Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
  • A43B3/0036—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design
  • A43B3/0063—U-shaped
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/22—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with fixed flat-foot insertions, metatarsal supports, ankle flaps or the like
  • A43B7/223—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with fixed flat-foot insertions, metatarsal supports, ankle flaps or the like characterised by the constructive form
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/02—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the material
  • A43B13/12—Soles with several layers of different materials
  • A43B13/125—Soles with several layers of different materials characterised by the midsole or middle layer
  • A43B13/127—Soles with several layers of different materials characterised by the midsole or middle layer the midsole being multilayer
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/18—Resilient soles
  • A43B13/181—Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole
  • A43B13/186—Differential cushioning region, e.g. cushioning located under the ball of the foot
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B13/00—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units
  • A43B13/14—Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units characterised by the constructive form
  • A43B13/18—Resilient soles
  • A43B13/187—Resiliency achieved by the features of the material, e.g. foam, non liquid materials
  • A43B13/188—Differential cushioning regions
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
  • A43B7/142—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the medial arch, i.e. under the navicular or cuneiform bones
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/1415—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot
  • A43B7/143—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the location under the foot situated under the lateral arch, i.e. the cuboid bone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/1405—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form
  • A43B7/1475—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with pads or holes on one or more locations, or having an anatomical or curved form characterised by the type of support
  • A43B7/148—Recesses or holes filled with supports or pads
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/22—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with fixed flat-foot insertions, metatarsal supports, ankle flaps or the like
  • A43B7/226—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts with fixed flat-foot insertions, metatarsal supports, ankle flaps or the like characterised by the material
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B7/00—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements
  • A43B7/14—Footwear with health or hygienic arrangements with foot-supporting parts
  • A43B7/24—Insertions or other supports preventing the foot canting to one side , preventing supination or pronation

Definitions

• Embodiments herein relate generally to the field of footwear, and more particularly to components of performance footwear, such as midsoles.
• the heel "crash pad” is a soft, beveled midsole feature that facilitates compression of the lateral posterior portion of the midsole as the heel impacts the ground, thereby reducing the initial rate of pronation.
• Medial posting is a common midsole feature designed to reduce maximum pronation. As the stride transitions from heel to mid-stance, the foot pronates in greater measure until it is opposed by a stiffer, less compressive midsole in the arch and just posterior to the arch.
• the stiff and less yielding medial midsole will work to force the ankle to quickly rotate to an inverted position and the soft, beveled crash pad may not provide enough resistance to contain excessive and potentially catastrophic inversion of the foot.
• Figures 1A-1 D illustrate bottom ( Figures 1A and 1 B) and top ( Figures 1A and 1 B).
• FIG. 1 C and 1 D views of a high-stability, impact-absorbing, multi-density midsole that includes a generally soft cushioning element and a firmer mid-foot element, in accordance with various embodiments;
• Figures 2A-2D illustrate a medial side view (Figure 2A), a bottom view (Figure 2B), a lateral side view (Figure 2C), and a posterior view (Figure 2D) of the mid-foot element shown in Figure 1 , in accordance with various embodiments; and
• Figures 3A-3D illustrate four examples of a high stability, impact- absorbing, multi-density midsole and its corresponding mid-foot element, including an example with a medium length lateral posterior tail and a long medial posterior tail (Figure 3A), an example with a short lateral posterior tail and a long medial posterior tail (Figure 3B), an example with a medium lateral posterior tail and a medium medial posterior tail (Figure 3C), and an example with a short lateral posterior tail and a medium medial posterior tail (Figure 3D), in accordance with various embodiments.
• Coupled may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
• a phrase in the form "A B” or in the form “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B).
• a phrase in the form "at least one of A, B, and C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).
• a phrase in the form "(A)B” means (B) or (AB) that is, A is an optional element.
• Embodiments herein are directed to performance footwear
• midsoles may reduce the initial pronation and supination rates that may occur when the heel strikes on a surface, including uneven, rough surfaces such as gravel roads, scree, talus, or rutted trails. In some embodiments, this may be accomplished by providing a midsole having a full heel area that may provide a long, soft spring rate to absorb shock and/or impact from rocks and debris at heel strike. In various embodiments, the disclosed midsoles may also reduce the maximum pronation and supination angles that result from heel-to-mid-stance transition on uneven, irregular surfaces.
• various examples of the disclosed high-stability midsoles may provide a mid-foot structure/element that may guide either a pronated or supinated foot to a neutral position by the mid-stance-to- toe-off phase of a running gait.
• the midsole may include both a generally soft cushioning element and a firmer mid-foot element.
• the generally soft cushioning element may include a heel portion that may provide a cushioning and impact-absorbing layer and that is configured to absorb the impact and/or shock of the heel hitting a rock or other uneven surface, without causing the instability (e.g., pronation or supination) that may be caused by a traditional (e.g. firm) posted midsole.
• the mid-foot element may be any suitable shape including angled curved, parabolic, hyperbolic, etc.
• the midsole also may include a mid-foot element that may be firmer than the soft cushioning element, and that may have one or more medial and/or lateral posterior "tails" that may extend along at least a portion of a corresponding medial or lateral edge of the heel portion of the cushioning element.
• the firmer consistency of the medial and or posterior tails of the mid-foot element may then begin to correct any pronation or supination and may return the foot to a neutral position, for instance by the time the foot has transitioned to the midstrike or toe-off phases.
• the firmness of the cushioning element and/or mid-foot element and the length and/or height of the mid-foot element and/or posterior tails may be varied to suit a particular condition or set of conditions, such as the surface conditions, a user's running/walking style, a particular sport, activity, or profession, weight of the user, weight and distribution of carried objects such as backpacks, leg length or height of the user, or to
• Figures 1A-1 D illustrate bottom ( Figures 1A (partially exploded) and 1 B (coupled)) and top ( Figure 1 C (partially exploded) and 1 D (coupled)) views of a high-stability, impact-absorbing midsole 100 that includes a generally soft cushioning element 110 and a firmer mid-foot element 112, in accordance with various embodiments.
• cushioning element 110 may include at least a heel portion 114 configured to absorb shock or impact force from a heelstrike, for instance on uneven terrain.
• mid-foot element 112 may be configured to mate or align with cushioning element 110, and may include one or more posterior tails, such as a medial posterior tail 116 and/or a lateral posterior tail 118.
• medial posterior tail 116 may extend at least partially along the medial edge 120 of heel portion 114
• lateral posterior tail 118 may extend at least partially along the lateral edge 122 of heel portion 114.
• cushioning element 110 and mid-foot element 112 may have different response properties, which may be characterized in terms of density, durometer, flex, specific gravity, and other footwear design characteristics. These different properties may allow for a variety of biomechanical improvements, including, but not limited to improved impact cushioning, support, and stability, for instance when used on uneven terrain.
• materials having different response properties e.g., different durometers, which may generate different sensations of softness or firmness
• midsole 100 may include different response property areas arranged about one or more edges 120, 122 of heel portion 114, with, for example, a higher density or durometer material disposed therein in mid-foot element 112.
• one or more posterior tails 116, 118 may serve to arrest and reverse any excessive pronation or supination and return the foot to a more neutral position.
• midsole 100 depicts midsole 100 as having two separate (discrete, couplable) components (e.g., cushioning element 110 and mid-foot element 112)
• midsole 100 may be constructed as a single component having different response property regions, i.e., the cushioning element and the frame may be integral components of the midsole.
• midsole 100 may be constructed as a unitary structure, which, in some embodiments, may have blended transitions between materials having different densities or durometers, such as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 61/345,978, which is incorporated by reference herein.
• the term "blended transition zones" and any variation thereof may generally refer to the interlocking or intermixing of materials (e.g. foams) having different response properties (e.g. densities or durometers), such that there is not a definite, clearly defined linear or planar path between the materials with different response properties.
• materials e.g. foams
• response properties e.g. densities or durometers
• cushioning element 110 may also include a midfoot portion 124 and a forefoot portion 126.
• cushioning element 110 may form an entire upper surface of midsole 100, providing the entire footbed with cushioning, for instance for comfort and impact absorption.
• mid-foot element 112 also may include an anterior medial tail 128 and/or an anterior lateral tail 130, and may maintain a neutral foot position during toe-off.
• anterior medial tail 128 and anterior lateral tail 130 may provide lateral stabilization, and they may help the shoe to flex across the forefoot in an anatomically correct location.
• mid-foot element 112 is depicted as mating with a bottom surface of cushioning element 110
• midsole 100 may be constructed only as a mid-foot element 112, or as a mid-foot element 112 configured to mate with a top surface of cushioning element 110.
• midsole 100 is illustrated as having forefoot 126, mid-foot 124, and heel 114 portions, one of skill in the art will appreciate that some
• midsole 100 may only include a heel portion 114 and a mid-foot portion 124.
• FIGS 2A-2D illustrate a medial side view (Figure 2A), a bottom view ( Figure 2B), a lateral side view ( Figure 2C), and a posterior view (Figure 2D) of the mid-foot element 112 shown in Figures 1A-1 D, in accordance with various embodiments.
• mid-foot element 212 may have a thickness dimension 232 that may vary in different regions.
• the thickness 232 of mid-foot element 212 may be greater in regions where greater firmness or support is desired (for example, in a mid-foot portion), and it may be smaller or non-existent in regions where less firmness or support is needed (e.g., in a heel portion or fore-foot portion).
• the thickness 232 of mid-foot element 212 also may be greater at the medial and/or lateral edges, for instance, when greater stabilization or protection from supination or pronation is desired.
• Figures 3A-3D illustrate four examples of a high stability, impact- absorbing, multi-density midsole 300(a-d), including cushioning element 310(a-d) and its corresponding mid-foot element 312(a-d).
• cushioning element 310a and corresponding mid-foot element 312a wherein midfoot element 312a may have a medium length lateral posterior tail 318a and a long medial posterior tail 316a
• Figure 3A an example of a cushioning element 310b and corresponding mid-foot element 312b, wherein mid-foot element 312b may have a short lateral posterior tail 318b and a long medial posterior tail 316b
• Figure 3B an example of a cushioning element 310c and corresponding mid-foot element 312c, wherein mid-foot element 312c may have a medium lateral posterior tail 318c and a medium medial posterior tail 316c
• Figure 3C an example of a cushioning element 310d and
• the length of the posterior tails 316(a-d), 318(a-d) may be varied to suit a particular condition or set of conditions.
• Figure 3A may serve to stabilize the foot in both medial and lateral directions and may provide strong protection from over-pronation and moderate protection from over-supination.
• the short lateral posterior tail 318b and a long medial posterior tail 316b illustrated in Figure 3B may provide strong protection from over-pronation, for instance for a user or set of conditions prone to over-pronation but not at serious risk of over-supination.
• the example illustrated in Figure 3C has a medium lateral posterior tail 318c and a medium medial posterior tail 316c, and may provide moderate protection from both overpronation and over-supination.
• Figure 3D includes a short lateral posterior tail 318d and a medium medial posterior tail 316d, which may provide moderate protection from over-pronation, for instance for a user or set of conditions in which over-pronation is more of a risk than over-supination.
• Figures 3A-3D illustrate the lengths of the lateral posterior tail(s) and the medial posterior tail(s) measured as a percentage of entire sole length measured from the heel.
• the long tails reach back to about 10% of full length from the heel, for example, about 3-14%, about 5-13%, or about 7-12%.
• a medium tail reaches back to about 20% of full length from the heel, for example, about 15-24%, about 17-23%, or about 18-21 %
• a short tail reaches back to about 30% of full length from the heel, for example about 25-37%, about 27-35%, or about 28-33%.
• These lengths are merely examples, and may be modified in line with the teachings herein as desired for different functionality.
• a tail may be as long as about 3%, 5% or 7% of full length from the heel, as short as about 37%, 35%, or 33% of full length from the heel, or any length therebetween.
• the thickness and/or height of each tail may be individually configured for a desired amount of lateral or medial support. For example, a slightly thicker tail may provide more support, and a slightly thinner tail may provide less support, as compared to the illustrated examples.
• anterior tails 128, 228, 328(a-d), and 130, 230, 330(a-d) may be similarly varied in length to create a desired degree of stability and mid-foot alignment during toe-off.
• the thickness and/or height of each anterior or posterior tail may be optimized to provide the degree of support desired for a particular user or set of conditions.
• the thickness of mid-foot element 112, 212, 312(a-d) may be increased in any region where more stabilization or firmer support is desired, or for a heavier or taller user.
• Many conventional midsoles include a support shank for this purpose or to stabilize the midsole from torsional motion.
• cushioning element 110, 310(a- d) may be made thicker in a particular region or throughout midsole 100, 200, 300(a- d) if greater comfort or cushioning is required, for instance for a heavier user, for certain terrain conditions, or for a user with foot pain or an injury.
• any number of response property areas may be used, for instance 3, 4, 5, 6, or even more.
• Such different response property areas may be arranged in a number of strategic configurations.
• an additional low density or low durometer material may be used wherever extra softness or cushioning is needed, such as in the heel or fore-foot portions, or for use when the user has an injury or otherwise requires more cushioning.
• an additional higher density or higher durometer material may be included in any area requiring firm support, extra stability, or extra durability.
• the specific configuration of the midsole may be customized to suit the needs, footstrike pattern, terrain, or running style of an individual user.
• the response property areas are referred to herein as low and high (e.g., as it relates to firmness, density, or durometer), one of skill in the art will appreciate that these terms are relative.
• the term “low” may correspond to about 40-60 Asker C, or about 50-60 Asker C in some embodiments.
• the term “high” may correspond to about 60-75 Asker C, or about 65-75 Asker C in some embodiments. In other embodiments, greater or lower response property materials also may be used to suit the desired application.
• the midsole material may extend around and/or over the instep, for instance to provide greater protection and stability through the midfoot portion.
• the midsole material may extend around and/or over the fore-foot portion, for instance to provide protection to the toes.
• the midsole material may extend around the entire foot and may form a part of or all of the footwear upper, for instance in boots or shoes that provide extra ankle support or foot protection.
• the portion of the midsole material that extends past the midsole may include a less dense material, such as an extra soft response property material.
• the different response properties may be achieved by a variety of materials suitable for midsole construction.
• EVA foam materials may be formed or cut to a desired size and shape to form the cushioning element 110, 210, 310(a-d) and/or mid-foot element 112, 212, 312(a-d), and the two components may be glued or otherwise affixed together.
• midsole-forming techniques are known, such as pre-form and compression molding, injection molding, pellet pour and the like.
• polymer foam pellets such as EVA pellets
• the midsole may include one or more other types of material in foamed or solid form, such as rubberized EVA, polyurethane, thermo-plastic elastomers, polyolefins, rubber, or any other suitable midsole/footwear construction material.
• material in foamed or solid form such as rubberized EVA, polyurethane, thermo-plastic elastomers, polyolefins, rubber, or any other suitable midsole/footwear construction material.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=46827296

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (41)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (23)

• 2012
  • 2012-03-19 KR KR1020137024281A patent/KR101556048B1/ko not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2012-03-19 WO PCT/US2012/029702 patent/WO2012129182A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-03-19 CN CN201610772998.6A patent/CN106263222A/zh active Pending
  • 2012-03-19 US US13/424,243 patent/US20120233877A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-03-19 JP JP2013558243A patent/JP5688168B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-03-19 CA CA2829125A patent/CA2829125A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-03-19 EP EP20120759980 patent/EP2685858A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-03-19 CN CN2012800141136A patent/CN103429110A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (7)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events