Variable Length and Flexible Forefoot Shoe
The invention is a shoe that has a variable length and flexible shape realized because of a flexible sectional sole and a flexible upper corresponding to the forefoot section of the user's foot. These flexible portions of the shoe permit bending of the forefoot relative to the rest of the shoe to change the length and shape of the forefoot and the length of the upper vamp of the shoe in order to allow a player to achieve maximum results in sports where feet and shoes are the player's tools, where the shoe aids in using the maximum number of sweet spots of the shoe for control, distance, and accuracy. The invention is an improvement over the prior art by allowing a user to better approximate the natural flexibility of bare feet as opposed to rigid shoes that limit a player's ability to use the natural flexibility of their feet.
This application claims priority to copending U.S. Provisional patent application No. 61,969,263 entitled “Precision Soccer Shoe with Customized Flexibility” filed on Sep. 3, 2012, which provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; this application claims the benefit of the provisional's filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIXNot applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention pertains to a shoe that has a variable total length, variable upper vamp length and variable forefoot shape realized because of a flexible sectional sole and a flexible upper corresponding to the forefoot section of the foot. These flexible portions of the shoe permit bending of the forefoot relative to the rest of the shoe to change the length and shape of the forefoot in order to allow a sports player to achieve maximum results in sports where shoes are the player's tools, aiding the user in finding and using the sweet spots of the shoe to improve precision, trapping, holding and velocity. The invention allows a user's foot and shoe to better approximate the natural flexibility of bare feet as opposed to rigid shoes that limit a player's ability to use the natural flexibility of their feet.
Traditional prior art shoes (
One embodiment of this invention and the best mode contemplated by the inventor at the time of application is a soccer shoe where the user can achieve competitive advantage unavailable in the prior art by changing the total length, upper vamp length, and shape of the forefoot part of the shoe using movement from the forefoot section of their foot. One configuration of the user's flexibility is by putting the forefoot of the shoe in a down position resulting in a shorter total shoe length but longer upper vamp length critical for precision shots at goal (
The soccer shoe embodiment where the forefoot length (distal forefoot plus proximal forefoot sections) ranges between 30% and 47% of the total length of the shoe was found to be optimal for the maximum use of the shoe for precision kicks, trapping and holds, and to most closely use the flexibility of a foot for advantage and to approximate the advantages of bare foot. Other embodiments of this invention for other sports such as football and rugby may use different combinations of ratios between the forefoot and midfoot/hindfoot sections for achieving optimal results.
A sweet spot is a place where a combination of factors results in a maximum response for a given amount of effort. In soccer, a given kick will result in a more precise and/or powerful hit if the ball strikes the foot on the player's sweet spot, often the upper vamp, for a particular kick.
The invention is a Variable Length and Flexible Forefoot Shoe 10 with an outsole 20, upper 30 and insole 50 that are divided into flexible elastic regions and inelastic regions. The flexible forefoot region of the outsole (
The flexible shape and corresponding variable lengths (total length and upper vamp length) of the shoe depend on the position of a user's forefoot inside the shoe. The ideal kicking (
The standard non-ball control forefoot position of the user is with the forefoot flexing as needed for maximum running stride generally to have the maximum surface of the shoe in contact with the ground as needed for maximum friction.
When the user wants to maximize control of the ball, the elastic regions of the shoe flex with the user's forefoot to bend up (
For example when the user's forefoot is bent down (
Another example when the user's forefoot is bent up (
Another example is when the user's forefoot is bent down and the foot twisted inward (
The invention also includes an insole 62 made of inelastic and elastic materials such as silicone rubber or neoprene for the interfaces in the forefoot region to create an elastic forefoot region that can both compress and stretch and provides the necessary comfort. The insole 62 (
Claims
1. A shoe comprising:
- a variable total length of the shoe where changes in the total length correspond to a position of a user's forefoot;
- a variable upper vamp length where changes in the upper vamp length correspond to the position of the user's forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole distal forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole inside proximal forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole outside proximal forefoot;
- a inelastic midfoot/hindfoot;
- an elastic outsole interface between the inelastic outsole distal forefoot and the inelastic outsole inside and outside proximal forefoot;
- an elastic outsole interface between the inelastic outsole inside and outside proximal forefoot and the inelastic midfoot/hindfoot;
- an elastic upper distal forefoot;
- an elastic upper proximal forefoot;
- an upper midfoot/hindfoot.
2. The shoe from claim 1 with the total length at a maximum and the upper vamp length at a minimum when the user's forefoot is bent up.
3. The shoe from claim 1 with the total length at a minimum and the upper vamp length at a maximum when the user's forefoot is bent down.
4. The shoe from claim 1 wherein the upper distal forefoot is inelastic.
5. A shoe comprising:
- a changing shape for ball grasping depending on a position of a user's forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole distal forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole inside proximal forefoot;
- an inelastic outsole outside proximal forefoot;
- a inelastic midfoot/hindfoot;
- an elastic outsole interface between the inelastic outsole distal forefoot and the inelastic outsole inside and outside proximal forefoot;
- an elastic outsole interface between the inelastic outsole inside and outside proximal forefoot and the inelastic midfoot/hindfoot;
- an elastic upper distal forefoot;
- an elastic upper proximal forefoot;
- an upper midfoot/hindfoot.
6. The shoe from claim 5 with the changing shape for ball grasping shape upward when the forefoot is bent up.
7. The shoe from claim 5 with the changing shape for ball grasping shape downward when the forefoot is bent down.
8. The shoe from claim 5 with the changing shape for ball kicking shape downward and inward when the forefoot is bent down and the forefoot is twisted inward.
9. An insole comprising:
- a compressing and stretching of an insole elastic region corresponding to a force from a user's foot;
- a transmitting of the user's forefoot force and shape changes to the elastic region of the shoe;
- an inelastic insole distal forefoot;
- an inelastic insole proximal forefoot;
- an inelastic insole midfoot/hindfoot;
- an elastic distal forefoot to proximal forefoot interface;
- an elastic proximal forefoot to midfoot/hindfoot interface.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 23, 2013
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2014
Inventor: Tonny Lukongwa (Everett, WA)
Application Number: 13/849,503
International Classification: A43B 3/26 (20060101);