Footwear system

摘要

A footwear system for providing enhanced protection and comfort to the foot of a wearer by reducing impact and shearing forces normally received by the foot. The footwear system has a knit sock and a shoe. The knit sock overlies and contacts the shoe and includes a ball portion, a heel portion, and an arch portion disposed between the ball and heel portions. Each of the ball and heel portions is formed of thicker knit fabric than the arch portion thereby providing a greater amount of protection and cushioning to the ball and heel of the foot of the wearer than to the arch portion. The shoe includes a sole having a ball portion, a heel portion, and a raised arch portion for contacting and interfacing with the respective overlying portions of the sock. The raised arch portion of the sole preferably corresponds substantially to the lengthwise extent of the thinner fabric arch portion of the sock when positioned on the foot of a wearer so as to provide a substantially mating interfacing relationship for added protection and comfort to the wearer thereof.