Footwear with integrated energy wave sockliner

Abstract

A shoe assembly is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. The shoe assembly includes an integrated anatomically shaped sockliner and outsole. The sockliner includes a top face and a bottom face, each having a generally planar surface, extending along a base plane. On the top face of the sockliner, a plurality of grooves extend across the base plane in a generally undulating pattern for engagement with the sole of the foot. The bottom face of the sockliner may include a plurality of alternating ridges and/or valleys extending from the inside to the outside of the foot in a generally undulating pattern for engagement with the outsole. A strobel insole of encapsulated high resiliency foam may be positioned between the sockliner and the outsole. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control tortional stiffness.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe assembly comprising:
 an anatomically shaped sockliner having a top face and a bottom face, said sockliner having a plurality of grooves on said top face, at least some of said grooves forming a generally undulating geometry;   said sockliner further having a perimeter edge shaped to enable said sockliner to be strobel stitched to an upper; and   an anatomically shaped outsole.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner further includes a plurality of ridges and valleys on said bottom face, at least some of said ridges and valleys extending across said sockliner in a generally undulating pattern. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the top face of the sockliner further includes a recessed area to receive the heel of the foot. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the top face of the sockliner conforms to the general shape of the human foot. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe assembly of  claim 2  wherein the ridges and valleys of the sockliner alternate with one another. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner is formed from a cushioning material. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner is formed in unitary construction with an outsole. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outsole includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner includes raised peripheral edges around the hind foot region thereof to receive and wrap around a heel of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outsole includes raised peripheral edges around the hind foot region thereof to receive and wrap around a heel of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sockliner includes a radiused portion at the forefoot region. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  wherein the outsole includes a radiused portion at the forefoot region. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe assembly of  claim 1  including a midfoot support element located between the sockliner and the outsole, the midfoot support element having a higher stiffness than the outsole. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe assembly of  claim 2  wherein the bottom face of said sockliner further includes a base plane, each ridge further including a ridge surface and a ridge sidewall, the ridge surface being positioned parallel and below the base plane, said ridge sidewall extending upwardly towards said base plane, each valley further including a valley surface and a valley sidewall, said valley surface being positioned parallel and above said base plane, said valley sidewall extending downwardly towards said base plane. 
     
     
         16 . The shoe assembly of  claim 2  wherein the top face of said sockliner includes a first base plane, said plurality of grooves extending downwardly below said first base plane, each said groove in said top face including opposing sidewalls and a bottom, the bottom of each groove in said top face residing generally in a first lower plane; and
 wherein the bottom face of said sockliner includes a second base plane, said plurality of valleys extending upwardly above said second base plane, each said valley in said bottom face including opposed sidewalls and a top, the top of each valley in said bottom face residing generally in a first upper plane; 
 said plurality of ridges extending downwardly below said second base plane, each said ridge in said bottom face including opposing sidewalls and a bottom, the bottom of each ridge in said bottom face residing generally in a second lower plane. 
 
     
     
         17 . The shoe assembly of  claim 2  wherein at least some of said ridges and valleys extend across the sockliner in a generally sinusoidal pattern. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe assembly comprising:
 an atomically shaped sockliner having a top face and a bottom face;   a plurality of grooves on said top face;   a plurality of alternating ridges and valleys on said bottom face, at least some of said ridges and valleys extending across said sockliner in a generally undulating pattern; and   an anatomically shaped outsole.   
     
     
         19 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  wherein the sockliner includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  wherein the top face of the sockliner further includes a recessed area to receive the heel of the foot. 
     
     
         21 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  wherein the sockliner is formed from a cushioning material. 
     
     
         22 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  including a midfoot support element positioned and located between said sockliner and said outsole, said midfoot support element having a higher stiffness than said outsole. 
     
     
         23 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  wherein said sockliner includes a perimeter edge shaped to enable said sockliner to be strobel stitched to an upper. 
     
     
         24 . The shoe assembly of  claim 18  wherein said sockliner includes a perimeter edge shaped to enable cementing the edges of an upper under the perimeter edge of the sockliner. 
     
     
         25 . A shoe assembly comprising:
 an anatomically shaped sockliner having a top face and a bottom face, said sockliner having a plurality of grooves on said top face, at least some of said grooves forming a generally undulating geometry;   a strobel insole including a foam inner layer sandwiched between top and bottom fabric layers; and   an anatomically shaped outsole.   
     
     
         26 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein said sockliner further includes a plurality of ridges and valleys on said bottom face, at least some of said ridges and valleys extending across said bottom face in a generally undulating pattern. 
     
     
         27 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein the sockliner includes a raised portion at the midfoot region to underlie a medial arch of a wearer's foot. 
     
     
         28 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein the top face of the sockliner further includes a recessed area to receive the heel of the foot. 
     
     
         29 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein the sockliner is formed from a cushioning material. 
     
     
         30 . The shoe assembly of  claim 26  wherein the ridges and valleys of the sockliner alternate with one another. 
     
     
         31 . The shoe assembly of  claim 26  wherein said plurality of ridges and valleys extend across said sockliner in a generally sinusoidal wave pattern. 
     
     
         32 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein said plurality of grooves form a generally sinusoidal wave pattern. 
     
     
         33 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  including a midfoot support element located between said strobel insole and said outsole, said midfoot support element having a higher stiffness than said outsole. 
     
     
         34 . The shoe assembly of  claim 25  wherein said strobel insole has a hardness in the range of between about 10C and 60C on an Asker Scale.