Oh, pagtents! SNEEX last*

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

According to the Shoemaker Academy: 

The shoe last is the starting point of every shoe design and has been called ‘the heart of the shoe.’ […] The shape of the last determines the fit, performance, ergonomics, and style of a shoe, and is also what makes a shoe suitable for playing basketball, climbing mountains, or running a marathon. Great-looking shoe design is nothing if the last is not appropriate for the shoe’s function.

Accordingly, the SNEEX stiletto last is a patented design. The SNEEX last was awarded the US design patent USD982304S, titled Shoe last. The patent was awarded on April 4, 2023, to Sara Blakely, Jadideah Yarbrough and Sylma Colon-Otten.

Below the patent Figure 1 showing a front, left-side, perspective view of the patented shoe last, together with an image of the SNEEX last used to design SNEEX stilettos. The image of the yellow SNEEX last illustrates the gap in support on the footbed of a regular stiletto. A gap that the SNEEX stiletto design precisely fills as part of the comfort innovations of the shoe.

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* En français, forme de cordonnier.

References
Shoemakers Academic – What is a shoe last?
https://shoemakersacademy.com/what-is-a-shoe-last/
SNEEX (website)
www.sneex.com

Oh, patents! SNEEX stilettos

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

SNEEX stilettos are luxury high-heeled shoes that were designed as comfortable as sneakers. SNEEX stilettos were masterminded by none other than Sara Blakely, the famous founder, and manifold inventor, of SPANX clothing. In Blakely’s own terms: “We put a man on the moon. I’ve been dreaming of designing a comfortable hi-heel since wearing them.” However, like many women, she found herself having to take them off on many occasions, for various reasons.  Thus, SNEEX stilettos incorporate much comfort innovation into their fabrication, in the spirit of SPANX, which boasts an impressive patent portfolio. 

 SNEEX shoes have 3-inch stiletto heels.  They are made in Spain, of premium, supple, napa leather and suedes from Italy and France. Beyond luxury, SNEEX shoes resolve three important problems related to stilettos. First, SNEEX stilettos offer a much more spacious toe box, to resolve the problem of tightly squeezed toes. Secondly, SNEEX stilettos compensate the height of three-inch heels with a platform sole, so that SNEEX stilettos distribute weight in a proportion closer to 50% on the heel and 50% on the ball of the foot, comparable to sneakers, in contrast to an 80% - 20% distribution with traditional stilettos. Finally, SNEEX stilettos, offer no gap on the footbed for supporting the user’s foot, especially under the arch. The result is a stiletto that was designed for “walking, dancing and dreaming!” A stiletto without compromise between style and comfort.

The US design patent, USD1020201S1, titled Shoe, was awarded on April 2^nd, 2024, to Sara Blakely, Jadideah Yarbrough and Sylma  Colon-Otten. The figure drawing on the patent cover page is included below, together with images of The Blake, one of the marketed SNEEX stiletto models.

The patent figure shows right and bottom-up, perspective views of the patented shoe design. On the patent figure, the upper portions of the shoe, within dotted lines, indicate portions of the design uncovered by the patent. Thus, the patent exclusively protects the ornamental features of the SNEEX sole, for a shoe where the uppers and heel may vary. 

Reference
SNEEX
www.sneex.com

SPANX

www.spanx.com

International Translation Day 2024

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

September 30th is International Translators Day. A day to celebrate and raise awareness of the role that translators play “in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding and development”, per the United Nations Resolution 71/288. The United Nations resolution that proclaimed, on May 24th, 2017, International Translation Day on September 30th, each year.

September 30th is also the Day of the Feast of Saint Gerome in the Gregorian Calendar of Saints. Saint Gerome was the monk known to have translated the Old Testament of the Bible, to Latin directly from Hebrew. A translation of the Old Testament, known as the Vulgate, and dated circa 400 (Third century AD). The Vulgate is also known as Gutenberg’s Bible, as it was the version of the bible selected as the first book ever printed, in 1454, on Gutenberg’s press. In this capacity, the monk was officially canonized a saint in 1767 by Pope Clement XIII. Thus, in the catholic tradition, Saint Gerome became patron saint of translators, biblical scholars, librarians and encyclopedists, first celebrated each September 30th.

Scrolling forward to 2024, the International Federation of Translators selected the theme “Preserving the art of Translation”, in defense of copyrighted translations, in the age of Chat GTP version 4.0 and Large Language Model (LLM)-driven translations. Indeed, the theme makes clear that however scaffolded with machine translation, the translation of a published work, literary or other, remains a human endeavor. A human endeavor on a par with other sorts of creations that might be copyrighted, unless otherwise specified as machine-generated, and un-reviewed.

On a different note, on International Translation Day 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) emphasized translation and interpretation of indigenous languages, as a prerequisite to shifting the dynamics of power, development and recognition in the world. Indeed, far too much indigenous knowledge and know-how is plainly robbed from indigenous people and communities, simply because it is untranslated, or untranscribed in the case of oral traditions.

As a result, the problem of copyrights put forward by the International Federation of Translators was compounded. Not only should the translator’s work be recognized in the publication sphere, but the task of translating indigenous languages must be commissioned. A task that will make it possible, in turn, for the actual content and source of the translations to also become recognized, especially when it is the original intellectual property of indigenous communities.

Thus, International Translators Day 2024 took on a more political stance. A political stance in defense of indigenous languages, and the translator's work, which has the potential to bring about greater justice, and a better distribution of power in the world.

References

IFT – International Federation of Translators.

https://en.fit-ift.org/ 

UNESCO – International Translation Day.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/exploring-multifaceted-aspects-humanity-international-translation-day 

UN – International Translation Day 2024.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-translation-day 

UN Resolution 71/288

https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n17/149/29/pdf/n1714929.pdf

Oh, patents! Kizik Mars Roamer

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

If you could ever roam the red planet, you might enjoy the feeling of walking on marshmallows with Kizik Mars Roamers. Kizik Mars Roamers are the latest, foam-flex, no-hands, collapsable-heel, slip-on shoes. The ornamental aspects of the Mars Roamers are patented. The US design patent, USD1029459S1, titled Shoe was awarded on June 4, 2024. 

Below, the patent Figure 1 shows a side perspective view of the shoe. An image of the marketed Kizik Mars Roamer, in the color Moon Dust, is also included. 

 

Below, a YouTube video advertising for the Kizik Mars Roamer. 

Reference

Kizik (website)

www.kizik.com

Oh, patents! Kiziks lattice heel design (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Another US design patent, USD1038607S1, titled footwear, was awarded for a more crisscrossed design of the Kizik,  compressible lattice, spring-back heel technology. This design, comprising increased crisscrossing, designated the Internal Cage™,  is actually hidden inside the heel portion of the corresponding Kizik footwear models. The patent was awarded on August 14, 2024. 

Below, the patent Figure 1 depicts a left view of the latticed heel structure for footwear, together with an image of an embodiment of the hidden technology, for the marketed Kizik Lima model, in the color grey for men. The dotted lines on the Figure 1 drawing indicate the portion of the design that is unprotected by the patent. As a result, the protected design might be used on a variety of models with different uppers.

Reference
KIZIK (website)
www.kizik.com

Oh, patents! Kiziks lattice heel design (1)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The compressible lattice heel, spring back invention, invoked in the  Kiziks no-hands slip-on footwear, has also received several US design patents. The US design patent USD943946S1, titled Lattice structure for footwear, was awarded on February 22, 2022.

Below, the patent Figure 1 depicts a side perspective view of the lattice structure for footwear, together with an image of an embodiment of the technology, found on the marketed Kizik Athens shoe model (in surf and lime colors for women). The dotted lines on the Figure 1 drawing indicate the portion of the design unprotected by the design patent. Thus, the rest of the footwear might vary as specified elsewhere in the description of the invention. 

References

KIZIK (website)

www.kizik.com

Oh, patents! Kiziks, no hands slip-on footwear

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Kiziks are no hands, slip-on shoes. Kizik heels not only collapse, enabling feet to slip inside Kizik shoes, Kizik heels also spring back, recovering their original shape, again and again. Indeed, Kizik heels are subjected to compression forces with spring back, at least 30,000 times during testing. 

The collapse and spring-back heel technology, and many additional aspects of the Kizik shoes, are patented. For example, the original lattice heel spring-back technology, marketed as the Cage®, was awarded, on May 2020, the US utility patent, US10638810B1, titled Rapid-entry footwear having a compressible lattice structure.  

The patent recites rapid-entry shoes defined as various types of shoes, such as athleisure, casual, formal, dress, sports, including tennis, golf, bowling, running, football, basketball and soccer shoes, as well as walking shoes, sandals or other types. Rapid-entry shoes with “a compressible lattice structure in the heel portion to facilitate rapid, easy donning and doffing of shoes”. A compressible lattice heel structure 110, comprising a closed position with a smaller shoe opening to retain the user’s foot inside the shoe, and an expanded open position to let the user’s foot in, respectively illustrated in the below Figures 2a and 2b of the rapid-entry shoe 100.

The Figures 2a and 2b further depict apertures 112 of the compressible lattice heel structure 110. The apertures 112, whether void, or filled with a polymer or material substructure, are designed to accommodate compression forces. The patent further recites that the compressible lattice heal structure 110 might be molded or 3D printed. The Figures 2a and 2b also show a stabilizer 120 designed to prevent inward deflection or buckling of the heel.  

Below, a short video shows how easy it is to slip on a pair of Kiziks. However, according to the patent specification, not only were the Kizik rapid-entry shoes designed for convenience, they were also designed for those without the mobility required to slip on a pair of shoes. 

Below, the abstract of the invention.

Disclosed is a shoe having a compressible lattice structure in a heel portion to facilitate rapid, easy donning and doffing of shoes. In example embodiments, the lattice structure includes a plurality of interconnected, overlapping, intersecting and/or woven ribs defining a plurality of apertures. The lattice structure has an open position in which the shoe opening is expanded to facilitate reception of a foot of an individual wearing the rapid-entry shoe, and a closed position in which the shoe opening is smaller to retain the foot within the rapid-entry shoe. [Abstract US10638810B1] 

Reference
Kizik (website)
www.kizik.com