Patent ID: 8850718

Claim:
A shoe construction including: a shoe upper with a forefoot portion, midfoot portion and heel portion; a bottom member, said bottom member having an outsole portion with a forefoot portion, midfoot portion and heel portion and having a midsole portion in overlying relation to at least a portion of the heel portion of the outsole portion; a sealed air cushion member located in the midsole portion in overlying relation to the heel portion of the bottom member and extending over at least about one-half of the central portion of the interior width of the bottom member heel portion; and a resiliently deformable metal support member encapsulated into said midsole portion, said metal support member constructed and arranged to prevent said cushion member from deforming to the side and to provide torsional twisting resistance during loading of said cushion member, said support member having a heel portion and a forward portion, the support member heel portion being secured in overlying relation to the cushion member and covering a substantial portion of the length of the cushion member, the forward portion of the support member having a maximum width greater than about one-half the maximum inside width of the shoe upper at the locus of the maximum width of the forward portion to provide a rigid platform for engagement of the forefoot of the user, said forward portion extending forwardly from the support member heel portion along a substantial portion of the midfoot portion of the outsole portion, said forward portion of said support member having a frame member surrounding a through opening and also having a web member extending between and being connected to a portion of said frame member, whereby said support member provides resistance to torsional twisting about a longitudinal axis of said midsole portion.