SOLE AND FOOTWEAR HAVING THE SOLE

Abstract

A sole includes a rearfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an arch portion connecting the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion. The forefoot portion, the arch portion and the rearfoot portion are arranged in sequence along a front-back direction. The sole further includes a plurality of holes spaced apart in the front-back direction. Each of the plurality of holes extends from a side surface of the sole in a left-right direction of the sole, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, the plurality of holes are distributed in the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion of the sole except for the arch portion. A footwear having the sole is also provided.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit and priority to Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 202521367537.1, filed on Jun. 30, 2025, entitled “SOLE AND FOOTWEAR HAVING THE SOLE”, and the content of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The subject matter relates to a technical field of daily necessities, and in particular to a sole and a footwear having the sole.

BACKGROUND

Shoes are indispensable daily necessities for human beings, especially for those who love outdoor activities, who have higher requirements for shoes. Since they walk or stand for a longer time during outdoor activities, it is often very important to choose a pair of comfortable shoes.

How to improve the comfort of the shoes is thus problematic.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a sole, including a rearfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an arch portion connecting the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion. The forefoot portion, the arch portion and the rearfoot portion are arranged in sequence along a front-back direction. The sole further includes a plurality of holes spaced apart in the front-back direction. Each of the plurality of holes extends from a side surface of the sole in a left-right direction of the sole, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, the plurality of holes are distributed in the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion of the sole except for the arch portion.

The present disclosure further provides a footwear, including an upper and the above sole. The sole is connected to the upper.

Other aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are also expected. The above summary and the following detailed description are not intended to limit the present disclosure to any particular embodiment, but are merely intended to describe some embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction of the accompanying drawings of the embodiments is provided. The following drawings can illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a footwear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a sole of FIG. 1, viewed from another angle.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a sole according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a top diagrammatic view of a footwear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the footwear along V-V shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of embodiments, with reference to the above figures. The embodiments are obviously a portion but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in the present disclosure are for describing specific embodiments but not intended to limit the scope of present disclosure. In addition, technical features involved in different embodiments of this application that are described below may be combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Referring to FIG. 1, a footwear 100 is provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The footwear 100 includes a sole 10 and an upper 20. The upper 20 is connected to the sole 10.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sole 10 includes a rearfoot portion 11, a forefoot portion 13, and an arch portion 15 connecting the rearfoot portion 11 and the forefoot portion 13. The sole 10 further includes a plurality of holes 17 spaced apart in a front-back direction X. The forefoot portion 13, the arch portion 15, and the rearfoot portion 11 are arranged along the front-back direction X. Each of the plurality of holes 17 extends from a side surface 12 of the sole 10 in a left-right direction Y of the sole 10. The plurality of holes 17 are distributed in the rearfoot portion 11 and the forefoot portion 13 of the sole 10 except for the arch portion 15. It can be understood that the front-back direction X is perpendicular to the left-right direction Y.

In some embodiments, the plurality of holes 17 include a plurality of first holes 17a distributed in the rearfoot portion 11 and a plurality of second holes 17b distributed in the forefoot portion 13.

In the above footwear 100, firstly, due to the existence of the plurality of holes 17 in the sole 10, a weight of the sole 10 can be reduced, thereby allowing the overall weight of the footwear 100 to be lighter, which is beneficial to improving the comfort of the footwear 100 and also helps to reduce the cost of materials. Moreover, the multi-holes design can also improve the breathability of the sole 10. Secondly, the existence of the plurality of holes 17 enables the sole 10 to absorb part of the impact when the user steps down, thereby providing cushioning and protection for the foot. At the same time, the existence of the multiple holes 17 is also beneficial to improving the rebound performance of the sole 10. The absence of holes 17 in the arch portion 15 is beneficial to improving the support effect of the sole 10. In summary, the existence and distribution of the plurality of holes 17 are beneficial to improving the comfort of the sole 10.

It can be understood that the rearfoot portion 11 has a first main force-bearing region 111 and a first secondary force-bearing region 113 connected to the first main force-bearing region 111 in the front-back direction X, and the forefoot portion 13 has a second main force-bearing region 131 and a second secondary force-bearing region 133 connected to the second main force-bearing region 131 in the front-back direction X. In some embodiments, a volume of the plurality of first holes 17a located in the first main force-bearing region 111 may be greater than a volume of the plurality of first holes 17a located in the first secondary force-bearing region 113, and a volume of the plurality of second holes 17b located in the second main force-bearing region 131 may be greater than a volume of the plurality of second holes 17b located in the second secondary force-bearing region 133. The larger the holes in the main force-bearing region, the better the absorption effect of the impact, and thus the better the cushioning effect of the main force-bearing region, combined with the relatively smaller holes in the secondary force-bearing region, which is beneficial to improving the cushioning effect while ensuring the overall support effect of the sole 10.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, on a cross-section of the sole 10 along a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, each of the plurality of holes 17 may be in a shape of an acute triangle. Due to the edges and corners of the triangular structure, the pressure exerted on the sole 10 can be directed to multiple directions, thereby dispersing the pressure and reducing the concentration of local stress, so that the cushioning effect of the sole 10 can be enhanced while reducing damage to the sole 10. Secondly, the stability of the triangular structure can also enhance the controllable deformation of the sole 10 during compression. For example, when the foot touches the ground, the distribution of the plurality of triangular holes in the front-back direction X can extend a pressure absorption time through an orderly deformation formed by sequential compression and rebound, which is conducive to further dispersing the pressure and further improving the cushioning effect. Moreover, the high geometric stability of the triangular structure can reduce the twisting deformation of the sole when subjected to lateral force, enhancing the dynamic support of the sole 10 during use, such as when running. Additionally, the triangular structure can accelerate the recovery speed after deformation under force and improve the continuity of energy conversion of the shoe, thereby achieving a more sensitive rebound response.

It can be understood that each of the corners of each of the plurality of holes 17 in the shape of an acute triangle includes a base 171 and a top angle α that is opposite to the base 171 in an up-down direction Z.

In some embodiments, the corners of the plurality of holes 17 in the shape of an acute triangle can be rounded, which is beneficial for further reducing the risk of local stress concentration, thereby reducing the fatigue risk of the sole 10 and extending its service life.

In some embodiments, the top angle α of each of the plurality of first holes 17a located in the first main force-bearing region 111 may face a lower surface 10a of the sole 10, and the base 171 of each of the plurality of first holes 17a located in the first main force-bearing region 111 may face an upper surface 10b of the sole 10; the top angle α of each of the plurality of second holes 17b located in the second main force-bearing region 131 may face the lower surface 10a of the sole 10, and the base 171 of each of the plurality of second holes 17b located in the second main force-bearing region 131 may face the upper surface 10b of the sole 10. When the sole 10 is subjected to impact, a structure of each of the triangular holes in the corresponding main force-bearing regions (111 and 131) with the top angle facing down and the base facing up can provide better cushioning effect through a larger deformation space at the beginning, and provide better support force through the top angle in the subsequent process to achieve a better rebound effect, thereby improving the comfort of the footwear 100.

In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2, centers of the plurality of first holes 17a may be distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction X, and centers of the plurality of second holes 17b may also be distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction X. The above specific distribution of the plurality of first holes 17a and the plurality of second holes 17b has a certain guiding effect on the force when subjected to impact, which is conducive to enhancing the cushioning effect, and improving the rebound effect after cushioning. When running outdoors and touching the ground, the front-to-back wavy design has a better rolling transition effect (i.e., smoother rolling) when the front and back of the sole alternately touch the ground, thereby enhancing the user's experience.

In some embodiments, each of the first holes 17a and the second holes 17b located at wave peaks of the wavy structure may satisfy the top angle α facing the lower surface 10a of the sole 10 and the base 171 facing the upper surface 10b of the sole 10, while each of the first holes 17a and second holes 17b located at wave troughs of the wavy structure may satisfy the top angle α facing the upper surface 10b of the sole 10 and the base 171 facing the lower surface 10a of the sole 10. The top angle of the hole closer to the foot points downward and the base of the hole closer to the foot points upward, while the top angle of the hole closer to the ground points upward and the base of the hole closer to the ground points downward, which is conducive to providing better cushioning and rebound effects for the sole while offering better support, thereby further enhancing the comfort of the sole.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of holes 17 may satisfy that the top angle α points towards the lower surface 10a and the base 171 points towards the upper surface 10b, or may satisfy that the top angle α points towards the upper surface 10b and the base 171 points towards the lower surface 10a. Further, the sole 10 may have more holes 17 with the top angle α pointing towards the lower surface 10a and the base 171 pointing towards the upper surface 10b than holes 17 with the top angle α pointing towards the upper surface 10b and the base 171 pointing towards the lower surface 10a, which is conducive to further enhancing the cushioning effect of the sole 10 and thus better protecting the user's feet.

In some embodiments, on the cross-section of the sole 10 along the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 may be of other shapes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 may be, but not limited to, in a shape of a rhombus.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, each of the plurality of holes 17 is defined by an inner surface 170, a chamfer may be further formed between an outer end of the inner surface 170 and the side surface 12 of the sole 10, which is conducive to allowing the deformation of the holes 17 to be smoother when the sole 10 is subjected to force, thereby further enhancing the cushioning effect of the sole 10.

The plurality of holes 17 may be blind holes or through holes. In at least one embodiment, each of the plurality of holes 17 is a through hole that penetrates the sole 10 along the left-right direction Y, which is conducive to enhancing the overall cushioning effect and the overall rebound effect of the sole 10. Specifically, each of the plurality of first holes 17a and each of the plurality of second holes 17b are through holes.

In some embodiments, an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 closer to the side surface 12 may be greater than an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 further away from the side surface 12, both the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 closer to the side surface 12 and the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes 17 further away from the side surface 12 are perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, which improves the overall stability of the sole 10 while providing a buffering effect, thereby better protecting the user's foot and enhancing the comfort.

In some embodiments, from the side surface 12 of the sole 10 to an interior of the sole 10, each of the plurality of holes 17 may be a stepped hole, and include at least two regions. An area of a cross-section of a region of the at least two regions closer to the side surface 12 of the sole 10 perpendicular to the left-right direction Y is greater than an area of a cross-section of a region of the at least two regions further away from the side surface 12 perpendicular to the left-right direction Y. That is, from the side surface 12 of the sole 10 to the interior of the sole 10, the areas of the cross-sections of the at least two regions of each of the plurality of holes 17 perpendicular to the left-right direction Y gradually decrease in a stepped manner.

In some embodiments, areas of cross-sections of each of the plurality of holes 17 perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, from the side surface 12 of the sole 10 to the interior of the sole 10, may be decrease linearly.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a ring-shaped protrusion 18 may be arranged along and connected to an outer periphery of the upper surface 10b of the sole 10. The protrusion 18 and the upper surface 10b cooperate to form a space 19 for accommodating the foot. To enhance the fit and the comfort with the foot, a surface 180 of the protrusion 18 facing the space 19 may be an inclined surface. In at least one embodiment, an end of the inclined surface away from the upper surface 10b tilts away from a center axis O of the space 19. In some embodiments, a shape of the inclined surface may be roughly designed to match a shape of a corresponding area of the foot, thereby further enhancing the support effect and the comfort.

The above-mentioned footwear 100 of this application, due to the existence of the plurality of holes 17 in the sole 10, a weight of the sole 10 can be reduced, thereby allowing the overall weight of the footwear 100 to be lighter, which is beneficial to improving the comfort of the footwear 100 and also helps to reduce the cost of materials. Moreover, the multi-holes design can also improve the breathability of the sole 10. Secondly, the existence of the plurality of holes 17 enables the sole 10 to absorb part of the impact when the user steps down, thereby providing cushioning and protection for the foot. At the same time, the existence of the multiple holes 17 is also beneficial to improving the rebound performance of the sole 10. The absence of holes 17 in the arch portion 15 is beneficial to improving the support effect of the sole 10. In summary, the existence and distribution of the plurality of holes 17 are beneficial to improving the comfort of the sole 10.

Even though information and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the present embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the plain meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A sole comprising:

a rearfoot portion;

a forefoot portion; and

an arch portion connecting the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion;

wherein the forefoot portion, the arch portion and the rearfoot portion are arranged in sequence along a front-back direction, the sole further comprises a plurality of holes spaced apart in the front-back direction, each of the plurality of holes extends from a side surface of the sole in a left-right direction of the sole, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, the plurality of holes are distributed in the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion of the sole, except for the arch portion.

2. The sole of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes comprises a plurality of first holes distributed in the rearfoot portion and a plurality of second holes distributed in the forefoot portion;

the rearfoot portion has a first main force-bearing region and a first secondary force-bearing region connected to the first main force-bearing region in the front-back direction, a volume of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first main force-bearing region is greater than a volume of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first secondary force-bearing region; and

the forefoot portion has a second main force-bearing region and a second secondary force-bearing region connected to the second main force-bearing region in the front-back direction, a volume of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second main force-bearing region is greater than a volume of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second secondary force-bearing region.

3. The sole of claim 2, wherein centers of the plurality of first holes are distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction, and centers of the plurality of second holes are distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction.

4. The sole of claim 3, wherein on a cross-section of the sole along a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes is in a shape of an acute triangle, the acute triangle comprises a base and a top angle opposite to the base in an up-down direction.

5. The sole of claim 4, wherein each of corners of the acute triangle is rounded.

6. The sole of claim 4, wherein the top angle of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first main force-bearing region faces a lower surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first main force-bearing region faces an upper surface of the sole; and

the top angle of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second main force-bearing region faces the lower surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second main force-bearing region faces the upper surface of the sole.

7. The sole of claim 4, wherein the top angle of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces a lower surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces an upper surface of the sole; and

the top angle of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces the upper surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of holes located at wave troughs of the wavy structure faces the lower surface of the sole.

8. The sole of claim 4, wherein the top angle and the base of each of the holes face a lower surface of the sole and an upper surface of the sole respectively, or the top angle and the base of each of the holes face the upper surface of the sole and the lower surface of the sole respectively; and

the number of holes of the plurality of holes with the top angle facing the upper surface of the sole is less than the number of holes of the plurality of holes with the top angle facing the lower surface of the sole.

9. The sole of claim 1, wherein on a cross-section of the sole along a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes is in a shape of a rhombus.

10. The sole of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of holes is defined by an inner surface, a chamfer formed between an outer end of the inner surface and the side surface of the sole.

11. The sole of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of holes penetrates the sole along the left-right direction.

12. The sole of claim 1, wherein an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes closer to the side surface is greater than an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes further away from the side surface, and both the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes closer to the side surface and the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes further away from the side surface are perpendicular to the left-right direction.

13. The sole of claim 1, wherein the sole further comprises a protrusion in a ring-shaped, the protrusion is arranged along and connected to an outer periphery of the upper surface of the sole, the protrusion and the upper surface cooperate to form a space for accommodating a foot, the protrusion comprises an inclined surface facing the space, and an end of the inclined surface away from the upper surface tilts away from a center axis of the space.

14. A footwear comprising:

an upper; and

a sole connected to the upper, the sole comprising: a rearfoot portion; a forefoot portion; and an arch portion connecting the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion; wherein the forefoot portion, the arch portion and the rearfoot portion are arranged in sequence along a front-back direction, the sole further comprises a plurality of holes spaced apart in the front-back direction, each of the plurality of holes extends from a side surface of the sole in a left-right direction of the sole, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, the plurality of holes are distributed in the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion of the sole, except for the arch portion.

15. The footwear of claim 14, wherein the plurality of holes comprises a plurality of first holes distributed in the rearfoot portion and a plurality of second holes distributed in the forefoot portion;

the rearfoot portion has a first main force-bearing region and a first secondary force-bearing region connected to the first main force-bearing region in the front-back direction, a volume of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first main force-bearing region is greater than a volume of each of the plurality of first holes located in the first secondary force-bearing region; and

the forefoot portion has a second main force-bearing region and a second secondary force-bearing region connected to the second main force-bearing region in the front-back direction, a volume of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second main force-bearing region is greater than a volume of each of the plurality of second holes located in the second secondary force-bearing region.

16. The footwear of claim 15, wherein centers of the plurality of first holes are distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction, and centers of the plurality of second holes are distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction.

17. The footwear of claim 16, wherein on a cross-section of the sole along a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes is in a shape of an acute triangle, the acute triangle comprises a base and a top angle opposite to the base in an up-down direction.

18. The footwear of claim 17, wherein the top angle of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces a lower surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces an upper surface of the sole; and

the top angle of each of the plurality of holes located at wave peaks of the wavy structure faces the upper surface of the sole, and the base of each of the plurality of holes located at wave troughs of the wavy structure faces the lower surface of the sole.

19. The footwear of claim 17, wherein the top angle and the base of each of the holes face a lower surface of the sole and an upper surface of the sole respectively, or the top angle and the base of each of the holes face the upper surface of the sole and the lower surface of the sole respectively; and

the number of holes of the plurality of holes with the top angle facing the upper surface of the sole is less than the number of holes of the plurality of holes with the top angle facing the lower surface of the sole.

20. The footwear of claim 14, wherein an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes closer to the side surface is greater than an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holes further away from the side surface, and both the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes closer to the side surface and the cross-section of each of the plurality of holes further away from the side surface are perpendicular to the left-right direction.