DANCE OR SPORTS SHOE COMPRISING A FORCE TRANSMISSION ELEMENT

Abstract

A dance or sports shoe is described. This has a sole (12) with an inner side and an outer side and an upper shoe (20), which has a foot section (22). In order to achieve a tight fit of the dance or sports shoe on the foot, at least one force transmission element (30, 40, 50) is provided, which has a sole proximate region and a sole distal region. In the state of use, the sole proximate region is form-fitting and/or force-fitting fixed to the sole (12) and the sole distal region extends over the surface of the foot wearing the dance or sports shoe facing away from the sole of the foot.

Description

The invention relates to a dance or sports shoe, in particular a ballet pointe shoe, according to the preamble of claim 1 as well as to a strip-shaped force transmission element for use as part of such a dance or sports shoe according to claim 28, a sole-cap unit for use as part of a dance or sports shoe according to claim 29 as well as an upper shoe for use as part of a dance or sports shoe according to claim 30.

As ballet pointe shoes are, according to the present state of knowledge, the most important field of application of the present invention, reference is mainly made to this in the following, but other possible applications are also conceivable, in particular in the field of sport and dance. Examples include contemporary dance (in which the dance shoes are not intended for pointe dancing), general sport and climbing. This means that the shoe according to the invention can in particular also be a sports dance, performance or climbing shoe.

A traditional ballet pointe shoe has a sole, a cap connected to the sole to hold the forefoot, in particular the toes, and an upper shoe made of a textile fabric. In traditional ballet pointe shoes, which are essentially made by hand, additional straps are usually provided to secure the shoe to the dancer's foot. The upper shoe is sewn to the cap and the sole. A well-known problem is that during pointe dancing, the entire weight of the dancer is carried by the tips of the toes, which can lead to deformation of the feet in the long term.

A ballet pointe shoe is known from the generic WO 2019/229043 A1, which can be manufactured much more rationally than a traditional ballet pointe shoe and which furthermore reduces the stresses acting on the foot and leg. This ballet pointe shoe comprises a sole extending from a first end to a second end, which can in particular be part of a sole-cap unit, and a separate upper shoe (i.e. not permanently connected to the sole). The outer side of the sole has a plurality of incisions (which can also be referred to as grooves) extending essentially transversely to the longitudinal extension of the sole. The foot section of the upper shoe is pulled over the sole-cap unit, but has a recess on its underside so that at least some of the grooves in the outer side of the sole are accessible. Elongated connecting sections extend through at least some of these grooves, by means of which the upper shoe is detachably attached to the sole.

Based on this, the present invention sets itself the task of improving a dance or sports shoe in such a way that the load, in particular the point load on the foot when using this dance or sports shoe, is further reduced.

This problem is solved by a dance or sports shoe with the features of claim 1.

During testing of the generic ballet pointe shoe described above, it was found that stress on the toes can be further reduced by providing at least one force transmission element which has a sole proximate region and a sole distal region, whereby the sole distal region extends over the inner side of the sole—and thus over the top of the foot—at least in the state of use and thus also enables direct force transmission between the corresponding part of the foot and the sole during pointe dancing, so that the toes are relieved. Preferably two, more preferably three such force transmission elements are provided, which are arranged at different longitudinal positions of the sole and thus form a force-receiving cone for the foot. The force transmission elements are preferably located in the area of local circumferential maxima of the foot.

The dance or sports shoe according to the invention thus comprises a sole with an inner side and an outer side, which extends in a longitudinal direction from a rear end to a front end, an upper shoe, which has a foot section, and at least one force transmission element, which has a sole proximate region and a sole distal region. In the state of use, the sole proximate region is attached to the sole in a form fitting and/or a force fitting manner and the sole distal region extends over the inner side of the sole and thus over the surface of the foot wearing the dance shoe facing away from the sole of the foot. The sole distal region can be located inside or outside the foot section.

In order to achieve optimum force transmission between the foot and the sole (optimum means not too strong and not too weak), it is preferable that the sole distal region of the force transmission element has two sections that can be locked together in such a way that the length of the sole distal region can be adjusted. This can be easily achieved by using a hook-and-loop fastener, a ball fastener or a hook fastener to lock the two sections together.

As already mentioned, it is particularly preferable to provide three force transmission elements spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the sole, and the following geometry turned out to be particularly preferable: The first force transmission element is located at the position of the ball of the foot, the second force transmission element is located at the position of the middle of the instep of the foot and the third force transmission element is located at the position of the rear end of the instep of the foot (at the transition to the leg), i.e. essentially where the foot has the largest circumference.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the at least one force transmission element extends around the outer side of the sole, at least in the state of use, so that at least a part of the sole proximate region is in contact with the outer side of the sole. This means that the force transmission area forms a closed ring, at least in the state of use, which has proven to be particularly advantageous for force transmission. A further advantage is that the force transmission element can be (and preferably is) designed as a separate element from the sole and the upper shoe. This facilitates both the production and the use of the dance or sports shoe and improves its environmental balance, as the force transmission elements can continue to be used if, for example, the sole is worn out. Such a force transmission element designed as a separate element can have a one-pieced, flexible and preferably not elastically stretchable, strip-shaped base element to which fastening elements, for example Velcro elements, hooks or ball lock elements, are attached or are formed in one piece with it. A synthetic fabric is particularly suitable as a material for the base element. A completely one-piece production is possible, particularly in the case of a ball fastener in which one sole distal section has a plurality of holes and the other sole distal section has a plurality of (usually spherical) protrusions that can be locked into the holes. In this case, the force transmission elements are preferably made of plastic.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sole proximate region of the at least one force transmission element is designed in such a way that it can interact with a sole as described in WO 2019/229043 A1. In this case, the sole proximate region is designed in the form of at least one, preferably two, elongated connecting sections, which can be inserted into a groove in the outer side of the sole. This results in precise positioning and improved force transmission.

Further preferably, as in WO 2019/229043 A1, the foot section is a separate element which has at least one recess on its underside, through which the elongated connecting sections of the force transmission element extend when worn. As a result, the force transmission elements also hold the foot section of the upper shoe firmly to the sole and foot.

Particularly good results can be achieved if all the elongated connecting sections are each accommodated in an incision on the outer side of the sole.

As already mentioned several times, according to the present state of knowledge, the most important application of the invention is a ballet pointe shoe. This ballet point shoe further comprises a cap connected to the sole, so that the dance or sports shoe is a ballet pointe shoe, wherein the cap and sole preferably form a sole-cap unit, in particular an integral sole-cap unit, for reasons of stability. A preferred material for this sole-cap unit is TPU. This is an easily deformable and therefore not brittle plastic, which is suitable for 3D printing and injection molding, among other things.

In the case of a ballet pointe shoe as just described, it is preferable that the cap extends so far towards the rear end of the sole that the area of the foot where the ball of the foot is located is accommodated in the cap and that the sole distal region of one of the force transmission elements extends over the end of the cap close to the ball (i.e. the rear). This supports the relief of the toes particularly well. In order to achieve good force transmission to the foot, it can be preferable for the cap to have a tongue section which is separated from the rest of the cap by two recesses extending from the edge of the cap, but which is connected to the rest of the cap at its front end. This tongue section can be deflected relative to the rest of the cap. A force transmission element preferably extends over this deflectable tongue section so that the cap does not hinder the transmission of force between the force transmission element and the foot.

As described in the generic WO 2019/229043 A1, the upper shoe can of course also have a stocking-like design and, in addition to the foot section, have a leg section extending from the foot section.

In one embodiment, the upper shoe has a sole section so that the outer side of the sole is essentially completely covered. In this case, several, preferably slit-shaped recesses extend through the sole section so that the grooves in the outer side of the sole are accessible for the connecting sections of the force transmission elements.

Further preferred embodiments are defined in the sub-claims.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment of a ballet pointe shoe (hereinafter also simply referred to as a ballet shoe). The figures show:

FIG. 1 the sole of a sole-cap unit seen from below,

FIG. 2 an upper shoe consisting exclusively of a foot section,

FIG. 3 three force transmission elements in a plan view as shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 the sole-cap unit from FIG. 1 and the force transmission elements from FIG. 3, wherein the force transmission elements are arranged on the sole,

FIG. 5 the items shown in FIG. 4 viewed from the opposite side so that the inner side of the sole and the cap of the sole-cap unit can be seen,

FIG. 6 a perspective view of the complete ballet shoe, with the ballet shoe being in a pointe dance position.

FIG. 7 the items shown n FIG. 6, with the foot in the ballet shoe being shown,

FIG. 8 a side view of the ballet shoe in a state, in which the foot stands flat,

FIG. 9 what is shown in FIG. 8, but with the upper shoe not being shown,

FIG. 10 a second embodiment of the upper shoe in a perspective view,

FIG. 11 an exploded view of the upper shoe from FIG. 10, showing several elements that are joined together during production,

FIG. 12 the upper shoe of FIG. 10 from a different angle,

FIG. 13 the upper shoe of FIGS. 10 and 12 from another angle,

FIG. 14 a second example of a sole-cap unit and

FIG. 15 the sole-cap unit of FIG. 14 from a different angle.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show all the components of a preferred embodiment of the dance or sports shoe according to the invention, which is a ballet pointe shoe (hereinafter also referred to as ballet shoe). All components of this embodiment can be separated from each other in the unused state and only interact when the ballet pointe shoe is worn.

FIG. 1 shows a sole-cap unit 10, as is essentially known from the generic WO 2019/229043 A1, in a view from below. This sole-cap unit 10 has a sole extending from a rear end 12a to a front end 12b. A plurality of incisions in the form of grooves 17a to 17f extending substantially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sole are arranged in the outer side of the sole. A difference to the structure as known from the generic WO 2019/229043 A1 is that the grooves 17a to 17f are arranged in pairs of grooves 17 I, 17 II and 17 III. The cap of the sole-cap unit 10 cannot be seen in FIG. 1 due to the selected view, but can be seen, for example, in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9.

FIG. 2 shows an upper shoe 20 of the ballet pointe shoe, which in the embodiment shown consists exclusively of a foot section 22, but it should be noted that such an upper shoe 20 could also comprise a leg section, as shown and described in the generic WO 2019/229043 A1. On the underside, the upper shoe has a recess, so that when the upper shoe 20 is pulled over the sole-cap unit 10, the grooves 17a to 17f are at least partially and sectionally, preferably completely, exposed. It would also be possible to provide several separate recesses instead of one.

The three force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 are all constructed in the same way, but can differ from one another in their specific dimensions, which is the case here (and is generally preferred). The force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 are strip-shaped, i.e. they have a length (which, when in use, extends essentially transversely to the length of the sole) and a width which is generally less than the length. The first (foremost) force transmission element 30 is generally the longest and preferably also the widest. In the embodiment example shown, the second force transmission element 30 is slightly longer than the third and the width of the second and third force transmission elements is the same. Since all force transmission elements 30 are constructed in the same way, the first force transmission element 30 is described as an example: This first force transmission element 30 has a sole distal section 31, 32 at each of its two longitudinal ends, wherein the first sole distal section 31 has a fastening element and the second sole distal section has a matching counter-fastening element. In the specific embodiment example shown, the fastening element of the first sole distal section 31 is a Velcro element 38 and the counter fastening element located on the other surface is a corresponding counter Velcro element, so that the force transmission element consists of a base element, which for example consists of a plastic fabric, the Velcro element and the counter Velcro element. As already mentioned, a one-piece design of the force transmission element is also possible.

Two elongated connecting sections 33, 34 extend between the two sole distal sections 31, 32 with an aperture 35 being located between those two connecting sections 33, 34. The distance between the two connecting sections 33, 34 essentially corresponds to the distance between the grooves 17a, 17b belonging to the first pair of grooves 17 I and the length of the connecting sections 33, 34 (i.e. the length of the aperture 35) essentially corresponds to the length of these two grooves, but preferably exceeds them slightly. Velcro element 38 and counter Velcro element can (naturally) be attached to each other so that the two sole distal sections 31, 32 form a sole distal region when attached to each other and the force transmission element 30 forms a closed loop. Since both the Velcro element and the counter Velcro element have a length, the circumference of this loop can be adjusted within a range. The two connecting sections 33, 34 together form the sole proximate region of the force transmission element. Instead of a Velcro element and a counter Velcro element, a so-called ball fastener can also be provided.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the three force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 can be attached to the outer side 16 of the sole 12 by inserting their connecting sections 33, 34; 43, 44; 53, 54 into the grooves 17a to 17f, so that the first force transmission element 30 is held by the first pair of grooves 17 I, the second force transmission element 40 is held by the second pair of grooves 17 II and the third force transmission element is held by the third pair of grooves 17 III.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 5, the first pair of grooves 17 I (and thus naturally also the arranged first force transmission element 30) is located essentially in the region of the rear edge of the cap 18 in such a way that, when the two sole distal sections 31, 32 are closed to form the sole distal region, this sole distal region encloses the cap, as is shown again later in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The ballet pointe shoe according to the invention can be put on the dancer's foot as follows: First, the sole-cap unit is positioned on the foot in such a way that the forefoot, in particular the toes, are positioned in the cap 18. Then the upper shoe, which consists in this embodiment exclusively of the foot section 22, is-starting from the cap-pulled over the foot and the sole-cap unit like a sock, so that it encloses the sole-cap unit except in the area of the recess 24. Now the three force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 are arranged, whereby the two sole distal sections 31, 32 are first inserted into the grooves of a pair of grooves, whereupon the two sole distal sections are joined together over the foot section of the upper shoe and thus closed. The dancer can individually adjust the length of each sole distal region consisting of the two sole distal sections and thus the “tightness”. Alternatively, the upper shoe can be pulled over the sole-cap unit first, which has the advantage that the connecting sections can be snapped into the grooves before the dancer puts on the shoe.

FIG. 6 shows the complete ballet pointe shoe in a state and position as it occurs during pointe dancing. The main effect that occurs due to the force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 can be seen here, namely the connection of the foot (not shown) by means of a “vertical cone”, which connects the foot via the force transmission elements under pressure directly to the inner side 14 of the sole 12, so that even in this position a certain force fit occurs between the sole of the foot and the inner side 14 of the sole 12, which in turn leads to a reduction of the force acting on the toes. This is substantially not the case at all with traditional ballet pointe shoes; here, the majority of the dancer's body weight during pointe dancing rests on the tips of the toes. If the dancer adjusts the force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 tight enough, the toes could in principle be almost completely relieved. FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 also show the preferred positions of the three force transmission elements in relation to the foot.

In FIG. 8, all elements of the ballet pointe shoe are shown, with some elements that are not visible (i.e. hidden behind other elements) being shown as dashed lines, so that the structure of the ballet pointe shoe according to the invention can be seen better. In particular, it can be seen that the foot section 22 of the upper shoe 20 completely encloses the sole-cap unit, except for the area of its recess 24, and in particular encloses the cap. Additionally, it can be seen that the sole distal region of the first force transmission element 30 encircles the cap 12. The second force transmission element 40 preferably extends essentially over the central area of the instep of the foot and the third force transmission element 50 is located at the rear end of the instep.

FIG. 8 also shows a preferred contour of the grooves 17a to 17g, which are Q-shaped, thus ensuring, among other things, a secure hold of the connecting sections.

FIGS. 8 and 9 also clearly show the force-absorbing cone formed by the force transmission elements 30, 40, 50.

FIGS. 10 to 13 show a second embodiment of an upper shoe 20 which, like the upper shoe of the first embodiment, consists exclusively of a foot section 22. However, it should be emphasized that the features now described could also be realized in an upper shoe which additionally comprises a leg section.

The first difference to the first embodiment is that the upper shoe 20/foot section 22 (these terms are used synonymously in the following) has a sole section 23. This means that the upper shoe has this sole section 23 and an upper section 25. The upper section 25 generally consists of a textile material.

Several slit-shaped recesses 24 extend through the sole section. These are arranged at the positions of the grooves 17a-17f, which extend into the sole 12. This means that the connecting sections 33, 34, 43, 44, 53, 54 of the force transmission elements 30, 40, 50 can be inserted into these grooves in exactly the same way as in the first embodiment. The shape of the grooves with an outer section extending from the outer side 16 of the sole 12 and an adjoining inner section with an enlarged cross-section is also as in the first embodiment. In contrast to the first embodiment, however, the—in the longitudinal direction—middle section of the outer side 16 of the sole 12 is not exposed. Rather, this is covered by the sole section 23 of the upper shoe 20. In the embodiment shown, the sole section extends over the front end of the cap 18.

Covering the outer side of the sole essentially completely has several advantages: First, the sole-cap unit is protected from wear, which further extends its lifetime. Furthermore, the damping can be improved if the material or materials of the sole section are selected appropriately. Finally, the grip can be improved (also depending on the choice of material and independent of the material of the sole or sole cap unit 10). Due to the last advantage in particular, it is preferred if the sole section extends over the front end of the cap 18.

As can be seen from FIG. 11, the sole section 23 can be made of several layers, three layers in the example shown. The properties of the sole section can be adapted particularly well thanks to the multiple layers. In the embodiment shown, the innermost layer 23a consists of so-called Strobel board, the middle layer of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and the outer layer 23c of a microfiber material. This results in good overall durability, good cushioning and a good grip.

The second difference to the first embodiment is that the textile upper section 25 of the upper shoe (which substantially corresponds to the upper shoe 20 of the first embodiment, except that it does not cover the front end of the cap (this is taken over by the sole portion in the embodiment shown)) has two areas, namely a substantially non-stretchable first area 25a and an elastically stretchable second area 25b. The non-stretchable first area 25a ensures a good hold of the foot in the shoe, while the elastically stretchable second area 25b, which extends around the entry opening 22a and up to the heel area 26, ensures that the upper shoe 20 can be put on and the edge of the entry opening still fits snugly against the foot/leg.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a second embodiment of the sole-cap unit 10. The main difference to the first embodiment is that two recesses 18a (which could also be described as slots) extend from the upper section of the edge of the cap 18, resulting in a tongue section 19a. This is preferably formed with a relatively thin wall thickness, so that at least its rear section can be moved relative to the rest of the cap in the direction of the arrow. The first force transmission element 30 extends over this tongue section 19a and can press it in the direction of the foot, so that good force transmission is also achieved in the area of the cap, even if the rest of the cap (especially in the front section and in the lateral sections) is designed with a large wall thickness and is correspondingly rigid.

A second difference to the first embodiment is that the outer side 16 of the sole is serrated or corrugated in the rear end region (FIG. 15). This is particularly advantageous when this second embodiment of the sole-cap unit is used with the second embodiment of the upper shoe 20 shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, since this results in good, slip-free contact with the rear end region of the sole section 23.

The properties of the sole in terms of flexibility and stiffness, as described in the generic WO 2019/229043 A1, are fully maintained.

As already mentioned, the preferred and currently essential application of the invention is a ballet pointe shoe, but the principle of such force transmission elements can in essentially also be transferred to other sports or dance shoes.

In the embodiment example shown, the force transmission elements are separate elements, which is often preferred. However, it would also be possible to permanently connect the force transmission elements to the sole (in the embodiment example shown, the sole-cap unit) or the upper shoe.

It is also possible to permanently connect the upper shoe to the sole/sole-cap unit and still utilize the described advantages of the force transmission elements.

However, the “modular” structure described above often has advantages, for example with regard to the often lower consumption of resources.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

• • 5 dance shoe
  • 10 sole-cap unit
  • 12 sole
  • 12a rear end
  • 12b front end
  • 14 inner side
  • 16 outer side
  • 17a-f incision/groove
  • 17 pair of grooves
  • 18 cap
  • 18a recess
  • 19 tongue section
  • 20 upper shoe
  • 22 foot section
  • 22a entry opening
  • 23 sole section
  • 23a-c layers of the sole section
  • 24 recess
  • 25 textile upper section
  • 25a non-elastic first area
  • 25b elastic stretchable second area
  • 26 heel area
  • 30 first power transmission element
  • 31, 32 sole distal section
  • 33, 34 connecting section
  • 35 aperture
  • 38 Velcro element
  • 40 Second force transmission element
  • 41, 42 sole distal section
  • 43, 44 connecting section
  • 45 aperture
  • 48 Velcro element
  • 50 second force transmission element
  • 51, 52 sole distal section
  • 53, 54 connecting section
  • 55 aperture
  • 58 Velcro element
  • B leg

Claims

1. A dance or sports shoe comprising a sole having an inner side and an outer side and extending in a longitudinal direction from a rear end to a front end, and an upper shoe which has a foot section,

wherein at least one force transmission element is provided, which has a sole proximate region and a sole distal region, said sole distal region of the at least one force transmission element comprising two sole distal sections which can be locked together in such a way that the length of the sole distal region can be adjusted,

wherein in the state of use: the at least one force transmission element extends around the outer side of the sole, so that at least a part of the sole proximate region rests against the outer side of the sole and fixes the sole proximate region to the sole in a form-fitting and/or a force-fitting manner, and the sole distal region extends over the surface of the foot wearing the dance or sports shoe facing away from the sole of the foot.

2. (canceled)

3. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the two sections can be locked together by means of a hook-and-loop fastener, a ball fastener or a hook fastener.

4. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein at least two, preferably three force transmission elements are provided, in particular in such a way that they form a force-absorbing cone for the foot, wherein

a first force transmission element is provided to be located in the region of the ball of the foot.

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole proximate region of the at least one force transmission element is designed in the form of at least one elongated connecting section, preferably in the form of two elongated connecting sections.

8. (canceled)

9. The dance or sports shoe of claim 7, wherein

the outer side of the sole has a plurality of incisions, and

in the worn state of the dance shoe, at least one elongated connecting section is received in one of the incisions of the outer side of the sole, the incisions preferably having an outer section extending from the outer side and an adjoining inner section which is widened relative to the outer section.

10. (canceled)

11. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper shoe is an element separate from the sole with the underside of said foot section is formed as a sole section which extends along the outer side of the sole, the sole section having a plurality of slit-shaped recesses which extend along the incisions of the outer side of the sole through which, in the worn state, the elongated connecting sections extend, which are received at least in sections in incisions in the outer side of the sole.

12. The dance or sports shoe of claim 11, wherein a slit-shaped recess extends along each incision in the outer side of the sole.

13. The dance or sports shoe of claim 11, wherein the sole section of the upper shoe is formed in two or more layers, with at least one of the layers being made of plastic, preferably TPU.

14. (canceled)

15. The dance or sports shoe of claim 11, wherein the foot section of the upper shoe further comprises a textile upper section extending from and being connected to the sole section.

16. The dance or sports shoe of claim 15, wherein

the textile upper section has a substantially non-stretchable first area and an elastically stretchable second area,

the second area extends from the heel area to the entry opening of the upper shoe and around the entry opening, and

the first area forms the remaining upper section of the foot section.

17. The dance or sports shoe of claim 9, wherein all elongated connecting sections are each accommodated in an incision of the outer side of the sole.

18. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, further comprising a cap connected to the sole, so that the dance or sports shoe is a ballet pointe shoe, said the cap being permanently connected to the sole, so that the cap and sole form a sole-cap unit, the cap preferably being integrally formed with the sole and further preferably being made of plastic.

19. (canceled)

20. The dance or sports shoe of claim 11, wherein the sole section extends over the front end of the cap.

21. The dance or sports shoe of claim 4, in the state of use, the sole distal region of the first force transmission element extends over the cap.

22. The dance or sports shoe of claim 21, wherein at least two recesses extend from an upper section of the edge of the cap, so that a tongue section of the cap is formed between the recesses, said tongue section being movable, preferably flexibly movable, against the surrounding portion of the cap.

23. (canceled)

24. The dance or sports shoe of claim 22, wherein the tongue section has a lower thickness than the front section and the lateral sections of the cap.

25. The dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the rear end region of the outer side of the sole is corrugated or serrated.

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A strip-shaped force transmission element for use as part of a dance or sports shoe of claim 1, wherein the force transmission element is strip-shaped and can be detachably arranged on the sole.

29. A sole-cap unit for use as part of a dance or sports shoe of claim 22.

30. An upper shoe for use as part of a dance or sports shoe of claim 11.