An article of footwear includes a dynamic support member that provides support to a foot. The support member is external to the article. The support member provides dynamic support by tightening around the foot when a user applies a strong enough force against a base portion of the support member. The support member includes several lateral gaps that facilitate increased flexibility for some portions of the support member.

Methods of using a foot device are disclosed herein. The foot device includes a generally U-shaped portion having an arcuate portion and first and second legs extending from the arcuate portion. Each leg has an end and a relief area disposed adjacent the respective end. A method of using the foot device comprises engaging the arcuate portion with a heel of a foot to form a first point of contact; positioning the relief area of the first leg proximate a fifth metatarsal head of the foot such that the fifth metatarsal head drops to form a second point of contact; and positioning the relief area of the second leg proximate a first metatarsal head of the foot such that the first metatarsal head drops to form a third point of contact, wherein the first, second, and third points of contact form a triangle-shaped contact surface.

An orthotic for a foot having a top side and a bottom side, the bottom side having flexion zone located between the medial and the lateral side of the orthotic at a position corresponding to the posterior metatarsal phalangeal joint of the foot and 25 mm behind; and/or the heel section of the bottom side of the orthotic pitched so that the height of the rear of the orthotic is greater than the innermost section of the heel; and/or the top side having a raised section located at a position corresponding to the medial side of the calcaneus of a foot.

There is provided a shoe insole that facilitates a movement to grasp the ground with toes while ensuring stability and motility. A shoe insole 1 includes, in order to maintain an inner longitudinal arch 121, an outer longitudinal arch 122, and a transverse arch 120 of a foot, a calcaneal anterior-part support protrusion 90 that abuts a calcaneal anterior part 12A of the foot, and a toe ball support part 100 that supports a thenar 26A and a hypothenar 34A of the foot, with the calcaneal anterior-part support protrusion 90 maintaining the inner longitudinal arch 121, the outer longitudinal arch 122, and the transverse arch 120, wherein an insole front part 110 thinner than the toe ball support part 100 is provided in front of the toe ball support part 100.

An insole for an article of footwear has a shape corresponding to an inner bottom of the footwear and includes, on its upper side, a protrusion having three apexes. With respect to total length from a toe-side end to a heel-side end, the protrusion extends from a position at about ⅖ to a position at about ⅘ of the total length from the toe-side end. The three apexes include a first apex located substantially at the center of the total length and substantially at the center in a width direction of the insole, and second and third apexes arranged in the width direction at positions at about ⅔ of the total length from the toe-side end. The second apex is located at a medial-side edge of the insole. The third apex is located at about ¼ of a length in the width direction of the insole from its lateral-side edge.

A pair of shoes that includes a left foot shoe and a right foot shoe. Each of the shoes include an upper shoe portion and a sole coupled to the upper shoe portion. The sole provides an athletic positioning of a left big toe area of the left shoe at a lower position than a left heel area of the left shoe and at a lower position than an outer small toe area of the left shoe and wherein, from an inner edge to an outer edge of the left shoe, the left heel area has substantially no slope.

The present invention may provide shoes comprising an arch pad, the shoes comprising: an arch pad provided with a block seating groove that is formed in an area corresponding to the arch part of a foot; and an arch block positioned on the block seating groove and formed convexly so as to protrude from the upper surface of the arch pad such that the upper surface of the arch block pressurizes the arch part of the foot. The arch block comprises: a base portion fixed to the block seating groove; and a deformation portion which can be attached to/detached from the base portion such that the position in which the deformation portion pressurizes the arch part can be adjusted according to the position in which the deformation portion is installed on the base portion.

A material includes a support layer comprising a woven fiber layer less than 30 mils thick. The support layer includes an elongate strap support. The support layer has a ratio of elongation to tensile strength (lb/in-width) that is less than 0.9 in a first direction and greater than 0.9 in a perpendicular second direction. The material additionally includes an adhesive layer on said support layer for adhesive attachment of said support layer to the outer skin surface of a user and a removable cover layer on said adhesive layer. Methods of use of the material and elongate strap support(s) to a human body include providing anatomical support or therapeutic effects.

A removable insole for insertion into footwear, comprises a forefoot portion integral to the insole and extending at least to a metatarsal of a foot and including a resilient layer, the resilient layer including at least two non-contiguous resilient layer sections (including a big toe section). The at least two non-contiguous resilient sections include at least four resilient layer subsections in some embodiments, a continuous rear portion that includes a medial longitudinal arch support portion, a heel surrounding portion and a lateral longitudinal arch support portion; and a heel portion. In some embodiments, the forefoot is customizable by having different levels of hardness for the subsections and big toe section. The insole is therefore tailored a particular sport. The medial longitudinal arch support portion includes a detachable cushion configured to adjust a height of the medial longitudinal arch and to support the foot during pronation of the foot.

A sole of a shoe includes a sole body and a plurality of lower protrusions and a plurality of upper protrusions arranged at least in positions each corresponding to a forefoot in the sole body. The sole body is configured such that hardness of a portion corresponding to a midfoot is higher than hardness of a portion corresponding to the forefoot.