Shoe, a patch and a method for preventing ankle injuries

Abstract

A shoe for preventing ankle injuries comprises a sole with a ground-engaging surface, and lateral and medial edges associated with respective lateral and medial connecting portions interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface and the lateral and medial edges. At least one of the connecting portions defines a surface area of reduced friction provided, e.g., in the form of retrofitted patches, which are circumferentially surrounded by adjacent surface areas having a relatively high coefficient of friction. Friction is differentiated in different areas of those parts of the shoe which are implicated in injury mechanisms, and injuries may thus be prevented in the recovery phase after injury, and primary prophylaxis may be achieved. The area of reduced friction reduces the ability of the wearer's foot to rotate relative to ground when the load of the wearer's body is shifted towards or lands near the edge of the shoe.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising: a sole with a ground-engaging surface; a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge; a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge; wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area; wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion; wherein the first coefficient of friction is less than 0.5; wherein the coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area is more than 0.55; wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.

2. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein said surface area of reduced friction extends at least from a midfoot portion of the shoe towards a tip of the shoe.

3. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein said surface area of reduced friction extends between 5% and 95% of a length of the shoe when measured from a toe portion of the shoe towards a heel portion of the shoe.

4. The shoe according to claim 1 wherein the shoe is configured to fit a foot of a human, wherein said surface area of reduced friction is configured to at least cover an area of the lateral connecting portion in a level of the caput of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot.

5. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein said surface area of reduced friction is formed integrally with the sole and the lateral edge of the shoe.

6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the surface area of reduced friction is circumferentially surrounded by the lateral connecting portion, the lateral edge, and the ground-engaging surface.

7. The shoe according to claim 1, wherein said surface area of reduced friction is conferred by a patch retrofitted on the sole and the lateral edge of the shoe.

8. The shoe according to claim 7, wherein the patch comprises a laminate structure comprising at least an adhesive layer and an opposed surface layer providing said surface area of reduced friction.

9. The shoe according to claim 7, wherein at least an upper edge of the patch comprises a plurality of indentations.

10. A patch and a shoe, wherein the patch is configured for being retrofitted to the shoe, the patch and the shoe configured for preventing ankle injuries in a human being wearing the shoe, the patch being configured for mounting at: a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between a ground-engaging surface of a sole and the lateral edge; wherein the patch is configured to confer, to the shoe, a confined surface area, which is circumferentially surrounded by at least one adjacent surface area of the shoe, and which defines a coefficient of friction of less than 0.5; wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.

11. A method of preventing ankle injuries in humans, comprising the steps of: providing the human being with a shoe comprising a sole with a ground-engaging surface; a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge; a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge; wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area; wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion; wherein the first coefficient of friction is less than 0.5; wherein the coefficient of friction of the at least one adjacent surface area is more than 0.55; wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface; and mounting the shoe on a human foot, so as to promote sliding between the shoe and ground upon an occurrence of an unbalanced motion of the human foot relative to the ground.

12. A shoe comprising: a sole with a ground-engaging surface; a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge; a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge; wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area; wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion; and wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.

13. A method of preventing ankle injuries in humans, comprising the steps of: providing the human being with a shoe comprising a sole with a ground-engaging surface; a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge; a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge; wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area; wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion; wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface; and mounting the shoe on a human foot, so as to promote sliding between the shoe and ground upon an occurrence of an unbalanced motion of the human foot relative to the ground.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show first and second views of an embodiment of a shoe according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 3 shows the shoe of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted to a foot of a human wearer;

(4) FIGS. 4 and 5 show first and second embodiments of a patch according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 6 illustrates alternative embodiments of patches according to the invention;

(6) FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a shoe comprising a patch according to the invention;

(7) FIGS. 8(a) to 8(e) generally depicts various configurations of a shoe according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 9 illustrates a further embodiment of a shoe according to the invention.

(9) FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a patch according to the invention.

(10) FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate alternative embodiments of patches according to the invention.

(11) FIG. 13 illustrates alternative embodiments of scaled patches according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(12) FIGS. 1-3 and 7 of the accompanying drawings show a shoe 100 comprising a sole 102 with a ground-engaging surface 104, and lateral edge 106 and a medial edge 108. A lateral connecting portion 110 interconnects and extends between the ground-engaging surface 104 of the sole 102 and the lateral edge 106, and a medial connecting portion 112 interconnects and extends between the ground-engaging surface 104 of the sole 102 and the medial edge 108.

(13) Areas of reduced friction 114, 214 and 116, 216 are provided at the lateral connecting portion 110 and the medial connecting portion 112, respectively. As shown in in FIGS. 1 and 7, the areas of reduced friction extend along part of the length of the shoe at its lateral edge 106 and extend from the ground-engaging surface 104 of the sole 102 and well into the lateral edge 106. The lateral edge 106 defines a top portion 122. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises two areas of reduced friction 114 and 116 at respective positions along the length of the shoe. The areas of reduced friction 114 and 116 are circumferentially surrounded by adjacent surface areas 103, 105, 107 of the shoe 100, which define a coefficient of friction higher than that of the areas of reduced friction 114, 116. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, areas of reduced friction 214 and 216 are further provided at the medial edge 108 of the shoe 100. As seen in FIG. 1, the areas of reduced friction 114, 116 extend a greater extent over the lateral edge 106 than the ground-engaging surface 104 of the sole 102. The areas of reduced friction 114, 116 extend above the top portion 122 of the lateral edge 106. The shoe 100 defines a substantially continuous outer surface over which the areas of reduced friction 114, 116 extend.

(14) The areas of reduced friction 114, 214, 116 and 216 may be integrally formed with the remaining parts of the shoe 100, or they may be provided in the form of patches 115, 215, 117, 217 which can be retrofitted to an existing shoe. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13 the patches 115, 215, and 117, 217 comprise indentations 118 at least at an upper edge 119 of the patch, allowing the patch to conform to the contour shape of the shoe and to contract without forming wrinkles.

(15) FIGS. 6, 11 and 12 illustrate alternative embodiments of patches 115, 117 according to the invention. The grey areas 270 in FIG. 12 illustrate examples of patch shape variations.

(16) FIG. 8 generally depicts various configurations of a shoe according to the invention. FIG. 8a shows a sole 102 of a shoe, indicating its length L between 0% and 100% as measured from a tip portion 150 towards a heel portion 250 thereof. In the configuration of FIG. 8b, the show comprises a single area of reduced friction 214 only, provided by a patch 215 at the medial edge 108 at the forefoot region, i.e. between approximately 5% and 30% of the length of the shoe. The surface of reduced friction may extend between 5% and 95% of the length of the shoe when measured from the shoe's toe portion towards its heel portion. In an alternative configuration shown in FIG. 8c, the shoe comprises a medial forefoot patch 215 and a medial rear foot patch 217 extending approximately 2%-40% and 70%-95% of the length of the shoe, respectively. In a yet further alternative configuration illustrated in FIG. 8d, the shoe comprises two patches 115 and 117 at the lateral edge 106, extending approximately 10%-25% and 65%-85% of the length of the shoe, respectively. Finally, in the configuration of FIG. 8e, four patches 115, 117, 215, and 217 are provided at the lateral and medial edges 106 and 108, extending alternative lengths, as shown.

(17) It should be understood that the configuration, arrangement and extent of the patches, including also the coverage of the sole and the side portions of the shoe (see FIGS. 1-3 and 7) may be varied according to the exact needs and the type of injury to be prevented.

(18) FIG. 9 discloses a further embodiment of a shoe according to the invention, in which the area of reduced friction is provided in the form of a plurality of strips 206 from, e.g. a metallic or plastics material. The plastics material could be polyethylene.

(19) FIG. 10 illustrates a patch 115, 215, 117, 217 that may be implemented at any or all of the lateral edges 106 and medial edges 108. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the dashed box 260 indicates an area where a plurality of lower indentations 262 are provided. Accordingly, when the patch is attached to a shoe in a manner according to the invention, different degrees of patch material coverage is provided, so that the degree of material coverage is lowest near the ground engaging surface of the shoe, and increases as the distance to the ground-engaging surface increases. In this way, the friction between the shoe and the ground then gradually decreases as the distance to the ground-engaging surface increases within the dashed box 260.

(20) FIG. 13 illustrates patches 115, 215, and 117, 217 drawn to scale. The horizontal and vertical axes have the same arbitrary units of length.