Patent ID: 8256147

Claim:
A footwear or orthotic sole, comprising: an outer sole; and a footwear or orthotic device, the device including at least one outer chamber, compartment or bladder having an uppermost surface curved concavely relative to an intended wearer's foot location, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; at least one inner chamber, compartment or bladder inside said outer chamber, compartment or bladder; said outer chamber, compartment or bladder and said inner chamber, compartment or bladder being separated at least in part by an internal sipe; and wherein said internal sipe is formed by an inner surface of said outer chamber, compartment or bladder and an outer surface of said inner chamber, compartment or bladder; and the inner and outer surfaces forming the sipe oppose each other and therefore can move relative to each other in a sliding motion; and said at least one outer chamber, compartment or bladder including at least one media selected from a gas, a liquid and a gel located inside said at least one outer chamber, compartment or bladder, and said at least one inner chamber, compartment or bladder being formed by at least two internal structures, wherein at least two of said internal structures are interconnected and each said internal structure includes a flexible, resilient midsole material selected from a foamed plastic and a blown rubber, and at least a part of each of two or more of said internal structures is proximate to both an upper inner surface and a lower inner surface of the outer chamber, compartment or bladder when the footwear or orthotic sole is upright and in an unloaded condition.