Articles of footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a footwear upper and a sole assembly secured to the footwear upper. The sole assembly has a heelward portion and a toeward portion, and includes a deck assembly disposed substantially in the heelward portion of the sole assembly. The deck assembly includes an upper deck portion, a lower deck portion spaced from the upper deck portion, and right and left supports attached to respective right and left portions of the upper and lower deck portions substantially near respective right and left lateral edges of the upper and lower deck portions. The deck assembly defines a cavity between the upper and lower decks. The deck assembly directs translation of ground contact forces incurred by the heelward portion of the sole assembly at least partially laterally outwardly.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A sole assembly for footwear comprising:
 an outsole having a heelward portion extending toward a toeward portion, the heelward portion terminating short of the toeward portion;   a first midsole having a bottom surface and an upper surface;   a deck assembly disposed adjacent the heelward portion without extending into the toeward portion, the deck assembly being disposed on the first midsole adjacent the heelward portion of the outsole, the deck assembly comprising:   an upper deck portion;   a lower deck portion spaced from the upper deck portion; and   right and left supports joined with respective right and left portions of the upper and lower deck portions adjacent respective right and left lateral edges of the upper and lower deck portions;   wherein the deck assembly defines a cavity between the upper and lower deck portions, the deck assembly directing translation of ground contact forces incurred by the heelward portion of the outsole at least partially laterally outwardly.   
     
     
         2 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the right and left supports and the upper and lower deck portion enclose the cavity so as to form an enclosed cavity that is not visible to a viewer of the sole assembly when the sole assembly is viewed from a side view. 
     
     
         3 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , comprising a second midsole disposed between the upper and lower deck portions substantially about the cavity defined therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The sole assembly article of  claim 3 , wherein the second midsole is more compliant than the first midsole. 
     
     
         5 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the upper deck portion and the lower deck portion are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first midsole supports at least a portion of the right and left portions of the upper deck portion substantially near respective right and left lateral edges of the upper deck portion. 
     
     
         7 . The sole assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first midsole defines a depression that receives the lower deck portion, and wherein the first midsole includes forward and rearward portions that support a forward end of the upper deck portion and a rearward end of the upper deck portion respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The sole assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upper deck portion of the deck assembly forms a heel cup that extends from a lateral side to a medial side of the sole assembly, the heel cup including upwardly extending left and right heel cup sides. 
     
     
         9 . The sole assembly of  claim 8  wherein the upper deck portion with the left and right heel cup sides form an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         10 . The sole assembly of  claim 1  wherein the left and right supports are disposed between the upper deck and the lower deck and wherein the left and right supports form exterior surfaces of the sole assembly visible to a viewer of the footwear. 
     
     
         11 . A sole assembly for an article of footwear, the sole assembly comprising:
 an outsole having a heelward portion extending toward a toeward portion, the heelward portion terminating short of the toeward portion;   a first midsole disposed adjacent at least one of the toeward portion and the heelward portion, the first midsole having an upper surface that defines a contour;   a deck assembly disposed only adjacent the heelward portion without extending into the toeward portion, the deck assembly disposed on at least a portion of the midsole, the deck assembly including an upper deck portion and a lower deck portion, the upper deck portion being disposed at least partially within the contour of the upper surface first midsole; and   a left support and a right support disposed between the upper and lower deck portions, the left and right supports, and the deck assembly, cooperatively defining an enclosed cavity adjacent the heelward portion that substantially inhibits translation of ground contact forces directly between the upper and lower deck portions, the second midsole at least partially supporting the upper deck portion.   
     
     
         12 . The sole assembly of  claim 11  wherein the right and left supports are joined with respective right and left portions of the upper and lower deck portions substantially near respective right and left lateral edges of the upper and lower deck portions, wherein the right and left supports and the upper and lower deck portions form the enclosed cavity so that the enclosed cavity is not visible to a viewer of the sole assembly when the sole assembly is viewed from a side view. 
     
     
         13 . The sole assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the upper deck portion of the deck assembly forms a heel cup with upwardly extending lateral sides and an arcuate shape. 
     
     
         14 . The sole assembly of  claim 12  wherein the right and left supports are of at least one of an arcuate shape and a stepped shape. 
     
     
         15 . The sole assembly of  claim 11  wherein the upper and lower deck portions are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The sole assembly of  claim 11  wherein the first midsole extends upwardly to form at least a portion of each of the left and right supports. 
     
     
         17 . The sole assembly of  claim 11  wherein the upper deck portion includes a forward end and a rearward end, wherein the first midsole extends upwardly from below the lower deck portion to support the ford end and the rearward end, with the first midsole and the left and right supports surrounding the enclosed cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The sole assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the deck assembly comprises a rear support attached to a heelward portion of the upper deck portion and a heelward portion of the lower deck portion. 
     
     
         19 . The sole assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first midsole comprises at least one of a shock absorbing polyurethane and ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         20 . The sole assembly of  claim 11  wherein the left and right supports are more compliant than the first midsole.