Sole for pronation control

Abstract

A footwear sole is described for correcting or controlling pronation of a wearer's foot during walking or running. The sole includes a longitudinal pronation guiding element of harder material than the surrounding midsole body. The longitudinal pronation guiding element serves to provide a predetermined line of increased hardness which can be sensed by the wearer's foot while walking or running, and which gives the wearer a sensory indication of the correctness, or otherwise, of pronation during each step. A medial pronation control element is provided for correcting overpronation during the initial ground-contact phase of each step, and a lateral pronation control element is provided for correcting underpronation during the mid-forefoot phase of each step.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A sole for an article of footwear, the sole comprising:
 a midsole body element for providing resilient support for the wearer's foot, the midsole body element comprising at least an elastically compressible first material having a first durometer and extending over a majority of the area of the sole,   a longitudinal pronation guiding element, comprising a second material having a second durometer, greater than the first durometer, for providing the wearer's foot with a longitudinal guide during walking or running, the longitudinal pronation guiding element being substantially narrower than the width of the sole and extending along a predetermined, substantially S-shaped longitudinal line of optimum gait pressure from a heel region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element to a toe region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element,   wherein the longitudinal pronation guiding element is located in a foot-facing surface region of the midsole body element.   
     
     
         17 . A sole according to  claim 16 , comprising:
 a medial pronation control element for resisting overpronation of the wearer's foot during an initial contact phase of the foot with the ground when walking or running, wherein the medial pronation control element is located on the medial side of the midsole body element and substantially in the rear half of the midsole body element, and wherein the medial pronation control element comprises a resilient third material having a third durometer, greater than the first durometer.   
     
     
         18 . A sole according to  claim 16 , comprising a lateral pronation control element for resisting supination of the wearer's foot during a mid-gait contact phase of the foot with the ground when walking or running, wherein the lateral pronation control element is located in a region of the lateral side of the midsole body element and at least in a portion of the said lateral side which is at a mid-point along the length of the sole, and wherein the lateral pronation control element comprises a resilient fourth material having a fourth durometer, greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         19 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the second durometer is at least 10 Shore greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         20 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the second durometer is at least 20 Shore greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         21 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the first durometer is in the range 30 to 50 Shore. 
     
     
         22 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal pronation guiding element comprises, along its length in heel-to-toe order, a heel region, a mid-foot region, a ball region and a toe region, and wherein the sole comprises a gait enhancement element for providing a greater total durometer of the sole at the mid-foot region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element than at the heel or toe regions. 
     
     
         23 . A sole according to  claim 22 , wherein the gait enhancement element comprises a thickening of the longitudinal pronation guiding element in the mid-foot region. 
     
     
         24 . A sole according to  claim 23 , wherein the thickness of the longitudinal pronation guiding element is greater, and the thickness of the midsole body element smaller, in the mid-foot region than in the adjacent heel and ball regions, such that the combined durometer of the longitudinal pronation guiding element and the midsole body element in the mid-foot region is substantially greater than the combined durometer of the longitudinal pronation guiding element and the midsole body element in the adjacent heel and ball regions. 
     
     
         25 . A sole according to  claim 23 , wherein the thickness of the mid-foot region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element is substantially equal to the thickness of the midsole body element in the mid-foot region. 
     
     
         26 . A sole according to  claim 23 , comprising an outsole for providing a ground-contacting outer surface for the sole, the outsole comprising at least one fifth material having a fifth durometer greater than the first durometer, and extending over a majority of the area of the sole,
 wherein the thickness of the mid-foot region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element is substantially equal to the combined thickness of the midsole body element and the outsole in the mid-foot region, and wherein the outsole comprises an opening such that the second material of the mid-foot region of the longitudinal pronation guiding element extends into the opening in the outsole.   
     
     
         27 . A sole according to one of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the medial pronation control element, the lateral pronation control element, the longitudinal pronation guiding element and the gait enhancement element is formed as a contiguous region of the midsole body element. 
     
     
         28 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the longitudinal pronation guiding element has substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces in one or more of the heel, the mid-foot, the ball and the toe regions. 
     
     
         29 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the longitudinal pronation guiding element are angled relative to each other across the longitudinal pronation guiding element such that the longitudinal pronation guiding element has a substantially wedge-shaped transverse cross-section. 
     
     
         30 . A sole according to  claim 16 , wherein one or both of the top and bottom surfaces of the longitudinal pronation guiding element has a curved shape in transverse cross-section.