Sole for Footwear, for Postural and Balance Training

Abstract

A sole for footwear, which includes a plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs, flexibly secured together and arranged with said sacs extending across the full extent of convexities of the primary weight bearing surfaces of the wearer's foot said sacs include: at least one sac under the wearer's heel; at least five sacs lie under the rest of the wearer's foot; said sacs being arranged such that no part of any of the sacs lies under the medial longitudinal arch of the wearer's foot; wherein said at least five sacs include: one sac which lies under the medial forefoot of the wearer's foot; one sac which lies under the lateral forefoot of the wearer's foot; one sac which lies under the lateral midfoot of the wearer's foot; one sac lies under the big toe of the wearer's foot; one sac lies under the smaller toes of the wearer's foot.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A sole for footwear for a wearer's foot, wherein the wearer's foot has primary weight bearing surfaces with a full extent of convexities, and wherein the weight bearing surfaces include a heel, which includes an inner heel and an outer heel, a medial longitudinal arch, a lateral forefoot, a lateral midfoot, a big toe and smaller toes, which include a smallest toe and remaining small toes, said sole including:
 a plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs flexibly secured together and arranged such that said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs are positioned under the full extent of convexities of the primary weight bearing surfaces of the wearer's foot, said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs being arranged such that no part of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is positioned under the medial longitudinal arch of the wearer's foot on said sole;   at least one sac positioned under the wearer's heel on said sole;   at least five sacs positioned under the wearer's foot other than the heel, wherein said at least five sacs include:   a first sac positioned under the medial forefoot of the wearer's foot on said sole;   a second sac positioned under the lateral forefoot of the wearer's foot on said sole;   a third sac positioned under the lateral midfoot of the wearer's foot on said sole;   a fourth sac positioned under the big toe of the wearer's foot on said sole;   a fifth sac positioned under the smaller toes of the wearer's foot on said sole.   
     
     
         10 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said at least one sac positioned on said sole under the wearer's heel includes two separate independent sacs, one of which is positioned under the outer heel and another of which is positioned under the inner heel. 
     
     
         11 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said fifth sac is sub-divided into two separate independent sacs, one of which lies under the smallest toe and the other of which lies under the remaining small toes. 
     
     
         12 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the fluid filling said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is air at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         13 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs are filled with liquid at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said sole is shaped to fit inside an article of footwear and each of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is substantially oval in cross-section. 
     
     
         15 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said sole is designed to be attached to the exterior surface of the underside of an article of footwear, and each of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is a slightly oval circle in cross-section. 
     
     
         16 . A sole for footwear having primary weight bearing surfaces, and wherein the weight bearing surfaces include a heel support surface, inclusive of an inner heel support surface and an outer heel support surface, a medial longitudinal arch support surface, a lateral forefoot support surface, a lateral midfoot support surface, a big toe support surface and smaller toes support surface, inclusive of a smallest toe support surface and remaining small toes support surface, said sole including:
 a plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs flexibly secured together and arranged on said sole within said footwear, said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs being arranged such that no part of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is positioned within the medial longitudinal arch support surface;   at least one sac positioned in the wearer's heel support surface;   at least five sacs positioned on said sole in positions other than the heel support surface, wherein said at least five sacs include:   a first sac positioned in the medial longitudinal arch support surface;   a second sac positioned in the lateral forefoot support surface;   a third sac positioned in the lateral midfoot support surface;   a fourth sac positioned in the big toe support surface; and   a fifth sac positioned in the smaller toes support surface.   
     
     
         17 . The sole as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said at least one sac positioned in the wearer's heel support surface includes two separate independent sacs, one of which is positioned under the outer heel support surface and another of which is positioned under the inner heel support surface. 
     
     
         18 . The sole as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said fifth sac is sub-divided into two separate independent sacs, one of which is in the smallest toe support surface and the other of which is in the remaining small toes support surface. 
     
     
         19 . The sole as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the fluid filling said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is air at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         20 . The sole as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs are filled with liquid at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         21 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein each of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is substantially oval in cross-section. 
     
     
         22 . A sole for footwear, wherein said sole has an underside on an exterior of the footwear, and wherein said sole has primary weight bearing surfaces, and wherein the weight bearing surfaces include a heel support surface, inclusive of an inner heel support surface and an outer heel support surface, a medial longitudinal arch support surface, a lateral forefoot support surface, a lateral midfoot support surface, a big toe support surface and smaller toes support surface, inclusive of a smallest toe support surface and remaining small toes support surface, said sole including:
 a plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs flexibly secured together and arranged on said underside of said sole, said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs being arranged such that no part of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is positioned within the medial longitudinal arch support surface;   at least one sac positioned in the wearer's heel support surface;   at least five sacs positioned on said sole in positions other than the heel support surface, wherein said at least five sacs include:   a first sac positioned in the medial longitudinal arch support surface;   a second sac positioned in the lateral forefoot support surface;   a third sac positioned in the lateral midfoot support surface;   a fourth sac positioned in the big toe support surface; and   a fifth sac positioned in the smaller toes support surface.   
     
     
         23 . The sole as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said at least one sac positioned in the wearer's heel support surface includes two separate independent sacs, one of which is positioned under the outer heel support surface and another of which is positioned under the inner heel support surface. 
     
     
         24 . The sole as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said fifth sac is sub-divided into two separate independent sacs, one of which is in the smallest toe support surface and the other of which is in the remaining small toes support surface. 
     
     
         25 . The sole as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the fluid filling said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is air at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         26 . The sole as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs are filled with liquid at at least ambient pressure. 
     
     
         27 . The sole for footwear as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein each of said plurality of separate closed fluid filled sacs is substantially oval in cross-section.