Sole for a shoe and related methods

Abstract

A striking surface of a sole for a shoe comprises a central transition zone having a centerline extending substantially from the front of the sole to the rear of the sole, the central transition zone dividing the striking surface of the sole into a medial portion and a lateral portion. The medial portion of the striking surface is disposed at a first angle of inclination with respect to a support surface. The lateral portion of the striking surface is disposed at a second angle of inclination with respect to the support surface. The first angle of inclination may decrease along a length of the sole, from a front of the central transition zone to a rear of the central transition zone. The second angle of inclination may increase along a length of the sole, from a front of the central transition zone to a rear of the central transition zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sole for a shoe having a front, a rear, a striking surface, a medial edge, and a lateral edge, the striking surface of the sole comprising:
 a central transition zone having a centerline extending substantially from the front of the sole to the rear of the sole, a medial edge and a lateral edge, the central transition zone dividing the striking surface of the sole into a medial portion and a lateral portion;   the medial portion of the striking surface extending from a front of the central transition zone to a rear of the central transition zone, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the medial portion from the medial edge of the central transition zone toward the medial edge of the sole; and   the lateral portion of the striking surface extending from the front of the central transition zone to the rear of the central transition zone, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the lateral portion from the lateral edge of the central transition zone toward the lateral edge of the sole.   
     
     
         2 . The sole of  claim 1 , further comprising a frontal portion of the sole, wherein a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the lateral portion in the frontal portion of the sole is less than a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the medial portion in the frontal portion of the sole. 
     
     
         3 . The sole of  claim 2 , further comprising a rear portion of the sole, wherein a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the lateral portion in the rear portion of the sole is greater than a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the medial portion in the rear portion of the sole. 
     
     
         4 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein a rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of at least one of the lateral portion and the medial portion progressively varies along a length of the sole, between a front of the central transition zone and a rear of the central transition zone. 
     
     
         5 . The sole of  claim 4 , wherein the rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the lateral portion progressively increases along the length of the sole, from the front of the central transition zone to the rear of the transition zone. 
     
     
         6 . The sole of  claim 5 , wherein the rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the medial portion progressively decreases along the length of the sole, from the front of the central transition zone to the rear of the transition zone. 
     
     
         7 . The sole of  claim 4 , wherein a thickness measured at a front of the centerline of the central transition zone of the sole is greater than a thickness measured at a rear of the centerline of the central transition zone of the sole. 
     
     
         8 . The sole of  claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the sole progressively decreases from the front edge portion of the sole to the rear edge portion of the sole. 
     
     
         9 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the central transition zone has a profile chosen from at least one of flat, rounded, pointed or an indented gap. 
     
     
         10 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the central transition zone has a width that ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 20 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the central transition zone extends along approximately 20% to 80% of a length of the sole. 
     
     
         12 . A sole for a shoe having a front, a rear, a striking surface, a medial edge, and a lateral edge, the striking surface of the sole comprising:
 a central transition zone having a centerline extending substantially from the front of the sole to the rear of the sole, a medial edge, and a lateral edge, the central transition zone dividing the striking surface of the sole into a medial portion and a lateral portion;   a front medial section of the striking surface having a width extending from the medial edge of the central transition zone to the medial edge of the sole, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the front medial section from the medial edge of the central transition zone toward the medial edge of the sole such that the front medial section is disposed at a first angle of inclination with respect to a support surface;   a front lateral section of the striking surface having a width extending from the lateral edge of the central transition zone to the lateral edge of the sole, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the front lateral section from the lateral edge of the central transition zone toward the lateral edge of the sole such that the front lateral section is disposed at a second angle of inclination with respect to the support surface;   a rear medial section of the striking surface having a width extending from the medial edge of the central transition zone to the medial edge of the sole, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the rear medial section from the medial edge of the central transition zone toward the medial edge of the sole such that the rear medial section is disposed at a third angle of inclination with respect to the support surface; and   a rear lateral section of the striking surface having a width extending from the lateral edge of the central transition zone to the lateral edge of the sole, a thickness of the sole decreasing along a width of the rear lateral section from the lateral edge of the central transition zone toward the lateral edge of the sole such that the rear lateral section is disposed at a fourth angle of inclination with respect to the support surface;   wherein the first angle of inclination is greater than the second angle of inclination.   
     
     
         13 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the fourth angle of inclination is greater than the third angle of inclination. 
     
     
         14 . The sole of  claim 13 , wherein a thickness measured at a front of the centerline of the central transition zone of the sole is greater than a thickness measured along a rear of the centerline of the central transition zone of the sole. 
     
     
         15 . The sole of  claim 14 , wherein the thickness of the sole along the centerline of the transition zone progressively decreases from the front of the sole to the rear of the sole. 
     
     
         16 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the front lateral section is less than a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the front medial section. 
     
     
         17 . The sole of  claim 16 , wherein a decrease in thickness of the sole along the width of the rear lateral section is greater than a decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the rear medial section. 
     
     
         18 . The sole of  claim 12 , further comprising a convergence zone defining a transition area between the front lateral and medial sections of the striking surface and the rear lateral and medial sections of the striking surface. 
     
     
         19 . The sole of  claim 18 , wherein a rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the front lateral section progressively increases along the length of the sole, from the front of the central transition zone to the convergence zone. 
     
     
         20 . The sole of  claim 19 , wherein a rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the rear lateral portion progressively increases along the length of the sole, from the convergence zone to the rear of the central transition zone. 
     
     
         21 . The sole of  claim 20 , wherein a rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the front medial section progressively decreases along the length of the sole, from the front of the central transition zone to the convergence zone. 
     
     
         22 . The sole of  claim 21 , wherein a rate of decrease in the thickness of the sole along the width of the rear medial section progressively decreases along the length of the sole, from the convergence zone to the rear of the central transition zone. 
     
     
         23 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the central transition zone has a profile chosen from at least one of flat, rounded, pointed or an indented gap. 
     
     
         24 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the central transition zone has a width that ranges from about 0.5 mm to about 20 mm. 
     
     
         25 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the central transition zone curves as it extends from the front of the sole to the rear of the sole. 
     
     
         26 . The sole of  claim 25 , wherein the centerline runs approximately parallel to the medial edge of the sole. 
     
     
         27 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the first angle of inclination ranges from about 0 degrees to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         28 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the second angle of inclination ranges from about 0 degrees to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         29 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the third angle of inclination ranges from about 0 degrees to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         30 . The sole of  claim 12 , wherein the fourth angle of inclination ranges from about 0 degrees to about 15 degrees. 
     
     
         31 . A method for utilizing a shoe sole to coordinate simultaneous movement of a foot along a sagittal axis, a frontal axis, and a transverse axis, the method comprising:
 maintaining the foot in a natural supinated position when a striking surface of the sole strikes a surface being traversed; and   transitioning the foot over a central transition zone of the sole to roll inwardly into a push-off pronated position.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein transitioning the foot includes moving the striking surface of the sole from a rear lateral section of the striking surface that forms a lateral angle of inclination with a support surface to a front medial section of the striking surface that forms a medial angle of inclination with the support surface.