Patent ID: 9232831
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: A43B

Claim Text:
1. A heel counter structure for a shoe, said shoe including at least a heel region, said heel counter structure comprising: a sole plate provided at least at the heel region of the shoe, wherein the sole plate includes a peripheral portion that is upraised along the heel region of the shoe and that is configured to enclose a lower portion of a heel portion of a foot of a shoe wearer; and a pair of heel counter portions provided on a medial side and a lateral side of the heel region of the shoe respectively, wherein said heel counter portions are configured to sandwich the heel portion of the foot sideways, wherein said heel counter portions have lower edges and are tiltably coupled to said peripheral portion of said sole plate along said lower edges, and said heel counter portions are not connected to one another at a rear end of the heel region of the shoe, so that said heel counter portions can tilt laterally and medially, inwardly and outwardly, independently of said sole plate and independently of one another, wherein said heel counter portions are configured to cover respective bulging prominences below a malleolus of the heel portion of the foot on the medial side and the lateral side respectively, and upper edges of said heel counter portions are configured to end below the malleolus, and wherein said peripheral portion of said sole plate on the medial side and the lateral side is respectively configured to be located below and not to cover the respective bulging prominences below the malleolus of the heel portion of the foot.