Footwear sole

A sole for heeled footwear, comprising:

• a) an outsole assembly extending axially between a heel end and a toe end and laterally between a medial side and a lateral side, the outsole assembly including:
• i) a heel outsole adjacent the heel end and having a heel underside surface for ground contact,
• ii) a forefoot outsole adjacent the toe end and having a forefoot underside surface for ground contact, the forefoot outsole spaced axially apart from the heel outsole by an arch gap,
• iii) an outsole sidewall joined to the heel outsole and the forefoot outsole and extending about an outer periphery of the outsole assembly, the outsole sidewall having a sidewall heel segment extending upwardly from the heel outsole, and a sidewall arch segment extending axially across the arch gap from the sidewall heel segment to the forefoot outsole, the sidewall arch segment having an elevated bottom edge on each of the medial side and the lateral side of the outsole assembly, each bottom edge extending axially along the arch gap from the sidewall heel segment toward the forefoot outsole at an elevation above the heel underside surface,
• iv) a heel cavity bounded from the heel end and the lateral and medial sides by the sidewall heel segment and from below by the heel outsole, the heel cavity open to the arch gap, and
• v) an aperture passing vertically through the outsole assembly over the arch gap laterally intermediate the bottom edges of the sidewall arch segment, the aperture extending axially along the arch gap from the heel cavity toward the forefoot outsole;
• b) a support frame nested within the outsole assembly, the support frame including a frame floor having an arch support surface, the arch support surface extending axially along the arch gap from the heel cavity toward the forefoot outsole underneath the aperture at an elevation below the bottom edges of the sidewall arch segment;
• and
• c) a cushioning midsole nested within the outsole assembly and supported by the frame, the midsole having a heel cushion portion nested within the heel cavity and an arch cushion portion extending axially from the heel cushion portion along the arch gap, the arch cushion portion supported atop the arch support surface.