# US 10,441,022 B2 · Motorcycle boot

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- Number: US 10,441,022 B2
- Document ID: US10441022B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/481,143
- Filed: 2017-04-06
- Published: 2017-07-27
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2013-02-02
- Assignees: Fox Head, Inc.
- Applicants: Fox Head, Inc.
- Inventors: Brian Sanderson; Andre Hsi-an Lee; Jon Munns; Robert Cropp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441022B2

## CPC

- A43B 5/145: {Boots for motorcyclists}
- A43B 5/0452: {Adjustment of the forward inclination of the boot leg}
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/10: Metal
- A43B 13/181: {Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole}
- A43B 13/187: {Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials}
- A43B 13/41: combined with heel stiffener, toe stiffener, or shank stiffener
- A43B 23/0215: {Plastics or artificial leather}
- A43B 23/0225: {Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix}
- A43B 23/023: {Metal}
- A43B 23/028: {Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing}
- A43B 23/082: {made of metal}
- A43B 23/088: {Heel stiffeners (A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence)}
- A43B 23/17: made of plastics
- A43B 23/22: Supports for the shank or arch of the uppers
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR

## Abstract

Protective footwear, such as a motorcycle or motocross boot, can have a supple, leather boot feel. Disclosed footwear can have a hinged coupling between a foot engagement structure and a lower-leg engagement structure to promote anatomically correct flexion in a wearer's ankle. The lower-leg engagement portion can define a ledge having a lowermost face configured to abut and matingly urge against an uppermost face of a ledge of the foot engagement portion to limit an extent of pivoting of the hinged coupling. The hinged coupling, in some instances, can include a pair of opposed bushings, each defining an internal thread configured to matingly engage a corresponding outer thread on a stud. The stud can retain the lower-leg engagement portion and the foot engagement portion in a pivotable relationship to each other. The opposed bushings can be keyed to matingly engage either a lateral portion of the foot engagement portion or a medial portion of the foot engagement portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A boot, comprising:
a sole unit comprising:
a heel portion;
a toe portion;
a mid-portion positioned between the heel portion and the toe portion;
an insole extending from the heel portion to the toe portion and configured to contact a foot of a wearer of the boot;
a midsole extending from the heel portion to the toe portion and having a unitary polyurethane construct;
a heel stabilizer extending from the heel portion to the mid-portion to provide additional support to a heel of the wearer of the boot; and
an outsole; and
an upper including:
a lower-leg engagement portion;
a foot engagement portion having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining an interface including a keyed feature; and
a pivotal coupler positioned to pivotally couple the lower-leg engagement portion to the foot engagement portion, the pivotal coupler including a bushing rotationally fixed to the foot engagement portion such that the lower-leg engagement portion pivots relative to the bushing and the foot engagement portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The boot of claim 1, wherein the heel stabilizer is an independent component of the sole unit and has a greater rigidity than the midsole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The boot of claim 2, wherein the heel stabilizer is disposed between the outsole and the midsole.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The boot of claim 1, wherein the midsole includes a metal shank embedded within the unitary polyurethane construct.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The boot of claim 1, wherein the bushing is disposed along the interior surface and positioned to engage the interface, the bushing having a corresponding keyed featured configured to interlock with the keyed feature of the foot engagement portion to inhibit rotation of the bushing during pivoting of the lower-leg engagement portion relative to the foot engagement portion.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The boot of claim 1, wherein the foot engagement portion defines an aperture extending through the interface, wherein the aperture defines an axis extending therethrough about which the lower-leg engagement portion pivots relative to the foot engagement portion and the bushing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The boot of claim 6, wherein the lower-leg engagement portion defines a second aperture positioned to correspond with the aperture of the foot engagement portion, wherein the bushing includes an protrusion that extends through the aperture and the second aperture, and wherein the protrusion is configured to receive a fastener to retain the lower-leg engagement portion in a pivotable relationship with the foot engagement portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The boot of claim 1, wherein the upper further includes a stop configured to limit a rotational range of motion of the lower-leg engagement portion relative to the foot engagement portion to within an anatomically acceptable rotational range of motion.

### Claim 9

A boot, comprising:
a sole unit; and
an upper including:
a lower-leg engagement portion;
a foot engagement portion; and
a pivotal coupler positioned to pivotally couple the lower-leg engagement portion to the foot engagement portion, the pivotal coupler including a bushing rotationally fixed to the foot engagement portion such that the lower-leg engagement portion pivots relative to the bushing and the foot engagement portion,
wherein the foot engagement portion has an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining an interface including a keyed feature.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The boot of claim 9, wherein the bushing is disposed along the interior surface and positioned to engage the interface, the bushing having a corresponding keyed featured configured to interlock with the keyed feature of the foot engagement portion to inhibit rotation of the bushing during pivoting of the lower-leg engagement portion relative to the foot engagement portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The boot of claim 9, wherein the foot engagement portion defines an aperture extending through the interface, wherein the aperture defines an axis extending therethrough about which the lower-leg engagement portion pivots relative to the foot engagement portion and the bushing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The boot of claim 11, wherein the lower-leg engagement portion defines a second aperture positioned to correspond with the aperture of the foot engagement portion, wherein the bushing includes an protrusion that extends through the aperture and the second aperture, and wherein the protrusion is configured to receive a fastener to retain the lower-leg engagement portion in a pivotable relationship with the foot engagement portion.