Soft heel running shoe

Abstract

An improved running shoe is disclosed that dissipates the impact forces of the heel step by utilizing a pressurized inner bladder designed for bi-directional collapse. The shoe comprises a rear portion for accommodating a heel, a forward portion for accommodating toes, a shoe sole; and a compressible bladder. The compressible bladder is preferably contained within said shoe sole and partially inflated. The inner bladder has a heel portion extending proximate to an outside end of the rear portion of the shoe but tapered inward at the impact point and a toe portion extending proximate to an outside end of the forward portion of the shoe. The inner bladder collapses at the heel upon the initial heel step, significantly reducing the heel step impact forces. The heel step section of the inner sole is then re-pressurized utilizing the natural forward motion of the toe step. Preferred embodiments of the shoe include accordion pleats around the heel and a rounded heel to further dissipate impact forces.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A shoe comprising:
 a rear portion for accommodating a heel, a forward portion for accommodating toes, and a shoe sole; and   a compressible bladder being contained at least partially within the shoe sole and being partially inflated with a compressible fluid, said inner bladder having a heel portion extending from the rear portion of the shoe, and a toe portion extending into the forward portion of the shoe;   wherein said compressible fluid is transferred from the heel portion to the toe portion upon heel impact and returned from the toe portion to the heel portion as the shoe rolls forward toward the toe.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said shoe sole comprises an insole, a midsole, and an outer sole, and said compressible bladder is positioned between the insole and the midsole. 
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein the midsole comprises a recessed portion into which said compressible inner bladder is housed. 
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 1  further comprising a series of accordion pleats across the rear portion of the shoe sole. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 4  wherein the accordion pleats comprises a series of pleats adjacent to the bladder. 
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 4  wherein the accordion pleat comprises a series of sealed tubes against a firm backing. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 4  wherein the height of each pleat decreases from one to the next going upward from the bottom pleat. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the rear portion of the shoe comprises a recessed, rounded heel portion. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 8  further comprising an impact patch on the rounded heel portion, said patch being located at a point between a centerline of the rear heel portion and a side of the heel. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 9  wherein the impact patch comprises a material having a greater hardness that the remaining portions of the outer sole of the shoe. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 8  further comprising accordion pleats integral to the rounded rear heel. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 11  wherein the rounded heel and accordion pleats are formed into a midsole portion of the shoe sole. 
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein said bladder comprises two distinct containment areas, a rear containment area adjacent to the heel and a forward containment portion adjacent to the forward portion of the shoe, said containment areas being fluid communication such that force impact on one containment area forces compressed gas from that containment area into the next containment area. 
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein said fluid comprises air. 
     
     
         15 . The shoe of  claim 1  wherein the shoe is a running shoe. 
     
     
         16 . A running shoe comprising:
 a rear portion for accommodating a heel,   a forward portion for accommodating toes,   a shoe sole comprising a insole, midsole and outer sole;   a bladder partially inflated with a compressible gas, said bladder comprising two distinct containment areas, a rear containment area adjacent to the rear portion of the shoe and a forward containment portion adjacent to the forward portion of the shoe, said containment areas being fluid communication such that force impact on one containment area forces compressed gas from that containment area into the other containment area, said bladder being located between the inner sole and the midsole of the shoe;   a series of accordion pleads formed integrally to the midsole around an outer surface of the midsole on the rear portion of the shoe; and   a rounded heel on the rear portion of the shoe along the shoe sole, said rounded heel having a radius of curvature of at least about 0.5 inches.   
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 16  further comprising an impact patch on the rounded heel portion, said patch being located at a point between a centerline of the rear heel portion and a side of the heel. 
     
     
         18 . The shoe of  claim 17  wherein the impact patch comprises a material having a greater hardness that the remaining portions of the outer sole of the shoe. 
     
     
         19 . The shoe of  claim 16 , wherein the midsole comprises a recessed portion in which said compressible bladder is housed. 
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 16  wherein the height of each pleat decreases from one to the next going upward from the bottom pleat.