Patent ID: 8117769

Claim:
A shoe construction, comprising: (a) a generally horizontal shoe sole member ( 4 ) formed from a flexible synthetic plastic material having a first durometer value of hardness, said sole member including a bottom wall ( 4 a ) having a generally horizontal bottom surface, and generally vertical toe, heel and side walls ( 4 b , 4 c , 4 d ) extending upwardly from said bottom wall to define an open-topped cavity ( 8 ) for supporting a sole portion of a foot of a user, said sole member having toe, ball, arch and heel portions (A, B, C, D); (b) an upper body member ( 6 ) secured to said sole member above and in communication with said cavity; (c) a toe plate member ( 22 ) secured to the bottom surface of said sole member toe portion; (d) a heel plate member ( 24 ) secured to the bottom surface of said sole member heel and arch portions, said toe and heel plate members being formed from a relatively hard synthetic plastic material having a second durometer value of hardness that is greater than said first durometer value, said heel plate being generally horseshoe-shaped and containing a recess ( 30 a ) adjacent said toe plate; (e) a plurality of toe cushion members ( 26 ) arranged in respective toe openings ( 28 ) contained in said toe plate, said toe cushion members being secured to the bottom surface of said sole member toe portion; (f) an arch cushion stabilizing member ( 32 ) arranged in said recess adjacent said toe plate member, said arch cushion member being secured to the bottom surface of said sole arch and heel portions, said toe and arch cushion members being longitudinally spaced relative to said shoe sole member and being formed from a synthetic plastic material having an intermediate third durometer value of hardness that is between said first and second durometer values of hardness, said toe cushion members and said arch cushion members being connected with said sole bottom surface for independent movement relative to said toe and heel plate members, respectively: and (g) a flex bar member ( 10 ) formed from a relatively soft synthetic plastic material having a fourth durometer value of hardness that is less than said first durometer value, said flex bar member including: (1) a horizontal base portion ( 10 a ) secured to and extending transversely completely across the bottom surface of said sole member ball portion in a space between, and independent of, said toe and heel plate members, said base portion being contained within a corresponding bottom groove ( 12 a )contained within the bottom surface of said sole arch portion, and (2) a pair of arm portions ( 10 b ) that extend upwardly from ends of said base portion in secured relation within corresponding portions of grooves ( 12 b ) contained in outer surfaces of said sole member side wall portions, respectively.