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Shoe having features for increased flexibility

  • US 10,624,418 B2
  • Filed: 01/25/2016
  • Issued: 04/21/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A shoe comprising:

  • a sole comprising a sole bottom surface, a sole lateral side surface, a sole medial side surface, a sole heel end surface, and a sole toe end surface, the sole bottom surface extending transversely from the sole lateral side surface to the sole medial side surface, the sole lateral side surface and the sole medial side surface extending upwardly from the sole bottom surface, the sole extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole toe end surface, the sole including a sole heel region, a sole midfoot region, a sole metatarsal region, a sole ball region, and a sole toe region, the sole heel region extending longitudinally from the sole heel end surface to the sole midfoot region, the sole midfoot region extending longitudinally from the sole heel region to the sole metatarsal region, the sole metatarsal region extending from the sole midfoot region to the sole ball region, the sole ball region extending longitudinally from the sole metatarsal region to the sole toe region, and the sole toe region extending longitudinally from the sole ball region to the sole toe end surface, the sole ball region including a sole medial ball region and a sole lateral ball region;

    an upper operatively secured to the sole, the upper comprising an upper heel region, an upper lateral midfoot region, an upper medial midfoot region, an upper metatarsal region, an upper lateral ball region, an upper medial ball region, and an upper toe region, the upper metatarsal region including an upper lateral metatarsal region and an upper medial metatarsal region, the upper having an upper lateral side region and an upper medial side region, the upper lateral side region including the upper lateral midfoot region, the upper lateral metatarsal region and the upper lateral ball region, the upper medial side region including the upper medial midfoot region, the upper medial metatarsal region and the upper medial ball region; and

    a welt;

    the sole and the upper collectively defining a seam, the seam having a seam heel region, a seam lateral midfoot region, a seam lateral metatarsal region, a seam lateral ball region, a seam toe region, a seam medial ball region, a seam medial metatarsal region, and a seam medial midfoot region, the seam heel region extending from the seam medial midfoot region to the seam lateral midfoot region, the seam lateral midfoot region extending from the seam heel region to the seam lateral metatarsal region, the seam lateral metatarsal region extending from the seam midfoot region to the seam lateral ball region, the seam lateral ball region extending from the seam lateral metatarsal region to the a seam toe region, the seam toe region extending from the seam lateral ball region to the seam medial ball region, the seam medial ball region extending from the seam toe region to the seam medial metatarsal region, the seam medial metatarsal region extending from the seam medial ball region to the seam medial midfoot region, and the seam medial midfoot region extending from the seam medial metatarsal region to the seam heel region;

    the welt comprising at least one piece separate from the sole and separate from the upper, the welt being secured to at least one of the sole and the upper, the welt covering at least part of the seam lateral side region and at least part of the seam medial side region;

    the sole including a first plurality of flex grooves in the sole bottom surface, the first plurality of flex grooves extending transversely from the sole medial side surface toward the sole lateral side surface;

    the welt including a first plurality of welt slits, at least some of the welt slits of the first plurality of welt slits being adjacent at least some of the flex grooves of the first plurality of flex grooves.

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