Gel pad for footwear

Abstract

A gel pad for use in a sockliner designed to strategically support the weight of the wearer and to distribute underfoot pressure. The gel pad includes a base having a top face, a bottom face and a central floor portion associated with the bottom face, an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of the bottom face surrounding the central floor portion, and a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of the central floor portion. The network of hollow pillars support the body weight of the wearer without bottoming out and the pillars are sufficiently spaced from each other to allow for expansion horizontally when the pillars are compressed vertically. Each of the pillars may be substantially octagonally shaped.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gel pad comprising:
 a base having a top face, a bottom face, and a central floor portion associated with said bottom face;   an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of said bottom face surrounding said central floor portion; and   a plurality of spaced hollow pillars positioned across the surface of said central floor portion.   
     
     
         2 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein said pad is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic rubber, SEBS, silicone and polyurethane. 
     
     
         3 . The gel pad of  claim 2  wherein the material used in forming said base is substantially transparent. 
     
     
         4 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the bottom face of the base includes a color application that will project upwards to the top face. 
     
     
         5 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the pillars are substantially octagonally shaped. 
     
     
         6 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the pillars are evenly spaced across the surface of the central floor portion. 
     
     
         7 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the pillars are organized into rows extending across the surface of the central floor portion. 
     
     
         8 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein said pad is integrated into a sockliner. 
     
     
         9 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein said pad is integrated into an insole. 
     
     
         10 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of each of said plurality of pillars is recessed in said base. 
     
     
         11 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein said base has a hardness in the range from about 20 to about 60 on the Asker C Scale. 
     
     
         12 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein each of said pillars has a hardness in the range from about 20 to about 60 on the Asker C Scale. 
     
     
         13 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the height of each pillar is in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 30 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the hollow space between two opposed walls within each said pillar is in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 29.75 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the walls forming each said pillar is in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 10 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The gel pad of  claim 1  wherein the space between said pillars is in the range of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm. 
     
     
         17 . A gel pad comprising:
 a base having a top face, a bottom face, and a central floor portion associated with the bottom face;   a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of said central floor portion, each of said pillars being substantially octagonally shaped, said pillars being sufficiently spaced from each other to allow for expansion of each said pillar horizontally when said pillars are compressed vertically.   
     
     
         18 . The gel pad of  claim 17  including an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of said bottom face surrounding said central floor portion. 
     
     
         19 . The gel pad of  claim 17  wherein the base is made of a transparent material. 
     
     
         20 . A sockliner for use in a shoe comprising:
 a hindfoot region positioned to underlie at least an area of a wearer's heel, a midfoot region positioned to underlie at least a portion of an arch of a wearer's foot, and a forefoot region positioned to underlie at least a portion of the ball of a wearer's foot;   a pad having a base, said base having a top face, a bottom face, and a central floor portion associated with said bottom face;   an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of said bottom face surrounding said central floor portion; and   a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of said central floor portion;   said pad being incorporated into said sockliner at a predetermined location.   
     
     
         21 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said plurality of pillars are substantially octagonally shaped. 
     
     
         22 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pad is attached to the underneath side of said sockliner. 
     
     
         23 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pad is positioned and located in the hindfoot region of said sockliner. 
     
     
         24 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pad is positioned and located in the midfoot region of said sockliner. 
     
     
         25 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pad is positioned and located in the forefoot region of said sockliner. 
     
     
         26 . The sockliner of  claim 20  including a plurality of said pads positioned and located at predetermined locations in said sockliner. 
     
     
         27 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pillars are evenly spaced across the surface of central floor portion. 
     
     
         28 . The sockliner of  claim 20  wherein said pillars are organized into rows extending across the surface of said central floor portion.