High heel shoe

Abstract

There are disclosed high heel shoes where separate components combine to create load balancing internal footwear technology. A two-piece system includes interlocking toe bed and shank constructed of complex three dimensional curved surfaces which create an intricately sculpted volume to provide structural support down the length of the entire foot. The toe bed provides a wide base and keeps the big toe pointed straight (at an approximately 10° angle). A heel maximizes the surface area of the bottom of the heel at the point of strike with the ground while retaining a minimal and aesthetically appealing silhouette from the side view. The toe bed and shank feature a composition of layered materials which when combined work to provide both stability and shock absorption to the ball of the foot during the foot strike of walking. An internal support structure provides a padded barrier and intermediary between the rigidity of the shank and the softness of the shoe upper.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A high heel shoe assembly comprising:
 an upper platform subassembly including a rigid shank and a soft upper layer joined with the shank, the rigid shank being molded of a rigid polymer and angling upward from a wearer's toe area across an arch portion to a heel area and laterally across the wearer's foot, the rigid shank having a varying thickness with an upper raised area spaced from an outer edge thereof, wherein the rigid shank is contoured to match a wearer's foot and the heel area is elevated above the toe area by at least two inches;   a toe bed comprising rigid cells filled with a plurality of soft cushions, the toe bed being secured to an underside of the toe area of the upper platform subassembly using fasteners installed through aligned holes in the soft upper layer, the shank and the toe bed;   a high heel secured to an underside of the heel area of the upper platform subassembly, the high heel tapering downward from a relatively large upper end to a narrow lower end having a greater lateral dimension than a longitudinal dimension; and   flexible uppers secured above the upper platform subassembly for holding the shoe onto a foot of a wearer.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper raised area of the rigid shank extends from a location near the toe area rearward to a location near the heel area. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the soft upper layer has a lower cavity that closely receives the upper raised area of the rigid shank, and the soft upper layer is co-molded with the rigid shank. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the toe bed has a soft lower layer underneath the rigid cells. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the soft cushions and soft lower layer are co-molded around the rigid cells of the toe bed and are contiguous through apertures formed in the rigid cells. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper raised area defines a plurality of forward projections splayed laterally in different directions. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , further including a central channel extending from a forward end of the upper raised area that provides lateral flexibility to the rigid shank. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the shank has a lower raised area spaced from the outer edge extending from a location near the toe area rearward toward the heel area and gradually diminishing to nothing before reaching the heel area, and the rigid cells of the toe bed define a cavity into which the lower raised area of the rigid shank fits snugly. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the high heel is secured to an underside of the heel end of the shank using a plurality of fasteners, a central one of which engages an upper reinforced end of a shaft that extends down into and is secured within a central through bore in the high heel. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the high heel has a base shape of an oval or lozenged rectangle whose long dimension is aligned with the high heel breast. 
     
     
         11 . A high heel shoe assembly comprising:
 a rigid shank angling upward from a toe end across an arch portion to a heel end, wherein the heel end is elevated above the toe end by at least two inches, the shank having a central plate-like body defining an outer edge with an upper raised area and a lower raised area both spaced from the outer edge and extending from a location near the toe end rearward toward the heel end;   a soft upper insole cushion joined with the shank and having a cavity that receives the upper raised area;   a toe bed comprising a rigid middle portion defining an upwardly-opening cavity into which the lower raised area of the shank fits and is secured;   a high heel secured to an underside of the heel end of the shank; and   flexible uppers, an outsole secured underneath the toe bed and a portion of the shank, and an insole secured above the shank and soft upper insole cushion for holding the shoe onto a foot of a wearer.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 11 , further including a plurality of soft cushions co-molded with a soft lower layer around the middle portion of the toe bed, the soft cushions filling cells defined in an upper surface of the middle portion. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein only some of the cells of the middle portion are filled with the soft cushions, and some are empty. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the upper raised area defines a plurality of forward projections laterally splayed apart. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the lower raised area defines a plurality of forward projections laterally splayed apart. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein both the upper raised area and the lower raised area define forward projections laterally splayed apart in the shape of are bulbous lobes that resembles a gecko's foot. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the toe bed is secured to the underside of the toe end of the shank using bolts or screws that pass down through aligned through holes in the soft upper insole cushion and shank and into threaded bores opening upward in the middle portion of the toe bed. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the high heel is molded of a rigid polymer and tapers downward from a relatively large upper end to a narrow lower end having a greater lateral dimension than a longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the high heel is secured to an underside of the heel end of the shank using a plurality of fasteners, a central one of which engages an upper reinforced end of a shaft that extends down into and is secured within a central through bore in the high heel. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the high heel is secured to an underside of the heel end of the shank using a non-circular reinforcing member in the shank that extends down and fits snugly into a similarly-shaped cavity in the high heel, and the central fastener passes through the reinforcing member and into the cavity.