Patent ID: 8663178

Claim:
An elastic or inelastic stocking or sock comprising: a foot portion suitable for covering at least part of a foot, the foot portion comprising, a pocket configured to contain the big toe (hallux); one or more pockets configured to contain the other toes, the one or more pockets for the other toes being separate from the pocket for the big toe; at least one medial reinforcement comprising an area or band integrally attached to the foot portion and surrounding a medial part of the foot portion from at least one point at a base of said pocket for the big toe, to at least one other point corresponding to heel region; at least one big toe reinforcement integrally attached to said foot portion and surrounding said pocket for the big toe, said medial reinforcement being anchored to said big toe reinforcement, said big toe reinforcement pulling the big toe outwardly, wherein said medial reinforcement comes to bear: on said pocket the big toe, thereby counteracting any lateral deflections; and on the medial part of the stocking or sock corresponding to the metatarsophalangeal joint and on the first metatarsal of the foot, thereby counteracting any medial deflections; at least one anterior transversal reinforcement comprising at least one band integrally attached to the foot portion and surrounding and covering an anterior part of foot portion on a level with the metatarsophalangeal joint, wherein said anterior transversal reinforcement comes to bear the medial reinforcement; and at least one posterior transversal reinforcement comprising at least one band integrally attached to the foot portion and forming a ring surrounding the heel, on a level with the proximomedial third of the tarsus, the posterior transversal reinforcement further coming to bear on the medial reinforcement.