Patent ID: 6168172
Filing Date: 2001-01-02
Classification: A43B,A63C

Abstract:
A skate for receiving a foot of a skater, the skate comprising: (a) a frame having means for riding on a surface; (b) a rigid base securely attached to said frame, said base adapted to support the bottom of the skater's foot, said base including a heel portion and a toe portion adapted to support areas beneath the heel, ball, and toes of the skater's foot; (c) a substantially non-rigid upper portion adapted to receive the skater's foot, said non-rigid upper portion adapted to substantially cover the top and ankle of the skater's foot and including a vamp, said non-rigid upper portion being fixed to the heel and toe portions of said rigid base; and (d) a substantially rigid upper portion coupled to said non-rigid upper portion and coupled to said rigid base, said rigid upper portion including an ankle support cuff extending above the skater's ankle when wearing the skate and securable around the skater's ankle for substantial lateral rigidity, said rigid upper portion being adjacent only portions of the non-rigid upper portion, leaving a substantial portion of the vamp of the skate without rigid support directly adjacent thereto while the ankle support cuff is secured around the skater's ankle during use, said non-rigid upper portion extending to above said cuff, wherein said substantially non-rigid upper portion includes an outer shell and said ankle support cuff is disposed beneath said outer shell and is pivotally connected on lateral and medial sides thereof to said rigid base.