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Energy return, cushioning, and arch support plates, and footwear and footwear soles including the same

  • US 9,578,920 B2
  • Filed: 05/12/2015
  • Issued: 02/28/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An article of footwear, comprising:

  • an upper configured to engage with a wearer'"'"'s foot when the article of footwear is worn on the wearer'"'"'s foot;

    a sole assembly coupled to the upper, the sole assembly comprising a midsole and an outsole, the outsole having an outer surface that is configured to engage with a surface on which the wearer is striding; and

    a support plate embedded within the sole assembly, the support plate comprising;

    an upper surface extending from a posterior end of the support plate to an anterior end of the support plate;

    a lower surface opposite the upper surface;

    a cushioning heel portion adjacent the posterior end of the support plate, wherein the cushioning heel portion is configured to resiliently compress in response to a heel strike by the wearer;

    wherein the cushioning heel portion comprises a domed structure, the domed structure comprising a convex surface that forms a portion of the upper surface of the support plate and a concave surface that is opposite the convex surface and forms a portion of the lower surface of the support plate, wherein the domed structure is oriented such that a heel strike by the wearer of the article of footwear exerts a force on the convex surface of the domed structure, and wherein the convex surface is configured to resiliently compress upon exertion of the force on the convex surface;

    wherein the domed structure comprises a plurality of radially extending arms each extending from a central heel region of the cushioning heel portion towards a respective peripheral end of the respective radially extending arm, wherein the central heel region of the domed structure defines a circumferential ridge of the domed structure, and further wherein the plurality of radially extending arms extends radially outward from the circumferential ridge and toward the outsole to elevate the circumferential ridge above the outsole;

    a midfoot portion formed integrally with the cushioning heel portion, the midfoot portion comprising an arch support portion that is curved to support an arch of the wearer'"'"'s foot;

    a medial leg formed integrally with the cushioning heel portion and the midfoot portion; and

    a lateral leg formed integrally with the cushioning heel portion and the midfoot portion, wherein the medial leg and the lateral leg each extend longitudinally from the midfoot portion towards the anterior end of the support plate.

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