Shoe sole structures

• US 6,295,744 B1
• Filed: 02/15/1995
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Anatomic Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anatomic Research Inc.
• Inventors: Ellis, Frampton E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US08/390,288
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 36/59.C, 36/59.R, 36/32.R, 36/28, 36/29, 361/14, 361/16, 36/12, 361/07, 361/08, 36/76.R, 36/25.R, 36/30.R
• US Class Current: 36/114
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/143 provided with wedged, concave or convex end portions, e.g. for improving roll-off of the foot
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/146 Concave end portions, e.g. with a cavity or cut-out portion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/148 Wedged end portions

Abstract

A construction for a shoe, particularly an athletic shoe, which includes a sole that conforms to the natural shape of the foot shoe, including the bottom and the sides, when that foot sole deforms naturally by flattening under load while walking or running in order to provide a stable support base for the foot and ankle. Deformation sipes such as slits or channels are introduced in horizontal plane of the shoe sole to provide it with flexibility roughly equivalent to that of the foot. The result is a shoe sole that accurately parallels the frontal plane deformation of the foot sole, which creates a stable base that is wide and flat even when tilted sideways in extreme pronation or supination motion. In marked contrast, conventional shoe soles are rigid and become highly unstable when tilted sideways because they are supported only by a thin bottom edge.

Claims

1. A shoe sole for a shoe, comprising:

a midsole and a bottom sole;

the midsole having a midsole inner surface and a midsole outer surface which together circumscribe a midsole lateral side, a midsole medial side and a midsole middle portion located between the midsole lateral side and the midsole medial side,

the midsole lateral side comprising a lateral sidemost section and the midsole medial side comprising a medial sidemost section, each said sidemost section being located outside of a straight vertical line extending through the midsole at a respective sidemost extent of said midsole inner surface, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;

at least one of the midsole lateral side and the midsole medial side comprising a convexly rounded midsole inner surface portion, the convexity being determined relative to a section of the midsole located directly adjacent to the convexly rounded midsole inner surface portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;

at least the midsole side having the at least one convexly rounded midsole inner surface portion comprising a concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion, the concavity being determined relative to an inner section of the midsole located directly adjacent to the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;

an upper part of the midsole in said at least one midsole side which has the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion extending up to above a level corresponding to lowest point of the midsole inner surface of the same midsole side,

the midsole comprising a first midsole portion which forms at least a part of the midsole middle portion and at least a part of the midsole side which has the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;

the midsole comprising a second midsole portion which forms at least a part of the midsole middle portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition,

said second midsole portion having at least a part with a midsole firmness that is different than a firmness of at least a part of said first midsole portion, all as measured in an area of the shoe sole adjacent and including said frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition;

the first and second midsole portions each having a contact surface which together form a boundary between said first and second midsole portions; and

a thickness of the first midsole portion gradually decreases from a first radial thickness to a lesser radial thickness, the radial thickness being measured from the boundary to an midsole outer surface of the first midsole portion located below a sidemost extent of a midsole side, and the radial thickness being measured along a line extending perpendicular to a line tangent to the boundary, all as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.

2. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first midsole portion comprises a greater midsole firmness than said second midsole portion, as measured in said area adjacent and including the frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

3. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein said frontal plane cross section is located in a heel area of the shoe sole.

4. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion extends through the sidemost extent, all as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

5. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein both the lateral and medial sole sides comprise a concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion, the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portions each extend through a sidemost extent of their respective midsole sides, all as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

6. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein a radial thickness between an inner surface of the first midsole portion and an outer surface of the first midsole portion tapers by decreasing gradually and substantially continuously from above the sidemost extent to the uppermost point of said midsoIe side having the rounded portions, as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

7. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein the concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion extends through the sidemost extent, all as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

8. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein both the midsole lateral and midsole medial sides comprise a concavely rounded midsole outer surface portion extending through a sidemost extent of their respective midsole sides, all as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition, the concavities being determined relative to an inner section of the midsole located directly adjacent to each respective concavely rounded midsole outer surface portions.

9. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein said boundary comprises a concavely rounded section, as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity being determined relative to a section of the second midsole portion located directly adjacent the concavely rounded section.

10. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 9, wherein the concavely rounded section extends through a sidemost extent of the second midsole portion adjacent the midsole side having the rounded portion, as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

11. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 6, wherein the second midsole portion includes:

a concavely rounded outer surface portion extending through a sidemost extent of the second midsole portion adjacent the midsole lateral side, and

another concavely rounded outer surface portion extending through a sidemost extent of the second midsole portion adjacent the medial midsole side, all as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition, the concavities existing relative to an inner section of the second midsole portion located directly adjacent to each respective concavely rounded outer surface portion of the second midsole portion.

12. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, comprising:

a sole inner surface and a sole outer surface;

a sole lateral side, a sole medial side, and a sole middle portion located between the sole lateral side and the sole medial side,

the sole lateral side including a lateral sidemost section and the sole medial side including a medial sidemost section, each said section being located outside of a straight vertical line extending through the sole at a respective sidemost extent of said inner surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition;

a concavely rounded portion located in one of the sole lateral and medial sides, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the shoe;

a midsole portion extending into the sidemost section of the sole side having the concavely rounded portion, and an upper part of said midsole portion extending up said sidemost section having the concavely rounded portion to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of an inner surface of the midsole portion located in the sidemost section having the concavely rounded portion, all as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright shoe condition; and

at least one internal slit located completely internal within said sole and extending into at least a part of said concavely rounded portion, as viewed in said shoe sole frontal plane cross section during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition.

13. The shoe sole construction of claim 12, further including:

a second slit, the second slit extending substantially perpendicular to an adjacent portion of the sole inner and outer surfaces and located completely internal to the sole,

the first slit is connected to the second slit and extends generally parallel to said adjacent portion of the sole outer surface.

14. The shoe sole construction of claim 12, further including:

a second slit, the second slit extending substantially perpendicular to an adjacent portion of the sole inner and outer surfaces and located completely internal to the shoe, and

a third slit, the third slit extending substantially parallel to the adjacent portion of the sole inner surface and located completely internal to the shoe,

the first slit extends generally parallel to said adjacent portion of the sole outer surface.

15. The shoe sole construction of claim 14, wherein the first, second, and third slits are all connected to one another.

16. The shoe sole construction as set forth in claim 12, wherein said at least one internal slit is located between a bottom sole and said midsole portion.

17. A shoe sole construction for a shoe, particularly an athletic shoe, comprising:

at least one rounded side portion, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane during a shoe sole unloaded, upright condition; and

at least one internal slit that is completely internal within said sole and extends into at least a part of said at least one rounded side portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross section;

at least a portion of an internal surface created by the at least one internal slit is non-porous and separated from another internal surface of the at least one internal slit by at least one lubricating agent with a viscosity that affects relative motion between the internal surfaces.