In-line roller skate

Abstract

In-line roller skate including a soft, pliable, and comfortable shoe body having structural foot support components positioned in selected strategic areas such as the ball, heel, and ankle. In one embodiment, the structural components are made of semirigid plastic that may be heat-moldable to conform to the user's foot. The shoe sole may also include heat-moldable materials so it can be anatomically formed to the foot. The shoe is mounted on a frame that supports a plurality of in-line wheels. At least a portion of the flexible shoe portion that is adjacent the sole is exposed, and free from blockage by the support structure, thereby promoting the circulation of air through the breathable shoe portion.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . An in-line roller skate for receiving a skater's foot, the skate comprising: 
 a frame having a plurality of longitudinally aligned wheels rotatably secured thereto;    a substantially rigid base securely attached to the frame, the base including a sole portion and support members that extend upwardly from the sole portion; and    a flexible and breathable shoe portion adapted to receive a skater's foot, wherein the shoe portion is attached at a lower edge to the sole portion of the base, and wherein at least some of the lower edge of the shoe portion is not blocked by the support members such that air circulation through the lower edge of the shoe portion is promoted;    wherein the support members include a semirigid heel counter secured to the sole portion of the base and an ankle support cuff pivotally coupled to the heel counter.    
     
     
         2 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible and breathable shoe portion is permanently affixed to the base.  
     
     
         3 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the support members further include a toe cup secured to the sole portion of the base.  
     
     
         4 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the support members further include a pair of oppositely-disposed support lips disposed proximate the balls of the received skater's foot.  
     
     
         5 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the sole portion of the base is contoured to generally conform to the received skater's foot.  
     
     
         6 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the frame is made from a composite material.  
     
     
         7 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the base is made of a heat-moldable plastic such that the sole portion of the base can be anatomically fitted to the received skater's foot.  
     
     
         8 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the base is made from a material selected from an injection-molded plastic, a fiberglass with an epoxy resin, or a graphite with an epoxy resin.  
     
     
         9 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the sole portion of the base is a substantially flat plate.  
     
     
         10 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein frame and base are integrally formed in a single injection-molded unit.  
     
     
         11 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , further comprising a canting system for longitudinal tilt adjustment of the ankle support cuff.  
     
     
         12 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 11 , further comprising a canting system for lateral tilt adjustment of the ankle support cuff.  
     
     
         13 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible and breathable shoe portion further comprises a vamp portion securable with a releasable fastener, and having an internal tongue and an external lace cover.  
     
     
         14 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible and breathable shoe portion is laminated to the base.  
     
     
         15 . The in-line roller skate of  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of the flexible and breathable shoe portion comprise a mesh fabric material.  
     
     
         16 . A roller skate for receiving a skater's foot, the skate comprising: 
 a frame having a plurality of wheels rotatably secured thereto;    a substantially rigid base securely attached to the frame, the base including a sole plate and supplemental support members that extend upwardly from the sole plate; and    a flexible and breathable shoe upper, wherein the shoe upper is attached to the sole plate along a lower periphery of the shoe upper, and wherein at least some of the lower periphery of the shoe upper is disposed away from the supplemental support members such that air circulation through the breathable shoe portion is promoted;    wherein the supplemental support members include an ankle support cuff pivotally coupled to the heel counter, the ankle support cuff further comprising a support strap.