Shoe Heel Counter

Abstract

A counter for a shoe having an upper, a lining configured to be connected with the upper along a top edge of the shoe, a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot, and an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe. The counter includes a member having an upper edge having a cut-out region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings. The counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/277,247, filed Jan. 11, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to an improvement for women's shoes and, particularly, shoes of the high-heeled type that do not have a heel strap.

Discussion of Related Art

A loose-fitting shoe, such as a high-heeled shoe of the strapless type, will cause discomfort to a wearer. This is partially due to unwanted movement of the heel of the wearer's foot within the shoe. This movement causes rubbing of the heel portion of the foot against the inside upper portion of the shoe, which leads to chafing and/or blistering. In addition, known shoes include a counter member, which is also located between the upper and the lining and which extends at the back of the shoe across both sides of a wearer's heel to provide additional support for the wearer's heel.

Such a known shoe is depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a high-heeled shoe 100 having a counter 102. FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional counter 102 separate from the shoe, i.e., but having already been molded into shape, e.g., by a shoe last. The counter 102 is typically made of fiberboard or thermoplastic and includes sides or “wings” 103a and 103b, which, when the shoe 100 has been assembled, are positioned on opposite sides of a wearer's heel.

For assembly of the shoe, a “last” (not shown), a form, for example made of wood, that the shoe is formed on, is utilized, on which the upper 104, with attached lining 106, is fitted. The upper 104 and lining 106 are sewn together along a top edge 108. A counter 102 can also be inserted through the open side between the upper 104 and lining 106.

Thereafter, the insole (or foot bed) 110 is attached to the last, typically using temporary nails. Then, an overhanging portion (sometimes referred to as a lasting allowance) of the upper 104 is pulled over the last and cemented to the insole 110. The temporary nails are then removed from the insole. Next, the bottom outside surface 112 of the shoe is attached, followed by the shoe heel 114. Finally, the last is removed from the shoe through the top opening of the shoe.

A drawback of the shoe described above and depicted in FIG. 1, using the conventional counter 102 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is that there is no comfort provided to the region of the wearer's heel. As a result, rubbing or chafing will occur which, oftentimes, results in the wearer attaching one or more padded bandages to the sore area of the foot.

One prior art method of providing comfort to the heel of the wearer is to apply gel or other cushioning heel grips. Such heel grips are, for example, strips of gel with an adhesive on one side so that a wearer can attach the heel grip to the inside of the shoe in the heel area. However, such grips require the wearer to apply them and they are subject to slipping off. Additionally, the presence of the upper portion of the conventional counter tends to position the cushion too far forward, creating an uncomfortable pressure on the user's heel. Moreover, the grip has a tendency to not remain stationary, thus creating an unsightly appearance.

Another prior art method of providing cushioning to the heel is to provide a heel pillow located between the upper and the lining. The heel pillow can be attached by sewing or by adhesive. The heel pillow can be made of any resilient and cushioning material, such as, by way of non-limiting example, foam rubber, sponge rubber, and gel-like materials. Thereafter, the counter is included by inserting the counter between the upper and the lining.

However, when the counter of the prior art is included in the shoe containing the heel pillow, a portion of the counter extends over the heel pillow, with a result that a portion of the counter is positioned forward due to the added thickness provided by the heel pillow. This results in an extra thickness of the shoe upper in that region which, in turn, causes increased pressure on the wearer's heel and resulting discomfort on the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a counter with cut-out region that creates a valley to accommodate extension of the heel pillow therethrough and a shoe using such a modified counter.

The object is met by a shoe having an upper, a lining configured to be attached together with the upper along a top edge of the shoe, a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot, an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe, and a counter. The counter includes a member having an upper edge with a cutout region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings. The counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow in the valley.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a counter for a shoe is provided. The shoe has an upper, a lining configured to be attached with the upper along a top edge of the shoe, a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot, and an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe. The counter includes a member having an upper edge having a cutout region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings. The counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a counter for a shoe having an upper, a lining configured to be connected to the upper along a top edge of the shoe, a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot, and an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe, includes: a member having: an upper edge having a cut-out region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings. The counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

In another aspect, the counter, after molding for fitting into the shoe has, on each of the first and second side wings, an inner concavity.

In another aspect, the member includes leather.

In another aspect, the member includes a synthetic material.

In another aspect, the member includes fiberboard.

In another aspect, the member includes a thermoplastic material.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a shoe includes: an upper; a lining configured to be connected to the upper along a top edge of the shoe; a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot; an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe; and a counter including: a member having: an upper edge having a cut-out region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings. The counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

In another aspect, the counter, after molding for fitting into the shoe, has, on each of the first and second side wings, an inner concavity.

In another aspect, the member includes leather.

In another aspect, the member includes a synthetic material.

In another aspect, the member includes fiberboard.

In another aspect, the member includes a thermoplastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment example of the invention is shown the drawings and described more fully in the following. The above and/or other aspects and advantages will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a conventional shoe;

FIG. 2 is a view of a conventional counter for a shoe;

FIG. 3 is a view of a shoe having a counter in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a back view of the counter in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the counter in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a full flattened view of the counter in accordance with the present invention before it is molded over the shoe last; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the counter in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference numerals of components that are unchanged from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be maintained in the drawings showing the improved shoe with the modified counter.

An improved shoe 1000, as shown in FIGS. 3-7, alleviates the potential discomfort that comes from the use of a conventional shoe counter that extends in a region about a shoe upper proximate a wearer's heel. The improved shoe 1000 incorporates a heel pillow 1104 in a location opposite the region of the wearer's heel that would otherwise undergo chafing, but does so using a modified counter 1102 with a cutout region 1106 that prevents the heel pillow 1104 from causing an uncomfortable projection into the shoe at the heel.

Thus, as shown in FIGS. 3-7, and in accordance with the present invention, a modified counter 1102 is proposed as shown in FIGS. 3-7. The modified counter 1102 is positioned between the lining 106 and upper 104 and is formed, as can be seen in FIG. 4, with a scoop or cut-out region 1106 that creates a valley 1108 to accommodate extension of the heel pillow 1104 therethrough.

FIG. 4 shows a back view of the valley 1108 of the modified counter 1102. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the valley 1108 is formed by the cutting out from the modified counter 1102 of the cutout region 1106.

Because the upper region of the modified counter 1102 is removed, to form the valley 1108, when the modified counter 1102 is used in conjunction with a heel pillow 1104 in an improved shoe 1000, the upper heel portion of the shoe, on the inner side, does not extend so far inward as to cause discomfort to the wearer.

In the improved shoe 1000 utilizing the modified counter 1102 with a heel pillow 1104, the presence of the cutout region 1106 of the modified counter 1102 reduces the thickness at the upper portion of the inner heel, so as to prevent the formation of the pain-inducing projection that uncomfortably presses against the wearer's heel. Absent this feature, the heel pillow and counter would form an inwardly directed projection, which would dig into the heel of the wearer. The outer (convex) edges of each of the side wing cups 1030a and 1030b can be seen at the left and right edges of FIG. 4.

The rounded side wing cups 1030a and 1030b, after the molding of the modified counter 1102 by the shoe last, can be best seen with their respective inner concavity in the perspective view of FIG. 5. Each of the side wings 1030a, 1030b of the counter 1102 has a concavity on the inner side that conforms to, and is complementary with, the heel of the wearer. Thus, each wing 1030a, 1030b, is referred to as a “wing cup.”

FIG. 6 shows a flattened-out view of the modified counter 1102 before being molded over the last. In the rear view of FIG. 6 at the lower right and left edges of the figure, the side wing cups 1030a and 1030b can be seen in a flattened condition, i.e., before the material for the counter 1102 has been molded by the last. In the flattened, pre-molded, condition the wings are not yet in the form of “cups” because the inner concavity has not yet been provided by molding over the shoe last.

An edge of the counter opposite the valley (see FIG. 6) includes an anchor portion 1112, which is sandwiched between the last and insole during assembly of the upper. In an exemplary embodiment, the anchor portion is about one half inch wide. However, this may vary depending on the size of the shoe.

When in position, the modified counter 1102 seats between the upper 104 and the lining 106 so that the valley region 1108 in the counter 1102 surrounds the heel pillow 1104. In this manner, the overall thickness of the shoe in the area about the heel pillow 1104—which overall thickness consists of the upper 104, the heel pillow 1104 and lining 106—is reduced by the thickness of the counter 1102 because the counter material is removed from the region of the valley 1108. This results in improved comfort of the shoe having a heel pillow with a counter designed to accommodate the heel pillow.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the modified counter 1102 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows the cut out portion 1106, the valley 1108, and one wing cup 1030b of the modified counter.

Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended.

Claims

1. A counter for a shoe having an upper, a lining configured to be connected to the upper along a top edge of the shoe, a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot, and an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe, the counter comprising:

a member having: an upper edge having a cut-out region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings,

wherein the counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

2. The counter of claim 1, wherein the counter, after molding for fitting into the shoe has, on each of the first and second side wings, an inner concavity.

3. The counter of claim 1, wherein the member comprises leather.

4. The counter of claim 1, wherein the member comprises a synthetic material.

5. The counter of claim 1, wherein member comprises fiberboard.

6. The counter of claim 1, wherein the member comprises a thermoplastic material.

7. A shoe comprising:

an upper;

a lining configured to be connected to the upper along a top edge of the shoe;

a cushioning heel pillow arranged in a position opposite the heel of a wearer's foot;

an insole forming a foot bed of the shoe; and

a counter comprising: a member having: an upper edge having a cut-out region forming a valley, a lower edge forming an anchor region, and first and second side wings,

wherein the counter is configured to be positioned between the lining and the upper at a heel portion of the shoe such that, in an assembled shoe, the first and second side wings wrap around the heel of the shoe and the valley accommodates an extension of the heel pillow therethrough.

8. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the counter, after molding for fitting into the shoe, has, on each of the first and second side wings, an inner concavity.

9. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the member comprises leather.

10. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the member comprises a synthetic material.

11. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the member comprises fiberboard.

12. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the member comprises a thermoplastic material.