Shoe sole structure

A sole structure for a shoe comprising, in combination:

• an elongated relatively rigid support member adapted to extend beneath the heel, inner arch, and metatarsal arch region of the wearer's foot and to firmly support the same thereon;
• a resilient ground-engaging member extending underneath said support member in generally parallel relationship thereto for receiving and supporting the same, said ground-engaging member also extending forwardly of said support member to receive and support the toes of the wearer's foot;
• said two members cooperatively providing a continuous and smoothly contoured upper surface for supporting the wearer's foot thereon;
• said resilient member having a downwardly extending heel impact pad formed on its rearward end;
• and
• said two members cooperatively forming a downwardly extending central pedestal underneath the inner arch portion of the wearer's foot, said central pedestal having limited resiliency and being longitudinally rounded on its under surface.

In a shoe having an upper which receives the full length of the wearer's foot, a shoe sole structure for receiving and supporting the upper, comprising:

• a relatively rigid member extending underneath the heel and hence forward to and underneath the metatarsal arch;
• a resilient ground-engaging member extending forwardly of said rigid member for supporting the toes, said two members cooperatively providing a continuous, generally flat upper supporting surface;
• said rigid member being downwardly thickened near the longitudinal center of said sole structure to provide a transverse, longitudinally rounded central pedestal;
• said resilient member also extending rearwardly underneath said rigid member in substantially parallel relation therewith, being longitudinally rounded beneath said central pedestal, and being downwardly thickened near its rearward end to provide a heel impact pad, said impact pad being also longitudinally smoothly rounded on its under side;
• and
• the thickness of said sole structure measured at said pedestal being substantially equal to the thickness measured at said heel impact pad.

In a shoe having an upper which receives the full length of the wearer's foot, a shoe sole structure for receiving and supporting the upper, comprising:

• a relatively rigid member extending underneath the heel and hence forward to and underneath the metatarsal arch;
• a resilient ground-engaging member extending forwardly of said rigid member for supporting the toes, said two members cooperatively providing a continuous, generally flat upper supporting surface;
• said rigid member being downwardly thickened near the longitudinal center of said sole structure to provide a transverse, longitudinally rounded central pedestal;
• said resilient member also extending rearwardly underneath said rigid member in substantially parallel relation therewith, being longitudinally rounded beneath said central pedestal, and being downwardly thickened near its rearward end to provide a heel impact pad, said impact pad being also longitudinally smoothly rounded on its under side;
• and
• the under surface of said resilient member at said central pedestal extending below a plane defined by the under surfaces of said heel impact pad and the toe portion of said resilient member.

A shoe sole structure comprising:

• a relatively rigid member having a generally flat upper surface which extends beneath the heel and thence forward to and underneath the metatarsal arch, said member being of similar thickness at its two ends but being downwardly thickened at a location slightly forward of its longitudinal center to form a transversely extending, longitudinally rounded central pedestal;
• a resilient ground-engaging member disposed beneath said rigid member and extending the full length thereof in engagement therewith for supporting the same, said resilient member also extending forwardly of said rigid member underneath the toes;
• said forwardly extending portion of said resilient member providing an extension of said upper surface of said rigid member;
• and
• the heel portion of said resilient member being downwardly thickened to provide a heel impact pad;
• the under surface of said resilient member being longitudinally rounded both at said central pedestal and at said heel impact pad.

A shoe sole structure comprising, in combination:

• a resilient ground-engaging member adapted to extend the full length and width of a shoe;
• said member having a downwardly depending heel portion having a vertical thickness of at least about one inch, the under surface of said heel portion being curved in a longitudinal direction to conform approximately to the arc of a circle having a radius of curvature of about one to two inches;
• said ground-engaging member also having a transverse protrusion extending downwardly slightly rearwardly of its longitudinal center to form a pedestal, the under surface of said pedestal being extending below a plane defined by the under surface of said heel portion and the under surface of the metatarsal arch portion of said ground-engaging member;
• means restricting the resilient upward deformation of said pedestal;
• and
• stiffening means cooperating with the upper surface of said ground-engaging member for restricting its longitudinal bending rearwardly of the metatarsal arch region.

A shoe comprising, in combination:

• a shoe upper;
• an inner sole disposed within the lower extremity of said shoe upper for receiving and supporting a wearer's foot thereon;
• a resilient ground-engaging member disposed beneath said shoe upper and extending the full length and breadth thereof, the forward end portion of said ground-engaging member being rounded in the horizontal plane to form a toe portion and having an upstanding flange around its outer periphery for receiving the shoe upper in supporting relation therewithin;
• a rigid support member interposed between the shoe upper and the rearward portion of said ground-engaging memeber, said rigid support member extending laterally the full breadth of said shoe upper and extending longitudinally underneath the heel, instep, and metatarsal arch regions thereof in supporting relationship therewith;
• the rearward end of said rigid support member being rounded in the horizontal plane to form a heel portion, and said rigid support member also having an upstanding flange extending the full length of its lateral edges as well as around the periphery of said heel portion for supportingly receiving said shoe upper therewithin;
• and
• said rigid support member and the forward portion of said ground-engaging member cooperatively providing a continuous and smoothly contoured upper surface for supporting said shoe upper.

A sole structure for a shoe comprising, in combination:

• an elongated relatively rigid support member adapted to extend beneath the heel, inner arch, and metatarsal arch regions of the wearer's foot and to firmly support the same;
• a resilient ground-engaging member extending underneath said support member in generally parallel relationship thereto for receiving and supporting said support member, said ground-engaging member also extending forwardly of said support member to support the toes of the wearer's foot;
• said two members being secured together and cooperatively providing a continuous and smoothly contoured upper surface;
• said resilient member having a downwardly extending heel impact pad formed near its rearward end;
• and
• said two members cooperatively forming a downwardly extending central pedestal underneath the inner arch portion of the wearer's foot, said central pedestal having limited resiliency and being longitudinally rounded on its under surface.

A shoe sole structure comprising, in combination:

• a resilient ground-engaging member adapted to extend the full length and width of a shoe;
• said member having a downwardly depending heel portion having a vertical thickness of at least about one inch, the under surface of said heel portion being curved in a longitudinal direction to conform approximately to the arc of a circle;
• said ground-engaging member also being convexly downwardly curved slightly rearwardly of its longitudinal center to form a central pedestal, the under surface of said central pedestal extending below a plane defined by the under surfaces of said heel portion and of the metatarsal arch portion of said ground-engaging member;
• stiffening means cooperating with the upper surface of said ground-engaging member for restricting its longitudinal bending rearwardly of the metatarsal arch region;
• and
• means cooperating with said stiffening means for restricting the resilient upward deformation of said pedestal.