Patent ID: 9661896
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A43B

Claim:
1. A footwear article comprising: a foot-attachment structure configured to attach to a foot; longitudinally opposite front and rear ends; a heel adjacent the rear end; a downward-facing exposed sole surface located forward from the heel; a ground-treading cantilever extension that adjoins the sole surface at a junction, and, in a natural orientation, projects rearwardly and downwardly from the junction, the extension having a proximal end and a distal end that are longitudinally opposite each other, wherein the extension includes: an insole; a semi-rigid elastically flexible insert that includes (i) a plantar plate that extends along the insole and (ii) the thrust plate that extends along the extension projecting rearwardly from the plantar plate, wherein the insert provides flexural elasticity for the extension to elastically resist upward rotation; wherein: the proximal end is at the junction, the extension is supported at only the proximal end, the extension extends rearward from the proximal end to the distal end, the distal end is forward from the heel, the extension is configured to elastically resist upward rotation of the extension from the natural orientation, and is configured to be pushed by an upward force to rotate upward from the natural orientation toward the sole, the plantar plate includes a toe plate that is configured to support a big toe of the foot but not other toes of the foot, the plantar plate has an opening located above the thrust plate, and the opening is an opening in the plantar plate and is located, sized and shaped to be able to contain the thrust plate if the thrust plate would be rotated upward into the opening, and the insert includes a longitudinally-elongated upturn extending upward from a medial side edge and a lateral side edge of the plantar plate, wherein the upturn has a laterally-inner surface adhered to the foot attachment structure and a laterally-outer surface exposed to the outside.