INSOLE WITH NON-SLIP, GRIPPING NODULES
A shoe insole with an upper surface covered with numerous, small elastomer nodules with outstanding non-slip, gripping properties that grip and cushion the foot, to eliminate movement or slippage of the foot inside a shoe and thereby help wearers avoid foot or toe injury when playing sports.
The present invention relates to an athletic footwear insole with the upper surface covered with numerous, small gripping and cushioning nodules made of soft thermoplastic elastomer or rubber, designed to eliminate foot slippage inside the shoe as well as provide support and cushioning to the feet. The invention is intended as a replacement insole for sports or athletic shoes.
BACKGROUNDIn the athletic footwear industry, sports shoes are generally sold with flat, relatively thin insoles constructed of foam, fabric, and/or similar materials. Such insoles lack any notable anti-slip or gripping properties for the feet, and provide little support or cushioning. For many athletes who play sports involving sudden stops, starts, jumps, and changes in direction (e.g., basketball, football, tennis, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and more), these insoles can be inadequate for reducing or preventing the athletes' feet from moving or slipping inside their shoes. The side-to-side movement may be reasonably controlled if the athlete has purchased correct-width shoes and fastened (or laced up) the shoes securely. Many athletes, however, have a difficult time limiting or controlling the back-and-forth movement (or slippage) of the feet inside the shoe, which can lead to toe injury and trauma over time. As an example, individuals with a combination of narrow and flat feet often have this problem, as the lack of curvature and width in the feet often result in poor fitting shoes and, consequently, unintended movement or slippage of their feet inside shoes while playing sports.
The back-and-forth movement of feet inside shoes can cause toes to frequently hit or be pressured against the inside front of the shoe. Over time, this can result in bruising, trauma, injury, and significant pain to the toes and the toe area. Common problems and injuries are bruising and swelling (e.g., blackened, swollen toes), ligament damage (e.g., “turf toe”), possible broken bones, toe sprains, as well as acute pain and discomfort. In an effort to address this significant but often overlooked problem, athletes have tried numerous strategies. For example, some athletes spend significant time and money purchasing numerous athletic shoes in search of that “right” fitting shoe that will alleviate toe trauma and pain. Others will purchase shoes that are too small where the toes touch or are close to touching the inside front of the shoe, believing there will be less space and therefore less foot movement inside the shoe. This does not solve the problem, however, because the toes will suffer the same impact forces during athletic play, notwithstanding the reduced space. (Notably, most shoe-fitting experts will recommend leaving a thumb's width between the longest toe and the inside front of the shoe.) As another measure, some will attempt to fasten or lace up their shoes abnormally tight, in an effort to limit slippage or movement of their feet towards the front of the shoe. This can inhibit blood circulation to the feet, be painful and uncomfortable to the individual, and still may not fully address the foot slippage/movement problem.
Although there are shoe insoles sold in the marketplace today featuring non-slip features, these products take a different approach and utilize notably different materials and structure, compared to the invention at issue. For example, the prior art in these after-market insoles may use different materials for the non-slip effect (such as suede, plastic structure/apertures, or composite fibers), employ a physical mating system involving the sock and/or the shoe (such as fabric hooks), or feature non-slip material on only limited parts of the insole surface (such as the heel portion only).
BRIEF SUMMARYThe present invention uses a uniquely different physical structure and material to address foot slippage inside shoes during athletic play. Specifically, the insole utilizes numerous elastomer gripping nodules that protrude from the upper surface of the insole, which act as a bed of high-friction gripping “fingers” that firmly secure the feet on the insole within the shoe. The uniqueness of this invention as well as the strength of the grip derive from (i) the insole's physical structure where the individual, flexible nodules “grab” and cradle the foot, and (ii) the nodules' thermoplastic elastomer material possessing strong non-slip properties. In fact, if a wearer first places the insole into his/her shoe before inserting their foot (as one would typically do with insoles), it would be very difficult for the wearer to fully insert their foot as the nodules would grip the foot (with or without sock) upon contact, causing significant discomfort to insert further. Rather, the wearer can place their foot on the insole (while both are outside the shoe) and then, while holding the foot and insole together, slide them both into the shoe. The soft elastomer nodules will also provide support and cushioning to the foot in addition to the non-slip qualities. (The insole itself will stay fixed and stationary within the shoe based on the semi-rigid structure of the insole, assuming the insole is the correct size for the shoe.)
This invention is designed to eliminate any foot slippage or movement inside shoes, not just merely reduce or minimize foot slippage. Indicative of this singular goal is the somewhat impractical method of inserting the foot and insole into a shoe, as explained above. By eliminating foot slippage, the insole will significantly help athletes avoid toe trauma and injury, as well as the associated pain and discomfort, caused by foot slippage inside shoes while playing sports.
The present invention relates to an insole for a shoe that features numerous (e.g., thousands) of soft, non-slip elastomer nodules protruding from the upper surface that are in contact with a foot, designed to eliminate foot slippage against the insole and inside the shoe. The nodules completely cover the insole upper surface in the preferred embodiment, but for individualizing grip, cushion, and comfort, may only partially or substantially cover the surface. In another aspect, the non-slip nodules (as well as the base of the upper layer where the nodules sit) are made of thermoplastic rubber (or other suitable elastomer material) that are soft, bendable, and flexible. These properties provide a bed of gripping “fingers” that secure and cushion the foot against the insole.
In another aspect, the protruding nodules have cylindrical or conical-shaped shafts (and flat or rounded heads/tops) as the preferred shape, with all surface areas of the nodules having the strong non-slip properties. The shape of the nodules may vary from this description, to optimize and individualize grip, cushion, and comfort.
The present invention will be more readily understood with reference to the following drawings.
Turning to the drawings,
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While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application.
Claims
1. A shoe insole inserted in a shoe, comprising:
- an upper surface to be in contact with a foot substantially covered with numerous protruding nodules made of an elastomer material with non-slip, gripping properties that prevents movement or slippage of the foot against the insole when the foot is inside the shoe.
2. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the nodules are made of soft thermoplastic rubber that can bend and flex under weight of a wearer's foot, thereby cradling, gripping, and cushioning the foot.
3. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a cylindrical body and a flat top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
4. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a cylindrical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
5. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a conical body and a flat top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
6. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a conical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
7. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are of a semi-spherical body and a rounded top, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
8. A shoe insole of claim 1, wherein the shape of the nodules are a cylindrical with both ends connected to the surface thereby making a loop, with the non-slip, gripping properties existing on all surface areas of the nodules.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 28, 2017
Publication Date: Mar 28, 2019
Applicant: Severus Products, LLC (Agoura Hills, CA)
Inventor: Tae Lee (Agoura Hills, CA)
Application Number: 15/719,536