Shoe insert

Abstract

An insert adapted to be inserted into a shoe and provide support to an upper surface of the shoe so as to prevent the upper surface from deforming. The insert is made of a unitary body made of a flat and flexible material. The unitary body includes: (1) a forefoot portion; (2) a rearfoot portion extending from the forefoot portion; (3) a continuous peripheral wall about the unitary body; (4) an upper surface; and (5) a bottom surface opposing the upper surface.

1 . An insert comprising:
 a unitary body made of a flat material which is flexible, the unitary body having:
 a) a forefoot portion; 
 b) a rearfoot portion extending from the forefoot portion; 
 c) a continuous peripheral wall about the unitary body; 
 d) an upper surface; and 
 e) a bottom surface opposing the upper surface; 
   wherein the insert is adapted to be inserted into a shoe and provide support to an upper surface of a shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary body includes a longitudinal axis extending from the forefoot portion to the rearfoot portion about which the unitary body is substantially symmetrical. 
     
     
         3 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the forefoot portion includes a toe portion in which the continuous peripheral wall has a rounded contour. 
     
     
         4 . The insert of  claim 3 , wherein the rearfoot portion includes two or more collar extensions on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the unitary body and on an opposing end of the unitary body as the toe portion. 
     
     
         5 . The insert of any of  claim 4 , wherein the two or more collar extension extend at an angle away from the longitudinal axis of the unitary body. 
     
     
         6 . The insert of  claim 5 , wherein the rearfoot portion includes one or more cut-outs. 
     
     
         7 . The insert of any of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more cut-outs includes a longitudinal bend cut-out adapted to allow the insert to bend substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The insert of  claim 7 , wherein the longitudinal bend cut-out is a concave contour in the continuous peripheral wall at an end of the rearfoot portion opposing the toe portion. 
     
     
         9 . The insert of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more cut-outs include two collar extension cut-outs adapted to allow the two or more collar extensions to bend away from the forefoot portion. 
     
     
         10 . The insert of any  claim 9 , wherein each of the two collar extension cut-outs is disposed between the longitudinal bend cut-out and one of the two or more collar extensions. 
     
     
         11 . The insert of  claim 5 , wherein the flat material at the forefoot portion is deformable so as to adapt to the contour of a vamp of the shoe and provide support to the upper surface along a length of the vamp. 
     
     
         12 . The insert of  claim 11 , wherein the forefoot portion is deformable so that when the forefoot portion is inserted under the vamp, an upper surface of the insert at the forefoot portion deforms into a convex contour and a bottom surface opposing the upper surface deforms into a concave contour. 
     
     
         13 . The insert of  claim 12 , wherein the flat material at the forefoot portion, the rearfoot portion, or both is deformable so as to adapt to the contour of at least a portion of a quarter of the upper surface of the shoe and provide support to the quarter. 
     
     
         14 . The insert of  claim 13 , wherein the flat material at the at the rearfoot portion is deformable so as to adapt to a contour of the quarter, a collar of the shoe, a backstay of the shoe, a counter of the shoe, or a combination thereof and provide support to the quarter, the collar, a heel portion, the counter, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The insert of  claim 14 , wherein the two or more collar extensions are able to deform and bend so that the rearfoot portion is adapted to conform to a generally elliptical shape of the collar. 
     
     
         16 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the insert is able to deform into a first configuration and a second configuration;
 wherein in the first configuration, the insert is flat; and   wherein in the second configuration, the insert is bent to resemble contours of the upper surface of the shoe and is adapted to provide support for the upper surface of the shoe.   
     
     
         17 . The insert of  claim 1 , wherein the flat material comprises a foam plank. 
     
     
         18 . The insert of  claim 17 , wherein the foam plank comprises a polyethylene foam plank. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using the insert of  claim 4  to provide support to the shoe, wherein the method includes:
 a) inserting the insert into the shoe; 
 b) locating the forefoot portion under a forefoot of the shoe and deforming the forefoot portion to resemble a shape of the upper surface of the shoe forward of a collar; 
 c) locating the rearfoot portion within an opening of the shoe defined by a collar of the shoe and deforming the two or more collar extensions to resemble a shape of the collar. 
 
     
     
         20 . An insert comprising:
 a unitary body made of a flat and flexible material, the unitary body having:
 a) a forefoot portion; 
 b) a rearfoot portion extending from the forefoot portion; 
 c) a longitudinal axis extending from the forefoot portion to the rearfoot portion about which the unitary body is substantially symmetrical; 
 d) a continuous peripheral wall about the unitary body; 
 e) a toe portion which is part of the forefoot portion where the continuous peripheral wall has a rounded contour; 
 f) two or more collar extensions part of the rearfoot portion on an opposing end of the unitary body as the toe portion, wherein the two or more collar extensions extend away from the longitudinal axis; and 
 g) an upper surface opposing a bottom surface; and
 wherein the insert is able to deform into a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration the insert is flat and in the second configuration the insert is bent to generally resemble a shape of an upper surface of a shoe; and 
 wherein the insert is adapted to be inserted into the shoe and provide support to an upper surface of a shoe when in the second configuration.