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US 10,758,006 B2Granted
Footwear heel structure
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsStefan E. Guest, Olivier Henrichot, Eric A. Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heel structure for an article of footwear protrudes rearward from a heel region of an article of footwear in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation of the footwear article.
Claims19
A sole for a footwear article, the sole comprising:
- a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- a midsole sidewall having an interior facing surface configured to attach to one or more portions of an upper,
- wherein the interior facing surface includes a rearward-most, interior-facing surface in the heel region and a forward-most, interior facing surface in the forefoot region, and
- wherein the rearward-most, interior facing surface is spaced a first distance from the forward-most, interior facing surface;
- and
- a heel extension protruding rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation, the heel extension comprising a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article, the rearmost exterior point being spaced a second distance from the rearward-most, interior facing surface in the heel region, wherein the second distance comprises a percentage of the first distance in a range of about eight percent to about twenty percent, and wherein the heel extension comprises a top-side median ridge that slopes downward as the top-side median ridge extends away from the heel region and towards the rearmost exterior point.
3 more elements
A sole for a footwear article, the sole comprising:
- a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- a midsole sidewall having an interior facing surface configured to attach to one or more portions of an upper, wherein the interior facing surface includes a rearward-most, interior-facing surface in the heel region;
- a heel extension protruding rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation, the heel extension comprising a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article,
- wherein the heel extension comprises a top-side median ridge that slopes downward as the top-side median ridge extends away from the heel region and towards the rearmost exterior point;
- wherein the heel extension comprises a medial side and a lateral side that are separated from one another by the top-side median ridge and that converge towards the rearmost exterior point by tapering from a wider portion closer to the heel region to a narrower region closer to the rearmost exterior point;
- and
- wherein the medial side and the lateral side form an angle with one another as each side converges towards the rearmost exterior point, and wherein the angle is in a range of about 55 degrees to about 65 degrees.
4 more elements
A sole for a footwear article, the sole comprising:
- a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region aligned in a longitudinal orientation;
- a midsole sidewall having an interior facing surface configured to attach to one or more portions of an upper,
- wherein the interior facing surface includes a rearward-most, interior-facing surface in the heel region and a forward-most, interior facing surface in the forefoot region, and
- wherein the rearward-most, interior facing surface is spaced a first distance from the forward-most, interior facing surface;
- and
- a heel extension protruding rearward from the heel region and in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal orientation, the heel extension comprising a rearmost exterior point of the footwear article, the rearmost exterior point being spaced a second distance from the rearward-most, interior facing surface in the heel region,
- wherein the second distance comprises a percentage of the first distance in a range of about eight percent to about twenty percent;
- wherein the heel extension comprises a top-side median ridge that slopes downward as the top-side median ridge extends away from the heel region and towards the rearmost exterior point;
- wherein the heel extension comprises a medial side and a lateral side that are separated from one another by the top-side median ridge and that converge towards the rearmost exterior point by tapering from a wider portion closer to the heel region to a narrower region closer to the rearmost exterior point;
- and
- wherein the medial side and the lateral side form an angle with one another as each side converges towards the rearmost exterior point, and wherein the angle is in a range of about 55 degrees to about 65 degrees.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.