US2970389A - Shoe heel construction - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7, 1961 P. E. MILSTER I 2,970,389

SHOE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 22, 1958 F/QZ //w E/v 70 2 PEEV/J E MIL 5 7-5/2 United States Patent SHOE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Pervis Era Milster, 1211 Clara, St. Louis 12, Mo.

Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 782,162

3 Claims. (Cl. 362.5)

This invention relates to improvements in shoes. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in heels for shoes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved heel for shoes.

In many womens high heeled shoes, there is a tendency for the wearers feet to work forwardly and downwardly toward the front of the shoes. The present invention minimizes and largely obviates undesirable pressures between the toes and Vamps of the shoes and the-wearers toes and insteps. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoe which minimizes movement of the wearers foot forwardly and downwardly toward the toe of the shoe.

The present invention minimizes forward and downward movement of the wearers foot by making the portion of the shoe, intermediate the counter and the vamp, flexible and yielding; and by using a heel that underlies the shank of the shoe and that enables the rear portion of the shoe to project rearwardly fromthe shank in cantilever fashion. 7

The rearward projection of the rear portion of the shoe in cantilever fashion enables that rear portion to move downwardly with the heel of the wearers foot as the wearer applies her weight to that foot when she walks, and it also enables that rear portion to move upwardly with the heel of the wearers foot as the wearer successively shifts her weight to the ball and toes of that foot when she walks. As a result, the rear portion of the shoe largely moves with the heel of the wearers foot; and, as a result, minimizes rubbing of the wearers heel. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoe which has a rear portion that moves downwardly and upwardly with the heel of the wearers foot.

In many womens high heeled shoes, the heels and the portions of the soles extending forwardly from the heels subtend acute angles. Those acute angles can be reduced in size, as the wearers apply their weights to the heels of those shoes, because the heels are so thin that they bend slightly. Those heels will remain bent as the wearers move forwardly and shift their weights to the balls of their feet; but those heels will return to their unbent configurations as the wearers shift their Weights from the balls to the toes of their feet. As the heels of the shoes return to their unbent configurations, they kick back; and this can be irritating and annoying. The present invention provides a heel that will not kick back, and thus provides a heel that avoids irritation and annoyance. That heel is enabled to avoid kicking back because it extends upwardly and forwardly toward the shank of the shoe rather than upwardly and rearwardly to the rear portion of the shoe. Consequently, that heel is better able to, and does, resist bending forces. It is therefore an object of the present invention toprovide a heel that extends upwardly and forwardly to the shank of the shoe rather than upwardly and rearwardly to the rear portion of the shoe.

The present invention minimizes and largely eliminates jars and shocks by providing a heel that cushions and absorbs the jars and shocks that are created and that otherwise would be transmitted directly to the wearers heels and legs. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heel for a shoe that cushions and absorbs the jars and shocks that otherwise would be transmitted directly to the wearers heel and leg.

The present invention provides full and adequate sup port for the wearers arch by causingthe heel to support the shank of the shoe and enable the arch to serve as a fulcrum. As the wearers weight is applied to the rear portion, of the shoe, that rear portion will yield and, effectively, cause the shank of the shoe to engage and give full support to the wearers arch. The shank of the shoe will continue to support the wearers arch as the wearer shifts her weight to the ball of her foot; and hence the arch of the wearers foot is fully supported by the shank of the shoe. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoe that provides full support for the arch of the wearer.

The heel provided by the present invention is readily usable by the makers of shoes; and the shoes equipped with that heel are readily worn by individuals.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description. 7

In the drawing and accompanying description, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.-

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of shoe that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the shoe shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of part of the shoe shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the shoe of Figs. 1-3, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 generally denotes a shoe having an upper portion 2 which is attached to a sole 4 in conventional manner.. The heel provided by the present invention is generally denoted by the numeral 6, and that heel is attached to an intermediate portion of the sole 4. The sole 4 has a toe portion 8, a ball portion 10, a shank portion 12, and a rear portion 14. The upper portion 2 of the shoe has the lower edges thereof folded inwardly and secured to the upper face of the sole 4, as shown particularly by Fig. 4. The steel shank stiffener, that is a standard part of all good high heeled shoes, is denoted by the numeral 18; and the shank stiifener is disposed atop' the sole 4 intermediate the inwardly folded lower edges of the upper portion .2. An inner sole 20 overlies the shank stiffener and those in.- wardly folded edges, and that inner sole is overlain by a sock lining 22. The rear portion 24 of the upper 2 will be of standard and usual design and construction.

The heel 6 includes a curved attaching portion 26 which has an upper surface complementary to the lower surface of the shank portion 12 of the sole 4. The heel 6 has a curved or arched portion 28 extending rearwardly from the attaching portion 26; and that arched portion has an upper face 30 which is substantially tangent to the sole 4 at the point it contacts that sole. A generally vertical portion 32 having a free end 34 depends downwardly fromthe arched portion 28; and that free end 34 will occupy the position customarily occupied by many prior aer sss art high heeled shoe heels. A top lift 36 is secured to the free end 34 of the heel 6 in any convenient manner, as by a bolt or screw 38.

The attaching portion 26 of the heel 6 is secured to the shank portion 12 of the sole 4 in any convenientmanner, as by bolts 45) passing through the shank stiffener 18 and seated in tapped holes 42 in the heel attaching portion 26 of heel 6. The heel 6 is substantially rigid, and it is preferably formed of a metal such as steel, brass, bronze, aluminum, or the like. However, that heel can be made of wood or plastic. When formed of metal, the heel 6 will preferably be attached to the sole 4 by bolts, as shown. However, that heel can be attached to the sole 4 in any suitable manner.

The heel 6 extends upwardly and forwardly rather than upwardly and rearwardly; and it engages the shank portion rather than the rear portion of the sole 4. As a result, the rear portion of the shoe extends rearwardly from the heel in cantilever fashion, and it is disposed above and out of engagement with the heel 6. Consequently, that rear portion of the shoe beyond the sole engaging portion of the heel can yield slightly under the weight of the wearer, both when the wearer is walking and when the wearer is standing still. In both instances the wearers weight will be distributed over the ball, the shank and the heel of the shoe. Further, that downward yielding of the rear portion of the shoe will minimize any tendency of the wearers foot to move forwardly and downwardly toward the toe of the shoe.

As the wearer puts her foot down in walking, the heel 6 will strike the ground before the sole 4 does; and that heel will apply an upwardly and forwardly directed force to the shank portion 12 of the sole 4. The wearers weight will be initially applied to the rear portion 14 of the sole 4, and that rear portion will move downwardly with the shank portion 12 acting as a fulcrum. Almost immediately the rear portion 14 will move down far enough to enable the weight of the wearer to be distributed over the shank portion 12 and the rear portion 14 of the sole 4.

The downward movement of the rear portion of the shoe cushions the heel of the wearer while providing full resilient support for that heel. That downward movement is not extensive, but it is great enough to permit a transfer of a substantial part of the wearers weight to the shank portion 12 of the sole 4. That shank portion will continue to support a substantial part of the wearers weight as the wearers weight is transferred to the ball of her foot. The rear portion of the shoe experiences a movement that resembles a pivoting, with the attaching portion 26 of heel 6 as a fulcrum; and, as a result of that movement, the wearers arch is given full and continual support. Furthermore, because of that movement, the wearers foot tends to remain completely in engagement with the heel portion 14 of the shoe, and that foot is less likely to slide up and down relative to the rear portion 24 of the upper 2. Also because of that movement, the wearers foot is less likely to tend to slide forwardly and downwardly toward the toe portion 8 of the sole. Because of that movement, the shoe is better able, throughout each step that the wearer takes, to support all parts of the foot rather than just the heel and ball of the foot.

The curved upper surface 30 of the heel 6 causes the flexing of the sole 4 to be gradual rather than abrupt. This means that a sharp bending line of the vamp is obviated, thereby increasing the wearers comfort and prolonging the life of the shoe.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

A shoe which comprises a sole portion, a heel portion, a shank portion, and a heel that has an attaching portion which underlies and is secured to said "shank portion of said shoe, said shank portion having a metal stiffener overlying said shank portion and extending into said heel portion, said attaching portion of said heel being spaced forwardly of said heel portion of said shoe whereby said heel portion of said shoe extends rearwardly and upwardly in cantilever fashion from said attaching portion of said heel, the ground-engaging portion of said heel being disposed below the level of, but in general vertical registry with, said heel portion of said shoe whenever said shoe is in upright position, said attaching portion of said heel being disposed above the level of, and being disposed forwardly of, said ground-engaging portion of said heel whenever said shoe is in upright position, said heel coacting with said sole to support said shoe and applying its support to said shank portion and thus intermediate said sole and said heel portion, said heel portion of said shoe being adapted to yield and to bend whenever the wearers weight is applied to said heel portion of said shoe and thereby enable said shoe to conform closely and intimately to the bottom of the wearers foot.

2. A shoe which comprises a sole portion, a shank portion, a heel portion, and a heel that has an attaching portion which underlies and is secured to said shank portion of said shoe, said shank portion having a metal stiffener overlying said shank portion and extending into the heel portion, said attaching portion of said heel beingspaced forwardly of said heel portion of said shoe whereby said heel portion of said shoe extends rearwardly and upwardly in cantilever fashion from said attaching portion of said heel, said attaching portion of said heel concentrating the support which said heel provides for said shoe to the shank portion of said shoe and thereby concentrating said support to the area of said shoe intermediate said sole portion and said heel portion of said shoe, said heel portion of said shoe being adapted to yield and to bend about a line perpendicular to the long axis of said shoe with said heel acting as a fulcrum, whenever the wearers weight is applied to said heel portion of said shoe.

3. A shoe which comprises a sole portion, a shank portion, a heel portion, and a heel that has an attaching portion which underlies and is secured to said shank portion of said shoe, said shank portion having a metal stiffener overlying said shank'portion and extending into the heel portion of the shoe, said attaching portion of said heel being spaced forwardly of said heel portion of said shoe whereby said heel portion extends rearwardly and upwardly in cantilever fashion from said attaching portion of said heel, said attaching portion of said heel concentrating the support which said heel provides for said shoe to the shank portion of said shoe and thereby concentrating saidsupport to the area of said shoe intermediate said sole portion and said heel portion of said shoe, said heel portion of said shoe being adapted to yield and to bend about a line perpendicular to the long axis of said shoe with said heel acting as a fulcrum whenever the wearers weight is applied to said heel portion of said shoe, said heel having a convex upper face that extends rearwardly from said attaching portion and that underlies but is normally spaced from the under face of said shoe, said convex upper face of said heel limiting the yielding and bending of said heel portion of said shoe as the wearers weight is applied to said heel portion of said shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,187,756 Schwellenbach Ian. 23, 1940 2,399,543 Back .a -e Apr. 30, 1946 2,510,560 Daniels June 6, 1950 2,767,487 Friedmann Oct. 23, 19,56

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