High heel shoe of improved comfort

Abstract

In a high heel shoe the heel seat is angled upwards approximately 3-5 degrees. The insole follows the natural shape of the inside long arch of the foot so that the medial arch of the foot is raised higher than the lateral arch of the foot in order to support the natural angle of the calcaneus, the navicular, the medial cuneiform and the first metatarsal. The angle of the heel seat is more acute relative to the ground looking from the lateral side of the shoe. A triangular dome bump on the insole of the shoe has one corner behind the second metatarsal head, a second corner behind the fourth metatarsal head and the final corner near mid-foot. Material is added beneath the sole of the insole so that the greatest thickness is beneath the metatarsal heads and tapers to zero at the end of the insole toward the toes.

1 . A high heel shoe for receiving the foot of a wearer, the shoe being shaped for a left or right foot with a medial shape which is different from a lateral shape and comprising:
 a shoe outsole, outer shank and a shoe heel for engaging the ground;   a shoe insole on which the foot of the wearer is placed including a heel seat extending from a rear of the shoe to a break line across the shoe, an inner shank extending downwardly and forwardly from the break line to a ball line across the shoe and a forefoot in front of the ball line;   wherein the heel seat of the insole is arranged such that, with the shoe resting on the ground so as to define an imaginary horizontal line across the heel seat from the lateral edge of the shoe to the medial edge of the shoe, the upper surface of the heel seat on which the heel rests is angled relative to the imaginary line so that the medial edge of the heel seat is lifted upwardly relative to the lateral edge of the heel seat.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the heel seat is concave between the medial and lateral edges. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the lifting of the heel seat at the medial edge is obtained by providing a thickening of the insole at the heel seat. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the medial edge is lifted relative to the lateral edge to define an angle which lies in the range 3-5 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the medial edge is lifted relative to the lateral edge to define an angle which is less than 10 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the medial edge of the heel seat is raised along the length of the heel seat from the rear of the shoe to the break line. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the arch support of the insole defines a medial line adjacent the medial edge and a lateral line adjacent the lateral edge each extending from the break line to the ball line where the medial line is raised relative to the lateral line so as to follow the natural shape of the medial long arch of the foot in order to support the natural angle of the calcaneus, the navicular, the medial cuneiform and the first metatarsal. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe according to  claim 7  wherein the medial line commences at the break line at a height greater than the lateral line at the break line created by the elevation of the medial edge of the heel seat. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein a raised dome is provided on the shank of the insole with the dome being spaced inwardly from the lateral edge and outwardly from the medial edge with the dome commencing at or adjacent the ball line and extending upwardly along the shank to a position underlying the base of the metatarsals. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe according to  claim 9  wherein the dome is generally triangle shaped in plan tapering upwardly and inwardly from the ball line. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe according to  claim 9  wherein the dome extends across the ball line from one apex located behind the second metatarsal head to a second apex behind the fourth metatarsal head. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe according to  claim 9  wherein the dome is in the range 0.3 to 1.0 centimetres in height. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe according to  claim 9  wherein the dome is formed of a resilient material applied on top of the insole. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe according to  claim 1  wherein the insole is of increased thickness at the ball line relative to the forward end of the insole. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe according to  claim 14  wherein the increased thickness at the ball line extends in front of the ball line and tapers therefrom in thickness gradually toward the forward end of the insole and extends rearwardly into the shank and tapers gradually rearwardly into the shank. 
     
     
         16 . A high heel shoe for receiving the foot of a wearer, the shoe being shaped for a left or right foot with a medial shape which is different from a lateral shape and comprising:
 a shoe outsole, outer shank and a shoe heel for engaging the ground;   a shoe insole on which the foot of the wearer is placed including a heel seat extending from a rear of the shoe to a break line across the shoe, an inner shank extending downwardly and forwardly from the break line to a ball line across the shoe and a forefoot in front of the ball line;   wherein the arch support of the insole defines a medial line adjacent the medial edge and a lateral line adjacent the lateral edge each extending from the break line to the ball line where the medial line is raised relative to the lateral line so as to follow the natural shape of the medial long arch of the foot in order to support the natural angle of the calcaneus, the navicular, the medial cuneiform and the first metatarsal.   
     
     
         17 . The shoe according to  claim 16  wherein the medial line commences at the break line at a height greater than the lateral line at the break line created by an elevation of the medial edge of the heel seat. 
     
     
         18 . A high heel shoe for receiving the foot of a wearer, the shoe being shaped for a left or right foot with a medial shape which is different from a lateral shape and comprising:
 a shoe outsole, outer shank and a shoe heel for engaging the ground;   a shoe insole on which the foot of the wearer is placed including a heel seat extending from a rear of the shoe to a break line across the shoe, an inner shank extending downwardly and forwardly from the break line to a ball line across the shoe and a forefoot in front of the ball line;   wherein an arched raised dome is provided on the shank of the insole with the dome being spaced inwardly from the lateral edge and outwardly from the medial edge with the dome commencing at or adjacent the ball line and extending upwardly along the shank to a position underlying the base of the metatarsals.   
     
     
         19 . A high heel shoe for receiving the foot of a wearer, the shoe being shaped for a left or right foot with a medial shape which is different from a lateral shape and comprising:
 a shoe outsole, outer shank and a shoe heel for engaging the ground;   a shoe insole on which the foot of the wearer is placed including a heel seat extending from a rear of the shoe to a break line across the shoe, an inner shank extending downwardly and forwardly from the break line to a ball line across the shoe and a forefoot in front of the ball line;   wherein the insole is of increased thickness at the ball line relative to the forward end of the insole.   
     
     
         20 . The shoe according to  claim 19  wherein the increased thickness at the ball line extends in front of the ball line and tapers therefrom in thickness gradually toward the forward end of the insole and extends rearwardly into the shank and tapers gradually rearwardly into the shank.