Abstract:
A shoe construction having a sole in which the upper surface of the sole when in normal use on a flat surface is lower at the heel bed than at the foresole portion of the shoe. Canting of the upper sole surface in a downward direction at the rear, coupled with upwardly extending sections of the heel at the rear counter, provides cradle-like surface. The peripheral edge of the sole extends upwardly over the upper surface around at least a substantial portion of its periphery and, in particular, at the rear counter where the upper periphery of the rear counter extends substantially higher than the lower most portion of the upper surface in the heel region of the sole.

Description:
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to footwear and in particular to footwear having a sole construction in which the upper surface of the sole, when in normal use, is lower at the heel bed than at the foresole portion of the sole construction. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     For some time shoe or footwear soles having a construction in which the fore portion of the sole is higher than the heel portion of the sole, have been promoted as having certain physical and orthopedic advantages. Footwear made with such lower heel beds require a person using such soles lean slightly forward for proper balance. When the heel bed is lower than the foresole, there is a tendency of the foot to slide rearwardly towards the heel. Accordingly, there is a need to provide this type of sole structure with means for properly cradling the foot on the sole for normal and comfortable use. 
     Previous attempts to provide soles in which the heel has a negative cant in respect to the foresole have been disclosed. These earlier efforts to provide a structure of this type have concerned themselves primarily with the inclination of the sole and have not been particularly concerned with properly nesting the foot. 
     SUBJECT MATTER OF PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a shoe construction having a shoe sole in which the upper surface of the sole is canted downwardly from the foresole to the heel bed when the sole bottom rests on a level surface. This construction in combination with means providing a foot cradle extending substantially upwardly around the heel at the rear counter assures the wearer his foot is properly cradled and undesired rearward movement of the foot relative to the sole when the footwear is in use is prevented. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole having an upper surface in which the surface of the sole at the heel is normally lower than the surface of the sole at the foresole and the instep region. In this arrangement the upper surface of the sole is essentially canted rearwardly and downwardly. The sole is further provided with a peripheral edge that extends upwardly over the upper surface around at least a substantial portion of its periphery and in particular, at the rear counter where the upper periphery of the rear counter extends substantially higher than the lower most portion of the upper surface in the heel region of the sole. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in connection with a description of preferred embodiments of the invention in association with the drawings in which; 
     FIG. 1 is a medial side elevational view of a shoe sole embodying the present invention with the location of the shoe upper shown in dotted outline; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom-plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front-elevational view thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear-elevation view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view taken substantially along the line  6 — 6  of FIG. 3, which in turn is essentially a medial cross-sectional view taken lengthwise of the shoe sole; 
     FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line  8 — 8  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line  10 — 10  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 11 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line  11 — 11  of FIG. 6 and; 
     FIG. 12 is transverse cross-sectional view taken along the line  12 — 12  of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the preferred embodiment illustrated, a shoe construction  10  includes a shoe upper shown in dotted that is conventionally secured to the upper periphery of a shoe sole  14 . The shoe upper  12  may be formed in any satisfactory fashion using conventional styling techniques. In one embodiment the shoe upper may comprise a low cut leather upper of conventional design or styling. In the embodiment suggested by the shoe upper  12  the upper is a low cut upper but if desired shoe uppers of different styles including, high-cut uppers may be included. Additionally, the upper of the present invention contemplates the use of a sandal style upper in which the foot is not entirely engaged above the sole by the upper. In this particular design, the configuration of the shoe sole  14  becomes more relevant and has greater utility. In many cases the upper is made of leather, plastic, fabric, or a combination. For the most part, the upper provides limited support to the bottom of the foot. 
     The shoe sole  14  includes a foresole region  16 , an instep region  18 , and a heel region  20  with a rear counter  22 . These portions of the shoe sole  14  are integrally formed one with the other. The shoe sole  14  may be injection molded of a suitable polymer material in a conventional fashion and may comprise, for example, an injection molded plastic or other equivalent materials conventionally used for shoe sole construction. The shoe sole  14  is formed as an integral unit with an upper surface  24  and a lower surface  26  joined together by a sidewall  25 , which extends about the entire periphery of the shoe sole. The sole  14  may be integrally formed of a single material of desired density. It may also be provided with an instep insert  27  integrally molded with the remainder of the shoe sole  14  with this instep insert having a different density of durometer than the remaining portion of the shoe sole to provide added or different stiffness from the remainder of the shoe sole. The inset may take a variety of forms. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the insert  27  has an “H ” like configuration with a plurality of openings  28  formed in it through which the material forming the remaining portion of the shoe sole  14  may flow on molding for greater and more intimate inter-engagement with the main body of the sole. 
     The upper surface  24  has an upper-periphery  30  that defines the upper surface  24 . The upper surface  24  may be conventionally shaped to receive a foot and may be selectively sized with different units having conventionally different dimensions for various foot sizes. The periphery  30  of the upper may be divided into three portions including the foresole portion  16 , which extends from the toe region  32  to the junction of the instep region  18  at approximately the line  35  (FIG. 2) the instep region extends from line  35  rearwardly to approximately the line  37 , which defines the heel or heel bed  20 . 
     The periphery of the sole is essentially defined by the side-wall  25 , which may be selectively contoured and varied in width as illustrated in the drawings with the side-wall  25  extending around the medial front and lateral sides of the shoe and terminating at the rear counter  22  with the side-walls extending upwardly at the rear counter to the upper-periphery  44  of the rear counter. As illustrated in the drawings, the sidewall  25  is narrowest at the instep. The sidewall  25  has an upper edge that is highest at the instep region and lowest at the heel  20 . The sidewall  25  is widest at the foresole  16 . The narrowing of the sidewall  25  at the instep region may provide some greater flexibility for flexing the sole while walking. 
     The sidewall  25  may be variably formed but in the preferred embodiment is contoured to provide a visually enhanced appearance and selective structural advantages. In the preferred embodiment illustrated the surface contours of the lower surface  26  include a series of semi-cylindrical elongated shapes arranged side by side with medial semi-cylindrical shape  50  extending from the toe region rearwardly to the heel  20  and with a lateral semi-cylinder  52  also extending from the toe region rearwardly to the heel  20 . A semi-cylinder  54  extends around the periphery of and defines the heel  20  with this semi-cylinder  54  extending to the heel ends of the semi-cylinders  50  and  52  a series of transverse wedged shape cuts  56  may be formed in the semi-cylinder  54  and  50  for enhanced flexibility. A semi-cylinder  58  is formed in the heel and instep region filling the space between the cylinders  56 ,  52 , and  54 . The semi-cylinder  58  may be provided with a recess  60  that is shaped, sized, and dimensioned to receive a trademark escutcheon. A pair of semi-cylinders  64  and  66  positioned side by side extends from the end of the cylinder  58  forwardly to the toe region and fills the space between the cylinders  50  and  52 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 12, when the lower surface  26  engages a flat surface  38  selective portions of the sole normally rest on the flat surface  38 . In this arrangement, as best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6, the lowermost portions of the various semi-cylinders engage the flat surface  38  with the forward portion of the cylinders  64  and  66  extending upwardly at the foremost portion of the sole and also, at the outer edges of the cylinders  52 ,  54  and  56 . Relevant contours of the upper surface  24  and lower surface  26  in relation to the flat surface  38  define height distances of various portions of the upper from the flat surface  38 . In a preferred embodiment ratios of various heights of the upper surface  24  from the flat surface  38  are best illustrated in FIG.  6 . In a typical preferred embodiment the distance between the flat surface  38  and respective positions on the upper surface  24  are as follows: at the highest position of the upper periphery at the rear counter  44 , 41 millimeters; at the lower portion in the heel at approximately the cross-sectional position of FIG. 12, 10.5 millimeters; at the heel region at approximately the cross-sectional view of FIG. 11, 11 millimeters; at the instep region at the approximate cross-sectional position of FIG. 10, 13 millimeters; at the cross-sectional position of FIG. 9 in the instep region, about 12.5 millimeters; at the crosssectional position in the foresole region at approximately FIG. 8, approximately 19 millimeters; at a position halfway between the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 7 and 8, approximately 21 millimeters; and, at the cross-sectional position in the foresole at FIG. 7, approximately 20 millimeters. These heights, on the medial position, may vary as illustrated in the lateral dimension as shown in FIGS. 7 through 12 from the medial measurement as indicated above. Thus, it will be noted that the lower portion of the height from the flat-surface  38  occurs at the heel bed  20  just forward of the rear-counter with the high portion occurring between the cross-sectional views  7  and  8 . It will be noted that the relative curvature and height of the upper surface  24  is more curved in the instep region  18  as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 than in the heel  20  as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, and much more so in the foresole regions as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The relative height of the upper periphery of the side-wall  25  to the height at the periphery of the upper surface  24  from the flat surface  38  is greater in the instep region  18  than either in the foresole portion  16  or the heel  20  as best illustrated by comparing FIGS. 9 and 10 with FIGS. 7 and 8 in the forepart region and FIG.  11  and FIG. 12 in the heel. Thus, for example, the maximum height on the periphery  25  at the instep region is in the order of 37.5 millimeters whereas the relative maximum height in the foresole is in the order of 30 millimeters and in the heel in the order of 24.5 millimeters. 
     Thus comparing the height distances from the upper surfaces of the sole to flat surface or common resting surface  38 , the heel is in the order of 55% of the height at the foresole and the instep is in the order of 65% of the foresole.