ATHLETIC TRACTION SOCK

Abstract

A single-layer sock preferably formed of interconnected pieces with at least one of the pieces strategically placed for stabilizing a foot within a shoe and at least one piece comprised of gripping material.

Claims

1. A single layer sock, comprising: a plurality of material pieces with at least one piece being a first material formed of a non-woven fabric including a high coefficient of friction relative to skin on a foot and also relative to an athletic insole; and said plurality of pieces are sewn or seamlessly bonded together so as to form a sock.

2. The sock of claim 1, wherein at least one piece of a second material is included in said plurality of material pieces and said second material comprises a fabric having a lower coefficient of friction relative to skin on a foot and also relative to an athletic insole than the high coefficient of friction related to said first material.

3. The sock of claim 2, wherein said second material has wicking properties.

4. The sock of claim 2, wherein said second material allow for venting from a foot.

5. The sock of claim 1, wherein said first material is included in a heel area of the sock.

6. The sock of claim 1, wherein said first material is included in a insole area of the sock.

7. The sock of claim 1, wherein said first material in included in a base of the sock.

8. The sock of claim 1, wherein said first material comprises a brushed fabric.

9. The sock of claim 8, wherein said first material is synthetic.

10. A method of forming a sock, comprising: cutting a plurality of pieces of material, said pieces configured to be joined to one another to form a sock, with at least one piece comprising a first material having gripping properties; arranging the pieces of the materials into a desired pattern with said at least one piece first arranged to encompass at least a part of a base of the sock; and sewing or seamlessly bonding the pieces to each other to form the sock.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one piece comprising a first material has a coefficient of friction relative to the insole of a shoe sufficient to grip the insole.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one piece comprising a first material is included in a heel area of the sock.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one piece comprising a first material is included in a insole area of the sock.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one piece comprising a first material in included in a base of the sock.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one of the plurality of pieces includes a second material with wicking properties.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said second material allows for venting from a foot.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said first material comprises a non-woven brushed fabric.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first material is synthetic.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said first material is a non-woven brushed synthetic gripping fabric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIGS. 1A-1C respectively depict outside, front, and perspective views of an embodiment of the sock of the present invention constructed by the cut and sew or cut and bond method;

[0027] FIGS. 2A-2E show and an embodiment of a sock of the present invention constructed from the materials.

[0028] FIG. 3 depicts test results of the sock of the present invention under dry conditions.

[0029] FIG. 4 depicts test results of the sock of the present invention under wet conditions.

[0030] FIG. 5 depicts measured improvement in slip of the present invention over a control sock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0031] With reference now to the drawings, FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C depict an embodiment of a sock constructed by a cut and sew method as opposed to knitting. The sock is comprised of a plurality of pieces of material (see, e.g., FIG. 1C) that are cut into desired shapes and sewn or otherwise attached together to form a sock. Sewing is as seamless as possible.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, different pieces of material, at times formed of different compositions, are attached together. As shown in an example in FIG. 1A, portion 10 may be an elasticized section for holding the sock up the leg, portion 20 may be friction elements so as to avoid slippage and may be formed using, for example, micro suede gripping material, portions 30 and 35 may have wicking and/or air flow functionality, and attaching elements 40 and 45 may be bonding attributes between elements.

[0033] FIGS. 2A-2E depict various combinations of materials that can be used to form the sock. In one embodiment, the materials include a first material, a second material that preferably includes a brushed non-woven griping material, and potentially a third material that is inclusive of elastic composition, such as for the purpose of a cuff. It should be noted that although three materials are disclosed herein, the sock can be comprised of any number and type of desired materials, Element 50 in FIG. 2B depicts exemplary strategic placement of gripping material on the bottom portion of the sock. As shown in the embodiment in FIG. 2C, elastic material extends about an area near the opening of the sock and the top portion of the sock is substantially comprised of pieces of the third material. The elastic material is preferably used to allow the lift portion of the sock to remain stable on a wearer's leg. As shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E, the sock is comprised of a plurality of materials arranged at specific locations of the sock and cut to mate with each other. As shown in FIG. 2D, the sole of the sock includes a first region of grip material 50 to cover the ball of an individual's foot and a second region of grip material 50 to extend from an individual's ball of the foot to their heel. The remainder of the sole of the sock is comprised substantially of the first material with the edges glued via a heat press process to the grip material 50 to form a seamless bond between the grip material and first material. By arranging the grip material to cover the ball, heel, and partial or full insole of an individual's footthe regions of a foot that are prone to slide in a shoethe sock ensures a more secure fit between a shoe and a user's foot and in turn increases the individual's response time in reacting to an event and aids in preventing injuries typically caused due to movement of an individual's foot within a shoe.

[0034] Also evident in FIG. 2E is opening 60. In one embodiment, a sock may be formed by creating a full sock and then opening a hole 60, such as by laser cutting. Once hole 60 is created, grip material 50 is inserted and sewn, heat bonded, or otherwise bonded in.

[0035] The sock of the present invention is formed of a plurality of materials, preferably sewn or otherwise bonded together in a manner to avoid overlap and elevated seams. In the present invention, some portions of the sock may be formed of traditional athletic sock materials, such as but not limited to materials which include wicking and/or venting properties. These materials, which may have lower coefficients of friction than other materials in the sock, cover areas of the foot where slippage is less of an issue, such as on the upper portion of the foot.

[0036] By placing the gripping material in limited but strategically important areas, attributes of an athlete's performance have been found to improve. The attributes of the sock were split up into performance attributes and comfort and visual attributes. The results were reported as the percentage difference in the score between the prototype sock and the control sock. Positive percentage differences indicate an improved score for the prototype sock.

[0037] Each of eleven testers was given a control sock and the sock of the present invention and asked to rate improvement in grip, agility, and speed. Nearly all indicated improvement in each category, with improvement of up to 60%. Nearly all participants felt that the prototype sock offered an increased level of grip within the shoe. This backs up the data observed in friction testing; increased friction can be attributed to an increased sensation of grip. Furthermore, 9 out of 11 of the participants reported an increase in grip of >10%.

[0038] FIGS. 3 and 4 depict test results, testing various socks in combination with skin and with an insole, under both dry and wet (sweat) conditions. The test consisted of a control sample (an off-the-shelf athletic sock), a swatch of the material of the present invention, and a sock of the present invention. In each case, numerous tests were conducted (the charts show error bounds), relative to skin and a common insole, where the common insole is formed of a nylon/polyester surface. From the test data, it is self-evident that the sock of the present invention is superior under dry conditions and is as good if not better than all others in wet conditions.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows measured test results for a control sock and the present invention (PolyStorelli) regarding slippage. Whereas slippage was measured at over 100 mm for a control sock, the measurement was nearly zero for the present invention.

[0040] The control sock is a cotton sport sock of a type available at any sports outlet. The sock of the present invention in testing always provides higher friction than commercial and control socks. Typically, the sock of the present invention provides around 40% more friction to the foot and shoe than the control (average performance across wet/dry, interior/exterior tests). The dry performance of the sock tends to be better than commercial socks, including in wetted conditions.

[0041] The sock of the present invention is intended to improve grip between a foot and a shoe. The gripping material of the present invention stabilizes the foot within the shoe. To that end, the sock of the present invention may be configured to mate with another component within the shoe or may have an additional component which can improve mating with the shoe. For example, overlayed on the sock, or in separate pieces interspersed among grippy pieces, a different material, formed potentially of a knitted fabric such as but not limited to a prime knit, can be used to mate with material in the shoe. In a further example, the material in the shoe may have a surface for adhering to one or more of the materials in the sock. In addition, to aid this process, because a sock is form-fitting, the mating material can also be form-fitting.

[0042] The foregoing description and associated images illustrate several embodiments of the invention and its respective constituent parts. However, other types of materials and patterns combining materials are possible. As such, the images are not intended to be limiting in that regard. Thus, although the description above and accompanying images contain much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments, but merely as providing illustrations of some of embodiments of the present disclosure. The images and the description are not to be taken as restrictive on the scope of the embodiments and are understood as broad and general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While the present embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for present illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations to such embodiments, including but not limited to the substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, and the reversal of various features thereof, may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.