Athletic shoe with improved sole
AssigneeAkeva L.L.C.
InventorDavid F. Meschan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shoe has an upper, a foot support region positioned below at least a portion of the upper to support the bottom of a user's foot, a sole secured below the foot support region, and a flexible member positioned below at least a portion of the foot support region and above at least a portion of the sole. The flexible member has a top surface, a bottom surface, a peripheral portion, and an interior portion. The interior portion of the flexible member deflects in use in a direction substantially perpendicular to a major longitudinal axis of the shoe. At least a portion of the peripheral portion is restrained from movement relative to the interior portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe.
Claims51
A shoe comprising:
- an upper having an arch region and a heel region;
- a rear sole below the heel region of the upper, the rear sole including a first layer of material that is at least in part ground-engaging and a second layer of material located at least in part above and in contact with the first layer of material;
- a flexible plate having upper and lower surfaces, the flexible plate being between at least a portion of the rear sole and at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, peripheral portions of the plate being restrained from movement relative to an interior portion of the plate so that the interior portion of the plate is capable of being deflected relative to the peripheral portions in a vertical direction;
- a void beneath at least a portion of the lower surface of the plate, the void extending at least in part through the second layer of material;
- an opening in the rear sole, the void being in air communication with the outside of the shoe through the second layer of material and the opening in the rear sole;
- and
- an arch bridge integral with the plate and extending forward beneath at least a portion of the arch region of the upper, the arch bridge having a bottom surface at least a portion of which is in air communication with the outside of the shoe.
A shoe comprising:
- an upper having an arch region and a heel region;
- a rear sole below the heel region of the upper;
- and
- a flexible plate having upper and lower surfaces and positioned between at least a portion of the rear sole and at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, peripheral portions of the plate being restrained from movement relative to an interior portion of the plate in a vertical direction so that the interior portion of the plate is capable of being deflected relative to the peripheral portions in a vertical direction, the upper surface having a curved portion so that a central portion is lower in the center relative to a peripheral portion, and at least part of the lower surface is in air communication with and visible from the outside of the shoe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.