Grip Enhancement and Protection for the Feet

Abstract

This document presents a footwear object that covers the foot and ankle of the wearer. The footwear object protects the wearer's feet and ankle while improving blood circulation, and supporting the toes, arches, and ankles of the wearer. The footwear object is manufactured of layered fabrics that are knitted and/or woven from both man-made and natural fibers. The footwear object may have portions providing compression, padding, and grip to provide support and prevent injury to the wearer's feet and ankles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A footwear object, comprising:
 said footwear object comprising a toe support mechanism;   the toe support mechanism further comprising a toe strap configured to protect at least one toe where said toe strap extends beneath the arch of said footwear object to provide connected toe and arch support;   where said footwear object is adapted to prevent or reduce the severity of turf toe injuries and arch injuries to a foot.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 ,
 where the toe support mechanism comprises a toe partition and a toe strap;   where the toe support mechanism is adapted to support toe ligaments, prevent the full weight of the foot from concentrating on the toes, and position the toes to maintain function and prevent injury.   
     
     
         3 . The footwear object according to  claim 2 ,
 where the toe partition is adapted to isolate a toe using an interior toe divider of the sock;   where the interior toe divider of the sock is oriented in a vertical direction and is adapted to provide an unobstructed passage from the top of the foot to the bottom of the foot between the big toe and all other toes.   
     
     
         4 . The footwear object according to  claim 2 ,
 where the toe strap is a continuous band of material that is knitted into the base layer material comprising the footwear object;   where the toe strap starts on the bottom of the footwear object at a position in front of the heel and runs towards the front of the footwear object, passing across an arch and from one side to the other, curving up the front, and ending at a position on top of a toe or combination of toes.   
     
     
         5 . The footwear object according to  claim 4 ,
 where the toe strap is adapted to prevent hyperextension of the separated toe(s) by limiting the range of motion of said toe or toe(s);   where the toe strap limits the range of motion due to the woven pattern of the toe strap, due to the choice of fibers woven into the toe strap, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         6 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 ,
 further comprising an ankle support mechanism;   where said ankle support mechanism comprises an ankle guard;   where the ankle guard is a portion of the footwear object located from below the ankle and extending to the top of the footwear object;   where the ankle guard further comprises a compressive material woven into the footwear object and/or applied over the fabric of the footwear object.   
     
     
         7 . The footwear object according to  claim 6 ,
 where the compressive material is composed of modified knitting structures.   
     
     
         8 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 ,
 where a material comprising the footwear object is a knitted or woven fabric comprising any of a plurality of yarns, threads, or unwoven materials;   where the material comprises natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or combinations thereof;   where the material is air permeable, allowing the material to breathe or dissipate perspiration.   
     
     
         9 . The footwear object according to  claim 8 ,
 where the material comprises antimicrobial fibers;   where the antimicrobial fibers prevent or reduce the growth of bacteria and/or fungus.   
     
     
         10 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 ,
 where the footwear object further comprises one or more grip pads on the underside of said footwear object;   where the one or more grip pads are areas of the footwear object that provide greater friction when compared to other areas of the footwear object;   where the one or more grip pads are adapted to prevent slippage of the foot within the footwear object and/or within the shoe;   where the one or more grip pads are formed from the woven pattern used, from a non-slip material applied to the footwear object, or from a combination thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The footwear object according to  claim 10 ,
 where one of the one or more grip pads are located at the rear of the footwear object, covering a heel of the foot.   
     
     
         12 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 ,
 where the footwear object further comprises one or more microchips;   where the one or more microchips are woven into the material of the footwear object or are applied as a separate layer covering the footwear object.   
     
     
         13 . The footwear object according to  claim 13 ,
 where the one or more microchips identify the footwear object, collect usage metrics, transfer collected usage metrics, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The footwear object according to  claim 14 ,
 where the collected usage metrics include information regarding pressure, impact, velocity, acceleration, temperature, humidity, location, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The footwear object according to  claim 1 , where the footwear object is a sock.