Shoe sole inserts for pressure distribution

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a shoe insert that can provide overall improved foot comfort to a user and can specifically provide beneficial localized pressure relief improving foot health and mitigating painful and/or damaging conditions. The shoe insert can comprise a pressure moderator sheet and one or more pressure pads removably and replaceably attached to the moderator sheet. The insert may further comprise a cushioning material or layer.

1 . A removable insert for placement in a shoe between the shoe sole and the foot of a user, the insert comprising:
 a formed pressure moderator sheet; and   a series of discrete pressure pads removably and replaceably attached to the pressure moderator sheet,   wherein the pressure moderator sheet is positioned to separate the pressure pads from the foot of the user such that pressure between the foot and the pressure pads are locally distributed across the moderator sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , further comprising a cushioning layer positioned to separate at least a portion of the moderator sheet from the foot of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The removable insert of  claim 2 , wherein the cushioning layer is absent in the area of the moderator sheet overlying the discrete pressure pads. 
     
     
         4 . The removable insert of  claim 2 , wherein the cushioning layer comprises a polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         5 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure moderator sheet comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and is formed to have surface ridges and indentations formed in each of the top and bottom surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The removable insert of  claim 5 , wherein the discrete pressure pads are positioned in at least one indentation formed in the bottom surface of the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         7 . The removable insert of  claim 6 , wherein each of the discrete pressure pads has a thickness substantially equal to a height of the at least one indentation formed in the bottom surface of the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The removable insert of  claim 6 , wherein each of the discrete pressure pads has a thickness different than a height of the at least one indentation formed in the bottom surface of the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The removable insert of  claim 5 , comprising a cushioning material positioned in indentations formed in the top surface of the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The removable insert of  claim 9 , wherein the cushioning material comprises a polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         11 . The removable insert of  claim 5 , wherein the surface ridges and indentations formed in the bottom surface of the moderator sheet corresponds to the surface indentations and ridges, respectively, formed in the top surface of the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         12 . The removable insert of  claim 5 , wherein the indentations at least partially interlineate and surround the ridges. 
     
     
         13 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the series of discrete pressure pads comprises a plurality of pressure pad units, each unit comprising a center pad component and a peripheral pad component at least partially encircling the center pad component. 
     
     
         14 . The removable insert of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the peripheral pads is rectangular in shape and at least one of the center pads is oval in shape. 
     
     
         15 . The removable insert of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the peripheral pads and at least one of the center pads are circular in shape. 
     
     
         16 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the discrete pressure pads are positioned in an area of the insert configured to correspond to the ball of the foot of a user. 
     
     
         17 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the discrete pressure pads are positioned in an area of the insert configured to correspond to the heel of the foot of a user. 
     
     
         18 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the discrete pressure pads are positioned in an area of the insert configured to correspond to the big toe of the foot of a user. 
     
     
         19 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure moderator sheet is a thermoplastic polyurethane sheet. 
     
     
         20 . The removable insert of  claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane sheet has a thickness of less than 3 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The removable insert of  claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane sheet has a thickness of less than 2 mm. 
     
     
         22 . The removable insert of  claim 19 , wherein the pressure moderator sheet is a continuous sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         23 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure pads comprise a polyurethane material. 
     
     
         24 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure pads are directly attached to the pressure moderator sheet without the use of a separate adhesive material. 
     
     
         25 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure pads are directly attached to the pressure moderator sheet via surface interactions between the pressure pads and the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         26 . The removable insert of  claim 25 , wherein the pressure pads are directly attached to the pressure moderator sheet via surface tension between the pressure pads and the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         27 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure pads are gel pods. 
     
     
         28 . The removable insert of  claim 27 , wherein the gel pods comprise a urethane gel at least partially coated with a thin film. 
     
     
         29 . The removable insert of  claim 28 , wherein the thin film comprises thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         30 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the pressure moderator sheet or pressure pads is texturized so as to reduce noise between the insert and the shoe during use. 
     
     
         31 . The removable insert of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the pressure moderator sheet is substantially less than a thickness of each of the pressure pads. 
     
     
         32 . A removable insert for placement in a shoe between the shoe sole and the foot of a user, the insert comprising:
 a pressure moderator sheet; and   a plurality of discrete pressure pads removably and replaceably attached to the pressure moderator sheet via surface interactions therebetween,   wherein the pressure moderator sheet is positioned to separate the pressure pads from the foot of the user such that pressure between the foot and the pressure pads are locally distributed across the moderator sheet.   
     
     
         33 . A method of forming a removable insert for placement in a shoe between the shoe sole and the foot of a user, the method comprising:
 providing a pressure moderator sheet; and   attaching a series of discrete pressure pads to the pressure moderator sheet, the pressure pads being removably and replaceably attached to the pressure moderator sheet,   wherein the pressure moderator sheet is positioned to separate the pressure pads from the foot of the user such that pressure between the foot and the pressure pads are locally distributed across the moderator sheet.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein providing comprises forming the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein forming comprises forming surface ridges and indentations in the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein attaching comprises positioning the discrete pressure pads in at least one indentation formed in the moderator sheet. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising attaching a cushioning material to at least a portion of the pressure moderator sheet to separate at least a portion of the moderator sheet from the foot of the user. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein attaching comprises directly attaching the pressure pads to the pressure moderator sheet via surface interactions between the pressure pads and the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein attaching comprises directly attaching the pressure pads to the pressure moderator sheet via surface tension between the pressure pads and the pressure moderator sheet. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein attaching comprises directly attaching the pressure pads to the pressure moderator sheet without the use of a separate adhesive material. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising detecting high pressure areas on the sole of a foot, and wherein attaching comprises selectively adding or removing the pressure pads from the pressure moderator sheet based on the detected high pressure areas.