Footwear support system

Abstract

Footwear is provided. In some embodiments, the footwear includes a strap configured to connect between a lateral forefoot region of the footwear to a medial hindfoot region of the footwear. In some embodiments, the strap is supported along the medial hindfoot region with a heel counter. In some embodiments the strap includes a lateral strap portion and a medial strap portion, and a closure system connection the lateral strap portion to the medial strap portion.

1 . A footwear comprising:
 a strap comprising a lateral strap portion connected to a lateral forefoot region of the footwear and a medial strap portion connected to a medial hindfoot region of the footwear; and   a heel counter configured to be positioned adjacent to a user's heel when worn, wherein the heel counter is stiffer than an adjacent portion of an upper of the footwear, and wherein the heel counter is configured to support the medial strap portion, wherein the strap is configured to apply a foot inversion resisting tension to a user's foot when the footwear is worn by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the heel counter is configured to support the medial strap portion at a location proximal to an axis of rotation of the user's ankle in a sagittal plane when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a closure system configured to secure the footwear to the user's foot, and wherein the closure system is configured to connect the lateral strap portion to the medial strap portion. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 3 , wherein the closure system comprises a lacing system, and wherein the lateral strap portion comprises at least one lateral eyelet configured to receive a portion of a lace of the lacing system and the medial strap portion comprises at least one medial eyelet configured to receive a portion of a lace of the lacing system. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein each of the at least one lateral eyelet is disposed anterior to a corresponding medial eyelet. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the lateral strap portion is configured to connect to the lateral forefoot region of the footwear at a first location aligned with and/or posterior to the user's 5th Metatarsophalangeal joint when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 6 , wherein the lateral strap portion comprises a posterior end portion and an anterior end portion, and wherein the posterior end portion is configured to connect to the lateral forefoot region of the footwear at the first location aligned with and/or posterior to the user's 5th Metatarsophalangeal joint when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the anterior end portion of the lateral strap portion is configured to connect to the lateral forefoot region of the footwear at a second location anterior to the user's 5th Metatarsophalangeal joint when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising an elastic tongue disposed on a dorsal side of the footwear and configured to apply a dorsi flexion assisting torque to a user's foot when the footwear is worn by the user and the foot of the user is disposed in a plantar flexed position. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the elastic tongue is configured to bias the user's foot towards a neutral position when the footwear is worn by the user and in a plantar flexed position. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the heel counter is a base of an exoskeleton, and further comprising:
 a yoke configured to contact the user's leg above the user's ankle and below the user's knee when the footwear is worn by the user;   a rotatable connection rotatably connecting the base and the yoke, wherein an axis of rotation of the rotatable connection is approximately aligned with the axis of rotation of the user's ankle; and   a spring configured to connect between the base and the yoke and apply a plantar flexion assisting torque between the yoke and the base.   
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the heel counter is configured to support the medial strap portion along a section of the medial hindfoot region aligned with a talus of the user's foot when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the section of the medial hindfoot region is disposed parallel to or anterior to the axis of rotation of the user's ankle. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the heel counter is configured to support the medial strap portion along a portion of the medial hindfoot region disposed at a distance between 0 mm and 40 mm from the axis of rotation of the user's ankle when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein an axial stiffness of the lateral strap portion and the medial strap portion is greater than a stiffness of an adjacent portion of the footwear oriented in a direction aligned with the strap. 
     
     
         16 . A method of resisting foot inversion comprising:
 connecting a lateral strap portion connected to a lateral forefoot region of a footwear and a medial strap portion connected to a medial hindfoot region of the footwear;   positioning a heel counter adjacent to a user's heel when the footwear is worn by the user, wherein the heel counter is stiffer than an adjacent portion of an upper of the footwear;   supporting the medial strap portion with the heel counter; and   applying a foot inversion resisting tension to the user's foot with the strap.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein supporting the medial strap portion with the heel counter comprises supporting the medial strap portion along a portion of the medial hindfoot region below an axis of rotation of a user's ankle in a sagittal plane when the footwear is worn by the user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising securing the footwear to the user's foot with a closure system, and connecting the lateral strap portion and medial strap portion to the closure system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the closure system comprises a lacing system, and wherein the lateral strap portion comprises at least one lateral eyelet configured to receive a portion of a lace of the lacing system and the medial strap portion comprises at least one medial eyelet configured to receive a portion of a lace of the lacing system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the at least one lateral eyelet is disposed anterior to a corresponding medial eyelet. 
     
     
         21 - 30 . (canceled)