Patent ID: 7234249
Filing Date: 2007-06-26
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
1. A shoe having a shoe sole suitable for an athletic shoe, the shoe sole comprising: a sole inner surface for supporting a foot of an intended wearer; a sole outer surface; a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a heel of the intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe; the shoe sole having a sole medial side, a sole lateral side and a sole middle portion located between said sole sides; a midsole component having an inner surface and an outer surface; a bottom sole which forms at least part of the sole outer surface; the shoe sole comprising a concavely rounded portion located between a concavely rounded portion of the inner surface of the midsole component and a concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface, as viewed in a heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the concavity of the concavely rounded portions of the inner surface of the midsole component and the sole outer surface existing with respect to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe; at least a part of said concavely rounded portion of the shoe sole which extends through an arc of at least twenty degrees having a substantially uniform thickness, as viewed in a heel portion frontal plane cross-section, when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; at least one cushioning compartment located between the sole inner surface and the sole outer surface, as viewed in said heel portion frontal plane cross-section, and said at least one cushioning compartment including one of a gas, gel, or liquid.