Sole Including Lateral and Medial Plate Members
An article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.
The present application relates generally to footwear, and more particularly, to a sole including plate members for footwear that support a user's feet while efficiently transferring energy from the user's legs and feet to optimize running efficiency during walking, jogging and running while reducing fatigue.
Running involves the transfer of energy between a person's legs and feet and an underlying surface, such as the ground, contributing to propel a person forward along a trail, a sidewalk, a street or other path. The power a person is able to produce and the speed at which a person is able to move in a forward direction depends on a number of factors. For example, the ability to properly apply forces on a surface affects the energy produced and the rate of speed that the person is able to move. In particular, the propulsion generated by a person's legs and feet is important while walking, jogging or running. If a person's feet are not sufficiently supported by their shoes and their feet to do not have a stable push off point, less energy could be transferred from the person's feet to the ground to propel the person forward. Shoe constructions and the supportive systems in shoes are factors that help with proper force application and efficient energy transfer useful for walking or running. The lack of support could also cause a person's legs to tire quicker and thereby affect their ability to walk, jog or run.
There are many different types of structures for footwear to facilitate running efficiency and optimal force application. For example, some shoes include midsoles and outsoles that are made of materials having different characteristics including hardness, density and elasticity, which provide more support in some areas and less support in other areas of a person's foot leading to different shock absorption and propulsion behaviors. For example, harder materials could support to foot structures during the stance, helping a proper force application and energy transfer. In another example, a plate is inserted or embedded in the sole of a shoe to enhance the rigidity of the sole similar to harder materials. The plate is a supportive element as well as contributing to the performance attributes of a shoe while still allowing the other materials of the sole to provide cushioning in areas of the foot, such as the heel, to provide comfort.
It is therefore desirable to provide footwear that supports a person's feet during walking, jogging and running to optimize force application and energy transfers to enhance a person's walking and running efficiency.
SUMMARYThe present article of footwear includes a sole having two plate members where one of the plate members is on a medial side and the other plate member is on a lateral side of the sole. The plate members provide stability to the medial and lateral sides of the sole and also provide a support that a user's foot can press against and propel the user in a desired direction. Further, the plate members enable a user's legs and feet to efficiently transfer energy to the plate members to help reduce fatigue.
In an embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member has a second length. The first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.
In another embodiment, an article of footwear is provided and includes a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side. A first plate member is positioned on the medial side of the sole, where the first plate member has a first length, and a second plate member is positioned on the lateral side of the sole, where the second plate member having a second length. In this embodiment, the first plate member and the second plate member are connected to each other, and the first length of the first plate member is greater than or equal to the second length of the second plate member.
The present sole is attached to an upper to form an article of footwear to stabilize and cushion a user's foot during walking, jogging and running, while providing enhanced stability and spring for efficient propulsion. More specifically, the present sole includes a midsole and an outsole where two plate members are located on or in the midsole or outsole to provide enhanced support in the user's feet and enable the user's feet to push against the plate members and propel the user in a desired direction.
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, the first plate member 62 is also bent or formed so that different portions of the first plate member have different heights and configurations. As shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Referring to
Additionally, the first and second plate members 62 and 82 in the above embodiment, each extend form the forefoot area 46 to the heel area 36 of the sole 22. The first and/or second plate members 62 and 82 may also extend from the forefoot area 46 to a mid-foot area 102 (
In the above embodiments, providing the separate plate members 62 and 82 on the medial and lateral sides 42 and 44 of the sole 22 allow for different levels of support and flexibility to be provided to a user's feet on the medial and lateral sides of the article of footwear 20. For example, more support and flexibility or spring may be provided on the medial side 42 than the lateral side 44. Alternatively, more support and spring may be provided on the lateral side 44 than the medial side 42. Further, the first plate member 62 is longer than the second plate member 82 to correspond to user's foot where the medial side of the foot is longer than the lateral side. Forming the first and second plate members 62 and 82 with lengths that correspond to the different lengths of the feet on the medial and lateral sides maximizes the spring effect provided by the first and second plate members. Also, the configurations of the first and second plate members 62 and 82, such as the lateral shape and vertical heights, and the lengths of the first and second plate members are determined based one the desired support and flexibility or spring-effect desired in the different areas of the sole 22 to help a user to efficiently transfer energy generated by their legs and feet to the plate members, and thereby the sole 22, and efficiently propel their body in a desired direction.
In another embodiment, the sole 104 includes a recessed area or channel 106 formed in a midsole or outsole. A medial plate member 108 extends along the medial side 110 of the sole, and a lateral plate member 112 extends along the lateral side 114 of the sole as described above. In this embodiment, a connecting portion 116 connects or joins the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112 in an area between the mid-foot area and heel area of the sole 104. The connecting portion 116 is preferably formed with a flexible material so that the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112 may move relative to each other during use. It should be appreciated that the connecting portion 116 may be located at any suitable point along the medial plate member 108 and the lateral plate member 112. Additionally, the connecting portion may be longer or shorter along a longitudinal axis of the sole depending on the desired level of rigidity and flexibility.
While particular embodiments of the present sole for an article of footwear have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side;
- a first plate member positioned on the medial side of the sole, said first plate member having a first length; and
- a second plate member positioned on the lateral side of the sole, said second plate member having a second length,
- wherein said first length of said first plate member is greater than or equal to said second length of said second plate member.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to said heel portion.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member extends from said forefoot portion to a midfoot portion of said sole.
6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.
7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one lateral curve.
9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes has portions that are at different heights.
10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the same.
11. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member includes a first thickness and said second plate member includes a second thickness, and wherein said first thickness and said second thickness are the different.
12. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are spaced from each other.
13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plate member and said second plate member includes at least one of a vertically oriented concave curve and a vertically oriented convex curve.
14. An article of footwear comprising:
- a sole having a forefoot portion, a heel portion, a medial side and a lateral side;
- a first plate member positioned on the medial side of the sole, said first plate member having a first length; and
- a second plate member positioned on the lateral side of the sole, said second plate member having a second length,
- wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected to each other, and
- wherein said first length of said first plate member is greater than or equal to said second length of said second plate member.
15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said first plate member and said second plate member are connected in a midfoot portion of said sole.
16. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein said sole includes a first channel on said medial side and a second channel on said lateral side, and wherein said first plate member is located in said first channel and said second plate member is located in said second channel.
17. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein a central area of at least one of said first channel and said second channel includes a cavity that is greater than a thickness of said at least one of said first channel and said second channel.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 11, 2020
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Inventors: Matthew James Head (Santa Barbara), Thibaut Poupard (Goleta)
Application Number: 17/095,332