US20200163407A1

US20200163407A1 - Functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles

Info

Publication number: US20200163407A1
Application number: US16/695,956
Authority: US
Inventors: Ok Soon Lim
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-11-26
Filing date: 2019-11-26
Publication date: 2020-05-28
Also published as: KR102040870B1

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles, the functional shoe providing comfort to a user by being flexibly deformed to conform to a shape or walking form of a user's foot during walking, and guiding a tandem gait by allowing a front portion of the foot to be leaned inward while allowing an inside portion of the foot to be leaned inward at the moment when the foot contacts the ground during walking.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0147460, filed Nov. 26, 2018, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

Description of the Related Art

Due to industrial development, income levels have increased, and levels of material wealth have increased significantly. However, people often suffer from lack of exercise, poor posture, and the like as poor living habits, leading to a new problem such as stress, adult illness, and obesity causing deterioration of quality of life.
In recent years, the interest in quality of life and health has emerged as a social concern, to the extent that a cultural trend called “well-being” has arisen. In this context, the interest in effective exercise methods, correction of poor posture, diet, and the like is increasing.
On the other hand, the foot is a delicate human organ that forms a complex, balanced structure composed of about 52 bones, one-fourth of human body, and numerous joints, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels, enabling walking. The foot structure is largely composed of tarsal bones, metatarsal bones, phalanges, and calcaneus, and the connection of these bones, ligaments, and nerves enables walking.
In particular, the profile line of the sole, from the heel of the foot to the toes of the foot, is a part that serves to support the human body in a balanced manner with minimal energy consumption, and affects the spine or neck of the human body connected thereto. As such, the foot plays a vital role in the human body and is often called “the second heart”. During walking, the sole of the foot needs to rest for a long period of time in order to avoid stress to the body.
The ideal way of walking involves landing a foot on the heel, rolling onto a middle portion of the sole, and pushing off on the root of the big toe. During this walking, the trajectory of weight applied to the sole starts at the valgus of the heel, passes over the middle portion of the sole, and is curved inward to move toward the big toe.
Humans typically wear shoes when walking. Shoes protect the soles and ankles and play a vital role of protecting the knees and the spine against impacts generated due to the weight transferred to the ground during walking.
However, due to lack of awareness by the general public, most mass-produced shoes do not consider the shape of the foot, but only focus on the appearance of the shoes. This causes problems such as difficulty in walking, distortion of the human skeleton that causes pain in the lower back and knees, and the like even when wearing shoes.
In an effort to solve such problems, functional shoes are emerging to allow a user to feel comfortable and suffer less impact during walking by considering the shape of the foot or the form of walking. An example of the functional shoes is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1008344 (hereinafter referred to as “cited invention”).
The cited invention, which is proposed by the applicant of the present invention, provides a shoe having a shape in which an outsole, which is conventionally formed as an integral body from the toe to the heel, is divided into a front outsole and a rear outsole spaced apart from the front outsole. In particular, a middle portion of the shoe is configured to bend easily, which makes the foot comfortable during walking.
In the case of the front outsole, which is a part to which a large load of the user's weight is transferred during walking and thus is required to be more flexible compared to the rear outsole. However, the cited invention does not have a configuration for this, and there is a problem in that the front part of the foot does not change actively in shape conforming to the user's foot shape or walking form during walking.
In addition, it is common to see many people walking with an out-toed gait. Out-toeing refers to a condition in which when a person walks, his or her feet are turned outward at an angle. In out-toeing, a person's legs curve outward at the knees while walking.
When walking with an out-toed gait, it may be difficult to walk or run for a long period of time due to a reduced driving force to move a body forward during running, flat feet get may be worsened, and toe diseases such as hallux valgus, calluses, and the like may be caused. In addition, risk of degenerative arthritis in adults may increase. Moreover, in an out-toed gait, as the back curves outward, the spine canal may narrow, leading to inflammation of facet joints. This may also lead to distortion of pelvis, causing musculoskeletal disorders of the back, such as back pain, lumbar disc disease, and the like.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention, and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.

DOCUMENTS OF RELATED ART

(Patent document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-1008344 (Title of the invention: Footwear with sole which is divided into two parts)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and an objective of the present invention is to provide a functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles, the functional shoe providing comfort to a user by being flexibly deformed to conform to a shape or walking form of a user's foot during walking, and guiding a tandem gait by allowing a front portion of the foot to be leaned inward while allowing an inside portion of the foot to be leaned inward at the moment when the foot contacts the ground during walking.
In order to achieve the above objective, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles, the functional shoe including: a base plate formed in a shape conforming to a foot; an upper body coupled to a lower surface of the base plate such that a flexible part entirely covering a middle portion of the lower surface of the base plate is formed, and front and rear through-holes covering only edges of the lower surface of the base plate are formed in front of and behind the flexible part, the upper body being configured to cover the foot to be placed on an upper side of the base plate; and an outsole supporting the foot, and including a front outsole coupled to cover the front through-hole, and a rear outsole coupled to cover the rear through-hole at a position spaced apart from the front outsole, wherein the front outsole includes multiple line grooves recessed in an upper surface thereof in a bar shape and arranged along a width direction; a bending groove recessed concavely is formed in a lower surface of the front outsole by extending transversely along the width direction at a boundary point between a portion where toes of the foot are located and a portion where a sole of the foot is located, and the bending groove is disposed alternately with the line grooves in a zigzag arrangement; the outsole includes multiple air holes formed in an upper surface thereof at a predetermined depth; and the air holes are provided such that more air holes are formed at a point of the outsole that supports an inside portion of the sole than a point that supports an outside portion of the sole.
Furthermore, a conical pivot protrusion may be formed on an outer upper surface with respect to a center line of the rear outsole, a spring groove may be formed in a lower upper surface with respect to a center line of the cushioning part, and a spring may be inserted into the spring groove; an upward inclined protrusion having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces inward of the front outsole may be formed on an outer upper surface with respect to a center line of the front outsole, a spring groove may be formed in an inner upper surface with respect to the center line of the front outsole, and a spring may be inserted into the spring groove; at front and rear inner and outer portions of the base plate, a pivot protrusion passage hole through which the pivot protrusion passes, an inclined protrusion passage hole through which the upward inclined protrusion passes, and spring passage holes through which the front and rear springs pass, respectively, may be formed through the base plate; and on a lower surface of an insole placed on the base plate in an insertable and detachable manner, a downward inclined protrusion having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces outward may be formed to protrude downward corresponding to the upward inclined protrusion.
The functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles according to the present invention as described above can be flexibly deformed to conform to the shape of the foot of walking form of the user due to the provision of the multiple line grooves formed in the upper surface of the front outsole along the width direction thereof. Therefore, the present invention can provide an effect of making the user's foot more comfortable during walking.
In addition, the present invention can guide a tandem gait by allowing the front portion of the foot to be leaned inward while allowing the inside portion of the foot to be leaned inward at the moment when the foot contacts the ground during walking. Therefore, the present invention can provide an effect of solving a problem caused by an out-toed gait.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a structure of a functional shoe in an exploded state according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the exploded state of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of an upper body included in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an outsole applied to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8A to 8C are sectional views showing different embodiments of the outsole taken along line C-C of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a functional shoe according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a rear outsole side of the present invention shown in FIG. 9; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B are sectional views showing an operation relationship of a front outsole side of the present invention shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS. 1 to 11B.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a functional shoe according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes: a base plate 100 formed in a shape conforming to a s foot; an upper body 200 having a lower portion coupled to a lower surface of the base plate 100, and configured to cover the foot to be placed on an upper side of the base plate 100; and an outsole 300 attached to the upper body 200 coupled to the lower surface of the base plate 100 and configured to support the foot.
The base plate 100 is a portion on which an insole is placed. When the upper body 200 is coupled to the base plate 110 to form a predetermined shape before the outsole 300 is attached to the upper body 200, the base plate 100 serves to maintain a bottom shape of the shoe. Therefore, it is preferable that the base plate 100 is formed in such a shape that a sole and toes of a user's foot are seated inside the base plate 100 when the user wears the shoe according to the present invention.
The upper body 200 may be made of various materials such as leather, synthetic leather, and the like. The upper body 200 is formed in a sock-like shape covering the entire foot including the sole, with front and rear through-holes 220 and 220 b. The front and rear through-holes 220 and 220 b are formed at front and rear sides of a lower surface of the upper body 200 corresponding to the sole. The front and rear through-holes 220 and 220 b are arranged at a spaced apart relationship, with a flexible part 210 interposed therebetween.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flexible part 210 is formed at a position covering a middle portion of the sole by overlapping opposite lower portions of the upper body 200. The flexible part 210 includes a reinforcement portion 211 padded on a lower surface thereof. This configuration is to protect the user's foot by preventing a pointed object from penetrating through a middle portion of the flexible part 210 exerting flexibility, the middle portion where the outsole 300 is not attached.
Accordingly, the upper body 200 is formed in a sock-like shape covering the entire foot in which two holes are spaced apart from each other at a portion corresponding to the sole, and the two holes refer to the front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b.
In a state in which the base plate 100 is inserted into the upper body 200 formed as above, a portion where an upper surface of a lower portion of the upper body 200 and the lower surface of the base plate 100 face each other, i.e., a middle portion facing the edge of the base plate and the flexible part 210 is attached to the base plate. The front and rear outsoles 310 and 320 are respectively attached to lower portions of the front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b at positions spaced apart from each other, to cover the outer peripheral edges of the front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b.
The reinforcement portion 211 may be made of, for example, the same material as the upper body 200. Due to the provision of the reinforcement portion 211 padded on the flexible part 210, a padded portion has an increased thickness, allowing for cushioning (impact absorption) and also reinforcement of the flexible part 210.
Meanwhile, the outsole 300 includes the front outsole 310 coupled to cover the front through-hole 220 a, and the rear outsole 320 coupled to cover the rear through-hole 220 b. The rear outsole 320 is coupled to the upper body 200 at a position spaced apart from the front outsole 310 by a predetermined interval. Therefore, the front through-hole 220 a and the rear through-hole 220 b are formed smaller in size than the front outsole 310 and the rear outsole 320, respectively.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the front outsole 310 and the rear outsole 320 may be coupled to the upper body 200 so as to partially cover the flexible part 210 and the reinforcement portion 211 covering the flexible part 210. Due to this, the flexible part 210 formed by overlapping the opposite lower portions of the upper body 200, and the reinforcement portion 211 padded outside the flexible part 210 are partially covered and fixed by the outsole 300. This provides an effect of firmly fixing the upper body 200.
The outsole 300 may be made by combining various materials, but preferably made of a single material such as injection foam rubber that is elastic, has high wear resistance, light weight, good cold resistance, and excellent moldability in a manufacturing process, thus improving productivity and economy.
In addition, the outsole 300 may be formed in various shapes, but, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 to 8C, may be formed in a concave shape with a protruding upper edge such that the outsole 300 is coupled to the upper body 200 while covering a lower side surface of the upper body 200 including the base plate 100 therein.
For example, the front outsole 310 may be formed in a concave shape in which the front edge and opposite side edges of an upper portion protrude and a support surface is formed on the inside of the upper portion. The rear outsole 320 may be formed in a concave shape in which the rear edge and opposite side edges of an upper portion protrude and a support surface 321 is formed on the inside of the upper portion.
As shown in FIG. 5, the front outsole 310 applied to the present invention includes multiple line grooves 311 recessed in an upper surface thereof in a bar shape and arranged along a width direction. The line grooves 311 formed as above allow the front outsole 310 to be flexibly deformed in a longitudinal direction to conform to the shape of the foot or walking form of the user. This provides an effect of making the user's foot more comfortable during walking.
It is preferable that the line grooves 311 are formed in the support surface of the front outsole 310, except for opposite side edge portions of the front outsole 310 substantially attached to the upper body 200.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a bending groove 312 recessed concavely may be formed in a lower surface of the front outsole 310 by extending transversely along the width direction thereof at a boundary point between a portion where the toes are located and a portion where the sole is located, which is a point where bending repeatedly occurs during walking.
Herein, one bending groove 312 is shown in FIG. 1, while two bending grooves 312 arranged in a spaced apart relationship are shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. In the case of forming the two bending grooves, it will be obvious that the front outsole 310 is bent more flexibly than in the case of forming the one bending groove.
In the case where the bending grooves 312 are formed in the front outsole 310 at points where the bending grooves 312 and the line grooves 311 correspond up and down, portions between the bending grooves 312 and the line grooves 311 are thin and tend to be torn when the front outsole 310 is repeatedly bent. Therefore, it is preferable that the bending grooves 312 formed in the lower surface of the front outsole 310 are disposed alternately with the line grooves 311 in a zigzag arrangement.
Considering the points where the bending grooves 312 are formed, it is preferable that one or two line grooves 311 are formed in front of the bending grooves 312 and multiple line grooves 312 are formed behind the bending grooves 312 such that more flexibility is provided to a relatively inflexible portion of the front outsole 310.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the outsole 300 may include multiple air holes 10 formed in the upper surface thereof at a predetermined depth. Each of the air holes 10 includes an empty space formed therein to allow the outsole 300 to be compressed and stretched in a lateral direction when a load is applied to the outsole 300. This configuration improves elasticity, and thus the air holes 10 serve to alleviate a load of the user's weight transferred to the outsole 300 from the sole.
It is preferable that the air holes 10 are formed at a portion where the load of the user's weight is concentrated while the outsole 300 contacts the ground. For example, more air holes 10 may be formed at a point of the outsole 300 that supports an inside portion of the sole, which is opposite to the blade of the foot (outside portion of the sole), than a point that supports the blade of the foot.
In describing the present invention, it is to be noted that with reference to the center line that is drawn through the middle of the sole in a front-and-rear direction, an outer portion, which is the blade of the foot, is referred to as an outside portion of the sole, and an inner portion, which is opposite to the outside portion of the sole, is referred to as an inside portion of the sole.
In the outsole 300, more air holes 10 are formed at a portion corresponding to the inside portion of the sole than the outside portion of the sole, and thus a portion corresponding to the inside portion of the sole exerts better elasticity. The reason for forming more air holes 10 at the portion of the outsole 300 corresponding to the inside portion of the sole is that when the user walks, a larger load is applied to the inside portion of the sole than the outside portion of the sole.
Therefore, when the user walks with the functional shoe according to the present invention, when the outsole 300 contacts the ground, an impact load transferred to the outsole 300 from the ground and the load of the user's weight are alleviated by the elasticity imparted by the air holes 10.
In addition, due to the fact that the line grooves 311 are preferably not formed at points on the upper surface of the front outsole that correspond to the points where the bending grooves 312 are formed, it is preferable that the air holes 10 are not formed at the points where the bending grooves 312 are formed, i.e., an area between the bending grooves 312 and the line grooves 311 adjacent thereto.
Therefore, it is preferable that except for an area between the bending grooves 312 and the line grooves 311 adjacent thereto, the air holes 10 are formed in the front outsole 310 at areas approximately in front of or behind the opposite ends of the line grooves 311 where a relatively large load is transferred and elasticity is required in a width direction of the sole of the user's foot during walking.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, a cushioning part 322 having a predetermined shape may be formed at a middle portion of the support surface 321 of the rear outsole 320. The cushioning part 322 may protrude lower than the rear edge and opposite side edges of the upper portion of the rear outsole 320 having a concave shape.
Due to this, the cushioning part 322 is positioned lower than the rear edge and opposite side edges of the upper portion of the rear outsole 320, but higher than the support surface 321. The cushioning part 322 is a part to which a relatively large load is transferred at the rear outsole 320 when a heel of the user's foot is in contact therewith. The cushioning part 322 has a thicker thickness than the support surface 321, thus exhibiting an excellent buffering action during walking. In addition, the cushioning part 322 allows only a middle portion of the heel to be in contact therewith during walking. When the foot is lifted off the ground, the outside of the cushioning part 322 instantaneously forms a minute gap with the support surface 321 and pressure is removed from the gap, thus providing comfortable walking.
In addition, in the case where the cushioning part 322 protrudes more excessively than the support surface 321, the cushioning part 322 may interfere with walking. Therefore, it is preferable that the cushioning part 322 protrudes 0.01 to 0.1 mm more than the support surface 321.
In addition, the cushioning part 322 includes an air line 20 formed along the edge thereof at a predetermined depth. The air line 20 is configured to be elastically compressed when a load is applied to the rear outsole 320, thus more efficiently alleviating impact applied thereto.
Herein, the cushioning part 322 may be configured such that no air line 20 is formed at middle portions of the edge thereof and the middle portions are connected to the support surface 321 in opposite directions. This is to prevent that when the air line 20 is formed along the entire edge of the cushioning part 322, the cushioning part 322 is excessively compressed or distorted by a load acting thereon when the user's foot contacts the ground.
In addition, the cushioning part 322 may be formed to have a longer length at the point supporting the inside portion of the sole than the point supporting the outside portion of the sole. This is to increasingly strengthen elasticity toward the inside portion of the sole because at the heel of the foot, the inside portion of the sole is larger in surface area than the outside portion of the sole and receives a large load when the foot contacts the ground during walking. This ensures that abrasion of the rear outsole 320 including the cushioning part 322 is reduced, and that impact applied to the user's body is elastically alleviated, while guiding the user to walk properly.
Meanwhile, each of the air holes 10 and the air lines 20 may include an inlet open upward, with an air chamber 30 formed in the interior of the outsole 300 at a lower inside of each of the air hole 10 and the air line 20. The air chamber 30 may be formed in various shapes.
For example, each of the air hole 10 and the air line 20 may be formed in the same width from the inlet to the interior of the outsole 300 in longitudinal sectional view. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 8C, the air chamber 30 may be formed in the interior of the outsole 300 at the lower inside of each of the air hole 10 and the air line 20 so as to form a predetermined space that is larger in width than the inlet in longitudinal sectional view.
Due to the fact that the air chamber 30 forms a wider space than the inlet of each of the air hole 10 and the air line 20, it is ensured that when the outsole 300 is compressed by a load, air present in the air chamber 30 is quickly discharged to the inlet that is relatively narrow. This ensures that air inside the shoe is efficiently circulated while elastic deformation is made more effectively.
A description will be given of examples in which the air hole 30 is formed in the interior of the outsole 300 at the lower inside of each of the air hole 10 and the air line 20. As shown in FIG. 8A, multiple air chambers 30 each of which has a multi-shaped structure may be formed in the interior of the outsole 300, and an interval between the air chambers 30 may be smaller than the width of each of the air chambers 30 such that when the outsole 300 is compressed, air present in each of the air chambers 30 is effectively discharged.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, one air chamber 30 may be formed in the outsole 300. As shown in FIG. 8B, the air chamber 30 may include a groove formed smaller than the air chamber 30 at a position below the air chamber 30 such that when the outsole 300 is compressed, air present in the air chamber 30 is dispersed up and down.
The functional shoe according to the present invention described above can be flexibly deformed to conform to the shape of the foot or walking form of the user, thus providing comfort to the user's foot. In addition, the present invention can effectively disperse the load of the user's weight applied to the user's foot when stepping on the ground, thus reducing fatigue during long periods of walking.
Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 9 to 11B. The second embodiment includes a tandem gait-guiding means for guiding an out-toed gait to a tandem gait, in addition to all configurations included in the first embodiment. A description of the configurations included in the first embodiment will be omitted and only the tandem gait-guiding means will be described in detail.
In other words, in the tandem gait-guiding means included in the second embodiment, a conical pivot protrusion 323 is formed on an outer upper surface with respect to the center line of a cushioning part 322 formed in a rear outsole 320, and a spring groove 324 is formed in a lower upper surface with respect to the center line of the cushioning part 322. A spring 325 is inserted into the spring groove 324 such that an upper end of the spring 325 protrudes by a height corresponding to at least the height of an upper end of the pivot protrusion 323.
This configuration in which the upper end of the spring 325 protrudes by a height corresponding to the height of the upper end of the pivot protrusion 323 is to allow an insole 110 placed on the pivot protrusion 323 and the spring 325 to keep level as shown in FIG. 10.
In addition, an upward inclined protrusion 313 having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces inward of a front outsole 310 is formed on an outer upper surface with respect to the center line of the front outsole 310, and a spring groove 314 is formed in an inner upper surface with respect to the center line of the front outsole 310. A spring 315 is inserted into the spring groove 314 such that an upper end of the spring 315 protrudes by a height corresponding to at least the height of an upper end of the upward inclined protrusion 313.
This configuration in which the upper end of the spring 315 protrudes by a height corresponding to the height of the upper end of the upward inclined protrusion 313 is to allow the insole 110 placed on the upward inclined protrusion 313 and the spring 315 to keep level as shown in FIG. 11A.
In addition, at front and rear inner and outer portions of a base plate 100, a pivot protrusion passage hole 101 through which the pivot protrusion 323 passes, an inclined protrusion passage hole 102 through which the upward inclined protrusion 313 passes, and spring passage holes 103 and 104 through which the front and rear springs 315 and 325 pass, respectively, are formed vertically through the base plate.
The base plate 100 is a part that is inserted into an upper body 200. In a state where the upward inclined protrusion 313, the pivot protrusion 323, the front and rear springs 315 and 325 pass through the inclined protrusion passage hole 102, the pivot protrusion passage hole 101, and the front and rear spring passage holes 103 and 104, respectively, a lower surface of the base plate 100 is attached to a lower portion of the upper body 200 and upper portions of the front and rear outsoles 310 and 320, the lower surface of the base plate facing the same.
The lower portion of the upper body 200 to which the lower surface of the base plate 100 is attached is a portion except for front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b, which refers to the outer edges of front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b and an upper surface of a flexible part 210, i.e., a portion facing an upper surface of the base plate 100. It is natural that the front and rear outsoles 310 and 320 and the base plate 100 are attached to each other in empty spaces of the front and rear through- holes 220 a and 220 b where the front and rear outsoles 310 and 320 and the base plate 100 face each other.
In addition, at the center of a lower surface of the insole 110 placed on the base plate 100 in an insertable and detachable manner, an elastic plate 112 is provided in a longitudinal direction to allow the insole 110 to maintain a predetermined strength in a horizontal direction while being freely bent in a vertical direction. On the lower surface of the insole 110 facing the upward inclined protrusion 313, a downward inclined protrusion 111 having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces outward is formed to protrude downward corresponding to the upward inclined protrusion 313.
Herein, the elastic plate 112 is formed in a curved shape in cross-section like an elastic tape. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, it is preferable that the elastic plate 112 is attached to the lower surface of the insole 110, with a concave portion thereof facing upward, such that the insole 110 is easily bent upward. It is further preferable that coupling of the insole 110 and the elastic plate 112 is realized via rivets 113 that engage front and rear ends of the elastic plate 112 to the insole 110.
As shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 11B, in the present invention according to the second embodiment configured as described above, before wearing the functional shoe according to the present invention, the insole 110 is in a horizontal state in which the insole 110 is spaced above the base plate 100 at a predetermined interval. In this horizontal state, the insole 110 is placed on the pivot protrusion 323 and the spring 325 at the rear outsole 320 side, while being placed on the upward inclined protrusion 313 and the spring 315 at the front outsole 310 side.
In this state, when the user starts to walk with the functional shoe according to the present invention, when the user's foot is lifted above the ground, the load of the user's weight does not act on the lower side of the shoe, and thus the insole 110 is in the horizontal state due to the elasticity of the springs 315 and 325 acting thereon.
When the user's foot is lifted above the ground in this way and then contacts the ground during walking, the heel contacts the ground first, and the insole 110 is pressed by a load generated when the heel contacts the ground first.
When a load is applied to the insole 110, the pivot protrusion 323 supporting a lower portion of the insole 110 is compressed only by an amount corresponding the cushion amount of the material forming the rear outsole 320. However, due to the spring 325 which is smaller in compressive strength than the rear outsole 320, the insole 110 is leaned inward with respect to the center line of the rear outsole 320 in which the spring 325 is provided, and the heel of the user's foot is also leaned inward with respect to the center line.
When the middle portion of the foot contacts the ground instantaneously after the heel contacts the ground in this way, the sole is bent and flexed instantaneously because the shoe according to the present invention has no outsole at the middle portion thereof but the flexible part 210 of the upper body 200. This allows the upper body 200 including the flexible part 210, the base plate 100, and the middle portion of the insole 110 to be bent flexibly, thus providing comfort to the sole without restraint.
After the middle portion of the sole contacts the ground instantaneously in this way, a front portion of the foot contacts the ground. At the moment when the heel contacts the ground, as the heel is leaned inward with respect to the center line of the rear outsole 320 in which the spring 325 is provided, the front portion of the foot is also leaned inward, with the foot leaned, and contacts a front portion of the insole 110.
When the front portion of the sole contacts the front portion of the insole 110 in this way, due to the fact that the spring 315 supports the insole 110 on the inside with respect to the center line at the front portion of the insole 110 in a state where the inclined protrusion 313 and the downward inclined protrusion 111 face each other on the outside with respect to the center line, as the spring 315 is lowered, the front portion of the sole that is in contact with the insole 110 is leaned inward with respect to the center line.
When the front portion of the sole is leaned inward with respect to the center line, due to the fact that the inclined surface of the upward inclined protrusion 313 is formed to be inclined downward and inward at a lower portion of the outside with respect to the center line in a state where the upward inclined protrusion 313 and the downward inclined protrusion 111 face each other, the inclined surface of the downward inclined protrusion 111 slightly slides downward along the inclined surface of the upward inclined protrusion 313 due to a load acting on the insole 110.
In a state where the foot is leaned inward from the heel and then the front portion of the sole is also leaned inward as above, as the insole 110 is slightly lowered inclinedly along the inclined surface of the upward inclined protrusion 313, the front portion of the sole is slightly leaned inward with respect to the center line.
Through such a mechanism that the foot is instantaneously leaned inward from the heel to the front portion of the sole, the user who walks with an out-toed gait is guided to walk with a tandem gait.
In addition, the insole 110 is typically made of a soft material because the sole is in direct contact therewith. In the present invention, due the fact that the insole 110 included in the tandem gait-guiding means has to be leaned inward, and that the shoe according to the invention is characterized by the middle portion thereof that is flexibly bendable, the insole 110 has to exert stiffness to some extent.
Therefore, the elastic plate 112 is provided longitudinally at the center of the lower surface of the insole 110 in a curved shape in cross-section like an elastic tape to allow the lower surface of the insole 110 to maintain stiffness, with the concave portion of the elastic plate 112 facing upward.
Due to the provision of the elastic plate 112 as above, the elastic plate 112 is flexibly bent upward, but is not easily bent downward and is not folded in a lateral horizontal direction. Therefore, it is ensured that the elastic plate 112 is leaned inward without interference, that the front portion of the elastic plate 112 is twisted by a predetermined angle without interference to allow the insole 110 to be leaned inward, and that the front portion of the insole 110 is leaned inward without interference when lowered along the inclined surface of the upward inclined protrusion 313. It is further ensured that the middle portion of the sole is bent and flexed without interference.
Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles, the functional shoe comprising:

a base plate (100) formed in a shape conforming to a foot;

an upper body (200) coupled to a lower surface of the base plate (100) such that a flexible part (210) entirely covering a middle portion of the lower surface of the base plate (100) is formed, and front and rear through-holes (220 a and 220 b) covering only edges of the lower surface of the base plate (100) are formed at in front of and behind the flexible part (210), the upper body being configured to cover the foot to be placed on an upper side of the base plate (100); and

an outsole (310) supporting the foot, and including a front outsole (310) coupled to cover the front through-hole (220 a), and a rear outsole (320) coupled to cover the rear through-hole (220 b) at a position spaced apart from the front outsole (310),

wherein the front outsole (310) includes multiple line grooves (311) recessed in an upper surface thereof in a bar shape and arranged along a width direction,

a bending groove (312) recessed concavely is formed in a lower surface of the front outsole (310) by extending transversely along the width direction at a boundary point between a portion where toes of the foot are located and a portion where a sole of the foot is located, and the bending groove is disposed alternately with the line grooves (311) in a zigzag arrangement,

the outsole (300) includes multiple air holes (10) formed in an upper surface thereof at a predetermined depth, and

the air holes (10) are provided such that more air holes are formed at a point of the outsole (300) that supports an inside portion of the sole than a point that supports an outside portion of the sole.

2. The functional shoe of claim 1, wherein the air holes (10) are formed in the front outsole (310) at areas approximately in front of or behind opposite ends of the line grooves (311), except for an area between the bending groove (312) and the line grooves (311) adjacent thereto.

3. The functional shoe of claim 1, wherein the rear outsole (320) is formed in a concave shape in which a rear edge and opposite side edges of an upper portion protrude and a support surface (321) is formed on an inside surface of the upper portion, and

a cushioning part (322) having a predetermined shape is provided at a middle portion of the support surface (321) by protruding lower than the rear edge and opposite side edges of the upper portion of the rear outsole (320).

4. The functional shoe of claim 3, wherein the cushioning part (322) is configured such that middle portions of an edge thereof are connected to the support surface (321) in opposite directions and an air line (20) is formed along a remaining portion of the edge at a predetermined depth.

5. The functional shoe of claim 4, wherein each of the air holes (10) and the air line (20) includes an air chamber (30) formed in an interior of the outsole (300) to form a predetermined space that is larger in width than an inlet in longitudinal sectional view.

6. The functional shoe of claim 3, wherein the cushioning part (322) is formed to have a longer length at the point that supports the inside portion of the sole than the point that supports the outside portion of the sole.

7. A functional shoe having spaced front and rear outsoles, the functional shoe comprising:

a base plate (100) formed in a shape conforming to a foot;

an upper body (200) coupled to a lower surface of the base plate (100) such that a flexible part (210) entirely covering a middle portion of the lower surface of the base plate (100) is formed and front and rear through-holes (220 a and 220 b) covering only edges of the lower surface of the base plate (100) are formed in front of and behind the flexible part (210), and configured to cover the foot to be placed on an upper side of the base plate (100); and

a conical pivot protrusion (323) is formed on an outer upper surface with respect to a center line of the rear outsole (320), a spring groove (324) is formed in a lower upper surface with respect to a center line of the cushioning part (322), and a spring (325) is inserted into the spring groove (324),

an upward inclined protrusion (313) having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces inward of the front outsole (310) is formed on an outer upper surface with respect to a center line of the front outsole (310), a spring groove (314) is formed in an inner upper surface with respect to the center line of the front outsole (310), and a spring (315) is inserted into the spring groove (314),

at front and rear inner and outer portions of the base plate (100), a pivot protrusion passage hole (101) through which the pivot protrusion (323) passes, an inclined protrusion passage hole (102) through which the upward inclined protrusion (313) passes, and spring passage holes (103 and 104) through which the front and rear springs (315 and 325) pass, respectively, are formed through the base plate, and

on a lower surface of an insole (110) placed on the base plate (100) in an insertable and detachable manner, a downward inclined protrusion (111) having a right-angled triangular shape in which an inclined surface thereof faces outward is formed to protrude downward corresponding to the upward inclined protrusion (313).

8. The functional shoe of claim 7, wherein the spring (325) is provided such that an upper end thereof protrudes by a height corresponding to a height of an upper end of the pivot protrusion (323), and the spring (315) is provided such that an upper end thereof protrudes by a height corresponding to a height of an upper end of the upward inclined protrusion (313), and

an elastic plate (112) is provided at a center of the lower surface of the insole (110) in a longitudinal direction, the elastic plate (112) is formed in a curved shape in cross-section, and front and rear ends of the elastic plate (112) are engaged to the insole (110) by rivets (113), with a concave portion of the elastic plate facing upward.