinsic muscle atrophy and complete loss of active muscular control. These problems require a progressive shift in running shoe design and technology.
Not only are runners commonly plagued with persisting injuries, they also have to deal with a consistent monetary investment for shoe upkeep. A typical maintenance problem is the rapid deterioration of running shoe outsoles. Having to replace an entire shoe when only one portion is faulty is a waste of money. In addition, significant environmental problems are attributed to overactive consumer consumption and the subsequent excessive waste.
SUMMARYIn a general aspect of the invention, footwear comprises an upper, an outsole attached to a lower portion of the upper; and a sock liner disposed within to the upper and attached to a region of the upper above a bottom portion of the sock liner, the sock liner having a heel portion spaced above a top surface of the outsole, the sock liner attached to the upper.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. The upper is formed of injection-molded plastic. The sock liner is formed of a mesh and possibly over-molded sections of additional injection molded plastic. The footwear further comprises replaceable pods attached to a bottom surface of the outsole. The replaceable pods include layers of different colors. The footwear further comprises replaceable cleats configured to be attached to the lower portion of the upper or to a bottom surface of the outsole.
In a particular embodiment of the footwear, the footwear comprises a shock absorber including a base shank attached to an upper surface of the outsole; and a side shank integrally attached to the base shank and a side region of the upper. In this embodiment, the footwear can further include a plurality of shock absorbers each having a different stiffness characteristic.
In another embodiment, the footwear further comprises an adjustable shock absorber including a post attached positioned between the outsole and the upper; a resilient member attached to the post; and a regulator (e.g., a rotatable knob) configured to adjust the level of resilience of the resilient member. The resilient member can be a coiled spring surrounding the post.
In still another embodiment, the footwear further comprises a shock absorber including a back strip attached between the outsole and an upper region of the upper; at least one stiffening band attached to a surface of the back strip; and a regulator configured to adjust the level of stiffness of the at least one stiffening band. In certain embodiments, the footwear includes a plurality of back strips, each including at least one stiffening band attached to a surface of a corresponding one of the back strips and a regulator (e.g., a rotatable knob), one of the plurality of back strips attached to a first side region of the upper and another one of the plurality of back strips attached to a second side region, opposite the first side region of the upper.
Currently available running shoes use compression technology that is based on the hardness or the design of injected material (e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate “EVA”). The problem with the present technology is that it cannot adapt to the individual characteristics of the runner. Among other advantages, the footwear described above, accommodates the various weights and sizes of wearers (e.g., runners) by providing differing degrees of shock absorption necessary for varying weight, cant, and comfort. Absorption adjustment can be made for up and downward forces and side to side roll. In addition, pronation can be remedied by adjusting the shoe to cushion one side of the heel versus the other. The injection molding process allows for an efficient shoe design as well as a reduction in off-shore dependence in specialty manufacturing (as this is a process that can be fully completed closer to any point of sales). The on-shore production of the footwear also serves to enhance the secondary goal of environmental consciousness by reducing energy dispelled by long distance transportation. The ecological mission is furthered by the use of recyclable materials which will conserve energy, material, and costs. Additionally, the use of replaceable pods that are secured to the outsole will increase the life of the shoe and will alleviate the amount of landfill waste created by shoes prematurely discarded.
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The sock liner 200 is inserted into the upper 202 such that it is attached to the upper 202 at a front region 219 and such that a heel portion 221 is suspended above the upper 202. As will be discussed in greater detail below, this suspension design provides shock absorption of differing degrees suitable for various runners' weights and running conditions, and provides shock absorption for upward, downward, and side-to-side forces. The upper 202 includes a frame 222 with a base 224 that connects to the outsole assembly 204, an opening 226 where the wearer inserts her foot (corresponding to the location of the opening 211 in the sock liner 200), and an outer lacing support member 228. The outer lacing support member 228 has an array of holes 220 that align with the holes 218 in the sock liner 200 to be used with a shoelace 102. Both the right side and the left side of the frame 222 include rear ventilation holes 232, middle ventilation holes 234, and side front ventilation holes 236 for ventilating the foot. The frame 222 also contains a single ventilation hole 238 for the same purpose. The base 224 of the upper 202 also contains several holes 240 which are used to connect the upper 202 to the outsole assembly 204. The outsole assembly 204 includes a rear outsole pod 242 and the front outsole pod 244. Both the rear outsole pod 242 and the front outsole pod 244 contact the ground and include fastening features 248 for securely fastening the outsole assembly 204 to the bottom of upper 202.
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It is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. Footwear comprising:
- an upper;
- an outsole attached to a lower portion of the upper; and
- a sock liner disposed within to the upper and attached to a region of the upper above a bottom portion of the sock liner, the sock liner having a heel portion spaced above a top surface of the outsole, the sock liner attached to the upper.
2. The footwear of claim 1 wherein the upper is formed of injection-molded plastic.
3. The footwear of claim 1 wherein the sock liner includes a mesh.
4. The footwear of claim 1 wherein the sock liner includes over-molded injection molded plastic.
5. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising replaceable pods attached to a bottom surface of the outsole.
6. The footwear of claim 5 wherein the replaceable pods include layers of different colors.
7. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising a shock absorber including:
- a base shank attached to an upper surface of the outsole; and
- a side shank integrally attached to the base shank and a side region of the upper.
8. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of shock absorbers each having a different stiffness characteristic.
9. The footwear of claim 5 further comprising an adjustable shock absorber including:
- a post attached positioned between the outsole and the upper;
- a resilient member attached to the post;
- a regulator configured to adjust the level of resilience of the resilient member.
10. The footwear of claim 9 wherein the regulator includes a rotatable knob.
11. The footwear of claim 9 wherein the resilient member is a coiled spring surrounding the post.
12. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising a shock absorber including:
- a back strip attached between the outsole and an upper region of the upper; and
- at least one stiffening band attached to a surface of the back strip; and
- a regulator configured to adjust the level of stiffness of the at least one stiffening band.
13. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of back strips, each including at least one stiffening band attached to a surface of a corresponding one of the back strips and a regulator, one of the plurality of back strips attached to a first side region of the upper and another one of the plurality of back strips attached to a second side region, opposite the first side region of the upper.
14. The footwear of claim 12 wherein the regulator includes a rotatable knob.
15. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising replaceable cleats configured to be attached to the lower portion of the upper.
16. The footwear of claim 1 further comprising replaceable cleats configured to be attached to a bottom surface of the outsole.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 7, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 20, 2011
Applicant: Linckia Development LLC (Williston, VT)
Inventors: Scott Hardy (Charlotte, VT), Bernard Daoust (Sutton)
Application Number: 12/741,425
International Classification: A43B 13/00 (20060101); A43B 13/18 (20060101); A43B 5/00 (20060101); A43B 17/00 (20060101); A43B 23/00 (20060101);