Patent ID: 6789331
Filing Date: 2004-09-14
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
A shoe having a shoe sole suitable for use in an athletic shoe, the shoe sole comprising:a sole inner surface for supporting the foot of an intended wearer; a sole outer surface; a heel portion at a location substantially corresponding to a heel of the intended wearer's foot; a forefoot portion at a location substantially corresponding to a forefoot of the intended wearer's foot; a midtarsal portion at a location corresponding to an area of the sole between the heel portion and the forefoot portion; and a bottom sole; a midsole defined by an inner midsole surface and an outer midsole surface; the heel, midtarsal, and forefoot portions having a sole middle portion, a sole medial side located medially to the sole middle portion, and a sole lateral side located laterally to the sole middle portion, the midsole having a middle midsole portion, a medial midsole side located medially to the middle midsole portion and a lateral midsole side located laterally to the middle midsole portion, the inner midsole surface located in each of the medial and lateral midsole sides comprising a convexly rounded portion, as viewed in a heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the convexity existing with respect to a portion of the midsole directly adjacent to the convexly rounded portion of the inner midsole surface, and the outer midsole surface located in each of the medial and lateral midsole sides comprising a concavely rounded portion extending down from a level corresponding to a lowest point of the inner midsole surface, as viewed in said heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the midsole directly adjacent to the concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface; each sole side having an uppermost portion that extends above the lowest point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in a heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; the midsole comprising a first midsole portion located completely on one side of a centerline of said midsole, said first midsole portion having a first density or firmness, and a second midsole portion located completely on another side of a centerline of said midsole, said second midsole portion having a second density or firmness which is different than the density or firmness of said first midsole portion, as viewed in said heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; each midsole side comprises a sidemost section of the midsole defined by that portion of the midsole located outside of a straight vertical line drawn through the sidemost extent of the inner midsole surface of the midsole, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; at least a part of the midsole extends into the sidemost section of each midsole side, as viewed in the heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; the part of the midsole that extends into the sidemost section of each midsole side further extends to above a lowermost point of the inner midsole surface of the midsole on the same sole side, as viewed in the heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; each sole side having a sole thickness between said sole inner and outer surfaces that is greater than a sole thickness between said sole inner and outer surfaces of the sole middle portion, as viewed in said heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; and the sole thickness between the sole inner surface and the sole outer surface increases gradually and substantially continuously from the uppermost point of each sole side through at least a substantial part of the uppermost portion of the sole side, as viewed in said heel portion frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition.