Balance training footwear

Abstract

A method and apparatus for footwear that may be used for balance training or muscle strengthening, particularly, for example, in the game of golf. The footwear includes a sole having a toe portion and a heel portion, each of the toe and heel portions including an upper surface and a lower surface. The toe and heel portions may form an integrates sole and/or a coupling mechanism may be provided that adjustably couples the toe portion to the heel portion. At least one of the toe portion and heel portion includes an angled edge adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the footwear in a forward pivot direction, a backward pivot direction and/or a side cant direction. The footwear may be a sandal having straps for being worn over a shoe and/or may be incorporated into a sole during the manufacture of a shoe.

1 . Footwear for balance training or muscle strengthening, comprising:
 a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, a back portion and at least two side portions, wherein at least one of the front portion and the back portion of the sole includes an angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows pivoting of the sole in a forward to backward direction, and wherein at least one side portion of the sole includes an angled side edge portion adjacent to the lower surface that allows canting of the sole in a side to side direction.   
   
   
       2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear further includes at least one attachment mechanism for positioning the sole on a shoe or foot. 
   
   
       3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the footwear is a shoe and further includes an upper coupled to the sole. 
   
   
       4 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole further includes a toe portion and a heel portion. 
   
   
       5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a coupling mechanism that adjusts a spacing between the toe portion and the heel portion to control a size of the sole.   
   
   
       6 . The footwear of  claim 5 , wherein said coupling mechanism includes a threaded rod, and wherein the toe portion and the heel portion receive at least a portion of the threaded rod. 
   
   
       7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the angled edge portion of the at least one of the front portion and the back portion is angled in a range of approximately 10 degrees to approximately 50 degrees. 
   
   
       8 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the angled side edge portion of the at least one side portion is angled in a range of approximately greater than 0 degrees and less than or equal to approximately 10 degrees. 
   
   
       9 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein both the front portion and the back portion include an angled edge portion. 
   
   
       10 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the angled portion of the at least one of the front portion and the back portion has a non-linear profile. 
   
   
       11 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the angled side edge portion of the at least one side portion has a non-linear profile. 
   
   
       12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side portion includes a medial side edge having a first angled side edge portion and a lateral side edge having a second angled side edge portion. 
   
   
       13 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein first and second angled side edge portions of the medial side edge and the lateral side edge are disposed off center from a centerline of the sole. 
   
   
       14 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the first angled side edge portion of the medial side edge is at a different angle than the second angled side edge portion of the lateral side edge. 
   
   
       15 . The footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the first angled side edge portion of the medial side edge is at an angle in a range of approximately 6 to 8 degrees and the second angled side edge portion of the lateral side edge is at an angle in a range of approximately of approximately 0 to 4 degrees. 
   
   
       16 . The footwear of  claim 14 , wherein the second angled side portion of the lateral side edge is at an angle of in a range of approximately 6 to 8 degrees and the first angled side edge portion of the medial side edge is at an angle in a range of approximately of approximately 0 to 4 degrees. 
   
   
       17 . The footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one spike disposed on the lower surface of the sole.   
   
   
       18 . A method of balance training or muscle strengthening, comprising:
 providing a pair of footwear, wherein each piece of footwear of the pair of footwear includes a sole that is pivotable in a side cant direction and at least one of: a forward pivot direction and a backward pivot direction.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein each piece of footwear includes:
 a sole including a toe portion and a heel portion, each of the toe and heel portions including an upper surface and a lower surface.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 adjusting a size of the footwear by altering a spacing between said toe portion and said heel portion using a coupling mechanism.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a front portion of the sole includes a front angled edge portion and a back portion of the sole includes a back angled edge portion. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the sole includes at least one angled side edge portion on at least one of a medial side of the sole and a lateral side of the sole. 
   
   
       21 . A method of manufacturing balance training footwear, comprising:
 providing a sole having an upper surface, a lower surface, a front portion, a back portion and at least two side portions;   manufacturing at least one angled edge portion adjacent to the lower surface in at least one of: a front portion of the sole and a back portion of the sole;   manufacturing at least one angled side edge portion adjacent to the lower surface along at least one of the side portions.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein both the front portion of the sole and the back portion of the sole include at least one angled edge portion. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein both of the at least two side portions include at least one angled side edge portion. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 manufacturing the sole with a toe portion and a heel portion that are adjustably coupled.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the angled side edge portion of at least one side portion has a non-linear profile. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one side portion includes a medial side edge having a first angled side edge portion and a lateral side edge having a second angled side edge portion, different than the first angled side edge portion. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein first and second angled side edge portions of the medial side edge and the lateral side edge are disposed off center from a centerline of the sole.