FOOTWEAR STIMULATING THE FOOT BY REFLEXOLOGY MASSAGE

Abstract

The present invention refers to a footwear consisting of an upper portion and a sole, wherein the upper portion is provided with a soft and flexible deconstructed plantar area able to allow the foot to rest on it, once the footwear has been worn, and the sole is fixed to the upper portion below the plantar area and is provided with a plurality of flexible bearings, arranged in correspondence with respective sensitive areas for the plantar reflexology massage.

Claims

1. Footwear (1) consisting of an upper portion (2) and a sole (3) fixed to said upper portion (2), wherein: said upper portion (2) is provided with a deconstructed plantar area (4), made with soft and flexible materials, suitable for allowing the foot to rest on it, once the footwear (1) is worn, and said sole (3) is fixed to said upper portion (2) below and in correspondence with said deconstructed plantar area (4) and is provided with a plurality of flexible pads (5), arranged in correspondence with respective sensitive areas (6) for the foot reflexology massage.

2. Footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of said flexible pads (5) is made of an elastic material such as to be compressed when subjected to pressure and to reacquire the original shape when said compression ends.

3. Footwear (1) according to claim 2, wherein each of said flexible pads (5) is realized through 3D printers using thermoplastic elastomers of the TPU 98A, TPE or TPC type or in pressurized air contained in plastic material bubbles; or again in E.V.A. (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) by injection or compression.

4. Footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one flexible pad (5a) is arranged in said sole (3) in correspondence of the sensitive area (6a) for reflexology foot massage in the front part of the foot sole, which is an area sensitive to the brain and cerebellum; at least one flexible pad (5b) is arranged in said sole (3) in correspondence of the sensitive area (6b) for reflexology foot massage in the upper part of the foot sole, which is an area sensitive to the solar plexus and lungs; at least one flexible pad (5c) is arranged in said sole (3) in correspondence of the sensitive area (6c) for reflexology foot massage in correspondence of the plantar arch, which is an area sensitive to the digestive apparatus; and at least one flexible pad (5d) is disposed in said sole (3) in correspondence of the sensitive area (6d) for reflexology foot massage in the posterior part of the foot sole, which is an area sensitive to the back and sciatic nerve.

5. Footwear (1) according to claim 4, wherein each of said flexible pads (5a,5b,5c,5d) occupies substantially the whole width of said sole (3), respectively in correspondence with said sensitive areas (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) for reflexology foot massage.

6. Footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein said flexible pads are separated from each other so that there is an empty space between a flexible pad (5) and the other.

7. Footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein said upper portion (2) consists of a sort of bag/sock (7) provided with an opening (8) at one of its ends to allow insertion of the foot in the bag/sock (7) through said opening (8) and the wrapping of the whole foot in the bag/sock (7).

8. Footwear (1) according to claim 1, wherein the entire upper portion (2), including the plantar area (4), is made of soft and flexible materials.

Description

[0035] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be better highlighted by examining the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, illustrated by way of non-limiting example, with the support of the attached drawings, wherein:

[0036] FIG. 1 is an overall view of an embodiment of a footwear according to the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 is a detail of the sole of the footwear of FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the upper portion of the footwear of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] With reference to FIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of a footwear 1 according to the present invention is shown below.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows the footwear 1 consisting of an upper portion 2 and a sole 3, fixed to the upper portion 2.

[0041] The upper 2 portion consists of a sort of bag/sock 7, better visible in FIG. 3, provided with an opening 8 at one of its ends to allow the foot insertion in the bag/sock 7 through the opening 8. The upper portion 2 in the shape of a bag/sock 7 is also provided in its lower part with a deconstructed plantar area 4, made with soft and flexible materials, giving a certain comfort to the foot that directly rests on the plantar area 4.

[0042] The upper portion 2 is made by working with an internal longitudinal closure seam, or with a Strobel-type seam or with an inverted seam in the perimeter area or a tubular sock with the presence of a single seam at the tip.

[0043] The foot thus remains completely wrapped by the upper portion 2 in the shape of a bag/sock giving a pleasant feeling comfort to the user.

[0044] The sole 3 is applied to the lower part of the plantar area 4 of the upper portion 2, which is therefore fixed below the upper portion 2.

[0045] The sole 3 is constituted by an outer shell 9 made of plastic material such as E.V.A. Rubber, P.U., T.P.U., through the classic industrial production techniques, such as, for example, compression, injection or with 3D printer technology.

[0046] Flexible bearings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d are fixed to the shell 9, each positioned, respectively, at a sensitive area 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d for the foot reflexology massage.

[0047] In particular, the flexible bearing 5a is placed at the sensitive area 6a for brain and cerebellum, placed at the big toe; if stimulated, or when a slight or stronger pressure is applied, stress relief is achieved. The flexible bearing 5b is placed at the sensitive area 6b of the solar plexus and of the lungs, located in the upper part of the foot sole; when stimulated, it has benefits in terms of anxiety and breathing controlling. The flexible bearing 5c is placed in correspondence of the sensitive area 6c of the digestive system area, exactly placed under the plantar arch; if stimulated, it leads to better digestion and absorption. The flexible bearing 5d is placed at the sensitive area 6d, exactly placed under the heel; if stimulated, it leads to relief from back pain and sciatic nerve.

[0048] The area of the big toe and of the solar plexus and of the lungs were made in such a way as to cover the entire foot length as a matter of stability.

[0049] Each flexible bearing 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d substantially occupies the whole width of the sole 3, so as to be fixed to the sole 3 in a stable manner, supporting itself against both the longitudinal edges of the footwear. There is a gap between each flexible bearing 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d and the other. The flexible bearings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d have a shape, curvature and/or dimension such as to adapt to the specific needs of a single individual to obtain the maximum benefit during walking.

[0050] The flexible bearings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d can be made with 3D printers by using thermoplastic elastomers of the TPU type (an example is the original Filaflex 82A, 175 mm, a polyether-polyurethane available from Recreus Industries SL, Alicante, Spain) or by using thermoplastic elastomers of the TPE or TPC type; they can be bearings made of pressurized air contained in plastic bubbles; they can be bearings made of E.V.A. (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) by injection or compression.

[0051] Such materials have the property of making flexible the bearings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d and having a memory, that means to be capable of returning to their original shape once their compression has been exhausted due to the pressure exerted on them by the foot of the user wearing the footwear 1 during walking.

[0052] The flexible bearings 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d therefore provide the user with a pleasant comfort feeling and a massaging effect.

[0053] Of course, many modifications and variations of the preferred embodiment described above will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, still remaining within the scope of the invention.

[0054] Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described, illustrated only by way of non-limiting example, but is defined by the following claims.