Stabilizer and cushioning support for athletic footwear

Abstract

An athletic shoe support structure may include a midsole constructed to resiliently support a foot and a cradle positioned underneath the midsole. The cradle has a bottom and a sidewall upwardly extending from the bottom, where the cradle is arranged to receive the midsole in nesting relation. The cradle sidewall has at least one aperture and the midsole has at least one protrusion, where the protrusion is sized and shaped to engage the at least one aperture in the sidewall. The cradle and / or the midsole may be made of a foamed material.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 005,476, entitled “STABILIZER AND CUSHIONING SUPPORT FOR ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR,” filed on Dec. 5, 2007, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a combination cushioning and stabilizer device for footwear, and in particular for athletic footwear.SUMMARY OF INVENTION[0003]Over the past several decades, great efforts have been directed to the design of athletic footwear in order to enhance their performance and comfort. Particular attention has been given to lightweight footwear designed in particular for running and similar activities. Over the years attention has been directed to both providing comfort and stabilization. A good deal of these efforts has been directed to the stabilization and comfort of the heel since the heel portion of the shoe has significant relevance in footwear perfo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved design for a midsole cradle combination in which the interaction of the midsole and cradle provides maximum cushioning and stabilizing effect and in which the benefits of the combination cradle and midsole are maximized when subject to forces in varying directions when foot pressure is applied.

[0009]A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved midsole cradle combination design for ease in manufacture, installation and use. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cradle midsole combination in which the interengagement of the cradle and midsole is stabilized by a series of projections integrally formed with the midsole and projected into apertures formed in the cradle with the apertures having the dual function of providing a cantilever support for limited movement of the cradle while supporting the midsole for engagement with the heel of the wearer's foot.

[0010]A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cradle midsole combination in which the midsole is formed with the extending pods radially arranged about the periphery of the cradle to provide differential resistance for each of these pods to varying forces applied to the combination cradle and midsole by the wearer's foot.

Problems solved by technology

In designing heel structures that have both stabilizing and cushioning benefits, different considerations and problems are presented by each of these features.

In particular, stabilization of a heel requires a relatively secure support which limits the ability of the heel to move.

The specific structure, however, of the interaction between the midsoles and cradles has generally been neglected and has not been afforded the detailed attention required to provide maximum efficiency and balance between cushioning and cradling.

Additionally, the interaction of the lower surface of the cradle with the upper surface of the outer sole has been afforded limited protection.

As a result, the currently available configurations of these designs do not afford maximum benefits for the combination of the cradle and midsole combination when varying forces are applied to them when the footwear is in use.

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