Patent ID: 7536809

Claim:
An assembly for use with an athletic shoe comprising: a heel region, a mid-foot region located forward of the heel region, a medial side, a lateral side, and a width between the medial and lateral sides; a heel support having at least one integrally formed upwardly-extending wall configured to at least partially surround a rear portion of an upper of the shoe, the heel support having an integrally formed downwardly-extending wall adjacent a rear portion of the heel region of the assembly, the heel support having at least one integrally formed downwardly-extending wall adjacent a forward portion of the heel region of the assembly, the downwardly-extending wall adjacent the rear portion of the heel region and the downwardly-extending wall adjacent the forward portion of the heel region being separate walls; a flexible plate comprising a peripheral portion and an interior portion, at least a portion of the plate extending across a majority of the width of the assembly, at least a portion of the peripheral portion of the plate being proximate the medial side of the assembly and at least a portion of the peripheral portion of the plate being proximate the lateral side of the assembly, the flexible plate extending from a point proximate the downwardly-extending wall adjacent the rear portion of the heel region to a point proximate the downwardly-extending wall adjacent the forward portion of the heel region; and an arch bridge comprising at least a portion of the mid-foot region of the assembly, the arch bridge being integral with the heel support and extending from a point proximate a forward portion of the heel support in a direction away from the heel region of the assembly, at least a portion of the arch bridge being non-ground-engaging when assembled into the shoe, the arch bridge and the heel support and the flexible plate being made of the same material.