Dance shoe with tri-split

Abstract

A shoe for dance or athletics. The shoe includes a shoe upper having a respective toe portion, a ball portion and a heel portion. A split sole beneath the shoe upper. The split sole includes a front sole under the toe portion of the shoe upper, a middle sole under the ball portion of the shoe upper and a rear sole under the heel portion of the shoe upper. A mid-flex portion between the middle sole and the rear sole and a front-flex portion between the front sole and the middle sole enables the shoe to bend easily at the flex portions.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A shoe comprising: 
 a shoe upper including a toe portion, a ball portion and a heel portion; and    a split sole beneath the shoe upper, the split sole including    a front sole portion under the toe portion of the shoe upper,    a mid-sole portion under the ball portion of the shoe upper, and    a rear sole portion under the heel portion of the shoe upper; 
 the shoe upper includes two separated areas which do not have a respective sole portion beneath, including a mid-flex portion between the mid-sole portion and the rear sole portion and a front-flex portion between the front sole portion and the mid-sole portion.  
   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe upper includes a forward section and a rearward section, the forward section including the toe portion and the ball portion, and the rearward section including the heel portion.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the front-flex portion is located substantially between the toe portion and the ball portion of the shoe upper, and the mid-flex portion is located substantially between the ball portion and the heel portion of the shoe upper.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 3 , further comprising an elastic member which extends between the forward section and the rearward section and joins them, the elastic member providing a flexible connection at the mid-flex portion of the shoe.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4 , further comprising an elastic member which comprises the front-flex portion.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 5 , wherein the elastic member which joins the forward and rearward sections includes an extended portion which also forms the front-flex portion of the shoe.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front-flex portion and the mid-flex portion comprises elastic material.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein both of the front-flex portion and the mid-flex portion comprises elastic material  
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the front-flex portion and the rear-flex portion each comprise material extending between the sole portions to which the flex portions are connected.  
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein shoe upper is longitudinally split and a securing member draws the split upper together for tightening the shoe on a wearer's foot.  
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe upper is comprised of leather.  
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe upper is comprised of an inelastic flexible material.  
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe upper is comprised of a combination of leather and an inelastic material.