TWI909888B - Footwear - Google Patents

Abstract

The footwear includes an insole 10, a forefoot strap 21, and a clog 20. The insole 10 has a double-layer structure formed by an upper layer 11 and a lower layer 12. The upper layer 11 has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of peripheral walls. The surrounding walls are formed by a first wall surface 11f that extends closer to the heel than the end of the strap 20 and between the inner side surface 10a and the outer side surface 10b of the insole 10; a second wall surface 11g that extends longitudinally from the toe side of the insole 10, further outward than the front strap 21 and closer to the toe side than the end of the outer horizontal strap 22b, and extends in an arc to the outer side surface 10b of the insole 10; and the remaining wall surface. The remaining wall surface has the same shape as the lower layer 12. The upper surface of the upper layer 11 has a horizontal portion 11e located closer to the heel than the portion that abuts against the transverse head of the adductor hallucis muscle, and an inclined portion 11d that slopes upward toward the toe side from the anterior edge 11j of the horizontal portion 11e. The lower surface of the upper layer 11 has a dorsal inclined portion 32c that slopes gently downward toward the toe side.

Description

Footwear

This invention relates to footwear such as sandals and slippers where the area below the ankle is open.

Sandals and slippers are open-toed footwear, typically consisting of straps or laces attached to a flat sole shaped like the foot. Previously, sandals and slippers were widely used for their supposed health benefits, including features like raised areas on the sole to stimulate pressure points while walking, and lateral inclination to correct bowlegs and knock-knees.

Previously, a similar technique existed as described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a healthy slipper where the straps are positioned at two points to clamp the index toe, with the big toe aligned with the middle toe, ring toe, and little toe in a 1:3 ratio. Furthermore, the top of the slipper where the index toe rests is raised approximately 2 to 5 millimeters. [Prior Art Documents][Patent Documents]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3232282

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in recent years, there has been a desire for health-beneficial features in relatively inexpensive footwear such as beach sandals. In particular, there is a desire for footwear such as beach sandals that can correct bowlegs and posture.

This invention addresses this need by providing footwear that corrects bowlegs and posture. [Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention includes the following described structure. [1] The present invention is a type of footwear, comprising: a footpad, and a strap formed by a fore strap, an inner cross strap, and an outer cross strap and mounted on the footpad; the footpad has a double-layer structure formed by an upper layer and a lower layer; the lower layer has a contour that is the outer periphery of the foot in a top view; the upper layer has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of peripheral walls, the peripheral walls being formed by a first wall, a second wall, and remaining walls; the first wall extends closer to the heel than the end of the strap, between the inner and outer sides of the footpad, and the second wall extends from the toe-side end of the footpad along... Extending longitudinally, it extends in an arc to the outer side of the footpad, beyond the front band and closer to the toes than the end of the outer band; the remaining wall overlaps with the outline of the lower layer in a top view; characterized in that: the upper layer has a horizontal portion and a sloping portion, the horizontal portion being closer to the heel than the portion abutting the transverse head of the adductor hallucis muscle, the sloping portion sloping upward from the front edge of the horizontal portion toward the toes, the front band being disposed at the sloping portion; and the lower surface of the upper layer has a dorsal sloping portion that gently slopes downward toward the toes.

[2] In footwear as described in [1] above, the lower layer is made of a plate of uniform thickness, and the toe portion of the lower layer is inclined along the back slope of the upper layer.

[3] In footwear as described in [1] above, the upper surface of the aforementioned lower layer has an inclined surface that slopes downward at the same angle as the aforementioned back-side inclined portion of the aforementioned upper layer, and the lower surface of the aforementioned lower layer extends horizontally.

[4] In footwear as described in [1] above, the height from the upper surface of the aforementioned horizontal portion to the top point of the aforementioned inclined portion is 7 mm or more and 22 mm or less.

[5] In footwear as described in [1] above, the upper layer is characterized by having a double-layer structure consisting of an upper region having a uniform thickness and a lower region fixed to the lower surface of the upper region; the lower region has a horizontal portion of uniform thickness and a sloping portion of the lower region whose thickness gradually increases from the leading edge of the horizontal portion toward the toe side.

[6] In footwear as described in [5] above, the upper and lower regions are formed by the same components and are colored in different colors.

According to the embodiments described in [1], [2], or [3] of the present invention, the upper layer of the footpad has a second wall of the aforementioned shape, thereby separating the toe side and outer side of the foot from the upper surface of the footpad when the user walks wearing the shoes of the present invention. Therefore, the user's weight is concentrated on the inner side of the foot. This corrects the user's center of gravity to the inner side. If the user has bowlegs, it can reduce the distance between the user's knees. Furthermore, the upper layer of the footpad has a first wall of the aforementioned shape, thereby making it appear as if the user is walking on tiptoe. Therefore, walking in shoes can naturally train the muscles of the calves, the back of the thighs, and the buttocks.

Furthermore, when the user wears the shoes of this invention, with the foot supported by the insole, the heel can be placed on the upper surface of the lower layer. Therefore, because the heel side is lower than the toe side, the user's center of gravity can be shifted backward, making it easier to place body weight on the heel side. This corrects a forward-leaning posture, and at the same time, when the user walks, the heel can move up and down with the foot supported by the insole, which can effectively train the muscles of the calf, the back of the thigh, and the buttocks.

Furthermore, the adductor hallucis muscle is positioned horizontally on the upper part of the footpad, with the big toe positioned at an angle. Therefore, when the user wears the shoes of this invention, the spine remains straight relative to the ground. In addition, body weight is easily distributed along the heel. This effectively trains the muscles of the calves, posterior thighs, and buttocks, while also correcting a forward-leaning posture.

Furthermore, because the front band is positioned on the inclined side, it can maintain the position where the base of the big toe and second toe are positioned on the inclined side.

Furthermore, the thickness of the upper toe side can be made greater. This enhances the user's visual impression: the area supporting the big toe in the footwear is higher.

According to the above-described [4] of the present invention, the height from the upper surface of the horizontal part to the apex of the inclined part can be set to a height that makes it easy to exert the function of the present invention.

According to the above-described [5] of the present invention, with the upper region of the upper layer deformed along the inclined portion of the lower region, the lower surface of the upper region is fixed to the upper surface of the lower region, thereby forming an inclined portion in the upper layer. Therefore, by fixing the upper region, which has been treated with an anti-slip process such as unevenness, to the lower region, a surface with a predetermined inclined portion can be easily manufactured.

According to the above-described [6] configuration of this invention, the upper and lower regions of the upper layer are colored with different colors, thus giving the user the impression that the lower region is thicker towards the toes and that the area supporting the big toe is higher. [Invention Benefits]

According to the present invention, footwear is provided that has the function of correcting O-shaped legs and posture.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of footwear 1, showing an exemplary structure of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1. Footwear 1 is a so-called beach sandal, including an insole 10 and straps 20. Figures 1 to 3 show footwear 1 worn on the user's left foot. Since footwear 1 worn on the right foot is symmetrical to footwear 1 worn on the left foot, detailed description of footwear 1 worn on the right foot is omitted. Furthermore, in the description, in the left-right direction of footwear 1, the big toe side is designated as the inner side, and the little toe side as the outer side.

The foot pad 10 is made of rubber, EVA polyurethane, etc., and has a double-layer structure formed by an upper layer 11 and a lower layer 12. The foot strap 20 is formed by a front strap 21, an inner cross strap 22a, and an outer cross strap 22b, and is installed on the foot pad 10. The starting ends of the inner cross strap 22a and the outer cross strap 22b are connected to the front strap 21. The end of the inner cross strap 22a is installed near the inner side surface 10a of the foot pad 10, and the end of the outer cross strap 22b is installed near the outer side surface 10b of the foot pad 10.

The upper layer 11 is a plate-like structure that has at least partially the outline of the outer periphery of a foot in a top view, including a heel defect 11a, a mounting portion 11b, and a little toe defect 11c. The lower layer 12 is a plate-like structure that has the overall outline of the outer periphery of a foot in a top view.

The heel defect 11a in the upper layer 11 is formed by defecting the part facing the user's heel. The supporting part 11b is a part that supports at least a part of the user's foot and has an inclined part 11d and a horizontal part 11e. The little toe defect 11c is formed by cutting along the longitudinal direction of the upper layer 11 from the approximate center of the end of the toe side of the upper layer 11, passing through the part slightly outside the front strap 21 of the strap 20, and passing through the part slightly outside the toe side of the end of the outer horizontal strap 22b, to the outer side surface 10b of the footpad 10 with a gentle arc.

Therefore, at the mounting portion 11b, there is a portion other than the portion of the user's sole facing the heel defect portion 11a and the portion facing the little toe defect portion 11c.

For ease of explanation, the space where there are no physical components, namely the heel defect 11a and the little toe defect 11c, is also regarded as a component of the upper layer 11, and the physical component in the upper layer 11 is the mounting part 11b.

In other words, the plate-like structure constituting the upper layer 11 has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of peripheral walls. The upper surface of the horizontal portion 11e extends in the horizontal plane and is located closer to the heel than the portion abutting the transverse head of the adductor hallucis muscle. The portion abutting the transverse head of the adductor hallucis muscle is located slightly posterior to the anterior band portion 21. The upper surface of the inclined portion 11d slopes upward from the leading edge 11j of the horizontal portion 11e toward the toe side. In the illustrated example, although the boundary between the horizontal portion 11e and the inclined portion 11d, i.e., the leading edge of the horizontal portion 11e, is indicated by the symbol 11j, the boundary does not necessarily need to be clearly defined. Furthermore, the leading edge 11j of the horizontal portion 11e may extend in a curved shape rather than a straight line.

The inclined portion 11d is formed to abut against the user's big toe, second toe, and the area near their bases, and its thickness gradually increases from the horizontal portion 11e in the mounting portion 11b toward the toe side. Thus, the upper surface of the inclined portion 11d is formed as an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the toe side. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower surface of the upper layer 11 extends in a horizontal plane. A front strap portion 21 is disposed at the inclined portion 11d.

One of the plurality of peripheral walls defining the outline of the upper layer 11 is a first wall 11f, extending between the inner side 10a and the outer side 10b of the insole 10, closer to the heel than the end of the strap 20. The first wall 11f separates the mounting portion 11b and the heel defect portion 11a. Preferably, the first wall 11f extends in a concave curve towards the heel in a top view. This shape follows the shape of the user's heel.

Another of the plurality of surrounding walls is a second wall 11g that separates the mounting portion 11b from the little toe defect portion 11c. The second wall 11g extends longitudinally from approximately the center of the toe-side end of the footpad 10, passing outwards from the front strap portion 21 and further outwards from the end of the outer cross strap portion 22b to the outer side surface 10b of the footpad 10.

The remaining two peripheral walls 11h and 11i are located between the first wall f and the second wall g. These remaining peripheral walls 11h and 11i overlap with the outline of the lower layer 12 in a top view. Peripheral wall 11h is part of the inner side 10a of the footpad 10, and peripheral wall 11i is part of the outer side 10b of the footpad 10.

In the illustrated example, the upper layer 11 is a double-layer structure formed by an upper region 31 and a lower region 32. Preferably, the upper region 31 and the lower region 32 are constructed of the same component and have the same shape in a top view. In the illustrated example, the upper region 31 is formed of a plate-like component of uniform thickness, which abuts against the user's foot at its upper surface. Preferably, the upper surface of the upper region 31 is formed as a rough surface with fine bumps and depressions. This prevents the user's foot from slipping against the upper surface of the upper region 31. Furthermore, a chamfer is applied to the edge of the upper region 31 on the heel side (i.e., the edge of the first wall surface 11f). In addition, a chamfer is also applied to the edge of the little toe side in the upper region 31 (i.e., the edge of the second wall 11g).

The lower region 32 is then fixed to the lower surface of the upper region 31. The lower region 32 is formed by a horizontal portion 32a and a sloping portion 32b. The horizontal portion 32a extends from the part abutting the head of the adductor hallucis muscle, through the upper region 31, towards the heel side. The sloping portion 32b gradually increases in thickness from the leading edge of the horizontal portion 32a toward the toe side. The upper surface of the sloping portion 32b slopes upward from the leading edge of the upper surface of the horizontal portion 32a.

According to this embodiment, the height H from the upper surface of the horizontal part 11e to the apex of the inclined surface of the inclined part 11d is preferably set in the range of 7 mm or more and 22 mm or less, and more preferably in the range of 15 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

Preferably, the upper region 31 and the lower region 32 are colored with different colors. The colors of the upper region 31 and the lower region 32 should be colors that are clearly distinguishable from each other. As an example, black can be used in the upper region 31 and white can be used in the lower region 32.

The lower layer 12 of this embodiment has a profile with an overall outer perimeter shape in a top view, and is a plate-like structure with uniform thickness. The lower surface of the lower layer 12 is preferably formed into a rough surface by wavy unevenness. In this way, the lower layer 12 is less likely to slide relative to the ground.

The footpad 10 is formed by connecting the lower surface of the upper layer 11 (i.e., the lower surface of the lower region 32) and the upper surface of the lower layer 12. At the heel defect 11a and the little toe defect 11c, a step difference is formed due to the upper surface of the upper layer 11 and the upper surface of the lower layer 12. The first wall surface 11f and the second wall surface g are the walls of this step difference. Therefore, in the footpad 10, the heel defect 11a and the little toe defect 11c are the thinner portions.

Furthermore, by fixing the lower surface of the upper region 31 of the upper layer 11 to the upper surface of the lower region 32, the upper region 31 is deformed along the upper surface of the lower region 32. In this state, the upper layer 11 is fixed to the upper surface of the lower layer 12. In this way, the upper region 31 is fixed in a state where it is inclined along the lower region horizontal portion 32a and the lower region inclined portion 32b of the lower region 32, thereby forming a horizontal portion 11e and an inclined portion 11d in the upper layer 11.

The clogs 20 are made of cloth or synthetic resin and consist of a front strap 21 and a side strap 22. The front strap 21 extends upward from the surface of the footpad 10 and is held between the user's big toe and second toe. The front strap 21 is positioned on the inclined portion 11d of the upper layer 11. The side strap 22 is made of a rope or band-like component made of cloth or synthetic resin. The side strap 22 is divided into an inner side strap 22a, which extends towards the inner side of the footpad 10 on the big toe side, with the front strap 21 as its base, and an outer side strap 22b, which extends towards the outer side of the little toe side. The end of the inner transverse band 22a is fixed to the corner of the upper layer 11 on the heel side, on the big toe side. The outer transverse band 22b is fixed to the corner of the upper layer 11 on the heel side, on the little toe side.

Next, we will explain the situation regarding the user wearing footwear type 1.

The user puts their foot through the clogs 20, with the front strap 21 positioned between the big toe and second toe, thus wearing the shoe 1. At this time, the inner strap 22a passes over the base of the big toe, and the outer strap 22b passes over the instep, preventing the shoe 1 from easily slipping off. Furthermore, because the front strap 21 is positioned on the inclined section 11d, the user's big toe, second toe, and their bases are contacted on the inclined surface of the inclined section 11d. Therefore, only the portion of the user's big toe, second toe, and their bases on the sole of their foot is positioned higher than the upper surface of the horizontal section 11e.

When the user is wearing footwear 1, the middle toe, ring toe, little toe, and their base portions, the portion of the adductor hallucis muscle located near the heel relative to the aforementioned base portions, and the lateral portion of the arch of the flexor digiti minimi brevis muscle face the little toe-side defect 11c. That is, when the sole of the foot is divided into the toe side and the heel side near the arch, and the toe side is further divided into the big toe side (medial) and the little toe side (lateral), the outer half of the toe side roughly faces the little toe-side defect 11c.

Therefore, when the user walks while wearing shoes 1, the outer half of the sole on the toe side separates from the upper surface of the lower layer 12, thus concentrating the user's weight on the inner side of the sole. Furthermore, when standing and walking, the user consciously avoids the outer part of the sole facing the little toe defect 11c from touching the upper surface of the lower layer 12. This corrects the user's center of gravity to the inner side, and if the user has bowlegs, it can reduce the distance between the user's knees.

Furthermore, shoe 1 has a heel defect 11a, whereby the user's entire heel faces the heel defect 11a. Therefore, when the user walks while wearing shoe 1, it appears as if they are walking on tiptoe, naturally training the muscles of the calves, hamstrings, and buttocks. Moreover, even in an upright posture, because the user's heel is able to move up and down, the muscles of the hamstrings are engaged, and the hip joint contracts rather than extends. This helps correct bowlegs.

Furthermore, users can also perform muscle training by walking from the heels. Specifically, when walking with the heels of shoe 1 on the ground, the user's heels are positioned on the upper surface of the lower layer 12, which is lower than the upper surface of the upper layer 11. This shifts the center of gravity backward, making it easier to place body weight backward. In particular, the toe side of the user's foot bears the load on the inclined portion 11d, with the big toe, second toe, and their heel positioned higher than other parts. Therefore, the heel side easily moves downward, preventing the user from leaning forward. Thus, normally, the part of the foot other than the big toe, second toe, and their heel is supported by the horizontal portion 11e, allowing the spine to adopt a right-angled posture relative to the ground. Here, after a period of time, even if the spine line tilts forward and the user tries to lean forward, the big toe, second toe and their base are supported by the tilted part 11d and are not easy to lean forward. Even if leaning forward, the spine line can be returned to a right angle relative to the ground.

This helps correct the user's posture. Furthermore, because it prevents forward leaning, it reduces the time spent in postures that put weight on the face, such as looking down. This reduces facial swelling and can help create a slimmer face. In addition, by reducing forward leaning and correcting it into a better posture, it releases pressure on the fascia, relieving eye fatigue. Moreover, correcting forward leaning into a better posture improves walking posture, makes it easier to lift the legs, reduces shoulder pain, and improves blood flow to the back of the neck, achieving these benefits.

In particular, according to this embodiment, the height H from the upper surface of the horizontal portion 11e to the apex of the inclined portion 11d is set to a range of 7 mm to 22 mm. If the height H is too low, the spinal line becomes difficult to move backward; conversely, if it is too high, the spinal line may move backward beyond what is necessary in a normal posture. Therefore, in this embodiment, within the range of 7 mm to 22 mm, when the user is in a forward-leaning posture with the spinal line tilted forward, the spinal line can be moved backward and corrected to a straight position relative to the ground. Ideally, by setting the height H to between 15 mm and 20 mm, it can stably correct the posture when the user is leaning forward and the spine is tilted forward.

Furthermore, with the user's heel resting on the upper surface of the lower layer 12, the user's middle toe, ring toe, little toe, and their bases become suspended, facing the little toe-side defect 11c. Therefore, to achieve balance, the user exerts force on the big toe, index toe, and their surrounding area supported by the upper layer 11. Thus, the middle toe, ring toe, little toe, and their bases remain suspended. This corrects the user's center of gravity to the inside, and if the user has bowlegs, it can reduce the distance between the user's knees.

However, some users habitually walk with their weight on the heel side (so-called heel walkers), while others habitually walk with their weight on the toe side (so-called toe walkers). Heel walkers consciously avoid placing their heels on the upper surface of the lower layer 12, thus correcting their center of gravity forward. Conversely, toe walkers place their heels on the upper surface of the lower layer 12, thus correcting their center of gravity backward. Therefore, footwear 1 can correct the walking posture of both heel walkers and toe walkers.

Furthermore, the segment formed by the heel defect 11a (first wall 11f) is concave and arc-shaped towards the heel, which stimulates the arch area near the arc-shaped heel portion during walking. Additionally, because the portion between the heel defect 11a and the little toe defect 11c in the upper layer 11 (near wall 11i) is thinner, the side of the arch can be stimulated by the user moving the outer part of the sole up and down. This allows for the anticipated health benefits of stimulating acupoints on the feet.

According to this first embodiment, by wearing shoes 1, the user concentrates their weight on the inside of their feet, thus correcting the center of gravity of the user's feet to the inside and reducing the distance between the user's knees. Furthermore, it effectively trains the muscles of the user's calves, posterior thighs, and buttocks. Therefore, when changing into a swimsuit at the beach, the user doesn't need to worry too much about walking with bowlegs.

Furthermore, by forming a heel defect 11a in the footpad 10, the user appears to walk on tiptoe, naturally training the muscles of the calves, hamstrings, and buttocks through walking while wearing the shoe 1. Additionally, when the user is wearing the shoe 1 and supporting their foot on the upper surface of the upper layer 11, they can place their heel on the upper surface of the lower layer 12 located below the heel defect 11a, shifting the user's center of gravity backward. This corrects a forward-leaning posture, and the user can also move their heel up and down while walking with their foot supported by the upper layer 11. This makes it easier to place your weight on your heels, effectively training the muscles in your calves, back of your thighs, and buttocks.

Furthermore, the user's adductor muscles are positioned laterally in the horizontal portion 11e of the footpad 10, while the big toe, middle toe, and the area near their base are located in the inclined portion 11d. Therefore, when wearing the shoes of this invention, the user's spine is straight relative to the ground, and at the same time, the weight is easily distributed on the heel side. This allows the spine to be moved backward and corrected to a proper posture when the user adopts a forward-leaning posture.

Furthermore, with the above region 31 deformed along the inclined portion 32b of the lower region, the inclined portion 11d is formed on the upper layer 11 by fixing the lower surface of the upper region 31 to the upper surface of the lower region 32. Therefore, by fixing the upper region 31, on which anti-slip processing such as unevenness is applied, to the surface (upper surface) of the upper region 31, to the lower region 32, it is possible to easily manufacture an upper layer 11 on the surface (upper surface) of the inclined portion 11d with anti-slip components such as unevenness.

Furthermore, the upper area 31 and the lower area 32 are colored in different colors. Therefore, when the footwear 1 is viewed from the side, the lower area 32 becomes thicker towards the toes, giving the user the visual impression that the area supporting the big toe is higher.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when Speel paste is applied to the corn on the outside of the sole, the part of the Speel paste can be separated from the ground by wearing shoes 1. Therefore, it is expected that the Speel paste will be less likely to slip or peel off when walking.

While the first embodiment of the invention has been described above, the embodiments of the invention are not limited to the first embodiment described above. For example, although the first embodiment described above uses beach sandals as an example, it can also be applied to slippers. Furthermore, although the footplate is made of rubber, EVA polyurethane, or similar materials, the material of the footplate is not limited to these. For example, it can also be made of wood.

Alternatively, the upper layer 11 and the lower layer 12 can be configured as multiple layers.

[Second Embodiment] Figure 4 is a side view showing the appearance of footwear 2 in the second embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, in the footwear 2 of the second embodiment shown in Figure 4, components that are the same as or have the same function as the components constituting footwear 1 in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 are given the same element symbols and detailed descriptions are omitted.

In the second embodiment, the footwear 2 series has a dorsal slope 32c that gently slopes downward toward the toes, as shown in Figure 4, on the lower surface of the lower region 32 of the upper layer 11, below the lower region slope 32b.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the thickness of the toe portion of the lower layer 12 is smaller than that in the first embodiment. Consequently, when the footwear 1 is viewed from the side, the lower region 32 of the upper layer 11 becomes increasingly thicker towards the toe. This enhances the visual impression on the user: the area supporting the big toe in the footwear 2 is higher.

Furthermore, an inclined surface is formed on the upper surface of the lower layer 12 at the portion facing the back inclined portion 32c, inclined downwards at the same slope as the back inclined portion 32c. In this way, the back of the lower layer 12 in the footwear 2 can be set as a flat surface without inclination.

Figures 5A and 5B are side views showing a variation of the footwear 2 in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment shown in Figure 4, an inclined surface is formed on the upper surface of the lower layer 12 on the toe side. In a variation of the second embodiment, no inclined surface is formed on the upper surface of the lower layer 12 on the toe side, but the lower layer 12 is made of a plate of uniform thickness.

Therefore, the lower layer 12 is tilted along the dorsal slope 32c, so as shown in Figure 5A, the toe portion of the lower layer 12 tilts slightly downwards. However, when the user is standing on the ground wearing shoes 2, as shown in Figure 5B, the toe portion of the lower layer 12 undergoes elastic deformation due to the tilt, and the tilt 11d is lifted. This allows the big toe, middle toe, and their base to be lifted slightly upwards.

As a variation of the second embodiment, the upper layer 11 can also be a single-layer structure, rather than the double-layer structure of the upper region 31 and the lower region 23. In this case, a similar dorsal slope can also be formed on the lower surface of the upper layer 11, gently sloping downward toward the toes.

1: Footwear 2: Footwear 10: Insole 10a: Inner side 10b: Outer side 11: Upper layer 11a: Heel defect 11b: Supporting part 11c: Little toe defect 11d: Inclined part 11e: Horizontal part 11f: First wall 11g: Second wall 11h: Peripheral wall 11i: Peripheral wall 11j: Front edge 12: Lower layer 20: Strap 21: Front strap 22: Horizontal strap 22a: Inner horizontal strap 22b: Outer horizontal strap 31: Upper area 32: Lower area 32a: Lower area horizontal part 32b: Lower area inclined part 32c: Back inclined part H: Height

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of footwear in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a side view of footwear in the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5A is a side view of a variation of footwear in the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5B is a side view of the footwear in Figure 5A in its usage state.

1: Footwear 10: Insole 11: Upper layer 11a: Heel defect 11b: Supporting part 11c: Little toe defect 11d: Inclined part 11e: Horizontal part 11f: First wall surface 11g: Second wall surface 11h: Peripheral wall surface 11i: Peripheral wall surface 11j: Front edge 12: Lower layer 20: Strap 22: Horizontal strap 22a: Inner horizontal strap 22b: Outer horizontal strap 31: Upper area 32: Lower area

Claims (4)

A type of footwear includes: a footpad (10), and a strap (20) formed by a fore strap (21), an inner cross strap (22a), and an outer cross strap (22b) and mounted on the footpad (10); wherein the footpad (10) has a double-layer structure formed by an upper layer (11) and a lower layer (12); wherein the lower layer (12) has a contour that is the shape of the outer periphery of the foot in a top view. The upper layer (11) has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of peripheral walls, which are formed by a first wall (11f), a second wall (11g), and remaining walls (11h, 11i); the first wall (11f) extends closer to the heel than the end of the strap (20) and between the inner side (10a) and the outer side (10b) of the footpad (10). The second wall (11g) extends longitudinally from the toe-side end of the footpad (10), passing outwards from the front band (21) and further outwards from the toe-side end of the outer horizontal band (22b), extending in an arc to the outer side (10b) of the footpad (10); the remaining walls (11h, 11i) overlap with the outline of the lower layer (12) in a top view. The upper layer (11) has a horizontal portion (11e) and an inclined portion (11d). The horizontal portion (11e) is located closer to the heel than the portion that abuts against the lateral head of the adductor hallucis muscle. The inclined portion (11d) slopes upward toward the toe side from the front edge (11j) of the horizontal portion (11e). The front band portion (21) is disposed at the inclined portion (11d). The lower surface of the upper layer (11) has a dorsal inclined portion (32c) that slopes slowly downward toward the toe side. The lower layer (12) is made of a plate of uniform thickness, and the toe part of the lower layer (12) is inclined along the back slope (32c) of the upper layer (11). As described in claim 1, the height (H) from the upper surface of the horizontal portion (11e) to the apex of the inclined portion (11d) is 7 mm or more and 22 mm or less. As described in claim 1, the upper layer (11) has a double-layer structure formed by an upper region (31) containing the upper surface and having a uniform thickness and a lower region (32) fixed to the lower surface of the upper region (31); the lower region (32) has a lower region horizontal portion (32a) with a uniform thickness and a lower region inclined portion (32b) with a gradually increasing thickness from the leading edge of the lower region horizontal portion (32) toward the toe side. As described in claim 3, the upper region (31) and the lower region (32) are formed of the same components and are colored in different colors.