Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WEARABLE SHOE TREE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
Shoes (especially athletic shoes) are subject to deformations, whether due to
wear-and-tear or simple gravity, thereby perturbing the patency and aesthetics
of the
footwear. Typically, such plastic changes appear as creases or wrinkles on the
front of
the shoe just above where the toes are situated (i.e. toe box area), the
sidewalls and heels
of footwear. These creases or wrinkles detract from the overall appearance and
functionally can diminish the useful life of the shoes. The present invention
relates to a
special wearable shoe insert, designed to be positioned within the interior of
various types
of shoes, thereby helping maintain the original shape of the shoe and
preventing the front
area (or toe box area) side walls and/or heels from creasing. and wrinkling
over time. The
wearable shoe tree can be inserted each time the footwear is worn or installed
permanently by the footwear manufacturer. The shoe tree insert can also
maintain the
shape of the footwear, even when the footwear is not being worn, since the
legs of the
flexible thin plastic shell lock it into the interior superior walls of the
shoe.
In addition to helping maintain the overall appearance and useful life of
footwear,
the invention has useful medical or health applications. For example, the
invention may
allow individuals with amputations to present the appearance of a normal foot
in a shoe.
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In conditions of diabetic neuropathy, diabetic patients may not size their
shoes
appropriately due to numbness of the toes. The deformation of the toe box can
cause
debilitating abrasions of the toe knuckles in these patients. Finally, since
portions of the
plastic shoe tree can be manually cut out from the shoe tree, the invention
can be worn by
individuals with corns, bunions and other anomalous growths on feet and toes.
The invention can also be used as an aid to both athletic shoe customization
and/or beautification. Since the legs of the flexible plastic wearable shoe
tree shell lock it
into the walls of the shoe and create a crease-free exterior surface, the shoe
can be
painted, shined or similarly modified in a distortion-free manner.
Further modifications to the shoe tree, that have both aesthetic and medical
benefits, may include scenting of the shoe tree and/or treatment of the shoe
tree with anti-
microbials.
Description of Related Art
Insert footwear devices or caps are known in the Art for the protection of
toes
from compressible or bending forces.
The Gray Patent (U.S. Patent No. 3,950,865) discloses a rigid safety toe box
insert
with a balanced phalange design thereby prevention rotation of the toe box
rear edge
downwardly upon application of external forces while increasing the bearing
area of the
box on the soling materials used in the footwear.
The Yang Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0144809) discloses a shoe toe
cap having interior and exterior surface with multiple reinforcement layers.
The toecap is
made with a reinforced composite allowing flexible binding so the toecap can
be fastened
to other parts of the shoe, such as an upper, a tongue and a sole with
stitches.
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The Gougelet et al. Patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,598,323B1) discloses a shoe toe
protection device having a smoother outer layer and inner layer composed of
reinforcing
rib members. The protector comprises a top, front end and open back end and
sides=
contiguous with the top and front.
The Gesso Patent (U.S. Patent No. 6,170,174) discloses a shock absorbing liner
attached to the interior of a baseball shoe to help protect the toes and upper
portion of the
player's foot. The protective shell, composed of layers of hard plastic, are
shaped to
cover essentially the entire upper foot region including the toes. The shell
members are
joined by bendable elements to allow flexion.
The Streit et al Patent (U.S. Patent No. 3,561,142) discloses a shoe having a
toe
box protection portion with a force-transmitting spring metal strip.
The Wang Patent (U.S. Patent No. 5,832,633) discloses a toe cap, having an
open
and closed end, comprised of several layers of fibers to provide toe
protection that gives
structural protective strength without the electrical/magnetic complications
of metal toe
caps.
The Rose design Patent (U.S. Patent No. D316,772) is directed to an ornamental
design for a safety shoe toe cap.
In all of the preceding examples of Art, the invention disclosures are
directed to
the toe box region of the shoe (i.e. the upper portion of the footwear that
roughly covers
the toes) wherein the inserts are intended to protect the toe area against
compressible or
tensile forces yet allowing the shoe to maintain some degree of flexibility.
Thus,
'construction-type' footwear and shoes used in particular high-impact sports
activities are
the main useful purpose of the toe boxes or caps. The inventions are not
intended to
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prevent creasing, wrinkling or maintenance of a shoe's patency for aesthetics
or similar
purposes. Further, the protective inserts are limited to the toe box area and
do not
protect other foot regions in the shoe.
in contradistinction to these purposes, two patent publications describe shoe
insert
inventions intended to maintain the aesthetic patency of footwear.
The Shaw et al. Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0070262A1) describes a
curved plastic toe cap insert for athletic shoes to prevent wrinkling of the
toe end of the
shoe upper. The disclosed insert shell has a contoured front wall curving
rearwardly into
an upper wall and curving on opposite sides into opposed side walls. The
insert does not
extend rearward beyond the toe box. Thus, although the construction of the
insert can
help prevent wrinkling of the toe cap region of the shoe, it does not prevent
wrinkling or
creasing in any other region of the footwear.
The Spar et al. Patent Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0148607A1) discloses a
shoe insert composed of a semi-rigid inner shell and an outer shell that would
prevent the
front area or toe section from creasing. It is not designed to conform itself
to the interior
of any shoe nor is it designed to maintain the shape and patency of the whole
shoe.
Thus, although partial solutions to the maintenance of shoe patency and
aesthetics
have been developed, such as discussed above, there still remains a need in
the art for a
wearable shoe insert that can maintain the patency of the whole shoe upper,
preventing
wrinkling, creasing and other signs of physical stress/strain wear. There has
been a long
felt need for such a insert not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for
medical applications
and, recently, shoe customization. The present invention not only provides a
solution to
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this long felt need but it is functionally designed to be wearable, thus
offering the
capability of maintaining shoe patency, even when worn.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purposes and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in, and
apparent from, the description that follows, as well as will be learned.
The invention consists of an insert that is placed in the shoe just like a
shoe tree
and allows a user to wear the sneakers or shoes with the insert in the shoe.
These inserts
will allow the user to keep the original shape of the footwear while being
worn or not. It
also gives the user the benefit of wearing the shoes or sneakers while the
inserts are still
inside the shoe thus giving an extra level of protection against the wear-and-
tear that
would normally occur. Other advantages derive from the ability of the wearable
shoe
tree to maintain the patency of footwear. In the medical health field, for
example,
individuals with complete or partial foot amputations can present the
appearance of a
normal foot in a shoe. For patients with diabetic neuropathy, the invention
can protect
the toes from collapse or deformation of the toe box. Also, since portions of
the plastic
shoe tree can be manually cut out from the tree, the invention can be worn by
individuals
with corns, bunions and other anomalous growths on feet and toes. In another
example,
the wearable shoe tree can be used as an aid to athletic shoe customization
and
beautification. Since the legs of the flexible plastic shoe tree shell lock it
into the walls of
the shoe and create a crease-free exterior surface, the shoe can be painted,
shined or
similarly modified in a distortion-free manner.
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In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a wearable shoe
tree
comprising a structural shell insert that fits into a shoe. The shoe has a toe
box with an
inner wall. The shoe also includes inner sidewalls. The insert fits beneath
the inner wall
of the toe box with extended legs that fit beneath the inner sidewalls of the
shoe. The two
legs of the insert define a U-shape wherein the U-shape forms a space between
the two
legs allowing for flexibility and comfort in the vamp region of the shoe.
In one embodiment, the wearable shoe tree is made of plastic with a closed
shape at the
top box or cap region and two legs that extend down the sides of the footwear.
The ends
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of the legs are flexible, but firm enough, so that the legs can be bent
together slightly
thereby creating tension. The shoe tree can then be inserted into the
footwear. Once the
tensional force on the two legs is removed, the legs of the shoe tree
naturally snap back to
their original position, thereby "locking" the shoe tree to the inside surface
of the shoe
upper. The plastic material can be cut or shaped to allow greater comfort for
the user.
In another embodiment, the legs of the shoe tree extend all the way back along
the
sidewalls of the shoe to, and around, the heel. This configuration would allow
maintenance of the patency of the complete shoe upper including toe region,
sidewalls
and heel.
In still another embodiment, the shoe tree insert is fenestrated, thereby
decreasing the
weight of the insert and allowing aeration within the shoe.
In still another embodiment, the shoe tree is made of a material that would
allow it to be
permanently tailored or manufactured into the shoe. Alternatively,ihe exterior
surface of
the plastic shoe tree can be glued, or modified, to allow it to be permanently
affixed to
the shoe.
In still another embodiment, padding or other material can be affixed to the
inside surface
of the shoe tree. This could increase the comfort of the shoe or allow an
appropriate filler
for certain medical or health conditions.
= In still another embodiment, the insert can have various cutouts of the
material to allow
greater comfort and/or flexibility in particular regions of the feet.
In still another embodiment, the insert is made from a non-plastic material
such as wood,
rubber, metal or ceramic.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further
understanding of
the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification, illustrate
embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to
explain the
principles of the invention:
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of shoe with insert installed;
Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of insert;
Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of insert;
Fig. 4 illustrates a side view of insert; and
Fig. 5 illustrates a top view of insert.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
Detailed reference will now be made to the most preferred embodiments of the
present
invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
Figs. 1 -5, the wearable shoe tree comprises a shoe tree-type insert that
keeps the shape
of the whole upper shoe when the shoe is not being worn. Furthermore, the
shape and
size of the insert allows it to be comfortably worn by the user, thereby
preventing
creasing or other damage to the shoe that normally occurs with use. The insert
does not
otherwise interfere with the wearing of the shoe.
Figure 1 illustrates a side view of the insert 10 in a shoe. The insert snugly
molds, via
pressure tension of the legs of the insert, to the inner surface of the
uppers. The
construction of the insert protects against deformations (e.g. creasing,
wrinkling, etc.) of
the toe box area 20 and sidewalls 32 of the uppers. In another embodiment the
insert
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shell extends all the way around the shoe thereby also protecting against
deformations in
the heel upper 90.
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the insert 10. The toe box region
20 of the
insert provides a convex ceiling 70 that snugly fits to the inner surface of
the shoe upper
and follows the contours from the shoe upper down to the floor of the shoe
where the
upper meets the sole. The two legs 30 of the insert extend from the toe box
region to
snugly (via pressure tension) snap into the inner surface of the shoe
sidewalls 60. The
two legs of the insert create a "U" wherein the "U" space 40 between the two
legs allows
for flexibility and comfort in the vamp region of the shoe. In some
embodiments of the
invention, the thin volume of the insert can be fenestrated to decrease the
insert weight
and increase aeration.
Figures 3,4 and 5 show other view planes of the shoe tree. The front (Fig. 3)
and side
(Fig. 4) views show the curved nature of the insert from a horizontal and
vertical
viewpoint. It basically points out that the curvature follows the natural
curvature of a
shoe's upper at the toe box and around the side walls. The lower walls of the
insert sit
atop the floor of the shoe's upper.
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