Shoe, a patch and a method for preventing ankle injuries
A shoe for preventing ankle injuries comprises a sole with a ground-engaging surface, and lateral and medial edges associated with respective lateral and medial connecting portions interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface and the lateral and medial edges. At least one of the connecting portions defines a surface area of reduced friction provided, e.g., in the form of retrofitted patches, which are circumferentially surrounded by adjacent surface areas having a relatively high coefficient of friction. Friction is differentiated in different areas of those parts of the shoe which are implicated in injury mechanisms, and injuries may thus be prevented in the recovery phase after injury, and primary prophylaxis may be achieved. The area of reduced friction reduces the ability of the wearer's foot to rotate relative to ground when the load of the wearer's body is shifted towards or lands near the edge of the shoe.
1. A shoe comprising:
a sole with a ground-engaging surface;
a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge;
a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge;
wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and
wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area;
wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion;
wherein the first coefficient of friction is less than 0.5;
wherein the coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area is more than 0.55;
wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.
2. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein said surface area of reduced friction extends at least from a midfoot portion of the shoe towards a tip of the shoe.
3. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein said surface area of reduced friction extends between 5% and 95% of a length of the shoe when measured from a toe portion of the shoe towards a heel portion of the shoe.
4. The shoe according to claim 1 wherein the shoe is configured to fit a foot of a human, wherein said surface area of reduced friction is configured to at least cover an area of the lateral connecting portion in a level of the caput of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot.
5. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein said surface area of reduced friction is formed integrally with the sole and the lateral edge of the shoe.
6. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the surface area of reduced friction is circumferentially surrounded by the lateral connecting portion, the lateral edge, and the ground-engaging surface.
7. The shoe according to claim 1 , wherein said surface area of reduced friction is conferred by a patch retrofitted on the sole and the lateral edge of the shoe.
8. The shoe according to claim 7 , wherein the patch comprises a laminate structure comprising at least an adhesive layer and an opposed surface layer providing said surface area of reduced friction.
9. The shoe according to claim 7 , wherein at least an upper edge of the patch comprises a plurality of indentations.
10. A patch and a shoe, wherein the patch is configured for being retrofitted to the shoe, the patch and the shoe configured for preventing ankle injuries in a human being wearing the shoe, the patch being configured for mounting at:
a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between a ground-engaging surface of a sole and the lateral edge;
wherein the patch is configured to confer, to the shoe, a confined surface area, which is circumferentially surrounded by at least one adjacent surface area of the shoe, and which defines a coefficient of friction of less than 0.5;
wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.
11. A method of preventing ankle injuries in humans, comprising the steps of:
providing the human being with a shoe comprising a sole with a ground-engaging surface;
a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge;
a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge;
wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and
wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area;
wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion;
wherein the first coefficient of friction is less than 0.5;
wherein the coefficient of friction of the at least one adjacent surface area is more than 0.55;
wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface; and
mounting the shoe on a human foot, so as to promote sliding between the shoe and ground upon an occurrence of an unbalanced motion of the human foot relative to the ground.
12. A shoe comprising:
a sole with a ground-engaging surface;
a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge;
a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge;
wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction;
wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area;
wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion; and
wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface.
13. A method of preventing ankle injuries in humans, comprising the steps of:
providing the human being with a shoe comprising a sole with a ground-engaging surface;
a lateral edge and a lateral connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the lateral edge;
a medial edge and a medial connecting portion interconnecting and extending between the ground-engaging surface of the sole and the medial edge;
wherein said lateral connecting portion defines a surface area of reduced friction which is adjacent to at least one adjacent surface area of at least one of said lateral connecting portion, lateral edge, and ground-engaging surface, and which defines a first coefficient of friction; and
wherein said first coefficient of friction is lower than a coefficient of friction of said at least one adjacent surface area;
wherein said surface area of reduced friction is provided at the lateral connecting portion;
wherein the surface area of reduced friction extends continuously from a top portion of the lateral edge toward the ground-engaging surface such that the surface area of reduced friction mainly covers the lateral edge relative to the ground-engaging surface, and such that a small portion of the surface area of reduced friction extends slightly beyond the lateral connecting portion to cover a portion of the ground-engaging surface; and
mounting the shoe on a human foot, so as to promote sliding between the shoe and ground upon an occurrence of an unbalanced motion of the human foot relative to the ground.