BALL SLIDE SANDAL

• US 20130239435A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Converse Incorporated (Nike, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Converse Incorporated (Nike, Inc.)
• Inventors: McDOWELL, SEAN M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,192,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/11.5
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/108 characterised by the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/08 Bathing shoes ; Aquatic sports shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/087 in the bottom of the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/141 having an anatomical or curved form

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a sandal with a sole. The sole has an upper surface and an opposite lower surface. The upper surface is formed from objects, such as hemispheres and/or spheres that each has a curved surface forming at least a portion of the upper surface. The lower surface is also formed from objects, which may be the same as those that form the upper surface. Additionally, the sole is formed with voids extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. The voids are defined, in part, by the objects near the upper surface and the objects near the lower surface.

Claims

1. A sandal comprising:

a sole having an upper surface, an opposite lower surface, and a perimeter defined by a toe end, an opposite heel end, a medial side, and an opposite lateral side;

(1) the upper surface is comprised of a first plurality of hemispheres, each of the first plurality of hemispheres having a curved surface forming at least a portion of the upper surface and serving as a foot contact area for a foot when in an as-worn position;

(2) the lower surface is comprised of a second plurality of hemispheres, each of the second plurality of hemispheres having a curved surface forming at least a portion of the lower surface and serving as a ground contact area when in an as-worn position; and

(3) a plurality of voids extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, the plurality of voids are defined, in part, by the first plurality of hemispheres proximate the upper surface and the plurality of voids are defined, in part, by the second plurality of hemispheres proximate the lower surface.

2. The sandal of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of hemispheres are uniform in diameter.

3. The sandal of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of hemispheres are comprised of at least two hemispheres having different diameters.

4. The sandal of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of hemispheres are comprised of hemispheres having a smaller diameter proximate the toe end than hemispheres proximate the heel end.

5. The sandal of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of hemispheres is comprised of a medial hemisphere coupled with a lateral hemisphere.

6. The sandal of claim 5, wherein the medial hemisphere is directly coupled with the lateral hemisphere.

7. The sandal of claim 5, wherein the medial hemisphere and the lateral hemisphere are coupled by a joining hemisphere, the joining hemisphere has a diameter less than the medial hemisphere and the lateral hemisphere.

8. The sandal of claim 5, wherein the medial hemisphere and the lateral hemisphere are coupled by a joining member, the joining member extends from the medial hemisphere to the lateral hemisphere.

9. The sandal of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of hemispheres and the second plurality of hemispheres form a plurality of spheres that extend from the upper surface to the lower surface.

10. The sandal of claim 1, wherein a first hemisphere of the first plurality of hemispheres corresponds with a second hemisphere of the second plurality of hemispheres.

11. The sandal of claim 10, wherein the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere form a sphere.

12. The sandal of claim 10, wherein the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere are joined with a cylinder extending between the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere.

13. A sandal comprising:

a sole having a toe end and an opposite heel end and having opposite medial and lateral sides extending between the toe end and the heel end, the sole comprising;

(1) a perimeter element extending around a perimeter of the sole forming an interior volume;

(2) a plurality of tangentially coupled spheres that form an upper surface and a lower surface of the sole within the interior volume, wherein the upper surface is a surface substantially occupied by a bottom of a foot when in an in-worn position and the lower surface is a surface substantially serving as a traction surface for the sole; and

(3) a plurality of voids extending through the sole from the top surface to the bottom surface, the plurality of voids are located within the interior volume and between the plurality of spheres tangentially coupled.

14. The sandal of claim 13, wherein the perimeter element has a height greater than a diameter of a first sphere of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres, the perimeter element is functional to inhibit movement of a foot off of the sole when in an as-worn position.

15. The sandal of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres and the perimeter element are formed from a common molding operation.

16. The sandal of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres are connected to at least another of the plurality of tangentially connected spheres.

17. The sandal of claim 13, wherein at least two spheres of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres are connected by a joining member.

18. The sandal of claim 13, wherein a size of a sphere proximate the heel end of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres is larger than a size of a sphere proximate the toe end of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres.

19. The sandal of claim 13, wherein a greater concentration of the plurality of tangentially coupled spheres occurs in a first portion of the internal volume than in a second portion of the internal volume.

20. A sandal comprising:

a molded sole having an upper surface and a lower surface, a toe end and an opposite heel end, and having opposite medial and lateral sides extending between the toe end and the heel end, the sole comprising a plurality of spheres arranged to form the upper surface and the lower surface of the sole;

each of the plurality of spheres is comprised of;

(1) an upper portion forming a rounded foot contact area, wherein the rounded foot contact area provides a foot bed useable by a foot when in an as-worn position;

(2) a lower portion forming a rounded traction area, wherein the rounded traction area provides traction for the sandal when in the as-worn position;

(3) a mid-band portion extending between the upper portion and the lower portion, the mid-band portion providing a location of coupling between one or more spheres of the plurality of spheres;

the sole also including a plurality of voids, each void of the plurality of voids creating an opening through the sole that extends along an upper portion, a mid-band portion, and a lower portion of one or more spheres of the plurality of spheres;

the plurality of spheres comprised of a first sphere having a first diameter and a second sphere having a second diameter, the first diameter is less than the second diameter; and

the first sphere is positioned proximate the toe end and the second sphere is positioned proximate the heel end.