Foot Protection Device for Insertion into a Sandal to Minimize Pressure and Irritations on the Top and Front Portions of the Foot

Abstract

A foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, the sandal having a plurality of straps that run across the front and top area of the foot that may apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the foot, the foot protection device comprising, (a) an insole that lays upon and covers the sandal sole, (b) a foot band member positioned below the sandal straps and above the top of the foot and for the foot band member to have sufficient thickness and surface hardness to absorb the sandal strap stresses applied to the top of the foot and to thereby redistribute these stresses over the foot band member surface area to minimize any strap excess pressure and irritations to the top of the foot, and (c) a means for attaching each of the foot band member opposing ends to one of each of the insole opposing sides.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, said sandal of the type having a plurality of substantially spaced-apart, substantially thin straps that are connected to each side of the sole of the sandal and are oriented such that the straps run across a portion of the front and top area of the foot of a wearer and because of their orientation and substantial thinness have the potential for applying excess pressure and causing irritations to those portions of the front and top portion of the foot of said wearer with which the straps come into contact, said foot protection device comprising:
 an insole having a top surface and a bottom surface and opposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow said insole to lay upon and approximately cover said sandal sole,   a foot band member having a top surface with pairs of opposing sides and ends and a specified surface area between said ends and sides, said member having a configuration adapted to allow said foot band member to be positioned below said sandal straps and above a portion of the top of the foot of a sandal wearer and for said member to have sufficient thickness and said member top surface to have sufficient surface hardness so as to absorb the stresses otherwise applied by said sandal straps to said top portion of the foot of said sandal wearer and to thereby redistribute these stresses over a significant portion of said surface area of said member so as to minimize the potential that said straps will apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the top portion of the foot of the wearer with which said straps come into contact, and   a means for attaching each of said foot band member opposing ends to one of each of said insole opposing sides.   
     
     
         2 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said configuration of said foot band member is further adapted so as to be transparent. 
     
     
         3 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of said sandal straps having a defined width and length and therefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areas for said plurality of straps defining a total strap surface area for said sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surface area to the total strap surface area of said sandal being in the range of 3-7. 
     
     
         4 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein each of said sandal straps having a defined width and length and therefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areas for said plurality of straps defining a total strap surface area for said sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surface area to the total strap surface area of said sandal being in the range of 3-7. 
     
     
         5 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         6 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         7 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         8 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         9 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 5 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 6 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches. 
     
     
         11 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 7 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The foot protection device as recited in  claim 8 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, said sandal of the type having a plurality of spaced-apart, thin straps that are connected to each side of the sole of the sandal and are oriented such that the straps run across a portion of the front and top area of the foot of a wearer and because of their orientation and thinness have the potential for applying excess pressure and causing irritations to those portions of the front and top portion of the foot of said wearer with which the straps come into contact, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) utilizing an insole having a top surface and a bottom surface and opposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow said insole to lay upon and approximately cover said sandal sole,   (b) utilizing a foot band member having a top surface with pairs of opposing sides and ends and a specified surface area between said ends and sides, said foot band member having a configuration adapted to allow said member to be positioned below said sandal straps and above a portion of the top of the foot of a sandal wearer and for said member to have sufficient thickness and said member top surface to have sufficient surface hardness so as to absorb the stresses otherwise applied by said sandal straps to said top portion of the foot of said sandal wearer and to thereby redistribute these stresses over a significant portion of said surface area of said member so as to minimize the potential that said straps will apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the top portion of the foot of the wearer with which said straps come into contact, and   (c) utilizing a means for attaching each of said foot band member opposing ends to one of each of said insole opposing sides.   
     
     
         14 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said configuration of said foot band member is further adapted so as to be transparent. 
     
     
         15 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 13 , wherein each of said sandal straps having a defined width and length and therefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areas for said plurality of straps defining a total strap surface area for said sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surface area to the total strap surface area of said sandal ( 40 ) being in the range of 3-7. 
     
     
         16 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 13 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         17 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 13 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein each of said sandal straps having a defined width and length and therefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areas for said plurality of straps defining a total strap surface area for said sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surface area to the total strap surface area of said sandal being in the range of 3-7. 
     
     
         19 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to 90. 
     
     
         20 . The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in  claim 16 , said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches.