Shoe with naturally contoured sole
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, comprising:
- a shoe sole having a flat sole portion including an upper, foot sole-contacting surface;
the shoe sole also having at least one contoured side portion merging with the flat sole portion and the contoured side portion having an upper, foot sole-contacting surface conforming to the curved shape of at least a part of one side of the foot sole of a wearer;
and the shoe sole having a uniform thickness, when measured in frontal plane cross sections, in all direct load-bearing parts of the shoe sole;
the direct load-bearing parts of the shoe sole includes both that part of the sole portion and that part of the contoured side portion which become directly load-bearing when the shoe sole on the ground is tilted sideways, away from an upright position;
the uniform thickness of the shoe sole extends through at least a contoured side portion providing direct structural support between foot sole and ground through a sideways tilt of at least 20 degrees;
said shoe sole thickness being defined as the shortest distance between any point on an upper, foot sole-contacting surface of said shoe sole and a lower, ground-contacting surface of said shoe sole, when measured in frontal plane cross sections;
said flat sole portion having a varying thickness when measured in sagittal plane cross sections, said thickness being greater in the heel area than in the forefoot area;
said thickness of the contoured side portion equaling and therefore varying directly with the thickness of the flat sole portion to which it is merged, when the thickness is measured in the frontal plane cross sections;
the uniform thickness of the shoe sole is different in at least two frontal plane cross sections wherein the shoe sole has a contoured side portion of at least 20 degrees, so that there are at least two different contoured side portion thicknesses, when measured in frontal plane cross sections;
whereby the constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections, including the side portion, maintains foot stability like when bare, especially during pronation and supination motion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A construction for a shoe, particularly an athletic shoe such as a running shoe, includes a sole that conforms to the natural shape of the foot, particularly the sides, and that has a constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections. The thickness of the shoe sole side contour equals and therefore varies exactly as the thickness of the load-bearing sole portion varies due to heel lift, for example. Thus, the outer contour of the edge portion of the sole has at least a portion which lies along a theoretically ideal stability plane for providing natural stability and efficient motion of the shoe and foot particularly in an inverted and everted mode.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, comprising:
-
a shoe sole having a flat sole portion including an upper, foot sole-contacting surface; the shoe sole also having at least one contoured side portion merging with the flat sole portion and the contoured side portion having an upper, foot sole-contacting surface conforming to the curved shape of at least a part of one side of the foot sole of a wearer; and the shoe sole having a uniform thickness, when measured in frontal plane cross sections, in all direct load-bearing parts of the shoe sole; the direct load-bearing parts of the shoe sole includes both that part of the sole portion and that part of the contoured side portion which become directly load-bearing when the shoe sole on the ground is tilted sideways, away from an upright position; the uniform thickness of the shoe sole extends through at least a contoured side portion providing direct structural support between foot sole and ground through a sideways tilt of at least 20 degrees; said shoe sole thickness being defined as the shortest distance between any point on an upper, foot sole-contacting surface of said shoe sole and a lower, ground-contacting surface of said shoe sole, when measured in frontal plane cross sections; said flat sole portion having a varying thickness when measured in sagittal plane cross sections, said thickness being greater in the heel area than in the forefoot area; said thickness of the contoured side portion equaling and therefore varying directly with the thickness of the flat sole portion to which it is merged, when the thickness is measured in the frontal plane cross sections; the uniform thickness of the shoe sole is different in at least two frontal plane cross sections wherein the shoe sole has a contoured side portion of at least 20 degrees, so that there are at least two different contoured side portion thicknesses, when measured in frontal plane cross sections; whereby the constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections, including the side portion, maintains foot stability like when bare, especially during pronation and supination motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, comprising:
-
a shoe sole with an upper, foot sole-contacting surface that conforms to the shape of a wearer'"'"'s foot sole, including at least part of the curved bottom portion of the foot sole when the foot is non-load-bearing and including at least a portion of a curved side of the foot sole; and the shoe sole has a constant thickness, when measured in frontal plane cross sections, wherever the shoe sole is directly load-bearing; the direct load-bearing portion of the shoe sole includes both that part of the curved bottom portion and that part of the curved side portion which become directly load-bearing when the shoe sole on the ground is tilted sideways, away from an upright position; said shoe sole thickness being defined as the shortest distance between any point on an upper foot sole-contacting surface of said shoe sole and a lower ground-contacting surface of said shoe sole, when measured in frontal plane cross sections; said thickness varying when measured in the sagittal plane and being greater in a heel area than a forefoot area; the uniform thickness of the shoe sole extends through at least a contoured side portion providing direct structural support between foot sole and ground through a sideways tilt of at least 45 degrees; the uniform thickness of the shoe sole is different in at least two frontal plane cross sections wherein the shoe sole has a contoured side portion of at least 45 degrees, so that there are at least two different contoured side portion thicknesses, when measured in frontal plane cross sections; at least one frontal plane cross section is taken proximate to a head of the wearer'"'"'s fifth metatarsal and at least one other frontal plane cross section is taken proximate to a base of the wearer'"'"'s fifth metatarsal; whereby the constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections, including the side portion, maintains foot stability like when bare, especially during extreme pronation and supination motion.
-
-
29. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, comprising:
-
a shoe sole having an upper, foot-contacting surface that conforms to the shape of a wearer'"'"'s foot sole, and including a portion of at least a curved side of the foot sole; and the shoe sole also having a uniform thickness so that a lower, ground-contacting surface parallels said upper surface, when measured in frontal plane cross sections; the upper and lower surfaces of the shoe sole are parallel, when measured in frontal plane cross sections, wherever the shoe sole is directly load-bearing; the direct load-bearing portion of the shoe sole includes both that part of the curved bottom portion and that part of the curved side portion which become directly load-bearing when the shoe sole on the ground is tilted sideways, away from an upright position; said shoe sole including a heel area with a thickness that is greater than a forefoot area; the uniform thickness of the shoe sole extends through at least a contoured side portion providing direct structural support between foot sole and ground through a sideways tilt of at least 90 degrees; whereby a constant thickness when in frontal plane cross sections increases maintains foot stability like when bare, especially during extreme pronation and supination motion.
-
Specification