# US 9,775,402 B2 · Shoe sole having outsole and midsole > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,775,402 B2 - Document ID: US9775402B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/398,429 - Filed: 2012-05-10 - Published: 2015-03-26 - Granted: 2017-10-03 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-10 - Assignees: Asics Corporation - Applicants: Mai Nonogawa; Kenji Sakamoto; Seigo Nakaya; Rena Furuishi; Toshihiko Nakamura - Inventors: Mai Nonogawa; Kenji Sakamoto; Seigo Nakaya; Rena Furuishi; Toshihiko Nakamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9775402B2 ## CPC - A43B 3/0047: {parts having a male and corresponding female profile to fit together, e.g. form-fit} - A43B 13/14: characterised by the constructive form - A43B 5/10: Tennis shoes - A43B 7/142: situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones - A43B 7/1425: situated under the ball of the foot, i.e. the joint between the first metatarsal and first phalange - A43B 7/143: situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone - A43B 7/144: situated under the heel, i.e. the calcaneus bone - A43B 13/127: {the midsole being multilayer} - A43B 13/16: Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) - A43B 13/188: {Differential cushioning regions} - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR ## Abstract A shoe sole including an outsole 2 and a midsole 1, wherein: the midsole 1 includes a lower midsole 4 of a lower layer formed by a foamed body of a resin, and an upper midsole 3 of an upper layer formed by a foamed body of a resin and arranged on the lower midsole 4; a lateral roll-up portion 42 for supporting a lateral side of a foot from a side of the foot is formed integrally with the lower midsole 4; a hardness of a lateral portion 40 of the lower midsole 4 including the lateral roll-up portion 42 is a first hardness; a hardness of a medial portion 41 of the lower midsole 4 is a second hardness lower than the first hardness; a hardness of a lateral portion 30 of the upper midsole 3 is a third hardness lower than the first hardness; and a part or a whole of the high-hardness lateral roll-up portion 42 is protruding in an upward direction past the upper midsole 3 on a lateral side of the upper midsole 3 so that the lateral side of the foot is supported by the lateral roll-up portion 42 from the side of the foot without being supported by the upper midsole 3 from the side of the foot. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A shoe sole comprising an outsole having a tread surface to be in contact with a road surface, and a midsole arranged on the outsole, wherein: the midsole includes a lower midsole of a lower layer formed by a foam body of a resin, and an upper midsole of an upper layer formed by a second foam body of a resin and arranged on the lower midsole; a lateral roll-up portion configured to support a lateral side of a foot from a side of the foot is formed integrally with the lower midsole; the lower midsole includes a lateral portion and a medial portion; the lateral portion of the lower midsole including the lateral roll-up portion has a first hardness; the medial portion of the lower midsole has a second hardness that is lower than the first hardness; a lateral portion of the upper midsole has a third hardness that is lower than the first hardness; and a part or a whole of the lateral roll-up portion is configured to protrude in an upward direction past the upper midsole on a lateral side of the upper midsole so that the lateral side of the foot is supported by the lateral roll-up portion from the side of the foot without being supported by the upper midsole from the side of the foot, wherein the lateral portion of the upper midsole has a hollowed out and narrowed portion in an area adapted to a metatarsophalangeal joint of a fifth toe, hollowed out and narrowed portion defined by a line that is curved so as to protrude toward a medial side; an outer edge line of the lateral portion of the upper midsole is curved so as to protrude toward a lateral side in an area anterior to a most narrowed portion of the hollowed out and narrowed portion, the outer edge line of the lateral portion of the upper midsole is curved so as to protrude toward the lateral side in an area posterior to the most narrowed portion of the hollowed out and narrowed portion; the lateral portion of the lower midsole forms a base portion that is configured to cover from below at least a part of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the fifth toe; the base portion of the lower midsole fills the hollowed out and narrowed portion; and the lateral roll-up portion of the lower midsole rolls up in the upward direction in a lateral edge of the base portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein: the lateral portion of the upper midsole is configured to support a lower surface of a lateral side of a fore foot section of the foot; and the lateral roll-up portion of the lower midsole is configured to cover a lateral side surface of a head of a metatarsal bone of the fifth toe so as to support a lateral side of the head in the fore foot section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The shoe sole according to claim 2, wherein: the lateral portion of the lower midsole is configured to cover a lower surface of the metatarsal bone of the fifth toe from the head to a bottom thereof; and the medial portion of the lower midsole is configured to cover a lower surface of a metatarsal bone of a first toe from a head to a bottom thereof and a lower surface of a proximal phalanx. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The shoe sole according to claim 3, wherein a hardness of a medial portion of the upper midsole is a fourth hardness lower than the second hardness and the third hardness. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The shoe sole according to claim 3, wherein: the lateral portion of the upper midsole is configured to cover the lower surface of the metatarsal bone of the fifth toe from the head to the bottom thereof; and the medial portion of the upper midsole is configured to cover the lower surface of the metatarsal bone of the first toe from the head to the bottom thereof and a lower surface of the proximal phalanx. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the hollowed out and narrowed portion of the lateral portion of the upper midsole is configured so that at least one portion of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the fifth toe protrudes over the hollowed out and narrowed portion, and the base portion of the lateral portion of the lower midsole is configured to cover the at least one portion of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the fifth toe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, further comprising a stabilizer arranged along a lateral side surface of the lateral roll-up portion further on a lateral side of the lateral roll-up portion, wherein the lateral roll-up portion protrudes in the upward direction past the stabilizer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the outsole is formed by a foam body or a non-foam body of a rubber and is rolled up in the upward direction further on a lateral side of the lateral roll-up portion, and the lateral roll-up portion protrudes in the upward direction past a rolled-up portion of the outsole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the lower midsole includes a part on which a whole of the upper midsole is downwardly projected, and the whole of the upper midsole is arranged above the part of the lower midsole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein a whole of the upper midsole is made of the second foam body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the lower midsole includes a part on which a whole of the upper midsole is downwardly projected, the whole of the upper midsole is arranged above the part of the lower midsole, and a whole of the upper midsole is made of the second foam body.