Athletic shoe with a shell inserted between the upper and a comfort sole

An athletic shoe comprising:

• an outsole configured to grip a surface and provide abrasion resistance;
• a comfort sole disposed adjacent the outsole, wherein the comfort sole is less rigid than the outsole and is configured to absorb shock during an impact with the surface;
• an upper coupled to the outsole such that the comfort sole is disposed between the outsole and the upper;
• a shell disposed between the upper and the comfort sole, the shell comprising a shell bottom and a shell sidewall, wherein the shell sidewall forms an edge that extends upwardly from the shell bottom around a periphery of a rear portion of the shell bottom corresponding to a rear portion of the length of the shell corresponding to a heel of the athletic shoe, wherein the shell sidewall continuously surrounds the rear portion of the shell bottom corresponding with the heel, gradually increases in height along a shell side portion corresponding with a rear middle portion of the athletic shoe, and gradually decreases in height along a front middle portion of the shell sidewall, wherein the shell sidewall is disconnected along the shell bottom in a front portion of shell corresponding to a toe portion of the athletic shoe to define a plurality of notches arranged at the front portion of the shell, such that each notch of the plurality of notches includes a lowermost extent that is coincident with the periphery of the shell bottom, and wherein at least two of the plurality of notches are configured to correspond, respectively, to a position of two or more foot joints between one or more metatarsal bones and one or more phalanges of a foot.

An athletic shoe comprising:

• an outsole comprised of a rubber material configured to grip a surface and provide abrasion resistance, the outsole having a first rigidity;
• a comfort sole disposed adjacent the outsole comprised of a foam material, wherein the comfort sole has a second rigidity less than the first rigidity and is configured to absorb shock during an impact with the surface;
• an upper coupled to the outsole such that the comfort sole is disposed between the outsole and the upper;
• a shell comprised of a polymer resin impregnated with carbon fibers configured to impart torsional and flexional rigidity onto the upper, the shell disposed between the upper and the comfort sole, the shell further comprising a shell bottom and a shell sidewall, wherein the shell sidewall forms an edge that extends upwardly from the shell bottom around a periphery of a rear portion of the shell bottom corresponding to a rear portion of the length of the shell corresponding to a heel of the athletic shoe, wherein the shell sidewall continuously surrounds the rear portion of the shell bottom corresponding with the heel, gradually increases in height along a shell side portion corresponding with a rear middle portion of the athletic shoe, and gradually decreases in height along a front middle portion of the shell sidewall, wherein the shell sidewall is disconnected along the shell bottom in a front portion of shell corresponding to a toe portion of the athletic shoe to define a plurality of notches arranged at the front portion of the shell, such that each notch of the plurality of notches includes a lowermost extent that is coincident with the periphery of the shell bottom, wherein the shell is more rigid than the outsole and, when the athletic shoe is worn, the polymer resin impregnated with carbon fibers comprised by the shell is configured to counteract displacement of a foot enclosed in the upper and restore a fraction of energy released by an impact received by the athletic shoe by reducing a corresponding fraction of energy dissipated by the comfort sole after the impact, and wherein the notches are configured to delimit the rigidity of the forefoot section of the shell, increasing flexibility of shell portions disposed between the notches at specific intervals configured to correspond with a position of one or more joints of the foot.