ES3057809T3 - Sole and shoe comprising said sole - Google Patents

Abstract

It consists of a sole, designed to improve gait, and footwear that incorporates said sole, making it more comfortable, high-performance, and flexible. (Automatic translation using Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

[0001] SOLE AND FOOTWEAR COMPRISING SAID SOLE

[0004] DESCRIPTION

[0006] The present invention relates to a sole and footwear comprising said sole. More specifically, it relates to a sole suitable for improving gait and footwear comprising said sole, thereby making it more comfortable and of better performance.

[0007] As is well known, in the footwear industry there is a trend towards manufacturing increasingly comfortable footwear and, at the same time, footwear with better performance.

[0008] However, this need must also take into account the demand of the cheap footwear market, which has repercussions on the quality of the final product.

[0009] In an attempt to combine economic needs with the quality of footwear, products have been put on the market that do not fully satisfy the user.

[0010] There are, in fact, shoes that include particularly rigid soles, which make the different phases of walking uncomfortable.

[0011] This footwear, while on the one hand it seems to provide proper support to the foot when at rest, on the other hand it hinders the flexion phase of the foot.

[0012] All of this causes significant foot fatigue during walking.

[0013] To solve these problems, soles can be made from softer materials, but these provide less support to the foot.

[0014] Alternatively, higher quality materials are used which, while offering excellent performance, increase the final cost of the footwear.

[0015] Soles intended to increase the performance and comfort of footwear are known from patent documents such as US 2013/174444 A1, US 2019/110549 A1, WO 2011/014146 A1 and EP 3607842 A1.

[0016] The purpose of the invention is to remedy the aforementioned and other inconveniences by providing a sole — and consequently footwear comprising said sole — that acts on the foot by offering support and at the same time facilitating flexion of the foot.

[0017] Another purpose of the invention is to provide a sole and footwear that do not fatigue the foot during walking. A further purpose of the invention is to provide a sole and footwear that are cost-effective and, at the same time, offer comfort and high performance.

[0018] These purposes and advantages are achieved, according to the invention, by means of a shoe sole according to claim 1.

[0019] The aforementioned sole comprises a toe cap, a midsection, and a rear edge, such that a front portion is defined between the toe cap and the midsection, and a rear portion between the midsection and the rear edge. The sole has a contact surface with the ground.

[0020] In particular, on the contact surface, a first longitudinal groove and a second longitudinal groove are made, which run from the toe to the middle part of the sole.

[0021] Thus, on the contact surface of the sole, a rear part, a right front part, a central front part, and a left front part are identified.

[0022] This solution improves the flexibility of the forefoot of the sole; in particular, this flexibility is provided in the longitudinal direction. At the same time, the rear of the sole, not being affected by the longitudinal grooves, ensures full heel support.

[0023] The first and second longitudinal grooves have a curved profile and are arranged symmetrically with each other, thus helping any torsional movements of the foot.

[0024] In addition, in order to achieve optimal flexibility also in the transverse direction, a front transverse groove, a middle transverse groove and a rear transverse groove are made on the contact surface of the front part, so that the following can be identified on the front of the sole: a front part, a first central part, a second central part and a rear part.

[0025] Advantageously, the front transverse groove, the central transverse groove, and the rear transverse groove can have a straight profile and be parallel to each other, thus allowing the sole to flex. This configuration improves the transverse flexibility characteristics of the footwear.

[0026] In other words, the sole can flex naturally and analogously to the rolling of the foot during walking.

[0027] In addition, extra grooves can be made, located before and/or after the three transverse grooves (front, middle and rear), to provide greater flexibility if the material used or the structure of the sole so requires.

[0028] Advantageously, the sole includes a central element that has a rough surface, in order to improve the sole's grip on the ground.

[0029] To ensure adherence precisely in the position where the foot needs support during the lifting phase, the central element can be arranged in the first central part and the second central part of the sole.

[0030] The central element may have a substantially quadrangular shape, so that it extends longitudinally and increases the surface area for adhesion.

[0031] Furthermore, the central element may be defined anteriorly by the front cross slot, posteriorly by the rear cross slot, and laterally by a right slot and a left slot, respectively.

[0032] In particular, the right groove and the left groove can be curved and symmetrical to each other along a longitudinal axis, so that they give rise to a central element whose perimeter edge has a pattern similar to the edge of the sole, thus providing greater grip.

[0033] The central element is made of a different material than the rest of the sole, in order to obtain areas in the sole with particular characteristics according to their respective functions.

[0034] For the same purpose, the rear, front right, front center and front left can be made of at least two different materials.

[0035] Advantageously, the central element can be traversed by the central cross slot, thus improving the flexibility of the central element.

[0036] The purposes and advantages are also achieved, according to the invention, by means of footwear comprising a sole as defined above.

[0037] Other features and details of the invention may be better understood from the following description, offered as a non-limiting example, as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0038] Fig. 1 is a top schematic view of a sole according to the invention.

[0039] With reference to the attached drawing, number 10 indicates a sole suitable for placement on footwear to provide comfort and high performance.

[0040] Sole 10 is made of rubber, but may alternatively be composed of other plastic or natural materials, such as leather.

[0041] On the sole 10, especially on the surface that contacts the ground, the first longitudinal groove 12 and the second longitudinal groove 14 have been made, which extend substantially from just below the toe of the sole 10 to its middle part.

[0042] Longitudinal grooves 12 and 14 have a curved profile and are arranged symmetrically with each other.

[0043] On the sole 10 it is possible to identify a single rear part 16, on which the heel rests, while at the front the sole is divided by longitudinal grooves 12 and 14 into a right front part 18, a central front part 20 and a left front part 22.

[0044] Longitudinal grooves 12 and 14 provide some flexibility to the front of the sole; in particular, this flexibility is provided in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] In other words, in addition to the flexibility derived from the inherent characteristics of the material from which the sole 10 is made, the right front 18, center front 20 and left front 22 parts can flex against each other more easily due to the presence of the longitudinal grooves 12 and 14.

[0046] This longitudinal flexibility allows the foot to rest more comfortably and naturally on the ground, allowing a kind of minimal rotation of the foot around a longitudinal axis of the shoe.

[0047] The support of the sole — and therefore of the foot — on the ground can thus occur uniformly from left to right or from right to left, respecting the natural displacement of the foot during walking.

[0048] In addition, the rear part 16 of the sole, not being affected by the longitudinal grooves 12 and 14, ensures complete heel support both when the foot is in motion and when it is at rest.

[0049] On the front of the sole 10, especially on the surface that contacts the ground, there is also a front cross groove 24, a central cross groove 26 and a rear cross groove 28, which extend from the right edge to the left edge of the sole 10.

[0050] The front cross slot 24, the center cross slot 26 and the rear cross slot 28 have a straight profile and are parallel to each other.

[0051] The front part of sole 10 is thus divided transversely by the three grooves 24, 26 and 28.

[0052] In particular, on the front part of the sole 10, the following can be identified:

[0053] – a front part 32, located in front of the front cross slot 24;

[0054] – a first central part 34, located between the front slot 24 and the central slot 26;

[0055] – a second central part 35, adjacent to the first central part 34, located between the central slot 26 and the rear slot 28; and

[0056] – a rear part 36, located behind the rear cross slot 28.

[0057] The transverse arrangement of the three grooves 24, 26 and 28 gives the sole 10 excellent flexibility properties also in the transverse direction.

[0058] In addition, the first and second central parts 34 and 35, located between slots 24 and 28, are recreated exactly in the forefoot area, specifically in the part of the foot that provides support during the lifting phase of walking.

[0059] Flexion of the forefoot during walking is thus facilitated, and a kind of natural pushing action is generated that improves blood circulation in the foot.

[0060] This prevents the foot from becoming fatigued during walking and from having to work even harder to counteract the unnecessary stiffness of the sole, as occurs in footwear according to the known technique.

[0061] In addition, in the central part located between the three transverse slots 24, 26 and 28, a central element 38 is defined which is essentially quadrangular and is laterally delimited by a right slot 40 and a left slot 42.

[0062] As in Figure 1, the central element 38 extends exactly from the front cross slot 24 to the rear cross slot 28 and is traversed by the central cross slot 26, so that it is longitudinally flexible.

[0063] The central element 38 features a textured surface that provides the sole with exceptional grip. Notably, the central element 38 is located precisely in the forefoot area, which is responsible for providing grip and support during the foot's lifting phase.

[0064] The sole thus shaped solves the problems of soles according to the previous technique and presents numerous advantages, among them:

[0065] – improves all phases of gait;

[0066] – sustains the natural “bearing” in the intermediate phase of the step;

[0067] – provides support but at the same time naturalness to the movement;

[0068] – facilitates the forefoot flexion phase;

[0069] – does not tire the foot during walking.

[0070] According to the invention, the central element 38 is made of a different material from the rest of the sole, possibly with a higher coefficient of adhesion.

[0071] Likewise, according to a variant of the invention, the rear part 16 (even partially), the right front part 18, the central front part 20 and the left front part 22 can be made from two or more different materials, so that they have different elastic properties according to the function of each area of the sole.

[0072] According to another variant, additional grooves can be made in front of and/or behind the three transverse grooves (front, middle and rear), in order to provide greater flexibility if required by the material used or the structure of the sole itself.

Claims (7)

1. CLAIMS 1) A sole (10) for footwear, comprising a toe cap, a midsection, and a rear edge, such that a front portion is defined between the toe cap and the midsection, and a rear portion (16) between the midsection and the rear edge, the sole having a contact surface with the ground, in which a first longitudinal groove (12) and a second longitudinal groove (14) are made extending from the toe cap to the midsection of the sole (10), such that on the contact surface of the sole (10) the rear portion (16), a right front portion (18), a central front portion (20), and a left front portion (22) are identified, and in which the first longitudinal groove (12) and the second longitudinal groove (14) have a curved profile and are arranged symmetrically with respect to each other; wherein: On the front, on the contact surface, there is a front transverse groove (24), a central transverse groove (26), and a rear transverse groove (28), so that on the front of the sole (10) there is identified a front part (32), a first central part (34), a second central part (35), and a rear part (36); wherein: the central transverse groove (26) and the rear transverse groove (28) have a straight profile and are parallel to each other; and in which: A central element (38) is included which has a rough surface; characterized by: the central element (38) is arranged in the first central part (34) and in the second central part (35); and because: the central element (38) is made of a different material from the rest of the sole (10). 2) Sole (10) according to the previous claim, wherein the central element (38) has a substantially quadrangular shape. 3) Sole (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the central element (38) is defined anteriorly by the front transverse groove (24), posteriorly by the rear transverse groove (28) and laterally by a right groove (40) and a left groove (42). 4) Sole (10) according to the previous claim, wherein the right (40) and left (42) grooves are curved. 5) Sole (10) according to the previous claim, wherein the right (40) and left (42) grooves are symmetrical to each other along a longitudinal axis. 6) Sole (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the central element (38) is traversed by the central transverse groove (26). 7) Footwear comprising a sole (10) according to any of the preceding claims.