TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to footwear and in particular relates to the bottom of high-heel footwear.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In the footwear sector, a particular category of products is represented by high-heel footwear in which there is a difference in height usually between 5 cm and 15 cm between the toe support area and the heel support area.

[0003] In this footwear, the bottom is particularly stressed in that it is supported only in the front part on the ground and in the rear by means of the heel, while the central portion is not supported so that it must be structured to resist the forces tending to make it flex.

[0004] For this purpose, the assembly insole of this type of footwear is suitably reinforced. In fact, an assembly insole for this type of footwear normally consists of several superimposed and pressed layers, including a lower one in paper fibreboard and an upper one in a cellulosic material also commercially known as Texon® from the name of the manufacturer, which has good yielding characteristics, and a reinforcing metal sheet, called a shank, which is resistant to flexing, is inserted and locked in an intermediate position between the upper and lower layers, positioned from the heel fixing area towards the front part of the insole.

[0005] High-heel footwear of the type outlined above is adopted for aesthetic purposes but, as can be easily intuited, has very little comfort in use and determines a non-physiologically correct posture and a non-optimal distribution of loads on the foot. In fact, numerous studies have shown that when the foot is bare, the load of body weight is distributed by about 55% on the heel and by about 45% on the toes. In contrast, in footwear with a heel, or rather with a height difference of 9 cm, the load of body weight is about 20% on the heel while 80% of the load is supported by the toes.

[0006] In addition, due to the slope of the support surface of the sole of the foot, the latter tends to slide forward on the upper surface of the insole, whether directly on the assembly insole or a removable insole, causing further pressure on the toes and considerable discomfort in using the footwear, especially that with a closed upper in which the toes go to press on the inner surface of the upper.

[0007] The above highlighted load imbalance and the slipping of the foot on the insole, often associated with an upper which is too narrow at the tip, are the cause of numerous physical problems including hallux valgus, pain in the plantar fascia and inflammation of the Achilles tendon.

[0008] To at least partially obviate these problems, removable insoles, also commonly called inner soles, are on the market, specifically designed for high-heel footwear which have shock-absorbing and non-slip characteristics. For example, there are insoles of different thicknesses with a lower layer in silicone gel and a top layer in breathable non-slip material. These types of insoles at least partially resolve the feeling of discomfort caused by the forward sliding of the foot on the insole but are almost completely ineffective in balancing the load between the heel and the front part of the foot.

[0009] It is therefore appropriate to seek solutions to this specific problem and more generally to the problem of reducing the physical problems caused by high-heel footwear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] A general object of the present invention is to propose footwear provided with an assembly or removable insole capable of increasing the comfort of use of high-heel footwear.

[0011] A specific object of the present invention is to propose high-heel footwear in which a better balancing of the load between the heel and the front part of the foot can be achieved.

[0012] Another specific object of the present invention is to propose high- heel footwear provided with an insole which allows to hinder the forward sliding of the foot.

[0013] Another specific object of the present invention is to propose high- heel footwear provided with an insole which allows to cushion the load weighing on the front ends of the foot.

[0014] The objects of the invention are achieved by means of high-heel footwear whose insole comprises a flexural elastic insert arranged to extend longitudinally between a relative rear portion arranged at the heel support area and a relative front portion which extends at least up to the longitudinal center line of the footwear, said insert being constrained at the central and I or front area of the insole to extend freely towards the rear area of the insole itself such that between the rear portion of said insert and the heel support area of said insole a distance remains, so that when the heel is supported on said heel support area, said insert is free to flex and the relative rear portion corresponding to said heel support area is pressed towards the underlying bottom, creating a substantially horizontal heel support surface in such a heel support area.

[0015] Advantageously, the footwear of the invention also comprises a foot sole abutment element protruding from the upper surface of the insole or inner sole of said footwear at the front area thereof and positioned to extend transversely at the proximal phalanx of the toes, the position, dimensions and shape of said foot sole abutment element being such as to allow the latter to fit into the recess present in the sole of the foot at the proximal phalanx of the toes to constitute an abutment and braking element which hinders the forward sliding of the sole of the foot.

[0016] Advantageously, the footwear of the invention also comprises, together with, or separately from, said abutment element, at least one shockabsorbing element for the toes arranged at the front end of the footwear, between the insole and the upper, said shock-absorbing element for the toes being arch shaped so that a relative convex outer side abuts the upper of said footwear while a concave inner side is adapted to abuttingly receive the tip of the toes, partially wrapping them. .

[0017] The aforementioned flexural elastic insert, constrained to the insole of the footwear in the manner indicated, allows to obtain in the rear part of said footwear a stable support area of the foot, useful to avoid the slipping thereof towards the tip with the consequent damaging overload of the toes.

[0018] The abutment and braking element, advantageously located at the proximal phalanx of the toes, undoubtedly increases the stability of the foot inside the footwear, effectively helping to brake the forward sliding of the foot and thus increasing the comfort offered by the footwear itself.

[0019] The shock-absorbing element arranged inside said footwear at the tip of said load-bearing structure certainly represents a further measure for safeguarding and protecting the toes for this category of footwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] For a better understanding of the advantages and characteristics of the present invention, embodiments thereof will be described below, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 depicts an overall schematic view of high-heel footwear according to the invention;

- figure 2 depicts a top view of the supporting structure of the footwear of Fig. 1 ;

- figure 3 depicts a similar view to that of Fig. 1 in which the configuration assumed by the footwear when it is worn is shown;

- figure 4 shows a schematic sectional side view of an insole of footwear of the invention according to an embodiment variant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] With reference to the figures, high-heel footwear according to the present invention is globally referred to with 10. The footwear 10 consists of an upper 20 and a bottom 30. The bottom 30 comprises an outer sole or tread, 31 , a heel, 32, and an insole, 33. As usually occurs in this type of footwear, the insole 33 is made of several layers and between a lower layer and an upper layer a reinforcing metal sheet 34 is interposed, to which fixing means of the heel 35 are also associated.

[0022] Anchored to the upper surface of the bottom 30 at the central and rear portion, there is a flexural elastic insert, 36, of thin thickness and having a plan shape such as to substantially copy the profile of the insole 33.

[0023] More precisely, said insert 36 extends longitudinally between a relative rear portion, 37, located at the heel support area, and a relative front portion, 38 located approximately at the longitudinal center line of the footwear 10.

[0024] The insert 36 is constrained to the bottom 30 at the central area of the bottom 30 itself so as to extend freely towards the rear area of the bottom 30 so that between the rear portion of said insert and the heel support area a distance, d, remains, so that when the heel comes to be supported on said heel support area, said insert 36 is urged to flex elastically and the relative rear portion corresponding to said heel support area is pressed towards the underlying bottom 30 creating in such a heel support area a substantially horizontal heel support surface. At the same time, following said flexing of the insert 36, the central part of the insert 36 which is located at the plantar arch of the foot further curves to follow the anatomy of the plantar arch in a substantially ergonomic manner.

[0025] In an embodiment the insert 36 is stably associated with the insole 33 of the footwear 10.

[0026] The material with which the insert 36 is made is suitably chosen from materials having high flexural elasticity, such as harmonic steel or spring steel.

[0027] In an embodiment of the invention, a shock-absorbing pad 39 is interposed between the rear portion of the insert 36 and the insole 33. The shock-absorbing pad 39 is advantageously inserted after the shaping of the insole and is made of a material such as silicone gel or a material with elasticplastic behaviour such as a shape memory material. In embodiments of the invention which envisage the presence of the shock-absorbing pad 39, the insert 36 can be advantageously made of a material which has lower mechanical strength characteristics but is cheaper with respect to steel, such as a plastic material.

[0028] With reference to Fig. 3, the configuration assumed by the footwear 10 when it is worn is shown. By virtue of the action exerted by the heel, the insert 36 flexes and the relative rear part 37 is pressed towards the insole 33, in turn pressing the shock-absorbing pad 39. In this configuration, the rear part 37 of the insert 36 assumes an almost horizontal position which provides better support to the heel. Furthermore, the more arched shape assumed by the insert allows to better follow the hollow of the plantar arch, helping to reduce the forward slipping effect to which the foot is subjected in conventional high-heel footwear.

[0029] With reference to fig. 4, an embodiment of the invention envisages that the insert 36 is fully integrated in the insole 33 of the footwear 10. An outer liner 40 of the insole 33 covers the insert 36 above and pockets over the insole 33, creating a closed volume between the insert 36 and the rear part of the insole 33 which can be filled with a viscous fluid, a foam or other material which constitutes a shock-absorbing pad 39’.

[0030] Again referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the footwear 10 comprises a shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 arranged at the front end of the footwear 10 between the bottom 30 and the upper 20. The shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 is arch shaped so that a relative convex outer side abuts the upper 20 while a concave inner side is adapted to abuttingly receive the tips of the toes, partially wrapping them.

[0031] The shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 is made of soft material with elastic-plastic behaviour. By way of non-limiting example, the shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 is made of silicone gel or other material in the form of gel, latex or other elastomeric materials, or foamed shape memory material.

[0032] In the embodiment depicted, the shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 is integrated in the insole 33, however in an embodiment it can be removable or in another embodiment it can be stably associated by gluing to both the insole 33 and the upper 20.

[0033] The footwear 10 further comprises a foot sole abutment element 42 protruding from the upper surface of the insole 33 at the front area thereof and positioned to extend transversely at the proximal phalanx of the toes. The position, size and shape of the foot sole abutment element 42 are such as to allow the latter to fit into the recess present in the sole of the foot at the proximal phalanx of the toes to constitute an abutment and braking element which hinders the forward sliding of the sole of the foot. The foot sole abutment element 42 is advantageously made of any material for padding.

[0034] In the embodiment depicted, the foot sole abutment element 42 is integrated in the insole 33, however in an embodiment it can be stably associated to the insole 33 by gluing.

[0035] The advantages of high-heel footwear made in accordance with the present invention are apparent from the above.

[0036] A bottom 30 as outlined above, in the various embodiments described, in fact allows to significantly relieve the overloading on the toes in this type of footwear.

[0037] As will be obvious from the above description, embodiments of the invention can envisage the sole presence of the insert 36 or in conjunction with any combination of the shock-absorbing elements formed by the shockabsorbing pad 39, the shock-absorbing element for the toes 41 and the foot sole abutment element 42.

[0038] It is however useful to note that further embodiments of the foregoing may be implemented, for example in connection with the specific shape of the insert 36 or the shock-absorbing elements or in relation to the material with which they are made.

[0039] Certainly these and other variants can be made and it is however understood that the foregoing is of exemplary and non-limiting value, therefore any further variations in detail which may become necessary for technical and/or functional reasons, are considered from now on to fall within the same protective scope defined by the following claims.