Athletic shoe with improved sole

• US 20020116842A1
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akeva LLC
• Original Assignee: Akeva LLC
• Inventors: Meschan, David F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,604,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/25R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/26 Resilient heels
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/36 characterised by their attachment; Securing devices for the attaching means combined with soles A43B13/28
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/433 rotatably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 21/52 Interchangeable heel parts without special attachments
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0042 with circular or circle shaped parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/142 situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/144 situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 999/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A shoe has an upper, a foot support region positioned below at least a portion of the upper to support the bottom of a user'"'"'s foot, a sole secured below the foot support region, and a flexible member positioned below at least a portion of the foot support region and above at least a portion of the sole. The flexible member has a top surface, a bottom surface, a peripheral portion, and an interior portion. The interior portion of the flexible member deflects in use in a direction substantially perpendicular to a major longitudinal axis of the shoe. At least a portion of the peripheral portion is restrained from movement relative to the interior portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe.

Claims

1. A shoe comprising:

an upper having a heel region;

a rear sole secured below the heel region of the upper; and

a rear sole support attached to the upper and configured to secure the rear sole below the heel region of the upper, the rear sole support including a flexible region positioned below the heel region of the upper and above a portion of the rear sole, the flexible region having an interior portion which in its normal, nonflexed state is spaced upwardly from the portion of the rear sole immediately below said interior portion, said flexible region being adapted to flex in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe as it is used.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper includes an arch region and the rear sole support further comprises an integral arch extension extending below the upper from a position proximate the heel region of the upper through a substantial portion of the arch region of the upper to support the arch region.

3. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising a forward sole attached to the upper, the rear sole support further comprising a downwardly extending wall defining a pocket adapted to receive a rear edge of the forward sole.

4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said flexible region includes a peripheral portion and wherein said interior portion of said flexible region is elevated relative to said peripheral portion.

5. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexible region is convex in shape with its dome facing upward.

6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexible region has a thickness that varies between the interior portion and the peripheral portion.

7. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexible region includes a plurality of spokes radially extending from its center toward the periphery of the flexible region.

8. The shoe of claim 1, further comprising a cushioning member positioned above the flexible region of the rear sole support.

9. The shoe of claim 8, wherein said cushioning member is disposed on the top surface of said flexible region.

10. The shoe of claim 9, wherein said cushioning member includes a U-shaped portion formed to cushion the impact of a user'"'"'s heel.

11. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said flexible region includes at its outer perimeter a cylindrical rim.

12. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said flexible region has a preselected stiffness and spacing relative to said rear sole such that the interior portion of said flexible region will not under normal conditions ever contact the portion of said rear sole immediately below said interior portion.

13. The shoe of claim 1, wherein said flexible region includes a flexible plate secured to said rear sole support.

14. The shoe of claim 13, further comprising means for detachably securing said flexible plate to said rear sole support.

15. The shoe of claim 14, further comprising means for detachably securing said rear sole to said rear sole support.

18. The shoe of claim 17, wherein the interconnecting member is configured to allow selective rotation of the rear sole relative to the member without disengaging the member from the rear sole support.

16. A shoe comprising:

an upper having a heel region and an arch region;

a rear sole secured below the heel region of the upper; and

a rear sole support attached to the upper and configured to secure the rear sole below the heel region of the upper, the rear sole support including an integral flexible region formed as part of said rear sole support and positioned below the heel region of the upper and above a portion of the rear sole, at least the central portion of said flexible region being spaced upwardly from the portion of the rear sole immediately below said central portion when it is in its normal, nonflexed state and being adapted to flex in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe as it is used.

17. A shoe comprising:

an upper having a heel region;

a rear sole support attached to the heel region of the upper;

a rear sole; and

a member interconnecting the rear sole with the rear sole support, the member including a wall having an outer surface adapted to engage the rear sole support and an inner surface adapted to engage the rear sole, the member including a flexible region adapted to be positioned between the heel region of the upper and at least a portion of the rear sole when the member engages the rear sole support, the flexible region having an interior portion which in its normal, nonflexed state is spaced upwardly from the portion of the rear sole immediately below said interior portion, skid flexible region being adapted to flex in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe as it is used.