US2014290097A1PendingUtilityA1

Item of footwear

26
Assignee: NAME DROP SARLPriority: Jul 18, 2011Filed: Jul 18, 2012Published: Oct 2, 2014
Est. expiryJul 18, 2031(~5 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kevin Bann
A43B 7/141A43B 7/14F04B 45/02A43B 13/04A43B 13/188F04B 45/04A43B 13/127A43B 7/00B29D 35/122A43B 13/143A43B 13/181A43B 13/141B29D 35/142F04B 33/00A43B 3/0078A43B 13/16
26
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

The present invention relates to an item of footwear having a sole, comprising two or more materials of different compressive resistances, flexibility or densities arranged as a frontal/toe region, a mid foot region and a heel region. The item of footwear comprises: a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material used for the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the heel region, wherein the mid-sole is thin and tapered.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An item of footwear comprising:
 a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and   a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material used for the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the heel region, wherein:   the mid-sole in the heel region has a thickness in the range of 18 mm to 28 mm; and   the mid-sole has a thickness in a part of the region for supporting a ball of wearer's foot which is between 6 mm and 18 mm less than the thickness of the mid-sole in the heel region.   
     
     
         2 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the frontal/toe region is formed from a material having higher compressive resistance and/or higher density and/or lower flexibility than the mid-foot region. 
     
     
         3 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the mid-sole in the heel region is from 23 mm to 25 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the mid-sole in the frontal/toe region in the part for supporting the ball of the wearer's foot is between 12 mm and 16 mm less than the thickness of the mid-sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         5 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , further comprising a recess formed in a medial side surface of the midsole which reduces in width the midsole at a lowermost surface of the midsole, with the width of the midsole narrowing downwardly from an uppermost surface of the midsole to the lowermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         6 . The item of footwear of  claim 5 , wherein the recess narrows the lowermost surface of midsole to a narrowest width that is up to 14 mm less than a narrowest width of the uppermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         7 . The item of footwear of  claim 5 , wherein the recess narrows the lowermost surface of the midsole such that the lowermost surface has a narrowest width which is between 80% and 90% of a narrowest width of the uppermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         8 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the recess extends along the medial side of the midsole from a point in the frontal/toe region of the sole aft of a front of the sole rearwardly across the whole of the mid-foot region of the sole to a point in the heel region of the sole forward of the rear of the heel. 
     
     
         9 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the recess is a concave recess. 
     
     
         10 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole further comprises an outsole, for engaging the ground. 
     
     
         11 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole further comprises a topsock provided on an/the uppermost surface of the midsole and engageable by a foot of the wearer. 
     
     
         12 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole further comprises an insole provided on an/the uppermost surface of the midsole and engageable by a foot of the wearer. 
     
     
         13 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein mid-sole thickness of 18 mm to 28 mm in the heel region is the minimum thickness of the mid-sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         14 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the mid-sole thickness of 18 mm to 28 mm in the heel region is the average thickness of the mid-sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         15 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the frontal/toe region of the sole is the forwardmost 15-24% of the sole, the mid-foot region is the middle 37-53% of the sole and the heel region is the rearmost 29-39% of the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The item of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein in the heel region, an/the uppermost surface of the midsole is of greater surface area than a/the lowermost surface of the midsole, a periphery of the midsole being stepped in between 2 mm to 6 mm from the uppermost to lowermost surfaces. 
     
     
         17 . An item of footwear comprising:
 a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and   a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material used for the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the heel region,   wherein the maximum width of the upper surface of the mid-sole in the heel region is in the range of 55 mm to 68 mm.   
     
     
         18 . An item of footwear comprising:
 a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and   a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material used for the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the heel region,   wherein the maximum width of the upper surface of the mid-sole in the frontal/toe and arch regions is in the range of 80 mm to 92 mm.   
     
     
         19 . The item of footwear of  claim 18 , wherein the securing means is a cover for encapsulating the toes of the wearer. 
     
     
         20 . An item of footwear comprising:
 a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and   a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material used for the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the heel region, wherein:   the sole in the heel region has a thickness in the range of 18 mm to 28 mm; and   the sole in the frontal/toe region has a thickness in a part of the region for supporting a ball of wearer's foot which is between 6 mm and 10 mm less than the thickness of the sole in the heel region.   
     
     
         21 . An item of footwear comprising:
 a securing means for securing the item of footwear to a foot of a wearer; and   a sole having a midsole which has a frontal/toe region, a mid-foot region and a heel region, the mid-foot region of the midsole being formed from a material different to the material or materials used for the frontal/toe region and the heel region such that the mid-foot region has a lower compressive resistance and/or a lower density and/or a higher flexibility than the frontal/toe region and the heel region, wherein:   the sole in the heel region has a thickness in the range of 18 mm to 28 mm; and   the sole in the frontal/toe region has a thickness in a part of the region for supporting a ball of wearer's foot which is between 6 mm and 10 mm less than the thickness of the sole in the heel region.   
     
     
         22 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the thickness of the sole in the heel region is 23 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the sole in the frontal/toe region in the part for supporting the ball of the wearer's foot is  8 mm less than the thickness of the sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         24 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , further comprising a recess formed in a medial side surface of the midsole which reduces in width the midsole at a lowermost surface of the midsole, with the width of the midsole narrowing downwardly from an uppermost surface of the midsole to the lowermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         25 . The item of footwear of  claim 24 , wherein the recess narrows the lowermost surface of midsole to a narrowest width that is 14 to 20 mm less than a narrowest width of the uppermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         26 . The item of footwear of  claim 24 , wherein the recess narrows the lowermost surface of the midsole such that the lowermost surface has a narrowest width which is between 70% and 80% of a narrowest width of the uppermost surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         27 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the recess extends along the medial side of the midsole from a point in the frontal/toe region of the sole aft of a front of the sole rearwardly across the whole of the mid-foot region of the sole to a point in the heel region of the sole forward of the rear of the heel. 
     
     
         28 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the recess is a concave recess. 
     
     
         29 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the sole further comprises an outsole, for engaging the ground. 
     
     
         30 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the sole further comprises a topsock provided on an/the uppermost surface of the midsole and engageable by a foot of the wearer. 
     
     
         31 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the sole further comprises an insole provided on an/the uppermost surface of the midsole and engageable by a foot of the wearer. 
     
     
         32 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein sole thickness of 18 mm to 28 mm in the heel region is the minimum thickness of the sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         33 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the sole thickness of 18 mm to 28 mm in the heel region is the average thickness of the sole in the heel region. 
     
     
         34 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the frontal/toe region of the sole is the forwardmost 15-21% of the sole, the mid-foot region is the middle 47-53% of the sole and the heel region is the rearmost 20-35% of the sole. 
     
     
         35 . The item of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein an/the uppermost surface of the midsole is of greater surface area than a/the lowermost
 surface of the midsole, a periphery of the midsole being stepped in between 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm from the uppermost to lowermost surfaces.

Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.

References (0)

No backward citations on record.