Footwear insert to prevent foot sliding

Abstract

The embodiment of the present invention is directed to comfortable insert that prevents a foot from slipping while remaining thin enough to be hidden when worn with open toed footwear, shoes or sandals. When used with open toed footwear, the insert prevents a person's toes from extending over a front edge of the footwear. The insert may be used for men and women's footwear, and it may be made in a variety of colors and shapes. Furthermore, the insert may be made in a variety of sizes to correspond to small, medium, and large shoe sizes. The insert may be made out of a number of different materials that provide traction to inhibit foot sliding in footwear.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: 
 a first end, a second end, a center, a bottom, a top, and one or more edges, with said bottom being attachable to an inside of footwear and said top having a grippable material for providing grip for a foot in contact with said top, whereby said insert is concealable and prevents the foot from substantially sliding forward.    
     
     
         2 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert is made of material selected from the group consisting of: sponge, leather, fabric, cork, foam, elastomer, and thermoplastic.  
     
     
         3 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert is made from polychloroprene.  
     
     
         4 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert is made from rubber.  
     
     
         5 . An insert as in  claim 1  further comprising an inner perimeter spaced at a minimum of about ⅛ in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edges of the insert to define a border, and wherein the border has a thickness tapering down from the inner perimeter to the edges.  
     
     
         6 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein said insert is thickest at said center, thinnest at said edges, and has a thickness that varies between the edges and the center.  
     
     
         7 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert is shaped as an ovoid and the first end is wider than the second such that when worn, the first end is positioned on a medial side of a foot under a first metatarsal and the second end is thereby positioned near a lateral side of the foot.  
     
     
         8 . An insert as in  claim 7  wherein the insert at a widest point of the first end has a width of about 1-1.25 inches, a width at a point near the second end of about 0.75-1 inches, and a length of about 2-2.5 inches.  
     
     
         9 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert has four edges, wherein two of the four edges correspond to the first end and second end respectively and are straight edges, and two of the four edges are curved.  
     
     
         10 . An insert as in  claim 1  wherein the insert has a width of about 1.25-1.5 inches and a length of about 3-3.5 inches.  
     
     
         11 . An insert as in  claim 1  having a maximum thickness of about {fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm) and a minimum thickness of about 0.5 mm (0.0197 in).  
     
     
         12 . An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: a pad of non-slip material with a bottom, a top, a center, a first end, a second end, an inner perimeter, and one or more edges, with said bottom being capable of fastening to an interior of footwear, with said top inhibiting the sliding of a foot and preventing toes from extending over a front end of open toed footwear, and wherein said pad is thin enough to be hidden by a foot even when worn with open toed footwear, with said pad being thickest at the center and thinnest at the edges, with a thickness tapering from the inner perimeter to the edges.  
     
     
         13 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the insert is made of material selected from the group consisting of: sponge, leather, fabric, rubber, cork, foam, elastomer, and thermoplastic.  
     
     
         14 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the insert is made from polychloroprene.  
     
     
         15 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the inner perimeter is spaced at a minimum of about ⅛ in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edges of the pad to define a border, and wherein the border has a thickness tapering down from the inner perimeter to the edges.  
     
     
         16 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the pad is shaped as an ovoid and the first end is wider than the second end.  
     
     
         17 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the pad has four edges, wherein two of the four edges correspond to the first end and second end respectively and are straight edges, and two of the four edges are curved.  
     
     
         18 . An insert as in  claim 12  wherein the pad has a width of about 1.25-1.5 inches and a length of about 3-3.5 inches.  
     
     
         19 . An insert as in  claim 12  having a maximum thickness of about {fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm) and a minimum thickness of about 0.5 mm (0.0197 in).  
     
     
         20 . An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: 
 a bottom, a top, a center, a first end, a second end, one or more edges, and an inner perimeter, with said bottom being capable of fastening to an interior of footwear, with said top made of polychloroprene for inhibiting a foot from sliding,    wherein said insert is thin enough to be hidden by a foot even when worn with open toed footwear and said pad is thickest at the center and thinnest at the edges,    wherein the inner perimeter is spaced at a minimum of about ⅛ in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edges of the pad to define a border that tapers from the inner perimeter to the edges,    wherein the insert is shaped as an ovoid and the first end is wider than the second end, such that when worn, the insert is positioned horizontally across the footwear to contact a ball of a foot, with the first end on a medial side of the ball and the second end on a lateral side of the ball,    wherein a maximum thickness of said insert is about {fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm) and a minimum thickness of said insert is about 0.5 mm (0.0197 in).