Abstract:
A shoe insert for heeled shoe has a rigid plate member. A cut is formed across at least a portion of a width of the rigid plate member to allow the rigid plate member to bend to conform to a shoe having a heel.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This invention claims priority, under 35 U.S.C. §120, to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/357,902 to Joseph A. DeRose filed on 23 Jun. 2010, which application is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to a shoe insert and, more particularly, to a shoe insert that may be positioned in the sole of any heeled shoe to improve foot comfort and support of a person using the shoe. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In general, women&#39;s high heeled shoes are not designed with foot comfort and support as the primary object. The human foot consists primarily of the heel area, the arch or metatarsal bone area, and the toe area. In general, the main support areas of the foot are the heel area and the ball of the foot, or the forward ends of the metatarsal bones. The normal shoe sole is a relatively rigid surface, and pressure and friction of the support areas of the foot against this surface often causes discomfort and the development of calluses. At the same time, the normal shoe does not give adequate support to the arch of the foot, often giving rise to walking problems and sometimes resulting in collapsed arches. These problems are aggravated in high-heeled women&#39;s shoes, where the foot is urged forward into the toe box of the shoe in walking. 
         [0004]    Shoe insert pads have been used in the past to alleviate some or all of these problems. The pads are either of the whole foot variety or designed for localized pressure areas of the foot, and are generally of a flexible cushioning material of some sort, e.g., foam. Full foot pads are shaped to conform to the contour of the shoe and thus will cushion the entire foot area. Pads of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,084,264 of French and U.S. Pat. No. 897,920 of McIntyre. 
         [0005]    In addition to pads or insoles designed simply to cushion the foot for the comfort of the shoe wearer, some shoe insert pads are specifically designed to correct or improve walking or posture of the shoe wearer. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,402 of Looney, for example, a supportive shoe insert pad is shaped to fit the sole of a shoe but has specific increased support areas in the region of the heel, arch and outer and inner toes of the wearer. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,293 of Single et al, an insole pad is cut back behind the big toe area to reduce the rolling of a person&#39;s foot towards the outside. 
         [0006]    The above shoe insert pads have a problem when used with a heeled shoe. Pads or insoles designed simply to cushion the foot for the comfort of the shoe wearer do not provide any support thereby causing women wearing high heeled shoes to be unstable when walking. However, more supportive shoe insert pads are not adaptable to heeled shoes of different heights. The more supportive shoe insert pads are too rigid and thus are not able to bend and conformable to the angle of the sole of different heights of the heeled shoes. 
         [0007]    Therefore, a need existed to provide a device and method to overcome the above problem. The device and method will provide shoe insert that may be positioned in the sole of any heeled shoe to improve foot comfort and support of a person using the shoe. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a shoe insert is disclosed. The shoe insert has a rigid plate member. A cut is formed across at least a portion of a width of the rigid plate member to allow the rigid plate member to bend to conform to a shoe having a heel. 
         [0009]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a shoe insert is disclosed. The show insert has a rigid plate member. A cut is formed across at least a portion of a width of the rigid plate member to allow the rigid plate member to bend to conform to a shoe having a heel. The cut forms a heel plate and a front plate in the rigid plate member, wherein the heel plate is curved upward along an outer edge, and the front plate has inner and outer edges, the inner and outer edges of the front plate curved upward to conform to a metatarsal bone area of the foot. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Embodiments of the disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top view of one embodiment of the shoe insert of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an elevated perspective view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an elevated perspective view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 1  positioned in a heeled shoe; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an elevated perspective view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 1  positioned in a another embodiment of a heeled shoe; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is an elevated perspective view of another embodiment of the shoe insert of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is an elevated perspective view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 7  positioned in a heeled shoe; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an elevated perspective view of the shoe insert shown in  FIG. 7  positioned in a another embodiment of a heeled shoe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Referring to the Figures, a shoe insert  10  is shown. The shoe insert  10  may be positioned in the sole of any heeled shoe to improve foot comfort and support of a person using the shoe. The shoe insert  10  is designed so that no matter the height of the heel of a shoe, the shoe insert  10  may be used and provide improved foot comfort and support of a person using the shoe. While the shoe insert  10  is disclosed in relation to a heeled shoe, it should be noted that the shoe insert  10  may be used in any shoe which may have a need for flexibility such as a ballet shoe or the like. 
         [0021]    The shoe insert  10  may be a single unit design. A divide  12  may be formed in the shoe insert  10 . The divide  12  may be a cut across a width W of the shoe insert  10 . The divide  12  allows the shoe insert  10  to bend at various angles as shown more clearly in  FIGS. 3-5 . This allows the show insert  10  to conform to any shoe  20  regardless of a height of a heel  22  on the shoe  20 . 
         [0022]    The divide  12  forms a heel section  14  and a front section  16 . In the present embodiment, the heel section  14  may be semi-oval in shape. However, this is given as one example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The heel section may be curved upward along an outer edge  14 A. The outer edge  14 A is curved to conform to the heel of a person&#39;s foot. By conforming to the heel area of the foot, the heel section  14  provides stability to the foot and prevents the foot from wobbling within the shoe  20  when walking. 
         [0023]    The front section  16  may come in various shapes. In the present embodiment, the front section  16  is fairly rectangular in shape. The front section  16  is formed to conform to the metatarsal bone area of the foot. The inner and outer edges  16 A and  18 B respectively of the front section  16  may be curved upward to conform to the metatarsal bone area of the foot. The inner edge  16 A may have a slightly higher curve to better conform to the arch of a person&#39;s foot. By conforming to the metatarsal bone area of the foot, the front section  16  provides stability to the foot and prevents the foot from wobbling within the shoe  20  when walking. 
         [0024]    Referring now specifically to  FIG. 6 , the shoe insert  10  may have a rigid plate member  24 . The rigid plate member  24  may be formed of plastic, carbon fiber, or other lightweight but sturdy material. The listing of the above is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The rigid plate member  24  may have the divide  12  cut across a width W of the rigid plate member  24 . The divide  12  allows the shoe insert  10  to bend at various angles thereby allowing the show insert  10  to bend and conform to any angle of shoe sole regardless of a height of a heel  22  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) on the shoe  20  ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ). In accordance with the present embodiment, the divide  12  may be formed by a cut across a width W of the rigid plate member  24  wherein the cut is formed partially through a thickness of the rigid plate member  24  to allow the show insert to bend. 
         [0025]    The divide  12  forms a heel plate  24 A and a front plate  24 B. The heel plate  24 A may be curved upward along an outer edge  26 . The outer edge  26  is curved to conform to the heel of a person&#39;s foot. 
         [0026]    The front plate  24 B may have inner and outer edges  30  and  32  respectively. The inner and outer edges  30  and  32  may be curved upward to conform to the metatarsal bone area of the foot. The inner edge  30  may have a slightly higher curve to better conform to the arch of a person&#39;s foot. 
         [0027]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a padded layer  34  may be positioned on a top surface of the heel plate  24 A. The padded layer  34  may provide cushioning for the heel of the person&#39;s foot. While not shown, the padded layer  34  may also be positioned on a top surface of the front plate  24 B. The padded layer  34  may be a cushioned form/rubber material or the like. The listing is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. Since the heel is one of the main support areas of the foot, the padded layer will provide extra comfort to the user of the shoe insert  10 . 
         [0028]    A bottom cover  36  may be positioned on a bottom surface of the rigid plate member  24 . The bottom cover  36  may be used for several purposes. First, the bottom cover may be used to hold the heel plate  24 A and a front plate  24 B in position. Since the divide  12  may be formed completely through the rigid plate member  24 , the bottom cover may be used to hold the heel plate  24 A and a front plate  24 B together but still allow the front plate  24 B to bend at different angles from the heel plate  24 A. In accordance with one embodiment, the bottom cover  36  may be formed on a slip resistant material. Thus, the bottom cover may be used to prevent the shoe insert  10  from moving/sliding in the shoe  20 . The bottom cover  36  may be formed of vinyl, leather, cloth or other materials. The listing of the above is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. 
         [0029]    A top cover  38  may be positioned over a top surface of the rigid plate member  24 . The top cover  38  may be positioned over the padded layer  34  and any exposed areas of the rigid plate member  24 . The top cover  38  is generally used to cover the rigid plate member  24  and provide comfort to the user of the shoe insert  10 . The top cover  36  may be a textured top surface. The textured top surface may help to prevent a foot from moving. The top cover may be formed of vinyl, leather, cloth or other materials. The listing of the above is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. 
         [0030]    In use, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the shoe insert  10  is positioned in an interior of the shoe  20 . The heel section  14  is positioned so that a back edge  14 C of the heel section  14  touches a back edge of the interior of the shoe  20 . The front section  16  is then pressed down in the interior of the shoe  20 . The divide  12  allows the shoe insert  10  to bend and conform to the interior sole of the shoe  20  regardless of a height of a heel  22  on the shoe  20 . 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7 , another embodiment of the rigid plate member  24 ′ is shown. The rigid plate member  24 ′ may be formed of plastic, carbon fiber, or other lightweight but sturdy material. The listing of the above is given as an example and should not be seen in a limiting manner. The rigid plate member  24 ′ may have a pair of cuts  40  formed in corresponding side surfaces of the plate member  24 ′. The cuts may be formed so that the cuts  40  are aligned. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7 , the cuts  40  may be formed completely through the plate member  24 ′. The cuts  40  may be formed so that a solid piece  42  remains between the cuts  40 ′. The cuts  40  allows the shoe insert  10  to bend at various angles as shown more clearly in  FIGS. 8-9 . This allows the show insert  10 ′ to conform to any shoe  20  regardless of a height of a heel  22  on the shoe  20 . 
         [0032]    The cuts  40  forms a heel plate  24 A and a front plate  24 B. The heel plate  24 A may be curved upward along an outer edge  26 . The outer edge  26  is curved to conform to the heel of a person&#39;s foot. 
         [0033]    The front plate  24 B may have inner and outer edges  30  and  32  respectively. The inner and outer edges  30  and  32  may be curved upward to conform to the metatarsal bone area of the foot. The inner edge  30  may have a slightly higher curve to better conform to the arch of a person&#39;s foot. 
         [0034]    While embodiments of the disclosure have been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the claims.