Air-cooled footwear

Abstract

Ventilated (air-cooled) shoes and other footwear having a plurality of crosswise passages opening to the outside of the sole portion on the sides of the footwear, and in which each of the crosswise passages has at least one upright channel opening on the top of the sole portion.

1 . Footwear comprising:
 a) an upper; and   b) a sole portion connected to the upper, the sole portion having a top and a bottom, a front, a back, and a right side and a left side, the sole portion having a plurality of through passages opening to the top of the sole portion and to a side of the sole portion selected from the right and left sides, the front, the back, and the bottom of the sole portion.   
   
   
       2 . The footwear according to  claim 1 , where the through passages comprise a plurality of crosswise passages including a front crosswise passage, a rear crosswise passage and at least one middle crosswise passage, each of the crosswise passages opening to the outside of the sole portion on the right side and on the left side and extending between the right side and left side, and each of the crosswise passages having at least one upright channel opening on the top of the sole portion. 
   
   
       3 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the sole portion further has at least one lengthwise passage extending from the front crosswise passage to the front of the sole portion and opening into the front crosswise passage and on the front of the sole portion. 
   
   
       4 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein the sole portion further has at least one lengthwise passage extending from the rear crosswise passage to the back of the sole portion and opening into the rear crosswise passage and on the back of the sole portion. 
   
   
       5 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein there are at least four middle crosswise passages. 
   
   
       6 . The footwear of  claim 2 , wherein each crosswise passage has at least three upright channels. 
   
   
       7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the through passages comprise upright through channels that extend between the top of the sole portion and the bottom of the sole portion. 
   
   
       8 . Footwear comprising:
 a) an upper; and   b) a sole portion connected to the upper, the sole portion having a top and a bottom, a front, a back, and a right side and a left side, the sole portion having a plurality of crosswise passages including a front crosswise passage, a rear crosswise passage and at least one middle crosswise passage, each of the crosswise passages opening to the outside of the sole portion on the right side and on the left side and extending between the right side and left side, and each of the crosswise passages having at least one upright channel opening on the top of the sole portion.   
   
   
       9 . Footwear according to  claim 8 , wherein the sole portion further has at least one lengthwise passage extending from the front crosswise passage to the front of the sole and opening into the front crosswise passage and on the front of the sole portion. 
   
   
       10 . The footwear of  claim 8 , wherein the sole portion further has at least one lengthwise passage extending from the rear crosswise passage to the back of the sole portion and opening into the rear crosswise passage and on the back of the sole portion. 
   
   
       11 . The footwear of  claim 8 , wherein there are at least four middle crosswise passages. 
   
   
       12 . The footwear of  claim 8 , wherein each crosswise passage has at least three upright channels. 
   
   
       13 . Footwear comprising:
 a) an upper; and   b) a sole portion connected to the upper, the sole portion having a top and a bottom, a front, a back, and a right side and a left side, the sole portion having upright through channels that extend between the top of the sole portion and the bottom of the sole portion.