Shoe sole structures

Abstract

A shoe having an anthropomorphic sole that copies the underlying stability, support, and cushioning structures of the human foot. Natural stability is provided by attaching a completely flexible but relatively inelastic shoe sole upper directly to the bottom sole, enveloping the sides of the midsole, instead of attaching it to the top surface of the shoe sole. Doing so puts the flexible side of the shoe upper under tension in reaction to destabilizing sideways forces on the shoe causing it to tilt. That tension force is balanced and in equilibrium because the bottom sole is firmly anchored by body weight, so the destabilizing sideways motion is neutralized by the tension in the flexible sides of the shoe upper. Support and cushioning is provided by shoe sole compartments filled with a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel. Unlike similar existing systems, direct physical contact occurs between the upper surface and the lower surface of the compartments, providing firm, stable support. Cushioning is provided by the transmitting medium progressively causing tension in the flexible and semi-elastic sides of the shoe sole. The support and cushioning compartments are similar in structure to the fat pads of the human foot, which simultaneously provide both firm support and progressive cushioning.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe construction for a shoe, comprising: 
 shoe upper that is composed of material that is flexible and relatively inelastic at least where said shoe upper contacts the areas of the structural bone elements of the human foot, and a shoe sole that has relatively flexible sides;    at least a portion of the sides of said shoe upper being attached directly to the bottom sole, while enveloping on the outside the other sole portions of said shoe sole.    
     
     
         2 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said shoe sole conforms to at least a heel portion of the natural contour of the human foot, whether under a load or unloaded, including at least a portion of its sides; 
 and said shoe sole maintaining constant frontal plane thickness and varying sagittal plane thickness, with the heel area thicker than the forefoot area.  
 
     
     
         3 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said bottom sole extends partly up the side of the midsole to join with said shoe sole upper sides.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said shoe upper is reinforced in the area of some or all essential structural support and propulsion elements, comprising the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the base of the fifth metatarsal, the heads of the metatarsals, and the first distal phalange.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said shoe upper is attached on either the outer or inner surface of said bottom sole.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said shoe upper is attached at or near the lower or bottom surface of said shoe sole.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said shoe upper overlaps on either side the bottom sole or lower sole surface when they join.  
     
     
         8 . A shoe construction for a shoe, comprising: 
 a shoe sole with a compartment or compartments under the structural elements of the human foot, including at least the heel;    said compartment or compartments containing a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel;    a portion of the upper surface of said shoe sole compartment firmly contacts the lower surface of said compartment during normal load-bearing;    pressure from said load-bearing is transmitted progressively at least in part to the relatively inelastic sides, top and bottom of said shoe sole compartment or compartments, producing tension.    
     
     
         9 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein shoe upper that is composed of material that is flexible and relatively inelastic at least where said shoe upper contacts the areas of the structural bone elements of the human foot, and a shoe sole that has relatively flexible sides; 
 at least a portion of the sides of said shoe upper being attached directly to the bottom sole, while enveloping on the outside the other sole portions of said shoe sole.    
     
     
         10 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said shoe sole conforms to at least a heel portion of the natural contour of the human foot, whether under a load or unloaded, including at least a portion of its sides; 
 and said shoe sole maintaining constant frontal plane thickness and varying sagittal plane thickness, with the heel area thicker than the forefoot area.  
 
     
     
         11 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said bottom sole extends partly up the side of the midsole to join with said shoe sole upper sides.  
     
     
         12 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said shoe upper is reinforced in the area of some or all essential structural support and propulsion elements, comprising the base and lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, the base of the fifth metatarsal, the heads of the metatarsals, and the first distal phalange.  
     
     
         13 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said shoe upper is attached on either the outer or inner surface of said bottom sole.  
     
     
         14 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9  wherein said shoe upper is attached to the lower surface of said shoe sole.  
     
     
         15 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein said shoe upper overlaps on either side the bottom sole or lower sole surface when they join.  
     
     
         16 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 10  wherein a sole having a naturally contoured shape defined by a design which conforms to the natural shape of the unloaded foot; 
 wherein the theoretically ideal stability plane is determined by the desired shoe sole thickness which is normally constant in a frontal plane cross section;  
 said sole including a midsole having a thickness or density variation to approximate a greater than natural stability, said midsole having material of greater thickness or density nearer to the theoretically ideal stability plane and material of lesser thickness or density remote from said stability plane.  
 
     
     
         16 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said compartments can be subdivided.  
     
     
         17 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said sole has at least a portion using a natural whorl structure to the subcalcaneal fat pad.  
     
     
         18 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 10  wherein said sole has a least a portion using fibers interconnecting compartments or subdivisions thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A shoe construction for a shoe, comprising: 
 a shoe sole with a compartments under the structural elements of the human foot, including at least the heel;    said compartments containing a pressure-transmitting medium like liquid, gas, or gel;    said compartments having a whorled structure like that of the fat pads of the human foot sole;    load-bearing pressure being transmitted progressively at least in part to the relatively inelastic sides, top and bottom of said shoe sole compartments, producing tension therein;    the elasticity of the material of said compartments and said pressure-transmitting medium are such that normal weight-bearing loads produce sufficient tension within the structure of said compartments to provide adequate structural rigidity to allow firm natural support to said foot structural elements, like that provided the barefoot by its fat pads.    
     
     
         20 . The shoe sole construction as set forth in  claim 19  wherein said shoe sole compartments are subdivided into micro chambers like those of the fat pads of the foot sole.