Patent Publication Number: US-2021186155-A1

Title: Modular sports boot liner system with interchangeable external insole

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/922,415, titled “Boot Liner System with Customizable Arch Support and Integrated Sports Footbed,” filed by Jonathan Corey Cruise, on Aug. 8, 2019. 
    
    
     This application incorporates the entire contents of the foregoing application(s) herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Various embodiments relate generally to footwear liners. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Sports boots, including ski boots, may be used with liners, which may be selected specifically for a specific user. Sports boots liners may be used in conjunction with insoles. 
     SUMMARY 
     Apparatus and associated methods relate to a footwear liner system including a liner portion to be worn on a foot and a releasably attachable external insole, releasably attachable to an underside of the liner. In an illustrative example, the external insole may be configured to provide arch support for the insole independent of the liner&#39;s conformability to the foot. In an illustrative example, the liner is pliable and moldable. In an illustrative example, the external insole includes a stiff arch support that is independently and releasably attachable to the liner. Various embodiments may advantageously provide an economical sports boot liner assembly with user-integratable custom insole. 
     Various embodiments may achieve one or more advantages. For example, some embodiments may provide enhanced fit of a boot liner and insole for a user. Some embodiments may keep the liner and external insole in a desired position relative to one another. Some embodiments may allow a user to select a desired insole configuration, such as thickness, heel cup, or arch support characteristics. Some embodiments may provide a customizable, modular, system allowing a user to create a customized liner+external insole assembly. Some customized assemblies may be advantageously heat molded and custom fit to a user as a single unit. 
     The details of various embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary liner and external insole in a detached position. 
         FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary liner and releasable external insole assembly. 
         FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary, releasable, external insole. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     To aid understanding, this document is organized as follows. First, an exemplary liner system with modular outsole is discussed with reference to  FIGS. 1-2 . Second, an exemplary outsole is discussed with reference to  FIG. 3 . Finally, the document discusses further embodiments, exemplary applications and aspects relating to liner systems having modular, customizable outsoles. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary liner and external insole in a detached position. Liner insert  1  is provided with mating region B on an underside of the liner insert. An external insole  2  is positioned underneath the liner insert with mating region A. Liner insert  1  and external insole  2  are in an unassembled position, which may represent, for example, before or after the external insole  2  is attached. 
       FIG. 2  depicts an exemplary liner and releasable external insole assembly  3 , including the liner insert  1  and external insole  2  in a releasable assembled configuration. 
       FIG. 3  depicts an exemplary, releasable, external insole. External insole  4  is depicted from an overhead perspective view, displaying an attachment region in hatching. The external insole  4  is provided with arch support areas D, heel cup area C, and forefoot area E. 
     In reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , liner insert  1  may, for example, be a ski boot liner, a sports boot liner, or other footwear liner. The liner insert may be conformable, The mating regions A and B may, for example, be provided with hook and loop fastener material (e.g., a mating ‘hook’ side on one region and ‘loop’ side on the other region of two-piece mating hook and loop fastener fabric), be provided with a ‘hook’ fastener material on one region and a ‘hookable’ material (e.g., a fabric which may engage with hook fabric), repositionable adhesive, mating silicone surfaces, dry adhesive, synthetic setae, other appropriate repositionable fastener, or some combination thereof. The first mating region may cover an entire underside of the liner, or portions thereof. The first mating region may extend at least partially upwards from the underside of the liner in at least one region. The second mating region may cover an entire top surface of the liner, or portions thereof. The external insole and second mating region may extend at least partially upwards to ‘lip’ or ‘cup,’ for example, at least partially around some portion of the perimeter of liner. Such cupping, for example, may advantageously provide support against lateral motion for a user&#39;s foot. Such cupping may, for example, enhance the attachment strength between the first and second mating regions during user&#39;s activity wearing the liner+insole assembly, while not adversely affecting releasability when the user wishes to remove the insole from the liner (e.g., by removing it in a ‘peeling’ motion). In some embodiments, the liner, insole, or both may be configured such that a specific orientation is required. Such orientation may be, for example, heel-to-toe, a top surface being only usable as a top surface (e.g., because of a location of the mating region, because of gripping elements provided on a bottom surface of the insole, or other configuration), or some combination thereof. 
     Although various embodiments have been described with reference to the figures, other embodiments are possible. For example, sports manufacturers may include basic, inexpensive insoles in sports boots liner inserts that have a universal neutral arch support. In many situations, these “stock” insoles may be insufficient for a particular user&#39;s needs for a variety of reasons which may, for example, include insufficient arch support, excessive thickness, excessive thinness, or general low quality. User&#39;s may, for example, desire to replace the stock insoles with aftermarket insoles, including, for example, custom or heat-molded insoles that may, for example, provide enhanced arch support, plantar fascia flex, user selected thickness, shock absorption, improved fit for the user, enhanced comfort for the user, or enhanced performance for the user in their sports boot products. However, integrated stock insoles cannot be replaced and, therefore, may conflict with an aftermarket insole purchased and used in the liner. 
     In some embodiments, therefore, a sport boot liner insert system is provided with a footbed design to offer comfortable, heat moldable, custom arch support options to users, at a much lower cost than producing and including high quality heat moldable insoles with their sport boot products. Some such embodiments may be fit to users in a simplified heat molding process for both the liner inserts and the footbed area simultaneously, which may facilitate fast and full quality heat molding of the liner insert and footbed area by even the most novice boot user, and may make an easier task of both heat molding of sport boots, and altering and selecting a footbed. 
     Example embodiments of a liner and external insole assembly simultaneously molded to a user may offer, for example, advantages in both fit and speed over individually heat molding a liner and an insole. Various embodiments of an external, releasably attachable insole may advantageously secure the insole in a desired position beneath the liner and inside the shell (e.g., a ski boot or other sports boot), and preventing undesirable movement of an insole inside or underneath a liner insert which may result from a mis-sized, mis-shaped, or unattached insole. Various embodiments providing a liner with releasably attachable external insole may, for example, provide an optimized foot support by allowing a user to select a desired foot support by selecting a releasably attachable insole, and reducing or eliminating conflict between a footbed built-in to the liner and an aftermarket or supplemental insole. 
     Various embodiments provide a sports boot liner insert system offering, for example, at minimal cost, a modular system which may increase user customization of the shape and characteristics of the footbed, may utilize heat molding technologies, may provide modular arch support customization, and may use, for example, hook and loop style fasteners in a manner to create a fully heat moldable fitting system (including the footbed) provided with the sports boot liner insert rather than using an additional sports insole inside the liner insert. In some embodiments, the external insole may, for example, be a stiff structure being an ergonomic footbed-shaped stiff, underlying support piece. The external insole may be made from a stiff material (e.g., plastic, cork, foams, rubber, urethane, silicone, or other appropriate flexibly stiff material), and may include an integrated heel cup and forefoot area, and may be provided with a variety of arch support options. 
     In various embodiments, the attachment region may be provided with an attachment region that allows a user to releasably secure the external insole to the underside of a properly heated heat moldable sports boot liner insert (e.g., using a mating hook and loop fastener material located on the top of the external insole and on the underside of the liner insert). The user may first have selected an external insole, for example, provided with an arch profile, shape, thickness, stiffness, or other characteristic or combination thereof that best suits the user&#39;s feet. Once fastened to the heated liner insert, the user may then insert the heated liner insert and external insole assembly into a larger outer boot (which may be, for example, an injection molded plastic ski boot, snowboard boot, or inline skate boot), and proceed to heat mold the liner insert with their foot inside. 
     The liner insert may, for example, be provided with an integrated and heat-moldable ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam or cork footbed that is located above the external insole. This footbed may be compressed during heat molding, for example, by the user&#39;s weight, by boot closure systems, or a combination thereof, and be thereby molded to the shape of the user&#39;s foot (as well as the entire liner insert being heat molded to the lower leg/foot at the same time). Accordingly, a releasably attached liner insert and external insole system may provide a user benefits of a fully heat molded insert (e.g., with heel cup, arch support, controlled plantar fascia stretch—which may be created by engineering the external insole to flex in the plantar fascia area a certain amount while under certain amounts of pressure, shock absorption, or some combination thereof). 
     Various embodiments releasably attaching an external insole to a boot liner may provide a number of advantages. For example, a releasably attachable external insole boot liner system may prevent undesirable movement of the liner and external insole relative to each other inside the boot. Accordingly, undesirable transfer of energy, movement, or other ‘relative slippage’ related problems may be reduced or eliminated. 
     Embodiments providing an external insole attached to the underneath of the boot liner may, for example, allow desired material to completely surround the foot and lower leg. By positioning the insole outside of and beneath the boot liner, the boot liner fabric may be selected according to comfort or health of the foot and leg, for example (e.g., breathability, cushion, skin comfort, or warmth), without interference from an internal insole. Disadvantages of an external insole may be reduced or eliminated by attaching the external insole to the underneath of the boot, such that the liner+insole assembly may effectively act as a liner with ‘integrated’ insole, while retaining the ability to be customized according to a user&#39;s needs or desires. 
     In various embodiments, an external insole may be chosen from a variety of thickness and heel height combinations, for example, according to a user&#39;s needs. Because the external insole is attachable to the boot liner, and the boot liner is not provided with a separate insole (e.g., with ‘universal’ arch support or heel cup), the custom selected external insole may not negatively interfere with the internal volume of the liner insert, and may not reduce or eliminate negative alteration of the ergonomic designs and biomechanics of the liner insert. Instead, the user may advantageously customize the boot liner footbed by selecting an external insole according to, for example, their foot geometry, body and gait characteristics, desired boot feel, intended activity, or combination thereof, and assemble the chosen external insole with the boot liner to effectively create a custom-manufactured liner+insole system. 
     A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, advantageous results may be achieved if the steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different sequence, or if components of the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner, or if the components were supplemented with other components. Accordingly, other implementations are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.