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US 10,588,378 B2Granted
Articles of footwear with stabilizing rails
Assigneeadidas AG
InventorsNicholas Allen Groeneweg, Matteo Padovani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article of footwear including an upper, a midsole, a lateral stabilizing rail, and a medial stabilizing rail. The lateral stabilizing rail may be coupled to the upper and the midsole and extend from a forefoot portion of the article of footwear to a heel portion of the article of footwear. The medial stabilizing rail may be coupled to the upper and the midsole and extend from the forefoot portion of the article of footwear to the heel portion of the article of footwear. The lateral stabilizing rail and the medial stabilizing rail may be separate pieces capable deforming independently of each other.
Claims18
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper coupled to a midsole;
- a lateral stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from a forefoot portion of the article of footwear to a heel portion of the article of footwear, the lateral stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to a bottom surface of the midsole and a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of a heel end of the upper;
- a medial stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from the forefoot portion of the article of footwear to the heel portion of the article of footwear, the medial stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to the bottom surface of the midsole and a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of the heel end of the upper;
- and
- an outsole coupled to the midsole and disposed over the forefoot end of the lateral stabilizing rail and the forefoot end of the medial stabilizing rail;
- wherein at least one of the medial stabilizing rail and the lateral stabilizing rail comprises:
- ribbing disposed along at least a portion of the rail disposed between the bottom surface of the midsole and the outsole, wherein the portion of the rail disposed between the bottom surface of the midsole and the outsole comprises a thickness measured between an interior surface and an exterior surface of the rail and the ribbing comprises one or more areas of increased thickness disposed between the bottom surface of the midsole and the outsole to provide increased stiffness,
- wherein the lateral stabilizing rail and the medial stabilizing rail are separate pieces, and
- wherein the lateral stabilizing rail is a single integrally formed piece and the medial stabilizing rail is a single integrally formed piece.
6 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper coupled to a midsole;
- a lateral stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from a forefoot portion of the article of footwear to a heel portion of the article of footwear, the lateral stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to the midsole, a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of a heel end of the upper, and a lateral fin extending from the heel end of the lateral stabilizing rail;
- and
- a medial stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from the forefoot portion of the article of footwear to the heel portion of the article of footwear, the medial stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to the midsole, a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of the heel end of the upper, and a medial fin extending from the heel end of the medial stabilizing rail;
- wherein the lateral fin and the medial fin extend in the same direction around the perimeter of the upper,
- wherein the lateral fin extends towards the forefoot portion of the article of footwear and the medial fin extends towards and wraps around at least a portion of the heel end of the upper such that a highest point of the medial fin is disposed on the heel end of the upper and a highest point of the lateral fin is disposed closer to a toe end of the upper than the highest point of the medial fin.
3 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper coupled to a midsole, the upper comprising a hollow interior for receiving a wearer's foot, the hollow interior defined by an innermost surface of the upper;
- a lateral stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from a forefoot portion of the article of footwear to a heel portion of the article of footwear, the lateral stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to a bottom surface of the midsole, a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of a heel end of the upper, and a midfoot portion comprising a curved segment that wraps around a lateral side of the midsole such that the distance between the innermost surface of the upper and the lateral stabilizing rail decreases from the forefoot end of the lateral stabilizing rail to the heel end of the lateral stabilizing rail;
- and
- a medial stabilizing rail coupled to the upper and the midsole and extending from the forefoot portion of the article of footwear to the heel portion of the article of footwear, the medial stabilizing rail comprising a forefoot end coupled to the bottom surface of the midsole, a heel end coupled to and wrapping around at least a portion of the heel end of the upper, and a midfoot portion comprising a curved segment that wraps around a medial side of the midsole such that the distance between the innermost surface of the upper and the medial stabilizing rail decreases from the forefoot end of the medial stabilizing rail to the heel end of the medial stabilizing rail;
- wherein the lateral stabilizing rail and the medial stabilizing rail are independent rails,
- wherein the heel end of the lateral stabilizing rail comprises a bottom portion coupled to a top surface of the midsole and a top portion coupled to a heel portion of the upper, and
- wherein the heel end of the medial stabilizing rail comprises a bottom portion coupled to the top surface of the midsole and a top portion coupled to the heel portion of the upper.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.