Footwear outsole having arcuate inner-structure

Abstract

An outsole having a body member with an inner-structure including arcuately shaped channel members extending substantially from the medial to lateral sides thereof. The arcuately shaped channel members are spaced forwardly, rearwardly, and generally below the metatarsophalangeal joints of a wearer's foot inserted in footwear constructed from the outsole. The lower surface of the outsole has structure which provides formed areas of flexion to accommodate changes of anatomical position of the metatarsal joint axis of the wearer's foot during normal growth thereof and to permit the outsole to readily flex at areas which correspond to areas of the wearer's foot which normally flex as the foot passes through normal phases of gait, to thereby enhance the wearer's

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:  
     
         1 . An outsole for footwear, the outsole comprising a body member having a medial side, a lateral side, an upper surface and a lower surface, 
 (a) the upper surface comprising an inner-structure having at least one arcuately shaped transverse channel member extending substantially from said medial side to said lateral side, wherein said at least one arcuately shaped transverse channel member is configured to be spaced approximately below the metatarso-phalangeal joints of a wearer's foot inserted in footwear constructed with said body member; and    (b) the lower surface having structure providing formed areas of flexion to accommodate changes of anatomical position of the metatarsal joint axis of the wearer's foot during normal growth thereof and to permit the outsole to readily flex at areas which correspond to areas of the wearer's foot which normally flex as the foot passes through normal phases of gait, to thereby enhance the wearer's foot comfort.    
     
     
         2 . The outsole of    claim 1    wherein the inner structure of the upper surface provides a stable structure for receiving an insole.  
     
     
         3 . The outsole of    claim 1   , wherein the structure providing formed areas of flexion comprises at least first and second paired channels formed into the lower surface of the outsole.  
     
     
         4 . The outsole of    claim 3    wherein said at least one arcuately shaped transverse channel member extending substantially from said medial side to said lateral side comprises at least first and second paired arcuate shaped channel members.  
     
     
         5 . The outsole of    claim 4    wherein said at least first and second paired channels formed into the lower surface of the outsole and the at least first and second paired channels formed in the upper surface are cooperatively configured such that a proximal wall member of each of said paired channels of the lower surface and said paired channel members of the upper surface are in planar relation.  
     
     
         6 . The outsole of    claim 2    wherein the inner-structure of the upper surface further comprises a first relief area formed into the upper surface at a position beneath the ball of the wearer's foot to accommodate downward and proximal movement of the user's first metatarsal to thereby cooperatively enhance flexion of said outsole.  
     
     
         7 . The outsole of    claim 6    wherein the first relief area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart, concentric annular members formed into the upper surface at a position beneath the ball of the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         8 . The outsole of    claim 6    wherein the inner-structure of the upper surface further comprises a second relief area formed into the upper surface at a position beneath the heel of the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         9 . The outsole of    claim 8    wherein the second relief area comprises a plurality of spaced-apart, concentric annular members formed into the upper surface at a position beneath the heel of the wearer's foot.  
     
     
         10 . An outsole as provided in    claim 1   , wherein said at least one arcuately shaped of the upper surface has a substantially uniform fore-to-aft width.  
     
     
         11 . An outsole as provided in    claim 10   , wherein said fore-to-aft width of said arcuately shaped rib is approximately three millimeters.  
     
     
         12 . An outsole as provided in    claim 4   , wherein said at least first and second paired arcuately shaped channel members are approximately spaced apart by the amount of generally acceptable grown of the wearer's foot without replacement of the footwear utilizing said outsole.  
     
     
         13 . An outsole as provided in    claim 4   , wherein said at least two arcuately shaped channel members are spaced relative to said body member such that at least one of said at least two arcuately shaped channel members is spaced forwardly from the metatarsophalangeal joints of the wearer and at least one of said at least two arcuately shaped channel member underlies the metatarsophalangeal joints of the wearer.