Athletic shoe with stabilizing frame

• US 6,401,366 B2
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Foxen, Thomas, Johnson, Jeffrey L., Cartier, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAVANAUGH, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US09/293,600
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 36/91, 361/02, 36/92, 361/07, 361/08, 36/585, 36/68, 36/69, 36/76.R
• US Class Current: 36/91
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/14 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type

Abstract

An article of footwear is disclosed having an upper secured to a longitudinal sole with a frame preferably having a stabilizing band extending between axially decoupled heel and opposite forefoot portions of the sole. The band has a central portion extending above the heel and forefoot portions of the sole and adjacent to an upper such that the forefoot and heel portions of the sole may axially pivot about a longitudinal axis parallel to and above the longitudinal axis of the heel and forefoot portions while resisting deflection in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the sole, thereby supporting a foot along its entire longitudinal length while permitting the article of footwear to conform with the axial movements of an athlete'"'"'s foot while running. In a preferred embodiment, the axis of axial pivoting is the axis of pronation of a foot while running in the shoe.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having a heel region, an arch region, and a forefoot region comprising:

a sole having at least a heel portion in the heel region and a forefoot portion in the forefoot region;

an upper secured to the sole; and

a semi-rigid stabilizing member extending from said forefoot region and through said arch region to said heel region, said stabilizing member including first and second arms, said first arm being connected to the footwear in said forefoot region adjacent said forefoot portion of said sole, said first arm extending both upwardly and backwardly in at least said forefoot region adjacent said forefoot portion of said sole, and said first arm extending into said arch region and to an apex, said second arm being connected to said footwear in said heel region adjacent said heel portion of said sole and extending upward to connect to the apex of said first arm, said first and second arms of said stabilizing member allowing said forefoot and heel portions of said sole to axial twist with respect to one another while generally resisting movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of said sole.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said stabilizing member is constructed of a semi-rigid material having a flex modulus between 10,000 and 300,000 psi.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 wherein said frame means include a first material and a second material and said first material has a flex modulus higher than said second material.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein said first material has a flex modulus between 150,000 to 250,000 psi and said second material has a flex modulus between 10,000 to 40,000 psi.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal axis is positioned such that it aligned with an axis of pronation of a foot wearing the footwear.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first arm is connected to said forefoot portion of said sole, and said second arm is connected to said heel portion of said sole.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein said sole includes an outsole layer and a midsole layer, and said stabilizing member including fore and aft mounting portions, said fore mounting extending from said first arm and connected to said sole between said outsole and said midsole, and said aft mounting portion extending from said second arm and connected to said sole between said outsole and said midsole.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said fore mounting portion and said aft mounting portion are generally planar surfaces.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7, wherein said outsole layer extends from said heel portion to said forefoot portion, and said outsole layer is a monolithic structure.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein said midsole and outsole lay include an arch portion between said heel and forefoot portions, and said outsole layer is narrow in said arch area to permit axial flex between said heel and forefoot portions.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said stabilizing member includes a medial stabilizer formed of a first set of said first and second arms on a medial side of the footwear, and a lateral stabilizer formed of a second set of said first and second arms on a lateral side of said footwear.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said stabilizing member is a monolithic structure.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said first and second arms include a stiffening rib.

14. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein said first and second arms include a first material and a second material, and said first material has a higher flex modulus than said second material.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said first and second arms include a stiffening rib and a band portion wherein the stiffening rib includes the first material and the band portion includes the second material.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the first material has a flex modulus between 150,000 to 250,000 psi and the second material has a flex modulus between 10,000 to 40,000 psi.

17. An article of footwear for a human foot, the foot having an ankle, forefoot, arch, and heel areas, a first cuneiform and cuboid bones, an axis of pronation, and first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal heads, the article of footwear comprising:

an upper;

a sole secured to the upper and having a heel portion, an opposite forefoot portion, and a flexible arch portion extending between the heel and forefoot portions for receiving the correspondingly named areas of the foot, and a stabilizing member extending between said sole forefoot and heel portions operably securing them to each other;

said stabilizing member having a generally c-shaped central portion extending above the heel and forefoot portions and adjacent to said upper, and including a lateral stabilizing portion and a medial stabilizing portion, with said central portion extending between generally planar fore and aft mounting portions;

said fore mounting portion of said medial stabilizing portion positioned in said forefoot portion of said sole such that it lies adjacent to the first and second metatarsal head of the foot;

said fore mounting portion of said lateral stabilizing portion positioned in said forefoot portion of said sole such that it lies adjacent to the third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal heads of the foot;

said aft mounting portion positioned in said sole portion of said heel portion of said sole such that it lies adjacent to the heel area of the foot;

said medial and lateral stabilizing portions extending from said fore mounting portion in a direction upwardly along the upper and generally arcuately backwardly to a point adjacent to the side of the foot below the ankle area and then generally arcuately downward to said aft mounting portion such that said heel and forefoot portions move with respect to each other generally axially about a longitudinal axis above the heel and forefoot portions of the sole while resisting movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of the sole.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said longitudinal axis is aligned with the axis of pronation of the foot.

19. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said medial and lateral stabilizing portions are two separate structures joined together to form said stabilizing member.

20. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said stabilizing member is a monolithic structure.

21. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said medial and lateral stabilizing portions include a include a stiffening rib.

22. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein said medial and lateral stabilizing portions include a first material and a second material, and said first material has a higher flex modulus than said second material.

23. The article of footwear of claim 22, wherein said medial and lateral stabilizing portions include a stiffening rib and a band portion wherein the stiffening rib includes the first material and the band portion includes the second material.

24. The article of footwear of claim 23, wherein the first material has a flex modulus between 150,000 to 250,000 psi and the second material has a flex modulus between 10,000 to 40,000 psi and a Shore Hardness between 50-65 D.

25. An article of footwear for a human foot, the foot having an ankle, forefoot, arch, and heel areas, the article of footwear comprising:

an upper having a heel section, an opposite forefoot Section, and an arch section located between said heel and forefoot sections;

a sole secured to the upper, said sole having a heel portion, an opposite forefoot portion, and medial and lateral sides in both said heel and forefoot portions;

a semi-rigid stabilizing member extending between said forefoot and heel portions of said sole;

said stabilizing member including a lateral stabilizing portion and a medial stabilizing portion, each stabilizing portion having fore and aft mounting portions and a central portion extending between said fore and aft mounting portions, said central portion extending above the heel and forefoot portions of said sole and adjacent to said upper;

said fore mounting portion of said medial stabilizing portion fixed to said forefoot portion of said sole inward of said medial side of said sole;

said fore mounting portion of said lateral stabilizing portion fixed to said forefoot portion of said sole inward of said lateral side of said sole;

said aft mounting portion of said medial stabilizing portion fixed to said heel portion of said sole inward of the medial side of the sole;

said aft mounting portion of said lateral stabilizing portion fixed to said heel portion of said sole inward of the lateral side of the sole;

said medial and lateral stabilizing portions extending both upwardly and backwardly in at least an area adjacent said fore mounting portions, and said medial and lateral stabilizing portions extending along the upper to points located adjacent to the sides of the ankle area and then generally downward to said aft mounting portions such that said heel and forefoot portions move with respect to each other generally axially about a longitudinal axis above the heel and forefoot portions of the sole while resisting movement in a direction transverse to the longitudinal length of the sole.