Patent ID: 8069583

Claim:
A running shoe, comprising: a frame of the running shoe, the frame having a forefoot portion, a middle portion extending from the forefoot portion and a heel portion extending from the middle portion; a sole of the running shoe, the sole being provided on the frame of the running shoe and having a bottom surface; a cartridge guiding and locking assembly having a first and a second pair of spaced-apart rail segments that are coupled with the bottom surface of the sole of the running shoe to define a channel that runs along and is centered about a longitudinal axis of the running shoe, the first pair of spaced-apart rail segments being carried on opposing sides of, and flush with, an outer edge of the bottom surface of the sole below the forefoot portion of the frame of the running shoe, and the second pair of spaced-apart rail segments being carried on opposing sides of, and flush with, the outer edge of the bottom surface of the sole below the heel portion of the frame of the running shoe; a forefoot sole cartridge removably engaging the first pair of spaced-apart rail segments below the forefoot portion of the frame, the forefoot sole cartridge comprising a forefoot outer sole and a forefoot midsole, the forefoot midsole being affixed to the forefoot outer sole with the forefoot midsole being positioned between the sole and the forefoot outer sole when engaged with the sole, and wherein a shape and an area of the forefoot outer sole is at least as great as a shape and area of the sole below the forefoot portion of the frame; a heel sole cartridge removably engaging the second pair of spaced-apart rail segments below the heel portion of the frame, the heel sole cartridge comprising a heel outer sole and a heel midsole, the heel midsole being affixed to the heel outer sole with the heel midsole being positioned between the sole and the heel outer sole when engaged with the sole, and wherein a shape and an area of the heel outer sole is at least as great as a shape and area of the sole below the heel portion of the frame; a lock-bridge carried by the bottom surface of the sole below the middle portion of the frame between the first and the second pair of spaced-apart rail segments and not below the forefoot portion or the heel portion; wherein each of the forefoot sole cartridge and the heel sole cartridge is adapted to detachably engage the lock bridge; and wherein the forefoot midsole and the heel midsole each comprise at least one of an EVA material or a polyurethane material.