Footwear with variable stiffness midsole

Abstract

To provide an article of footwear having a midsole that provides both stability during a swing and comfort and flexibility in walking and standing.SOLUTION: An article of footwear may include an upper, a heel region having a heel core and a heel perimeter, a forefront region, a medial side, a lateral side, an outsole, and a midsole. The medial side may extend from the forefoot region to the heel region. A lateral side extends from the forefoot region to the heel region and is opposite to and generally parallel to the medial side. The midsole may be a dual durometer midsole and includes a soft durometer positioned between the heel region and the forefoot region and a firm durometer positioned around the heel perimeter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to the field of footwear and, more specifically, to the field of footwear having improved midsole structures. [Background technology]

[0002] The game of golf involves long stretches of walking and short moments of swinging the golf club to hit the ball. As a result, golf shoes have evolved to provide the wearer with good traction on the grass, comfort while walking, and a stable platform from which to hit the ball. Golf shoes therefore typically have a relatively stiff sole with metal spikes or plastic cleats. Some golf shoes also contain gel to cushion the impact of so-called "ground reaction forces" on the foot. From Newton's third law of motion, the action-reaction law, it is known that the ground pushes against the foot with an equal force in the opposite direction to the direction in which the foot pushes against the ground. These are known as ground reaction forces.

[0003] Footwear midsoles are known to strongly influence the sensation of cushioning / comfort by redistributing the magnitude and velocity of loads on the bone load-bearing structures and soft tissues of the foot. Single density foams of a particular Asker C hardness are most commonly used as midsoles to provide a structure that compresses under walking loads. However, because single density foams are of uniform hardness, one must choose between using a harder sole for support or a softer sole for comfort. Thus, current midsoles are unable to simultaneously provide adequate support to areas of the foot under high loads and / or comfort to areas of the foot under low loads.

[0004] A need remains for footwear with improved midsoles that provide sufficient stiffness without sacrificing flexibility and comfort. The footwear needs to provide stability as the golfer's weight shifts during the golf swing while allowing the golfer to walk comfortably between holes.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses that the sole structure of the midsole and outsole is configured to be suitable for a golf swing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-209482 A Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides an article of footwear having a midsole that provides both stability during swing and comfort and flexibility during walking and standing.

[0008] The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure. It is not intended to identify key elements of the disclosure or to delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description presented elsewhere.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an article of footwear configured to provide stability, comfort, and flexibility. The article of footwear may include an upper, a heel region including a heel core and a heel perimeter, a forefoot region, a medial side, a lateral side, an outsole, and a midsole. The medial side may extend from the forefoot region to the heel region. The lateral side may extend from the forefoot region to the heel region and may be opposite and generally parallel to the medial side. The midsole may be a dual durometer midsole, including a soft durometer positioned from the heel region to the forefoot region and a hard durometer positioned around the heel.

[0010] These and other aspects will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following figures.

[0012] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an article of footwear according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating an article of footwear including a midsole and placement of a stability insert according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a midsole, outsole, and stability insert according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a midsole illustrating placement of hard durometer sections according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a rear view of a midsole of an article of footwear. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the midsole of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating an article of footwear including a midsole and the placement of two stability inserts according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an article of footwear including a midsole and firm durometer portion and a stability insert molded together in one embodiment of the present disclosure, which is an alternative embodiment to that shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an article of footwear in an alternative embodiment to the examples of FIGS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Some embodiments are more fully described with reference to the accompanying figures. However, this disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like elements throughout. The thickness and dimensions of some parts may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0014] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0015] As used herein, a statement that two or more parts or components are "coupled" means that the parts are directly or indirectly connected or operated together, i.e., through one or more intermediate parts or components, to the extent that a link occurs. As used herein, "directly coupled" means that the two elements are in direct contact with each other.

[0016] All patents, patent applications and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict of terminology, this specification will control.

[0017] It should be noted that any one or more aspects or features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated in a different embodiment even if not specifically described in that context. That is, all embodiments and / or all features of any embodiment may be combined in any manner and / or combination. Applicant reserves the right to modify the claims as originally filed or to submit new claims accordingly, including the right to amend the claims as originally filed to depend on any other claim and / or to incorporate any feature of any other claim, even if not originally claimed in that manner. These and other objects and / or aspects of the present invention are described in detail in the specification set forth below.

[0018] 1, an article of footwear 10 is provided according to one embodiment. The article of footwear 10, in some embodiments, may include an upper 15, a midsole 20 coupled to the upper 15, and an outsole 25 coupled to the midsole 20. The article of footwear may also include a gill strip 23.

[0019] The footwear product 10 may further include a heel region 30, a midfoot region 40, and a forefoot region 45. The heel region 30 may generally correspond to the rear portion of the foot, i.e., the Achilles tendon, the rear portion of the heel, and the area around and under the talus and calcaneus. The midfoot region 40 may generally correspond to the middle of the foot, i.e., the arch and the navicular, cuboid, and cuneiform bones. The forefoot region 45 may generally correspond to the front of the foot, i.e., the toes and the metatarsals, phalanges, and sesamoid bones. It should be noted that the heel region 30, midfoot region 40, and forefoot region 45 are intended to represent general areas of the footwear product and are not intended to distinguish between precise areas.

[0020] In some embodiments, upper 15 may include an interior surface 60 (see FIG. 2) and an exterior surface 65. Interior surface 60 may partially define an area configured to receive a person's foot. Upper 15 may be configured to extend over the person's foot, along the medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around the forefoot and heel regions of the foot. The area configured to receive the person's foot may be accessed through an ankle opening formed by collar 70.

[0021] The upper 15 may be constructed from any suitable material now known or later developed, including, but not limited to, leather, synthetic leather, polyurethane composites, polyvinyl chloride composites, hot melt composites (thermoplastic polymers laminated to another substrate), suede, cloth, canvas, woven, knit, man-made polymer fibers, nylon, polyester, or cotton. The upper 15 may be elastic. Alternatively, at least a portion of the upper 15 may be elastic. In other embodiments, the upper 15 may be inelastic. The upper 15 may include at least a portion that is inflexible, rigid, or semi-rigid.

[0022] The upper 15 may further include an external heel counter 85 in the heel region 30. The heel counter 85 may reinforce the upper 15 and reduce or limit movement of a person's heel. The heel counter 85 may be formed from a hard thermoplastic polymer, such as thermoplastic polyurethane ("TPU"). The external heel counter 85 may encase the heel region 30 and extend forward along both the lateral and medial sides. The heel counter 85 may also include a ridge 87 or the like to provide stiffness while reducing overall weight.

[0023] In some embodiments, the lace 90 may be on the upper 15 and may be configured to interact with an exterior surface of the upper 15. The lace 90 may be fully or partially visible. The footwear may include one or more closure systems for securing a user's foot, the selection of which is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art. Examples of closure systems may include laces, the lace fastening system described in U.S. Patent No. 10,070,695, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and the closure system described in U.S. Serial No. 17 / 355,390, filed June 23, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. It will be appreciated that any suitable lacing or closure system may be used to secure a wearer's foot to the upper 15 of the footwear product 10. In some embodiments, the footwear product 10 may include an inner side 50 extending from the forefoot region 45 to the heel region 30 and an outer side 55 extending from the forefoot region 45 to the heel region 30. The medial side and the lateral side may be opposite one another. In some embodiments, the lateral side 55 and the medial side 50 may be generally parallel to one another. The lateral side 55 may generally correspond to the lateral area of ​​the foot and the surface facing away from the person's other foot. The medial side 50 may generally correspond to the medial area of ​​the foot and the surface facing the person's other foot.

[0024] In some embodiments, the outsole may include a traction element 95. The traction element 95 may be made of any suitable material, such as rubber or plastic, and combinations thereof. Thermoplastics such as nylon, polyester, polyolefin, polyurethane, and the like may be used. Suitable rubber materials that may be used may include, but are not limited to, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, ethylene propylene rubber ("EPR"), ethylene-propylene-diene ("EPDM") rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, styrene block copolymer rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, and blends of two or more thereof.

[0025] 2 and 3, various embodiments of the midsole 20 and outsole 25 are shown. The support frame 110 may be molded into the outsole or may be a part of the outsole. In various embodiments, the support frame 110 may be provided as a solid predetermined shape / geometry or may be provided as a predetermined shape / geometry with openings. In one embodiment, the support frame 110 may extend from the heel region 30 to the midfoot region 40. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a portion of the support frame 110 may be a predetermined shape / geometry of an A-frame 113. Selection of other shapes / geometry is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art, and a particular shape / geometry may be selected to provide support, aesthetics, or both in a preferred embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the hard durometer portion 130 may include a recess 114 shaped like the top portion of the A-frame to position the support frame 110 with the hard durometer portion 130. The support frame 110 may also include lateral side legs 115a and medial side legs 115b. The lateral / medial side legs 115a, 115b may extend from the hard durometer portion 130 and engage corresponding lateral / medial side recesses 117a, 117b in the midsole 20.

[0026] The stability insert 120 may be in the midfoot region 40 on the lateral side 55. As shown in FIG. 2, the midsole 20 may include a stability insert recess 140 for receiving the stability insert 120. The stability insert 120 may be molded from ethylene vinyl acetate ("EVA") copolymer, polyurethane, and blends thereof. The stability insert 120 may be a harder material and may provide stability by reducing sidewall movement of the footwear article during a golf swing.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, the midsole 20 may include a soft durometer portion 125 disposed from the heel region 30 to the forefoot region 45 of the midsole 20. The dual durometer midsole 20 further includes a hard durometer portion 130 disposed around the heel perimeter. In one embodiment, a preferred shape for the hard durometer portion is a U-shape or horseshoe shape to wrap around the heel. The soft durometer portion 125 may be manufactured from an ethylene vinyl acetate ("EVA") copolymer. The soft durometer portion 125 may have a Shore C hardness of between about 50 and 85, preferably between about 60 and 65. The hard durometer portion 130 may also be formed from an ethylene-vinyl acetate ("EVA") copolymer, polyurethane, or the like, and may be injection molded. In one embodiment, the hard durometer portion 130 and the stability insert may be of different materials, may be of the same material, or may be molded together. The hard durometer portion may have a Shore C hardness of between about 60 and 95, and preferably between about 70 and 75.

[0028] 5 and 6, an embodiment of the support frame 110 and the hard durometer portion 130 is shown. The hard durometer portion 130 may be horseshoe or U-shaped and may overlap and partially underlie the outer heel counter 85 of the heel region 30, i.e., the heel counter 85 is molded over the hard durometer portion 130. The hard durometer portion 130 may be in contact with the support frame 110. In one embodiment, the support frame 110 may have a sloping or angled sidewall shape as opposed to a straight sidewall. The hard durometer portion may also be in contact with the soft durometer portion 125.

[0029] 7-9, there are shown alternative embodiments of the orientation of the stability insert 120 and hard durometer portion 130 in some embodiments of the present invention. In FIG. 7, one embodiment is shown in which there may be two stability inserts, an outer side stability insert 120a and an inner side stability insert 120b, and the inserts 120a, 120b may be spaced apart from the hard durometer portion 130.

[0030] 8, lateral and medial side stability inserts 120a, 120b may be connected to or molded together with hard durometer portion 130 by interior bridge section 150. Interior bridge section 150 may be disposed on corresponding outsole interior lateral and medial side portions 163a, 163b of outsole 25.

[0031] In Fig. 9, the lateral and medial stability inserts 120a, 120b may be connected to or molded with the hard durometer portion 130 by an external bridge section 165. The external bridge section 165 may be disposed on the corresponding insole external lateral and medial side portions 167a, 167b. Figs. 8 and 9 show an embodiment in which there is both a lateral and medial stability insert 120a, 120b. Alternatively, embodiments are contemplated in which there is only one lateral stability insert connected to or molded with the hard durometer portion.

[0032] Components not shown may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with the intention of being illustrative and not limiting. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from its scope. Those skilled in the art may develop alternative means for implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0033] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10. Footwear Products 15 Upper 20 Midsole 23. Guilty Strip 25 Outsole 30 Heel area 40 Midfoot Area 45 Forefoot area 50 Inner side 55 Outer side 60 Internal surface 65 External Surface 70 Color 85 External heel counter 87 Prominence 90 Races 95 Traction element 110 Support frame 113 A-frame 114 Depression 115a Outer side leg 115b Inner side leg 117a outer side recess 117b Inner side recess 120 Stability Insert 120a outer side stability insert 120b medial side stability insert 125 Soft durometer part 130 Hard durometer part 140 Stability Insert Recess 150 Internal Bridge Section

Claims

1. In footwear products, Upper and a heel region having a heel core and a heel perimeter; an external heel counter positioned about the heel area; The forefoot area; The midfoot area, a medial side extending from the forefoot region to the heel region; a lateral side extending from the forefoot region to the heel region and opposite and generally parallel to the medial side; a dual durometer midsole having (i) a soft durometer portion located from the heel region to the forefoot region, and (ii) a hard durometer portion located in the heel region below the external heel counter; an outsole, a portion of the outsole forming an A-shaped support frame extending to the external heel counter, a top portion of the A-shaped support frame positioned in a recess in the hard durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole, the A-shaped support frame having a pair of medial side legs and a pair of lateral side legs, the pair of medial side legs and the pair of lateral side legs extending from the hard durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole to support the dual durometer midsole; the outsole configured to engage corresponding lateral side recesses and medial side recesses in the soft durometer portion of a midsole, the pair of medial side legs and the pair of lateral side legs including a first leg extending to the heel region and a second leg extending to the midfoot region, the first leg and the second leg being disposed at an angle to form an opening in the A-shaped support frame, the opening in the A-shaped support frame being positioned below the external heel counter; and a stability insert located on the lateral side, medial side, or both sides.

2. 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the soft durometer section, the hard durometer section, the A-shaped support frame and the stability insert comprise thermoplastic materials of various hardnesses selected from the group consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane, and blends thereof.

3. 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the soft durometer portion has a hardness of between about 50 and 85 Shore C and the hard durometer portion has a hardness of between about 60 and 95 Shore C.

4. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the external heel counter further includes a ridge.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the external heel counter is positioned above the hard durometer portion.

6. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the stability insert reduces sidewall movement during a golf swing.

7. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the hard durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole is U-shaped or horseshoe shaped.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the stability insert is connected to at least one of the soft durometer portion or the hard durometer portion.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the stability insert has an outer side stability insert and an inner side stability insert molded together with the hard durometer portion.

10. The article of footwear of claim 9, further comprising an internal or external bridge section connecting said lateral side stability insert, said medial side stability insert, and said hard durometer portion.

11. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the A-shaped support frame is molded into or is part of the outsole.

12. The footwear product of claim 1, wherein the A-shaped support frame is configured to extend along at least a portion of the upper.

13. The footwear product of claim 1, wherein the A-shaped support frame is configured to extend upwardly from the midsole to the upper.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the A-shaped support frame has one or more sloped or angled side walls.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening has a predetermined fixed shape.

16. The footwear article of claim 1, wherein the dual durometer midsole has: (i) a first recess for accommodating the first leg of the A-shaped support frame, the first recess extending along the hard durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole; and (ii) a second recess for accommodating the second leg of the A-shaped support frame, the second recess extending along the soft durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole.

17. The footwear article of claim 16, wherein the first leg portion extends along the hard durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole and the second leg portion extends along the soft durometer portion of the dual durometer midsole.

18. The footwear article of claim 17, wherein the second recess is configured to extend along a portion of the hard durometer portion that contacts the soft durometer portion, such that the second leg portion extends along or across both the hard durometer portion and the soft durometer portion.

19. The footwear product of claim 1, wherein the A-shaped support frame is configured as a support frame of a predetermined shape.

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