Shoe sole with rounded inner and outer side surfaces

• US 6,314,662 B1
• Filed: 03/09/2000
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anatomic Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Anatomic Research Inc.
• Inventors: Ellis, Frampton E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US09/522,174
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 36/25.R, 36/30.R, 36/28, 36/31, 36/32.R, 36/88, 36/91, 361/14, 361/27, 361/29, 36/69
• US Class Current: 36/25.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/125 characterised by the midsole or middle layer
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• 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 13/145 Convex portions, e.g. with a bump or projection, e.g. 'Masai' type shoes
• 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
• 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 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes

Abstract

An athletic shoe sole for a shoe has side portions with concavely rounded inner and outer surfaces, as viewed in at least a heel area and a midtarsal area of the shoe sole. The rounded surfaces increasing at least one of lateral and medial stability of the sole. The concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface located at the heel area extends substantially continuously through a sidemost part of the sole side. The rounded portion of the sole outer surface located at the midtarsal area extends up the sole side to at least a level corresponding to a lowest point of the sole inner surface. A midsole component of the shoe sole extends into the sidemost section of the sole side and also extends up the sole side to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the sole inner surface. The concavely rounded portions of the sole midtarsal area are located at least at the sole lateral side. The sole outer surface of at least part of the midtarsal area is substantially convexly rounded, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane.

Claims

1. A sole for an athletic shoe having at least one side portion with a rounded midsole inner surface and a rounded sole outer surface located at least at a heel area and also at a lateral midtarsal area to increase at least one of lateral and medical stability of the sole, the athletic shoe sole comprising:

a midsole component and an outsole component;

a sole heel area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a heel of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot when inside the shoe;

a sole forefoot area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a forefoot of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot when inside the shoe;

a sole midtarsal area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the area between the heel and the forefoot of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot when inside the shoe;

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

a greater sole thickness in the sole heel area than a sole thickness in the sole forefoot area, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section, during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

at least one heel area sole side located at one of a sole lateral side and a sole medial side, said lateral and medial sides being separated by a sole middle part;

each said heel area sole side comprising a concavely rounded portion of both the inner surface of the midsole component and an outer surface of the sole, as viewed ill a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the shoe;

each said heel area sole side further includes said concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface extending substantially continuously through and beyond a sidemost extent of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

each said heel area sole side also includes both the midsole component and the outsole component extending into the sidemost section of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

each said heel area sole side further includes an upper part of said midsole component extending up said heel area sole side to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

at least one midtarsal area sole side located at one of a sole medial side and a sole lateral side, said lateral and medial sides being separated by a sole middle part;

each said midtarsal area sole side comprising a concavely rounded portion of both the inner surface of the midsole component and the outer surface of the sole, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the shoe;

each said midtarsal area sole side further includes said concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface extending up said midtarsal area sole side to at least a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

each said midtarsal area sole side also includes the midsole component extending into the sidemost section of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

each said midtarsal area sole side further includes an upper part of the midsole component extending up said midtarsal area sole side to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;

said midtarsal area sole side is located at least at the sole lateral side; and

the sole outer surface of at least part of the sole midtarsal area is substantially convexly rounded, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the convexity existing with respect to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the shoe.

2. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein a thickness between the inner surface of the midsole component and the outer surface of the sole tapers by decreasing gradually and substantially continuously from above a sidemost extent of the sole side to the uppermost point of the sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane during an upright, unloaded shoe sole condition;

and

said thickness is defined as the distance between a first point on the inner surface of the midsole component and a second point on the outer surface of the sole, said second point being located along a straight line perpendicular to a straight line tangent to the inner surface of the midsole component at said first point, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane in an upright, unloaded shoe sole condition.

3. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said heel area sole side is located at the sole lateral side.

4. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said heel area sole side is located at the sole medial side.

5. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said heel area sole side is located at the sole lateral side, and said midtarsal area sole side is located also at the sole medial side.

6. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said heel area sole side is located at the sole medial side, and said midtarsal area sole side is located also at the sole medial side.

7. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said heel area sole sides are located at both the sole lateral side and the sole medial side.

8. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein said sole lateral side and said sole medial side each include one of said heel area sole sides, and said midtarsal area sole side is also located at the sole medial side.

9. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the sole outer surface and the sole inner surface of a rearmost part of the sole heel area include a concavely rounded portion, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer'"'"'s foot location in the shoe;

and

wherein an upper part of the midsole component of the rearmost part of the sole heel area extends up a rear of the sole heel area to above the level of the lowest point of the sole inner surface of the rear of the sole heel area, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition.