CA1265332A

CA1265332A - Navicular support tennis shoe

Info

Publication number: CA1265332A
Application number: CA000528274A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Stephen M. Pasternak
Original assignee: Prince Manufacturing Inc
Current assignee: Prince Manufacturing Inc
Priority date: 1986-01-28
Filing date: 1987-01-27
Publication date: 1990-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-06
Also published as: HK84793A; JPS62231602A; ATA13587A; DE3767169D1; NZ219055A; EP0231118B1; AU582335B2; US4670998A; EP0231118A3; ES2020558B3; AT399804B; EP0231118A2; AU6792887A

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A sports shoe, preferably for tennis includes a rigid stirrup member with a pair of first portions that extend downwardly and rearwardly, on opposite sides of the shoe, to the sole, and a second portion that extends around the back of the shoe and is connected between the first portion. The first portion on the inside part of the shoe extends over the navicular bone, and the second portion extends behind the calcaneous bone of the foot.
When the first portions are fastened together, the stirrup member encapsulates the calcaneous, navicular, and talus bones to provide medio-lateral support to critical stress-bearing bones and joints.

Description

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NAVICULAR SUPPORT TENNIS S~O~

BACgG~OUND OF THE I~VENTION
: Th~ invention is an improve~ent in sports shoes,and in particular tennis shoes, that providesimproved support of the foot duri~g active sports.
Tennis and oth~r active sports can impart severe s~resses to the bones, ligaments, and muscLes of the foot, particuIarly during stopping, turning, and lateral mo~ements on the court. During such movements, the foo~: tends to : move in the shoe.~ When this happe~s, t~e:foot muscles ~ :
:an~:muscles in the leg te~d to woxk harder to try to ~: : compensate for the mov~ment. Thls causes fatigue, and : ankle or knee injuries can occur due to the strain of overcompe~sating mu~cles. It is desirable that tennis .
: ~ footwear, as welL as other sports shoes, be designed to :~support;the foot in the appropriate areas to prevent this excess~mo~ement. ~
U.S.:patent No. 2,539,761 to Nhitman discloses ~: :
:a sneaker that incluaes flexible retention straps on ::: either side of the foot to prevent the foot from sliding forward : , - 1 -~:
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i3;:~2 in the shoe, and to provide side balance. The bottoms of the straps are secur~d to the sole in positions immediately to the rear of the heads o~ the f irst an~ fifth meta~arsal bones of the foot, and extend rearwardly and upwardly over the instep (arch).
U.S. patent No. ~,768,182 to Powers disclose~
a shoe with soft side wall~ and a pair of reinforcin~
overlays on either side of the shoe. The bottom of the overlay extends between a point immediately behind the ball of the foot ~o a point immediately behind the arch, with a cutout portion there~e~ween. The overlays ex~end forwardly and upwar~ly from ~heir bottom portio~ and cover a substantial part of the forward portion of the foot.
15When the foot moves in the shoe, for example when stopping or turning, to the extent tha~ these known reinforcing members con~train movement o~ the foot, they do so by exerting a force on the arch, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the foot.
Also, these strap~ are designed prLncipaLly to support the bones a~d joints o~ly in the forward part of the foot.
: Furthenmore, the de~ree of lateral support such straps can provide i~ lLmited. It would be desirable to provide ~ improved lateral support to the principal stress-bearing bones, to limit the movement thereof, and to provide such support both in the forward and rear portions of the foot.

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-- SUMMARY OF T~E INVENTION
The present invention i~ a sports shoe, in particuIar a court shoe, and most specifically a tennis shoe, that provides improved la~eral and longitudinal support to ~he foot while stopping, starting, and turning, to decrease fa~igue, increase responsiveness of the leg muscles, and minLmize foot and leg iniurie In particular, the present invention is a sports shoe, with a sole and an upper, that include~ a tension bearing support member on the inner side of the shoe that extend~ downwardly and rearward~y over the area of the navicuIar bone of the foot, and which is connected, in tension bearing engagement, to the sole and to the rear of the shae, behind the os calcis bone of the foot, to provide medio-lateral support between the os calcis and navicuIar bone~
In one preferred embodiment, the support me~er is in the form of a rigid stirrup The stirrup has oppo~ite free ends o~erlying the foot, forward of the shoe opening for the foot, a pair of opposed~first portions : that exte~d downwardly and rearwardly on each side of the upper and which are attached to the sole, and a second ; portion tha~ extend between the first portions, around : the back of the shoe behind the openin~. A fastening means is provided for attaching the free ends to one another in tension, so a~ to draw the support stirrup : on the inner side of the~shoe against the navicular bone, thereby to engage and:suppor~ the navicu1ar, talus, and os calcis bones~ ~

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' . , ' ~''~: ' ; ' ' ' , ~5332 - PreferabLy, the upper is made of a rela~ively pliable material, and the support member is made of rigid material, e.g. a high moduIus, low elongation plasticO
The stirrup member may be attached to the upper by stitching along the edges of the stirrup, and preferably the heel of the shoe is provided with a stiffening member bqtween the stirrup and the sole so that such members form a unitary stiff heel portion.
A support member in accordance with the invention provides medio-lateral stability of the ~ub-talar joint~
It moreo~er prevents valgus and varus (angulation) from occuring by encapsulating the os calcis and talus bones.
It also tends to prevent pronation ~eversion and abduction), because the medio and lateral walls of the shoe form a rigid stirrup that controls abnormal motion of the foot from side-to-side. Pronation is inhibited in view of the fact that the support member in accordance with the invention support~ the aub-talar joint from~behind the heel, rather than -imparting a downward force on the arch.
For a better understanding of the inve~tion, re~erence is made to the foLlowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taXe~ in conjunctio~ with the drawing~ accompanying the application.

RIEF DESCRIPT}ON OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a side view of a left shoe of a first ` ; embodiment of the invention, showing the inner side of the shoe;

l; Fiy. 2 is a top vie~ of the shoe shown in Fig.
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~ Fig. 3 is a cu~-away side view of the shoe shown in ~ig. 1, and lllustrating the anatomical relationship ~etween the bone structure of a foot and the support member of the invention;
Pig. 4 is a side view of a left shoe of a second embodiment of the invention, showing the inner side of the shoe; and Fig. 5 is a cut-away side vi.ew of the shoe shown in Fig. 4s illu~trating the anatomical relationship between lQ the bone struc~ure of a foot and the ~pport member of the second embodimen~.

DETAII.ED DESCRIPTION OF PREE'ERRED EMBODI~3NTS
Referring to Figs. 1-3, a sports shoe 10 in accordance with the invention includes a sole 12 and an upper 16. The. 901e 12 may be formed of polyurethane, ru~ber or other material. The forward portion of the sole, corresponding to the ball of the foot, is normally more flexible than the thicker rear portion, corresp.onding to the heel. If de ired, the forward portion of the sole 12 may i~clude an insert member 14 of a more wear-resistant ::: material.

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The upper 16 is preferably formed o~ a relatively soft, pliable material, such as leather, canvas, or nylon,~
: and may inolude an inside cushiQning liner in a manner well known~ The upper include~ a foot recei~ing opening ~ , .

~5332 18, and a pluraLity of lacing eyelets 19 for tying the shoe around the foot. A rigid stirrup or support member 20 overlie~ the upp~r 16, and includes a pair of ~irst portions 23, lying on opposite sides of the shoe, and a second portion 22 that extends between the first portions 23 behind the opening 18, around behind the back of the shoe.
The first portions 23 of the stirrup member 20 include free upper ends 32, 32a. Each first portion 23 extends downwardly and rearwardly .from its`free upper end 32 to the rear portion of the sole 12, preferably joining the sole at a point 24 forward of the calcaneus bone as described further on. Fig. 1 shows the lower end of the first portion 23, lying on the inner side of the shoe and extending from points 24 to 26. This lower end 24-26 engageq the sole 12 in an area to the rear of the free uppex end 32 of the first portion. The first portion lying on the outside part of the shoe may engage the sole along a complimentary portion lying on the other 2~ : side, but the areas o~ engagement need not be exactly the same.
: The second portion 22 of the stirrup 20 extends rearwardly and upwardly from the first portion 23 around back behind the shoe, and down and forward to the first 2~ portion 23 lying on the outside part cf the upper 16.
As shown in Fig. 3, preferably the rear portion 17 of the shoe upper includes a stiffening member 17a : that extends from the sole 12 at least to the bottom of the rear portion 22 of the stirrup 20, such that the .
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~ stirrup rear portion 22 and counter 12a form a unitary stiff shoe heel portion 17. Also, the stirrup is preferably at~ached to the upper, for example by stitches 30 along its outer edges. The upper end 32 of the inside part of the stirrup includes an eyelet 34, and the upper end 32a of the out~ide part of the stirrup includes a pair of eyelets 34a. Preferably, the stitching 30 terminates short of the upper edges, as shawn at 28. The shoe may be tied by inserting lace~ (not shown~ through the eyelets 19, 34 and 34a of the upper and of the stirrups. Preferably also, smaller holes 36 are provided ad~acent the ~oot-receiving opening 18, at the uppex end of the laces. Each er.d o~ the lace~ may be inserted through one pair of holes 36. When the,lace~ are tied, the holes 36 help prevent slipping of the lace~ and thereby releasing of the lacing force. ``
, Fig.. 3 includes a phantom illus~ration of the bones that lie on the inside portion of the foot 50, inside a shoe having a support member 20 in accordance with the in~ention. A lef~ ~oot is shown i~ Fig. 3 and include the calcaneus or os calcis bone 52, the talus or astragalus bone 54, the navicular or scaphoid bone 56, the internal:cuniform bone 58, the first metatarsal : bone 60, and two of the phalanges 62, 64. The tibia bone 25 ~ 66 is also shown in Fig. 3, where it joins the talus bone 54.
: The first portion 23 of the support member 20, : on the inner side of the foot,: extends over the navicular bone 56, and has a width roughly equivalent to the area , , 7 ,:,, .

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of the navicular bone 5~ to provide lateral support thereto.
The attachment at points 24, 26 of the first portion Z3 ~o the sole 12 acts as an anchor for the stirrup 20, but as shown, ~he rear portion 22 extends behind the calcaneus ~one 52 such that~ when lateral stress i~ placed on the foot, the ~tirrup 20 acts to grip the calcaneus and navicular bones. Thus, support is providPd in a direction between the navicular bone 56 and the calcaneu~ bone 52, with the talus bone 54 lying therebetween. The force imparted involves the sub-talar joint 55 from behind the heel, in a direc.tion perpendicular to the sub-talar axis, rather than pulling in the direction of the arch. This structure provides desirable lateral support for the maiar bones of the foot.
When a sudden mo~ement is imparted to the foot, such movement is transmitted to support member 20 which causes tightening of the laces between eyelets 34. Sideways movement causes navicular bone 56 and the calcaneus bone 52 to bear against the support member 20 to prevent abnormal displacement. Force is imparted in a direction perpen~icular to the sub-talar joint 55.
As a resuIt, a support member 20 in accordance with the invention pro~ides medio-lateraL stabiLity to the sub-tala.r joint 55. It inhibits valgus and varus, i.e. an outward anguIation or an inward angulatio~ of the foot, by encapsulating the os calcis 52 and talus 54, and inhibits prona~ion, that is, eversion (outward twisting) and abduction ~inwar~ twistiny) in the tarsal and metatarsal joints.

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~~ The first portion of the stirrup 23 on the o~tside of the foo~ need not be the shme either in width or orientatian as that on the inside of the foot. In the example show~, the first portion is wider on the outside part of the foot than on the inside. As discussed above, preferably the first p~rtio~s and second portion are one piece an~ made of a relatively rigid plastic ma~erial.
It may be possible to eliminate the outside 1o portion of the support member provided that the rear portion 2~ that supports the inside first mamber 23 is con~ected in tension bearin~ relationship to the rear of the shoe to impart a rearward component of force on the first member 23, and provided that the upper and 32 can be attached in tension bearin~ engayement with the outside of the upper, such that force is transmitted in a direction betwee~ the os calcis 52 and the navicuIar 56 bones.
The sports shae lOa shown in Figs. 4-5 includes a sole l~a, an upper 16a with a foot-receiving opening 18a, and a ~oe piece 14a~ similar to that shown in Figs.

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Th~ shae upper 16a includes an overlay 21a that extends upwardly from the sole 12a, from a~out midway :25 of the shoe back behind~the heel portion 17' of the shoe.
The heel portion 17' may include a stiffener or counter (not shown) similar to ~hat~in Figs. 1-3. ~he overlay 21a may be o~ the same material as the upper, for e~ample leather or nylon, or may be another:material.

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~53312 The suppor~ member 20a, shown for the inside part of the foot in Figs. 4-5, includes a free upper end 132a, with a means 33a for attaching i~ ~o the other side of the shoe, in a manner similar to that shown in Figs.
1-3. The reinforcing member 20a includes a first portion 23a that e~tends from the upper and 132a downwardly and rearwardly, to extend over the navicuIar bone 56. The lower end 23b of the first portion 23a is attached to the overlay 21a. Since the overlay 21a is at~ache~ to the.sole 12a, the upper end 132a of the first portion 23a is thereby in tension.bearing engagemPnt with the sole 12a.
The second portion 22a of the reinforcin~ member 20a extends upwardly and rearwardly from the lower end 23b of the first portion 23a, and back around t~e rear portion of the shoe lOa behind the o~ calcis bone 52, as shawn in Fig. 5. Preferably, the second portion 22a is stitche~ to the overlay portion 21a, so as to retain it properly in place~
Althaugh not shown, the portion of the ]uppor~
member 20a on the outside of the shoe look~ generally the same, i.e. a mirror image of, the inside portion shown in Fig. 4. A third portion of the support member 20a ~: is dispos~d on the outer side of the sho~ l~a. The Third portion has a free upper end disposed opposite to the ~ upper end 3Ia, and extend] downwardly and rearwardly from : its upper end in a manner :similar to portion 23a shown, to join the opposite side of the second portion 22a. The upper end of the third por~ion may include an eyelet similar : 30 to 34a for lacing to eyelet 33a.

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~2~332 In the example sh~wn in Fig~. 4-S, the first portion 23a passes through a guide sLot 31a, but is not otherwise attached to the upper 16a. The slot 31a act~
to retain the first portion 23a in place, for convenience in tying ~he shoe. The portion 23a may either ~e rigid, or may be.slightly resilient, but lacing forces through the eyelet 34a cause the first portion 23a to bear against the na~icuIar bone 56 of the foot.
While the support strap 20a does not extend all the way to the sole it i~ nevertheless attachecl in tension.bearing relationship to the sole and also behind the o~ calcis bone of the foot, as is the case in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3. Accordingly, in both emhodiments of the invention the support stirrup 20 or 20a provides instantaneous and increasing force as motion tak~es place against the.sides of the foot. The lateral opposing farce Lmparted by the support member inhibits angulation of the foot, thereby decrea~in~ momentum and the amount o work that the correcting muscle structure : 20 must perform. Because the muscles are no~ overcompensatlng for foot motion, the support member 20 t 20a in accordance with the invention decrease. fatigue. It also increases performance, by reducing the delay in responsiveness of ~ the muscle When changi~g direction, muscles that are ; ~ 25 tensed to overcompensate need to be relaxed and stretched :~ before other muscIes can move the foot in the desired direction. Because the muscles will tend to aLready be relaxed in accordance with the present inven~ion, there is ~an lmprovement in the responsivenéss of the muscles ~,, "0:.

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' ' . ' ~Z~i3~2 and therefare in the time to change direction~. Also, as discussed above, there is le~s likelihood of injury to the ankl~ complex and jointc above the sub~talar joints wh~re the muscles are not attempting to overcompensate for movement.
The foregoing repre~ent~ a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Variation~ and modificationc of the structure shown and described herein will be apparen~ to persons skilled in the art, without departing from the inventive concepts di~closed herein.
Al1 such modifica~ion~ and variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention as de~cri~ed in the following claLms.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A sports shoe having a sole and an upper attached thereto, the upper being made, at least substantially, of relatively pliable material and having opposite sides, one side corresponding to the inner side of the foot, and the other side corresponding to the outer side of the foot, and the upper also having a back portion adapted to wrap around the heel of the foot, and a supporting means including a tension bearing support member, made of a relatively rigid, high modulus, low elongation material, on the side of the upper corresponding to the inner side of the foot, said support member having a free upper end and extending downwardly and rearwardly over an area of the navicular bone of the foot, means for rigidly attaching said support member to said back portion, in an area behind the os calcis bone of the foot and for rigidly attaching said member to said sole in an area rearward of said free end, wherein said member is thereby rigidly attached in tension bearing engagement to said sole and back portion, and means for releasably attaching free end in rigid tension bearing engagement to a portion of the sole located on the other side of the upper thereby to provide a non-resilient, medio-lateral support between the os calcis and navicular bones of the foot.

2. A sports shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein said support member extends around the back portion and upward and forward on the other side of the upper and terminated in a distal end lying substantially opposite to said free end, and said support member includes sections on each side of the upper extending downwardly to said sole, to locations rearward of said free and distal ends, respectively, and being rigidly attached to said sole, and wherein the means for releasably attaching said free end includes means for connecting the free end to the distal end in rigid tension-bearing engagement, said member thereby forming a relatively rigid stirrup inhibiting abnormal side-to-side motion of the foot.

3. A sports shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein said member is rigidly attached to the sole in a rear portion thereof, wherein the rear portion of the sole is relatively thick and inflexible, and wherein the support member, in the area of the navicular bone of the foot, has a width roughly equivalant to the navicular bone.

4. A sports shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein said support member has outer edges, said outer edges being stitched to said upper.

5. A sports shoe as defined in claim 4, wherein said member is rigidly attached to the sole in a rear portion thereof, wherein the rear portion of the sole is relatively thick and inflexible, and wherein the support member, in the area of the navicular bone of the foot, has a width roughly equivalent to the navicular bone.

6. A sports shoe as defined in claim 1, wherein said member is rigidly attached to the sole in a rear portion thereof, wherein the rear portion of the sole is relatively thick and inflexible, and wherein the support member, in the area of the navicular bone of the foot, has a width roughly equivalent to the navicular bone.

7. A sports shoe comprising:
a sole;
an upper formed of relatively soft material attached to said sole, said upper including an opening to define a foot receiving space;
a stirrup member made of a relatively rigid, high modulus low elongation material, said stirrup member having opposed free ends lying forward of said opening, a pair of opposed first portions extending downwardly and rearwardly on either side of the shoe and being rigidly attached to said sole, and a second portion extending from one of the first portions, around behind the opening, to the other first portion, wherein the first portion on the side of the shoe corresponding to the inner side of the foot is positioned at least substantially to extend downwardly and rearwardly over the navicular bone of the foot, and wherein the second portion is positioned to extend behind the os calcis bone of the foot; and fastening means for releasably attaching said free ends of the stirrup member to one another in rigid tension bearing engagement.

8. A sports shoe as defined in claim 7, wherein said stirrup member overlies the upper, wherein said stirrup member, in the area of the navicular bone, has a width roughly equivalent to the navicular bone, wherein the first portions are rigidly attached to the sole in a rear portion thereof, and wherein the rear portion of the sole is relatively thick and inflexible.

9. A sports shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein said stirrup, except for the free ends, is attached to the upper.

10. A sports shoe as defined in claim 8, wherein the upper has a heel portion with a stiffening means therein between said stirrup member and the sole to form a unitary stiff shoe heel portion.

11. A sports shoe as defined in claim 8, including shoe lacing members attached to the upper, and wherein the fastening means includes a lacing member on each free end for cooperating with the shoe lacing members for typing the shoe.

12. A sports shoe comprising:
a sole having forward and rear portions, the rear portion being relatively thick and inflexible;
an upper formed of relatively soft material attached to said sole, said upper including an opening to define a foot receiving space;
a stirrup member, made of a relatively rigid, high modulus, low elongation material, said stirrup member having opposed free ends lying forward of said opening, a pair of opposed first portions extending downwardly and rearwardly on either side of the shoe to a pair of respective means for connecting, in rigid tension bearing engagement, the lower end portions of the stirrup members, lying on opposite sides of the shoe, to the rear portion of the sole, wherein the first portion on the side of the shoe corresponding to the inner side of the foot is positioned to extend downwardly and rearwardly over the navicular bone of the foot, and wherein the second portion is positioned to extend behind the os calcis bone of the foot; and fastening means for releasably attaching said free ends to one another in rigid tension bearing engagement.

13. A sports shoe as defined in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said rigid stirrup member is stitched to the upper.

14. A sports shoe as defined in claim 12, wherein said stirrup member, in the area of the navicular bone, has a width less than that of the navicular bone.