Patent ID: 8333024

Claim:
An article of footwear, comprising: a sole including a central portion, a peripheral portion disposed outwards from the central portion, a heel portion, and a forefoot portion having a toe portion, wherein the central portion and the peripheral portion each overlap with the forefoot portion; a pivot portion disposed on the central portion; a plurality of flex grooves extending in a radial direction from the pivot portion; wherein the plurality of flex grooves is configured to facilitate bending of the central portion and the peripheral portion; the plurality of flex grooves including a longitudinal flex groove having a first longitudinal flex groove portion and a second longitudinal flex groove portion, wherein the first longitudinal flex groove portion extends from the pivot portion toward an edge of the toe portion and terminates before reaching the edge of the toe portion and the second longitudinal flex groove portion extends from the pivot portion to the heel portion along the central portion; the plurality of flex grooves including at least one peripheral flex groove disposed only on the peripheral portion; and a plurality of sole pods disposed on a bottom surface of the sole, wherein at least one sole pod of the plurality of sole pods is disposed over at least one peripheral flex groove and includes at least one pod flex groove, the at least one pod flex groove being aligned with the at least one peripheral flex groove such that the at least one peripheral flex groove is exposed through the at least one pod flex groove.