Patent ID: 6442871
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A heel for a shoe, said heel comprising:a heel block having a bottom surface that is presented downwardly and a cavity and a plurality of guide holes which are discrete from, and surround, said cavity; said cavity and guide holes having separate openings out of the bottom surface, the cavity being set inwardly from the periphery of the heel block so that it is completely surrounded by the heel block and having an end surface that is presented downwardly; a top lift having a base that is located below the bottom surface of the heel block such that a space exists between the base and the bottom surface of the heel block, the top lift having a plurality of guide pins which project upwardly from the base into the guide holes in the heel block, the pins being narrow enough to slide upwardly and downwardly in the guide holes; and a resilient member located within the cavity in the heel block and having its upper end at the upper surface of the cavity and its lower end at the base of the top lift, the separate cavity and guide bores maintaining a spacing between the slug and the guide pins; the resilient member being formed from a material that is resilient, yet stiff enough to support the heel block with its bottom surface located above the top lift, the cross-sectional area of the slug in the cavity being between about 7% and about 12% of the area of the top lift.