Shoe Construction and Method of Manufacture

Abstract

A shoe construction and method of manufacture a shoe that provides an improved arch support that is customized and self-adjusted to provide maximum comfort and support, even when the shape of the arch changes during movement. The shoe construction includes an outsole layer, a midsole layer, a cushion layer and a lining layer. The arch support of the shoe is formed with a midsole layer made of a relatively soft material that increasing its width from the outsole layer such that the arch support flexes when pressure from a foot is placed on it.

Description

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/920192, filed on Dec. 23, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoe construction and a method of manufacture of a shoe that improves the comfort of the wearer while maintaining support. In particular, the shoe of the present invention provides improved flexible arch support and cushioning of the insole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoes are worn to not only protect the feet, but for decorative purposes. Comfort is and has always been an important feature for shoes. Support for the feet is also an important feature. Shoes that are very comfortable may not provide enough support to the feet. Similarly, shoes that are very supportive of the feet may not provide enough comfort. It is a fine balance between comfort and support.

Typical prior art arch support for a foot is stiff (or static) and uncomfortable. Since each person has a different foot and arch shape, a stiff and static arch support cannot be one-size-fit-all. Even for customized shoe construction, a properly shaped, but stiff, arch support cannot be fully supportive as the shape of the arch changes with normal walking movement. In prior art shoes, additional, albeit minimal, comfort to the arch support is provided by having a soft layer above the stiff arch support. Therefore, there is a need for a shoe construction that provide a proper balance of both comfort and support, in particular at the arch support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a shoe construction that achieves an appropriate balance between comfort and support.

The shoe construction of the present invention provides an improved arch support that is customized and self-adjusted to provide maximum comfort and support, even when the shape of the arch changes during movement.

The shoe construction of the present invention includes an outsole layer, a midsole layer, a cushion layer and a lining layer. The arch support of the shoe is formed with the midsole layer increasing its width from the outsole layer. With the midsole layer made of a relatively soft material, the arch support flexes when pressure from a foot is placed on it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view taken at the arch support looking at the rear half of a shoe of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view taken across the arch support portion 20 of a left shoe 10. The shoe 10 has the following layers from the bottom up: outsole 12, midsole 14, cushion 16, and lining 18.

The outsole layer 12 may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPR).

The midsole layer 14 may be made of a relatively soft polyurethane (PU), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or rubber. Preferably, the midsole layer 14 has a hardness of around 65-70 durometers, which is generally softer than the mid-sole layer of prior art shoes.

The cushion layer 16 may be made of memory foam or a cork filler. The cushion layer 16 preferably provides cushioning that is light weight and adheres well to the midsole layer 14 and lining layer 18. A benefit of using a cork filler cushion layer 16 is that due to the cellular structure of cork, it conforms to the contour of the user's foot when weight is put upon it.

The lining layer 18 may be made of a soft leather, such as naked sheepskin or naked deerskin, which provides added softness against a user's sole. Further, soft leather works well with a memory foam cushioning layer 16.

The width of the midsole layer 14 increases from the outsole layer 12 such that the arch support portion 20 of the shoe 10 is curved away from the side edges of the outsole layer 12. Due to the softness of the midsole layer 14, the arch support portion 20 may flex in any direction, such as in directions of arrows A, when a user puts or relieves pressure on the insole, increasing the comfort level to the user without sacrificing the proper arch support to the user. The flexibility of arch support portion 20 advantageously permits the arch support portion 20 to flex and return to its original shape while providing natural maximum support and comfort to the user. When a user walks with the shoe 10, the heel of his/her foot would first strike the shoe 10, then with the forward rolling action, the ball of his/her foot would strike the shoe 10. During the entire forward rolling action, the arch support portion 20 moves up and down to fully support the arch of the user.

The shoe 10 of the present invention may be manufactured with a shoe last having a noticeably convex lower surface (prior art shoe last typically has a substantially flat lower surface). As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, the midsole layer 14 and the cushion layer 16 have a concave construction with raised side edges. Due to the combination of the flexing of the arch support portion 20, the concave midsole layer 14 and cushion layer 16, the cushioning of the shoe 10 feels much thicker without the need to increase the thickness of the cushion layer 16. Simply increasing the thickness of the cushion layer 16 would not provide the proper support and fit of the shoe because while a thick cushion layer 16 may be more comfortable, it would detrimentally affect the fit and support of the shoe.

The shoe construction and the method of manufacture of the shoe of the present invention can be used for all types of shoes, including flats, heels, pumps, wedges, etc.

The features of the invention illustrated and described herein is the preferred embodiment. Therefore, it is understood that the specification is intended to cover unforeseeable embodiments with insubstantial differences that are within the spirit of the specification.

Claims

1. A shoe having an arch support, comprising:

a. an outsole layer having a predetermined width;

b. a midsole layer above said outsole layer;

c. a lining layer above said midsole layer having a predetermined width wider than said outsole layer;

wherein said midsole layer increasing its width from said outsole layer to said lining layer to form the arch support; and

wherein said midsole layer is made of a material having a hardness of between around 65-70 durometers, such that the arch support flexes when pressure is placed on it and the arch support returns to its original position when pressure is removed from it.

2. The shoe of claim 1 further comprising a cushion layer between said midsole layer and said lining layer.

3. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said outsole layer is made of a thermoplastic polyurethane.

4. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said outsole layer is made of a thermoplastic elastomer.

5. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said midsole layer is made of polyurethane.

6. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said midsole layer is made of ethylene vinyl acetate.

7. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said midsole layer is made of rubber.

8. The shoe of claim 2 wherein said cushion layer is made of memory foam.

9. The shoe of claim 2 wherein said cushion layer is made of cork filler.

10. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said lining layer is made of soft leather.

11. The method of manufacturing a shoe having an arch support, comprising the steps of:

a. providing an outsole having a predetermined width;

b. providing a shoe last having a convex lower surface;

c. providing a midsole layer having a hardness of between around 65-70 durometers, above said outsole layer;

d. providing a lining layer above said midsole layer having a predetermined width wider than the outsole layer; and

e. forming the midsole layer with a concave surface with said shoe last and with increasing width from the outsole layer to the lining layer to form the arch support.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing a cushion layer between said midsole layer and said lining layer.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said outsole layer is made of thermoplastic polyurethane.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said outsole layer is made of thermoplastic elastomer.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said midsole layer is made of polyurethane.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said midsole layer is made of ethylene vinyl acetate.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said midsole layer is made of rubber.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said cushion layer is made of memory foam.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said cushion layer is made of cork filler.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said lining layer is made of soft leather.