Toe Spacer Sock and Corrective Footwear

Abstract

A sock contains built-in cushions or spacers to correct or protect the toes, or to provide the wearer better comfort. The cushions or spacers may be retained between the toes in a tube, formed integrally with the sock, which is everted to a position between adjacent toes.

1 . An article of footwear having means, formed integrally with the footwear, for retaining a separator or cushion between at least two toes of the foot. 
   
   
       2 . The invention of  claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear is a sock, and the retaining means is a tube of material formed integrally with the sock, and extending from the toe portion thereof, adapted to be pushed into the sock between two toes of the foot, and to retain a cushion or spacer placed therein. 
   
   
       3 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the tube of material is open at the end attached to the sock. 
   
   
       4 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the tube of material is connected to the toe portion of the sock by a neck portion having a diameter substantially less than that of the tube, so as to retain the tube within the sock when the tube is everted. 
   
   
       5 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the tube of material is open at its free end. 
   
   
       6 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the sock comprises individual compartments for each toe of the foot. 
   
   
       7 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the sock has a single compartment containing all the toes. 
   
   
       8 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the sock comprises two compartments, one for the great toe and one for the remaining toes. 
   
   
       9 . The invention of  claim 8 , wherein the compartments are separated by a web of sock material. 
   
   
       10 . The invention of  claim 9 , further comprising a U-shaped cushion attached to the sock and extending on both sides of the web to protect the toes on either side thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The invention of  claim 9 , further comprising a cushion receptacle on at least one side of the web. 
   
   
       12 . The invention of  claim 10 , further comprising cushion receptacles on both side of the web. 
   
   
       13 . The invention of  claim 2 , wherein the tube of material is of sufficiently large diameter that is can, when inverted into the sock, entirely contain one of the toes of the wearer. 
   
   
       14 . The invention of  claim 13 , wherein the article of footwear is a sock. 
   
   
       15 . The invention of  claim 14 , wherein the article of footwear is a shoe, a shoe insert, a boot, a sandal or a slipper. 
   
   
       16 . A sock having an open-ended tube of material, formed integrally with the sock, and extending from the toe portion thereof, said tube being adapted to be pushed into the sock between two toes of the foot, and to retain a cushion or spacer placed therein, wherein the tube of material is connected to the toe portion of the sock by a neck portion having a diameter substantially less than that of the tube, so as to retain the tube within the sock when the tube is everted.