Abstract: A midsole structure of a shoe includes an upper midsole, a lower midsole disposed below the upper midsole, and a wavy sheet interposed between the upper midsole and the lower midsole. The wavy sheet has a wavy shape at its medial and lateral side edge portions and a planar area at its central portion. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have wavy shapes that correspond to the wavy shape of the wavy sheet at their medial and lateral side edge portions and have a planar area that corresponds to the planar area of the wavy sheet at their central portions. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have a plurality of recesses that are disposed in the longitudinal direction at their central portions.

Abstract: A stretchable member includes: a flat base made of a stretchable knitted fabric; and a limiting part extending in a stretching direction of the base, formed integrally with the base while having both ends in a length direction knitted in, and fixed to, the base, and configured to limit stretch of the base. The limiting part is longer than the distance between fixing points at which the limiting part is fixed to the base in an unstretched state, and is made of a knitted fabric which has a flat band shape and which is configured to become slack with respect to the base when the base is in the unstretched state.

Abstract: A support is configured such that a bulge is allowed to deform toward a deformation space due to the deformation space when the deformation space is in an open state, and that the bulge is allowed to deform upward and a buffer member is compressively deformed when the deformation space is in a closed state.

Abstract: An outsole includes a substantially flat reference surface formed on a lower side of the outsole, and studs projecting downward from the reference surface and each having a projection surface positioned below the reference surface. Midsole hollows are provided in a lower portion of a midsole. The midsole hollows are each defined between an upper portion of the outsole and an associated one of midsole recesses formed in a lower surface of a lower midsole at positions facing upper sides of the studs.

Abstract: A support of a sole structure includes a base disposed in a middle region in a foot width direction and having an upper surface which follows a plantar surface of a wearer's foot, and upper and lower supports continuous with a side portion of the base on a medial side in the foot width direction. The upper support has an upper surface that is continuous with the side portion of the base such that the upper surface of the upper support, together with the upper surface of the base, follows the plantar surface. The lower support is continuous with the side portion of the base so as to be located under the upper support, and has a corrugated shape having peaks and valleys alternating with each other in a longitudinal direction along the side portion of the base.

Abstract: A midsole structure for a shoe not only maintains stability at the time of impacting the ground and improves cushioning property but also eliminates discomfort to a foot sole and improves ride feeling during running. The midsole structure (1) comprises at least two midsoles provided at a heel region of the shoe and having a hardness difference. On opposite sides of the heel region, an upper midsole (2) of a greater hardness has a thickness greater than a thickness of a lower midsole (3) of a smaller hardness. In a central part of the heel region, the lower midsole (3) of a smaller hardness has a thickness greater than a thickness of the upper midsole (2) of a greater hardness. Boundary surfaces (2B, 3A) between the upper midsole (2) and the lower midsole (3) do not appear on a top surface of the midsole structure (1) (that is, a foot sole contact surface (2A) of the upper midsole (2)).

Abstract: A shoe (34) of the present invention includes a sole (32) and an upper (33). The upper (33) is composed of a fabric having a knit structure, and contains fiber reinforcement portions (23, 24, and 25) in predetermined portions of the upper (33) integrally. The fiber reinforcement portions (23, 24, and 25) are formed of a float stitch with a plurality of float stitch yarns (19). The shoe of the present invention imparts a proper fit to a wearer's foot by forming the upper composed of the fabric having the knit structure that stretches properly. Also, in the case where the direction of foot force is suddenly changed while the sole contacts the ground, the shoe can hold the foot in desired predetermined positions by the fiber reinforcement portions situated in predetermined positions of the upper integrally. Thus, the present invention provides a shoe having proper holding properties while maintaining fitting properties.

Abstract: A sole structure includes a plate placed between an outsole and a midsole and disposed at the position corresponding to at least the forefoot and the midfoot of a wearer's foot, and a cushioning body disposed so as to face the sole of the wearer's foot at the position corresponding to the midfoot and the hindfoot of the wearer's foot and capable of absorbing a vertical impact on the upper surface of the cushioning body. The cushioning body and the plate body overlap each other in the vertical direction at the position corresponding to the midfoot of the wearer's foot.

Abstract: A sole structure includes an upper midsole made of an elastic material and a lower midsole made of an elastic material and bonded from below to the upper midsole. The upper midsole has first protrusions protruding toward the lower midsole, and the tip ends of the first protrusions are in contact with the lower midsole such that the tip ends of the first protrusions can move with respect to the lower midsole.

Abstract: A sole structure includes a plate placed between an outsole and a midsole. The plate includes a plate body and first openings. The plate body is made of a material less stretchable than the material of the outsole and is in the form of a thin plate. Each of the first openings extends through a part of the plate body in the vertical direction. The first openings are disposed at a position corresponding to the forefoot and the midfoot on the medial side of a wearer's foot and is covered by the outsole from below.

Abstract: An outsole includes: a first stud projecting downwards in a stationary manner in a vertical direction from a reference surface and having a first projection surface; and a second stud having a second projection surface. The second stud moves in the vertical direction so that, when an external force acts on the second projection surface, the outsole hollow is compressively transformed and the second projection surface comes close to the reference surface.

Abstract: A sole structure includes an outsole having a ground surface as a lower surface; a midsole stacked on a top of the outsole and made of an elastic material; and a supporter provided around a middle of the midsole in a thickness direction, and extending longitudinally to include a heel region corresponding to a heel of a foot. The supporter includes a base provided in a central region of the heel region in a foot width direction, and a corrugated side provided continuously with each side of the base in the foot width direction, and including a ridge with its apex located above the base, and a groove provided continuously with a rear of the ridge with its bottom located below the base at the rear of the heel region.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sole structure for shoes, which includes a lower midsole. The lower midsole includes a medial-side midsole portion which extends in a medial side portion of a heel region supporting a heel of a wearer's foot, and a lateral-side midsole portion which extends in a lateral side portion of the heel region, and which faces, and is spaced apart from, the medial-side midsole portion in a foot width direction. The lateral-side midsole portion includes supports which are arranged adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction with a gap interposed therebetween and which support the wearer's heel, and a coupling portion which is provided in the gap, and couples the adjacent supports to each other to reduce displacement or twist in the foot width direction occurring between the adjacent supports.

Abstract: An upper structure includes: an upper body including a stress relaxing portion which is elastically deformable; and a shoelace (a fastening member) attached to the upper body. The stress relaxing portion has: such stretchability that in an elastic range, the stress relaxing portion stretches to become longer when the upper body is pulled with the shoelace than an initial length of the stress relaxing portion; and stress relaxation properties with which the stress relaxing portion relaxes stress with the passage of time from a moment when the upper body is pulled, while remaining in the stretched state.

Abstract: A support is configured such that a bulge is allowed to deform toward a deformation space due to the deformation space when the deformation space is in an open state, and that the bulge is allowed to deform upward and a buffer member is compressively deformed when the deformation space is in a closed state.

Abstract: A midsole structure of a shoe includes an upper midsole, a lower midsole disposed below the upper midsole, and a wavy sheet interposed between the upper midsole and the lower midsole. The wavy sheet has a wavy shape at its medial and lateral side edge portions and a planar area at its central portion. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have wavy shapes that correspond to the wavy shape of the wavy sheet at their medial and lateral side edge portions and have a planar area that corresponds to the planar area of the wavy sheet at their central portions. The lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have a plurality of recesses that are disposed in the longitudinal direction at their central portions.

Abstract: An outsole includes a substantially flat reference surface formed on a lower side of the outsole, and studs projecting downward from the reference surface and each having a projection surface positioned below the reference surface. Midsole hollows are provided in a lower portion of a midsole. The midsole hollows are each defined between an upper portion of the outsole and an associated one of midsole recesses formed in a lower surface of a lower midsole at positions facing upper sides of the studs.

Abstract: A sole structure for a sports shoe that controls bendability of a forefoot region of the sole structure. The sole structure includes an upper midsole disposed on an upper side of the forefoot region of the sports shoe and formed of a soft elastic material, a lower midsole disposed under the upper midsole and formed of a soft elastic material, and an outsole that is disposed on a lower surface of the lower midsole and that has sole bent grooves extending substantially in a sole width direction. Both the lower surface of the upper midsole and the upper surface of the lower midsole have corrugated mating surfaces that are formed of wavy shapes extending substantially in a sole longitudinal direction. Ridge lines and trough lines of the wavy shapes of the upper midsole extend substantially in the sole width direction. The ridge lines of the wavy shapes of the upper midsole of a relatively higher hardness are overlapped with the sole bent grooves of the outsole in a vertical direction.

Abstract: An upper includes a reinforcement portion to reinforce the mechanical strength of first and second fabric materials. The reinforcement portion has such strain rate dependence that in a room temperature range, as a strain rate in a stretch direction of the first and second fabric materials increases, a tensile load per unit width with respect to the strain amount increases and the reinforcement portion becomes less stretchable. In the reinforcement portion, a reinforcement member made of a thermoplastic elastomer is sandwiched between, and integrated with, the first and second fabric materials. The reinforcement portion extends continuously from an upper portion of a midsole to a position corresponding to a foot instep region of a wearer's foot.

Abstract: A covering member is provided in a portion of an upper of a shoe. The covering member includes: a fabric material comprised of a stretchable mesh fabric; and an overlay material made of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer and integrally provided on a surface of the fabric material. A direction intersecting with a stretch direction of the fabric material is defined as a width direction. The covering member has such strain rate dependence that a tensile load per unit width with respect to a strain amount of the covering member is higher and the covering member is less stretchable when a strain rate of the upper in the stretch direction of the fabric material is in a high strain rate region than when the strain rate of the upper is in a low strain rate region.