Enhanced unitary sole assembly

Abstract

A sole assembly including a unitary midsole having an upper support surface configured to support a plantar region of a human foot, and a substantially contiguous lower surface extending from a heel portion of the sole assembly to a toe portion of the sole assembly. A semi-rigid heel cradle is coupled to the upper support surface and configured to cradle and support a heel region of the foot from beneath the foot and to support a plurality of sides of the foot when the foot is rested in a heel area of the sole assembly. Further, an outsole is provided on the substantially contiguous lower surface and configured to provide traction with a ground surface.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a device that supports a person's foot, and more specifically, to a sole assembly including a unitary midsole extending from a heel portion to a toe portion of a sole assembly. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Contemporary shoes provide a complex combination of cushion, traction, and body-fitting elements that facilitate the natural progression of the foot along the ground during wear. When walking or running, the first part of the foot to strike the ground is the heel at the instant of “heelstrike.” Then the foot rolls forward from the heel region, through the midfoot region and the ball of the foot, and finally to the toe region where the foot breaks contact with the ground in a “toe-off” action. In addition to the above-described progression from the heel to the toe, the foot typically rolls from the outside to the inside (lateral side to the medial side), a process called “pronation” which disperses some of the ene...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a unitary sole assembly that addresses common problems of conventional footwear sole assemblies. The assembly includes a unitary midsole with an upper support surface and a substantially contiguous lower surface extending from a heel portion to a toe portion of the sole assembly. A semi-rigid heel cradle is coupled to the upper support surface and is configured to cradle and support the heel region of the foot. An outsole is provided on the lower surface and is configured to provide traction with a ground surface. The assembly also includes a ventilation structure for ventilating the foot through the sole assembly. These technical effects provide a more natural transition of impact and propulsion forces during the wearer's stride and improve the comfort and performance of the footwear."

Problems solved by technology

In some cases, the foot may not pronate enough, a condition called “underpronation” or “supination.” Furthermore, persons with underdeveloped arches may suffer from “overpronation,” wherein the foot rolls inward excessively.

Either condition is unhealthy for the foot and can cause shin or joint pain.

Further, these conventional unitary sole designs were heavy and held the foot relatively high above the ground surface, thereby reducing lateral stability.

Based on these characteristics, the footwear industries has perceived the unitary sole to be unsuitable for athletic footwear and has developed alternative designs for performance footwear.

However, the present inventors have recognized that the shank region of the split sole is typically raised from ground contact (particularly along a periphery), which reduces traction capabilities and lateral support in this region of the split sole design.

Further, the arched shank region requires a vertical dimension that increases the overall height of the split sole assembly, thus further reducing lateral stability.

Yet another problem with the split sole is that the discrete heel region of this design generally concentrates heel strike forces in a small area making it more difficult for the wearer to naturally transition heel impact forces to midstance and toe off during stride.

Moreover, the heel counter does nothing to reduce the overall height of the sole assembly, and the thin membrane provides only weak support for wearer's heel and little dispersion of heel impact forces.

Still further, the flexible membrane may be a barrier to ventilation of the foot.

Again, however, these ventilation features have been implemented in non-unitary sole designs.

Moreover, passages that extend from the bottom of the outsole can function as suction cups on the outsole, thus causing additional resistance to lifting the foot, especially in wet or muddy areas.

While side surface air passages are also known, these passages typically extend only from a lateral to medial side of the sole assembly, thus providing no ventilation to the interior of the shoe.

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