Regionally time-dependent midsole

Abstract

A midsole for a golf shoe has a forefoot area, a rearfoot area, and a midfoot area between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, and includes a lateral region constructed of a first material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the first material being configured to compress to a first maximum compression; and a medial region constructed of a second material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the second material being configured to compress to a second maximum compression different than the first maximum compression, wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region extends only part way along a mediolateral width of the midsole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf shoe comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprising:
 an outsole; and 
 a midsole having a forefoot area, a rearfoot area, and a midfoot area between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, and comprising:
 a lateral region constructed of a first material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the first material being configured to compress to a first maximum compression; and 
 a medial region constructed of a second material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the second material being configured to compress to a second maximum compression different than the first maximum compression, 
 
   wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region extends only part way along a mediolateral width of the midsole.   
     
     
         2 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the second maximum compression is higher than the first maximum compression. 
     
     
         3 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , where the lateral region extends from a lateral side of the midsole only part way along the mediolateral width of the midsole towards a medial side of the midsole, and
 wherein the medial region extends from the medial side of the midsole only part way along the mediolateral width of the midsole towards the lateral side of the midsole.   
     
     
         4 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral and medial regions are joined at a boundary between the lateral and medial regions. 
     
     
         5 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lateral and medial regions are also positioned in the midsole region. 
     
     
         6 . The golf shoe of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region extends longitudinally from a rear end of the midsole to a fore end of the midsole. 
     
     
         7 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the first material is configured to compress to the first maximum compression within a first time period, and the second material is configured to compress to the second maximum compression within a second time period longer than the first time period. 
     
     
         8 . The golf shoe of  claim 7 , wherein the second material is configured to compress to the first maximum compression within the first time period. 
     
     
         9 . The golf shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises anelastic material and the second material comprises a viscoelastic material. 
     
     
         10 . A midsole for a golf shoe, the midsole having a forefoot area, a rearfoot area, and a midfoot area between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, and comprising:
 a lateral region constructed of a first material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the first material being configured to compress to a first maximum compression; and   a medial region constructed of a second material positioned at least in the rearfoot area, the second material being configured to compress to a second maximum compression different than the first maximum compression,   wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region extends only part way along a mediolateral width of the midsole.   
     
     
         11 . The midsole of  claim 10 , wherein the first material is a first foamed material, and the second material is a second foamed material different than the first foamed material. 
     
     
         12 . The midsole of  claim 10 , wherein the second maximum compression is higher than the first maximum compression. 
     
     
         13 . The midsole of  claim 10 , wherein the second maximum compression is in a range of greater than 55% compression of an unloaded thickness of the medial region. 
     
     
         14 . The midsole of  claim 13 , wherein the first maximum compression is in a range of 15%-30% compression of an unloaded thickness of the lateral region. 
     
     
         15 . The midsole of  claim 10 , wherein each of the lateral region and the medial region extends only part way along the mediolateral width of the midsole. 
     
     
         16 . The golf shoe of  claim 10 , wherein the lateral and medial regions are joined to each other at a boundary between the lateral and medial regions. 
     
     
         17 . The golf shoe of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region is also positioned in the midfoot area and in the forefoot area. 
     
     
         18 . The golf shoe of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second materials are configured such that, when the midsole is under a load, the first material compresses to the first maximum compression within a first time period, and the second material compresses to the second maximum compression within a second time period greater than the first time period. 
     
     
         19 . A golf shoe comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole assembly connected to the upper, the sole assembly comprising:
 an outsole; and 
 a midsole having a forefoot area, a rearfoot area, and a midfoot area between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, and comprising:
 a lateral region constructed of a first material positioned in the rearfoot area, the midfoot area, and the forefoot area; and 
 a medial region constructed of a second material different than the first material and positioned in the rearfoot area, the midfoot area, and the forefoot area, 
 
   wherein at least one of the lateral region or the medial region extends only part way along a mediolateral width of the midsole, and   wherein the first and second materials differ in at least one of maximum compression or in rate of compression.   
     
     
         20 . The golf shoe of  claim 19 , wherein the lateral region extends from a lateral side of the midsole only part way along the mediolateral width of the midsole towards a medial side of the midsole, and
 wherein the medial region extends from the medial side of the midsole only part way along the mediolateral width of the midsole to a boundary between the lateral region and the medial region.