Footwear with a shank system

Abstract

An aspect of the present invention includes a footwear assembly comprising: an upper and a sole assembly connected to the upper. The sole assembly has a footwear assembly comprising a sole assembly connected to an upper. The sole assembly has a midsole made of a first material and having a forefoot portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, and a sidewall extending around a lateral side, a medial side, and a heel side of the midsole. A stiffener is connected to the midsole. The stiffener is made of a second material stiffer than the first material. The stiffener has a base portion adjacent to the arch portion and at least one of the forefoot portion and the heel portion of the midsole. The stiffener has a side stabilizer and a heel wrap coupled to the base portion. The side stabilizer is adjacent to the sidewall in at least one of the arch portion and forefoot portion. The heel wrap is adjacent to the heel side and at least one of the lateral side and medial side of the midsole's sidewall.

1 . A footwear assembly, comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprising:
 a midsole made of a first material and having a forefoot portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, and a sidewall extending around a lateral side, a medial side, and a heel side of the midsole; 
 a stiffener connected to the midsole, the stiffener being made of a second material stiffer than the first material, the stiffener having a base portion adjacent to the arch portion and at least one of the forefoot portion and the heel portion of the midsole, the stiffener having at least one side stabilizer and a heel wrap coupled to the base portion, the side stabilizer being adjacent to the sidewall in at least one of the arch portion and forefoot portion, the heel wrap being adjacent to the heel side and at least one of the lateral side and medial side of the midsole's sidewall; and 
 an outsole connected to at least one of the midsole and the stiffener. 
   
     
     
         2 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the side stabilizers include a lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral side of the midsole at the forefoot portion and a medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial side of the midsole at the forefoot portion of the midsole. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the side stabilizers are integrally connected to the base portion. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the heel wrap has a lateral side portion coupled to the base portion and adjacent to the sidewall's lateral side, medial side portion coupled to the base portion and adjacent to the sidewall's medial side, and a heel side extending between the medial side portion and the lateral side portion. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the heel wrap has a lateral side portion adjacent to the sidewall's lateral side, a medial side portion coupled to the base portion, and a heel side extending between the medial side portion and the lateral side portion. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the midsole has lateral and medial sidewalls, the stiffener has a first lateral side stabilizer adjacent to the arch portion of the midsole and a first medial side stabilizer adjacent to the medial side of the arch portion of the midsole, the stiffener having a second lateral side stabilizer adjacent to the forefoot portion of the midsole and a second medial side stabilizer adjacent to the medial side of the forefoot portion of the midsole. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall of the midsole has a recessed portion therein, and a portion of the side stabilizer is positioned in the recessed portion. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener has two stabilizers and the sidewall of the midsole has recessed portions in the lateral and medial sides of the midsole's sidewall, and the stabilizers are positioned in the recessed portions. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outsole has a forefoot portion adjacent to the midsole's forefoot portion and a heel portion adjacent to the midsole's heel portion and the base portion of the stabilizer adjacent to the arch portion has an external surface not covered by the outsole. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener is a substantially full length member extending between the forefoot portion and the heel portion of the midsole. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein portions of the stiffener's base portion are visible and not covered by the outsole. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The footwear assembly of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener is a unitary member. 
     
     
         20 . A footwear assembly, comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprising:
 a midsole made of a first material and having a sidewall, a forefoot portion, an arch portion, and a heel portion; 
 a stiffener connected to the midsole, the stiffener being made of a second material stiffer than the first material, the stiffener having a base portion adjacent to the arch portion, the stiffener having arch stabilizers adjacent to the midsole's sidewall at the arch portion, and the stiffener having a heel wrap adjacent to the heel portion, the heel wrap having medial and lateral portions adjacent to the midsole's sidewall, and a wrap portion adjacent to the sidewall and extending between the medial and lateral portions and being uncovered and visible from an exterior of the footwear assembly; and 
 an outsole connected to at least one of the midsole and the stiffener. 
   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The footwear assembly of  claim 20  wherein the sidewall of the midsole has a recessed portion therein, and a portion of the stiffener is positioned in the recessed portion. 
     
     
         24 . The footwear assembly of  claim 20  wherein the stiffener has two side stabilizers and the sidewall of the midsole has recessed portions and the side stabilizers are positioned in the recessed portions. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The footwear assembly of  claim 20  wherein the stiffener is an external shank that provides longitudinal and lateral stability for the sole assembly. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A footwear assembly, comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprising a midsole made of a first material and having a plurality of lugs projecting away from the upper and defining recessed areas, a stiffener connected to the midsole in at least some of the recessed areas, the stiffener having a plurality of apertures and the plurality of lugs project through the apertures, the stiffener being made of a second material stiffer than the first material, the midsole having a forefoot portion, an arch portion and a heel portion, the stiffener being positioned in the arch portion and in at least one of the forefoot portions and the heel portions, and the sole assembly having an outsole connected to the lugs.   
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The footwear assembly of  claim 29  wherein the stiffener is a substantially full length member extending between the forefoot portion and the heel portion. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The footwear assembly of  claim 29  wherein the stiffener includes a heel wrap portion connected to the heel portion of the midsole and positioned adjacent to a sidewall of the midsole at the heel portion. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The footwear assembly of  claim 29  wherein the midsole has lateral and medial sidewalls, the stiffener has a lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the heel portion of the midsole, a medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the heel portion of the midsole, and a heel wrap portion connected to the medial and lateral stabilizers. 
     
     
         38 . The footwear assembly of  claim 29  wherein the midsole has lateral and medial sidewalls, the stiffener has a first lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the arch portion of the midsole and a first medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the arch portion of the midsole, the stiffener having a second lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the forefoot portion of the midsole and a second medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the forefoot portion, the stiffener having a third lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the heel portion of the midsole and a third medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the heel portion. 
     
     
         39 . The footwear assembly of  claim 29  wherein the midsole has lateral and medial sidewalls, the stiffener has a first lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the arch portion of the midsole and a first medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the arch portion of the midsole, the stiffener having a second lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the forefoot portion of the midsole and a second medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the forefoot portion, the stiffener having a third lateral stabilizer adjacent to the lateral sidewall of the heel portion of the midsole and a third medial stabilizer adjacent to the medial sidewall of the heel portion, and a heel wrap portion integrally connected to the third lateral and medial stabilizers and extending along the midsole between the lateral and medial sidewalls of the heel portion. 
     
     
         40 - 42 . (canceled)