Heel counter structure for a shoe
First Claim
1. A heel counter structure for a shoe, said shoe including at least a heel region, said heel counter structure comprising:
- a sole plate provided at least at the heel region of the shoe, wherein the sole plate includes a peripheral portion that is upraised along the heel region of the shoe and that is configured to enclose a lower portion of a heel portion of a foot of a shoe wearer; and
a pair of heel counter portions provided on a medial side and a lateral side of the heel region of the shoe respectively, wherein said heel counter portions are configured to sandwich the heel portion of the foot sideways,wherein said heel counter portions have lower edges and are tiltably coupled to said peripheral portion of said sole plate along said lower edges, and said heel counter portions are not connected to one another at a rear end of the heel region of the shoe, so that said heel counter portions can tilt laterally and medially, inwardly and outwardly, independently of said sole plate and independently of one another,wherein said heel counter portions are configured to cover respective bulging prominences below a malleolus of the heel portion of the foot on the medial side and the lateral side respectively, and upper edges of said heel counter portions are configured to end below the malleolus, andwherein said peripheral portion of said sole plate on the medial side and the lateral side is respectively configured to be located below and not to cover the respective bulging prominences below the malleolus of the heel portion of the foot.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The heel counter structure includes a sole plate provided at least at the heel region of the shoe and having a peripheral portion. The peripheral portion is upraised along the heel region of the shoe so as to enclose the lower portion of the heel portion of the foot of the wearer. The heel structure also includes a pair of heel counter portions provided on the medial and lateral sides of the heel region of the shoe so as to sandwich the heel portion of the foot sideways. The heel counter portions are coupled to the peripheral portion of the sole plate at the lower ends of the heel counter portions so that the heel counter portions can tilt inwardly and outwardly independently of the sole plate. The heel counter portions are separated from the peripheral portion of the sole plate except the lower ends of the heel counter portions.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A heel counter structure for a shoe, said shoe including at least a heel region, said heel counter structure comprising:
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a sole plate provided at least at the heel region of the shoe, wherein the sole plate includes a peripheral portion that is upraised along the heel region of the shoe and that is configured to enclose a lower portion of a heel portion of a foot of a shoe wearer; and a pair of heel counter portions provided on a medial side and a lateral side of the heel region of the shoe respectively, wherein said heel counter portions are configured to sandwich the heel portion of the foot sideways, wherein said heel counter portions have lower edges and are tiltably coupled to said peripheral portion of said sole plate along said lower edges, and said heel counter portions are not connected to one another at a rear end of the heel region of the shoe, so that said heel counter portions can tilt laterally and medially, inwardly and outwardly, independently of said sole plate and independently of one another, wherein said heel counter portions are configured to cover respective bulging prominences below a malleolus of the heel portion of the foot on the medial side and the lateral side respectively, and upper edges of said heel counter portions are configured to end below the malleolus, and wherein said peripheral portion of said sole plate on the medial side and the lateral side is respectively configured to be located below and not to cover the respective bulging prominences below the malleolus of the heel portion of the foot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A heel counter structure for a shoe to be worn on a foot of a person, comprising:
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a sole plate provided at least at a heel region of said shoe, wherein said sole plate includes a bottom portion and a peripheral portion that extends upwardly from said bottom portion at a periphery of said sole plate along said heel region; a medial heel counter and a lateral heel counter respectively provided at a medial side and a lateral side of said heel region; a medial connection portion connecting a bottom portion of said medial heel counter to a top portion of said peripheral portion of said sole plate on said medial side of said heel region; a lateral connection portion connecting a bottom portion of said lateral heel counter to a top portion of said peripheral portion of said sole plate on said lateral side of said heel region; wherein said medial and lateral heel counters are not connected to one another at a rear end of said heel region; wherein said heel counters are connected to said sole plate only through said connection portions; wherein said medial and lateral connection portions are configured and constructed to allow said medial and lateral heel counters to tilt inwardly and outwardly independently of one another and independently of said sole plate; wherein said heel counters are configured and located to cover respective bulging prominences below a malleolus of a heel of the foot of the person on said medial side and said lateral side respectively, and upper edges of said heel counters are configured and located to end below the malleolus; wherein said peripheral portion of said sole plate on said medial side and said lateral side is configured and located to be below and not to cover the respective bulging prominences; and at least a selected one of said connection portions has at least one of the following features to allow inward and outward tilting of said heel counter connected to said selected connection portion; said selected connection portion is thinner than said peripheral portion of said sole plate or than said heel counter to which said selected connection portion is connected, or said selected connection portion has a smaller longitudinal length than said heel counter to which said selected connection portion is connected. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification