Patent ID: 6996923

Claim:
A shoe comprising: a bottom; a major longitudinal axis; an upper including an arch region and a heel region; a sole including a rear sole, the rear sole being below at least a portion of 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 at least one inflated cushion positioned between at least a portion of the sole and at least a portion of the upper, the at least one inflated cushion having a top, a bottom, a vertical central axis passing through the top and the bottom, an exterior sidewall, and a distance along the exterior sidewall from the top to the bottom of the at least one inflated cushion, the exterior sidewall being curved along a majority of the distance between the top and the bottom of the at least one inflated cushion.