Athletic training shoe having foam core and apertured sole layers

An athletic shoe comprising:

• a shoe upper;
• an outer sole layer including a ground engaging bottom surface under the heel, toe and arch portions of said shoe;
• a heel lift sole layer of resilient material provided between said outer sole and said upper;
• and
• an intermediate sole layer secured between said outer sole layer and said upper, said intermediate sole layer including an outer border portion of resilient material separate from the outer sole and surrounding an inner core portion provided by a foam member made of softer and less dense resilient foam material than said border portion provided within an opening completely through said intermediate layer, said core portion having a substantially flat continuous upper surface, and extending longitudinally of the shoe so that said core is positioned beneath the heel, arch, and metatarsal bones of the wearer's foot.

An athletic shoe comprising:

• a shoe upper;
• an outer sole layer;
• an apertured sole layer of resilient material provided between said outer sole and said upper, said apertured sole layer having a plurality of apertures extending completely through said apertured layer and arranged in at least three rows extending longitudinally of said shoe with the apertures of the middle row being staggered so that they are not aligned with those of the outer two rows;
• and
• said shoe upper and sole layers being formed with a straight last shape.