American Sporting Goods Corporation

Wolverine World Wide, Inc.

Brown Group, Inc.

Turner Shoe Company, Inc.

Jerome A Turner

John Warren Thomas

Ralph Serna

Robert O Dillon

Randy N Lubart

George W Dietel

Marcelo Brukman

Isaac Alvear

Robert Dillon

Shoe sole assembly

Footwear sole

Sole construction for footwear

The present invention comprises a multilayered heel construction for footwear. A fluid-filled bladder is incorporated into the heel of footwear. The bladder defines an internal cavity which is adapted to enclose a fluid at atmospheric pressure. The internal cavity defines a peripheral channel adjacent the periphery of the bladder and a plurality of intersecting channels orientated transversely to the longitudinal axis of the footwear. The intersecting channels are in communication with the peripheral channel of the interior cavity. The bladder is positioned at the heel of the footwear and is positioned intermediate an upper footbed support. The lower surface of the multilayered heel assembly defines a concave, cantilever surface. The combination of the bladder, the upper footbed support and the lower cantilever surface improve shock absorption and the stability of the footwear.

Heel construction for footwear

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.

Shoe incorporating improved shock absorption and stabilizing elements

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 upper plate is adapted to engage the bottom surface of the midsole and includes an axially aligned, concave segment which is resiliently deflected upon the imposition of force thereon by the user's foot. The bottom plate includes a deflectable concave segment which is adapted to engage the deflectable segment of the upper plate and be urged downwardly upon the imposition of force upon the upper plate 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.

Heel portion of an athletic shoe outsole

Athletic shoe

Shoe sole

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Jerome A Turner