Footwear including a support cage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10206453-B2
Application number	US-201715425600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2016
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A footwear construction including a support cage that wraps an upper to provide an adaptive fit to accommodate a variety of foot shapes and to adapt to changes in foot shape during a gait cycle, while providing exceptional stability and support. The footwear can include an upper, a support cage and a sole assembly. The upper can be joined with the sole assembly and can include an exterior. The sole assembly can define a recess extending across a width of the sole assembly from a medial side to a lateral side. The support cage can be constructed from a semi-rigid but flexible polymeric material, disposed over the exterior of the upper and free floating relative to the exterior of the upper. The support cage can include a sole bridge that extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the footwear, through the recess defined by the sole assembly.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an outsole;
a midsole joined with the outsole and disposed above the outsole, at least one of the outsole and the midsole defining a recess that extends laterally across a longitudinal axis of the footwear, from a medial side of the footwear to a lateral side of the footwear;
an upper having an exterior and including a midfoot section including a lateral panel disposed on the lateral side of the footwear and a medial panel disposed on the medial side of the footwear, the upper joined with at least one of the outsole and the midsole; and
a semi-rigid and flexible support cage constructed as a unitary, solid one piece polymeric unit, the support cage including a lateral element and a medial element disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the support cage wrapping over at least a portion of the exterior of the upper, the support cage including a framework of a plurality of support elements separated from one another by frame holes that enable a viewer to view the underlying exterior of the upper,
wherein the support cage is free floating relative to the exterior of the upper so that the support cage is configured to engage but move relative to the lateral and medial panels,
wherein the support cage includes a sole bridge that is disposed within and extends through the recess defined by the midsole, the sole bridge spanning across a width of the footwear from the lateral side to the medial side, transverse to the longitudinal axis, the sole bridge element structurally joining the lateral element and the medial element of the support cage,
wherein the support cage includes a lateral cage element disposed on the lateral side of the longitudinal axis and a medial cage element disposed on the medial side of the longitudinal axis,
wherein the support cage includes a heel band that is integral with the lateral cage element and that extends rearward from the lateral cage element, and around a heel the footwear, and back toward the medial cage element with which the heel band is integrally joined,
wherein the support cage includes a lower heel support having a forward portion that is joined with the sole bridge,
wherein the lower heel support extends rearwardly from the sole bridge, and is adapted to extend under a heel of the wearer to a rearward portion,
wherein the rearward portion transitions to an upward portion that extends upwardly to the heel band,
wherein the upward portion is joined with the heel band and is adapted to extend rearward of the heel of the wearer,
whereby the footwear can adaptively fit a plurality of foot shapes and provide support to the foot of the wearer.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support elements span across the exterior of the upper and are joined with one another at a plurality of respective intersections.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 ,
wherein the sole bridge forms a protective plate having a thickness of at least 2 mm,
wherein the protective plate spans forwardly through an arch region of the footwear and toward a forefoot region of the footwear.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 ,
wherein the protective plate defines a plurality of openings,
wherein the openings are located within the recess.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 ,
wherein the midsole includes a midsole exterior lateral side and a midsole exterior medial side,
wherein the support cage extends downward beside the midsole exterior lateral side and the midsole exterior medial side, on the respective lateral and medial sides.

6. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having an exterior;
a support cage constructed from a semi-rigid but flexible polymer, the support cage being disposed over at least a portion of the exterior of the upper and being free floating relative to the at least a portion of the exterior of the upper, the support cage including a sole bridge that extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the footwear, from a medial side of the footwear to a lateral side of the footwear;
a midsole joined with the support cage, the midsole being disposed above the sole bridge;
an outsole joined with the midsole, the outsole being disposed below the sole bridge;
a heel band that is integrally formed as a unitary piece with the support cage, the heel band adapted to extend rearward and around a heel the footwear; and
a lower heel support having a forward portion that is joined with the sole bridge,
wherein the midsole includes a midsole exterior lateral side and a midsole exterior medial side,
wherein the support cage extends downward beside the midsole exterior lateral side and downward beside the midsole exterior medial side on the respective lateral and medial sides,
wherein the lower heel support extends rearwardly from the sole bridge, and is adapted to extend under a heel of the wearer to a rearward portion,
wherein the lower heel support is in the form of an elongated strip, disposed substantially inward from the lateral and medial sides of the footwear,
wherein the rearward portion transitions to an upward portion that extends upwardly to the heel band,
wherein the upward portion is integrally joined with the heel band and is adapted to extend rearward of the heel of the wearer.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the outsole and the midsole define a recess extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of the footwear, from a medial side of the footwear to a lateral side of the footwear,
wherein the sole bridge is disposed in and extends through the recess.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 ,
wherein the sole bridge extends through a substantial portion of an arch region of the footwear, forming an underfoot protective plate having a thickness of at least 2 mm.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 ,
wherein the underfoot protective plate extends forward through a substantial portion of a forefoot region of the footwear.

10. The article of footwear of claim 6 ,
wherein the support cage includes a lateral cage element disposed on the lateral side of the longitudinal axis and a medial cage element disposed on the medial side of the longitudinal axis,
wherein the heel band is integral with the lateral cage element and the medial cage element,
wherein the lateral cage element, medial cage element and heel band are all entirely free floating over the exterior of the upper,
whereby the support cage freely moves relative to the upper.

11. The article of footwear of claim 6 ,
wherein at least one of the midsole and the outsole define a recess that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis from the medial side of the footwear to the lateral side of the footwear,
wherein the sole bridge is disposed in the recess.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 ,
wherein the sole bridge includes a framework of sole bridge elements separated from one another so as to form a plurality of sole bridge openings under the midsole.

13. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having an exterior;
a support cage constructed from a semi-rigid but flexible polymer, the support cage being disposed over at least a portion of the exterior of the upper and being free floating relative to the at least a portion of the exterior of the upper, the support cage including a sole bridge that extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the footwear, from a medial side of the footwear to a lateral side of the footwear;
a midsole joined with the support cage, the midsole being disposed a

Assignees

• Wolverine Outdoors Inc

Inventors

• Bohnsack Shaun Michael
• Smith Lee Martin
• Matis Clark A
• Burch John H

Classifications

• A43B23/0235

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B23/0275

  with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B13/223

  Profiled soles · CPC title

• A43B23/0245

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B7/28 Primary

  Adapting the inner sole {or the side of the upper} of the shoe to the sole of the foot · CPC title