Modular Insert System for Shoe Soles

Abstract

A support customising system is described for a sole 1 of a shoe. The sole 1 comprises a relatively soft, resilient midsole 3 and an a harder outsole 4 . Hard insert elements 5 are provided for inserting into vertical cavities 2 in the midsole 3 . By varying the hardnesses of different inserts 5 in different vertical cavities, a precisely-tunable pronation control effect on the wearer's gait can be effected. First-order, second-order and third-order pronation control effects are described.

1 . Pronation control customising system for an article of footwear, the system comprising:
 a sole comprising a midsole of a first material having a first durometer, the midsole having an upper, foot-facing surface and a lower, ground-facing surface,   a plurality of vertical cavities in a first region of the midsole, each vertical cavity extending along a vertical axis substantially orthogonally to the upper surface, between the lower and the upper surfaces of the midsole, and   a plurality of support adjustment elements, for each being substantially wholly inserted into one of the vertical cavities so as to adjust a vertical support hardness of the sole at the location of said each vertical cavity;   wherein each vertical cavity comprises a insertion opening in the upper surface and/or in the lower surface for receiving one of the support adjustment elements, and   wherein the plurality of support adjustment elements comprises a first support adjustment element having a second durometer and a second support adjustment element having a third durometer, different from the second durometer, wherein at least one of the second and third durometers is greater than the first durometer,   wherein the cavities and support adjustment elements are each configured such that the net vertical hardness of the sole at the location of each cavity is determined in a great majority by the hardness of the particular insert in the cavity, and   wherein the cavities and support adjustment elements are arranged for pronation control such that a first plurality of the vertical cavities is arranged in a first pronation control region of the sole, and a second plurality of the vertical cavities is arranged in a second pronation control region of the sole, the first and second pronation control regions being on medial and lateral sides, respectively, of the ideal gait line of the sole.   
     
     
         2 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second support adjustment elements, when inserted into a first one of the vertical cavities, and the plurality of vertical cavities have substantially the same cross-section as the first vertical cavity in a horizontal plane parallel to the upper and or lower surface, such that the first and second support adjustment elements are interchangeably insertable into the first vertical cavity through the insertion opening of the first vertical cavity. 
     
     
         3 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the first support adjustment element, the second support adjustment element and a first one of the plurality of vertical cavities have substantially the same vertical length along the vertical axis. 
     
     
         4 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second support adjustment elements and the plurality of vertical cavities each has a substantially constant cross-section along at least a majority of its vertical length. 
     
     
         5 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first and second support adjustment elements each comprises a first protrusion arranged on a lateral outer wall of said first or second support adjustment element;   and/or   the first vertical cavity comprises a second protrusion arranged on a lateral inner wall of the first vertical cavity;   wherein the first and/or second protrusions are configured to provide a positive-fit or friction grip between the lateral outer wall of said first or second support adjustment element and the inner wall of the first vertical cavity, for resisting a movement of said first or second support adjustment element in the first vertical cavity along the vertical axis in a withdrawal direction of the first and/or second support adjustment elements from the first vertical cavity.   
     
     
         6 . System according to  claim 5 , wherein the first and/or second protrusion is formed as a screw thread. 
     
     
         7 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the support adjustment elements ( 5 ) comprises engagement purchase means formed at an end of said each support adjustment element, wherein:
 the engagement purchase means is configured for providing a pulling purchase for withdrawing the support adjustment element from within one of the vertical cavities along the vertical axis of the vertical cavity,   and/or   the engagement purchase means is configured for providing rotational driving purchase for driving a rotation of the support adjustment element about the vertical axis of the vertical cavity when the support adjustment element is inserted into the vertical cavity or when the support adjustment element is being withdrawn from the vertical cavity.   
     
     
         8 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and/or second support adjustment elements comprise a sensory-motoric stimulus protrusion configured to protrude proud of the upper surface when said first and/or second support adjustment element is fully inserted in one of the vertical cavities, the proudness of the sensory-motoric stimulus protrusion being configured to provide a sensory-motoric load-response stimulus to a wearer's foot at the location of the said first or second support adjustment element. 
     
     
         9 . System according to  claim 1 , wherein each support adjustment element, when fully inserted into a corresponding one of the vertical cavities, extends along substantially the whole vertical depth of the midsole. 
     
     
         10 . System according to  claim 9 , wherein the first and second pluralities of vertical cavities and the plurality of support adjustment elements have substantially the same cross-section, such that the first plurality of support adjustment elements can be fittedly inserted into the vertical cavities of the first and second pluralities. 
     
     
         11 . System according to  claim 1 , in which the second durometer is at least 5 Shore greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         12 . System according to  claim 1 , in which the third durometer is at least 5 Shore greater than the second durometer. 
     
     
         13 . System according to  claim 1 , in which the second durometer is less than or equal to the first durometer. 
     
     
         14 . System according to  claim 1 , in which the sole comprises an outsole, below the lower surface of the midsole, the outsole having a fourth durometer greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         15 . System according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the vertical cavities is closed at its lower end by the outsole. 
     
     
         16 . System according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the vertical cavities comprises a lower insertion opening, extending through the outsole, for receiving one of the support adjustment elements. 
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear comprising the sole of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . The plurality of support adjustment elements of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A method of using the system of  claim 1 , the footwear of  claim 17  or the support adjustment elements of  claim 18  to customise the pronation control provided to a wearer's foot by the sole, the method comprising the steps of:
 determining a pronation control requirement of the wearer's foot, 
 based on the pronation control requirement, selecting said first and second support adjustment elements from said plurality of support adjustment elements, 
 based on the pronation control requirement, selecting said first vertical cavity, wherein the first vertical cavity is located in a third gait control region for adjusting the pronation control provided by the sole to the wearer's foot for meeting the pronation control requirement, 
 inserting one of the first and second support adjustment elements into said first vertical cavity. 
 
     
     
         20 . Method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of inserting the other of the first and second support adjustment elements into a second vertical cavity in said third gait control region or in a fourth gait control region, different from the third gait control region.