Device for high-heeled shoes and method of constructing a high-heeled shoe

1. A device for insertion into a heeled shoe, the device comprising:

a rear region having a foot supporting surface configured to underlie a wearer's calcaneal tuberosities;

a forward region having a foot supporting surface configured to underlie at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer's metatarsals;

a lateral side; and

a distal side;

wherein the rear region foot supporting surface includes first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region, the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region being 2-5 times larger in area and deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region to underlie respectively the lateral and medial tuberositites of the wearer's calcaneus;

wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the medial side of the device;

wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the lateral side of the device;

wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region is shorter in length than the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped region; and

wherein an upper surface of said rear region has a raised portion configured to underlie an area of the wearer's calcaneus forward of the wearer's lateral and medial tuberosities; and an upper surface of the forward region is configured to underlie at least a portion of the shafts of the wearer's metatarsals, the upper surface of said forward region having a generally rounded or ellipsoid shape raised portion which rises to an apex configured to underlie the shafts of the wearer's second and third metatarsals.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is larger in volume than the second ellipsoid-shaped depressed region by 40 to 120 percent.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein forward region is raised by 1 to 10 degrees relative to the rear region.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is about 0.3 mm deeper than the second ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein forward ends of the first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions rise to crescent shaped apices configured to underlie an area forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus of the wearer.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the device is 2-8 mm thick at a thickest location.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is 2-8 mm thick at a thickest location.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a heel piece incorporating the rear region and a metatarsal piece incorporating the forward region.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the left and right shoe pieces are mirror images of one another.

10. A heeled shoe having a device as claimed in claim 1 mounted therein.

11. A heeled shoe as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the device is mounted or incorporated into an insole board or sock liner of the shoe.

12. A method for increasing comfort in heeled shoe comprising providing the shoe with a device as claimed in of claim 1 .

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device as installed in a shoe during construction of the shoe.

14. A device for insertion into a heeled shoe comprising:

a heel cup configured to underlie a wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, the heel cup being shaped to underlie the wearer's calcaneal tuberosity, wherein the heel cup includes a foot supporting surface having first and second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions, the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region being 2-5 times larger in area and deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region,

wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the medial side of the device, the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region has an elongate axis running in a rear-to-forward direction of the device and skewed in a direction towards the lateral side of the device;

wherein the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped region is shorter in length than the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped region; and

wherein an upper surface of said heel cup has a raised portion configured to underlie an area of the wearer's calcaneus forward of the wearer's calcaneus tuberosity.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 40 to 120 percent larger in volume than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the forward end of the device is raised at an angle of from 1 to 10 degrees relative to the rear end.

17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first elongated ellipsoid shaped depressed region is about 0.3 mm deeper than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein forward ends of the first and the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed regions rise to crescent shaped apices configured to underlie a portion of a foot of a wearer forward of the tuberosity of the calcaneus of the wearer.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 2.7 times larger in plan than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.

20. The device of claim 14 , wherein the first elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region is 2.7 times larger in plan than the second elongated ellipsoid-shaped depressed region.