Contoured sole for high heeled shoes

A substantially flexible unitary wedge-shaped unit sole for high heeled shoes is disclosed contoured with compound curves in the side bottom surfaces thereof to enhance the comfort and stability of the wearer while at rest, and further to enhance the stride during walking. In addition, the sole is constructed to provide the stable feed of a solid wedge while being substantially hollow to reduce the weight thereof, and to provide a deliberately placed flexibility during walking.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
In general terms, this invention relates to a specifically designed 
relatively solid wedge-shaped unit sole for shoes, to provide certain 
benefits for the wearer not otherwise available from conventional soles. 
More particularly, this invention relates to a wedge-shaped sole for high 
heeled shoes having juxtaposed compound curves in the bottom and side 
elevational surfaces thereof. This sole, with its compound-curved contour, 
provides simultaneously the substantial feel of a solid wedge while being 
relatively lightweight and flexible to accommodate and enhance the walking 
action or stride of the wearer. Moreover, the contours of the sole, in 
accordance herewith, serve to improve posture and leg muscle tone during 
standing because of the compound-curved nature of the construction herein. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The prior art discloses many shoe soles contoured for a variety of 
purposes. For example, contoured "orthopedic soles" have been developed 
for enhancing the comfort and physical well-being of the wearer. In 
addition, wedge-shaped inclined soles have been developed for use in 
playing golf and other sports-related activities to facilitate the 
assumption of appropriate stances during those activities. Such 
developments, to varying degrees, add to the comfort or proper stance of 
the wearer, or force the wearer during stride to maintain the feet in a 
certain orientation when the sole is placed on a supporting surface. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
With this invention, by contrast, a new and improved contoured unit sole 
for high heeled shoes is provided, which enhances in a positive manner the 
comfort of the wearer and the stability thereof not previously known in 
high heeled shoes. The generally wedge-shaped sole incorporates in the 
bottom surface and the side elevational surfaces thereof, a series of 
alternating crests and troughs, which give the sole a free-flowing, 
wave-like appearance. Moreover, by incorporating this alternating crest 
arrangement, both with respect to the sides and bottom surface thereof, 
the sole provides for the necessary flexibility in combination with 
stability not ordinarily available in high heeled shoes, together with an 
increased comfort for the wearer. 
The walls forming the sides or circumference of the sole and the bottom 
surface thereof are solid. However, a substantial portion of the center of 
the sole is hollow, with the hollow space being filled with a crossweb 
structure forming a honeycomb appearing center portion for the sole. This 
honeycomb structure provides the necessary support for the foot while 
still making the sole considerably lighter than if the sole were a solid 
wedge. 
Included with the webbed honeycomb structure are vertical, integral 
supporting post structures in the heel and toe area of the sole where the 
weight of the wearer is most likely to be momentarily concentrated in a 
walking action. Furthermore, the web incorporates a plurality of 
strategically spaced horizontal ribs integrally formed in the crossweb 
honeycomb. They are, for example, in the heel area and immediately in 
front of and behind the area of the highest degree of flexing action of 
the sole during walking, in order to deliberately center the flexure of 
the sole during this action, and to add to the generation of a forward 
momentum for the wearer during walking. 
In conjunction with the curved contour of the sole, in accordance herewith, 
the upper or insole surface thereof is "orthopedically" contoured to 
properly support the foot in overall contact. Accordingly, the toe portion 
of the insole is raised with a lower, gradual curved area in the ball of 
the foot, and with a curved and raised platform area for the arch and heel 
of the foot. Moreover, the top surface of the solid outer wall of the sole 
is tapered inwardly, in order to provide a slightly cupped surface for the 
bottom of the foot of the wearer. 
Before describing this invention further, it should be noted that the sole 
herein may be manufactured by molding from natural or synthetic 
elastomers, various resins, including thermoplastics, and a variety of 
foamed resin materials. Preferably, the material will be somewhat flexible 
to enhance the thrusting action of the sole. The sole may be combined with 
a conventional upper of a flexible material, including leathers, or 
synthetic materials, canvas and other fabrics, etc., to form a unique and 
improved high heeled shoe. Moreover, the upper may be of a scuff-like 
design with an open heel, or it may be straps, providing a sandal-like 
configuration. 
With the foregoing and additional objects in view, this invention will now 
be described in more detail, and other objects and advantages hereof will 
be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and 
the appended claims. 
As purely illustrative of an arrangement of the high heeled sole of this 
invention, the accompanying drawings illustrate a "wedge" high heeled sole 
without any upper construction or insole shown, in order to show the 
details of the construction of the sole more clearly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters refer to like 
parts throughout the several views thereof, FIG. 1 shows an integral sole 
generally designated 10 for high heeled shoes. As shown, the bottom 
surface of the sole has three curve-like portions 12, 14 and 16 
alternating with troughs 26 and 28. The curve portions 12, 14 and 16 are 
generally in the areas of the ball of the foot, the arch of the foot, and 
the heel of the foot, respectively, and each of these portions have 
juxtaposed alternating curved side elevational portions 20, 22 and 24, 
respectively. Because of this curved configuration, both in the bottom 
surface of the sole 10 and in the side elevation thereof, the sole is 
provided with a compound-curved construction which serves not only to give 
it a graceful undulating appearance, but also provides appropriate 
deliberately positioned flexing characteristics which will be described in 
more detail below. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the bottom surface 18 of the 
toe portion of the sole 10 is slightly raised or elevated from the curved 
portion 12 in the area of the ball of the foot. This provides a walking 
action and gives the wearer a certain thrust forward during striding. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the sole has relatively thick, solid side 
walls 33 around the entire periphery thereof and bottom wall 35 to provide 
a degree of rigidity for the high heeled construction. Internally of these 
relatively thick walls is a hollow portion or space 30, which is filled 
with a series of criss-crossed webs or integral crossed walls 34, which 
provide a honeycomb construction filling the entire internal cavity 30. It 
will be appreciated with such construction that because a substantial 
portion of the internal area of sole 10 is hollow, it will be considerably 
lighter than would be the case if the entire sole were comprised of a 
solid material. Moreover, because the walls or webs 34 are integral with 
the solid circumferential walls 33 and bottom wall 35 of shoe 10, the 
entire sole can be formed as one piece in a single molding operation. The 
webs 34, because of their honeycomb-like arrangement still give sufficient 
support, coupled with a degree of flexibility for the sole during walking 
or striding action by the wearer. For additional strength and further 
reinforcement of the high heel portion, a separate vertical column of wood 
or plastic or other lightweight stiffening material may be molded in situ 
into the heel portion of and thereby integrated with the unit sole, when 
the sole is molded from resilient materials such as "Kraton". 
At the intersection of two such crosswebs 34 in the heel area and the toe 
area two integral vertical posts or pillars, which provide a certain 
degree of extra support in the areas where weight of the wearer will be 
momentarily concentrated during periods of striding action. Post 36 is 
shown in FIG. 4 in the heel area, and post 38 in the toe area. In 
addition, a series of strategically placed horizontal ribs, such as 42 
(FIGS. 4 and 6) are disposed integral with and parallel with certain of 
the webs 34. The ribs 42 are placed in the arch region immediately to the 
rear of the area 46 of most flexure of the sole 10, as shown in FIGS. 4 
and 6. In addition, ribs 44 are shown placed immediately in front of area 
46, with ribs 44 arranged perpendicular to ribs 42. Such an arrangement 
serves to deliberately concentrate the desired area of flexure 46 in the 
sole for the wearer. In addition, ribs 40 are shown in the heel area 
integral with post 36 to provide additional support in that area of higher 
elevation. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bottom surface of the sole has integral 
indentations 52 in a herringbone configuration to provide enhanced 
traction in the sole for the wearer. Indentations 52, as shown in FIG. 3, 
are integral with the solid bottom wall 35 of sole 10. As will be 
understood, the indentations may be of any configuration to provide a 
roughened surface, as long as they are of a configuration to be compatible 
with an integral mold manufacturing procedure. 
As can be seen in FIG. 5, the relatively solid side walls 33 have tapered 
top surfaces 32, inclined from the top edge 31 thereof toward the center 
of the sole. These tapered surfaces 32, together with a curved outline 50 
defined by the top surfaces of web 34, give a somewhat confining or 
cup-like presentation to receive an insole and the bottom surface of the 
foot of the wearer. 
As discussed above, because the bottom surface of sole 10 is divided into a 
series of curved crest portions 12, 14 and 16, and because the side 
contours of the sole are also divided into three curved areas 20, 22 and 
24, this alternating pattern of crests serves to incorporate into sole 10 
an inherent positive reflex action for the wearer during his striding 
movements. 
Although, as discussed above, the sole may be comprised of a variety of 
materials, it is preferred, in accordance herewith, that the sole will be 
comprised of a flexible and resilient material, advantageously as a 
natural or synthetic elastomer, such as "Kraton" (styrene-butadiene block 
copolymer by Shell Oil Company) to impart flexibility and resiliency to 
sole 10 and to enhance its reflec action during the striding movements of 
the wearer. Moreover, because of the configuration of the various parts of 
the sole, in accordance herewith, every part may be molded simultaneously 
in a single molding operation, to provide the entire integral sole for a 
high heeled shoe. Because of the internal cavity and honeycomb 
configuration, the sole is relatively light, while still providing the 
proper stability for such high heeled soles. The strategic placement of 
the ribs and supporting posts enhances the stability, while automatically 
and deliberately directing the proper degree and area of flexure for the 
sole. Furthermore, because of the undulating appearance brought about by 
the series of curves in the bottom surface and side elevational walls of 
the shoe, it is aesthetically pleasing and graceful in appearance. 
While the particular arrangement of sole described herein is one embodiment 
of this invention, this invention is not limited to that particular 
arrangement, and as will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in 
the art, changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of 
the invention, which is defined in the appended claims. For example, the 
specific geometry of the sole may be modified or somewhat altered in terms 
of proportions, numbers of crests and troughs, while maintaining the 
beneficial properties and appearance of the illustrated sole.