WO2002078478A1

WO2002078478A1 - Athletic shoe with ankle guards

Info

Publication number: WO2002078478A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/010297
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sayo Isaac Daniel
Original assignee: Flexin Athletics, Inc.
Priority date: 2001-04-02
Filing date: 2002-04-02
Publication date: 2002-10-10

Abstract

Athletic shoes (10) which include hidden, integral ankle guards (22) inside the wall of the shoe (10) which extend down, and connect to, the heel counter (50), and which serve to stiffen the sides of the shoe in the area around the ankle, thereby limiting pronation and helping to prevent ankle injuries to the wearer. Preferably, the ankle guards (22) are made of a material which is more flexible than the hell counters (50) previously used, in order to promote comfort.

Description

ATHLETIC SHOE WITH ANKLE GUARDS

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to athletic shoes. In particular, it

relates to athletic shoes which include hidden, integral ankle guards.

Athletes who engage in a number of sports suffer ankle injuries

due to the manner in which their feet contact the ground while they are running

or playing sports. The angle at which contact is made can be due to personal

issues, such as the manner in which the particular athlete places his (or her) foot;

it can be due to the athlete's muscle tone; the movement inherent in a particular

sport (e.g., side-to-side motion in tennis, as compared to straight ahead motion

in running); it can be due to the presence of other players whose own feet can

get in the way (e.g., basketball); it can be due to the playing surface on which

the sport is played (e.g., natural fields, such as football, baseball, hockey, or

lacrosse); or it can be due to the construction of the shoe, itself.

If a shoe is unstable, or if the surface on which the athlete plays is

uneven (even when such "unevenness" is a result of another athlete's foot being

in the way, as in basketball), the athlete's ankle is subject to lateral instability,

called "pronation". An athlete's ankle can rotate, either inward ("pronate"), or

outward ("supinate"), during activity. Either can result in a sprain or a more

serious injury if carried to an extreme. Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention, an athletic shoe has been

developed which includes hidden, internal support intended to limit pronation

and provide ankle guards to the athlete. The ankle guards are built in to the

shoes of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the

ankle guards are incorporated into a modified heel counter, whereby the

modified heel counter includes both the ankle guards along with the standard

heel counter, and performs both functions. As it is desirable to have more

flexibility in the ankle guards than would normally be present in a heel counter,

the present invention is preferably made of a resilient, flexible plastic material.

Bried Description of the Drawing

In the Drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an athletic shoe in accordance with

the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the athletic shoe of FIG. 1 in which hidden

portions of the shoe are illustrated;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an athletic shoe, illustrating the heel

counter;

FIG. 3 A illustrates a traditional heel counter, of the type generally

found in shoes; FIG. 3B illustrates a heel counter having a high back, for

additional support;

FIG. 3C illustrates a heel counter having a high back, along with a

first embodiment of the ankle supports of the present invention; and

FIG. 3D illustrates a heel counter having a high back, along with a

second embodiment of the ankle supports of the present invention.

Detailed Description of An Exemplary Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with the present

invention, an improved athletic shoe 10, in accordance with the invention, has

been designed. The particular shoe 10 illustrated is a basketball shoe, although

that is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but merely to provide an

embodiment capable of illustrating the invention.

The shoe 10 comprises an outer sole 12, which is the very bottom

of the shoe 10, and which is the portion of the shoe 10 which contacts the

ground. Depending on the particular sport for which the shoe 10 is intended, the

bottom surface 14 of the outer sole 12 may be relatively smooth, as in a tennis

shoe, or it may have a pattern consistent with the particular sport for which the

shoe is intended. Thus, the basketball shoe 10 illustrated will typically have a

different bottom surface 14 than would a shoe intended for tennis or running.

Nevertheless, the present invention can be suitably modified for use in a variety

of athletic shoes, as will be illustrated and explained. With continued reference to FIGS. 1-2 the athletic shoe 10 further

comprises a midsole portion 16 (also called the "insole"). The midsole 16 of an

athletic shoe is the portion of the shoe 10 between the outer sole 12 and the

"foot bed" 18. The midsole 16 includes the cushioning, often foam, but also

typically including air pockets 20 and/or gel containing cavities. The midsole 16

is intended to deal with cushioning and stability.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shoe further comprises ankle guards 22, in

accordance with the present invention. The ankle guards 22 are inside the wall

of the shoe 10, and they extend down, and connect to, the heel counter, as will

be explained below.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 3A-3D an exploded view of an

athletic shoe 10, illustrates a variety of heel counters 30, 40, 50, 60. The heel

counter 30, illustrated in FIG. 3A, is a traditional heel counter, in that it is made

of a stiff material intended to provide resist too much motion in the ankle.

However, to assist in that regard, an athletic shoe will often have a heel counter

40, having a high back 42, as shown in FIG. 3B. The heel counters 30 and 40 of

the prior art are generally made of a relatively stiff plastic so that they are able to

provide adequate support to the ankle.

In accordance with the present invention, heel counters 50 (FIG.

3C) and 60 (FIG. 3D) were developed. These heel counters 50, 60, each

incorporate high backs 52, 62, respectively. However, they also include the

ankle guard structure of the present invention. Thus, heel counter 50 has been modified to include ankle guards 54, 56, which extend upward from the lower

portion 58 of the heel counter 50. The ankle supports 54, 56 serve to stiffen the

sides of the shoe 10 in the area around the ankle, thereby limiting pronation and

helping to resist ankle injuries. In accordance with the present invention, it is

preferable to avoid having so much stiffness that the shoe 10 is uncomfortable to

wear or that it will limit the athlete's range of motion unnecessarily.

Accordingly, the entire unit 50 is preferably made of a material which is

somewhat more flexible than the heel counters 30, 40 of the prior art.

With reference to FIG. 3D, the modified heel counter 60 includes

both a high back and ankle guards 64, 66 which angle up from the front portions

68, 70 of the heel counter toward the high back, thereby providing both ankle

guards 64, 66 and additional ankle support in the rear.

Claims

I Claim:

1. An athletic shoe comprising:

(a) an outer sole, the outer sole being the bottom portion of the shoe, and

the portion intended to contact the ground;

(b) a foot bed portion, intended to receive the foot of a wearer of the shoe,

said foot bed portion including a heel counter formed of a relatively stiff material, said heel counter being shaped and adapted to receive the heel of a wearer of the shoe;

(c) a midsole portion formed between said outer sole and said foot bed

portion, said midsole portion including cushioning; and

(d) ankle guards formed inside the outer wall of the shoe, said ankle guards being formed on either side of said heel counter, said ankle guards extending upward

therefrom, said ankle guards being formed of a material which is more flexible than

said heel counter, but which is stiff enough to provide support to the ankle of the

wearer of the shoe, whereby said ankle guards limit pronation of the ankle of the

wearer, thereby helping to resist ankle injuries to the wearer.

2. The athletic shoe of Claim 1 wherein said heel counter is formed of a plastic

material.

3. The athletic shoe of Claim 2 wherein said heel counter extends upward along the rear portion of the shoe.

4. The athletic shoe of Claim 1 wherein said cushioning in said midsole portion is formed of foam material.

5. The athletic shoe of Claim 4 wherein said cushioning in said midsole

portion further comprises air pockets.

6. The athletic shoe of Claim 4 wherein said cushioning in said midsole portion further comprises gel containing cavities.

7. The athletic shoe of Claim 1 wherein said cushioning in said midsole

portion includes air pockets.

8. The athletic shoe of Claim 1 wherein said cushioning in said midsole

portion includes gel containing cavities.