1. Field of the Invention
An orthopedic shoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Orthopedic devices either can be purchased in stores or they can be made to order. The ones purchased in stores, since they are intended to fit a wide range of feet, are not hand-tailored to any particular person and therefore are not of much use. The ones that are hand-tailored to persons are of two types; one is an orthopedic appliance which is intended to be slipped into a shoe and hence can be used on a series of shoes of the same person; the other device is built into a shoe and forms a permanent part thereof, not being transferrable from one shoe to another.
The way these orthopedic devices of the hand fitted type have been made heretofore is to have a person place his foot on a moldable substance and leave an impression. The impression usually is taken while the foot is in its horizontal position and not carrying any weight except enough weight to form the impression. Obviously, there are variants on this method of making the impression. In any event, from this impression the orthopedist forms a mold and places it in the shoe or makes an appliance of it for insertion in the shoe.
There are several drawbacks to this method of approach. The first, and probably the foremost, is the high cost. They range from $75.00 and up, exclusive of the price of the shoe. The second is that the orthopedic appliance is not adjustable, so that if a mistake is made, either the customer suffers with it or he has to go back and waste time and possibly pay more money for a re-fitting, i.e. change in the shape of the appliance. Another problem with the appliances is that, as a rule, they are quite rigid and they have no give, so that they tend to be uncomfortable and form callouses on the soles of the feet. A further problem is that as the foot moves, during walking for example, the appliance does not experience an exactly corresponding movement. Hence, the skin is chafed. Therefore, with a new appliance, and sometimes even with an old appliance, painful soreness of the skin or blistering results. Another problem arises when the weight of the person changes to any appreciable extent. A change in weight means a change in the load that is supported by the skeletal structure of the foot and a change in the requisite shape of the orthopedic appliance needed to afford proper support to the foot. An appliance which is a permanent one cannot be changed to accommodate a change in weight. Another problem is where the person with the fitted appliance engages in strenuous activity, for example plays tennis or runs or plays handball. An appliance which is ideally fitted for everyday use in walking will not be properly configured for these more strenuous activities. A further factor is that an insertable appliance may shift. Of course, this is not true of a built-in appliance.
The prior art in general is directed to the provision of bands which are anchored at the mid-point of the insole of a shoe and extend upwardly and, in some instances, through the material of the upper, to an upper anchor at an upper portion of the upper. Usually there is but a single band, with no disclosure of a pair of diverging bands to form a pair of diverging slings, one of which lifts upwardly and rearwardly and the other of which lifts upwardly and forwardly. A single band is contemplated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,137,807; 1,649,173; 2,068,251; 2,116,445; 2,149,664; 2,182,843; 3,522,668 and 4,030,215. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,930,188 discloses a pair of bands; one slants upwardly and rearwardly over the tarsal area and the other is at the ball of the foot. This patent does not encompass an arrangement of a mid-tarsal strip with a forward and upward slope.