Patent ID: 7287341
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
1. A sole suitable for an athletic shoe comprising: a sole outer surface; a sole inner surface; the sole surfaces of the sole for the athletic shoe defining a sole medial side, a sole lateral side and a sole middle portion located between said sole sides; a sole forefoot area at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a forefoot of an intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe; a sole heel area at a location substantially corresponding to the location of a heel of an intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe; a sole midtarsal area at a location substantially corresponding to the area between the heel and the forefoot of the intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe; a midsole component defined by an inner midsole surface and an outer midsole surface, said midsole component extending to the sole middle portion and at least one sole side portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, said midsole component having three different firmnesses or densities; the outer midsole surface of one of the lateral and medial sides comprising a concavely rounded portion located in at least one shoe sole side, and extending at least below a level of a lowest point of the midsole inner surface, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the concavity of the concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface existing with respect to an inner section of the midsole component directly adjacent to the concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface, the inner midsole surface of the side of the shoe sole which has a concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface comprising a convexly rounded portion, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the convexity of the convexly rounded portion of the inner midsole surface existing with respect to a section of the midsole component directly adjacent to the convexly rounded portion of the inner midsole surface; a portion of a sole side located between the sole inner surface and the sole outer surface having a thickness between the sole inner surface and the sole outer surface that is greater than a least thickness of the shoe sole in the sole middle portion between the sole inner surface and the sole outer surface, said thickness being defined as the distance between a first point on the sole inner surface and a second point on the sole outer surface, said second point being located along a straight line perpendicular to a straight line tangent to the sole inner surface at said first point, all as viewed in the frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; the sole having a lateral sidemost section defined by that portion of said sole located outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a lateral sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; the sole having a medial sidemost section defined by that portion of said sole located outside of a straight vertical line extending through the shoe sole at a medial sidemost extent of the inner surface of the midsole component, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; at least a part of the midsole component extends into the sidemost section of at least one shoe sole side, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; and the part of the midsole component that extends into the sidemost section of the at least one shoe sole side further extends to above a lowermost point of the inner midsole surface of the midsole component on the same sole side, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition.