U.S. patent application number 13/899932 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-27 for mountaineering shoe sole.
The applicant listed for this patent is Qussay Abdulatteef Jasim Al-Ani. Invention is credited to Qussay Abdulatteef Jasim Al-Ani.
Application Number | 20140345167 13/899932 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51934428 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140345167 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Al-Ani; Qussay Abdulatteef
Jasim |
November 27, 2014 |
MOUNTAINEERING SHOE SOLE
Abstract
A detachable sole for a mountaineering shoe configured to
position toe of a foot of a user higher than the heel comprises a
toe end having a thicker sole and a heel end having a thinner sole,
an upper surface, and a lower surface. An engagement means is
provided on the detachable sole that detachably connects a bottom
portion of the shoe or another detachable sole. The toe end having
the thicker sole causes tension to stomach muscles and muscles in
the back of the legs of the user to improve blood circulation in
the veins of the legs and the thighs of the user. Improved blood
circulation in the veins of the legs of the user causes loss of
excessive fat in the stomach muscles and the legs thereby reducing
weight in the stomach.
Inventors: |
Al-Ani; Qussay Abdulatteef
Jasim; (Manama, BH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Al-Ani; Qussay Abdulatteef Jasim |
Manama |
|
BH |
|
|
Family ID: |
51934428 |
Appl. No.: |
13/899932 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/25R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/148 20130101;
A43B 7/38 20130101; A43C 15/09 20130101; A43B 13/36 20130101; A43B
7/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/25.R |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/28 20060101
A43B013/28 |
Claims
1. A detachable sole for a shoe, comprising: a toe end having a
first thickness and a heel end having a second thickness
substantially thinner than the first thickness whereby the toe of a
foot of a user higher than the heel; an upper surface on which a
straight line formed between the toe end and the heel end of the
upper surface is inclined with respect to a plane contactable by
ground engaging a lower surface of the detachable sole at an acute
angle; and an engagement means provided on the detachable sole to
detachably connect to a bottom portion of the shoe or another
detachable sole.
2. The detachable sole of claim 1, wherein the engagement means
includes a plurality of pins and a plurality of holes provided on
the upper surface and the lower surface, respectively, of a
plurality of detachable soles.
3. The detachable sole of claim 2, wherein the plurality of holes
are configured to receive the plurality of pins on the plurality of
detachable soles for stacking the plurality of detachable
soles.
4. The detachable sole of claim 2, wherein the plurality of pins
have geometrical shapes configured to be inserted into the
plurality of holes that have a corresponding shape.
5. The detachable sole of claim 2, wherein the plurality of
detachable soles are stackable in a plurality of layers to position
the toe end of the foot of the user of the shoe higher than the
heel end.
6. The detachable sole of claim 2, wherein the plurality of
detachable soles are stacked in a plurality of layers, glued to
each other, and surrounded with a detachable pin strip around the
shoe perimeter.
7. The detachable sole of claim 6, wherein the detachable pin strip
includes detachable pins for tightly surrounding and securing the
detachable pin strip around the shoe perimeter.
8. The detachable sole of claim 6, wherein the detachable pin strip
is formed of printed leather and/or plastic with different colors
and is configured to hold a basic shoe sole with the plurality of
other detachable soles attached to the basic sole.
9. The detachable sole of claim 1, wherein the straight line formed
between the toe end and the heel end of the upper surface is
inclined with respect to a plane contactable by ground engaging
lower surface of the detachable sole at an angle in the range of
about 2.degree. to about 25.degree..
10. The detachable sole of claim 1, wherein the upper surface has a
curved front end portion with a center of curvature situated above
the upper surface.
11. The detachable sole of claim 10, wherein the curved front end
portion has a radius of curvature between about 50 and about 200
mm.
12. The detachable sole of claim 1, wherein the toe end having the
thicker sole causes tension to stomach muscles and muscles in the
back of the legs, the thighs of the user to improve blood
circulation in the veins of the legs and thighs of the user.
13. The detachable sole of claim 12, wherein improved blood
circulation in the veins of the legs of the user causes loss of
excessive fat in the stomach muscles and the legs thereby reducing
weight in the stomach.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] 1. Technical Field of the Disclosure
[0002] The present invention is related in general to shoe soles
for exercising and in particular to detachable mountaineering shoe
soles for improving the health of a wearer of the shoe.
[0003] 2. Disclosure of the Related Art
[0004] Soles for shoes, boots, sandals or the like are made in
designs of the greatest variety. In today's health conscious
society, exercise and participation in sports have become
increasingly popular activities. For example, designs of shoe soles
exist that are particularly suitable for sports, to enable a high
degree of damping during sports activities, which reduces the loads
on the joints of the athletes. In addition, particularly stable
soles are known, which are used, for example, in work shoes or
hiking shoes, to protect the foot and at the same time provide a
high measure of skid resistance.
[0005] Existing shoe soles have in common that they provide a high
degree of support for the foot. This has the consequence that the
foot itself is exposed to little or no movements at all, except for
a roll over motion. In addition, blood circulation in the veins of
the legs, including the thighs of the user is affected by wearing
shoes having a high heel end. This may cause accumulation of
excessive fat in the stomach muscles which produces increased
weight in the stomach and the legs and thighs. Thus, a person
wearing normal high heel shoes may gain a lot of weight in the
course of their activities such as working in an office, factory or
kitchen or being at school. Also, wearing high heel shoes affects
the posture of the person wearing them by making them appear tall
and elegant. However, this may cause tension and pain in the spine
and back muscles making the person wearing them feel uncomfortable.
Thus, a person may only wear high heel shoes for a few hours at a
time before being adversely affected thereby.
[0006] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,106 issued to Fox on Apr.
16, 1996, discloses an athletic shoe having a shoe body including a
shoe upper, a heel portion, a toe portion, and a sole member
mounted to the shoe body extending from the heel to the toe of the
shoe body. The bottom of the sole member is covered with a ground
contacting surface to provide proper traction, and includes a first
angle portion below the heel of the shoe body, a second angle
portion below the toe of the shoe body, and a platform section
therebetween. The sole member, attached to the bottom surface of
the shoe body, includes an upper surface adapted substantially to
match the configuration of the bottom surface of the shoe body so
as to fit closely therewith. A first angle portion is formed in the
sole member, extending from the heel of the shoe body downwardly at
a slight slope. The elevated platform is of a desired thickness
corresponding to the desired degree of difficulty of use of the
exercise shoe as the thicker the platform, the greater the stress
placed on the foot of the wearer during use. However, the sole of
this invention is not detachable and does not provide a uniform
slope to keep the toe of the user higher than the heel end of the
foot.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,481 issued to Darby on Feb. 18, 1992,
discloses a boot designed to fit around a lightweight cast about
the ankle and foot of a patient. The boot is designed to immobilize
the foot of the patient. As the patient walks, the foot is moved
through a smooth gait so as to prevent the muscles, ligaments, and
tendons from being subjected to stresses and strains during a
normal walking motion. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,631,842 and 4,589,216
issued to Koskela on Dec. 30, 1986, and to Fuscone on May 20, 1986,
respectively, each disclose sole elements for athletic shoes that
are designed to reduce muscular strain or stress placed on the
muscles and tendons between the feet and legs of the wearer during
exercise. These sole elements are not particularly suitable for
mountaineering purposes or reducing associated health risks
including reducing the fat accumulation in specific areas like
stomach, thighs etc. of the user.
[0008] Thus, most conventional shoes or sole elements generally are
directed to exercise and sporting purposes and for protecting
certain ones of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons from being
subjected to stresses or stretching. As shoes are often worn for
long periods of time, it would be useful if they could provide some
health benefit to the wearer of the shoe. There exists a need for a
sole for a shoe for improving the health of the wearer of the
shoe.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0009] To minimize limitations found in the prior art, and to
minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon the reading
of the specifications, a preferred embodiment of the present
invention provides a detachable sole for a shoe configured to
position the toe of a foot of a user higher than the heel. The
detachable sole comprises a toe end having a thicker sole, a heel
end having a substantially thinner sole, and an upper surface on
which a straight line formed between the toe end and the heel end
is inclined with respect to a plane contactable by ground engaging
a lower surface of the detachable sole at an acute angle, and an
engagement means provided on the detachable sole to detachably
connect to a bottom portion of the shoe and/or another detachable
sole for positioning the toe of the user of the shoe higher than
the heel.
[0010] The engagement means may include a plurality of pins and a
plurality of holes provided on the upper surface and the lower
surface of a plurality of detachable soles, which are configured to
receive the plurality of pins on the plurality of detachable soles
for stacking the plurality of detachable soles to position the toe
of the shoe higher than the heel. A detachable pin strip includes
detachable pins for tightly surrounding and securing the detachable
pin strip around the shoe perimeter. The upper surface may have a
curved front end portion with a center of curvature situated above
the upper surface. The toe end having the thicker sole causes
tension to stomach muscles and muscles in the back of the legs and
the thighs of the user to improve blood circulation in the veins of
the legs and thighs. Improved blood circulation in the veins of the
legs of the user may cause loss of excessive fat in the stomach
muscles and the legs, thereby reducing weight in the stomach and
the thighs.
[0011] A straight line formed between opposite ends of the upper
surface may be inclined with respect to a plane contactable by
ground engaging lower surfaces of the sole at an angle in the range
of about 2.degree. to about 25.degree.. By having high heel soles
in reverse i.e. by having the ball of the foot higher than the
heel, the tension caused by wearing shoes incorporating the soles
is moved to the front of the wearer so that stomach muscles and
muscles in the back of the legs including the thighs are in
tension. Fat loss due to the movement of stomach muscles and leg
including thigh muscles and the movements of these muscles creates
very healthy blood circulation and body muscle firmness.
[0012] These and other advantages and features of the present
invention are described with specificity so as to make the present
invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to
scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding
of these various elements and embodiments of the invention.
Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well
understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to
provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention,
thus the drawings are generalized in form in the interest of
clarity and conciseness.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a pair of shoes
incorporating modified soles of an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the pair of shoes
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the pair of shoes
incorporating a pair of modified soles of an embodiment of the
present invention stacked together;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the pair of shoes
illustrated in FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a pair of shoes of the
present invention incorporating three modified soles stacked
together;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a side perspective view of the shoes illustrated
in FIG. 5;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a shoe of the present
invention incorporating three modified soles stacked together and
tightly surrounded and secured using an embodiment of a detachable
pin strip around the shoe perimeter;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the shoe with
detachable soles stacked together and tightly surrounded using the
detachable pin strip illustrated in FIG. 7;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of a canvas shoe of the
present invention incorporating a pair of modified soles stacked
together and attached to sole of the shoe;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the shoe of FIG.
9;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a shoe of
the present invention with ankle securing means at a heel end of
the sole;
[0025] FIG. 12 is a top view of an embodiment of a shoe of the
present invention with an engagement means provided at the heel end
of the sole;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the shoe illustrated in
FIG. 12;
[0027] FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a shoe
of the present invention with a hole at the heel end of the
sole;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a side perspective view of the shoe illustrated
in FIG. 14 with the pin at the heel end of the sole;
[0029] FIG. 16 is a side perspective view of the shoe illustrated
in FIG. 15;
[0030] FIG. 17 is a top surface of the sole of the shoe illustrated
in FIG. 15 with attached pins and contours for providing more grips
for the legs of the user while walking or mountaineering;
[0031] FIG. 18 is a top surface of the sole illustrated in FIG. 17;
and
[0032] FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a shoe
of the present invention having modified soles and having
provisions for placing a counter for measuring a variety of
parameters while walking or mountaineering.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] In the following discussion that addresses a number of
embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is
made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in
which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which
the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other
embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0034] Various inventive features are described below that can each
be used independently of one another or in combination with other
features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any
of the problems discussed above or only address one of the problems
discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed
above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described
below. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
While particular embodiments have been described, it will be
understood that various modifications may be made without departing
from the scope of the invention.
[0035] The invention relates to modified soles, such as for a
mountaineering shoe soles used by the climbers of mountains or
hills. The climbers typically use shoes with a flat shoe sole but
when climbing mountains the effect is to place the foot at an angle
higher at the front of the shoe sole i.e. at a toe end than the
rear part of the mountaineering shoe i.e. heel end. A higher toe
position than the heel of the foot of a user causes tension of the
stomach and the leg muscles which can provide the climber body with
better blood circulation in places where few other sports can.
Hence, engaging in this sport with shoe soles having higher toe end
can be, if used correctly, very beneficial to help exercise the
body as this sport differs from other outdoor sports in that nature
alone provides the field of action.
[0036] Due to the danger involved in climbing high mountains, the
present invention discloses a new type of mountaineering shoe sole
which gives the same benefit to the climber by making the
mountaineering shoe with shoe soles that are higher at the front of
the shoe than the rear of the shoe. As used herein, the term
mountaineering shoes applies to all types of shoes as described
above including climbing shoe footwear such as boots, slippers,
sandals, hacker, jogging shoes and all similar sports and walking
shoes. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
mountaineering shoe sole can be made with several individual sole
layers--thin at heels and thicker at toes. Each sole can be
connected to the upper and lower sole using plastic or PVC or any
other materials with pins having circular or rectangular shapes to
be inserted inside similar shaped holes in the upper or lower
soles. The individual soles may be detached and removed as
desired.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a pair of shoes 10
incorporating modified soles of an embodiment of the present
invention. According to the embodiment, there is provided a sole 12
for a shoe 10 configured to position the ball and/or toes of a foot
of a user of the shoe 10 higher than the heel. The sole 12 has an
upper surface (not shown) for receiving the ball and heel of the
foot of the user, whereby a straight line formed between opposite
ends of the upper surface (not shown) is inclined with respect to a
plane contactable by ground engaging lower surfaces of the sole at
an angle in the range of about 2.degree. to about 25.degree.. The
angle may also be in the range of about 10.degree. to about
20.degree.. The mountaineering shoe 10 preferably includes means
for holding the foot of the user to the shoe. The foot holding
means may comprise two portions and fastening means arranged to
fasten the two portions at least towards each other. The two foot
holding means portions may be arranged to overlap when fastened by
the fastening means. This enables the foot holding means to cope
with the large stresses exerted when a user is wearing the shoe.
The shoe may include means for securing an ankle of the user to the
mountaineering shoe. The holding means need to withstand large
forces exerted on them by the foot of the user and may comprise,
for example, straps of strong plastics or reinforced plastics or
leather.
[0038] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the pair of shoe 10
incorporating modified soles 12. As shown, the soles 12 increase
the height of the front or a toe end 14 of the mountaineering shoe
soles 12, keeping the rear soles part or the heel end 16 to a
reduced height. The climber can climb hills wearing these shoes and
may have several choices of shoe soles heights for the climbing
exercise needed by the climber. This may be especially beneficial
for people with diseases and who cannot be left to climb high
mountains without a doctor's help and for elderly people or people
with heart troubles who can now enjoy the benefit of climbing while
being close to emergency treatments if needed.
[0039] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show perspective views of the pair of
shoes 10 incorporating a pair of modified soles 12 stacked
together. To increase the effectiveness of mountain climbing sport
to help exercise the body while walking, several shoe soles layers
can be attached to the mountaineering shoe 10 making the front or a
toe end 14 of the mountaineering shoes much higher in front
compared to the heel end 16 as needed by the climbers. The several
shoe soles layers 12 can be removed. The front surface 14 of the
soles 12 may have a curved front end portion with a center of
curvature having a radius of curvature between about 20 and about
200 mm. The front end portion 14 may extend over about 10% or
greater, such as a quarter of the entire length of the sole layers
12. The dimensions of the curved front end portion 14 enables a
user of the shoe incorporating the soles layers to walk easily
without toppling.
[0040] As shoes are often worn for long periods of time, it would
be useful if they could provide some health benefit to the wearer
by wearing the mountaineer shoes 10 with soles 12 of different
height as desired by the wearer. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show top and
side perspective views of the shoe 10 incorporating three modified
soles 12 stacked together according to an another embodiment of the
present invention. The three soles 12 shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6,
each have different heights at the toe end 14 and at the heel end
16. This provides the user the ability to select soles 12 with
desired thicknesses at the toe end 14 and at the heel end 16 as
described above.
[0041] FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show perspective views of the pair of
shoes 10 incorporating three modified soles 12 stacked together and
tightly surrounded and secured using a detachable pin strip 18
around the shoe 10 perimeter. The detachable pin strip 18 surrounds
and covers the plurality of soles 12, which are stacked together
and may have different thicknesses at the toe end 14 and at the
heel end 16. The plurality of soles 12 having different thicknesses
at the toe end 14 and at the heel end 16 may be glued, stitched or
otherwise secured to each other and attached to the base sole of
each of the shoes 10. In an embodiment of the present invention,
the plurality of soles 12 having different thicknesses is provided
with an engagement means including at least one pin 22 and at least
one hole 20 (see FIG. 13). The hole 20 is configured to receive the
pin 22 and to form a locking arrangement to stack the soles 12
together. The detachable pin strip 18 covers the side of the
plurality of stacked soles 12 to give a good visual appearance of
the shoe 10. The detachable pin strip 18 covers the sides of the
stacked soles 12 and is secured using different attachment means
including a plurality of pins (not shown), Velcro.RTM., or any
other attachment means provided on an end portion of the detachable
pin strip 18. The detachable pin strip 18 makes the mountaineering
shoes 10 more fashionable. For making the mountaineering shoes 10
beautiful and fashionable, several motifs with different shapes can
be added to surround the shoe soles 12 which makes them capable of
having several models but the same basic mountaineering slim shoe
10 by using the detachable pin strip 18 all around the shoe
perimeter. The strip 18 will have detachable pins (not shown) and
can be made of printed leather or plastic with different
colors.
[0042] Wearing the mountaineering shoes 10 with several sole layers
12 depending on the wearer sole height requirement as discussed
above will give several benefits to the wearer. For people with
diabetes who perform mountaineering sports or wear mountaineering
shoes 10 in their gardens, houses, kitchen, offices, schools,
factories or just walking in the streets, the shoes 10 will
strengthen their muscles. This may result in a higher metabolism
and more calories burnt, improving insulin sensitivity, helping
with weight loss, and may reduce the amount of diabetes
medications. Also for diabetes, modest physical activity wearing
mountaineering shoes 10 with detachable soles 12, including
performing indoor mountaineering shoe exercises due to summer heat
or winter cold, may provide a good way to manage diabetes.
[0043] Compartments of fat cells, including capillary walls, become
excessively permeable causing localized accumulation of fluid,
dimples, skin dimpling, bulging and pitting surrounded by lose
deteriorating muscle tissue with a lumpy collection of fat in a
centralized area that pushes against the connective tissue of the
skin giving a cottage cheese-like appearance on the legs and many
body parts. Wearing the mountaineering shoes 10 with the detachable
soles 12 may reduce or eliminate excess fat cells in the stomach,
legs, and thighs. Fat and loose tissues inside the stomach,
sometimes due to previous pregnancy or to eating, are a major body
problem and by wearing the mountaineering shoes 10 with the
detachable soles 12 having higher toe end 14 compared to the heel
end 16 may also improve the body muscles' firmness and reduce and
eliminate excess fat cells in the stomach. Yet another advantage of
wearing the mountaineering shoes 10 with the detachable soles 12
having higher toe end 14 compared to the heel end 16 is that it may
reduce or eliminate the blue blood veins which are present in the
skin of the legs and thigh and are usually treated by surgery.
However, blue veins may be reduced or eliminated due to good
circulation after a short time of using and wearing the
mountaineering shoes 10 with the detachable soles 12. In addition,
wearing these mountaineering shoes 10 may improve the body
firmness, stomach, legs, thighs, back parts of the body, and most
of all good posture of the back bones and the firmness of the
breast.
[0044] By having high heel soles in reverse, i.e. by having the
ball of the foot higher than the heel, the tension caused by
wearing shoes 10 incorporating the soles 12 is moved to the front
of the wearer's foot so that stomach muscles and muscles in the
back of the legs including the thighs are in tension. This may
provide improved blood circulation in the veins of the legs
including the thighs and loss of excessive fat in the stomach
muscles which may produce loss of weight in the stomach and the
legs including the thighs. Thus, a person wearing shoes
incorporating the soles can lose weight in the course of their
activities such as working in an office, factory or kitchen or
being at school. The shoes 10 may also be used by army and police
cadets during training or as the usual shoes to be warn all the
time to keep fit and body firmness. Fat loss due to the movement of
stomach muscles and leg including thigh muscles may create very
healthy blood circulation and body muscle firmness.
[0045] In mountain climbing, the steeper the mountain the greater
the movement of stomach muscles and leg including thigh muscles in
the climber. In the same way, the higher the ball of the foot is
above the heel, the greater the muscle movement in the stomach and
legs including the thighs. Thus, the several layers of soles 12 of
the shoes 10 of the present invention may cause greater loss of
weight and unwanted fats. This loss is proportional to the height
of the ball of the foot above the heel, which depends on the height
of the sole layers and their number. Blood circulation is also
improved in veins in the legs including the thighs helping to fight
diseases due to bad blood circulation in these veins. If there is
weak pain in the stomach muscles and leg including thigh muscles
from wearing the mountaineering shoes, the pain will go away the
longer the shoes 10 incorporating the soles 12 are worn and will
get less and less with time. By increasing the numbers of layers of
soles 12 and their height and by regularly changing sole heights,
where each change has an increase in the height between the toes
and heel, the full benefit of losing weight in the right places and
improving blood circulation can be achieved.
[0046] The mountaineering shoe soles 12 may include a reinforced
portion between a ball receiving sole portion and a heel receiving
sole portion. The reinforced portion enables the soles 12 to handle
the large stresses induced in that portion by the weight of the
user or wearer of a shoe incorporating the soles. The reinforced
portion of the sole layers may be reinforced with metal making the
shoes suitable for sports footwear and leather sandals
incorporating the sole layers.
[0047] FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show perspective views of a canvas shoe
10 incorporating the pair of modified soles 12 stacked together and
attached to the base sole of the shoe 10 according to another
embodiment of the present invention. The soles layers 12 may be
incorporated into a sports shoe 10 for walking or running or may
have a boot-like design. Such a boot will develop large stresses in
the region where the leg and ankle of a user meet when the user is
wearing the shoe correctly. Such a shoe 10 should have a means for
securing the ankle to the shoe 10 and the ankle securing means
should include, for example, a threaded lace to withstand these
stresses, as shown in FIG. 11. The boot-like design is even more
beautiful and fashionable which makes it possible to have several
models using the same basic mountaineering slim shoe 10. In one
embodiment, the sole layers may be reinforced with metal
strengthening them for sports footwear and leather sandals
incorporating the sole layers.
[0048] In a specific example of an embodiment, the curved front end
portion has a radius of curvature between about 20 and about 200 mm
and extends over from about 10% to up about a quarter of the entire
length of the soles. The mountaineering shoes 10 as shown in FIG.
10 may have two basic sole parts and several in-between soles with
different thickness as described above which can be attached or
detached and connected to the basic two parts. An upper basic part
will have a flat contour as in conventional shoes but with a higher
front at toes than at the heels, with the front and the rear
connected with straight contours. A lower basic part will have
contours that have higher curved front as described above to help
prevent toppling while wearing and walking
[0049] According to another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 12 to
FIG. 17 show different views of the shoe with an engagement means
provided at the heel end of the sole 12. The engagement means
includes a pin 22 and a hole 20 at the bottom portion and/or the
top portion of the heel end 16 of the sole. The pin 22 and hole 20
arrangement is complementary and can form a tight fit to connect
two or more soles 12 together. FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show top
perspective views of the shoe 10 with the engagement means
including the pin 22 and the hole 20 at the bottom portion of the
heel end 16 and attached to the base sole of a shoe 10. This
arrangement helps to add additional soles having matching pins 22
to increase the overall height at the toe end 14 of the shoe 10.
The pins 22 may be projecting from the surface of the sole 12. The
pin 22 and the hole 20 can be provided on any part of the sole 12
for attaching two or more soles together or for attaching the sole
12 to the base sole of the shoe 10. Several shoe soles 12 attached
in-between the upper basic part and the lower basic part may be
connected using the plastic pins 22 to be inserted into the holes
20 in both upper and lower basic parts or the pins 22 and holes 20
can be reversed. The pins 22 can be made of any materials to
withstand the stresses and strains encountered during use of the
mountaineering shoes 10 with detachable soles 12 as shown in FIG.
15 and FIG. 16. Illustrating another embodiment, FIG. 18 shows a
top surface of the sole 12 with contours for providing a better
grip for the legs of the user while walking or during
mountaineering.
[0050] In an additional embodiment of the present invention,
instead of plastic pins 22 and holes 20 to hold the detachable
soles 12 together as shown in FIG. 13 to FIG. 17, the detachable
soles 12 can be glued to a hook-and-loop, backing, such as a
Velcro.RTM. material. Adjacent detachable soles 12 may have a hook
backing provided on the bottom portion and corresponding loop
inter-locking means provided on the top portion of another
detachable sole 12 for detachably connecting the plurality of
detachable soles 12 together. The hook-and-loop backing material
may be stitched or glued or attached using any attaching means
including pins to the corresponding soles 12. The detachable pin
strip 18 wound around the shoe 10 perimeter stacks the soles
together and tightly surrounds the three modified soles 12 as shown
in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. The detachable pin strip 18 covers the sides
of the plurality of soles 12, which are stacked together and may
have different thicknesses at the toe end 14 and at the heel end 16
pin strip. The hook-and-loop backing layer is reusable and
flexible. The detachable pin strip 18 may also include
self-gripping hook-and-loop fasteners, which form a unique
back-to-back fastening system. The straps of the detachable pin
strip 18 wrap around objects to be bundled or controlled, here the
plurality of soles 12, and then the remaining strap tip attaches
back to the fasteners on an end of the strap to provide a simple,
easy to use mountaineering shoe attachment.
[0051] In yet another embodiment of the mountaineering shoes 10 of
the present invention having a fixed soled with the high sole at
the front or toe end of the shoe 10. The height of the fixed sole
may be chosen by the wearer of these mountaineering shoes which
will give the same benefit as the mountaineering shoes 10 with
detachable soles 12 as described above.
[0052] FIG. 19 illustrates a top perspective view of still another
embodiment of a mountaineering shoe 10 having modified soles 12 and
having provisions for placing a counter 28 for measuring a variety
of parameters while walking or during mountaineering. The
mountaineering shoe 10 having modified soles 12 is provided with at
least one shoe attachment 26 for securing the counter 28 to the
shoe 10. The shoe attachment 26 may be a removable shoe insert
which is attachable to top strip of the shoe 10. The shoe
attachment 26 may also be available as a fixed attachment to the
mountaineering shoe 10 for holding the counter 28. The shoe insert
can be custom-made to adapt with the conditions during
mountaineering. The counter 28 located on the shoe attachment 26
include a variety of functions including step counters that can
help the user to track their activity during mountaineering or
walking by wearing the mountaineering shoe 10. The counter 28
provided on the mountaineering shoe 10 enable the users to track
how many steps they currently take each day or during
mountaineering, thereby enabling the users to set a goal to
increase steps over time. The shoe attachment 26 with the counter
28 is useful for the diabetic, or to one attempting to loose
stomach weight and improve the blood circulation in the thigh
veins. The counter 28 attached to the mountaineering shoe 10 can
measure distance travelled by the mountaineer, the number of steps
the mountaineering shoe 10 made during a walk, and the calories
lost during a walk. The counter 28 can scientifically monitor the
effectiveness of the mountaineering shoes 10 in aid in the control
of diabetics using blood test before and after walk and can monitor
increase or decrease in length during the everyday walk or
mountaineering.
[0053] The foregoing description of embodiments of the present
invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and
variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is
intended that the scope of the present invention not be limited by
this detailed description, but by the claims and the equivalents to
the claims appended hereto.
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