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  ShoesUSPTO Application #: 20070256330Title: Shoes Abstract: A sub-assembly or kit for forming a shoe comprises a flexible member for incorporation in the base of a shoe. The flexible member is capable of a plurality of foot supporting shapes to adapt to heels of different heights. A removable heel and shaping member has a heel part supporting the rear end of the flexible member at a heel height. A shaping part is removably fastened to the flexible member to cause the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape or configuration adapted to the heel height. (end of abstract) Agent: Diederiks & Whitelaw, PLC - Woodbridge, VA, US Inventors: Rosemary Jane Wallin, Julian Francis Ralph Swan, Philip Richard Shade, James Roberts USPTO Applicaton #: 20070256330 - Class: 036102000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Boots, Shoes, And Leggings, Boots And Shoes, Resilient Or Flexible Shoe The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070256330. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCES AND RELATED SUBJECT MATTER [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/257,589 filed Jan. 21, 2003, pending, which constitutes a U.S. National stage application claiming priority from PCT/GB01/01663 filed Apr. 12, 2001. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to sub-assemblies for forming shoes, kits of parts for forming shoes, and to shoes formed therefrom. [0003] In this specification, the term "shoe" is used to refer to any relevant form of footwear including, without limitation, boots, slippers and sandals. [0004] A shoe, particularly a ladies shoe, is conventionally formed on a last shaped to the required shape of the shoe. The shoe comprises, broadly, an upper, a base and a heel. For the purposes of this specification, the word "base" is used to refer to the portion of a shoe, excluding the heel, that lies below the wearer's foot. Accordingly, the base can consist of a number of components. Normally, the base will comprise an insole and a sole that lies under the insole and that contacts the ground when walking. [0005] The method of manufacturing shoes and the materials involved has remained unchanged for many years. In the conventional method, the base is made up from an insole and an outer sole, with a rigid steel shank sandwiched therebetween. It is the shank which dictates the shape of the base, i.e. its form and curvature. Portions of the shoe upper can be sandwiched between the insole and the sole to connect the upper to the base. In general, the upper and the base (with the shank embedded therein) are formed together on a last and then the heel is attached by means of glue and nails. In more recent methods, the outer sole and heel may be injection moulded as a single piece, with an integral shank. [0006] The shank bridges the heel breast and the ball tread. The shankpiece or shank spring can be made from wood, metal, steel, fiberglass or plastic and consists of a piece approximately 10 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. The shankpiece lies within the bridge or waist of the shoe, i.e., between the heel and ball of the foot, corresponding to the medial and lateral arches. The shankpiece reinforces the waist of the shoe and prevents it from collapsing or distorting in wear. The shoe designer will set the contour of the shank depending upon the height of the shoe being designed. Shoes with low heels, e.g., ballet pumps or shoes with wedged soles, do not require a shank because the torque between the rear and forefoot does not distort the shoe. [0007] In the conventional methods of manufacture of a ladies shoe with a high heel, a different last must be used for each shoe depending on the height of the heel so that the base is shaped appropriately. The shape and contour of the shank must be fixed to ensure that the base of the shoe will not collapse when stood upon, the shoe is comfortable to wear and properly supports the foot. This requires the shank to extend underneath the foot from the heel to the ball of the foot. A comfortable configuration of the base is a flattened or elongate S-shape, the base being generally flat at the toe end and somewhat flexible, then the stiffening of the shank causing the base to curve upwardly and support the arch regions of the extended foot before flattening out over the heel, so as to distribute the wearer's weight over the heel. An uncomfortable configuration is one in which the base merely hinges or angles upwardly at the ball of the foot, without any support for the arch region or distribution of weight over the heel. [0008] There have been various proposals for shoes having a replaceable or interchangeable heel. Such proposals allow the heel to be replaced when worn out, or simply changed to another heel of different shape, style or colour. However, if the heel is to be replaced with one of a different height then the shoe must accommodate this in some way. [0009] It has been proposed to provide a shoe having a base which is hinged, for example at a position near to the ball of the foot, such that the base can be angled upwardly when a higher heel is used. This can give a wearer the choice and flexibility to convert a flat shoe into a higher heel shoe, and vice versa. Although the hinging of the base accommodates a higher heel, the embedded shank sets the shape of the base under the arch of the foot and this cannot be changed. The wearer's foot, however, would naturally adopt a different arched configuration in a higher heel shoe. As the arched shape of the base cannot change, the foot may not be properly supported in the higher heel mode and may tend instead to slide forward in the shoe, putting excessive pressure on the ball of the foot. This is clearly uncomfortable. [0010] Such proposals assume that the base of a shoe can have the same shape in the arch region in both high and low heel positions. Therefore comprising the support and comfort provided. Furthermore, in particular where a conventional leather upper is used, there exists the problem that the backstrap or back part of the upper will dig into the wearer's heel when the shoe is tilted up to accommodate a higher heel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a sub-assembly for forming a shoe comprising: [0012] a flexible member for incorporation in the base of a shoe, having a front end and a rear end, and capable of a plurality of foot supporting shapes to adapt to heels of different heights; and [0013] a removable heel and shaping member having a heel part supporting the rear end of the flexible member at a heel height and a shaping part removably fastened to the flexible member to cause the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape adapted to said heel height. [0014] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a sub-assembly for forming a shoe comprising: [0015] a flexible member for incorporation in the base of a shoe, having a front end and a rear end, and capable of a plurality of foot supporting shapes to adapt to heels of different heights; [0016] a heel member supporting the rear end of the flexible member at a heel height; and [0017] a removable shaping member fastenable to the flexible member to cause the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape adapted to said heel height. [0018] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts for forming a shoe comprising: [0019] a shoe base for receiving a foot, having a front end and a rear end, and including a flexible member capable of a plurality of foot supporting shapes to adapt to heels of different heights; [0020] a heel member for supporting the rear end of the flexible member at a heel height; and [0021] an elongate shaping member manually engageable with said flexible member so as cause the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape adapted to said height of said heel member. [0022] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit of parts for forming a shoe comprising: [0023] a shoe base for receiving a foot, having a front end and a rear end, and including a flexible member capable of a plurality of foot supporting shapes to adapt to heels of different heights; [0024] a heel and shaping member having a heel part for supporting the rear end of the flexible member at a heel height, said heel and shaping member being manually engageable with said flexible member so as cause the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape adapted to said height of said heel member. [0025] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a sub-assembly for forming a shoe comprising: [0026] a base member having multiple articulations; [0027] a heel having a heel height; and [0028] an elongate shaping member cooperating with the multiple articulations of the base member to cause the base member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape adapted to said heel height. [0029] The foot supporting shape or configuration should be one which properly and comfortably supports a foot in use. The Applicants have appreciated that for maximum comfort the foot supporting configuration or shape of the base of a shoe must change depending on the height of the shoe's heel and that this must be taken into consideration when designing a shoe having a removable, replaceable, detachable or otherwise interchangeable heel. It is preferable that the foot supporting shape is an S-shape appropriate to the heel height. This provides the necessary support in the heel and arch regions of the foot, resulting in a comfortable shoe. [0030] In preferred embodiments, the shaping part is elongate and extends at an acute angle to the heel part. Thus, the shaping part extends from the rear end of the flexible member, where the heel part provides support, towards the front end, shaping the flexible member under the heel and arch regions of the foot when the shoe is worn. The shaping member therefore acts in the same way as an embedded shankpiece in a conventional shoe, providing stability and stiffening the waist of the shoe into a shape suited to the height of the heel. [0031] To ensure that the preferably elongate shaping part fully shapes the flexible member along its length, the flexible member is preferably provided with corresponding fastening means for fastening the shaping part along part of the length of the flexible member between the rear and front ends. However, the shaping part does not extend as far as the front end of the flexible member and no fastening means are provided at the front part of the flexible member. The regions of the flexible member lying under the toes and ball of a foot are therefore unshaped and unstiffened, ensuring the comfort of the shoe in wear. [0032] The fastening means may take any suitable form such as clips, hooks, catches, snaps, a snap-fit mechanism or a mutually sliding arrangement. Preferably the shaping part is fastened to more than one part of the flexible member. This helps to ensure that the flexible member is forced to fully adopt the shape provided by the shaping part, so that the flexible member is stiffened into a particular foot supporting shape or configuration adapted to the height of the heel. The shape provided by the shaping part is preferably an S-shape. In preferred embodiments the shaping of the flexible member is achieved by the shaping part stiffening the flexible member into a particular foot supporting shape or configuration. [0033] In some preferred embodiments an elongate channel extends along part of the length of the flexible member between the front end and the rear end. The elongate shaping part is suitably slidingly fastened into the channel. The channel may be open e.g. on any of its sides or closed. By fastening the shaping part into a channel, for example provided along the underside of the flexible member, the shaping part is held fastened along its length and thus provides optimal shaping and stiffening to the flexible member. This is important because it is the shape of the shaping part which causes the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape or configuration adapted to the heel height. Furthermore, such a mechanism provides a quick and simple way of fastening and unfastening a shaping part to a flexible member in a single manual operation. It is therefore particularly suitable to removable heel and shaping members; or separately removable shaping members. [0034] In all of the above embodiments, it is the shaping part which causes the flexible member to adopt a particular foot supporting shape or configuration, tailored to the height of the heel part or member. Where the shaping member is separate to the heel member, it must always impart the flexible member with a foot supporting shape which is suited to the height of the heel member. Thus, the shaping member is always dependent on the heel member even if they are provided separately. The shaping part and heel part may be integrally moulded as one piece. This ensures that the shape of the shaping part is adapted to the height of the heel part. The shaping member may be separate from but attachable to the heel member. In a kit of parts including a heel member and a separate shaping member, manual selection of a shaping member suitable for the height of the heel member may be required. It may be that the heel height is adjustable without removing the heel. In such cases different shaping members will be required if the heel height changes substantially. Continue reading... Full patent description for Shoes Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Shoes patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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