Sports Footwear and Support System Fuss-Stutzsystem Fur Sportschuhe Systeme De Support Et Chaussure De Sport

Patentamt Europaisches || || 1 1| || || || 1 1 1| 1 1| || || (19) J European Patent Office Office europeen des brevets (11) EP 0 631 478 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publicationation and mention (51) |nt. CI.6: A43B 5/04 of the grant of the patent: 11.09.1996 Bulletin 1996/37 (86) International application number: PCT/CA93/00030 (21) Application number: 93903118.3 (87) International publication number: (22) Date of filing: 03.02.1993 WO 93/14656 (05.08.1993 Gazette 1993/19) (54) SPORTS FOOTWEAR AND SUPPORT SYSTEM FUSS-STUTZSYSTEM FUR SPORTSCHUHE SYSTEME DE SUPPORT ET CHAUSSURE DE SPORT (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventor: MacPhail, David M. AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL Whistler, British Columbia VON 1 BO (CA) PTSE (74) Representative: Harding, Richard Patrick (30) Priority: 03.02.1992 US 831241 A. R. Davies & Co. 27 Imperial Square (43) Date of publication of application: Cheltenham GL50 1 RQ (GB) 04.01.1995 Bulletin 1995/01 (56) References cited: (73) Proprietor: MACPOD ENTERPRISES LTD. EP-A- 0 205 128 EP-A- 0 371 958 Willowdale, Ontario, M2P 2P5 (CA) WO-A-90/12515 DE-A- 3 504 002 DE-A- 3 636 496 FR-A- 2 063 622 US-A-4 513 520 CO CO Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, give CO2 any person may notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in ^o a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. Q. 99(1) European Patent Convention). Printed by Rank Xerox (UK) Business Services 2.13.4/3.4 1 EP 0 631 478 B1 2 Description While some types of rear entry boots do disclose gaiters or cuffs which provide a degree of relatively free FIELD OF THE INVENTION flexion, there remains numerous problems, the most serious of which is the fact that the device employed to This invention relates to a fit and support system for 5 secure the foot of the user exerts, in addition to the the foot and, more particularly to a fit and support sys- downward directed force on the foot, a simultaneous tem or footwear device suitable for sports footwear, rearward directed force on the leg which acts to resist such as ski boots, hockey skates, cycling shoes and the forward flexion in spite of any free hinging action of the like. Thus, the invention relates in particular to applica- cuff. The result is an interference with the physiologic tions where the footwear device serves as a connection 10 function of the foot and leg of the user. means between the foot and sports equipment such as Yet another problem resides in buckle or overlap a ski, skate blade, roller skate wheels or a bicycle pedal. type footwear. In order to provide for entry of the foot of the user and for resistance to flexion, plastic materials BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION are employed for the outer shell which has f lexural qual- 15 ities. This is necessary in order to facilitate the afore- Alpine ski boots, ice skate footwear and cycling mentioned requirements. Plastic materials by their very shoes are among the many types of sports footwear nature tend to resist point loadings by a relaxation of the known. Existing footwear does not provide for the material at the point where stress is applied. This char- dynamic nature of the architecture of the foot by provid- acteristic creates serious problems for two reasons. ing a fit system with dynamic and predictable qualities to 20 First, the teaching of this application is that force must substantially match those of the foot and lower leg. be applied and maintained only to specific areas of the Although somewhat vaguely stated, a generally foot and leg of the user while allowing for unrestricted accepted theme has arisen over the years, one of indis- movement of other areas. The application and mainte- criminate envelopment and "overall restraint" applied to nance of such force by flexible plastic materials in the the foot and leg within the footwear. The stated position 25 structures of prior art is necessarily difficult, if it is possi- of various authorities skilled in the art of the design and ble at all. fabrication of footwear for skiing is that the foot functions Second, the plastic materials in relaxing under the best when movement about its articulations are sub- application of stress assume a new shape by moving stantially prevented or restricted. into void areas. Thus, the probability is great that the Thus, the problem with existing footwear arises due 30 plastic material will change shape so as to inhabit the to the dynamic nature of the architecture of the foot. very area required for the uninhibited displacement of When the wearer is standing with the weight equally dis- the structures of the foot and leg. The result of these tributed between left and right feet so that the centre of limitations is interference with the physiologic function of mass of the wearer is manifesting itself in the centre the user. between the feet, the architecture of the wearer's foot 35 EP-A-0 205 128 discloses a ski boot having a lock- assumes a specific configuration. As the wearer begins ing device which simultaneously acts on the instep and to shift his weight towards one foot so that the other foot heel of a user's foot for securing the foot in a position in bears proportionately less weight, the wearer's centre of the boot. The locking device also restrains movement of mass moves over the medial aspect of the weighted foot the foot laterally. so as to assume a position of balance. In order for this 40 WO-A-90 515 discloses a ski boot having a fore- movement of the wearer's centre of mass to occur, the foot/midfoot compression member to seat the heel of a architecture of the weighted foot must undergo a pro- user's foot against the heel counter. gressive re-alignment. Existing footwear does not ade- quately anticipate this re-alignment of the architecture SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION of the foot and thus such footwear inhibits the wearer's 45 ability to assume a balanced position. According to the invention, there is provided a foot- A problem with existing footwear for skiing, in par- wear device comprising a rigid base for supporting the ticular the rear entry type, relates to the obstruction of foot of a user thereon; a heel counter on the rigid base the leg in forward flexion. A relatively freely flexing gaiter for contact with the foot of a user in a first area of the or cuff is necessary in order to permit the posterior mus- so foot posterior to the posterior aspect of the heel of the cle groups of the lower leg to modulate external force foot; a medial forefoot counter associated with the rigid exerted on the footwear. This requires that the axis of base for contact with the foot of a user in a second area the footwear be allowed to rotate so that small degrees of the foot medial to the medial aspect of the head of the of flexion/extension occur at the foot with the lower leg first metatarsal of the foot; and a forefoot/midfoot com- being relatively passive and that large degrees of flex- 55 pression member for contact with the foot of a user in a ion/extension occur as coordinated ankle, knee and hip third area of the foot located on the dorsum for exerting flexion. The construction of the prior art requires flex- a downwardly and rearwardly directed force on the dor- ion/extension to occur primarily at the knee and hip sum of the foot; characterized in that the medial forefoot joints which is disadvantageous to the user. counter, the posterior heel counter and the forefoot/mid- 2 3 EP 0 631 478 B1 4 foot compression member are configured and arranged application of both turning and edging forces relative to the rigid base so that pressure contact with applied to the ski. Monopedal function accommo- the foot of a user occurs primarily in the first, second dates both these processes, and third areas of the foot whereby the remainder of the (iv) In skiing, the mechanics of monopedal function foot is rendered substantially unconstrained to accom- 5 provide a down force acting predominantly through modate the changing architecture of the foot resulting the ball of the foot (which is normally almost centred from movement between bipedal and monopedal directly over the ski edge). In concert with trans- stances and, wherein the forefoot/midfoot compression verse torque (pronation) arising from weight bear- member includes a plate in the form of a supero-lateral ing on the medial aspect of the foot which torque is first metatarsal counter for applying a substantially 10 stabilized by the obligatory internal rotation of the infero-medially acting force on the supero-lateral aspect tibia, the combination of these forces results in con- of the first metatarsal. trol of the edge angle of the ski purely as a result of An inventive feature of the technology disclosed in achieving a position of monopedal stance on the the present application is that the footwear accommo- outside foot of the turn. dates, supports and enhances physiologic function of 15 (v) The edge angle can be either increased or the user on both two feet and on one foot.

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