Patent ID: 6966129

Claim:
A shoe comprising: a bottom; a major longitudinal axis; an upper having an arch region and a heel region; a rear sole including an outsole and a midsole, the rear sole being below the heel region of the upper, the rear sole having a forward portion and an opposite rearward portion; a plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, an interior portion and peripheral portions and positioned between at least a portion of the outsole of the rear sole and at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, at least one of the peripheral portions of the plate being proximate at least one of a medial side of the shoe, a lateral side of the shoe and a rear of the shoe, the interior portion of the plate being positioned over a void and exposed to the void, at least a portion of the plate capable of being deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe; at least one opening in the shoe, the opening being in air communication with the void to expose the interior portion of the plate from outside the shoe through the opening and the void; an arch bridge integral with the plate extending from a position proximate a forward portion of the plate, forward beneath at least a portion of the arch region of the upper; and a substantially air-tight enclosure located at least in part beneath a portion of the plate, the air-tight enclosure having a top, a bottom, a vertical central axis passing through the top and the bottom of the air-tight enclosure, at least one sidewall connecting the top and bottom of the air-tight enclosure and having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the air-tight enclosure having a single interior chamber defined at least in part by the interior surface of the at least one sidewall, the interior chamber being the only chamber any portion of which is located on any line between at least a portion of the bottom of the shoe and at least a portion of the upper that is generally parallel with the vertical central axis and passes through any portion of the interior chamber, the vertical central axis of the air-tight enclosure being spaced apart from a vertical central axis of any other air-tight enclosure, the exterior surface of the at least one sidewall having at least two portions integral with the exterior surface and non-parallel with the vertical central axis, at least one of the portions being oriented at least in part in a direction toward a portion of the upper, another of the at least two portions being oriented at least in part in a direction toward a portion of the bottom of the shoe, the at least two portions coverging toward each other in a direction away from the vertical central axis of the air-tight enclosure, permanently connecting with each other and forming an apex, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the at least one sidewall being exposed to and visible from at least one of the medial side of the shoe, the lateral side of the shoe, and the rear of the shoe.