Patent ID: 8590178

Claim:
An article of footwear, comprising: a sock liner including a heel counter portion, the sock liner being removably disposed within an interior of the article of footwear such that an exterior portion of the sock liner is disposed along an inner surface of an upper within the interior of the article of footwear and an interior portion of the sock liner including the heel counter portion is exposed to the interior of the article of footwear; the sock liner including a longitudinal direction associated with a length of a sole; the sock liner including a lateral direction associated with a width of the sole, the lateral direction being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the sock liner including a vertical direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction; the heel counter portion including a first heel counter section and a second heel counter section wherein the first heel counter section is disposed below the second heel counter section in a generally vertical direction; the first heel counter section including a first end portion and a second end portion that are oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction; the first end portion and the second end portion being separated by a first distance substantially oriented in the lateral direction; the second heel counter section including a third end portion and a fourth end portion that are oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction; the third end portion and the fourth end portion being separated by a second distance substantially oriented in the lateral direction; and wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance; wherein the first heel counter section and the second heel counter section have similar cross-sectional shapes; wherein the first heel counter section and the second heel counter section comprise a single monolithic heel counter portion that is integrally formed with the sock liner as a single piece; wherein the sock liner defines a bottom of the first heel counter section and wherein the second heel counter section is open along the vertical direction to extend around a portion of a heel; wherein the sock liner extends over a substantial entirety of a foot bed of the article of footwear from a heel portion to a forefoot portion; wherein the sock liner is substantially flat at the forefoot portion; and wherein the heel counter portion is configured so as to terminate within the heel region of the sock liner in the longitudinal direction and is further configured so as to not extend above an ankle of a wearer of the article of footwear in the vertical direction.