Patent ID: 7114269

Claim:
A shoe comprising: an upper having an arch region and a heel region; a rear sole below the heel region of the upper, the rear sole including a first layer of material that is at least in part ground-engaging and a second layer of material located at least in part above and in contact with the first layer of material; a flexible plate having upper and lower surfaces, the flexible plate being between at least a portion of the rear sole and at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, peripheral portions of the plate being restrained from movement relative to an interior portion of the plate so that the interior portion of the plate is capable of being deflected relative to the peripheral portions in a vertical direction; a void beneath at least a portion of the lower surface of the plate, the void extending at least in part through the second layer of material; an opening in the rear sole, the void being in air communication with the outside of the shoe through the second layer of material and the opening in the rear sole; and an arch bridge integral with the plate and extending forward beneath at least a portion of the arch region of the upper, the arch bridge having a bottom surface at least a portion of which is in air communication with the outside of the shoe.