SHOE OUTSOLE

Abstract

A shoe outsole includes a propulsion strengthening part, corresponding to the plantar arch of a wearer, between a front end portion of a sole-corresponding part and a toe-corresponding part, thereby enabling propulsion to be strengthened. The toe-corresponding part is formed to be upwardly inclined toward the front and a heel-corresponding part is formed to be upwardly inclined toward the back such that a shock absorbing function is performed and a wearer is helped with a foot moving action, thereby enabling brisk gait and running and reduced exhaustion of physical strength of a wearer.

Claims

1. A shoe outsole of a shoe having an outsole and an insole, or a shoe having an outsole, an insole, and a midsole, the shoe outsole comprising: a sole-corresponding part corresponding to the foot sole of a wearer; a toe-corresponding part corresponding to the toes of a wearer at the front of the sole-corresponding part; a heel-corresponding part corresponding to the heel of a wearer at the rear of the sole-corresponding part; and a propulsion strengthening part corresponding to the plantar arch of a wearer, being formed with a convex shape in between the front end of the sole-corresponding part and the rear end of the toe-corresponding part, and having an area corresponding to the big toe recess lower than an area corresponding to the little toe recess.

2. The shoe outsole of claim 1, wherein the propulsion strengthening part is characterized in that the higher surface of the propulsion strengthening part is convexly embossed and the lower surface of the propulsion strengthening part is concavely embossed.

3. The shoe outsole of claim 1, wherein the toe-corresponding part is characterized in that it is formed upwardly inclined toward the front.

4. The shoe outsole of claim 1, wherein the heel-corresponding part is characterized in that it is formed upwardly inclined toward the rear.

5. The shoe outsole of claim 1, further comprising: a rolling function part which has a convex top surface being formed along the centerline passing though a middle portion of the sole-corresponding part and the toe-corresponding part in the left-to-right direction.

6. The shoe outsole of claim 5, wherein the rolling function part is characterized in that the higher surface of the rolling function part is convexly embossed and the lower surface of the rolling function part is concavely embossed.

7. The shoe outsole of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of shock absorbing functional parts is formed a convex higher surface and a concave lower surface.

8. The shoe outsole of claim 1, wherein the propulsion strengthening part is characterized in that the width of a portion corresponding to the big toe recess is narrower than the width of a portion corresponding to the little toe recess.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG. 1 illustrates a stance phase of a gait cycle.

[0066] FIG. 2 illustrates a swing phase of a gait cycle.

[0067] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view and a bottom view of a leg in a stance phase.

[0068] FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a foot.

[0069] FIGS. 5 to 11 illustrate a shoe outsole in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a shoe outsole in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a shoe outsole in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 6.

[0073] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the toe-corresponding part and the propulsion strengthening part.

[0074] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B, line C-C, line D-D, line E-E and line F-F of FIG. 8.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a sole-corresponding part and a heel-corresponding part.

[0076] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0077] Hereinafter, a shoe outsole in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] To facilitate understanding, the exemplary embodiment illustrates and describes only an outsole by omitting illustration and description of an insole and a midsole even though the present invention can be applied to a shoe including an outsole and an insole as well as a shoe including an outsole, an insole, and a midsole.

[0079] In the following, five toes are denoted as the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the third toe 23, the fourth toe 24, and the little toe 25 when described individually; denoted as toes 20 when described collectively. Five recesses between the front end of a sole 10 and toes 20 are denoted as a big toe recess 31, a second toe recess 32, a third toe recess 33, a fourth toe recess 34, and a little toe recess 35 when described individually; they are denoted as recesses 30 when described collectively.

[0080] FIGS. 4 to 11 illustrate a shoe outsole in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 to 11 illustrate a shoe outsole for the left foot.

[0081] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 11, an outsole OS in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention has an outline corresponding to a foot projected to a plane.

[0082] The outsole OS is configured to comprise a sole-corresponding part 100 being formed in the middle portion to correspond to the sole 10 of a wearer, a toe-corresponding part 200 being formed at the front end of the sole-corresponding part 100 to correspond to toes 20 of a wearer, a propulsion strengthening part 300 being formed in between the sole-corresponding part 100 and the toe-corresponding part 200 with a convex higher surface, and a heel-corresponding part 400 being formed at the rear end of the sole-corresponding part 100 to correspond to a heel 40.

[0083] An outsole OS corresponding to a projected area of a foot can be formed to have an area large enough to cover the marginal area for binding an upper or a band. An upwardly protruded edge F is provided on an outline of the outsole OS.

[0084] The sole-corresponding part 100 can be formed as a curve surface corresponding to the sole 10.

[0085] The toe-corresponding part 200 is configured to make the toes of a wearer such as the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the third toe 23, the fourth toe 24 and the little toe 25 butt against the toe-corresponding part 200 by forming a portion corresponding to the big toe 21 of a wearer that is lower than a portion corresponding to the little toe 25 of a wearer.

[0086] Accordingly, the toes of a wearer such as the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the third toe 23, the fourth toe 24 and the little toe 25 are in close contact with the toe-corresponding part 200 with uniformly distributed force at the time of gait or running so that propulsive force applied to an area corresponding to the big toe 21 of a toe-corresponding part 200 as well as propulsive force applied to areas corresponding to a second toe 22, a third toe 23, a fourth toe 24 and a little toe 25 are used for propulsion in toe-off period of gait cycle and the propulsion period of running, resulting in reinforcing of propulsive force, enabling powerful and fast gait or running, and reducing energy consumption.

[0087] Also, the toe-corresponding part 200 being formed upwardly inclined toward the front and the heel-corresponding part 400 being formed upwardly inclined toward the rear are elastically deformed downward and attenuate shock delivered when the force of a wearer is applied, and elastically restored upward and act as a force raising a foot of a wearer resulting in helping to raise the foot when the force of a wearer is diminished. Thus, brisk gait or running is enabled, and energy consumption is reduced.

[0088] Since the toe-corresponding part 200 is formed upwardly inclined toward the front, a phenomenon of pushing a foot of a shoe wearer forward at the time of gait or running is prevented so that an injury to a toenail of the shoe wearer can be prevented.

[0089] The propulsion strengthening part 300 can be formed with a higher surface convex in an upward direction. However, it is preferable to form a higher surface upwardly convex and a lower surface downwardly concave in order to reduce weight.

[0090] The propulsion strengthening part 300 is configured to have the height of the portion corresponding to the big toe recess 31 lower than that of the portion corresponding to the little toe recess 35 in accordance with the shape of recesses 30 of a wearer while the width of the portion corresponding to the big toe recess 31 is narrower than that of the portion corresponding to the little toe recess 35 so as to make the big toe recess 31, the second toe recess 32, the third toe recess 33, the fourth toe recess 34, and the little toe recess 35 in close contact with the propulsion strengthening part 300.

[0091] Accordingly, the toes of a wearer such as the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the third toe 23, the fourth toe 24 and the little toe 25 are locked with a propulsion strengthening part 300 during a toe-off period of the gait cycle and the propulsion period of running, and are not able to slip rearward so that all propulsive force is transmitted without a loss, and propulsive force is enhanced. The amount of force enhanced is used for raising the speed of gait or running, and reduces energy consumption of a wearer.

[0092] Since the toe-corresponding part 200 is configured to be in close contact with the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the third toe 23, the fourth toe 24 and the little toe 25; and the propulsion strengthening part 300 is configured to be in close contact with the big toe recess 31, the second toe recess 32, the third toe recess 33, the fourth toe recess 34, and the little toe recess 35, the little toe recess 35 is in close contact with a toe-corresponding part 200, and the little toe recess 35 is in close contact with a propulsion strengthening part 300 even when a strong force is applied toward the little toe due to ground condition or circumstances of gait or running so that a wearer maintains balance or is prevented from suffering an ankle injury.

[0093] On the other hand, a shoe outsole in accordance with the exemplary embodiment further includes a rolling functional part 500 having a convex top along a centerline which passes a middle part of the sole-corresponding part 100 and the heel-corresponding part 400 in the left-to-right direction.

[0094] The rolling functional part 500 can be configured to be formed with a convex higher surface. However, it is preferable to form a convex higher surface and a concave lower surface in order to reduce the weight of an outsole OS.

[0095] The rolling functional part 500 makes a foot roll with respect to an outsole OS when force eccentric to the left or the right of the rolling functional part 500 is applied due to ground surface condition or circumstances of gait or running.

[0096] Accordingly, the left half or the right half of a sole 10 and the heel of a wearer is in tight contact with the left half or the right half of sole-corresponding part 100 and heel-corresponding part 400; the rolling functional part 500 holds a sole 10 and a heel 40 so as to prevent slipping to the right or to the left. Therefore, a wearer can maintain balance, not suffer an ankle injury, and avoid a loss of propulsive force so as to enable stable gait or running.

[0097] In the above case, toes 20 and recesses 30 are in tight contact with the big toe 21, the second toe 22, the big toe recess 31, and the second toe recess 32 which are located on the left, or the fourth toe 24, the little toe 25, the fourth toe recess 34, and the little toe recess 35 which are located on the right are in close contact with the left half or the right half so that a wearer can maintain balance, not suffer an ankle injury, and avoid a loss of propulsive force so as to enable stable gait or running.

[0098] For the case of a soccer shoe application, a plurality of protruding cleats S as shown in the figures can be formed on a bottom surface of a shoe outsole OS in accordance with the preferred embodiment, and various types of bumps and dips or cleats can be formed depending on the type of application.

[0099] A shoe outsole OS in accordance with a preferred embodiment further includes a plurality of shock absorbing functional parts 610 formed in a sole-corresponding part 100 and a plurality of shock absorbing functional parts 620 formed in a heel-corresponding part 400 (see FIG. 10 and FIG. 11).

[0100] As illustrated, the shock absorbing functional parts 610 formed in a sole-corresponding part 100 are configured to have 4 pairs arranged on the left and on the right, and the shock absorbing functional parts 620 formed in a heel-corresponding part 400 are configured to have a pair arranged on the left and on the right. The number of pairs described herein is not limited to the embodiment and can be increased or decreased depending on the size of the shoe.

[0101] Also, a cross section of shock-absorbing functional parts 610 formed at the front end of a sole-corresponding part 100 is shown in FIG. 11, and other shock absorbing functional parts 610, 620 can be considered to have equivalent cross-sectional shapes.

[0102] The shock absorbing functional parts 610, 620 are configured to have a concave high surface and a convex low surface.

[0103] The shock absorbing functional parts 610, 620 repeat a process of downward elastic deformation when the force of a wearer is applied on a sole-corresponding part 100 and a heel-corresponding part 400, and upward elastic restoration when the force of a wearer is diminished. Shock absorption is made through the process, and shock delivered to a wearer is minimized.

[0104] On the other hand, the front end of a sole-corresponding part 100, and a toe-corresponding part 200, and a propulsion strengthening part 300 hit the ground prior to a heel 40 during fast running. Unnecessary force can be consumed because a wearer has to bend the foot downwardly inclined toward the front by putting force on the ankle.

[0105] In accordance with this embodiment, a shoe outsole is configured to shift the center of gravity toward the front of a sole-corresponding part 100 and a toe-corresponding part 200.

[0106] Thus, a wearer avoids force consumption during fast running by making the front of a sole-corresponding part 100, a toe-corresponding part 200, and a propulsion strengthening part 300 downwardly inclined without putting force on the ankle.

[0107] In order to configure the center of gravity of an outsole OS offset toward the front of a sole-corresponding part 100, a toe-corresponding part 200, and a propulsion strengthening part 300, bumps and dips or cleats formed on the bottom surface are arranged intensively to the front of a sole-corresponding part 100 and a toe-corresponding part 200.

[0108] The embodiment described above is exemplary, and any person skilled in the art could make modifications and variations within the scope of not deviating from intrinsic features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiment is intended not to limit but to describe the technical idea of the present invention, and does not limit the technical idea of the present invention in scope. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted in accordance with the following claims, and all the technical ideas within the equal scope should be interpreted as being included in the right scope of the present invention.