Patent ID: 6314662
Filing Date: 2001-11-13
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A sole for an athletic shoe having at least one side portion with a rounded midsole inner surface and a rounded sole outer surface located at least at a heel area and also at a lateral midtarsal area to increase at least one of lateral and medical stability of the sole, the athletic shoe sole comprising:a midsole component and an outsole component;a sole heel area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a heel of the intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe;a sole forefoot area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a forefoot of the intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe;a sole midtarsal area of the athletic shoe sole at a location substantially corresponding to the area between the heel and the forefoot of the intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe;the sole including a lateral sidemost section and a medial sidemost section, each at a location outside of a straight vertical line extending through the sole at a respective sidemost extent of an inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;a greater sole thickness in the sole heel area than a sole thickness in the sole forefoot area, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section, during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;at least one heel area sole side located at one of a sole lateral side and a sole medial side, said lateral and medial sides being separated by a sole middle part;each said heel area sole side comprising a concavely rounded portion of both the inner surface of the midsole component and an outer surface of the sole, as viewed ill a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer's foot location in the shoe;each said heel area sole side further includes said concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface extending substantially continuously through and beyond a sidemost extent of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;each said heel area sole side also includes both the midsole component and the outsole component extending into the sidemost section of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;each said heel area sole side further includes an upper part of said midsole component extending up said heel area sole side to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said heel area sole side, as viewed in a sole heel area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;at least one midtarsal area sole side located at one of a sole medial side and a sole lateral side, said lateral and medial sides being separated by a sole middle part;each said midtarsal area sole side comprising a concavely rounded portion of both the inner surface of the midsole component and the outer surface of the sole, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer's foot location in the shoe;each said midtarsal area sole side further includes said concavely rounded portion of the sole outer surface extending up said midtarsal area sole side to at least a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;each said midtarsal area sole side also includes the midsole component extending into the sidemost section of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;each said midtarsal area sole side further includes an upper part of the midsole component extending up said midtarsal area sole side to above a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner surface of the midsole component of the same said midtarsal area sole side, as viewed in a sole midtarsal area frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition;said midtarsal area sole side is located at least at the sole lateral side; andthe sole outer surface of at least part of the sole midtarsal area is substantially convexly rounded, as viewed in a shoe sole sagittal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe sole condition, the convexity existing with respect to an intended wearer's foot location in the shoe.