Weighted training insert for footwear

Abstract

An athletic training shoe insert includes one or more thin strips of heavy material, such as lead, constructed to fit within a shoe and formed to be spaced apart along the length of the shoe and to extend the width of the shoe. A removable insole is constructed to fit within the shoe and to hold the thin strips in a fixed position within the shoe. The thin strips and the insole are designed to allow a human foot to be placed comfortably in the shoe and cooperate to substantially increase the weight of the shoe for training purposes. The number of thin strips is changeable and the position of the thin strips along the length of the athletic shoe is changeable to change the weight of the athletic shoe. That is, a larger number of thin strips can be added to increase the weight of the shoe. Also, additional insoles and weights can be added to a shoe to substantially increase the weight if desired.

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, the invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . An athletic training shoe insert comprising: 
 at least one piece of weighted material constructed to fit within an athletic shoe;    an insert form constructed to fit within the athletic shoe and to receive the weighted material and hold the weighted material in a fixed position within the athletic shoe; and    the weighted material and the insert form being designed to allow a human foot to be placed comfortably in the athletic shoe and to cooperate to substantially increase the weight of the athletic shoe for training purposes.    
     
     
         2 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the weighted material include a metal containing strip.  
     
     
         3 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the metal containing strip includes a lead strip.  
     
     
         4 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the insert form is designed to receive a plurality of the metal containing strips.  
     
     
         5 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the athletic shoe has a length and a width and the insert form is designed to extend substantially the length of the athletic shoe and the plurality of metal containing strips are positioned in spaced apart relationship along the length of the athletic shoe so as to extend transversely approximately the width of the athletic shoe.  
     
     
         6 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the number of metal containing strips in the plurality of metal containing strips is changeable and the position of the metal containing strips along the length of the athletic shoe is changeable.  
     
     
         7 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the insert form includes pockets designed to receive the metal containing strip.  
     
     
         8 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the insert form includes flexible porous material at least partially encircling the metal containing strip.  
     
     
         9 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the flexible porous material insert includes one of foam injection, molded rubber, molded porous plastic, and gel coating.  
     
     
         10 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the insert form is constructed in the shape of an insole for the athletic training shoe.  
     
     
         11 . An athletic training shoe insert comprising: 
 a plurality of thin strips containing lead constructed to fit within an athletic shoe having a length and a width, the strips being formed to be spaced apart along the length of the athletic shoe and to extend substantially the width of the athletic shoe;    an insert form constructed to fit within the athletic shoe and to receive the thin strips and hold the thin strips in a fixed position within the athletic shoe; and    the thin strips and the insert form being designed to allow a human foot to be placed comfortably in the athletic shoe and to cooperate to substantially increase the weight of the athletic shoe for training purposes.    
     
     
         12 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the insert form includes pockets designed to receive the thin strips.  
     
     
         13 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the number of strips in the plurality of thin strips is changeable and the position of the strips along the length of the athletic shoe is changeable to change the weight of the athletic shoe  
     
     
         14 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the insert form includes flexible porous material at least partially encircling the thin strips.  
     
     
         15 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the flexible porous material insert includes one of foam injection, molded rubber, molded porous plastic, and gel coating.  
     
     
         16 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the insert form is constructed in the shape of an insole for the athletic training shoe.  
     
     
         17 . An athletic training shoe insert comprising: 
 a plurality of thin strips containing lead constructed to fit within an athletic shoe having a length and a width, the strips being formed to be spaced apart along the length of the athletic shoe and to extend substantially the width of the athletic shoe;    a removable insole constructed to fit within the athletic shoe and to receive the thin strips in a pocket and hold the thin strips in a fixed position within the athletic shoe; and    the thin strips and the insole being designed to allow a human foot to be placed comfortably in the athletic shoe and to cooperate to substantially increase the weight of the athletic shoe for training purposes, and the number of strips in the plurality of thin strips is changeable and the position of the strips along the length of the athletic shoe is changeable to change the weight of the athletic shoe.    
     
     
         18 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the insole includes flexible porous material at least partially encircling the thin strips.  
     
     
         19 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the flexible porous material insert includes one of foam injection, molded rubber, molded porous plastic, and gel coating.  
     
     
         20 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the thin strips are soft enough to mold to a foot during use.  
     
     
         21 . An athletic training shoe insert as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the thin strips are spaced apart along the length of the athletic shoe sufficiently to allow normal flexing of the athletic shoe along the length.