Shoe Insole

Abstract

An insole providing cushioning and control of foot motion, which includes a stability cradle and a lateral midfoot/heel pad secured to the underside of the base of the insole, as well as a supplemental heel pad is also attached to lay over a portion of the lateral midfoot/heel pad. The lateral midfoot/heel pad and supplemental heel pad are constructed of materials to help control foot pronation and supination.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insole having a top surface for contacting a user's foot and a bottom surface for contacting the bottom interior of a user's shoe, comprising:
 a. a base having a base top side and a base bottom side, said base having a heel end, a toe end, a medial side defining an inner arch area and a lateral side defining an outer border area, said medial and said lateral sides extending from said heel end to said toe end along said arch area and said outer border area of said insole, respectively, and said bottom side of said base defining a toe area, a forefoot area, a stability area and a heel area;   b. a stability cradle made of semi-rigid material, said stability cradle having a cradle top side and a cradle bottom side and said stability cradle defining one or more openings extending traversely to the longitudinal axis of said insole from said cradle top side to said cradle bottom side in said medial arch area, said cradle top side affixed to a stability cradle indentation area of said bottom side of said base;   c. a toe pad in the toe area of said insole;   d. a forefoot pad located in a forefoot indentation area between said midfoot and said toe area of the insole;   e. a lateral midfoot/heel pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, said lateral midfoot/heel pad extending along the lateral side of the insole from the midfoot area to the heel area, said top surface of said lateral midfoot/heel pad being affixed to said bottom surface of said base, and said bottom surface of said lateral midfoot/heel pad extending through a lateral midfoot/heel pad opening in said stability cradle; and   f. a supplemental heel pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, said top surface being affixed and positioned over a portion of the lateral midfoot/heel pad in the heel pad area of the insole.   
     
     
         2 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said insole further comprises a top sheet having a foot contacting surface and an opposite surface that is adhered to said base top side of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the medial side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         4 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the lateral side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         5 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         6 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said stability cradle, said lateral midfoot/heel pad and said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         7 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said bottom surface of said forefoot pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         8 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said bottom surface of said supplemental heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         9 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said bottom surface of said lateral midfoot/heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         10 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a firmer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         11 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a softer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         12 . The insole of  claim 1 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a material of the same firmness of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         13 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein the stability cradle is made of material with sufficient rigidity to support the medial side of a user's foot and assist in the control of foot pronation. 
     
     
         14 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has a durometer of about Shore A 90. 
     
     
         15 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has side walls that lie adjacent the lateral and medial sides of said insole. 
     
     
         16 . The insole of  claim 15  wherein the stability cradle has walls that have a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 3 mm thick. 
     
     
         17 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein the stability cradle has a bottom surface of a random multi-faceted design. 
     
     
         18 . The insole of  claim 1  wherein the stability cradle has a length essentially equivalent to the length from the calcaneus through the metatarsal joints of a user's foot for which said insole is designed to be used. 
     
     
         19 . An insole for use in a shoe having a top side for contacting a user's foot and a bottom side for contacting the bottom interior surface of a user's shoe, comprising:
 a. a base, said base having a base top surface and a base bottom surface, said base having a heel end, a toe end, a medial border and a lateral border, said medial and lateral borders extending from said heel end to said toe end along the medial and lateral sides of the insole, respectively, said base bottom side defining:
 (i) a toe area near to and covering the toe end; 
 (ii) a forefoot area extending from the toe end to a location behind a metatarsal head area of the feet; 
 (iii) a midfoot area that extends from said metatarsal head area to an edge that lies forward of the calcaneus of the foot; 
 (iv) a heel area that extends from said midfoot area to said heel end; 
 (v) a forefoot pad indentation area located in said forefoot area, and extending under the hallux of the foot from near the distal end of the base proximally to the front of the first metatarsal head; and 
 (vi) a stability cradle indentation area located essentially along the midfoot and heel areas of the insole. 
   b. a toe pad located in the toe end of the base;   c. a lateral midfoot/heel pad located in said lateral midfoot area that extends into the heel area, said lateral midfoot/heel pad being affixed to said base bottom surface of said base;   d. a stability cradle made of semi-rigid material and secured to said stability cradle indentation area of said base bottom side, said stability cradle having rib openings and a lateral midfoot/heel pad opening that allows the lateral midfoot/heel pad to extend therethrough;   e. a forefoot pad secured to said forefoot pad indentation area, said forefoot pad extending laterally and proximally under the lesser metatarsal heads of the foot to beneath the greater metatarsals; and   f. a supplemental heel pad affixed to said lateral midfoot/heel pad and located over a portion of the lateral midfoot/heel pad in said heel area.   
     
     
         20 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said insole further comprises a top sheet having a foot contacting surface and an opposite surface that is adhered to said base top side of the base. 
     
     
         21 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the medial side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         22 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the lateral side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         23 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         24 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said stability cradle, said lateral midfoot/heel pad and said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         25 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said bottom surface of said forefoot pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         26 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said bottom surface of said supplemental heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         27 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said bottom surface of said lateral midfoot/heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         28 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a firmer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         29 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a softer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         30 . The insole of  claim 19 , wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a material of the same firmness of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         31 . The insole of  claim 19  wherein the stability cradle is made of material with sufficient rigidity to support the medial side of a user's foot and assist in the control of foot pronation. 
     
     
         32 . The insole of  claim 19  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has a durometer of about Shore A 90. 
     
     
         33 . The insole of  claim 19  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has side walls that lie adjacent the lateral and medial sides of said insole. 
     
     
         34 . The insole of  claim 33  wherein the stability cradle has walls that have a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 3 mm thick. 
     
     
         35 . The insole of  claim 19  wherein the stability cradle has a bottom surface of a random multi-faceted design. 
     
     
         36 . The insole of  claim 19  wherein the stability cradle has a length essentially equivalent to the length from the calcaneus through the metatarsal joints of a user's foot for which said insole is designed to be used. 
     
     
         37 . A method of making an insole to control the motion of a user's foot in a shoe, the method comprising:
 providing a base having a base top surface and a base bottom surface, said base having a heel end, a toe end, a medial border and a lateral border, said medial and said lateral borders extending from said heel end to said toe end, said base bottom side defining:
 (a) a toe area near and covering the toe end of the insole; 
 (b) a forefoot area extending from the toe end to a location behind a metatarsal head area of the feet; 
 (c) a midfoot area that extends from said metatarsal head area to an edge that lies forward of the calcaneus of the foot; 
 (d) a heel area that extends from said midfoot area to said heel end; 
 (e) a stability cradle indentation area; and, 
 (f) a forefoot indentation area; 
   coupling a stability cradle to the base, said stability cradle being made of semi-rigid material and said stability cradle secured to said stability cradle indentation area of said base bottom side of said base; said stability cradle indentation area located essentially along the midfoot and heel areas of the foot;   coupling a lateral midfoot/heel pad to the base bottom surface of the base, said lateral midfoot/heel pad extending through a lateral midfoot/heel pad opening in said stability cradle;   integrating a toe pad to the base proximate to said toe end;   coupling a forefoot pad to the base, said forefoot pad extending laterally and proximally under the lesser metatarsal heads of the foot to beneath the greater metatarsal and affixed to said forefoot indentation area; and,   coupling a supplemental heel pad to the lateral midfoot/heel pad, said supplemental heel pad laying over a portion of said lateral midfoot/heel pad on the medial side of the heel area.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said insole further comprises a top sheet having a foot contacting surface and an opposite surface that is adhered to said base top side of the base. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the medial side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad is located on the lateral side of said heel area of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said stability cradle, said lateral midfoot/heel pad and said supplemental heel pad provides control of the amount or rate of pronation of a user's foot. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said bottom surface of said forefoot pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said bottom surface of said supplemental heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said bottom surface of said lateral midfoot/heel pad has a honeycomb groove surface for contact to the bottom interior of the user's insole. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a firmer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a softer material than said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 37  wherein said supplemental heel pad is made of a material of the same firmness of said lateral midfoot/heel pad. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the stability cradle is made of material with sufficient rigidity to support the medial side of a user's foot and assist in the control of foot pronation. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has a durometer of about Shore A 90. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the stability cradle is made of material that has side walls that lie adjacent the lateral and medial sides of said insole. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the stability cradle has walls that have a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 3 mm thick. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the stability cradle has a bottom surface of a random multi-faceted design. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the stability cradle has a length essentially equivalent to the length from the calcaneus through the metatarsal joints of a user's foot for which said insole is designed to be used.