Shoe sole with loose fill compartments seperated by arch support

Abstract

A shoe is provided with an outsole that contacts the ground, an insole upon which a foot rests, and a midsole located between the outsole and the insole. The midsole cushions the wearer's foot by providing a loose fill material in a front compartment on which the toes and ball of the foot of the wearer rest and a heel compartment on which the heel of the wearer rests. The front compartment is divided into at least two sub compartments to keep the loose fill evenly distributed. The front compartment and the heel compartment are separated by an arch support section of the midsole, which provides relatively rigid support for the arch of the wearer's foot.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a Continuation in Part Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 905,144 filed on Dec. 17, 2004. These applications are herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to the comfort and support in the sole of a shoe. In particular, the present invention relates to a shoe with a midsole that is partially filled with a loose fill material such as crumb rubber derived from rubber tires for shock absorption, cushioning, energy return, added comfort and stability. [0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art [0005] Dress, casual and athletic shoes generally include an upper portion and an inner lining that cover the top of the foot, a counter placed between the upper portion and the lining to provide rigidity at the heel, an insole upon which the foot rests, an outsole which contacts the ground surface and a midsole portion th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe with superior comfort, performance and stability by loose fill located in compartments in the midsole located in the heel and front of the shoe. This object is met by the present invention by constructing a shoe with a midsole that has compartments where the wearer's heel, ball of the foot and toes would normally rest. These compartments are filled with a loose fill. A scrim may be sewn or glued into place above the compartments to form a top for the compartments. The loose fill may also be held in place by the use of adhesives. An arch support section separates the front compartment from the heel compartment and is made of the same material as the rest of the midsole. The arch support provides relatively rigid support to improve the shoe's comfort and stability. In addition, by separating the front compartment and the heel compartment, the cushioning provided by the loose fill may be targeted to the locations where a wearer experiences the highest impact forces while moving, namely the heel and the ball of the foot and toes.

Problems solved by technology

The manufacture of shoes using conventional construction methods is a complicated and expensive process.

Early basketball shoes had some rubber cushioning inside them, but nothing as advanced and innovative as the modern midsole found in every type of shoe from walking shoes to basketball shoes.

These innovations range from improved foam midsoles to very complicated air and fluid systems.

While these increasingly complicated midsoles may improve performance, the cost to manufacture these shoes has increased dramatically.

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