Foot membrane

Abstract

The present invention is a non-woven, transparent, foot membrane that helps provide comfort and support for the foot during high-heel shoe wear. The device comprises a self-supporting membrane that flexes, stretches and conforms to the shape of the foot, or the portion of the foot in contact with the membrane, when worn. The device has different thicknesses throughout its structure. Preferably, the parts of the invention at and around the major points of contact on a foot when in a high-heeled shoe, e.g., the mid-foot plantar surface, the toes (except the big toe) and the upper foot/ankle, are thicker than the other portions of the device. The device around the forefoot, the big toe, and the heel, is comprised of a plurality of layers of membrane material and gel-like material.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A device to be worn as an article of footwear comprising:
 a base, unitary, self supporting, stretchable, membrane in the general shape of a foot comprising:   a back portion, a middle portion, a front portion, and a toe portion;   an interior, an exterior, a top, a bottom, a medial side and lateral side;   an opening at the top of said membrane, said opening forming an entrance to an aperture inside said membrane;   wherein said back portion of said membrane further comprises a heel portion comprising at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer;   wherein said bottom of said front portion comprises at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer;   wherein said bottom of said toe portion comprises at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is configured across a width of said front portion from said medial side to said lateral side of said membrane. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is greater than about 2.0 millimeters. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said heel portion is less than about 2.0 millimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 4 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said heel portion is greater than about 1.25 millimeters. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is greater than about 4.0 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about equal to a maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about eighty percent of the maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is greatest on the medial side and tapers down in thickness toward the lateral side of said membrane. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 9 , wherein said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is configured across a width of said front portion from said medial side to said lateral side of said membrane, wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is between about 2.0 and 3.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about equal to a maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about eighty percent of the maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is greatest near the center and tapers down in thickness towards both the lateral side and the medial side of said membrane. 
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 13 , wherein said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is configured across a width of said front portion from said medial side to said lateral side of said membrane, wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion is about 4.6 millimeters. 
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about equal to a maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         16 . The device according to  claim 14 , wherein said thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said toe portion is about eighty percent of the maximum thickness of said membrane and said at least one gel-like layer at said bottom of said front portion of said membrane. 
     
     
         17 . The device according to  claim 2  wherein said membrane is a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         18 . The device according to  claim 2 , further comprising an additional layer of membrane material over one layer of gel-like material at said toe portion, said front portion, and said heel portion. 
     
     
         19 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein the coefficient of friction of the inside surface of the device is less than the coefficient of friction of the exterior of the device. 
     
     
         20 . The device according to  claim 19 , further comprising a spray coating additive on the exterior surface of device to increase the coefficient of friction thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The device according to  claim 19 , wherein the coefficient of friction is about 0.54. 
     
     
         22 . A device to be worn as an article of footwear comprising:
 a base, unitary, self supporting, stretchable, membrane between about 1 to 6 mil thick in the general shape of a foot comprising:   a back portion, a middle portion, a front portion, and a toe portion;   an interior, an exterior, a top, a bottom, a medial side and lateral side;   an opening at the top of said membrane, said opening forming an entrance to an aperture inside said membrane;   wherein said back portion of said membrane further comprises a heel portion comprising at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer;   wherein said bottom of said front portion comprises at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer;   wherein said bottom of said toe portion comprises at least one layer of non-compressible gel-like material connected to the membrane, said gel-like layer having a maximum thickness that tapers down to a smaller thickness at the edge of said gel-like layer.