Patent ID: 8296969

Claim:
A triple density heel cup, comprising: a generally heel-shaped substrate having a length extending from a heel back wall to a front border, which front border is positioned to underlie a portion of the arch area of the bottom of a wearer's foot when in use; said heel-shaped substrate comprising a structural gel layer having a foot receiving surface and a shoe side surface; said foot receiving surface having a flat area which is adapted to underlie the bottom of a wearer's foot in use and an upwardly extending integral wall which is adapted to lie adjacent the back and sides of said wearer's heel in use, said integral wall having a back apex of maximum height, said integral wall tapering down in height from said back apex toward said front border; said shoe side surface defining a channel formed in said structural gel layer adapted to receive a reinforcement component; a reinforcement component secured to said structural gel layer in said channel; said reinforcement component comprising a denser material than said structural gel layer, said reinforcement component having a curvature complementary to said upwardly extending integral wall in the area of the back of the heel, said curvature descending downwardly toward the base of the heel cup and then extending along the side of the heel cup and forward to said front border; said shoe side surface further defining a heel cushion area; and a heel cushion secured to said structural gel layer in said heel cushion area.