Pressure dissipating heel counter and method of making same

Abstract

A heel counter for a shoe and method of making the same is shown and described. The heel counter includes a pair of sidewalls and a deformation member between the sidewalls.

1 . A support member for the heel of a shoe, comprising: 
 a pair of sidewalls; and    a deformation member between the sidewalls.    
   
   
       2 . The support member of  claim 1 , wherein the support member has an arcuate bottom edge.  
   
   
       3 . The support member of  claim 2 , wherein the support member is a heel counter.  
   
   
       4 . The support member of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls comprise a first material and the deformation member comprises a second material.  
   
   
       5 . The support member of  claim 4 , wherein the sidewalls have a density, the deformation member has a density, and the density of the sidewalls is greater than the density of the deformation member.  
   
   
       6 . The support member of  claim 4 , wherein the sidewalls have a modulus of elasticity, the deformation member has a modulus of elasticity, and the modulus of elasticity of the sidewalls is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the deformation member.  
   
   
       7 . A shoe comprising the support member of  claim 1 .  
   
   
       8 . A shoe comprising an upper having a heel, wherein the support member of  claim 1  is attached to the heel.  
   
   
       9 . The shoe of  claim 8 , wherein the heel comprises an exterior surface and the support member is attached to the exterior surface of the heel.  
   
   
       10 . A heel counter, comprising: 
 a. a lateral portion comprising at least one lateral portion material, wherein the lateral portion has a density;    b. a medial portion comprising at least one medial portion material, wherein the medial portion has a density;    c. an asymmetrical deformation portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion, said deformation portion comprising at least one deformation portion material, wherein the deformation portion has a density;    wherein the density of the deformation portion is less than the density of the lateral portion.    
   
   
       11 . The heel counter of  claim 10 , wherein the density of the deformation portion is less than the density of the medial portion.  
   
   
       12 . The heel counter of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one lateral portion material and the at least one medial portion material are the same material.  
   
   
       13 . The heel counter of  claim 10 , wherein the deformation portion comprises a rectangular section and a projection from the rectangular section.  
   
   
       14 . A shoe comprising an upper having a heel, wherein the heel counter of  claim 10  is attached to the heel.  
   
   
       15 . The heel counter of  claim 13 , wherein the projection defines a semi-circle.  
   
   
       16 . A heel counter, comprising: 
 a. a lateral support;    b. a medial support; and    c. a calcaneus bone support.    
   
   
       17 . A heel counter having a top edge and a bottom edge defining a heel axis between the top edge and bottom edge, and an asymmetrical member located along the heel axis.  
   
   
       18 . The heel counter of  claim 17 , wherein the asymmetrical member has a first density, the remainder of the heel counter has a second density, and the first density is less than the second density.  
   
   
       19 . The heel counter of  claim 17 , wherein the asymmetrical member includes a semicircular portion.  
   
   
       20 . The heel counter of  claim 17 , wherein the asymmetrical member includes a lateral projection.  
   
   
       21 . The heel counter of  claim 17 , wherein the asymmetrical member comprises a rectangular strip and a projection from the rectangular strip.  
   
   
       22 . A heel counter having a rear axis, comprising: 
 a. lateral and medial sidewalls having a first density;    b. a deformable member having a second density, the deformable member being located between the lateral and medial sidewalls and disposed along the rear axis, wherein the deformable member comprises a rectangular strip with a semicircular projection directed towards the lateral sidewall, and the deformable member is integrally molded with the lateral and medial sidewalls;    wherein the second density is less than the first density.    
   
   
       23 . A shoe, comprising an upper having a heel, the heel having an exterior surface, wherein the heel counter of  claim 22  is attached to the exterior surface.  
   
   
       24 . A shoe comprising, 
 a. an upper having a heel, the heel including an exterior surface; and    c. a heel counter attached to the exterior surface of the heel, where the heel counter comprises a flexing member.    
   
   
       25 . The shoe of  claim 24 , wherein the upper has a top and a bottom spaced apart in a direction and the flexing member is disposed along the direction.  
   
   
       26 . The shoe of  claim 24 , wherein the flexing member is asymmetrical.  
   
   
       27 . The shoe of  claim 24 , wherein the heel counter comprises first and second sidewalls and the flexing member is located between the first and second sidewalls.  
   
   
       28 . The shoe of  claim 27 , wherein said flexing member has a modulus of elasticity, the first and second sidewalls have a modulus of elasticity, and the modulus of elasticity of the flexing member is less than the modulus of elasticity of the first and second sidewalls.  
   
   
       29 . The shoe of  claim 24 , wherein the upper defines a lateral side and a medial side and the flexing member includes a projection directed towards the lateral side.  
   
   
       30 . The shoe of  claim 29 , wherein the projection is a semi-circle.  
   
   
       31 . A calcaneus protector for use in a heel counter of a shoe, the calcaneus protector comprising a rectangular section and a projection from the rectangular section.  
   
   
       32 . The calcaneus protector of  claim 31 , wherein the projection is a semi-circle.  
   
   
       33 . A heel counter comprising the calcaneus protector of  claim 31 .  
   
   
       34 . A shoe comprising the heel counter of  claim 33 .  
   
   
       35 . The calcaneus protector of  claim 31 , wherein the projection comprises a polyurethane material.  
   
   
       36 . A method of manufacturing a heel counter for a shoe, comprising the steps of: 
 forming first and second side walls, and forming a deformation member such that the deformation member is attached to the first and second sidewalls and located between the first and second sidewalls.    
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the step of forming first and second sidewalls comprises providing a plastic material and molding the plastic material to form the first and second sidewalls.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the step of forming the deformation member comprises integrally forming the deformation member with the first and second sidewalls.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising providing a mold, the mold comprising a first sidewall section, a second sidewall section, and a deformation member section, and wherein the step of forming the first and second sidewalls comprises molding a first material in the first and second sidewall sections, and the step of forming a deformation member comprises molding a second material in the second sidewall section.  
   
   
       40 . A method of manufacturing a heel counter, comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a mold comprising a first sidewall section, a second sidewall section, and a deformable member section between the first sidewall section and second sidewall section;    b. providing a first material;    c. melting the first material;    d. filling the deformable member section with the first material;    e. providing a second material;    f. melting the second material;    g. filling the first sidewall section and the second sidewall section with the melted second material;    h. allowing the first material in the first and second sidewall sections and the second material in the deformable member section to harden, thereby forming a heel counter; and    g. removing the heel counter from the mold.    
   
   
       41 . A method of manufacturing a shoe, comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a shoe upper having a heel; and    b. attaching the heel counter of  claim 40  to the heel of the shoe upper.    
   
   
       42 . A shoe, comprising: 
 a. an upper having a heel, the heel having an exterior surface;    b. a heel counter, attached to the exterior surface of the heel, the heel counter comprising a lateral portion, a medial portion, and a deformation portion between the lateral portion and the medial portion.    
   
   
       43 . The shoe of  claim 42 , wherein the deformation portion has a density, the lateral portion has a density, and the density of the deformation portion is less than the density of the lateral portion.  
   
   
       44 . The shoe of  claim 42 , wherein the deformation portion is asymmetrical.  
   
   
       45 . A shoe comprising a heel having an exterior surface and the heel counter of  claim 17  attached to the exterior surface of the heel, wherein the heel counter includes an asymmetrical member.