BACKGROUND

[0001 ] The present application relates generally to footwear, and more particularly, to a footwear assembly that attaches to footwear to provide additional cushioning and lift to an area of a user’s foot when moving uphill or downhill and reduce stress on the user’s body and help to prevent injury.

[0002] Running involves the transfer of energy between a person’s legs and feet and an underlying surface, such as the ground, contributing to the movement of a person forward along a trail, a sidewalk, a street or other path. The power a person is able to produce and the speed at which a person is able to move in a forward direction depends on a number of factors. For example, the ability to properly apply forces on an underlying surface affects the energy produced and the rate of speed that the person is able to move. In particular, the power generated by a person’s legs and feet is important while jogging or running. Also, it is important to provide sufficient support and cushioning to a user’s feet to reduce fatigue and help prevent injury.

[0003] Running outdoors, and more specifically, running on trails involves inclines such as running uphill, and declines such as running downhill. Due to these factors, it is important for a runner to have sufficient support while running. It is also important for a runner’s feet to be sufficiently supported and cushioned when they encounter hills and similar terrain to help reduce fatigue.

[0004] It is therefore desirable to provide a footwear assembly that is removably attached to footwear and configured to support a person’s feet during movement on different terrain while maintaining support to enhance a person’s walking and running efficiency.

SUMMARY

[0005] The present invention is a footwear assembly that is removably attached to an article of footwear to provide support to a rear end or a front end of the article of footwear during movement uphill or downhill. The attachment of the footwear assembly on the rear end or the front end of the article of footwear reduces the angular rotation of a user’s foot during movement that helps to reduce stress on the user’s body, such as on their feet and legs, and helps to prevent injury.

[0006] In an embodiment, a footwear assembly is provided and configured to be removably secured to an article of footwear. The footwear assembly including a body having a first end and an opposing second end and a thickness that gradually increases from the first end to the second end. The footwear assembly also includes a first securing member attached to the body and a second securing member attached to the body, where the first securing member is removably secured to one end of the article of footwear and the second securing member is removably secured to another end of the article of footwear to attach the body to the article of footwear.

[0007] In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes an upper, a sole attached to the upper, where the sole includes a midsole and an outsole attached to the midsole. A footwear assembly is removably attached to the article of footwear and includes a body having a first end and an opposing second end and having a thickness that gradually increases from the first end to the second end, a first securing member attached to the body and a second securing member attached to the body, where the body is placed on the outsole and the first securing member is removably secured to the upper or the sole and the second securing member is removably secured to the upper or the sole to attach the body to the article of footwear.

[0008] In a further embodiment, a footwear assembly is provided and configured to be removably secured to an article of footwear. The footwear assembly includes a body having a first end and an opposing second end, where the body has a thickness that gradually increases from the first end to the second end, and a post extending from the body, where the post is removably secured in a receptacle formed in an end of the article of footwear to attach the body to the article of footwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an article of footwear on which the present footwear assembly is attached.

[0010] Fig. 2 is a side view of the article of footwear of Fig. 1 including the present footwear assembly attached to a rear end of the article of footwear.

[0011 ] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the article of footwear including the footwear assembly of Fig. 2 showing the article of footwear moving uphill.

[0012] Fig. 4 is a side view of the article of footwear of Fig. 1 including the present footwear assembly attached to a front end of the article of footwear.

[0013] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the article of footwear including the footwear assembly of Fig. 4 showing the article of footwear moving downhill.

[0014] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the footwear assembly.

[0015] Fig. 7 is a top view of the footwear assembly of Fig. 6.

[0016] Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the footwear assembly of Fig. 6. [0017] Fig. 9 is a right side view of the footwear assembly of Fig. 6 with the first and second securing members removed.

[0018] Fig. 10 is a left side view of the footwear assembly of Fig. 6 with the first and second securing members removed.

[0019] Fig. 11 is a top view of another embodiment of the footwear assembly.

[0020] Fig. 12 is a side view of the footwear assembly of Fig. 11 .

[0021 ] Fig. 13 is a top view of a midsole or an outsole of a shoe having receptacles in the heel and the forefoot of the midsole or outsole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention is a footwear assembly that is removably attached to an article of footwear, such as a shoe, to provide additional cushioning and support to a rear end or a front end of the shoe during movement uphill or downhill. The additional cushioning and support on the rear end or the front end of the shoe reduces the angular rotation of a user’s foot during movement that helps to reduce stress on the user’s feet and legs and helps to prevent injury.

[0023] Referring now to Figs. 1 , 2 and 6-10, the present footwear assembly is removably attached to an article an article of footwear. As shown, the article of footwear 20 includes a sole, generally indicated as 22, where the sole 22 includes a midsole 24 attached to an upper 26, and an outsole 28 attached to the midsole. The midsole 24 may be an integral, molded component made of a material having a designated hardness value or made with different materials having the same or different hardness values. As shown in Fig. 1 , the outsole 28 is attached to a bottom surface 30 of the midsole 24 by an adhesive or by molding, and is made of rubber. The outsole 28 includes a plurality of tread members 32 that are configured to grip an underlying surface, such as the ground, during movement. It should be appreciated that the midsole 24 and outsole 28 may be made of any suitable materials or combinations of materials.

[0024] Specifically, the footwear assembly 34 includes a body 36 having a wedgeshape defined by a first end 38 of the body having a first thickness T 1 and a second end 40 of the body having a second thickness T2 (Fig. 9), where the second thickness is greater than the first thickness such that the thickness of the body 36 gradually increases from the first end 38 to the second end 40. Preferably, the body 36 has a thickness of 15 mm to 30 mm at the first end and a thickness of 15 mm to 30 mm at the second end. It should be appreciated that the body 36 may have any suitable thickness along the length and width of the body.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the body 36 has a length and a width where the body extends from the rear end 42 of the sole 22 to a point at least partially in the midfoot area 44 of the sole. In another embodiment, the body 36 has a length such that it is solely located in the heel area 46 of the sole 22. It is contemplated that the body 36 may have a length that extends along the entire length of the sole 22 or along a portion of the sole 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the medial side 48 of the body 36 is at the medial side 50 of the sole 22 and the lateral side 52 of the body 36 is at the lateral side 54 of the sole 22 such that the width of the body is substantially the same as the width of the sole to provide stability and balance for a user while using the footwear assembly. It should be appreciated that the body 36 may have any suitable length or width.

[0026] The body 36 of the footwear assembly 34 has an upper surface 56 and a lower surface 58. The upper surface 56 is positioned adjacent to a bottom surface 60 of the outsole 28 when the footwear assembly is attached to the article of footwear 20. The upper surface 56 is substantially flat to conform to the bottom surface 60 of the outsole 28, and more specifically, to the bottom surfaces 62 of the tread members 32 on the outsole. In another embodiment, the upper surface 56 of the body 36 is contoured and/or has recessed areas that correspond to the shape and contour of the tread members 32 on the outsole 28. Forming the upper surface 56 to closely conform to the bottom surface 60 of the outsole 28 or the bottom surfaces 62 of the tread members 32, helps to minimize movement of the footwear assembly 34 relative to the outsole 28 and thereby helps a user to maintain stability and balance during movement.

[0027] As shown, the lower surface 58 of the body 36 has a plurality of tread members 63 comprised of alternately arranged protrusions or ribs 64 and grooves 66 that are each transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body 36. In another embodiment, one or more of the ribs 64 and/or grooves 66 extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 36. To enhance the grip of the footwear assembly 34 with the ground, the ribs 64 and grooves 66 extend from the medial side 48 to the lateral side 52 of the body 36. In another embodiment, one of more of the ribs 64 and/or grooves 66 have a width that is less than the width of the body 36. As shown, the ribs 64 each have a shape where a bottom end 68 of each rib is narrower than a top end 70 of the ribs (Fig. 6). This shape helps the ribs 64 to grip an underlying surface during movement to maintain stability, balance and control. It should be appreciated that the ribs 64 and grooves 66 may have any suitable shape and size.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the footwear assembly 34 is placed against the outsole

28 of the article of footwear 20, and more specifically, against the rear end 42 of the sole 22 and secured to the article of footwear by a first securing member 72 and a second securing member 74. Preferably, the first and second securing members 72 and 74 are resilient cords made of an elastic material or similar material, that enables the first securing member 72 to be stretched about and onto the heel 76 of the article of footwear 20 and the second securing member 74 to be stretched over and onto the upper 26. In this way, the first and second securing members 72 and 74 secure the footwear assembly 34 to the article of footwear 20. It should be appreciated that the first securing member 72 and/or the second securing member 74 may be made with a resilient material, a rubber material, a cloth material or any suitable material or combination of materials.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 3 and 6-8, the second securing member 74 includes an adjustment device 78 attached to the second securing member to enable a user to be able to adjust the length of the second securing member to tighten or loosen the second securing member relative to the article of footwear 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustment device 78 has a first housing 80 with a through-hole and a second housing 82 that is movably connected to the first housing and moves between a first position and a second position. The second housing 82 has a through-hole that aligns with the through- hole of the first housing 80 in the first position and is misaligned with the through-hole of the first housing in the second position. A biasing member, such as a coil spring (not shown), is positioned between the first housing 80 and the second housing 82 and biases the second housing to the first position (or compressed position). In use, the first securing member 72 is threaded through the through-holes of the first housing 80 and the second housing 82 when the second housing is pushed inward toward the first housing against the biasing force of the coil spring. It should be appreciated that the adjustment device 78 may be a buckle having a clasp, a releasable ratchet assembly, a knob that is rotated to tighten and loosen the second securing member or any suitable adjustment device.

[0030] After the first securing member 72 is threaded through both of the through- holes, the pressure on the second housing 82 is released and the coil spring biases the second housing to the second position (or non-com pressed position), which causes the first and second housings to clamp the first securing member. To adjust the tightness of the first securing member 72 on the article of footwear, a user pushes the first housing 80 toward the second housing 82 and pulls the first securing member (away from the article of footwear 20) through the through-holes of the first and second housings to tighten the first securing member against the article of footwear, and pushes or moves the first securing member 72 through the through-holes, i.e. , toward the article of footwear, to loosen the first securing member on the article of footwear. It should be appreciated that any suitable adjustment device 78 may be used to adjust the tightness or looseness of the first securing member 72 relative to the article of footwear 20. In another embodiment, the first securing member 72 does not have an adjustment device and has a length that is able to be extended over and secured to several different sizes of shoes. It should be appreciated that the adjustment device 78 may be attached to the first securing member, the second securing member or both the first and second securing members.

[0031] Referring to Figs. 6, 7, 9 and 10, the body of the footwear assembly 34 includes a through-hole 84 at the first end 38 of the body 36 and a through-hole 86 at the second end 40 of the body 36 (Fig. 6). In the illustrated embodiment, the through-holes 84 and 86 extend across the entire width of the body 36. The first and second securing members 72 and 74 are respectively threaded through the through-holes 86 and 84 of the body 36 and the ends of the first and second securing members are secured together by an adhesive, a material adhered to or heat sealed on the joined ends or by another suitable attachment method, to form an integral or continuous loop. In another embodiment, the body 36 includes first holes and second holes (not shown) formed on the medial and lateral sides of the body 36 and in the same locations as the through- holes 84 and 86, where each of the first and second holes extend partially into the body. In this embodiment, the ends of the first and second securing members 72 and 74 are inserted into the corresponding first and second holes and secured to the body by an adhesive, co-molded with the body or attached to the body by another suitable attachment method.

[0032] In the above embodiments, the body 36 of the footwear assembly 34 is preferably made of a foam material, such as a polyurethane foam material, to form a stability element on the article of footwear and provide sufficient cushioning and support to a user’s foot to minimize rotation of the foot to reduce stress and help prevent injury during movement uphill or downhill. The body may also be made with rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a composite material, a sustainable material, a recyclable material or any suitable material or combination of materials.

[0033] In use, when walking, hiking or running uphill or downhill, a user brings two of the footwear assemblies 34 with them and attaches one of the footwear assemblies 34 to their left shoe and one of the footwear assemblies 34 to their right shoe. Specifically, the user positions the body 36 of each footwear assembly 34 on or against the rear end or heel of their shoes for moving uphill as shown in Fig. 3 or against the front end or forefoot of their shoes for moving downhill as shown in Fig. 5. Once the footwear assembly 34 is positioned against the outsole 28 of the shoe, the user stretches the first securing member 72 or the second securing member 74 over their shoes and then stretches the other one of the first securing member or the second securing member over their shoes. The footwear assembly 34 may then be tightened against each shoe as needed by using the adjustment device 78 on the first securing member 72 as described above. After the footwear assembly 34 is secured to each shoe, the user proceeds to walk, hike or run. During movement, the footwear assembly 34 minimizes or limits the rotation of a user’s foot when the user is moving uphill or downhill, which provides support and cushioning and helps to reduce stress on the user’s feet and legs, and helps to prevent injury.

[0034] When the user is no longer moving uphill or downhill or is done walking, hiking or running, the user loosens the first securing member 72, if needed, using the adjustment device 78 and then pulls and/or stretches the first securing member and the second securing member 74 so that the first securing member and the second securing member are removed from the article of footwear. After the footwear assemblies 34 are removed from their shoes, the footwear assemblies are stored in a backpack or other storage container, or are carried by the user until they are needed again.

[0035] Referring to Figs. 1 and 11 -13, another embodiment of the footwear assembly 88 is shown where the footwear assembly 88 includes a base 90 made of a foam material or any suitable material, that is attached to a forefoot or a heel of a midsole or an outsole of a shoe shown in Fig. 1 , by inserting an attachment member, such as post 92, extending from an upper surface 94 of the base, into a corresponding receptacle 96 or 98 in the midsole or outsole of the shoe, and twisting or turning the base relative to the midsole or outsole to fix or lock the footwear assembly 88 to the heel or the forefoot of the midsole or outsole. The post 92 may be fixed in the receptacles 96 or 98 by a threaded connection as shown, or by a friction fit or any suitable connection method.

[0036] While particular embodiments of the present footwear assembly are shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.