Sole assembly for article of footwear

Abstract

A sole assembly including an outsole and a midsole that balances proprioception, flexibility, protection and running efficiency. The midsole can define a flexibility void in the arch region of the assembly. The outsole can include ground contacting wearing tread extending through the arch region adjacent the flexibility void, with the outsole minimized adjacent the flexibility void to enhance flexibility, along with the flexibility void, in the arch region. The sole assembly can include a 4 mm to 8 mm or other heel to toe drop to accommodate a variety of running and other activities. The sole assembly can be outfitted with shock pods of denser, more rigid material than the midsole to dissipate forces from the wearer to the midsole over a larger area. The midsole can include a non-supportive upwardly extending portion in the arch to provide a wearer with the false perception that the arch is supported to reduce fatigue.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper;   a sole assembly joined with the upper, the sole assembly including a heel region, an arch region and a forefoot region, the sole assembly defining a sole width, the sole assembly comprising:
 a midsole defining a flexibility void in the arch region, the flexibility void extending inwardly from a medial side of the sole assembly toward a longitudinal axis, the flexibility void being visible to a viewer of the footwear from the medial side of the sole assembly, the flexibility void including a side perimeter defined along the medial side of the sole assembly, and a lower perimeter defined along a lower surface of the midsole, and 
 an outsole disposed under the midsole, the outsole including an arch stabilizer including a ground contacting portion in the arch region, the ground contacting portion providing ground contact of the outsole with the ground in the arch region, the ground contacting portion disposed adjacent the lower perimeter of the flexibility void, 
   wherein the flexibility void and arch stabilizer both extend across respective parts of the sole width from the medial side to a lateral side of the sole assembly,   whereby the flexibility void provides flexibility to the arch region of the sole assembly so that the forefoot portion and heel portion can move dynamically relative to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the midsole includes an upper surface,   wherein the upper surface of the midsole in the heel region is elevated about 4.0 mm to about 8.0 mm above the upper surface of the midsole in the forefoot region.   
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2  wherein the upper surface of the midsole in the arch region elevated above the upper surface of the midsole in the forefoot region and above the upper surface of the midsole in the heel region. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the upper surface of the midsole includes an upwardly extending portion in the arch region,   wherein the upwardly extending portion is shaped to fill an underfoot void under the arch of the wearer's foot,   whereby the midsole in the arch does not offer physical support to the arch of the wearer's foot, but instead only contacts the arch of the wearer's foot so that at least one of the associated arch muscles and nerves of the wearer's foot falsely perceive actual support.   
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the upper surface of the midsole defines an upwardly opening first recess in the forefoot region, located generally under a ball of a wearer's foot, and a separate upwardly opening second recess in the heel, located generally under a heel of a wearer's foot,   wherein first and second shock pods are disposed in the respective first and second recesses.   
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 5 ,
 wherein the midsole is constructed from a first material having at least one of a first density and a first durometer,   wherein the first and second shock pods are constructed from a second material having at least one of a second density and a second durometers that is greater than the respective at least one of a first density and first durometer,   whereby an impact transferred from the forefoot to the first shock pad is dissipated through the first shock pod throughout the midsole in the forefoot region.   
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the flexibility void includes a void height, a void width and a void length,   wherein the void height is less than the void length,   wherein the void width is less than half the sole width.   
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the flexibility void includes a void height, a void width and a void length,   wherein the void height is less than the void length,   wherein the void width is greater than half the sole width.   
     
     
         9 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper sized and shaped to receive a foot of a wearer, the upper including a Strobel construction;   a sole assembly joined with the upper, the sole assembly including a heel region, an arch region and a forefoot region, the sole assembly including a longitudinal axis extending from the heel region to the forefoot region, the sole assembly having a sole width extending across the sole assembly from a lateral side to a medial side, the sole assembly comprising:
 a midsole constructed from a first material having a first density and a first durometer, the midsole having a lower surface and an opposing upper surface, the midsole defining a flexibility void in the arch region, the flexibility void extending inwardly from the medial side of the sole assembly toward the longitudinal axis, the flexibility void having a void height, a void length and a void width, the void length being greater than the void height, the flexibility void including a generally arcuate perimeter along a lowermost extremity of the flexibility void, and 
 an outsole disposed under the midsole lower surface, the outsole including an arch stabilizer including a ground contacting portion, the ground contacting portion extending between the heel region and the forefoot region, the ground contacting portion providing ground contact of the outsole with the ground through the arch region, the ground contacting portion located adjacent the arcuate perimeter of the flexibility void, 
 wherein the flexibility void extends across a first part of the sole width on the medial side of the longitudinal axis, and the arch stabilizer extends across a remainder of the sole width on the lateral side of the longitudinal axis through the arch region of the sole assembly, 
 wherein the flexibility void is visible to a viewer of the footwear from the medial side of the sole assembly, 
 wherein the upper surface of the midsole in the heel region is elevated about 4.0 mm to about 8.0 mm above the upper surface of the midsole in the forefoot region. 
   
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the upper surface of the midsole defines a first recess in at least one of the heel region and the forefoot region,   wherein the first recess is occupied by a first shock pod,   wherein the first shock pod is constructed from a second material having at least one of a second density and a second durometer,   wherein the at least one of a second density and a second durometer is greater than the respective first density and first durometer,   whereby the first shock pod dissipates an impact of at least one of the wearer's forefoot and heel through the first shock pod and to the midsole to reduce shock to the wearer.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the first shock pod is positioned in the first recess and the first recess is disposed in the forefoot region,   wherein a second recess is defined in the upper surface of the midsole in the heel region,   wherein a separate and different second shock pod is disposed in the second recess.   
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 11  wherein the outsole includes a wearing tread that contacts the ground when a wearer wears the footwear on the ground, wherein the wearing tread forms at least part of the ground contacting portion of the arch stabilizer. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 12  wherein the ground contacting portion of the arch stabilizer transitions to a plurality of projections that extend upwardly along an exposed underside of the midsole, generally into the flexibility void. 
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 13  wherein each of the plurality of projections are spaced from one another a preselected distance. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear  claim 9  comprising wearing tread that contacts the ground when a wearer wears the footwear on the ground, wherein the wearing thread terminates adjacent the flexibility void without extending into the flexibility void. 
     
     
         16 . The article of footwear of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the upper surface of the midsole includes an upwardly extending portion in the arch region, the upwardly extending portion shaped to fill an underfoot void under the arch of the wearer's foot,   whereby the midsole in the arch does not offer substantial physical support to the arch of the wearer's foot, but instead only contacts the arch of the wearer's foot so that at least one of the associated arch muscles and nerves of the wearer's foot falsely perceive actual support.   
     
     
         17 . The article of footwear of  claim 16  wherein the outsole is absent from the flexibility void to enhance the flexibility of the sole assembly through the arch region. 
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein the flexibility void width is less than half of the sole width. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein the flexibility void width is greater than half of the sole width. 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein the generally arcuate perimeter of the flexibility void includes a plurality of jagged projections extending upwardly from the outsole. 
     
     
         21 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein the upper surface of the midsole in the arch region is elevated above the upper surface of the midsole in the forefoot region and above the upper surface of the midsole in the heel region. 
     
     
         22 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper having a Strobel construction with a closed bottom;   a sole assembly joined with the upper and adjacent the closed bottom of the upper, the sole assembly including a heel region, an arch region and a forefoot region, the sole assembly comprising:
 a midsole defining an arch shaped flexibility void in the arch region, the flexibility void including a lower perimeter, and 
 an outsole including a wearing tread that contacts the ground when a wearer wears the footwear on the ground, the wearing tread extending through the arch region adjacent the flexibility void lower perimeter, 
 whereby the flexibility void provides flexibility to the arch region of the sole assembly so that the forefoot portion and heel portion can move dynamically relative to one another.