Locking midsole and insole assembly

• US 10,172,414 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Superfeet Worldwide Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Superfeet Worldwide Incorporated
• Inventors: Hayes, Eric Paris, Gooch, Matthew Warren, Wakeland, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bays, Marie D
• Application Number:
  US15/226,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 36100, 36101, 36 10, 36 55, 36 30 R, 36 31, 36 43, 36 44
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/023 Soles with several layers of the same material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/12 Soles with several layers of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/00 Insoles for insertion, e.g. footbeds or inlays, for attachment to the shoe after the upper has been joined
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/02 wedge-like or resilient
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 17/12 made of wood
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/00 Footwear characterised by the assembling of the individual parts

Abstract

A footwear item includes an insole, an outsole, and a midsole. The insole includes an insole top surface, an insole bottom surface, and an insole sidewall. The outsole includes an outsole top surface and an outsole bottom surface. The midsole is positioned between the insole and the outsole. The midsole is configured to nest onto the top surface of the outsole. In at least the heel region, the midsole includes a strobel upper surface and a strobel sidewall configured to nestingly receive a heel region of the insole. In addition, an interface between the strobel upper surface and the strobel sidewall includes a fillet region configured to support and reduce lateral-medial movement of the insole relative to the midsole.

Claims

1. A footwear item comprising:

an insole having a heel region with a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall, the insole sidewall having a periphery contour; and

a midsole having a toe region and a heel region with a midsole upper surface and a midsole sidewall, the midsole sidewall having an inner surface with a shape that inversely matches the periphery contour of the insole sidewall of the insole heel region prior to receiving the insole, the inversely matched inner surface of the midsole heel region sloping inward from top to bottom, the inversely matched inner surface of the midsole heel region being configured to nestingly receive at least the insole heel region and to laterally lock the insole relative to the midsole, wherein an interface between a heel region of the midsole upper surface and the midsole sidewall includes a fillet region configured to closely receive and support the insole heel region and reduce lateral-medial movement of the insole heel region relative to the midsole.

2. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the insole is made from a cork material.

3. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein the insole is made from a combination of a cork material and an ethylene vinyl acetate material.

4. The footwear item of claim 1, further comprising a strobel and upper between the midsole and the insole, wherein the fillet region is complementarily shaped with respect to the insole heel region, the strobel and upper following the contour between the midsole and insole.

5. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein the midsole is made from a combination of a cork material and an ethylene vinyl acetate material.

6. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein the midsole is configured to matingly receive the insole along a majority of the length of the insole.

7. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein the insole has a toe region that includes a flexible material.

8. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein an arch region of the midsole is contoured to nestingly receive an arch region of the insole to provide support to the insole arch region.

9. The footwear item of claim 1, further comprising an upper disposed between the midsole and the insole, the upper having a heel region with a sidewall, the upper sidewall having a lower portion, the lower portion of the upper sidewall being fixed to the midsole and following the complementarily shaped inner surface of the midsole heel region, the insole being spaced apart from the midsole heel region by at least the lower portion of the upper sidewall when the insole is nestingly received and laterally locked relative to the midsole.

10. The footwear item of claim 1, wherein the midsole sidewall of the midsole heel region has a top edge, the top surface of the insole heel region has a central portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion, and, after at least the insole heel region is nestingly received in the midsole heel region, the central portion of the insole heel region is disposed below the top edge of the midsole sidewall of the midsole heel region and one or more of the medial portion or the lateral portion of the top surface of the insole heel region are disposed above the top edge of the midsole sidewall of the midsole heel region.

11. A footwear item comprising:

an insole having a heel region with a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall, the insole sidewall having a periphery contour; and

a midsole having a toe region and a heel region, the midsole comprising;

an upper surface;

a sidewall that slopes inward from top to bottom; and

an interface between the upper surface and the sidewall, the interface including a fillet region, the fillet region being shaped to inversely match the insole sidewall of the insole heel region, prior to receiving the insole, to nestingly and closely receive a heel region of the insole of the footwear item and to laterally lock the insole of the footwear item relative to the midsole.

12. The footwear item of claim 11, wherein the midsole is made from a combination of a cork material and an ethylene vinyl acetate material.

13. The footwear item of claim 12, wherein an amount of the cork material is greater than or less than an amount of the ethylene vinyl acetate material by weight, volume or both.

14. A method of making a footwear item, the method comprising:

making an insole with a heel region having an insole top surface, an insole bottom surface and an insole sidewall, the insole sidewall of the insole heel region having a periphery contour;

making a midsole with a toe region and a heel region having a midsole upper surface and a midsole sidewall, the midsole sidewall having an inner surface that slopes inward from top to bottom, wherein an interface between the midsole upper surface and the midsole sidewall includes a fillet region, the fillet region being shaped to inversely match the periphery contour of the insole sidewall of the insole heel region prior to receiving the insole; and

arranging the insole onto the midsole to nestingly and closely receive the insole heel region in the midsole heel region and to laterally lock the insole heel region relative to the midsole.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein making the insole includes making at least a portion of the insole from a cork material.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein making the insole includes making at least a portion from a combination of a cork material and an ethylene vinyl acetate material.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein making the midsole includes shaping the fillet region to be complementarily shaped with respect to the insole.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein making the midsole includes making the midsole from a combination of a cork material and an ethylene vinyl acetate material.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein an amount of the cork material is greater than or less than an amount of the ethylene vinyl acetate material by weight, volume or both.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising making a toe region of the insole with a flexible material.