Abstract:
An article of footwear, e.g., a shoe for running, jogging, and walling, that is designed to provide a better and more anatomical fit to the wearer&#39;s foot to enhance performance and provide better arch support. The shoe includes an articulated arch that is independent from the main sole unit to provide better arch support, optimal comfort, and enhanced articulation. A heel notch is cut in the medial and lateral quarter panels to enable the shoe to move in a manner more like the human foot. A heel clip is provided, in lieu of a traditional heel counter, to provide a secure fit in the heel region without the inflexibility and discomfort of a traditional heel counter.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an article of footwear. More specifically, the invention relates to an article of footwear, especially for running, jogging, and walking, designed to provide a better and more anatomical fit to the wearer&#39;s foot to enhance performance and provide better arch support. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Athletic shoes normally include a sole for providing traction and cushioning, and an upper for holding the foot of the wearer to the sole. The soles ordinarily have a multi-layer construction comprised of an outsole and a midsole. The outsole is normally formed of a durable material to resist wearing of the sole during use. The midsole ordinarily forms the middle layer of the sole and is typically composed of a soft foam material to cushion the impact forces and pressure experienced by the foot during athletic activities. The foam midsole may be formed with or without the inclusion of other cushioning elements, such as a resilient inflated bladder. An insole layer which is usually a thin padded member, may be provided overtop of the midsole to enhance the comfort afforded to the wearer. 
     Typically, the shoe upper is constructed with a heel counter, i.e., a supportive panel that extends around the heel to keep the heel in place. Additionally, the soles of running shoes include a substantial arch portion integral with the rest of the sole. These features tend to reduce the flexibility of the shoe and inhibit optimal performance. Moreover, some prior art shoes have included a small arcuate dip in the ankle collar proximate to where the wearer&#39;smalleolus bone would protrude in an attempt to reduce some of the rubbing between the upper and this bone. However, the remaining material under this dip causes reduced flexibility inhibiting optimal performance. Accordingly, an improved shoe, especially for running, jogging, and walking, was thus needed that provides better flexibility and a more anatomical fit to enhance performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an article of footwear that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art shoes, particularly those that have existed in prior art shoes intended for the sport of running. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a shoe having an increased level of comfort and support while maintaining maximum flexibility. 
     Other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the drawing figures and the description below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a medial side elevational view of the article of footwear of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a lateral side elevational view thereof, 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof, 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view thereof; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken through line  6 — 6  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7 shown with the laces in a tightened position; and 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the heel clip used in the article of footwear; and 
     FIG. 9 is as schematic representation of the dimensions of the heel notch. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An improved article of footwear, e.g., a shoe, is shown in FIGS. 1-9 and is designated generally by reference numeral  10 . As will be evident from the description below, the shoe  10  includes an upper  12  and a sole  14  having a midsole  16  and an outsole  17 . The upper  12 , which can include one panel or a plurality of overlapping panels, includes a medial quarter portion  18 , i.e., the medial part of the rear portion of the shoe where the foot enters, a lateral quarter portion  20 , i.e., the lateral part of the rear portion of the shoe where the foot enters, a heel portion  22  that extends between the medial and lateral quarter portions  18  and  20 , a medial and lateral vamp or side portion  24  and  26  on each side of the shoe  10 , and a toe region  28 . 
     The medial quarter portion  18  and the lateral quarter portion  20  are each provided with an anatomically shaped heel notch  30 . The heel notch  30  has a depth sufficient to effectively isolate the remainder of the heel material from the rest of the shoe upper  12 . This, in turn, permits the heel portion to go through a full range of motion while remaining relatively unaffected with regard to forces associated with the forefoot and midfoot. This also separates the functions of the heel and midfoot to optimize articulation. As shown in FIG. 9, in a preferred embodiment, the depth d1 from the top of the quarter portion  18  or  20  to the base  32  of the notch is preferably between 40 to 65 mm. If the tongue  34  is integral with the upper, the preferred depth d2 from the tongue to the base  32  of the notch is approximately 80 mm. The width w of the base  32  of the heel notch  30  is preferably about 10 mm. The base  32  of the heel notch  30  is also preferably located a height h from the footbed  36  between approximately 0-15 mm. That is, the base  32  of notch  30  is preferably right at the height of the footbed  36  or can be positioned a height h above the footbed  36  less than or equal to 15 mm. As seen in the figures, the notches  30  are generally vertically oriented, and are positioned rearward of the midfoot region of the shoe  10  between the midfoot region and the heel region. Additionally, the taper angles θ between the general slopes of the heel notch  30  and a vertical axis are preferably between 5-30 degrees. The heel notch  30  eliminates the problems of the prior art designs wherein the material that would normally occupy the heel notch  30  of the present invention would bulge and flex as the wearer moved his foot. This resulted in providing undesirable resistance to the natural flexing of the wearer&#39;s foot and possibly caused undesirably rubbing against the user&#39;smalleolus bones. Accordingly, the notch  30  of the present invention separates and isolates the heel of the shoe  10  from the midfoot to optimize articulation and flexibility. 
     The shoe  10  also includes a heel clip  38  for securely fitting the rear of the shoe  10  around the wearer&#39;s heel. As best shown in FIG. 8, heel clip  38  includes a base or back section  40 , a medial side  42  and a lateral side  44 . The medial and lateral sides  42  and  44  are coupled to the back section  40  in a manner that permits the medial and lateral sections  42  and  44  to behave like the are hinged to the back section  40  and biased inwardly towards each other. The opening  46  between the medial and lateral sides  42  and  44  is preferably smaller than the size of the heel of the typical wearer for that particular sized shoe. Thus, when the wearer inserts his foot into the shoe, the sides of the wearer&#39;s foot push outwardly against the medial and lateral sections  42  and  44  to widen the opening  46 . However, once the foot is in place, the medial and lateral portions  42  and  44  of the heel clip  38  continuously press against the sides of the wearer&#39;s heel due to its biasing. Thus, the heel clip  38  effectively engages the entire heel surface to help provide a more anatomical fit and lock the heel into place. Moreover, the heel clip  38  removes the need for a structural heel counter around the heel of the foot. This is specifically beneficial because traditional heel counters reduce desired flexibility and may cause undesirable rubbing and irritation at the Achilles. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the heel clip  38  may be made from any suitable molded plastic. In the alternative, heel clip  38  may be made from a metal or any other material that provides the desired “memory” capabilities for the aforementioned biasing. Depending upon the material chosen, it may be desirable to provide padding on the inside of the heel clip  38  for the comfort of the wearer. If desired, heel clip  38  may be made with a plurality of parts to permit adjustability. Additionally, the rear of the shoe may be a soft material so as to avoid the disadvantages of the traditional heel counter. In the alternative, a thermoplastic rubber may be used to distribute the pressure to a larger region of the heel. 
     The heel clip  38  may be attached to the shoe  10  by any suitable method. For example, heel clip  38  may be permanently affixed to the shoe by sewing, or another suitable method. In the alternative, heel clip  38  may be removably attachable to the rear of the shoe  10  by slipping the clip in through loops or slots on the upper  12 . Thus, the heel clip  38  may either be exposed on the outside of the shoe or unexposed inside the shoe  10 . Additionally, the heel clip  38  may be made to be symmetrical, as shown, or asymmetrical with the medial side  42  slightly higher than the lateral side  44  to better accommodate to the anatomy of the foot. 
     The sole  14  includes a midsole  16  and an outsole  17  and covers the forefoot and the heel regions of the shoe. In the midfoot section, the sole  14  has a lateral portion that connects the forefoot and heel regions. An articulated arch  50  is generally semi-circular in shape and positioned in the arch region of the shoe  10  on the medial side between the forefoot, rearfoot, and lateral midfoot portions of the sole  14 . The articulated arch  50  is preferably attached in any suitable manner to the lasted upper  12 . However, articulated arch  50  is separate from the main sole  14  and is independent in its range of movement from the main sole  14 . A gap  52  between the articulated arch  50  and the main sole  14  may be as small as zero or larger. It is only necessary to provide the ability to the articulated arch  50  to pull away from the main sole  14 . As illustrated in the comparison between FIGS. 6 and 7, when the lacing system is tightened, an upward force is applied to the articulated arch  50 . This allows the arch  50  to conform to the wearer&#39;s foot at a higher support level because its movement is independent of the main sole  14 . This, in turn, adds additional and more anatomical support to the wearer&#39;s arch permitting optimal comfort, while enhancing flexibility and articulation. Optionally, a insole liner or pad  55  may be used to add additional conform for the wearer. 
     In a preferred arrangement, the articulated arch  50  may include a first portion  54  comprised of the same material used in the midsole  16  of main sole  14 . Additionally, portions of articulated arch  50  may include a second portion  56 , attached to the bottom of the first portion  54 , that is comprised of the same traction material used in the outsole  17  of the main sole  14 . However, the bottom surface or second portion  56  of the articulated arch is not likely to touch the ground or supporting surface during normal running or jogging activity due to the natural transfer of weight on the foot during these activities. However, the second portion  56  with traction material may be beneficial as a safety precaution as there may be occasions where the articulated arch  50  may engage the ground or supporting surface if the ground or supporting surface is uneven. Accordingly, it is not necessary to use an outsole material on the articulated arch  50 . 
     In a preferred design, assuming a standard men&#39;s size 9 shoe, one preferred size for articulated arch  50  is 70 nm in a longitudinal direction of the shoe  10  and 23 mm at the widest point in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. This rear of the articulated arch  50  may be positioned approximately 90 mm forward from the heel. However, it is understood that the dimensions may vary and its size should correspond to the arch of the wearer&#39;s foot. 
     As previously described, the articulated arch  50  moves in response to the tightening of the shoe fastening system. In a preferred arrangement, as pictured, the shoe fastening system includes a plurality of non-stretch lace engaging elements  60 , that may be made from nylon for example. The lace engaging elements  60  have a first end  62  containing eyelets, lace loops, or the like, and a second end  24  that is fixedly attached to the side panel  66  of the upper. The side panels  66  are preferably flexible and may be made from a flexible mesh. Thus, when a lace  68  is routed through the lace loops  62  and tightened, the non-flexible lace engaging elements  60  are pulled upwardly and inwardly. As the lace engaging elements  60  are attached to the flexible side panels  66 , they too are pulled upwardly and inwardly, which in turn, tends to lift the articulated arch  50  and the main sole  14  upwardly. These forces will not have any significant effect on moving the main sole unit  14  because of the size of the main sole unit  14  and its relation to the wearer&#39;s foot. However, the articulated arch  50  will be lifted upwardly and inwardly to conform to the wearer&#39;s foot—providing better arch support and better articulation. 
     In addition to the upwardly force applied by the side panels  66 , flexible straps  70  may be used to apply an additional, and more direct force on the articulated arch  50 . On the medial side of the shoe, the flexible straps  70  are attached to the side of the articulated arch  50  and to the side panel  66  so that the stretching of the flexible side panel  66  also causes the flexible straps  70  to apply an upward and inward force to the articulated arch  50 . The flexible straps  70  are attached in a similar manner to the lateral side but to not have a significant effect on the main sole  14  for the reasons described above. The flexible straps  70  can also be made, as pictured, to extend from, the articulated arch  50 , to the medial side panel  66 , across and over the tongue, to the lateral side panel  66  and to the main sole  14  on the lateral side. In this arrangement, the straps  70  help to hold the wearer&#39;s foot in the shoe  10  and help to act as a cushion between the lace  68  and the foot. As shown, the articulated arch  50  may be sculpted or shaped to specifically interface with the flexible straps  70 . In a preferred embodiment, the flexible straps are made from a neoprene and are attached to the side panel  66  by a heat sensitive thermo-plastic rubber that acts as an adhesive to bond the two elements together. 
     In an alternative design, not shown, a center portion the medial side panel may be generally vertically separated from the remainder of the side of the upper, in the front and rear in areas generally corresponding to the front and rear of the articulated arch. This will provide a more direct force on the articulated arch. Moreover, this design permits the use of a non-flexible material in that region if desired. 
     While the independent articulated arch  50 , the heel notch  30  and the heel clip  38  of shoe  10  work together to achieve the advantages previously described, it is recognized that any of these features can be used independently or in combination with the other features without the necessity to adopt all of these features. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is recognized that various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the herein-described invention shall be limited solely by the claims appended hereto.