Ventilated shoe sole construction with improved medical support

Abstract

A ventilated shoe sole construction provides improved ventilation in the sole area of a shoe or boot, while preserving comfort and protection of the foot, as well as added support to the arch of the shoe wearer. It employs four principal components: (1) a footbed through which air may pass; (2) a sockliner through which air may pass; (3) a channeled midsole or outsole; and (4) and an air intake/exhaust device mating and communicating with the channels in the midsole or outsole to allow outside air to pass into the sole and then into the area adjacent the wearer's foot, and in turn to allow air to exhaust from the foot area, through the sole, and then to the outside of the shoe.

1 . A shoe sole construction comprising:
 a midsole or outsole having an upper surface with a plurality of ventilation channels formed thereon; and   an air intake/exhaust device having one or more device channels formed therein that mate and communicate with a corresponding one or more of the ventilation channels to allow air to pass into said ventilation channels from outside the shoe via said device channels, and to permit air to exit from said ventilation channels to the outside.   
   
   
       2 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 1 , in which the air intake/exhaust device is located in the medial midfoot region of the shoe. 
   
   
       3 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 2 , in which intake/exhaust device is constructed of substantially rigid material in order to provide additional support to the medial midfoot region of the wearer's foot. 
   
   
       4 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 3  in which the air intake/exhaust device includes a port region through which air enters and exits the device channels. 
   
   
       5 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 4  in which a breathable membrane is attached over the port region of the intake/exhaust device 
   
   
       6 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 5 , in which air enters into and exits from the air intake/exhaust device at a location substantially at the upper edge of or above the sole of the shoe. 
   
   
       7 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 1 , further comprising a perforated sockliner located above the midsole or outsole and allowing air to travel between the ventilation channels and the area adjacent the wearer's foot. 
   
   
       8 . The shoe sole construction of  claim 7 , further comprising a breathable insole located between the midsole or outsole and the sockliner and allowing air to travel between the ventilation channels and the area adjacent the wearer's foot.