Footwear

Abstract

Disclosed is footwear including an upper surrounding a wearer's foot; a supporter disposed below the upper and supporting the foot; and a walking assister mounted to a mounting groove of the supporter to be adjacent to a metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot and shaped like a torsion spring to generate elasticity in a lengthwise direction of the supporter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Footwear comprising:
 an upper surrounding a wearer's foot;   a supporter disposed below the upper and supporting the foot; and   a walking assister mounted to a mounting groove of the supporter to be adjacent to a metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot and shaped like a torsion spring to generate elasticity in a lengthwise direction of the supporter,   wherein the walking assister is compressed in a mid-stance motion of the wearer, and restored in a toe-off motion of the wearer, and   the walking assister comprises a first frame area disposed adjacent to a front region of the mounting groove, a second frame area disposed adjacent to a back region of the mounting groove, and an elastic area connecting top portions of the first and second frame areas and generating elasticity between the first and second frame areas.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the walking assister comprises a first as sister disposed frontward with respect to the metatarsophalangeal joint, a second assister disposed backward with respect to the metatarsophalangeal joint, and causes the supporter to be bent at different angles during walking of the wearer. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second assisters is shaped to have a central portion facing forwards to correspond to the shape of the metatarsophalangeal joint, and edges extending backwards from the central portion. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the first assister causes a front region of the supporter to bent upwards by 20 to 30° with respect to the metatarsophalangeal joint. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein the first assister causes the wearer's toes to remain bent upwards in a state that no force is exerted thereon or in a heel strike motion, a space between the first frame area and the second frame area to become narrow in the mid-stance motion, and a space between the first frame area and the second frame area to become wide in the toe-off motion. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the second assister provides elasticity to a back region of the supporter. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 6 , wherein the second assister is compressed by the wearer's weight upon switching over from the mid-stance motion to the toe-off motion, and then provides elasticity to the back region of the supporter to assist a back of the foot in stretching. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein a material of the first and second assisters comprises a plastic material. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein a material of the first and second assisters comprises at least one of reinforced nylon, polycarbonate, and acetal resin. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second assisters further comprises an auxiliary elastic body disposed between the first, second, and the elastic areas and providing additional elasticity. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary elastic body comprises at least one of neoprene, silicone, and polyurethane. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein each elastic area of the first and second assistors is disposed to face toward the metatarsophalangeal joint. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting groove and the walking assister are customized corresponding to the positions and shapes of the metatarsophalangeal joint and toes for each individual.