Patent ID: 8627582

Claim:
An energy-return shoe system comprising: a shoe portion having a shoe sole; a lower sole; an upper toe support plate affixed to a toe area of the shoe sole; an upper heel support plate affixed to a heel area of the shoe sole, the upper heel support plate pivotally connected to the upper toe support plate; a lower toe support plate affixed to a toe area of a top surface of the lower sole; a lower heel support plate affixed to a heel area of the top surface of the lower sole, the lower heel support plate pivotally connected to the lower toe support plate; a means for providing parallel synchronization between the upper toe support plate and the lower toe support plate, whereas the upper toe support plate is allowed to change horizontal position with respect to the lower toe support plate and a forward set of points on each of the upper toe support plate and the lower toe support plate converge and diverge to and from each other at the same rate as a rearward set of points on each of the upper toe support plate and the lower toe support plate when uneven force is applied to the toe area; and a means for urging the upper heel support plate away from the lower heel support plate.