Fit and support system for the foot

Abstract

A footwear device (2000) comprises a rigid base (2100) for supporting the foot (2001) of a user thereon, a heel counter (2300) on the rigid base (2100) for contact with the foot (2001) of a user in a first area of the foot posterior to the posterior aspect of the heel of the foot, a medial forefoot counter (2201) associated with the rigid base (2100) for contact with the foot (2001) of a user in a second area of the foot medial to the medial aspect of the head of the first metatarsal of the foot, and a forefoot/midfoot compression member (2400) for contact with the foot (2001) of a user in a third area of the foot located on the dorsum of the foot for exerting a downwardly and rearwardly directed force on the dorsum of the foot. The footwear device (2000) further includes a sports implement interface member (2101) on the rigid base (2100) for interfacing with a sports implement, such as a snow ski, or an ice skate blade or an in-line skate wheel system. The interface member (2101) is movable in a medial/lateral direction with respect to a user's foot (2001) into different positions relative to the rigid base 2100 and includes means for selectively locking the interface member (2101) in one of the positions relative to the rigid base (2100). The footwear device 2000 also includes other features, such as an instep counter (2420) which is pivotable about two different axes relative to the rigid base (2100), stops (2436, 2437) for limiting the pivotal movement of the instep counter (2420), an adjustable heel counter (2300) and an adjustable medial forefoot counter (2201).