Sets of orthotic or other footwear inserts and/or soles with progressive corrections

摘要

A footwear sole or an orthotic or combinations of both including a set of incrementally different inserts forming a progressive sequence. The progressive sequence includes inserts having corrective structures that are incrementally closer to a final corrective structure than a corrective structure of a previous insert in the sequence. The corrective structure of the inserts may change in one or more of shape, thickness and firmness of at least one portion of the at least one insert as compared to the previous insert in the sequence. Each of the inserts of the set is worn for a period of time in order of the progressive sequence as part of the footwear sole and/or orthotic.

主权项

1. Orthotics or other footwear inserts for an intended wearer, comprising:
a set of separate and incrementally different inserts sized and adapted for a right and/or left foot of the intended wearer; one said insert in said set having a first corrective structure and at least another said insert in said set having a second corrective structure that is at least incrementally different from the first corrective structure; as viewed in a frontal plane cross section taken at a same location of each of said inserts in said set, when said inserts in said set are upright and in an unloaded condition; the second corrective structure including at least an incremental change in one or more of curvature, thickness and firmness of at least one sidemost portion of said insert in said set as compared to the first corrective structure and a corrective structure of each other said insert in said set, when viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when said orthotics or other footwear inserts are upright and in an unloaded condition; the at least one sidemost portion is located proximate to one or more of a first distal phalange, a head of a first metatarsal, a head of a fifth metatarsal, a base of a fifth metatarsal and a lateral tuberosity of a calcaneus of the intended wearer's foot when located in footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts; inner and outer surfaces of said sidemost portion being curved concavely to define a concavely curved sidemost portion, as determined relative to a central portion of an intended wearer's foot location in the footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear including said orthotics or other footwear inserts is upright and in an unloaded condition; said inserts in said set having a progressive sequence based on an increase or decrease in one of the curvature, thickness and firmness of said at least one sidemost portion of each said insert in said set; and wherein said orthotics or other footwear inserts comprising each said insert in said set are adapted to be worn one at a time for a period of time using said inserts in said set sequentially based on the progressive sequence.