Shoe sole and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

A shoe including a shoe sole and a method of manufacturing a shoe sole are disclosed. The sole includes a sole body possessing a rear section, a midsection, and a front section. The sole further includes a rear cavity at the rear section, an arched portion at the midsection, and a front cavity at the front section. A first cushion is located at or inside the rear cavity and possesses a first hardness. A rigid member is located at the arched portion of the midsection. A second cushion is located at or inside the front cavity and possesses a second hardness greater than the first hardness. The sole optionally includes flex grooves along a bottom portion of the front section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe comprising a shoe sole comprising:
 a sole body possessing a rear section, a midsection, and a front section;   a rear cavity at the rear section;   an arched portion at the midsection.   a front cavity at the front section;   a first cushion located at or inside the rear cavity and possessing a first hardness;   a rigid member located at the arched portion of the midsection; and   a second cushion located at or inside the front cavity and possessing a second hardness, the second hardness being greater than the first hardness.   
     
     
         2 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the rear cavity and the front cavity are open to a top surface of the sole body. 
     
     
         3 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid member comprises an elongated portion possessing a longer extent along a rear section-to-front section direction of the sole body. 
     
     
         4 . The sole of  claim 3 , wherein the elongated portion is located against a bottom surface of the sole body at the midsection. 
     
     
         5 . The sole of  claim 3 , wherein the sole includes a middle cavity located at the midsection and closed to a bottom surface of the sole body, and the rigid member is located at or inside the middle cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the rear section includes a suspended middle portion between two lateral portions, the lateral portions extending further than the suspended middle portion in a top-to-bottom direction of the sole body. 
     
     
         7 . The sole of  claim 6 , further comprising an air pocket located above or inside the suspended middle portion of the rear section. 
     
     
         8 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid member includes nylon. 
     
     
         9 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the first cushion includes compression molded ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         10 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the first cushion includes 55-60 degree ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         11 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the second cushion includes elastic ethylene vinyl acetate foam. 
     
     
         12 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the second cushion includes 45 degree ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         13 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the front section further includes flex grooves along a bottom portion of the sole body. 
     
     
         14 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the sole body includes ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         15 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the sole body includes polyurethane. 
     
     
         16 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the sole body includes ethylene propylene. 
     
     
         17 . The sole of  claim 1 , wherein the sole body includes rubber. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe comprising:
 an upper configured to receive a foot of a user; and   the sole of  claim 1  coupled to the upper such that, when the foot of the user is received in the upper, a heel portion of the foot is supported by the rear section of the sole body and a forefoot portion of the foot is supported by the front section of the sole body.   
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a shoe and shoe sole comprising:
 forming a sole body possessing a rear section, a midsection, and a front section, the sole body including a rear cavity at the rear section, an arched portion at the midsection shaped, and a front cavity at the front section;   placing a first cushion at or inside the rear cavity, the first cushion possessing a first hardness;   placing a rigid member at the arched portion of the midsection; and   placing a second cushion at or inside the front cavity, the second cushion possessing a second hardness greater than the first hardness.