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US 6,438,869 B1Granted
Shoe with naturally contoured sole
AssigneeAnatomic Research, Inc.
InventorFrampton E. Ellis, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A construction for a shoe, particularly an athletic shoe such as a running shoe, includes a sole that conforms to the natural shape of the foot, particularly the sides, and that has a constant thickness in frontal plane cross sections. The thickness of the shoe sole side contour equals and therefore varies exactly as the thickness of the load-bearing sole portion varies due to heel lift, for example. Thus, the outer contour of the edge portion of the sole has at least a portion which lies along a theoretically ideal stability plane for providing natural stability and efficient motion of the shoe and foot particularly in an inverted and everted mode.
Claims23
A sole of a shoe, comprising:
- a sole outer surface;
- a sole inner surface for supporting a foot of an intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a forefoot of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- and
- a midtarsal portion located between the heel portion and the forefoot portion;
- the sole heel, midtarsal and forefoot portions having a sole medial side, a sole lateral side, and a sole middle portion between the sole sides;
- the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of a fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first distal phalange bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, a rear medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a rear lateral forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the shoe sole further comprising at least one bulge, each at least one bulge comprising at least a concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion;
- each said at least one bulge also comprising at least a convexly rounded portion of the inner surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the convexity existing with respect to a section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion;
- each at least one bulge having a thickness that tapers from a greater thickness to a lesser thickness on a side of the bulge, as viewed in both a shoe sole horizontal plane and a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition;
- each said at least one bulge comprises a midsole part;
- one said bulge being located at the lateral heel part and another said bulge being located at the medial heel part;
- at least an uppermost portion of an outer surface of each said at least one bulge extending above a lowermost point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition;
- and
- a heel portion thickness that is greater than a forefoot portion thickness as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section.
15 more elements
A sole of a shoe, comprising:
- a sole outer surface;
- a sole inner surface for supporting a foot of an intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a forefoot of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- a midtarsal portion located between the heel portion and the forefoot portion;
- the sole heel, midtarsal and forefoot portions having a sole medial side, a sole lateral side, and a sole middle portion between the sole aides, at least a part of the sole outer surface of the sole middle portion having a tread pattern;
- the sole lateral side and the sole medial side comprising a lowermost side section adjacent the sole middle portion, an intermediate side section above the lowermost side section, and an uppermost side section above the intermediate side section;
- the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of a fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first distal phalange bone, a rear medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a rear lateral forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe;
- the shoe sole further comprising at least one bulge, each at least one bulge comprising at least a concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion;
- each said at least one bulge also comprising at least a convexly rounded portion of the inner surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the convexity existing with respect to a section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the convexly rounded inner surface portion;
- each said at least one bulge comprises a midsole part;
- a bulge being located at least at one of the lateral heel part and the medial heel part;
- at least an uppermost portion of an outer surface of each at least one bulge extends above a lowermost point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition;
- the sole outer surface at the heel portion comprises a concavely rounded portion extending substantially continuously through the sole middle portion, as viewed in a shoe sole heel frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion;
- and
- the sole inner surface at the heel portion comprises a convexly rounded portion extending substantially continuously through the sole middle portion, as viewed in a shoe sole heel frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the convexity existing with respect to a section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the convexly rounded portion;
- said sole outer surface concavely rounded portion that extends substantially continuously through the sole middle portion of the sole heel portion having a radius of curvature greater than a maximum radial thickness of the sole middle portion, as viewed in a shoe sole heel frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition;
- and
- a heel portion thickness that is greater than a forefoot portion thickness as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.