Abstract: A sockliner for use in a shoe assembly designed to strategically distribute underfoot pressure and to facilitate air circulation within a shoe. The sockliner includes a base having a top face, a bottom face and a plurality of perforation holes positioned across the length of the base and extending therethrough. The sockliner further includes a plurality of ventilation grooves located along a peripheral edge of the sockliner designed to cooperate with the perforation holes to encourage air flow. The bottom face of the sockliner further includes a plurality of zones, each zone including a plurality of lugs which are strategically designed and located to support the weight of the wearer and provide cushioning to the wearer's foot.

Abstract: A shoe construction including a shoe upper, an intermediate composite structure and an outsole. The composite structure underlies at least a portion of the upper and overlies at least a portion of the outsole. The composite structure includes cushion members with one cushion member being positioned to underlie a heel of a wearer and another cushion member being positioned to underlie the ball of the foot. The cushion member underlying the ball may be perforated. The composite structure can also include a relatively rigid lower member which can be perforated in the area of the ball of the foot underlying the cushion member for the ball of the foot. The composite structure can provide a flexure discontinuity in the shoe forward of the midfoot zone of the shoe.

Abstract: A gel pad for use in a sockliner designed to strategically support the weight of the wearer and to distribute underfoot pressure. The gel pad includes a base having a top face, a bottom face and a central floor portion associated with the bottom face, an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of the bottom face surrounding the central floor portion, and a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of the central floor portion. The network of hollow pillars support the body weight of the wearer without bottoming out and the pillars are sufficiently spaced from each other to allow for expansion horizontally when the pillars are compressed vertically. Each of the pillars may be substantially octagonally shaped.

Abstract: A sockliner for integration into a shoe assembly including a top face and a bottom face, each having a generally planar surface, extending along a base plane. On the top face, a plurality of grooves extend across the base plane in a generally undulating pattern for engagement with the sole of the foot. On the bottom face, a plurality of alternating ridges and/or valleys extend from the inside of the foot to the outside of the foot in a generally sinusoidal pattern for engagement with the outsole. The bottom face having a plurality of ridges positioned parallel and above the base plane, extend downwardly and a plurality of valleys positioned parallel and below at the base plane, extend upwardly. The combination of the generally undulating geometry of the top face and the generally sinusoidal geometry of the bottom face built into the structure of the sockliner for providing support and cushioning integrated into a shoe assembly.

Abstract: A shoe assembly is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. The shoe assembly includes an integrated anatomically shaped sockliner and outsole. The sockliner includes a top face and a bottom face, each having a generally planar surface, extending along a base plane. On the top face of the sockliner, a plurality of grooves extend across the base plane in a generally undulating pattern for engagement with the sole of the foot. The bottom face of the sockliner may include a plurality of alternating ridges and/or valleys extending from the inside to the outside of the foot in a generally undulating pattern for engagement with the outsole. A strobel insole of encapsulated high resiliency foam may be positioned between the sockliner and the outsole. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control tortional stiffness.

Abstract: A dowelled top lift assembly for a shoe heel including an anchor member affixed or molded to a dowel pin member and a top lift member for contacting the walking surface affixed, molded to and encapsulating the anchor member. The anchor member is made of a harder material as compared to the top lift member, the anchor member being made of a hard thermoplastic material and the top lift member being made of a softer thermoplastic material such as a thermoset polyurethane elastomer or a softer thermoplastic polyurethane. The anchor member may include one or more ridges for cooperatively engaging grooves associated with the head portion of the dowel pin member.

Abstract: A shoe with an outsole having at least one traction zone, the traction zone including a base surface in a first plane, a plurality of ground engaging members in a second plane and a plurality of intersecting grooves defined by a pair of opposing walls and a groove surface located in a third plane. The base surface includes a plurality of spaced apart base surface elements. The plurality of intersecting grooves are positioned adjacent the plurality of base surface segments and the ground engaging members. The first, second and third planes are positioned elevationally in spaced apart arrangement from one another. The ground engaging members project out beyond the first plane while the intersecting grooves are recessed from the first plane toward a shoe upper. Each of the ground engaging members includes side walls and an angled first surface for contacting the ground.

Abstract: A shoe having a last which includes a shape and volume that reflects the thickness of an internal sock liner, and a shoe interior made specifically for inclusion of the sock liner. The sock liner itself includes an anatomically shaped foot bed surface with a cupped heel, contoured arch, radiused forepart and beveled toe area. The sock liner material specifications and thicknesses are engineered or tuned to have a high amount of deflection when compressed without getting stiff.

Abstract: An outsole designed to enable stability when standing, facilitate sole flexibility and encourage unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground, the outsole including a top face and a bottom face, the bottom face having a plurality of anatomically placed pods for engaging directly with a walking surface, and a plurality of contact points forming a stable platform for the wearer while standing, the top face including a flex groove matrix having a first plurality of grooves which extend transversely across the top face from the inside of the foot to the outside of the foot and intersect with at least some of a second plurality of grooves which extend longitudinally at least partially across the top face from heel to toe.

Abstract: A shoe is designed to enable unhindered natural foot motion between the foot and the ground. The shoe is constructed with a cupped heel, a contoured arch, a radiused forepart and neutral heel/forefoot position to create a foot bed that anatomically cradles a wearer's foot. A soft, flexible strobel stitched insole is added, which utilizes encapsulated high resiliency foam. The outsole is sculpted to have rounded natural edges and an anatomically correct flex location toward the forefoot of the shoe where softer, more flexible materials are used. The outsole is further designed with harder, protective materials strategically placed in high ground-contact areas to deliver protection and support. An optional midfoot support element may be positioned between the insole and outsole to control torsional stiffness. Upper materials are selected to minimize restriction of movement and promote breathability.

Abstract: A composite sole assembly for attachment to an outsole of suitable material, the sole assembly including a chassis, a forefoot pad and a heel pad. The chassis includes an opening for receiving the heel pad and further includes two peripheral flanges for securing attachment with the shoe upper. A cushioning forefoot pad is positioned between the chassis and the outsole and between the two peripheral flanges and is formed of a soft cushioned foam material. The top surface of the chassis and the heel pad define a raised area in the midfoot region and a recessed area in the heel region of the assembly to better conform to the anatomical shape of a wearer's foot. The combination of the raised and recessed areas along with the positioning of the heel and forefoot pads improves comfort and provides for a better distribution of foot pressure during a normal gait.

Abstract: A shoe outsole and method of manufacture wherein the outsole, or various components thereof such as various inserts and/or additional layers associated with a particular outsole, are formed using various scrap materials generated during the shoe manufacturing process such as leather, leather dust, jute, and other fibrous material, the scrap materials being used as a filler material and being mixed with various elastomeric materials to form the shoe outsole and various components thereof. The outsole can be formed as a substantially one-piece unit, or it can be formed as a base sole layer having one or more additional layers associated therewith including inserts associated with the forefoot and heel regions of the outsole.

Abstract: A shoe construction including a shoe upper, an intermediate insert assembly and at least an outsole, the insert assembly including a sockliner having a raised area positioned to underlie an arch of a wearer's foot and a recessed area positioned to underlie a heel of a wearer's foot, and a relatively rigid board member having recessed areas underlying the sockliner in the heel and arch areas.

Abstract: A midsole adapted for attachment to a shoe having multiple layers of varying materials each having a different hardness level. More particularly, the present midsole includes a top, middle and bottom layer wherein all three layers of material have a different hardness range and wherein at least one of the layers is made from thermoplastic rubber (TPR). In one embodiment, the thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer lies between the top and bottom layers and in another embodiment, the thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer is the bottom layer. The thermoplastic rubber (TPR) layer may also have a length shorter than the other two layers forming the midsole.

Abstract: A footwear sole assembly with at least one compressible protruding element extending downwardly beyond the bottom surface of the outsole, the at least one protruding element providing a natural instability to a wearer when the sole assembly initially contacts a supporting surface. The at least one protruding element is a three-dimensional structure formed of a substantially solid elastomeric material. In another embodiment, the at least one protruding element may also protrude upwardly beyond the sole assembly in such a manner that the wearer's foot can apply pressure to the top portion of said at least one protruding element.

Abstract: An outsole for a shoe has a backing member of thermoplastic rubber and on an area of the exterior surface of that backing member an intermediate layer of thermoplastic polyurethane and an outermost layer of fabric, the area comprising at least 51 percent of the contact surface of the outsole. In producing the outsole, a sheet of fabric is overlain with a sheet of thermo plastic urethane, the sheet is heated to about the melting point of the TPU to permit the TPU to adhere to the fabric, and the fabric is cooled. The TPU-covered fabric is cut to the size and shape required to fit a backing member, and position in a mold on a bottom surface of a mold, and a quantity of TPR is injected at a temperature lower than the melting point of the TPU but high enough to render the TPU tacky, to insure the inherence of the TPU-covered fabric to the backing, including the resultant outsole.

Abstract: A soft top lift member for a shoe heel wherein the top lift member is made by mixing a filler carbon material with a thermoplastic elastomer to form a filled elastomer. The filled elastomer is then formed into a top lift member for a shoe heel by using an injection molding process. The top lift member is then attached to a shoe heel. The thermoplastic elastomer can be a relatively soft thermoplastic polyurethane material and the carbon material can be a carbon powder. The filler or carbon powder is provided to enhance abrasion resistance properties.

Abstract: A dowelled top lift assembly for a shoe heel including an anchor member affixed or molded to a dowel pin member and a top lift member for contacting the walking surface affixed, molded to and encapsulating the anchor member. The anchor member is made of a harder material as compared to the top lift member, the anchor member being made of a hard thermoplastic material and the top lift member being made of a softer thermoplastic material such as a thermoset polyurethane elastomer or a softer thermoplastic polyurethane. The anchor member may include one or more ridges for cooperatively engaging grooves associated with the head portion of the dowel pin member.

Abstract: An air circulating footbed adapted for insertion into a shoe including first and second layers of material shaped and attached to each other so as to define at least two cavities therebetween, the first cavity being disposed generally in the forefoot region of a shoe and the second cavity being disposed generally in the heel region of a shoe, the first and second cavities being in fluid communication with each other whereby foot pressure exerted by a wearer's foot in the forefoot and heel regions of the footbed during a wearer's walking or running gait will circulate air flow back and forth between the at least two cavities. The cavities may also include low density polyurethane (PU) foam in the density range of 0.20 to 0.50 pounds per cubic foot.