Patent Application
20120167416
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an article of footwear having a sole.
2. Background Art
Individuals are often concerned with the amount of cushioning an article of footwear provides, as well as the aesthetic appeal of the article of footwear. This is true for articles of footwear worn for non-performance activities, such as a leisurely stroll, and for performance activities, such as running, because throughout the course of an average day, the feet and legs of an individual are subjected to substantial impact forces. When an article of footwear contacts a surface, considerable forces may act on the article of footwear and, correspondingly, the wearer's foot. The sole functions, in part, to provide cushioning to the wearer's foot and to protect it from these forces. To achieve adequate cushioning, many footwear soles are relatively thick and heavy. When sole size and/or weight are reduced to achieve other performance goals, protection of the wearer's foot is often compromised.
The human foot is a complex and remarkable piece of machinery, capable of withstanding and dissipating many impact forces. The natural padding of fat at the heel and forefoot, as well as the flexibility of the arch, help to cushion the foot. Although the human foot possesses natural cushioning and rebounding characteristics, the foot alone is incapable of effectively overcoming many of the forces encountered during every day activity. Unless an individual is wearing shoes which provide proper cushioning and support, the soreness and fatigue associated with every day activity is more acute, and its onset accelerated. The discomfort for the wearer that results may diminish the incentive for further activity. Equally important, inadequately cushioned footwear can lead to injuries such as blisters; muscle, tendon and ligament damage; and bone stress fractures. Improper footwear can also lead to other ailments, including back pain.
Proper footwear should complement the natural functionality of the foot, in part, by incorporating a sole which absorbs shocks. Therefore, a continuing need exists for innovations in providing cushioning and support to articles of footwear.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a sole and an article of footwear having a sole. In one embodiment, the article of footwear may comprise: an upper; an outer midsole having a base coupled to the upper, and a rim portion extending from the periphery of the base, wherein the rim portion defines a plurality of spaced apart gaps; and an inner midsole disposed interiorly to the rim portion, wherein a portion of the inner midsole is disposed in at least one gap. The inner midsole may be discrete from the outer midsole.
In one embodiment, a sole for an article of footwear comprises: a base having a medial side, a lateral side, and a periphery; a rim portion extending from the periphery of the base, the rim portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the rim portion undulates to define a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the top surface and a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the bottom surface; and a core member disposed interiorly to the rim portion, the core member having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the core member undulates to define a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the top surface and a plurality of spaced apart gaps in the bottom surface.
In yet another embodiment, a sole for an article of footwear comprises: a foam midsole having a base and an undulating rim portion extending from a periphery of the base along a medial side and a lateral side; and a core member disposed interiorly to the undulating rim portion, wherein the midsole material has at least one different characteristic than the core member material. The different material characteristic may include at least one of hardness, density, and modulus.
In another embodiment, an article of footwear may comprise: an upper; an outer midsole having a base coupled to the upper, a forefoot pod, a heel pod, and a plurality of outer protrusions extending from the periphery of the base between the forefoot pod and the heel pod; and an inner midsole disposed interiorly to the outer protrusions, the inner midsole having a plurality of bars each extending a portion of the width of the base between the outer protrusions.
In one embodiment, a sole for an article of footwear comprises: a base having a periphery; a plurality of outer protrusions extending from the periphery of the base; and a core member disposed interiorly to the outer protrusions and having a plurality of horizontally elongated protrusions extending horizontally across a portion of the width of the base between the outer protrusions.
In still another embodiment, a sole for an article of footwear comprises: a base having a periphery, a heel end, and a forefoot end; a plurality of outer protrusions extending from the medial and lateral periphery of the base at an angle toward the heel end, wherein a gap is disposed between adjacent outer protrusions; and a core member disposed between the medially and laterally disposed outer protrusions and having a plurality of substantially rectangular protrusions extending across a portion of the width of the base between the outer protrusions.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to indicate identical or functionally similar elements. References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
The following examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the present invention. Other suitable modifications and adaptations of the variety of conditions and parameters normally encountered in the field, and which would be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Embodiments of the present invention include an article of footwear 10 having an upper 20 and a sole 30 attached to the upper 20. With reference to
In one embodiment, the outer midsole 100 includes a base 110 and a rim portion 120 extending from the base 110. The base 110 may be attached to the upper 20 by adhesive bonding, welding, or other suitable technique, and may include a top surface 111 generally shaped to accommodate the contours of the foot. The rim portion 120 defines a plurality of spaced apart gaps 122. In one embodiment, the rim portion 120 may include a top surface 121 and a bottom surface 123, and the rim portion 120 may undulate such that one or more of the plurality of gaps 122 may be formed in the top surface 121 and/or one or more of the gaps 122 may be formed in the bottom surface 123. In this manner, the rim portion 120 may be substantially sinusoidal. In one embodiment, the area between adjacent gaps 122 formed in the top surface 121 may be described as a peak, and the area between adjacent gaps 122 formed in the bottom surface 123 may be described as a trough. The rim portion 120 may include an outer sidewall 124 and, as shown in
In one embodiment, at least a portion of the rim portion 120 may extend from all or a portion of the perimeter 112 of the base 110. In one embodiment, the rim portion 120 extends from the perimeter 112 of the base 110 from the forefoot region 36 to the heel region 32, as shown, for example, in
With reference to
One or more of the voids 114 may be disposed adjacent to a gap 122, and, in one embodiment, may bleed into an adjacent gap 122. For example, as shown in
With reference to
The size and shape of the inner midsole 200 may be varied depending on the desired characteristics of the sole. In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, the top surface 221 between adjacent gaps 222 (i.e., peaks) may have a generally quadrilateral (e.g., rectangular) shape, as shown, for example, in
The inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 comprise material for providing the desired cushioning, ride, and stability of the sole 30. Suitable material for the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may include, but is not limited to, foam and thermoplastic polyurethane. When the inner midsole 200 and/or the outer midsole 100 are a foam, the foam may comprise, for example, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) based foam or polyurethane (PU) based foam and the foam may be an open-cell foam or a closed-cell foam. In other embodiments, the inner midsole 200 and/or the outer midsole 100 may comprise elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), foam-like plastic, and gel-like plastics. Suitable materials for inner midsole 200 and/or outer midsole 100 may be obtained from, for example, Eclipse Polymers Co., Sung Shin Co., and Korea Fine Chemical Co.
In one embodiment, the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may comprise different materials to provide different characteristics to different portions of the sole 30. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may have different hardness characteristics. For example, in one embodiment it may be desirable for the sole 30 to be stiffer near the periphery of the sole to provide required lateral and/or medial stability. In this manner, all or a portion of the rim portion 120 may comprise a harder material than inner midsole 200.
In some embodiments, the material hardness of the outer midsole 100 (e.g., the base 110 and/or the rim portion 120) may range from about 50 Asker C to about 70 Shore D, for example, about 60 C to about 75 C or about 65 C to about 70 C. In some embodiments, the material hardness of the inner midsole 200 may range from about 20 C to about 70 C, for example, about 40 C to about 60 C or about 50 C to about 55 C. In some embodiments, the material hardness of the outer midsole 100 may range from about 50 Asker C to about 70 Shore D and the material hardness of the inner midsole 200 may range from about 20 C to about 70 C, for example, the material hardness of the outer midsole 100 may range from about 60 C to about 75 C and the material hardness of the inner midsole 200 may range from about 40 C to about 60 C.
In some embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 100 may be about 0.3 to about 0.5 grams/cubic centimeter (g/cm3), for example, such as about 0.35 to about 0.4 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the material density of the inner midsole 200 may be about 0.25 to about 0.5 g/cm3, for example, such as about 0.25 to about 0.3 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 100 is higher than the material density of the inner midsole 200. For example, in one embodiment, the material density of the outer midsole 100 is about 0.35 to about 0.4 g/cm3 and the material density of the inner midsole 200 is about 0.25 to about 0.3 g/cm3. In other embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 100 is lower than, or even equal to, the material density of the inner midsole 200.
in some embodiments, the outer midsole 100 material has a higher modulus than that of the inner midsole 200 material. In other embodiments, the outer midsole 100 material has a modulus that is lower, or even equal to, that of the inner midsole 200 material.
The inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may be formed using suitable techniques, including, but not limited to, injection molding, blow molding, compression molding, and rotational molding. The inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may be discrete components that are formed separately and attached. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 200 may be attached to the outer midsole 100 by adhesive bonding, welding, or other suitable technique. For example, the inner midsole 200 may be attached to the base 110 and/or the rim portion 120. In another embodiment, the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may be monolithic and may be integrally formed as a unitary structure. For example, the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may be co-molded and thereby formed together simultaneously. In one embodiment, as shown in
The physical connection, interrelation or “overlap” between the outer midsole 100 and the inner midsole 200 may be varied to provide the desired characteristics for the sole 30. In one embodiment, a portion of the inner midsole 200 may be disposed in one or more voids 114 in the base 110. With reference to
In one embodiment, a portion of the inner midsole 200 is disposed in one or more of the gaps 122 formed in the rim portion 120. The inner midsole 200 may be disposed in a gap 122 defined by the top surface 111 and/or a gap 122 defined by the bottom surface 123. For example, with reference to
The amount that the inner midsole 200 extends into the gap 122 may be varied depending on the desired characteristics of the sole. In one embodiment, the inner midsole may be disposed in the gap 122 such that the inner midsole is substantially flush with the outer sidewall 124 of the outer midsole 100, as shown, for example, in
The size and shape of the gaps 122 in the rim portion 120 and the gaps 222 in the inner midsole 200 may be varied to provide the desired characteristics for the sole 30. In one embodiment, as shown for example in.
In one embodiment, gaps 122 and 222 may be substantially U-shaped such that each gap is more narrow and rounded at the closed end and wider at the open end. The embodiments described above are merely exemplary and gaps 122 and gaps 222 may have any combination of shapes as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, in one embodiment rim portion 120 and/or inner midsole 200 may include a combination of v-shaped and omega-shaped gaps.
In some embodiments, the material used for the outer midsole 200 and the inner midsole 100 may be varied and may determine the desired shape, width and spacing of the gaps 122 and gaps 222. For example, in one embodiment if a harder material is used for the rim portion 120, the gaps 122 may be spaced further apart. Other geometries of the outer midsole 100 and the inner midsole 200 may be altered depending on the hardness, the density, or the modulus of the materials used. For example, the height of the undulations in the sole 30 (e.g., peaks and troughs); the height of projections extending from the sole 30; whether and how the projections/undulations are connected or joined; the width or cross-sectional areas of projections/undulations (e.g., at the point of attachment to the base or at the ground contacting surface); and the number of projections/undulations. In some embodiments, the thickness (or cross sectional area) of the rim portion 120 and/or the inner midsole 200 may vary. For example, the undulations in the outer midsole 100 and the inner midsole 200 may be thicker on the medial side to influence stability or ride, as shown, for example, in
As best shown in
In one embodiment, a portion of one or more gaps 122 may be filled or partially filled with the outer midsole 100. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, as shown in
All or a portion of one or both of the inner midsole 200 and the outer midsole 100 may contact the ground during use of the article of footwear 10. In one embodiment, a portion of the bottom surface 123 of the rim portion 120 in between adjacent gaps 122 may contact the ground, and a portion of the bottom surface 223 of the inner midsole 200 between adjacent gaps 222 may contact the ground. The ground contacting portions of the outer midsole 100 and the inner midsole 200 may be substantially flat, or may be slightly rounded or crowned. In embodiments of the present invention, as shown in
In embodiments of the present invention, a portion of the inner midsole 200 may be visible from the exterior of the article of footwear 10 through a gap 122. For example, as shown in
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
In one embodiment, the outer midsole 300 includes a base 310 and a rim portion defined by a plurality of outer protrusions 320 extending from the base 310. The base 310 may be attached to the upper by adhesive bonding, welding, or other suitable technique. Some or all of the outer protrusions 320 may be disposed about all or a portion of the perimeter 311 of the base 310. In this manner, the outer protrusions 320 may be formed along the outer edge 35 of the base 310. For example, as shown best in
In one embodiment, one or more outer protrusions 320 are columnar in shape. For example, the protrusions generally may have four sides, which may include outer sidewall 323, that extend downwardly from the base 310, and may have a generally square or quadrilateral cross-section, as shown, for example, in
The outer midsole 300 may define a plurality of spaced apart gaps 322 such that one or more adjacent outer protrusions 320 may be spaced apart by gaps 322. In one embodiment, the gaps 322 are each of the same size such that the perimeter protrusions 320 are evenly spaced. In alternative embodiments, the width of some or all of the gaps 322 may be different. For example, in embodiments in which one or more outer protrusions 320 may be wider at a portion of the sole 30 to provide desired cushioning and stability, gaps 322 may correspondingly be narrower. In one embodiment, gaps 322 may generally have the same width as an adjacent outer protrusion 320. In other embodiments, gaps 322 may be wider or narrower than the protrusions. For example, in some embodiments, gaps 322 are at least about one-quarter of the width of one or both of adjacent protrusions. In other specific embodiments, gaps 322 are at least about one-half of the width of one or both of adjacent protrusions. In yet other embodiments, gaps 322 are at least about the same as, at least about 1.25 times, or at least about 1.5 times the width of one or both of adjacent protrusions.
In one embodiment, the gaps 322 may extend in between adjacent protrusions from the bottom surface 321 of the protrusions 320 to the base 310. In other embodiments, a portion of the gap 322 may be filled. For example, material may be disposed between adjacent protrusions such that the gap 322 between them extends only partially up from the bottom surface 321. In some embodiments, the depths of a majority of the gaps 322 (e.g., substantially all of the gaps) are at least as deep (from ground contact surface to base) as each of those gaps are wide between adjacent projections. In other embodiments, the majority of the gaps 322 located in a heel region (e.g., substantially all of the gaps in a heel region) are at least as deep as those gaps are wide. For example, in one embodiment, the majority of the gaps 322 located in a heel region (e.g., substantially all of the gaps in a heel region) are at least about 1.5 to about 2 time as deep as those gaps are wide. In some embodiments, the depth of the gaps increases progressively from the toe region to the heel region. For example, in one specific embodiment, at least one gap in a toe region is at least as deep as that gap is wide; at least one gap located in the heel region is at least about 1.5 to about 2 times as deep as that gap is wide; and a plurality of gaps between the at least one gap in the toe region and the at least one gap located in the heel region are at least about 1 to about 2 times as deep as those gaps are wide.
In one embodiment, outer midsole 300 may include a toe pod 312 disposed at the forward end of the forefoot region 36 of the sole and/or a heel pod 314 disposed at the rear end of the heel region 32. The toe pod 312 may include a generally curved front edge 313 that may conform to the contour of the front or toe of the sole 30. Similarly, the heel pod 314 may include a generally curved rear edge 315 that may conform to the contour of the rear or heel of the sole 30. During the gait cycle, the heel pod 314 may provide cushioning to the wearer during a heel strike event with the ground, and the toe pod 312 may provide cushioning during a toe-off event. In one embodiment, a plurality of outer protrusions 320 may be disposed between the heel pod 314 and the toe pod 312 on the medial 31 and/or lateral side 33 of the sole 30. As shown in
The inner midsole 400 includes a centrally disposed midfoot pod 410, a plurality of heel bars 420 that extend generally across a portion of the width of the sole 30 in the heel region 32, and a plurality of forefoot bars 421 that extend generally across a portion of the width of the sole 30 in the forefoot region 36. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 extends from the base 310 of the outer midsole 300. In this manner, the outer midsole 300 may be disposed above the inner midsole 400 and may also be referred to as the upper midsole and the inner midsole 400 may also be referred to as the lower midsole. The inner midsole 400 may thus be bottom loaded. In another embodiment, a portion of the inner midsole 400 may be disposed above the base 310, and a portion of the inner midsole, for example, one or more heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 may extend below the base 310. For example, one or more heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 may extend through voids formed in the base 310. In this manner, the inner midsole may be top loaded in some embodiments.
The heel bars 420 and forefoot bars 421 may be substantially parallel to each other, and may be connected by connecting members 412 that extend longitudinally along the length of the sole 30. The connecting members 412 may be disposed in the center portion of the sole 30, and may connect protrusions 420 and 421 generally at a center portion. In other embodiments, one or more connecting members 412 may connect other portions (e.g., an end portion) of a protrusion. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 may comprise three heel bars 420 and three forefoot bars 421; however, any suitable combination of heel and forefoot bars to provide the desired cushioning and stability may be used. For example, in one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 may comprise two heel bars 420 and four forefoot bars 421.
In one embodiment, the heel bars 420 and forefoot bars 421 are generally rectangular in shape. The heel bars 420 and forefoot bars 421 may have four sides and may have a generally rectangular or quadrilateral cross-section, as shown in
As shown in
One or more adjacent heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 may be spaced apart by gaps 422. In one embodiment, the gaps 422 are each of the same size such that the heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 are evenly spaced. In alternative embodiments, the width of some or all of the gaps 422 may be different. For example, in embodiments in which one or more heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 may be wider at a portion of the sole 30 to provide desired cushioning and stability, gaps 422 may correspondingly be narrower. In one embodiment, gaps 422 may generally have the same width as an adjacent heel bar 420 and/or forefoot bar 421. In other embodiments, gaps 422 may be wider or narrower than the bars. In embodiments where the inner midsole 400 is top loaded and one or more heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 extend through the base 310, portions of the base 310 may be disposed in the gaps 422.
As discussed above, heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 extend across all or a portion of the width of the sole 30. In one embodiment, as shown, for example in
In other embodiments, the heel bar 420 and/or the forefoot bar 421 may extend the entire width between two outer protrusions 320. As such, no space may be provided between ends of the heel bar 420 or the forefoot bar 421 and the adjacent protrusion, and the heel bar or forefoot bar may be contacting or attached to the protrusion. In one embodiment, one or more heel bars 420 and/or forefoot bars 421 may extend to the outer edge 35 of the base 310, thereby eliminating outer protrusion(s) 420 along the periphery of the base at that location. For example, as shown in
In one embodiment, with reference to
The inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 comprise material for providing the desired cushioning, ride, and stability of the sole 30. Suitable material for the inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 may include, but is not limited to, foam and thermoplastic polyurethane. When the inner midsole 400 and/or the outer midsole 300 are a foam, the foam may comprise, for example, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) based foam or polyurethane (PU) based foam and the foam may be an open-cell foam or a closed-cell foam. In other embodiments, the inner midsole 400 and/or the outer midsole 300 may comprise elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), foam-like plastic, and gel-like plastics. Suitable materials for inner midsole 400 and/or outer midsole 300 may be obtained from, for example, Eclipse Polymers Co., Sung Shin Co., and Korea Fine Chemical Co.
In one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 may comprise different materials. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 may have different hardness characteristics. For example, in one embodiment it may be desirable for the sole 30 to be stiffer near the periphery of the sole to provide required lateral and/or medial stability. In this manner, outer midsole 300 including one or more outer protrusions 320 may comprise a harder material than inner midsole 400.
In some embodiments, the material hardness of the outer midsole 300 (e.g., the base 310 and/or the protrusions 320) may range from about 50 Asker C to about 70 Shore D, for example, about 60 C to about 75 C or about 65 C to about 70 C. In some embodiments, the material hardness of the inner midsole 400 may range from about 20 C to about 70 C, for example, about 40 C to about 60 C or about 50 C to about 55 C. In some embodiments, the material hardness of the outer midsole 300 may range from about 50 Asker C to about 70 Shore D and the material hardness of the inner midsole 400 may range from about 20 C to about 70 C, for example, the material hardness of the outer midsole 300 may range from about 60 C to about 75 C and the material hardness of the inner midsole 400 may range from about 40 C to about 60 C.
In some embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 300 may be about 0.3 to about 0.5 grams/cubic centimeter (g/cm3), for example, such as about 0.35 to about 0.4 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the material density of the inner midsole 400 may be about 0.25 to about 0.5 g/cm3, for example, such as about 0.25 to about 0.3 g/cm3. In some embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 300 is higher than the material density of the inner midsole 400. For example, in one embodiment, the material density of the outer midsole 300 is about 0.35 to about 0.4 g/cm3 and the material density of the inner midsole 400 is about 0.25 to about 0.3 g/cm3. In other embodiments, the material density of the outer midsole 300 is lower than, or even equal to, the material density of the inner midsole 400.
In some embodiments, the outer midsole 300 material has a higher modulus than that of the inner midsole 400 material. In other embodiments, the outer midsole 300 material has a modulus that is lower, or even equal to, that of the inner midsole 300 material.
The inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 may be formed using suitable techniques, including, but not limited to, injection molding, blow molding, compression molding, and rotational molding. The inner midsole 400 and the outer midsole 300 may be formed separately and attached. In one embodiment, the inner midsole 400 may be attached to the base 310 by adhesive bonding, welding or other suitable attachment techniques. In some embodiments, as shown, for example, in
All or a portion of the outer midsole 300 and/or the inner midsole 400 may contact the ground during a gait cycle. The bottom surface 321 of the outer protrusions 320 and may be substantially flat, or may be slightly rounded or crowned. Similarly, the bottom surface 423 of the inner midsole 400, including the heel bars 420, the forefoot bars 421, and the midfoot pod 410, may be substantially flat, or may be slightly rounded or crowned. In one embodiment, the sole 30 may include an outsole 330 disposed on the outer midsole 300 and/or the inner midsole 400 to provide increased traction and durability to the sole 30. For example, as shown in
As discussed herein, in embodiments of the present invention the geometry, interrelation, and material properties of the outer midsole 100 and inner midsole 200, and the outer midsole 300 and inner midsole 400 may be varied to provide the desired characteristics of the sole. For example, when harder or denser materials are used, generally, one or a combination of more gaps, larger gaps, smaller cross-section undulating portions (e.g., peaks and/or troughs) or protrusions, fewer undulating portions (e.g., peaks and/or troughs) or protrusions, and larger splay angles may be needed to obtain similar cushioning, stability, and/or ride characteristics. When softer or less dense materials are used, generally, one or a combination of fewer gaps, smaller gaps, larger cross-section undulating portions (e.g., peaks and/or troughs) or protrusions, more undulating portions (e.g., peaks and/or troughs) or protrusions, and smaller splay angles may be needed to obtain similar cushioning, stability, and/or ride characteristics.
The article of footwear 10 for various embodiments described herein may comprise an athletic shoe suited for a particular activity, such as, for example, a walking shoe, a running shoe, a basketball shoe, a court shoe, a tennis shoe, a training shoe, a boot, and the like. It is contemplated that the article of footwear may not include an upper 20. For example, in one embodiment, the sole 30 may be used in conjunction with a sandal or other footwear not including an upper.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. For example, embodiments of the outer midsole 100 may be used in conjunction with the inner midsole 400, and embodiments of the inner midsole 200 may be used in conjunction with the outer midsole 300. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
