Footwear having an outsole for manipulating a gait parameter or ameliorate a lower limb pathology

Abstract

The present invention provides an outsole, comprising, at least one recess located at a ground engaging or outer surface of the outsole and having: (a) a depth of between 10% to 95% of the maximum thickness of the outsole; and (b) an area that covers between 10% to 95% of the entire ground engaging or outer surface of the outsole.

1 . A footwear comprising:
 an outsole having an outer surface with a recess formed therein;   a hardening layer disposed within the recess and configured to increase rigidity of the outsole in the region of the recess; and   one or more protuberances attached to the outsole within the recess and being in contact with the hardening layer, each of the one or more protuberances having a peak extending outwards from the recess so as to provide a ground-engaging surface during stance.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening layer is configured to cover a side wall of the recess. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening layer comprises a rim extending outwardly from the recess and surrounding a perimeter thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the outsole comprises one or more connectors located within the recess;
 wherein the hardening layer comprises one or more openings; and   wherein said one or more protuberances are detachably attached to the outsole using said one or more connectors, through said one or more openings.   
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein said one or more connectors are snap fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 4 , wherein said one or more connectors are mounted on a surface of the outsole forming a bottom of the recess. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more protuberances comprises one or more openings and is detachably attached to the outsole using one or more connectors, through said one or more openings. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein a base of said one or more protuberances occupies at least 50% of an area of the recess and has a perimeter fitting a perimeter of the recess with a gap therealong. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 8 , wherein a width of said gap is between about 0.1 and about 2 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more protuberances has a harder lower portion facing the recess and a softer upper portion comprising said peak. 
     
     
         11 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more protuberances comprises one or more deformable materials allowing deformation of at least 10% of an original shape of a respective protuberance under an application of an external pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein an outer contour of at least one of said one or more protuberances form, together with an outer contour of the outsole, a continuous curvature. 
     
     
         13 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein the hardening layer comprises a rim extending outwardly from the recess and surrounding a perimeter thereof, said rim forming a continuous curvature with the outer contour of said one or more protuberances and the outer contour of the outsole. 
     
     
         14 . The footwear of  claim 12 , wherein said continuous curvature is continuous across at least one of: (a) a longitudinal cross-section of the footwear; and (b) a lateral cross-section of the footwear. 
     
     
         15 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more protuberances has a shore hardness of between 30 and 90 Sh-A and the outsole has a shore hardness of between 20 Sh-00 and 80 Sh-D. 
     
     
         16 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening layer has a shore hardness of between 20 Sh-A and 90 Sh-D. 
     
     
         17 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the hardening layer has a shore hardness at least 5% higher than that of the outsole. 
     
     
         18 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein a depth of the recess varies thereacross. 
     
     
         19 . The footwear of  claim 18 , wherein the depth of the recess varies between 10% to 95% of a maximum thickness of the outsole. 
     
     
         20 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more protuberances at the peak thereof is at least 10% higher than a maximum depth of the recess.