Footwear with counter-supplementing strap

• US 8,302,329 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Hurd, John, Nurse, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patterson, Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/621,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 36/88, 36/89, 36/92, 361/07, 361/14, 36/68, 36/69, 36/29, 36/501
• US Class Current: 36/88
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/08 Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders

Abstract

A heel cup formed from a flexible material is located under the heel region of an upper portion of an article of footwear. Lateral and medial counters extend upward from the heel cup on the lateral and medial sides, with the medial counter having a height less than that of the lateral counter, and with a rear edge of the heel cup being lower than the lateral and medial counters. A rear strap extends upward around the lateral counter and around the Achilles tendon of the wearer, and is secured to a location on the upper that is forward of the wearer'"'"'s ankle. During cutting movements in which the article is worn on the outside foot, tilting of the wearer foot and ankle toward the medial side pulls the strap and causes the lateral counter to conform to and support the wearer heel.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper configured to surround and retain a wearing foot of a wearer when the article is worn;

a lateral counter located, when the article is worn, in a position corresponding to a lateral side of a heel of the wearing foot, the lateral counter being stiffer than at least some portions of the upper but yieldable in response to medial and lateral tilting of the wearing foot;

a medial counter located, when the article is worn, in a position corresponding to a medial side of the heel of the wearing foot, the medial counter being stiffer than at least some portions of the upper but yieldable in response to medial tilting of the wearing foot, the medial counter having a height less than a height of the lateral counter when the article is worn and the wearer is standing straight; and

a rear strap extending across a substantial portion of the lateral counter and securable, when the article is worn, in a wrapped position extending upward and around an Achilles tendon of the wearing foot and over a medial side region at least as high as an ankle of the wearing foot.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the upper.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the lateral counter.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3, wherein at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the upper.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein a free end of the rear strap is securable at a location at least as high as the ankle of the wearing foot when the article is worn.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the rear strap is generally non-stretchable under loads imposable as a result of wearer activity when the article is worn.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the medial and lateral counters are respectively located on medial and lateral edges of a heel cup and separated by a rear edge of the heel cup, wherein the rear edge has a height less than the heights of the lateral and medial counters when the article is worn and the wearer is standing straight.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising a forward strap securable, when the article is worn, in a position covering a portion of a forefoot of the wearing foot.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising a support plate located in a position under the wearing foot when the article is worn.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the support plate includes at least one upward extension located on a lateral side of the article.

11. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising a compressible midsole located at least partially inside the upper and having a raised lateral edge.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the midsole includes a pocket formed in an underside of the midsole, and further comprising at least one fluid-filled cushioning pad located in the pocket.

13. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising an outsole having straight tread patterns in heel regions, in a region located near a lateral outside edge and approximately under a distal end of a fifth metatarsal of the wearing foot when the article is worn, and in a region located near a medial outside edge and approximately under a distal end of a first metatarsal of the wearing foot when the article is worn.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the upper includes a plurality of lacing eyelet pairs, each of the pairs including an eyelet on opposing sides of a tongue opening and forming a line approximately parallel to a line extending from a position that would be occupied by a proximal end of a first metatarsal of the wearing foot when the article is worn and a position that would be occupied by a fifth proximal phalange of the wearing foot when the article is worn.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the lateral counter and at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the upper,

a free end of the rear strap is securable at a location at least as high as the ankle of the wearing foot when the article is worn,

the rear strap is generally non-stretchable under loads imposable as a result of wearer activity when the article is worn,

the medial and lateral counters are respectively located on medial and lateral edges of a heel cup and separated by a rear edge of the heel cup, and

the heel cup rear edge has a height less than the heights of the lateral and medial counters when the article is worn and the wearer is standing straight.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15, further comprising:

a forward strap securable, when the article is worn, in a position covering a portion of a forefoot of the wearing foot;

a support plate located in a position under the wearing foot when the article is worn;

a compressible midsole located at least partially inside the upper and having a raised lateral edge; and

at least one fluid-filled cushioning pad, and wherein

the midsole includes a pocket formed in an underside of the midsole,

the at least one fluid-filled cushioning pad is located in the pocket, and

the support plate includes at least one upward extension located on a lateral side of the article.

17. An article of footwear configured for wear on a wearing foot of a wearer, comprising:

a counter located in a position corresponding, when the article is worn, to one of a lateral side of a heel of the wearing foot and a medial side of the heel of the wearing foot; and

a rear strap have a terminal end and a free end, wherein

the terminal end is fixed in a location of the article located under the heel of the wearing foot when the article is worn,

the rear strap extends across the counter and is movable relative to the counter,

the rear strap is securable in a wrapped position when the article is worn, the wrapped position extending upward and around an Achilles tendon of the wearing foot with the free end secured,

tilting of the ankle of the wearing foot toward the other of the lateral and medial sides, when the article is worn and the rear strap is in the wrapped position, pulls on the rear strap.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the counter is a lateral counter located in a position corresponding to the lateral side of the heel of the wearing foot when the article is worn, and further comprising an upper configured to surround and retain a wearing foot when the article is worn, wherein at least portions of the rear strap are movable relative to the upper.

19. The article of footwear of claim 18, further comprising a medial counter located in a position corresponding to the medial side of the heel of the wearing foot when the article is worn, the medial counter having a height less than a height of the lateral counter when the article is worn and the wearer is standing straight.

20. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the rear strap is generally non-stretchable under loads imposable as a result of wearer activity when the article is worn.

21. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the medial and lateral counters are respectively located on medial and lateral edges of a heel cup and separated by a rear edge of the heel cup, wherein the rear edge has a height less than the heights of the lateral and medial counters when the article is worn and the wearer is standing straight.

22. The article of footwear of claim 19, further comprising a forward strap securable, when the article is worn, in a position covering a portion of a forefoot of the wearing foot.

23. The article of footwear of claim 19, further comprising a support plate located in a position under the wearing foot when the article is worn, the support plate including at least one upward extension located on a lateral side of the article.

24. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the upper includes a plurality of lacing eyelet pairs, each of the pairs including an eyelet on opposing sides of a tongue opening in the upper and forming a line approximately parallel to a directional line extending from a position that would be occupied by a proximal end of a first metatarsal of the wearing foot when the article is worn and a position that would be occupied by a fifth proximal phalange of the wearing foot when the article is worn.

25. The article of footwear of claim 24, further comprising a forward strap securable, when the article is worn, in an orientation approximately parallel to the directional line and in a position covering a portion of a forefoot of the wearing foot.

26. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the wrapped position extends upward and around a rear of the wearing foot, across the Achilles tendon of the wearing foot, and over a region at least as high as the ankle of the wearing foot on a side of the wearing foot opposite from the counter.