Sole and shoe provided with same

Abstract

A sole includes an upper surface defining a support surface that supports a bottom of a foot of a wearer, a lower surface defining a ground contact surface, and a peripheral surface connecting the upper surface and the lower surface. The upper surface includes an MP joint support region that supports the bottom of the foot at a position corresponding to an MP joint of the foot of the wearer, and the peripheral surface includes a pair of side surfaces including a medial foot side surface located on a medial foot side and a lateral foot side surface located on a lateral foot side. Among the pair of side surfaces, a portion adjacent to the MP joint support region of at least one side surface is provided with an indicator visually indicating that the portion is different from the other portion of the one side surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sole comprising:
 an upper surface that defines a support surface supporting a bottom of a foot of a wearer;   a lower surface that defines a ground contact surface; and   a peripheral surface that connects the upper surface and the lower surface,   wherein the upper surface includes an MP joint support region that supports the bottom of the foot at a position corresponding to an MP joint of the foot of the wearer;   the peripheral surface includes a pair of side surfaces including a medial foot side surface located on a medial foot side and a lateral foot side surface located on a lateral foot side; and   an indicator visually indicating a portion different from other portions of at least one side surface is provided in a portion adjacent to the MP joint support region of the at least one side surface.   
     
     
         2 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is provided so as to reach a connecting portion between the at least one side surface and the upper surface. 
     
     
         3 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is provided in a portion adjacent to the MP joint support region of the at least one side surface so as to include a central position in a thickness direction of the sole. 
     
     
         4 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is provided so as to include a position 10% above a contour with respect to a thickness dimension of the sole in a portion adjacent to the MP joint support region of the at least one side surface in a case where the contour that appears in a plan view of the sole is used as a reference. 
     
     
         5 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is visually recognizable by a color difference between a portion corresponding to the indicator of the at least one side surface and a portion corresponding to an adjacent region of the indicator of the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         6 . The sole according to  claim 5 , wherein the color difference is greater than or equal to 0.8. 
     
     
         7 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is visually recognizable by a brightness difference between a portion corresponding to the indicator of the at least one side surface and a portion corresponding to an adjacent region of the indicator of the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         8 . The sole according to  claim 7 , wherein the brightness difference is greater than or equal to 30. 
     
     
         9 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator is visually recognizable by a shape difference between a portion corresponding to the indicator of the at least one side surface and a portion corresponding to an adjacent region of the indicator of the at least one side surface. 
     
     
         10 . The sole according to  claim 9 , wherein the portion corresponding to the indicator includes a concave portion or a convex portion. 
     
     
         11 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator includes a medial foot side indicator provided on the medial foot side surface and a lateral foot side indicator provided on the lateral foot side surface. 
     
     
         12 . The sole according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the medial foot side indicator continuously extends along a front-back direction of the sole at least within a range surrounded by a first line that is located on a shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 24% with respect to an entire length of the sole from a front side end toward a rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole coinciding with a foot length direction of the foot of the wearer, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole, and a second line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 36% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole; and   the lateral foot side indicator continuously extends along the front-back direction of the sole at least within a range surrounded by a third line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 31% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole, and a fourth line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 40% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole.   
     
     
         13 . The sole according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the medial foot side indicator is located only within a range surrounded by a fifth line that is located on a shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 17% with respect to an entire length of the sole from a front side end toward a rear side end in a front-back direction of the sole coinciding with a foot length direction of the foot of the wearer, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole, and a sixth line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 38% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole; and   the lateral foot side indicator is located only within a range surrounded by a seventh line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 21% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole, and an eighth line that is located on the shoe center of the sole, passes through a position of 45% with respect to the entire length of the sole from the front side end toward the rear side end in the front-back direction of the sole, and is orthogonal to the shoe center of the sole.   
     
     
         14 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the indicator includes only a medial foot side indicator provided on the medial foot side surface. 
     
     
         15 . The sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicator includes only a lateral foot side indicator provided on the lateral foot side surface. 
     
     
         16 . The sole according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a midsole constituting the upper surface; and   an outsole constituting the lower surface,   wherein the indicator is provided in the midsole at a portion constituting the at least one side surface.   
     
     
         17 . The sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the indicator is formed of a portion of a same material as the midsole as a part of the midsole. 
     
     
         18 . The sole according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the midsole of the portion constituting the at least one side surface includes an inclined surface directed downward toward an outer side along a left-right direction of the sole coinciding with a foot width direction of the foot of the wearer, and   the indicator is provided at least in a portion corresponding to the inclined surface.   
     
     
         19 . A shoe comprising:
 the sole according to  claim 1 ; and   an upper provided above the sole.