# US 10,945,486 B2 · Sole structure and shoe including same

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- Number: US 10,945,486 B2
- Document ID: US10945486B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/292,672
- Filed: 2019-03-05
- Published: 2019-09-19
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-14
- Assignees: Mizuno Corporation
- Applicants: Mizuno Corporation
- Inventors: Kouji Ito; Shin Hirai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945486B2

## CPC

- A43B 3/26: adjustable as to length or size
- A43B 5/06: Running shoes; Track shoes
- A43B 7/1464: with adjustable pads to allow custom fit
- A43B 13/04: Plastics, rubber or vulcanised fibre
- A43B 13/127: {the midsole being multilayer}
- A43B 13/141: {with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion}
- A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR

## Abstract

A sole body includes a groove whose inner wall surfaces can be caused to come close to, and separate from, each other with an adjustment mechanism, and a transformable portion provided in the groove, extending between the inner wall surfaces, and elastically deformable. The transformable portion includes: rising portions which are continuous with the inner wall surfaces and extend in the thickness direction of the sole body while the inner wall surfaces have come close to each other; and a coupling portion for coupling the rising portions to each other at one end. A first cavity is provided between the inner wall surfaces and the rising portions, while a second cavity is provided between the rising portions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sole structure for a shoe, the sole structure comprising:
a sole body made of an elastic material; and
an adjustment mechanism provided in an intermediate portion of the sole body in a thickness direction, and capable of adjusting a length of the sole body in a foot width direction, wherein
the sole body includes:
a groove formed such that inner wall surfaces of the groove are caused to come close to, and separate from, each other in the foot width direction with the adjustment mechanism, and
a transformable portion provided in the groove, extending in the foot width direction between the inner wall surfaces of the groove, and elastically transformable,
the transformable portion includes:
a pair of rising portions which are continuous with the inner wall surfaces of the groove and extend in the thickness direction while the inner wall surfaces have come close to each other, and
a coupling portion that couples the rising portions to each other at one end, and
a first cavity is provided between the inner wall surfaces of the groove and the rising portions, while a second cavity is provided between the rising portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sole structure of claim 1, wherein
the transformable portion is configured to transform greater than stretch of the sole body in the foot width direction caused by the adjustment mechanism.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sole structure of claim 1, wherein
the rising portions extend upright in the thickness direction while the inner wall surfaces of the groove have come close to each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A shoe comprising the sole structure of claim 1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

A shoe comprising the sole structure of claim 2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

A shoe comprising the sole structure of claim 3.