Shoe sole structures
First Claim
1. An athletic shoe sole for supporting a foot of an intended wearer, the shoe sole comprising:
- a sole inner surface;
a sole outer surface;
the sole surfaces of the athletic shoe together defining a sole medial side, a sole lateral side, and a sole middle portion between the sole sides;
the sole comprising a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a heel of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a forefoot of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a midtarsal portion at a location between the heel and forefoot portions;
the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of the calcaneus of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of a fifth metatarsal of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a main longitudinal arch part at a location substantially corresponding to the longitudinal arch of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of the first distal phalange of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and rear medial and lateral forefoot parts at locations substantially corresponding to the heads of the medial and lateral metatarsals of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
at least three rounded portions, each formed by midsole component, each of said rounded midsole portions being located between a convexly rounded portion of an inner surface of the midsole component and a concavely rounded portion of an outer surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the convexity of the convexly rounded portion of the inner surface of the midsole component existing with respect to a section of the midsole component located adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion, and the concavity of the concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the midsole component existing with respect to an inner section of the midsole component located adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion;
the concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of each of said rounded midsole portions extends at least from a level corresponding to a height of a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component to at least a lowermost point of the outer surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
an outer sole;
each of said rounded midsole portions being located at a different position on the sole, the different positions comprising positions near to at least one of the medial heel part, lateral heel part, forward medial forefoot part, rear medial forefoot part, rear lateral forefoot part, lateral midtarsal part, and main longitudinal arch part;
the sole having a lateral sidemost section being located at a location outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a lateral sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
the sole having a medial sidemost section being located at a location outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a medial sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
a midsole part extends into the sidemost section of the sole side at the location of each of said rounded midsole portions, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
each said midsole part further extends to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the midsole component inner surface of the same sole side, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
at least part of a midsole component in the sole midtarsal portion comprises an indentation relative to a straight line between a lowermost part of the midsole component outer surface of a heel portion and a lowermost part of the midsole component outer surface of a forefoot portion, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; and
said shoe sole has a heel portion thickness that is greater than a forefoot portion thickness, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shoe sole particularly for athletic footwear for supporting the foot of an intended wearer having multiple rounded portions formed by midsole component as viewed in a frontal plane of the sole when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition. The rounded portions approximate the structure of and support provided by features of the human foot. The rounded portions are located proximate to important structural support areas of an intended wearer'"'"'s foot on either or both sides of the shoe sole or the middle portion of the shoe sole, or at various combinations of these locations. The midsole component also includes an indentation in the sole midtarasal portion, as viewed in a sagittal plane, and midsole component extends into a sidemost section of the sole and above a lowermost point of the midsole component, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an uploaded condition.
-
Citations
40 Claims
-
1. An athletic shoe sole for supporting a foot of an intended wearer, the shoe sole comprising:
-
a sole inner surface;
a sole outer surface;
the sole surfaces of the athletic shoe together defining a sole medial side, a sole lateral side, and a sole middle portion between the sole sides;
the sole comprising a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a heel of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a forefoot of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a midtarsal portion at a location between the heel and forefoot portions;
the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of the calcaneus of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to the base of a fifth metatarsal of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and a main longitudinal arch part at a location substantially corresponding to the longitudinal arch of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to the head of the first distal phalange of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot, and rear medial and lateral forefoot parts at locations substantially corresponding to the heads of the medial and lateral metatarsals of the intended wearer'"'"'s foot;
at least three rounded portions, each formed by midsole component, each of said rounded midsole portions being located between a convexly rounded portion of an inner surface of the midsole component and a concavely rounded portion of an outer surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the convexity of the convexly rounded portion of the inner surface of the midsole component existing with respect to a section of the midsole component located adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion, and the concavity of the concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the midsole component existing with respect to an inner section of the midsole component located adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion;
the concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of each of said rounded midsole portions extends at least from a level corresponding to a height of a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component to at least a lowermost point of the outer surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
an outer sole;
each of said rounded midsole portions being located at a different position on the sole, the different positions comprising positions near to at least one of the medial heel part, lateral heel part, forward medial forefoot part, rear medial forefoot part, rear lateral forefoot part, lateral midtarsal part, and main longitudinal arch part;
the sole having a lateral sidemost section being located at a location outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a lateral sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
the sole having a medial sidemost section being located at a location outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a medial sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
a midsole part extends into the sidemost section of the sole side at the location of each of said rounded midsole portions, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
each said midsole part further extends to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the midsole component inner surface of the same sole side, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition;
at least part of a midsole component in the sole midtarsal portion comprises an indentation relative to a straight line between a lowermost part of the midsole component outer surface of a heel portion and a lowermost part of the midsole component outer surface of a forefoot portion, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; and
said shoe sole has a heel portion thickness that is greater than a forefoot portion thickness, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition. - 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, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
Specification