Patent Publication Number: US-2023148702-A1

Title: Adaptive Footwear Article for Accommodating Orthotics

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/280,336, filed on Nov. 17, 2021, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to footwear, more specifically, footwear that is structurally adaptable to support a foot and foot care aids. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Currently there are many children, teens, and adults who wear foot orthotics, such as AFOs (ankle foot orthotics), SMO (supramalleoular orthotics), FO (foot orthotics), to provide support, maintain, or remedy their foot deformities, misalignments, joint deformities, muscle imbalance, muscle weakness, and/or muscle tone. The orthotic devices can be worn by the user or can be positioned within the footwear and contacted by the user&#39;s foot when inserted into the footwear article. The individuals who wear orthotic devices require footwear that will fit over their orthotics so they can meaningfully engage in daily activities in their environment. People who wear foot orthotics also need footwear to protect their feet, provide friction to prevent falls, keep their feet warm, and prevent wear and tear of their foot orthotics. 
     In the past 5-10 years, name-brand companies have been making an effort to be more inclusive by designing footwear that can accommodate orthotics. However, these designs lack style and variety in comparison to typical footwear. As a result, many people that wear orthotics are wearing footwear that are not designed to accommodate orthotics. 
     Another problem is the high price for existing footwear. Many times, people that are wearing orthotics also have other medical expenses such as doctor visits and the cost of the orthotics. Children who wear orthotics are typically receiving rehabilitation services of physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or speech therapy. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed herein is a footwear article design specifically for people who wear some form of foot orthoses. Creating an adaptive footwear article (and particularly one that is also stylish and affordable) will give more children opportunities to continue to wear their orthotic devices longer and prevent secondary impairments such as pain, discomfort, and loss of range of motion as an adult. 
     The adaptive footwear article disclosed herein will allow ease for donning and doffing (placing and removing) for people who wear orthotic devices. Among other things, the footwear article makes it easier for parents and caregivers to don and doff the footwear articles without the fight and discomfort due to poor fit commonly found with typical footwear articles. 
     The adaptive footwear article may additionally feature the aesthetically pleasing styles with measurements geared toward someone who wears an orthotic device. The stretch from the elastic section creates more space for an orthotic device to be positioned in the footwear article with less resistance. The elastic section may also make room for bulkier orthotic devices to reduce pressure over the dorsum (top) of the foot. The footwear article may fit typical to current standard footwear article designs without significant modifications of the footwear article. 
     The footwear article provides for an increased depth to accommodate space for the orthotic device. The toe box may have an increased depth to accommodate the forefoot of the orthotic device. The opening of the footwear article may be located close to the toe box so that the tongue of the footwear article can be moved out of the way. The tongue may be purposefully thin and floppy to just cover the orthotic device without causing added pressure to the top of the foot. The footwear article may be extra wide to allow for sizing changes as the child&#39;s foot and orthotic device grows. This allows for the footwear article to grow with the child and their needs. This footwear article may additionally or alternatively have an extra-long Velcro strap, e.g., to accommodate the width of the addition of higher orthotic devices, such as ankle foot orthoses and leg braces. The footwear article may have an extra-long hook at the heel of the footwear article to help caregivers&#39; and families&#39; ease of pulling the footwear articles up onto the footwear articles. The footwear article may also have a spandex (elastic) material around the tongue so it can stretch and add more room for the foot orthotics to fit better. This stretch may aid in the ease of donning the footwear article. Families and children often struggle with donning the footwear articles safely and comfortable due to lack of space in typical footwear article designs. The footwear article disclosed herein may be lightweight and flexible, which will help people who are ambulatory. 
     One aspect is directed to a footwear article configured to accommodate a user&#39;s foot and an orthotic device. The footwear article comprises a sole with a top side and a bottom side. A body is connected to the sole and extends upward from the top side of the sole. The body comprises: an upper edge that extends around and defines an opening with the opening comprising a rear section and a front section; and an elastic section positioned between the upper edge and the sole with the elastic section extending along the front section of the opening. The elastic section is configured to stretch to adjust a size of the body to accommodate the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device. 
     In another aspect, the body comprises a front section that extends around the front section of the opening and a rear section that extends around the rear section of the opening with the elastic section positioned along the front section of the body and is spaced away from the rear section of the body. 
     In another aspect, a strap is connected to the rear section of the body and extends across the opening. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section extends along lateral sides and a front side of the front section of the opening. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section forms the upper edge of the body. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section is spaced away from the upper edge of the body. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section comprises a strip of elastic material with an elongated length to extend along the front section of the opening and having a strip width that is narrow relative to a strip length. 
     One aspect is directed to a footwear article configured to accommodate a user&#39;s foot and an orthotic device. The footwear article comprises a sole, and a body attached to the sole and comprising a front section configured to extend around toes and arch of the user&#39;s foot and a rear section configured to extend around a heel of the user&#39;s foot. The body comprises: an opening at a top of the body and that extends along the front section and the rear section; a base that extends from the sole and forms a lower portion of the body along the front section and the rear section; a fastener section that extends along opposing sides of the opening at the front section; and an elastic section that extends along the opposing sides of the opening at the front section. A depth along the front section is measured between the sole and the opening with the elastic section configured to stretch and contract to adjust the depth to accommodate the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section is spaced away from the rear section of the body. 
     In another aspect, a strap is connected to the body and extends across the opening at the rear section with the strap being spaced away from the elastic section. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section extends around lateral sides and a front side of the opening at the front section. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section comprises two or more separate portions. 
     In another aspect, a tongue is attached to the body and extends across the opening at the front section. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section comprises a strip of an elastic material with an elongated length to extend along the opening at the front section of the body and with a strip width that is narrow relative to a strip length. 
     In another aspect, the elastic section is positioned between and spaces apart the fastener section and the base. 
     One aspect is directed to a method of accommodating a user&#39;s foot and an orthotic device in a footwear article. The method comprises: receiving the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device in an opening at a top of a body of the footwear article; expanding an elastic section of the body and increasing a depth of the body responsive to the user inserting their foot into the body; and applying a compressive force on the user&#39;s foot when the user&#39;s foot is inserted into the body. 
     In another aspect, the method further comprises expanding just a front section of the body and simultaneously maintaining a size of a rear section of the body. 
     One aspect is directed to an adaptive footwear article to accommodate orthotic devices with the footwear article comprising a flexible tongue. An elastic section is positioned around the tongue operative to create space for an orthotic device. A shoe body is attached to the elastic section with the shoe body comprising an upper portion, a lower portion, a depth sized to accommodate an orthotic device, and a toe box sized to accommodate a forefoot of the orthotic device. An opening is positioned close to the toe box that permits insertion of the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device with the tongue being movable away from the opening. A Velcro ankle strap is operative to secure the upper portion of the shoe around the orthotic device and the user&#39;s foot. A fastener is operative to secure the lower portion of the shoe around the orthotic device and the user&#39;s foot. 
     In another aspect, a fabric loop is attached to a back of the shoe body. 
     The features, functions and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various aspects or may be combined in yet other aspects, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of a footwear article. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective schematic diagram of a footwear article. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a footwear article. 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic diagram of an elastic section of a footwear article. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a schematic diagram of a footwear article with a first depth. 
         FIG.  5 B  is a schematic diagram of the footwear article of  FIG.  5 A  with a larger second depth. 
         FIG.  6    is a flowchart diagram of a method of accommodating a user&#39;s foot and an orthotic device in a footwear article. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present application is directed to a footwear article configured to accommodate an orthotic device.  FIG.  1    schematically illustrates a footwear article  10  that includes a sole  20  and a body  30 . The sole  20  and body  30  extend around and form an interior space sized to receive the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device  100 . The body  30  includes an elastic section  40 . The elastic section  40  is configured to stretch when the footwear article  10  is worn by the user to increase the size of the interior space  50  to accommodate the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device  100 . The stretching action further applies a compressive force on the user&#39;s foot to maintain the position of the orthotic device  100  relative to the foot and/or to prevent the user&#39;s foot from moving relative to the sole  20  and body  30 . The elastic section  40  further provides for the interior space  50  to expand to different sizes to accommodate users with different foot sizes and/or different sizes of orthotic devices  100 . 
     The footwear article  10  is configured to be used with a variety of orthotic devices  100 . Examples include but are not limited to AFOs (ankle foot orthotics), SMO (supramalleoular orthotics), and FO (foot orthotics). 
       FIGS.  2  and  3    illustrate examples of footwear articles  10 . As illustrated, the sole  20  is located at the bottom of footwear article  10 . The sole  20  can be made from different materials depending on the style and purpose of the footwear article. Examples of materials include but are not limited to rubber, leather, and various synthetic materials. The width, height, and length of the sole  20  can vary depending on the footwear article  10 . In one example, the sole  20  has a fixed size. In another example, the sole  20  can stretch when the footwear article  10  is worn by the user. 
     The sole  20  includes a top side  21  and a bottom side  31 . The top side  21  forms an insole and the bottom side  22  forms an outsole. The insole is an area where the user&#39;s foot is positioned while the footwear article  10  is worn. The outsole is exposed and configured to contact against the ground. 
     The body  30  is connected to the sole  20  and extends upward from the top side  21 . The body  30  can include various shapes and sized depending upon the footwear article  10 . The body  30  and sole  20  together extend around and form the interior space  50 . The body  30  can be constructed from a single piece of material, or from multiple pieces of material. Examples of materials include but are not limited to leather, suede, mesh, nylon, faux leather, and faux suede. 
     The body  30  can be divided into a front section  70  configured to receive the front portion of the user&#39;s foot including their toes and arch. The body  30  also includes a rear section  71  configured to receive the user&#39;s heal and ankle. In one example as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the rear section  71  extends a limited distance from the sole  20  (i.e., a low-top footwear article). In another example as illustrated in  FIG.  3   , the rear section  71  is larger and extends a greater distance to cover the user&#39;s ankle (i.e., a high-top footwear article). In yet another example (not illustrated), the rear section  71  extends even farther away from the sole  20  to be positioned along the user&#39;s leg, such as with various boots. 
     The body  30  include an upper edge  31  opposite from the sole  20 . The upper edge  31  defines an opening  60 . The opening  60  extends across the top of the footwear  10  along the front section  70  and the rear section  71 . The opening  60  includes a front section  61  that extends along the front section  70 , and a rear section  62  that extends along the rear section  71 . A tongue  80  is attached to the body  30  in proximity to the upper edge  31 . The tongue  80  extends across the front section  61  of the opening  60 . The rear section  62  of the opening  60  remains open to receive the user&#39;s ankle/leg. 
     Fasteners  90  are attached to the body  30  in proximity to the upper edge  31 . The fasteners  90  extend across the opening  60  at the front section  70  of the body  30 . The fasteners  90  are adjustable to selectively control a width of the front section  70 . The fasteners  90  can include various configurations including but not limited to laces, straps, buckles, and zippers. In one example as illustrated in  FIG.  3   , a strap  80  is attached to the body  30  and extends across the opening  60 . The strap  80  is used to control the width of the opening  60  to secure the body  30  to the user&#39;s foot. In one example, the strap  80  is positioned on the rear section  71  of the body  30  away from the front section  70 . 
     The footwear article  10  includes a size. The size can be defined by one or more of a depth D measured between the top side  21  of the sole  20  and the upper edge  31  of the body  30  (see  FIGS.  2 ,  3   ), a width Q measured between opposing lateral sides  37 ,  38  (see  FIG.  4   ). In one example, the size also includes a length L measured between a front edge  39  of the body  30  and an end of the front section  70 . 
     The body  30  includes an elastic section  40  that provides for adjusting the size. The elastic section  40  stretches when the user&#39;s foot is inserted into the interior space  50 . When the user&#39;s foot is removed, the elastic section  40  returns to its original shape and size. When expanded, the elastic section  40  acts to return towards its original shape and size and thus applies a force to the user&#39;s foot. The change is size can be the result of a change in one or more of the width, depth, and length. The elastic section  40  can be made from different materials. In some examples, the material includes a first component that performs the stretching such as rubber or a synthetic material (e.g., Spandex) and a second covering component such as polyester, cotton, and nylon. One example includes elastic material includes latex-based rubber and polyester fibers. 
     In one example as illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the elastic section  40  is positioned along just the front section  70  and is positioned away from the rear section  71 . In this example, the elastic section  40  provides for the front section  70  to expand when the user&#39;s foot is inserted to accommodate the orthotic device  100 . The elastic section  40  also applies a compressive force to the user&#39;s foot when the elastic section  40  is expanded. The compressive force provides for the footwear article  10  to remain positioned relative to the user&#39;s foot and also to prevent/reduce the likelihood of the footwear article  10  falling off during use. The elastic section  40  can include a single piece of material or can include two or more different pieces  45 . The different pieces  45  can include the same or different constructions. 
       FIG.  4    schematically illustrates an example of an elastic section  40  that is constructed as a single piece. The elastic section  40  comprises a substantially u-shape to extend around the opening  60  at the front section  70 . In one example, the u-shaped elastic section  40  extends along the front and lateral sides of the opening  60 . The elastic section  40  includes a first end  41  and an opposing second end  44 . A top edge  42  is positioned towards the opening  60  and an opposing bottom edge  43  is positioned away from the opening  60 . A width w is measured between the top and bottom edges  42 ,  43 . During stretching, the width w increases in size to accommodate the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device  100 . 
       FIGS.  2  and  3    illustrate the elastic section  40  mounted within the body  30  of the footwear article  10 . The first end  41  and the opposing second end  44  (not illustrated in  FIGS.  2  and  3   ) attach at the rear section  71  of the body  30 . Thus, the stretching of the elastic section  40  occurs along the front section  70  of the body  30  and not along the rear section  71 . In another example, the elastic section  40  extends into the rear section  71  and provides for expansion of the rear section  71 . In one example as illustrated in  FIG.  4   , the elastic section  40  is a strip of material with an elongated length measured between the first and second ends  41 ,  44  sized to extend along the front section of the opening and having a width W that is narrow relative to the length. 
     In one example as illustrated in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the elastic section  40  is positioned away from the upper edge  31  of the body  30 . In this example, the body  30  includes a fastener section  32  that receives the fasteners  90 . The fastener section  32  forms a portion of the upper edge  31  of the body  30 . The elastic section  40  is attached below the fastener section  32  (i.e., between the fastener section  32  and the sole  20 ). The body  30  also includes a base  33  that extends between the elastic section  40  and the sole  20 . A width of the base  33  measured between a bottom edge and an upper edge is larger than a width of the elastic section  40 . The larger base  33  provides stability in the footwear article  10  as the base  33  maintains its shape and size during use. The smaller elastic section  40  provides for expansion. 
     The elastic section  40  can be positioned at other locations along the body  30 . One example includes being connected to the sole  20 . In another example, the elastic section  40  forms the upper edge  31  of the body  30 . 
       FIGS.  5 A and  5 B  illustrate the stretching of the elastic section  40  to increase the size of the footwear article  10 . In this example, the stretching occurs as illustrated in a first direction by S 1  and S 2 , and a second direction as illustrated by L 1  and L 2 . As illustrated in  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the depth increases during expansion of the elastic section  40 . 
     When the user removes their foot from the interior space  50 , the footwear article  10  returns back to the original shape and size as illustrated in  FIG.  5 A . 
     In the example of  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the elastic section  40  is positioned away from the rear section  71 . Thus, just the front section  70  expands in size with the rear section  71  being the same in both configurations. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a method of accommodating a user&#39;s foot and an orthotic device  100  in a footwear article  10 . The method includes receiving the user&#39;s foot and the orthotic device  100  (block  610 ). This includes receiving these items in an opening  60  at a top of a body  30 . The user&#39;s foot and orthotic device  100  can be received at the same time (i.e., the orthotic device is attached to the user&#39;s foot), or at different times. 
     The method includes expanding a size of the body  50  (block  620 ). The expansion occurs along an elastic section  40  and occurs responsive to the user inserting their foot into the body  30 . After insertion, the body  30  applies a compressive force on the user&#39;s foot (block  630 ). 
     The footwear article  10  can include various shapes and sizes. Examples include but are not limited to shoes, boots, slippers, and dress shoes. 
     Spatially relative terms such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper”, and the like, are used for ease of description to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element. These terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to different orientations than those depicted in the figures. Further, terms such as “first”, “second”, and the like, are also used to describe various elements, regions, sections, etc. and are also not intended to be limiting. Like terms refer to like elements throughout the description. 
     As used herein, the terms “having”, “containing”, “including”, “comprising” and the like are open ended terms that indicate the presence of stated elements or features, but do not preclude additional elements or features. The articles “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. 
     The present invention may be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the examples provided herein are intended to be embraced.