Shoe sole structure having midsole sides

Abstract

A shoe sole having at least one midsole or outer surface portion that is concavely rounded relative to a space inside the shoe adapted to receive an intended wearer's foot. The sole includes a midsole and an outer sole. The midsole extends up the side of the sole to a vertical height above the vertical height of a lowest point of the inner midsole surface. The midsole includes a portion of greatest thickness in a side portion that is greater than a thickness of a second midsole portion located in a middle sole portion of the shoe sole. The combination of the midsole height and thickness with the concavely rounded surface portion together provide improved stability of the shoe sole.

1 . A shoe sole for a shoe, said shoe sole comprising: 
 a sole lateral side, a sole medial side, and a sole middle portion located between the sole lateral and medial sides;    a midsole having an inner midsole surface and an outer midsole surface, the midsole including a first midsole portion located in one of said sole sides, and a second midsole portion located in the middle sole portion;    the sole lateral side comprising a lateral sidemost section located outside of a vertical line drawn at the sidemost extent of the inner midsole surface;    the sole medial side comprising a medial sidemost section located outside of a vertical line drawn at the sidemost extent of the inner midsole surface;    an outer sole;    the outer midsole surface of the first midsole portion extends up the sole side to a vertical height above a vertical height of a lowest point of the inner midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;    the first midsole portion having a greatest thickness measured between the inner and outer midsole surfaces of the first midsole portion, that is greater than a thickness measured between the inner and outer midsole surfaces of the second midsole portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition; and    the outer midsole surface of the first midsole portion comprises a lowermost portion that is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.    
     
     
         2 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the inner midsole surface further comprises a portion that is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         3 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface extends to a sidemost extent of the outer midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         4 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outer midsole surface of the first midsole portion is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe at one or more locations which substantially correspond to the positions of the following structural support and propulsion elements of an intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe: a base of the calcaneus, a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, a head of the first distal phalange, a head of the first metatarsal, a base of the fifth metatarsal, a head of the fifth metatarsal, and a main longitudinal arch, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section at said one or more locations when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         5 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outer sole extends to a sidemost section of the shoe sole; and at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer sole located in the sidemost section of the shoe sole is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         6 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thickness is defined as the shortest distance between a point on the inner surface of the midsole and the closest point on the outer midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         7 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thickness is defined as a radial thickness; and 
 the radial thickness is the length of a line extending perpendicular to a line tangent to the inner surface of the midsole from the inner surface of the midsole to the outer midsole surface at the measured location, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.    
     
     
         8 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outer midsole surface of the at least one portion of the midsole located in the sole middle portion is substantially flat, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         9 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outer midsole surface of the at least one portion of the midsole located in the sole middle portion is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         10 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one portion of the midsole located in a side of the shoe sole includes a midsole section of greatest thickness, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, and at least one tapered portion at a location adjacent to, and anterior or posterior to the midsole section of greatest thickness, the tapered portion having a thickness that decreases from the section of greatest thickness to a lesser thickness, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         11 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the shoe sole varies, as viewed in a sagittal plane when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         12 . A shoe sole for a shoe, said shoe sole comprising: 
 a sole inner surface and a sole outer surface;    a sole lateral side defined by the sole inner and outer surfaces;    a sole medial side defined by the sole inner and outer surfaces;    a sole middle portion located between the sole lateral and medial sides and defined by the sole inner and outer surfaces;    a midsole having an inner midsole surface and an outer midsole surface, the midsole including a first midsole portion located in one of said sole sides, and a second midsole portion located in the middle sole portion;    an outer sole;    the outer midsole surface of the first midsole portion extends up the sole side to a vertical height above a vertical height of a lowest point of the inner midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition;    the first midsole portion having a greatest thickness measured between the inner and outer midsole surfaces of the first midsole portion, that is greater than a thickness measured between the inner and outer midsole surfaces of the second midsole portion, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition; and    the sole outer surface comprises a lowermost portion that is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.    
     
     
         13 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the inner midsole surface further comprises a portion that is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         14 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the concavely rounded portion of the outer midsole surface extends to a sidemost extent of the outer midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         15 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the outer midsole surface of the first midsole portion is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe at one or more locations which substantially correspond to the positions of the following structural support and propulsion elements of an intended wearer's foot when inside the shoe: a base of the calcaneus, a lateral tuberosity of the calcaneus, a head of the first distal phalange, a head of the first metatarsal, a base of the fifth metatarsal, a head of the fifth metatarsal, and a main longitudinal arch, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section at said one or more locations when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         16 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the outer sole extends to a sidemost section of the shoe sole; and at least a portion of the outer surface of the outer sole located in the sidemost section of the shoe sole is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         17 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the thickness is defined as the shortest distance between a point on the inner surface of the midsole and the closest point on the outer midsole surface, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         18 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the thickness is defined as a radial thickness; and 
 the radial thickness is the length of a line extending perpendicular to a line tangent to the inner surface of the midsole from the inner surface of the midsole to the outer midsole surface at the measured location, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.    
     
     
         19 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the outer midsole surface of the at least one portion of the midsole located in the sole middle portion is concavely rounded relative to an intended wearer's foot location inside the shoe, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.  
     
     
         20 . A shoe sole as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one portion of the midsole located in a side of the shoe sole includes a midsole section of greatest thickness, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition, and at least one tapered portion at a location adjacent to, and anterior or posterior to the midsole section of greatest thickness, the tapered portion having a thickness that decreases from the section of greatest thickness to a lesser thickness, as viewed in a horizontal plane when the shoe sole is in an upright, unloaded condition.