SHOE SOLE WITH IMPROVED ROLL STABILITY

Abstract

An outsole for a shoe has a toe end and a heel end, and includes a first material. The outsole includes a base, a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a roll beam positioned proximate the heel end of the outsole. The roll beam includes a second material that is stiff relative to the first material, and the roll beam has a middle extending across the base of the outsole, a first upper ridge extending from the middle and positioned beside the first side of the outsole, and a second upper ridge extending from the middle and positioned beside the second side of the outsole.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a shoe sole. More specifically, the invention relates to a shoe sole that provides improved stability.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

When purchasing shoes, consumers focus on various elements of the shoes in order to determine the correct shoe to purchase. Consumers analyze whether the shoe sole, also called the outsole, has a desirable cushioning element. Additionally, it may be desirable for a shoe to be lightweight. Further, consumers determine whether the outsole and shoe as a whole provides enough support for the shoe's intended use. Consumers may also desire a shoe that provides enhanced stability.

Many existing shoes fail to provide the aforementioned desirable characteristics. Some existing shoes aim to provide stability and cushion by including a thick heel portion of the shoe. This can provide uneven cushioning throughout the shoe. Further, a thick heel portion may lead to issues when wearing the shoes. For example, the thick heel portion may lead to a user developing shin splints or tendinitis. As another example, the thick heel portion may cause a user to trip in the shoes, due to the uneven distribution of cushion. As such, a need exists for an outsole that meets consumers' needs and wants, including enhanced stability and support.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention overcomes many of the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices discussed above. The invention described herein includes several embodiments of an improved outsole.

The outsole provided herein may include a roll beam, which may provide enhanced stability and support to the outsole. The roll beam may be positioned at a point on the outsole beneath where a user's heel would naturally be when wearing a shoe with the outsole as described herein. This positioning may allow for the heel to be stabilized when wearing the shoe. Further, the roll beam may include upper ridges near the sides of the outsole to provide further support to a user's heel. The use of upper ridges, as opposed to a consistent height of roll beam material throughout the outsole, may aid in providing a lightweight outsole and shoe and may aid in preventing the issues related to a thick heel portion as stated above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe with an outsole constructed according to the teachings of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the shoe and the outsole of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the shoe of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the outsole of FIG. 1.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

Turning first to FIG. 1, a shoe 1 may include an outsole 5. Among other characteristics, the outsole 5 may include tread 10, which may be configured to provide grip for the shoe 1. The outsole 5 may include cushioning 12. The positioning of the cushioning 12 may therefore coincide with an area where a user's ball of the foot would sit within the shoe 1. According to various embodiments, the outsole 5 may include a roll beam 15. As discussed herein, the roll beam 15 may provide enhanced stability for a user and may lend in preventing a user's heel from rolling in the shoe 1. The roll beam 15 may be connected to or integrally formed with the outsole 5. The roll beam 15 may be glued or cemented onto the shoe 1. The roll beam 15 may be co-molded, over-molded, or integral with the shoe 1. The roll beam 15 may be positioned toward a heel or back portion 20 of the outsole 5. The positioning of the roll beam 15 may therefore coincide with an area where a user's heel would sit within the shoe 1.

The roll beam 15 may be any suitable height, and according to one embodiment, the height of the roll beam 15 is less than the height of the outsole 5. According to various embodiments, the height of a top portion 25 of the roll beam 15 is greater than the height of other portions of the roll beam 15. The height of the roll beam 15 is discussed further with reference to FIG. 4. The base 27 of the roll beam 15 may be flush with the base 29 of the outsole 5, and the base 27 of the roll beam 15 may not extend below the base 29 of the outsole 5. According to one embodiment, the roll beam 15 is positioned between a portion of the outsole 5 and the tread 10. According to one embodiment, the roll beam 15 is positioned below the tread 10. According to one embodiment, the tread 10 is formed integrally with the roll beam 15, such that the roll beam 15 has a tread of its own.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the roll beam 15 may include a first end 30 and a second end 35. The first end 30, which may be a medial end 30, and the second end 35, which may be a lateral end 35, may align with the side portions 40 of the outsole 5. The length of the first end 30 and the second end 35 may be approximately the same. A back end 45 of the roll beam 15 may be bent or may be straight. The back end 45 may be positioned near a back end 47 of the shoe 1. The positioning of the back end 45 may be designed to fit a user's heel and its structure. A front end 50 of the roll beam 15 may be substantially V-shaped such that the portions of the front end 50 that abut the first end 30 and the second end 35 may be positioned at an uppermost portion 55 of the front end 50 and may converge at a lowermost point 60. According to one embodiment, the lowermost point 60 is off-center. Such positioning and shape may be designed to fit a user's heel and its structure. According to one embodiment, the shape and positioning of the roll beam 15 is conformed to a user's heel. As discussed with reference to FIG. 1, the outsole 5 may include cushioning 12, and the cushioning 12 may be more dense than the outsole 5.

Turning to FIG. 3, which illustrates a cross-sectional view of the shoe 1 taken along view line A-A of FIG. 2, the outsole 5 may include a first material 65 that may be distributed throughout the outsole 5, except where the roll beam 15 is located. The roll beam 15 may include a second material 70. According to one embodiment, the second material 70 may be stiffer than the first material 65. The second material 70 may provide additional support and stability to the shoe 1. According to various embodiments, the first material 65 may be lightweight and may be more flexible than the second material 70.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the outsole 5 taken along view line B-B of FIG. 2. The second material 70 of the roll beam 15, and therefore the roll beam 15 itself, may take a shape of a lateral plane with upper ridges 75 located near the side portions 40. The second material 70 may include a middle portion 80, which may be such lateral plane, between the upper ridges 75. The middle portion 80 may be substantially flat. The upper ridges 75 may aid in preventing heel rolling of a user and may provide lateral rigidity to the roll beam 15. In one embodiment, the middle portion 80 may be substantially perpendicular to the upper ridges 75. In one embodiment, the upper ridges 75 may extend at an acute or obtuse angle from the middle portion 80. The upper ridges 75 may have varying thicknesses and may be any suitable shape and size (e.g., convex, concave, etc.).

Further, the use of upper ridges 75, rather than a consistent depth of the second material 70, may provide an evenly cushioned outsole 5. The first material 65 may fill the rest of the area of the outsole 5 where the second material 70 is not present. According to one embodiment, the thickness of the roll beam 15 is uniform, and as such, the upper ridges 75 may be substantially the same thickness as the middle portion 80. According to one embodiment, the thickness of the middle portion 18 gradually increases from the middle point of the shoe as it approaches each upper ridge 75.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications, applications, variations, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. Many such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present inventions are deemed to be covered by the inventions which are limited only by the claims which follow.

Claims

1. An outsole for a shoe having a toe end and a heel end, the outsole including a first material, the outsole comprising: a base;a first side;a second side opposite the first side; anda roll beam positioned proximate the heel end of the outsole, the roll beam including a second material that is stiff relative to the first material, the roll beam having: a middle extending across the base of the outsole;a first upper ridge extending from the middle and positioned beside the first side of the outsole; anda second upper ridge extending from the middle and positioned beside the second side of the outsole.

2. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the roll beam operates to stabilize a user's heel relative to the outsole.

3. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the base, the first side, and the second side collectively define a recess therein, wherein the roll beam is positioned in the recess such that the middle is in a portion of the recess defined in the base, the first upper ridge is in a portion of the recess defined in the first side, and the second upper ridge is in a portion of the recess defined in the second side.

4. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the middle of the roll beam includes a front end facing the toe end of the outsole and a back end facing the heel end of the outsole, wherein the front and back ends of the roll beam are positioned such that the roll beam accommodates a user's heel.

5. The outsole of claim 4, wherein at least one of the front end and the back end of the middle of the roll beam has a bent shape in extent between the first and second upper ridges.

6. The outsole of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the front end and the back end includes a first portion extending from the first upper ridge and a second portion extending from the second upper ridge, wherein the first and second portions converge at a lowermost point to define a substantially V-shape.

7. The outsole of claim 6, wherein the substantially V-shape of the at least one of the front end and the back end has the lowermost point that is off-center between the first upper ridge and the second upper ridge.

8. The outsole of claim 5, wherein each of the front end and the back end of the middle of the roll beam has the bent shape.

9. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the first upper ridge is shorter that the first side of the outsole and the second upper ridge is shorter than the second side of the outsole.

10. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the middle of the roll beam defines a roll beam base that is flush with the base of the outsole.

11. The outsole of claim 10, wherein the middle of the roll beam and the base each include a tread for the outsole.

12. The outsole of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the roll beam is uniform such that the middle, the first upper ridge, and the second upper ridge each have substantially the same thickness.

13. The outsole of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the middle of the roll beam increases from a center of the roll beam towards each of the first upper ridge and the second upper ridge.

14. The outsole of claim 1, further comprising a cushioned region proximate the toe end.

15. The outsole of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first upper ridge and the second upper ridge has an apex defining a tallest height of the roll beam.

16. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the roll beam is connected to at least one of the base, the first side, and the second side.

17. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the base, the first side, the second side, and the roll beam are formed integrally as a one-piece unit.

18. The outsole of claim 1, wherein the first material has at least one of a lighter weight and a greater flexibility than the second material.

19. A shoe comprising the outsole of claim 1.

20. The shoe of claim 19, wherein the roll beam operates to stabilize a user's heel and limit the heel from rolling in the shoe.