Massage Sandal

Sandals, of the open type, have been worn for centuries, primarily for their comfort to the wearer. Such sandals consist essentially of a relatively flat sole portion and an upper strap or thong arrangement to secure the sole portion to the foot of the wearer. The sole portions have been of rigid material such as wood and flexible material such as leather or rubber. The innersole or top of the sole portions has in some instances affixed thereto, or integral with, a flexible or cushion material such as foam sponge layer, or a felt layer.

In one embodiment of a prior art sandal, the innersole has molded knobs of relatively rigid composition which support the foot and which provide pressure points on which the sole of the foot is supported. The knobs are short, and relatively squat, and form platforms to support the foot.

In the present invention, a series of very flexible, relatively thin points are molded into the flexible sole of a sandal. These flexible points, as distinct from the prior art innersoles, including the prior art innersole having molded knobs of relatively rigid composition thereon, provide a very active and substantial massage effect when the sandal is used by a wearer. Such substantial massage effect results from continuous movement of the points under the influence of a wearer's walking motion or other movement of the foot.

The flexible points readily are deflected over on to their side in diverse and wanton directions when force is applied by the foot. Subsequently, when the foot is lifted, the flexible points spring back into an upright position, resulting in a massage effect both when the points are deflected downwardly as force is applied, and when the points spring back to their upright position when force is removed. These flexible points in effect give a stroking motion to the minute, limited area with which the points are in contact with the foot. The points are spaced very closely together, for instance 36 points per square inch. The points are, for instance, 0.20 inches high and 0.09 inches in thickness at the base and tapering to a diameter of 0.05 inches at the top thereof.

The sandal may optionally have a raised portion on the undersole thereof, whereby the sole itself is raised above the ground.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sandal of the invention showing the bottom sole in the upper portion of FIG. 1, and the inner sole as well as the flexible straps, at the bottom portion of the figure.

FIG. 2 is a left-side elevation of the sandal being worn by a user, with the user's foot being inclined in a forward direction.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the foot of a user being supported in a sandal.

As seen in FIG. 1, a massage sandal 20 has a sole portion 21 having an inner sole 22 and a bottom sole 23. Attached to sole portion 21 are the upper retaining straps 25 having diagonal closing straps 26 and 27. The entire sandal is suitably molded in one piece out of a flexible material such as rubber or polyurethane.

Molded integrally on the inner sole are a series of flexible points 28 formed in tapering fashion, having a wider base at 30 and a narrower apex at 31. The configuration of the point is such that it is highly flexible and in flex substantially under the weight of a user. A suitable dimension of the point is one having a base diameter of 0.09 inches, an apex diameter of 0.05 inches, and a height of 0.20 inches. The points are densely spaced on the inner sole so that numerous points are in contact with the entire sole of the foot. For instance, a suitable density would be 36 points per square inch.

The bottom sole 23 can be of a raised integral portion having a suitable configuration of, for instance "tees" 32, crosses 33, curved lines 35 and a perimeter 36. Such raised portions 23 are selected to provide support points underneath the ball, heel, and arch of the foot of the wearer.

In use, the wearer inserts his foot 37 into the confines of the upper straps 25, bringing the sole of his foot into contact with inner sole 22 and the points 28 thereon. The points flex when the wearer puts his weight on the sandal as best seen in FIG. 4 wherein the heel 37 of the wearer causes points 28 to flex in a plurality of directions as seen at 38 and 40 when the wearer relieves his weight from the sandal as seen for instance in FIG. 2 where his heel moves from a downward position as shown in phantom lines 41 to an upward position as seen at 42, the points spring from the flexed position of FIG. 4 to the upright position, as seen under the heel of FIG. 2. Such flexing movement of the points during activity by the wearer results in a constant massage effect of the bare foot of the wearer.

The bottom sole 23 as seen particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4 can be molded of varying heights whereby a concave effect can be achieved on the upper sole, in a transverse direction, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The perimeter 36 is molded of relatively greater height than the portions within the perimeter such as 33 and 34.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I therefore claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.