Articles of Footwear
AssigneeSaucony, Inc.
InventorChristopher J. Mahoney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sole assembly for an article of footwear including an outsole and a midsole disposed on the outsole. The midsole has forward and rearward portions, where the rearward midsole portion has a softer durometer than the forward midsole portion. The midsole also has a foot receiving surface. In an unloaded state, the foot receiving surface in a heel portion of the sole assembly is at least level with or elevated above the foot receiving surface in a forefoot portion of the sole assembly with respect to level ground. The foot receiving surface in the heel portion of the sole assembly drops below the foot receiving surface in the forefoot portion of the sole assembly while in a loaded state on level ground.
Claims38
A sole assembly for an article of footwear, the sole assembly comprising:
- an outsole;
- and
- a midsole disposed on the outsole and having forward and rearward portions, the rearward midsole portion have a softer durometer than the forward midsole portion;
- wherein the midsole has a foot receiving surface, and in an unloaded state, the foot receiving surface in a heel portion of the sole assembly is at least level with or elevated above the foot receiving surface in a forefoot portion of the sole assembly with respect to level ground;
- and
- wherein the foot receiving surface in the heel portion of the sole assembly drops below the foot receiving surface in the forefoot portion of the sole assembly while in a loaded state on level ground.
A sole assembly for an article of footwear, the sole assembly comprising:
- an outsole;
- and
- a midsole disposed on the outsole and having a foot receiving surface, the midsole having forward and rearward portions meeting along a transition region extending from a heel portion of the sole assembly to a forefoot portion of the sole assembly, wherein the thickness of the forward midsole portion increases as the thickness of the rearward midsole portion decreases proportionally along the transition region from the heel portion of the sole assembly to the forefoot portion of the sole assembly;
- wherein the forward midsole portion has a durometer of between about 50 Asker C and about 80 Asker C, and the rearward midsole portion has a durometer of between about 20 Asker C and about 50 Asker C.
A sole assembly for an article of footwear, the sole assembly comprising:
- an outsole;
- and
- a midsole disposed on the outsole and having forward and rearward portions, the forward and rearward midsole portions meeting along a transition region extending from a heel portion of the sole assembly to a forefoot portion of the sole assembly, wherein the thickness of the forward midsole portion increases as the thickness of the rearward midsole portion decreases proportionally along the transition region from the heel portion of the sole assembly to the forefoot portion of the sole assembly, the rearward midsole portion have a softer durometer than the forward midsole portion;
- wherein the midsole has a foot receiving surface, and in an unloaded state, the foot receiving surface in the heel portion of the sole assembly is at least level with or elevated above the foot receiving surface in the forefoot portion of the sole assembly with respect to level ground
- wherein the foot receiving surface in the heel portion of the sole assembly drops below the foot receiving surface in the forefoot portion of the sole assembly while in a loaded state on level ground;
- and
- wherein the outsole defines an aperture in the heel portion of the sole assembly and the midsole defines a recess substantially centered with the aperture, together the outsole aperture and the midsole recess aiding heel drop and causing a heel of a user to become substantially centered thereabove in the loaded state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.