Patent ID: 7726042

Claim:
A shoe comprising: an upper, the upper having a heel region, the heel region having a vertical central axis and an interior portion; an upper wall located beneath at least a portion of the heel region of the upper, at least a portion of the upper wall being in a plane generally perpendicular to the vertical central axis of the heel region, the upper wall having a peripheral portion and an interior portion, wherein the interior portion of the upper wall has a plurality of movable portions, the interior portion capable of being deflected relative to the peripheral portion in a direction approximately parallel with the vertical central axis of the heel region; a bottom surface, at least a portion of which is ground-engaging; a spring having a vertical mid-longitudinal axis, at least a portion of the spring being located between at least a portion of the interior portion of the upper wall and at least a portion of the bottom surface, the spring capable of being compressed and decompressed in communication with the deflection of the interior portion of the upper wall in a direction parallel with the mid-longitudinal axis of the spring; and a platform located beneath at least a portion of the spring, at least a portion of the platform being in a plane approximately parallel with at least a portion of the upper wall, the platform capable of being moved by the wearer of the shoe along a line approximately parallel with the vertical central axis of the heel region of the upper from a first position to a second position.