Patent ID: 8850721
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: A43B,A43C

Abstract:
1. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a toe portion, a heel portion opposite the toe portion, an arch portion disposed between the toe portion and the heel portion, a medial side, and a lateral side opposite the medial side; a sole comprising (a) a forefoot portion defined between a first forward free edge and a first rearward free edge opposite the first forward free edge and (b) a heel portion defined between a second forward free edge and a second rearward free edge opposite the second forward free edge, the first rearward free edge of the forefoot portion being spaced apart from the second forward free edge of the heel portion by a gap, the gap exposing the arch portion of the upper; an arch member including a lateral intermediate member disposed on the lateral side of the upper and a medial intermediate member disposed on the medial side of the upper, wherein the lateral intermediate member has a first lateral curved edge and an opposite second lateral curved edge both extending substantially parallel to one another to form an arcuate shape that extends from a first lateral end portion to a second lateral end portion opposite the first lateral end portion and the medial intermediate member has a first medial curved edge and an opposite second medial curved edge that both extend substantially parallel to one another to form an arcuate shape that extends from a first medial end portion to a second medial end portion opposite the first medial end portion; wherein the first lateral end portion is connected to the first medial end portion by a first connecting member that extends from the medial side to the lateral side and is attached to the forefoot portion of the sole; wherein the second lateral end portion is connected to the second medial end portion by a second connecting member that extends from the medial side to the lateral side, the second lateral end portion and the second medial end portion both terminating at the second connecting member at a point that is disposed closer to the second rearward free edge than the second forward free edge of the heel portion of the sole; and wherein the second connecting member is attached to the heel portion at the rearmost edge of the article of footwear.