Patent ID: 8458928

Claim:
An article of footwear comprising: an inner plate comprising a set of spaced-apart protective strips disposed in a matrix, wherein each protective strip of the set of spaced-apart protective strips is spaced apart from an adjacent protective strip in a lengthwise direction generally extending from a heel portion to a toe portion of the article of footwear, to provide flexibility in the inner plate; and an upper comprising an inner lining and an outer lining, wherein a first side of the inner plate faces an inner side of an outer member and a second side of the inner plate faces the outer lining, wherein the inner plate is disposed over a set of spaced-apart slots formed in the outer member, wherein each slot of the set of spaced-apart slots is spaced apart from an adjacent slot in the lengthwise direction, and wherein each protective strip of the set of protective strips is aligned with and covers a respective slot of the set of slots in the outer member.