1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multi-purpose athletic shoes and, more particularly, to athletic shoes with interchangeable/detachable rear soles that provide extended and more versatile life and better performance in terms of cushioning and spring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Athletic shoes, such as those designed for running, tennis, basketball, cross-training, hiking, walking, and other forms of exercise, typically include a laminated sole attached to a soft and pliable upper. The sole usually includes an abrasion-resistant, rubber outsole attached to a cushioning midsole usually made of polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or a rubber compound.
One of the principal problems associated with athletic shoes is wear to both the outsole and midsole. A user rarely has a choice of running or playing surfaces, and asphalt and other abrasive surfaces take a tremendous toll on the outsole. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that, with the exception of the tennis shoe, the most pronounced outsole wear for most users, on running shoes in particular, occurs principally in two places: the outer periphery of the heel and the ball of the foot, with heel wear being, by far, a more acute problem because of the great force placed on the heel during the gait cycle. In fact, the heel typically wears out much faster than the rest of the athletic shoe, thus requiring replacement of the entire shoe even though the bulk of the shoe is still in satisfactory condition.
Midsole wear, on the other hand, results not from abrasive forces, but from repeated compression of the resilient material forming the midsole due to the large force exerted on it during use, thereby causing it to lose its cushioning effect. Midsole compression is also the worst in the heel area, particularly the outer periphery of the heel directly above the outsole wear spot and the area directly under the user's calcaneus or heel bone.
Despite higher prices and increased specialization, no one has yet addressed heel wear problems in an effective way. To date, there is nothing in the art to address the combined problems of midsole compression and outsole wear in athletic shoes, and these problems remain especially severe in the heel area of such shoes.
Designs are known that specify the replacement of the entire outsole of a shoe. Examples include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,745,693, 4,377,042 and 4,267,650. These concepts are impractical for most applications, however, especially athletic shoes, for several reasons. First, tight adherence between the sole and the shoe is difficult to achieve, particularly around the periphery of the sole. Second, replacement of the entire sole is unnecessary based upon typical wear patterns in athletic shoes. Third, replacing an entire sole is or would be more expensive than replacing simply the worn elements, a factor which is compounded if a replaceable, full-length sole for every men's and women's shoe size is to be produced. Finally, it would appear that the heel section, in particular, has entirely different needs and requirements from the rest of the shoe sole which derive in substantial part from its rate of deterioration.
Other designs, which are principally directed to shoes having a relatively hard heel and outsole (e.g., dress shoes), disclose rear soles that are detachable and which can be rotated when a portion of the rear sole becomes worn. Such designs, however, have never caught on in the marketplace because it is simply too easy and relatively inexpensive to have the entire heel on such footwear replaced at a commercial shoe repair shop.
It is difficult to adapt such “dress shoe” designs to athletic shoes for various reasons. One reason is that the soft, resilient materials utilized in athletic shoe soles make it extremely difficult to devise a mechanism for detachably securing heel elements to each other without adversely affecting the cushioning and other desired properties of the shoe. On the other hand, utilization of hard materials in athletic shoes tends to increase weight and decrease comfort and performance.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,758 to Redman discloses a detachable rear sole that is secured to a heel of the shoe with a center screw that penetrates the bottom of the rear sole and which is screwed into the bottom of the heel of the shoe. Such a design cannot be used in athletic shoes because the center screw would detrimentally affect the cushioning properties of the resilient midsole and may possibly be forced into the heel of the user when the midsole is compressed during use. Furthermore, a center screw does little for peripheral adherence of the sole to the shoe heel in the case of resilient materials.
Another truism in the athletic shoe industry is that, while cushioning has received a lot of attention, spring has received very little, despite the fact that materials like graphite and various forms of graphite composite possess the proper characteristics for spring enhancement without increasing weight. One reason may be the perceived tendency of graphite or graphite composite to crack under stress. Yet another reason may be the increased cost associated with such materials. Yet another reason may be that the tremendous variation in body weight and spring preference of would-be users makes it commercially unfeasible to mass-market athletic shoes with graphite spring enhancement, given the countless options that would have to be offered with each shoe size. Since heel spring is largely ignored, it goes without saying that spring options are also non-existent.
Also absent from the marketplace are truly multi-purpose athletic shoes. Notwithstanding a few “run-walk,” “aerobic-run,” and all-court models, the unmistakable commercial trend appears to be increased specialization, with no apparent industry awareness of the fact that the use and function of an athletic shoe can be changed dramatically if it is simply given interchangeable rear soles. Similarly, no athletic shoe manufacturer has yet to offer varying heel cushioning firmness in each shoe size, despite the fact that consumer body weight for each shoe size spans a huge spectrum. While a few manufacturers offer width options in shoe sizes, varying firmness of cushioning in a single model or shoe size is nonexistent in the marketplace.
The present invention is directed to a shoe that substantially obviates one or more of the needs or problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the system particularly pointed out in the written description and claims, as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the shoe in one embodiment includes a forward region, a heel region, and a mid-foot region located between the forward region and the heel region, a medial side, a lateral side, and a width between the medial and lateral sides. The shoe also includes an upper, and a bottom surface, at least a portion of which is ground-engaging. A ground-engaging portion of the bottom surface is below the heel region and is made of a material. The shoe further includes an upwardly inclined wall defining at least in part an aperture that extends through the bottom surface of the shoe. The aperture has a vertical central axis generally centered along the width of the shoe. The upwardly inclined wall has an upper perimeter with a distance around the vertical central axis of the aperture and a lower perimeter with a distance around the vertical central axis of the aperture. The distance around the upper perimeter of the upwardly inclined wall is less than the distance around the lower perimeter of the upwardly inclined wall. The upwardly inclined wall is inclined from the lower perimeter toward the upper perimeter and is made of a material. The bottom surface of the shoe in the heel region is made of a material different from the material of the upwardly inclined wall. The shoe further includes a non-ground-engaging member extending across and in contact with the upper perimeter of the upwardly inclined wall and having a lower surface that is visible from and in air communication with the outside of the shoe through the bottom surface of the shoe. The non-ground-engaging member is made of a material different from the material of the ground-engaging portion of the bottom surface of the shoe below the heel region.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference characters will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As shown in
A forward sole 24 is attached to the forefoot region of the upper. The forward sole is a lightweight structure that provides cushioning to the forefoot region, and may include an abrasion-resistant rubber outsole laminated to a softer, elastomeric midsole layer. The forward sole is attached to the upper in a conventional manner, typically by injection molding, stitching or gluing.
In some conventional shoes, the forward sole (simply referred to in the industry as a “sole”) would extend from the forefoot region to the rear edge of the heel. In other conventional models, portions of the outsole and/or midsole are reduced or eliminated in certain non-stress areas, such as the arch area, to reduce weight. However, in a radical departure from conventional shoes, the shoe in an embodiment of the present invention incorporates a heel structure, including a detachable rear sole, that significantly alleviates heel wear problems associated with conventional soles and provides enhanced cushioning and/or spring.
An embodiment of the heel structure is shown in
As shown in
The front wall 32 includes a lip 34 turned toward the recess, with lip 34 and the recess side of wall 32 defining an arc-shaped front groove. The rear wall 38 includes a lip 40 turned toward the recess, with lip 40 and the recess side of wall 38 defining an arc-shaped rear groove otherwise substantially identical to and facing the front groove. The front and rear grooves have the same radius of curvature and together may constitute arcs of a common circle. At least one, and preferably both, of the front and rear grooves disclosed in
The rear sole support also has a central opening 36 directly below the heel region of the upper. This central opening, which may be circular, oval, or virtually any polygonal shape, allows the heel of the user to be cushioned by the rear sole attached to the rear sole support or by the flexible plate 80, instead of the firm material comprising the rear sole support.
The rear sole support may be composed of hard plastic, such as a durable plastic manufactured under the name PEBAX.™, graphite, a graphite composite, or other material having sufficient rigidity and strength to securely engage the rear sole attaching mechanism (discussed below). Injection molding or other conventional techniques may be used to form the rear sole support.
The rear sole support 26 may also include a heel counter 44, as shown in
As shown in
The rear sole support, heel counter, and arch bridge need not be made of a solid material. Holes or spaces may be created, at the time of manufacture, throughout the structure to decrease weight without diminishing strength.
As an alternative to the arch bridge 46, the rear sole support 26 in all of the embodiments may include upper and lower horizontal walls 144 and 145, as shown in
The heel structure shown in
The outsole 48 may be planar or non-planar. Preferably, the outsole, particularly on running shoe models, includes one or more tapered or beveled segments 52, as shown in
As shown in
Rear sole 28 is detachably secured to the rear sole support 26 with a mounting member 60. As shown in
For the embodiments of the present invention relating to detachable rear soles, to attach the rear sole to the rear sole support, the rear sole, with the mounting member 60 attached (and, optionally, with a flexible plate 80, discussed later, supported on the mounting member 60), is positioned relative to the rear sole support so that the front and rear rims of the mounting member are rotated in a circular manner no more than about 90°, about axis Y from their positions shown in
The mounting member 60 may be made of any number of hard, lightweight materials that provide sufficient strength and rigidity to firmly engage the rear sole support, and support the flexible plate 80 if used. Examples of such materials include: hard plastic; PEBAX.™; HYTREL.™ in its hard format; graphite; and graphite, graphite/fiberglass, and fiberglass composites. Hardness of the mounting member may in fact be especially important if flexible plate 80 is used, because the peripheral edges of such plate need to press against a firm foundation if the central portion of such plate is to properly deflect under the weight of the user's foot and impart spring to the user's gait cycle. In any event, the mounting plate material is generally stiffer than the materials used for the rear sole midsole and outsole.
Base layer 62 may be entirely eliminated from the mounting member 60 shown in
To prevent the rear sole from rotating relative to the rear sole support once engaged with each other, locking members 90 lock the mounting member to the rear sole support at the appropriate orientation. As shown in
Apertures 100 are formed in the base 92 for receiving the protrusions 68 of mounting member 60. The apertures have a small opening adjacent surface 94, then expand in diameter within the base to a larger opening near surface 96 to accommodate the bulbous ends of the protrusions 68. As a result, the protrusions “snap” into the apertures 100 to lock the locking members in position. In addition, projections 102 extend inwardly from opposite ends of base 92 and engage notches 74 in the mounting member between the front and rear ends and the lateral sides (
For the embodiment of the present invention relating to flexible plates, and as shown in
As shown in
The plate may also be flat or concave, and may be substantially hour glass-shaped, as shown in
When the flexible plate is used, the rear sole may be devoid of material in its center, as shown in
Apex 86 is located, in
Flexible plate 80 provides spring to the user's gait cycle in the following manner. During heel strike in the gait cycle, the user's heel provides a downward force against the plate. Since the peripheral edges of the plate are firmly supported by the mounting member, the interior portion of the plate deflects downwardly relative to the peripheral edges. As the force is lessened (with the user's weight being transferred to the other foot) the deflected portion of the plate, due to its elastic characteristics, will return to its original shape, thereby providing an upward spring force to the user's heel. Such spring effect will also occur whenever a force is otherwise applied to and then removed from the flexible plate (e.g., jumping off one foot, or jumping from both feet simultaneously).
The removability of the flexible plate allows the use of several different types of flexible plates of varying stiffness or composition. Thus, flexible plate designs and characteristics can be adapted according to the weight of the user, the ability of the user, the type of exercise or use involved, or the amount of spring desired in the heel of the shoe. Removability also permits easy replacement of the plate should deterioration occur, a concern in the case of virtually any truly spring-enhancing plate material.
The heel structure embodiment shown in
One such embodiment is shown in
Locking members 190 differ from those shown in
To lock the locking members in place, an elastic band 110 is stretched and fitted within the grooves 128 on the rear sole support and grooves 192 on the locking members. The elastic band 110 may be a separate component completely removable from the rear sole support, as shown in
As a further alternative (not shown), a U-shaped connector having opposite ends permanently attached to one end of both locking members 90 may be removably or permanently secured to the outer surface of either the front or rear wall of the rear sole support, as a substitute for the system involving hinges 98 on locking members 90. The elastic band and other alternatives to the hinged locking member can be used in all of the embodiments of the invention.
If a flexible plate is not desired, the embodiment shown in
In this embodiment, the mounting member 260 is adhered by gluing or other means to the top of the midsole layer 204 such that it surrounds and abuts against the sides of midsole layer 206. It may be further secured to the sides of midsole layer 206 by gluing or other means. The manner of attaching the rear sole and mounting member to the rear sole support is identical to that describe with respect to the embodiment shown in
It should be noted that layers 204, 206, and 208 may be made of different cushioning materials, including without limitation air-filled chambers, gell-filled chambers, EVA or polyurethane, or any combinations thereof.
The rear sole support is designed to accommodate a variety of rear sole configurations, which vary according to the activity involved, the weight of the user, and the cushioning and/or spring desired by the user. Although additional rear sole configurations are discussed below, many other rear sole configurations may be used in conjunction with the rear sole support 26.
One such example is shown in
Two layers of resilient midsole material 206 and 208, which may be more resilient than the U-shaped member, are secured to the top of wall 302 by gluing or other means to provide cushioning to the heel of the user, and mounting member 260 is glued or otherwise attached to the top surface of top wall 302 to surround and abut against the sidewall of midsole layer 206. It may also be attached to the side wall of layer 206 by gluing or other means. The mounting member may also be molded to the rear sole 300 as a one-piece structure. The midsole layers 206 and 208, the mounting member 260, and the rear sole support 26 (as well as optional features) are identical to those shown in
To protect the bottom ground-engaging surface of the U-shaped member and to provide cushioning, the rear sole may include an abrasion-resistant outsole which may be more resilient than the U-shaped member. As shown in
The rear sole 300 provides spring to the heel of the user in the following manner. When the heel of the user strikes the ground, wall 304 will deflect toward wall 302. Since the material is elastic, energy stored in bend 305 and wall 304 during deflection will spring bend 305 and wall 304 back to their original position as weight is shifted, thereby providing a spring effect to the user's heel. Stiffening members 312 or 312A are optional elements that may be used to increase the spring generated by the rear sole 300. The stiffening members include protrusions 314 that engage apertures 310 in the bend of the rear sole 300. Alternatively, bottom wall 304 (shown with large hole in middle) may be solid to increase spring or may be tent-shaped as shown in
Flexible plate 80 may also be used in conjunction with a rear sole very similar to that shown in
Another rear sole option is shown in
Finally, an optional wafer 600, usable in combination with any of the above embodiments incorporating a flexible plate, is disclosed in
As shown in
As shown in
The wafer need not be attached to the flexible plate 380. Instead, the wafer may, for example, be permanently attached to the bottom of the upper, secured within or made integral with a shoe sock liner (not shown), secured to the rear sole support, or attached at any other location that would be capable of cushioning the user's heel.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the shoe of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention and that certain features of one embodiment may be used interchangeably in other embodiments. By way of example only, the rear sole support/locking member combinations shown in
The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/735,343, filed Dec. 11, 2003; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/419,641, filed Oct. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,471; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/149,142, filed Sep. 8, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,628; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/542,251, filed Oct. 12, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,210; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20050262732 A1 | Dec 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10735343 | Dec 2003 | US |
Child | 11196666 | US | |
Parent | 09419641 | Oct 1999 | US |
Child | 10735343 | US | |
Parent | 09149142 | Sep 1998 | US |
Child | 09419641 | US | |
Parent | 08542251 | Oct 1995 | US |
Child | 09149142 | US |