INTERNAL BRACING SOCK CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

A footwear accessory in the form of an elastic sleeve provides stability and support to the wearer that is not otherwise obtained from street and fashion footwear. The accessory enables a dancer to perform using street and fashion footwear in lieu of conventional dance footwear. The sleeve is adapted for positioning about the arch of a footbed or the insole of a shoe. In addition to stabilizing the wearer's foot, the accessory retains the foot against the footbed or shoe insole, particularly during vigorous dance movements.

Claims

1. An accessory for a shoe, comprising (a) a footbed including heel, arch, and toe portions; and (b) an elastic sleeve connected with said arch portion of said footbed, said sleeve containing a top opening for receiving the foot of a wearer, whereby when the accessory is used in connection with a shoe, the accessory stabilizes the wearer's foot relative to the shoe and retains the bottom portion of the wearer's foot against an insole of the shoe.

2. An accessory as defined in claim 1, wherein said elastic sleeve contains a front opening through which the toes and ball of the wearer's foot extend above said footbed toe portion.

3. An accessory as defined in claim 2, wherein said elastic sleeve contains a rear opening from which the heel of the wearer's foot extends above said footbed heel portion.

4. An accessory as defined in claim 3, and further comprising a shoe having a sole and an upper, said footbed being connected with said shoe sole and said sleeve being at least partially connected with said shoe upper.

5. An accessory as defined in claim 4, wherein said sleeve includes stitching around said top, front, and rear openings to reinforce portions of said sleeve adjacent to said top, front, and rear openings, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe accessory according to the invention connected with a high heel shoe sole;

[0010] FIGS. 2 and 3 are top and bottom views, respectively, of the shoe accessory according to the invention;

[0011] FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and rear views, respectively, of the shoe accessory of FIG. 2;

[0012] FIGS. 6 and 7 are left and right side views, respectively, of the shoe accessory of FIG. 2 as worn on a wearer's foot; and

[0013] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the accessory connected with a shoe sole and upper according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] As shown in the drawing, the shoe accessory 2 according to the invention is adapted for use with a shoe 4. The accessory standing alone is shown in FIGS. 2-7. FIG. 1 shows the accessory used with a high heeled shoe without an upper and FIG. 8 shows the accessory connected with a high heel shoe with an upper 6.

[0015] In a first embodiment of the accessory as shown in FIG. 1, the accessory includes a sleeve 8. The sleeve is preferably formed of a synthetic elastic fabric material such as spandex and can be provided with different dimensions to accommodate different sized feet. The sleeve contains a top opening 10 for receiving a foot of the wearer. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sleeve further contains a front opening 12 through which the toes and the ball of the wearer's foot extend, as shown for example in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7. In addition, the sleeve contains a heel opening 14 through which the heel of the wearer's foot extends. The sleeve is arranged on a shoe of the type which does not have an upper. That is, the shoe toe portion passes through the heel and toe openings of the sleeve, with the sleeve being positioned in an arch region of the shoe. When the wearer inserts the foot through the top opening 10 with the toes and ball of the foot extending through the front opening 12, the sleeve serves to stabilize the wearer's foot, and particularly the wearer's ankle, as well as to retain the foot against the top surface of the shoe 4. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sleeve need not be physically connected with the shoe. That is, the sleeve is removable from the shoe. However, when the sleeve and shoe are worn in combination, the elasticity of the sleeve serves to retain the shoe on the wearer's foot.

[0016] Another embodiment of the accessory is shown in FIGS. 2-7. This embodiment is designed to be used with or without a shoe. The accessory of FIGS. 2-7 includes a footbed 16 which is formed of any suitable material such as leather or a composite material and the sleeve is connected with the footbed. The footbed includes toe 16a, arch 16b, and heel 16c portions and the sleeve is connected with the arch footbed arch portion. In this embodiment, the sleeve is connected with the footbed, such as by stitching 18 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. When used without a shoe, the footbed serves as a sandal and the sleeve stabilizes the foot.

[0017] In both embodiments of the accessory described above, the sleeve is reinforced about the top, front and heel openings. The reinforcement is provided by reversely folding a portion of the sleeve within each opening and then applying stitching 20 to connect the reversely folded portions with the main portion of the sleeve.

[0018] FIG. 8 shows the footbed and sleeve accessory connected with a shoe having an upper 6. In this embodiment, the footbed is connected with the shoe sole via stitching around the perimeter of the footbed and the sleeve is at least partially connected with the upper via stitching 22. The connection of the sleeve with the shoe upper is such as to retain the elasticity of the sleeve so that it provides stability to the dancer's foot well beyond that provided by the upper.

[0019] The elastic sleeve acts like a brace and provides strength, support and stability to the wearer's foot. When combined with a decorative upper, it allows the user/wearer freedom of movement with a design appropriate article of footwear.

[0020] The internal sleeve is integrated into the shoe construction so that it is lasted separately from the upper. This creates an internal structure of the shoe that provides the aforementioned support but more importantly keeps the foot stable and connected with the insole of the shoe at all times. This construction avoids the need for outward adjustments such as laces, zippers, and the like to make the shoe feel tighter and more secure. The design of the internal sleeve is such that the heel is exposed and the sleeve acts as a sock or bootie which wraps securely around the ankle, instep and arch. The sleeve is constructed so that it is a separate element from the upper, yet does not affect the outward appearance of the upper.

[0021] The sleeve and shoe combination is particularly useful for dancers in that it allows a dancer to perform all manner of dance moves which he or she would otherwise not be able to perform while wearing a street or fashion shoe without risk of falling or injury since the conventional street or dance shoe is not made to fit securely for dancing purposes.

[0022] The accessory is applicable to any shoe articles, and particularly any heeled shoes.

[0023] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without deviating from the inventive concepts set forth above.