HEEL INSERT
The heel insert is an insert for an article of footwear, such as a shoe or a boot. The heel insert includes a main body member having an arcuate cross-sectional contour and defining a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface. The concave inner surface is adapted for contacting and supporting the wearer's heel, ankle and Achilles tendon, and the convex outer surface is adapted for contacting a rear, inner surface of the article of footwear. The main body member has opposed top and bottom ends, with an inwardly extending flange being formed on the bottom end. One or more recesses or notches are formed in the flange. The main body member is preferably formed from a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material with a thickness of about 0.5 mm.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/409,342, filed Oct. 17, 2016.
BACKGROUND 1. FieldThe disclosure of the present patent application relates to footwear, and particularly to a heel insert for an article of footwear to protect the wearer from rubbing between his or her foot and the rear interior of the article of footwear.
2. Description of the Related ArtNumerous conditions require people to use additional insoles, orthotics, heel lifts and the like with conventional footwear. Unfortunately, the usage of such inserts with conventional footwear often results in additional rubbing between the rear inner surface of the shoe or the like against the heel and ankle of the wearer. Such rubbing can result in painful blisters, calluses or sores, resulting in the wearer suffering from discomfort and difficulty while walking. The additional rubbing may also cause the material of the footwear to wear out at an accelerated rate. Thus, a heel insert solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARYThe heel insert is an insert for an article of footwear, such as a shoe or a boot. The heel insert includes a main body member having an arcuate cross-sectional contour and defining a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface. The concave inner surface is adapted for contacting and supporting the wearer's heel, ankle and Achilles tendon, and the convex outer surface is adapted for contacting a rear, inner surface of the article of footwear. The main body member has opposed top and bottom ends, with an inwardly extending flange being formed on the bottom end. One or more recesses or notches are formed in the flange. The main body member is preferably formed from a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material with a thickness of about 0.5 mm.
These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSAs shown in
As shown in
The insert 100 may be made from any suitable type of smooth and flexible material which will provide comfortable support for the wearer, such as, for example, a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material, such as HDPE 2, having a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The usage of a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material, such as HDPE 2, allows heel insert 100 to be effectively used in both wet and dry environments.
In use, the concave surface 105a of the heel insert 100 is configured to contact and support the heel of the wearer's foot. As such, the concave surface 105a is preferably smooth and relatively friction-free in order to prevent calluses and/or blisters. The convex surface 105b of the insert 100 may include a smooth or roughened surface. A roughened surface, for example, would prevent the insert 100 from slipping inside the heel of the shoe or boot. It should be understood that the heel insert 100 may be manufactured in a variety of different sizes.
The heel insert 100 may be used in conjunction with conventional orthotics or lifts used in shoes to support and/or protect the wearer's heel. The heel insert 100 may also be used alone in the shoe by hikers, for example, to further protect the heel. The flange 125a (or 125b in the embodiment of
In use, the heel insert 100 can be vertically positioned in the heel pocket of the shoe such that the flange 125a (or 125b in the embodiment of
It is to be understood that the heel insert is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
Claims
1. A heel insert, comprising a main body member having an arcuate cross-sectional contour and defining a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface, the main body member having opposed top and bottom ends, an inwardly extending flange being formed on the bottom end, and at least one notch being formed in the flange.
2. The heel insert as recited in claim 1, wherein the main body member comprises a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material.
3. The heel insert as recited in claim 2, wherein the main body member has a thickness of about 0.5 mm.
4. The heel insert as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one notch comprises a plurality of notches.
5. A heel insert, comprising a main body member having an arcuate cross-sectional contour and defining a concave inner surface and a convex outer surface, the main body member having opposed top and bottom ends, an inwardly extending flange being formed on the bottom end, a plurality of notches being formed in the flange, wherein the main body member comprises a high-density polyethylene hydrophobic material.
6. The heel insert as recited in claim 5, wherein the main body member has a thickness of about 0.5 mm.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 11, 2017
Publication Date: Apr 19, 2018
Inventor: LEIF M. JENSEN (WASILLA, AK)
Application Number: 15/730,656