US Patent Issued to Drew Layne on March 17 for "Ballet pointe shoe" (Texas Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 17 -- United States Patent no. 12,575,636, issued on March 17, was assigned to Drew Layne LLC.

"Ballet pointe shoe" was invented by Mark Suffolk (Oak Point, Texas) and Keri Suffolk (Oak Point, Texas).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A ballet pointe shoe prior to first use by a dancer is disclosed that comprises a toebox, a platform, a heel, an upper, a shank, a sole, a curve on the shank between the heel and the toebox positioned to include a preferred break point. The first curve follows an arch of the dancer's foot when the dancer is wearing the ballet pointe shoe. The ballet pointe shoe also comprises a flexible support member positioned at the curve that elastically se...