Shoes sole structures

Abstract

A shoe sole particularly for athletic footwear for supporting the foot of an intended wearer having multiple rounded bulges existing as viewed in a frontal plane of the sole during a shoe unloaded, upright condition. The bulges include concavely rounded inner and outer portions for approximating the structure of and support provided by the natural foot. When utilizing multiple bulges, the shoe sole may include indentations between the bulges to define a flexibility axis of the shoe sole. The bulges can be located proximate to important structural support areas of an intended wearer's foot on either or both sides of the shoe sole or the middle portion of the shoe sole, or on various combinations of these locations. The bulges include side and upper midsole portions to improve stability while also improving cushioning and comfort. The bulges can be tapered as viewed in a horizontal plane to improve flexibility and reduce unnecessary weight.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe sole for a shoe and other footwear, particularly athletic shoes and including street shoes, comprising: 
 an upper, foot sole-contacting surface of the shoe sole that is shaped to conform to the shape of at least part of a sole of a heel of a wearer's foot, including at least part of an underneath sole portion and at least one side portion of the foot sole;    the shoe sole is characterized by said at least one conforming shoe sole side portion having a thickness and density which varies from a uniform thickness and density by not less than 5 percent nor more than 25 percent, when measured in transverse plane cross sections;    the shoe sole thickness varies when measured in sagittal plane cross sections and is greater in a heel area than in a forefoot area;    the thickness and density of the shoe sole, which varies from a uniform thickness and density by not less than 5 percent nor more than 25 percent as measured in transverse plane cross sections, extends from the underneath sole portion through the conforming side portion at the heel at least through a sideways tilt angle of 20 degrees.