Sandal with Toe Separators

Abstract

A sandal comprising a base sole element and an upper element which enclose a human foot therebetween. Toe separators extend between the base sole element and the upper element, with each of the toe separators providing a wedging separation between adjacent toes of the human foot and the toe separators include a material such as memory foam to provide a cushioning sensation to the adjacent toes in contact therewith. A fabric cover of the memory foam may be textured to provide a massaging sensation as well. Separately the fabric may be comprised of an antimicrobial, antibacterial or antifungal fabric to thereby directly treat the area between the toes normally susceptible to athlete's foot.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising a base sole element and an outwardly exposed upper element forming a fully open separated space therebetween configured to fully span and enclose a width of a human foot inserted therein with the upper element configured to rest on the foot, wherein one to four discrete toe separator elements, each fully extends across the open separated space between the base sole element and the upper element, wherein each of the one to four toe separator elements is comprised of an elongated longitudinal material tube, having an upper and lower end and wherein the elongated longitudinal material tube is circumferentially continuously closed, and wherein a laterally compressible elongated longitudinally extending material, comprised of a longitudinally solid foam or a solid memory foam, is contained within the respective elongated longitudinal material tube and positioned interior and compressively adjacent to an interior surface of the material tube as one of a sheet backing layer, solid cylinder or solid tube, wherein the upper end of the elongated longitudinal material tube is closed and the closed upper end is fixedly adhered to an underside of the upper element at a position above the inserted foot and the lower end is closed and the closed lower end is attached to a top side of the base sole element at a position below the inserted foot, thereby forming a fully closed elongated longitudinal material tube configured to be a toe separator and wherein the laterally compressible elongated longitudinally extending material sheet backing layer, cylinder or tube is fully enclosed and contained within and adjacent the elongated longitudinal material tube wherein the elongated longitudinal material tube extends between the upper element and base sole element and wherein the laterally compressible elongated longitudinally extending sheet backing layer, cylinder or tube material extends only between the closed upper and lower ends of each toe separator respectively.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the footwear comprises a sandal with one toe separator element, configured and positioned for separation of a big toe and adjacent toe of the human foot.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the footwear comprises a sandal with four toe separator elements, respectively configured and positioned for separation between five toes of the human foot.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the laterally compressible sheet backing layer, cylinder or tube material consists essentially of memory foam.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the material tube is comprised of a decorative layer material.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the decorative layer material is a fabric layer.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the fabric layer comprises a textured outer surface configured to provide a massaging effect to adjacent toes in contact therewith.

8. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the material tube is comprised of at least one of an antimicrobial, an antibacterial and an antifungal fabric configured to provide respective antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity treatment to an area between the adjacent toes with which the toe separator is in contact.

9. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the laterally compressible sheet backing layer material is comprised of memory foam integrally formed with the fabric layer or adhered thereto as a bi-layer material, wherein the elongated longitudinal material tube comprises a sized section of the bi-layer material in a tube configuration, with the tube respectively comprising each toe separator element, with the fabric facing outwardly and with lateral ends of the sized section seamed together to maintain configuration of the tube and wherein the seam of the tube is positioned to face the foot when the footwear is worn.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the tube has a circular cross section.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the seamed ends of the sized section are skived.

12. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the fabric comprises an un-seamed tubular enclosure for the laterally compressible sheet backing layer, cylinder or tube material.

13. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the toe separator element includes a centrally and longitudinally positioned stiffener element configured to provide structural support for the laterally compressible sheet backing layer, or tube material and fabric material tubular enclosure.

14. The article of footwear of claim 4, wherein the footwear comprises four toe separator elements with the laterally compressible sheet backing layer, cylinder or tube material of each of the toe separator elements being comprised of memory foam enclosed within and directly adjacent a decorative fabric material comprised of at least one of antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal fabric and configured to provide respective antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity treatment to an area between the adjacent toes with which the toe separator elements are respectively in contact.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one to four toe separator elements is comprised of at least one of an antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal material with the one of the at least one to four toe separator elements being configured to provide respective antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity treatment directly to an area between the adjacent toes with which the toe separator is in contact.

16. A method for directly treating microbial, bacterial and fungal growth between toes of a human foot, comprising the steps of: a) aligning three adjacent toe separator elements of the article of footwear of claim 3, starting from a small toe of the human foot along a distally extending diagonal line with a toe separator element between a big toe and an adjacent toe being out of line from the diagonal line and proximally behind an adjacent toe separator, in conformity with anatomical configuration of the human foot, and attaching all the toe separator elements to the upper element and lower base element respectively, b) providing the tube material of the four toe separator elements as one of an antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal fabric, and c) placing the article of footwear on a human foot in need of treatment for microbial, bacterial, and fungal growth whereby respective antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal activity treatment is directly applied to a base area between the adjacent toes with which the toe separator element is in contact.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF TILE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a bottom view of a typical human left foot;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a left foot sandal with toe separators of the present invention adapted for use with the foot of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a corresponding right foot sandal with the first toe separator having been cut to show the cross section of the toe separator;

[0028] FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of a composite fabric-memory foam from which the toe separators of the sandals of FIGS. 2-3 are sized and formed, showing the fabric layer;

[0029] FIG. 4B is a bottom view of the composite fabric-memory foam of FIG. 4, showing the memory foam layer;

[0030] FIG. 5 depicts a manufactured sheet of six sections of the material with memory foam backing, each of which is separated to make the individual toe separators;

[0031] FIG. 6 depicts a toe separator material prior to rolling formation, together with a centrally placed stiffener element,

[0032] FIGS. 7A and 7B respectively depict a stitched toe separator element rolled into a seamed tube with straight cut ends and the separator material prior to rolling and stitching;

[0033] FIGS. 7C and 7D respectively depict a section of separator material with skived ends and the rolled seamed tube formed therefrom; and

[0034] FIGS. 8A-C depict various textured surfaces for use as the fabric in the toe separators with massaging functions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND DRAWINGS

[0035] A typical human foot 10 is shown in FIG. 1 with toes 1-5 (big toe to pinky) and the respective spacings 1a-4a therebetween. The sandal 20 in FIG. 2 is conformed to be worn by the foot 10 with spacings 21a, 22a and 23a being conformed to contain toes 2-4 respectively and with big toe 1 and pinky 5 being positioned exterior to toe separator elements 21 and 25 respectively. Toe separator elements 21-24 are affixed to upper strap element 26 and sole 25 to hold them together but are not initially integral with elements 25 and 26 and are comprised of different materials. The toe separator elements 21-24 are shown as being stitched to upper strap element 26. The toe separator elements 21-24 are positioned to respectively separate toes 1 and 2, toes 2 and 3, toes 3 and 4, and toes 4 and 5. Relative positioning of the toe separators 22-24 is generally along diagonal line D-D with toe separator 21 being out of line D-D and below toe separator 22, in conformity with the anatomical configuration of the human foot 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the between toe spacings thereof.

[0036] In FIG. 3 a first toe separator 21 is shown as severed from the sole 25 of sandal 20 to show the cross section 30 of the toe separator. The cross sectioned toe separator 21 has a fabric exterior 32 enclosing and covering memory foam 31 with a stitched section 33 facing the inside of the sandal.

[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B depict both sides of the sheet 15 used to form the toe separators 21-24 with fabric layer 16 configured to face the outside when the sheet is rolled and the toe separator is formed and with the memory foam layer 17 forming the central core element. FIG. 5 depicts a manufactured fabric-foam layer sheet 45 preformed with severable elements 45a-f for the cutting to size and rolling of six toe separator elements. FIG. 6 depicts the sheet 15 with an optional then rubber, rigidizing central element 50 for rolling in the formation of the separator elements to provide structural rigidity as required.

[0038] FIGS. 7A and 7B depict the sheet 15 rolled into toe separator 100 with seamed fold 101, without the ends 15a and 15b having been skived. FIGS. 7C and 7D depict the sheet 15 with skived ends 15c and 15d with formation of toe separator 200. The seamed fold 201 is of lesser volume and area extent as compared to seamed fold 101 and accordingly provides additional comfort enhancement.

[0039] FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C depict alternative textured surfaces 61, 71 and 81 of outer facing fabric layers 60, 70 and 80 to provide a massaging effect to the toes in contact therewith.

[0040] It is understood that the antimicrobials may be added to any or all of the fabric layers or to any fabric or similar outer layers of toe separators in order to enhance comfort and well being of a wear of sandals with toe separation.

[0041] It is understood that the above description and drawings are only illustrative of the present invention and that changes in structure, components and compositions may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.