Toe off athletic shoe

#This invention relates to athletic footwear for runners, joggers and the like.

#As is well known to those familiar with the athletic footwear industry, the increased public interest in participating athletic activities involving running in recent years has stimulated important developments in the age old technology of footwear construction. Although a primary motivation for such participation is improved health, a result of the constantly increasing participation is improved competitive capabilities of the participants. This generates a demand for footwear that will not cause a competitive disadvantage, i.e. will enable the participant to reach full physiological potential, and will minimize physical damage to the body. Optimally, such footwear should enhance the natural biomechanics of the foot, effect motion control and stability, be light in weight, and provide excellent comfort as well as exhibiting footwear durability.

#Many structural improvements have been developed and patented previously. However, the inventors herein believe that the shoe of this construction effects a unique combination constituting a further improvement in athletic footwear.

#FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the lateral side of the novel shoe;

#FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the medial side of the novel shoe;

#FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the shoe;

#Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete shoe 10 there depicted comprises the typical elements of a shoe upper 12 which incorporates an inner heel last 14, a midsole subassembly 16, and an outsole subassembly 18. Preferably, an insole (not shown) is also employed on top of the midsole.

#Shoe upper 12 includes the usual components stitched and bonded together to encompass the wearer's foot, and provide lacing eyelet strips 20 for conventional laces. This upper includes a plurality of vertical flex grooves or notches 22 on both the lateral side (FIG. 1) of the shoe and the medial side (FIG. 2) of the shoe. These grooves slope upwardly, forwardly and are located just behind transverse grooves or notches in the midsole assembly to cooperate therewith as explained hereinafter. Grooves 22 are formed by cutout portions in the leather toe 24 of the upper, exposing the underlying thin more flexible layer of woven fabric as of nylon.

#Outsole subassembly 18 is composed of portions of different densities. Portion 26 extends from the rear end of the shoe forwardly to the higher density portion 28 under the ball of the foot. Portion 26 constitutes an expanded rubber of about 45 durometer, Shore A. Likewise, the front toe portion 30 of the outsole is an expanded rubber of about 45 durometer, Shore A. The intermediate portion 28 beneath the ball of the foot constitutes an expanded rubber of about 65 durometer. The portion 32 at the heel of the outsole constitutes a solid rubber heel plug of about 65 durometer, inserted into a recess in portion 26. Preferably solid rubber wear inserts of about 85 durometer, Shore A are placed on the lateral side of the heel at 34.