1491results about "Top-pieces" patented technology

A high polymer resin material is configured into a shoe sole component having a plurality of inwardly extending indentations in one or both of the top and bottom members of the component. The indentations extend into the interval between the members and adjacent to the opposite member to provide support members for the sole component. The sole component can be constructed by molding upper and lower sole component halves wherein the molds are configured to provide indentations in the top and bottom members. The upper and lower sole component halves are then joined to complete the sole component.

An article of footwear includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion and an outsole having a bottom surface including a primary ground contacting surface. The bottom surface of the outsole includes a forefoot bulge and a heel bulge which provide the footwear with controlled instability for providing dynamic conditioning of the wearer's muscles during the gait cycle.

A sole component and a method of manufacturing the sole component are disclosed. In general, the sole component includes a fluid-filled bladder and a reinforcing structure extending around the bladder. The reinforcing structure is bonded to the exterior of the bladder, and may be recessed into the bladder. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure extends along the side surfaces of the bladder and between upper and lower surfaces of bladder. In manufacturing the sole component, the reinforcing structure may be located within a mold, and the polymer material forming the bladder may be bonded to the reinforcing structure during the molding process.

A midsole for footwear comprising a midsole element, which comprises a top plate, a bottom plate, and a plurality of strut members disposed between the top and bottom plates for supporting the top plate a distance away from the bottom plate. Adjacent strut members have a C shaped cross-section facing in the same direction. The midsole element may further comprise a heel cleft to increase the flexibility of the sole. In a preferred embodiment, the strut members on the medial side are arranged at an angle to the strut members on the lateral side of the sole. The directional design provides flexibility and stiffness anisotropically to the sole in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the sole respectively.

An article of footwear having a sole structure that includes one or more support elements formed of a resilient, compressible material is disclosed. The lower surface of a support element located in the back-lateral corner of the sole structure includes a downward bevel in the lateral-to-medial direction and back-to-front direction. In addition to the downward bevel on the lower surface of the support element, a base plate and outsole include corresponding bevels. Cooperatively, the bevels reduce the rate of pronation in a foot of a wearer.

A disposable shoe liner that is formed from a first substrate, a second substrate, and discrete regions of a functional material sandwiched therebetween is provided. In particular, the first and second substrates contain are fused together at certain portions such that fused portions and unfused portions are formed. The unfused portions form pockets that contain the functional material. In some embodiments, for example, the pockets contain activated carbon granules to provide comfort to the foot and to absorb odors exuded therefrom.

The invention is directed to a midsole assembly for footwear which includes medial and lateral unsymmetrical stabilizing pods disposed between shock absorbing upper and lower deflectable plates positioned at the heel portion of the midsole. The bottom surface of the heel portion of the midsole includes an axially aligned deflection platform defined by a concave surface. The upper shock absorption plate is disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the midsole and includes an aperture therethrough which is adapted to receive the deflection platform. The bottom plate includes a deflectable concave segment which is aligned with and adapted to engage the deflection platform of the midsole and be urged downwardly upon the imposition of force upon the midsole by the user's foot. The medial and lateral stabilizing pods are mounted between the upper and lower plates along the medial and lateral sides of the heel portion of the midsole and are respectively adapted to dynamically respond to the forces imposed on the medial and lateral sides of the heel. To control pronation and supination of the shoe and user's foot, the hardness of the medial stabilizing pod may be greater than that of the lateral stabilizing pod.

A shock absorbing bladder for use in the sole of an article of footwear is disclosed. The bladder includes a plurality of inflated chambers at different pressure levels. The bladder includes a first sealed chamber formed of a barrier material. The first chamber contains a fluid at a first fluid pressure. A second sealed chamber also forms part of the bladder. The second chamber is formed of a second barrier material and contains an inflation fluid at a second fluid pressure that is greater than said first fluid pressure. The second chamber is operatively coupled to the first chamber so that the inflation fluid from the second chamber moves into the first chamber to replenish fluid leaving the first chamber.

The present invention provides articles of footwear adapted for use in extreme and hazardous environments by members of the military, law enforcement personnel and others who require durable and functional footwear. The footwear include protective coverings that may be proof, puncture proof, fire retardant or water repelling. Drainage holes can be positioned in the toe region and along the outsole to enable a wearer to quickly drain water from the article of footwear. Single use or replaceable drainage plugs may cover the holes to prevent entry of water into the boot or other article of footwear. Removable and / or replaceable footbeds may be employed, and such footbeds may provide adjustable sizing of the article of footwear using interchangeable cartridges. A support saddle may be employed with the footbed to enhance foot support under heavy loads. These and other features herein are suited for use in a wide variety of footwear.

An athletic shoe comprises an upper (3) for accommodating an instep of a foot, and outer sole (4) having a tread on bottom surface, and a midsole (1) interposed between the upper (3) and the outer sole (4). A shock absorbing groove (2) is formed in the midsole (1). The shock absorbing groove (2) is formed of a long transverse groove (20) and a short longitudinal groove (21) in a continuous manner. The transverse groove (20) is formed on the midsole (1) extending from a side face of a rear foot part (1B) of the midsole (1) on lateral side (10) of the foot to a back face of a heel part (1H) of the midsole (1) and has an end (22) on the heel part (1H). The longitudinal groove (21) is formed in such a manner as to cut out the heel part (1H) of the midsole (1) from a lower end face of the midsole (1) toward the end of the transverse groove (20).

An article of footwear including an upper formed of a flexible upper material and a sole formed of a flexible sole material, wherein the sole is rolled, folded, or collapsed onto itself to reduce the volume of the article of footwear. The article of footwear in a collapsed state can then be packaged in a container. This container can be dispensed by a vending machine in a convenient urban area.

A spring cushioned shoe is disclosed. The shoe includes a sole assembly that has a first spring disposed within a vacuity in the heel portion of the assembly, and a second spring disposed within a vacuity in the ball portion of the assembly. The springs are, e.g., wave springs that extend vertically from the upper to the lower internal boundaries of the vacuities.

An article of footwear includes a sole having a shank area located between a forefoot portion and a rear foot portion of the sole, an upper including an inner counter and an outer counter, and a pivot mechanism attaching the outer counter to the sole so as to permit the outer counter to pivot relative to the inner counter at a pivot point located at the shank area of the sole. The outer counter pivots between an open position away from the inner counter and a closed position in supporting engagement with the inner counter. The pivot mechanism may be a mechanical, composite, or living hinge. The article of footwear may further include a locking mechanism for selectively securing the outer counter in the closed position in supporting engagement with the inner counter.

The article of footwear taught in the present invention includes a spring element that can provide improved cushioning, stability, and running economy. Unlike the conventional foam materials presently being used by the footwear industry, a preferred spring element is not substantially subject to compression set degradation and can provide a relatively long service life. The components of the article of footwear including the upper, insole, spring element, and sole can be selected from a range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired. Moreover, the present invention teaches a method of making a customized article of footwear, and also a way of doing retail and Internet business.

Footwear providing enhanced protection against extreme landing impacts includes a sole having an elastomeric mid-sole with elastomeric pads combined in a heel recess thereof such that the pads act in series with each other and in parallel with the mid-sole during conjoint compression thereof. At least one of the pads includes a solid gel having a relatively high damping coefficient. In another embodiment, the heel of the mid-sole is replaced by a toroidal gas cushion and an elastomeric pad including a solid gel having a relatively high damping coefficient disposed in a central recess of the cushion such that the pad is recessed a selected distance below the upper surface of the cushion. The resilient pads may advantageously incorporate a plurality of gas-filled cells, and a solid gel pad may also be disposed in the mid-sole of the footwear below the ball of the wearer's foot for increased protection.

The present invention teaches a method of making a custom article of footwear. Further, the article of footwear can include a spring element that can provide improved cushioning, stability, and running economy. In addition, the components of the article of footwear can be selected from a wide range of options, and can be easily removed and replaced, as desired.

A cushioning member for an article of footwear. The cushioning member is a flexible bladder having a fluidly interconnected heel chamber and forefoot chamber. The bladder is disposed above the sole and beneath the wearer's foot to provided added cushioning to the wearer. The bladder contains air at slightly above ambient pressure and can be formed by thermoforming or by welding two sheets of resilient, flexible material together. A connecting passage fluidly connects the heel chamber and the forefoot chamber. The connecting passage is narrow to control the flow of air between the two chambers.

A footwear lower is presented which provides cushion support and lateral stability in a lightweight construction. The lower may include a primary midsole, cushion elements, a rear lower midsole, a directional cradle, and an outsole. The cushions may be located in the between the directional cradle and the rear lower midsole. Various embodiments of cushions are presented and may be consistent with specific types of shoes such as running trainers, trail shoes, general fitness footwear, or basketball shoes. The lower may be consistent with approaches to remediate a wearer's pronation or supination.

A fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear and a method for manufacturing the chamber are disclosed. The chamber may be incorporated into a sole structure of the footwear and includes a central area and a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central area. The lobes are in fluid communication with the central area and are formed from a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall. The sidewall joins with the first surface with the second surface to seal the fluid within the chamber, but no internal connections are generally utilized to join interior portions of the first surface with interior portions of the second surface. The fluid within the chamber may be air at a pressure that is approximately equal to an ambient pressure.

An athletic shoe, with a sole and a shoe upper, connected thereto, which surrounds the front of the foot, the ankle region and the heel region of the foot. The shoe is able to be collapsed down to a low height for packing, without negatively affecting the ability of the shoe to hold the wearers foot in an optimal manner in use. This ability is achieved the shoe upper being provided with an incision in the heel region, running at least nearly in a direction perpendicular to the sole, whereby the parts of the shoe upper, on both sides of the incision can be folded or turned inwards down toward the sole.

A footwear construction including a sole and an adjustable heel element selectively rotatable about an axis of rotation to configure the heel element in a fitness mode or a stability mode. The heel element can include a ground contacting surface having a first performance contour and a second, different performance contour. In the fitness mode, the first performance contour is positioned rearward of the second performance contour to provide a rolling / rocking motion when the heel region of the footwear engages a walking surface in a gait cycle. In the stability mode, the second performance contour is positioned rearward of the first performance contour to provide a stable impact when the heel region engages a walking surface. The footwear can include an actuator to enable the heel element to rotate and locking elements to hold the heel element in a fixed rotational position. A related method of use also is provided.

A sole component and a method of manufacturing the sole component are disclosed. In general, the sole component includes a fluid-filled bladder and a reinforcing structure extending around the bladder. The reinforcing structure is bonded to the exterior of the bladder, and may be recessed into the bladder. In some embodiments, the reinforcing structure extends along the side surfaces of the bladder and between upper and lower surfaces of bladder. In manufacturing the sole component, the reinforcing structure may be located within a mold, and the polymer material forming the bladder may be bonded to the reinforcing structure during the molding process.

Podalic foot pads of various shapes and configurations which utilize a padding material that is primarily an A-B-A triblock copolymer and a plasticizer. A-B diblock copolymers may be compounded into the padding material. An anti-bleed agent is preferably employed. The plasticizer may be a resin, mineral oil or otherwise. A detackifier may be employed such as grape seed oil or another slip agent. Antioxidants, pigments and micropsheres may be added to the material. The material has good cushioning properties.

This invention is directed to a shock absorbing device for a shoe sole providing a lower layer 2 having an upper face 21 and an upper layer 3 having a lower face 30. The two layers 2, 3 are both made of an elastomer. The faces 21, 30 are each formed to have substantially a corrugated section. The corrugated faces 21, 30 each have a plurality of top portions 22, 32, bottom portions 23, 33, and inclined portions 24, 34 joining the top portions 22, 32 and bottom portions 23, 33, with the corrugated faces 21, 30 each being formed from essentially a smooth surface. The corrugated faces 21, 30 mate with each other. The two mating faces 21, 30 are spaced apart from each other at the top portions 22, 32 and / or at the bottom portions 23, 33, with gaps 4 being formed at the spaced-apart portions.