Patent ID: 6708424
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A sole of a shoe, comprising:a sole outer surface; a sole inner surface for supporting a foot of an intended wearer when inside the shoe; a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe; a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a forefoot of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe; and a midtarsal portion located between the heel portion and the forefoot portion; the sole heel, midtarsal and forefoot portions having a sole medial side, a sole lateral side, and a sole middle portion between the sole sides; the heel portion having a lateral heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a medial heel part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of the calcaneus bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe; the midtarsal portion having a lateral midtarsal part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a base of a fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe; the forefoot portion having a forward medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first distal phalange bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, a rear medial forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of a first metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe, and a rear lateral forefoot part at a location substantially corresponding to a location of a head of the fifth metatarsal bone of the foot of the intended wearer when inside the shoe; the shoe sole further comprising at least one rounded portion, each at least one rounded portion of the shoe sole comprising at least a concavely rounded portion of the outer surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the shoe sole directly adjacent to the concavely rounded outer surface portion; each said at least one rounded portion of the shoe sole also comprising at least a concavely rounded portion of the inner surface of the shoe sole, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe; each at least one rounded portion of the shoe sole having a thickness that tapers from a greater thickness to a lesser thickness on a side of the rounded portion of the shoe sole, as viewed in both a shoe sole horizontal plane and a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition; each said at least one rounded portion of the shoe sole comprises a midsole part; one said rounded portion of the shoe sole being located at the lateral heel part and another said rounded portion of the shoe sole being located at the medial heel part; at least an uppermost portion of an outer surface of each said at least one rounded portion of the shoe sole extending above a lowermost point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section during a shoe sole upright, unloaded condition; and a heel portion thickness that is greater than a forefoot portion thickness as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross-section.