Torsion control bridge for shoe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788599-B2
Application number	US-201514838190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A shoe and method of manufacturing same, the shoe including: an upper configured to receive therein a foot of a wearer of the shoe, the upper comprising a closure and a tongue configured to cover a top portion of the foot; a front sole portion attached to a front portion of a bottom surface of the upper; a heel sole portion attached to a heel portion of the bottom surface of the upper; and a torsion control bridge connecting the front and heel sole portions, wherein a window is formed between the torsion control bridge and a portion of the bottom surface of the upper located between the front and heel sole portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe, comprising:
an upper configured to receive therein a foot of a wearer of the shoe, the upper comprising a closure and a tongue configured to cover a top portion of the foot;
a front sole portion attached to a front portion of a bottom surface of the upper, the front sole portion comprising a front midsole made from a first material, a front outsole made from a second material that is more rigid than the first material, and a front midsole reinforcement structure made from a third material that is more rigid than the first material, the front midsole being at least partially contained by the front midsole reinforcement structure and the front outsole;
a heel sole portion attached to a heel portion of the bottom surface of the upper, the heel sole portion comprising a heel midsole made from the first material, a heel outsole made from the second material, and a heel midsole reinforcement structure made from the third material, the heel midsole being at least partially contained by the heel midsole reinforcement structure and the heel outsole; and
a torsion control bridge connecting the front and heel sole portions, wherein a window is formed between the torsion control bridge and a portion of the bottom surface of the upper located between the front and heel sole portions.

2. The shoe of 1 , wherein the second and third materials have different compositions from one another.

3. The shoe of claim 2 , wherein the first material comprises an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU).

4. The shoe of claim 1 , wherein the torsion control bridge comprises an arch outsole portion disposed between the front and heel outsole portions and integrally formed with the front and heel outsole portions.

5. The shoe of claim 4 , wherein the front and heel outsoles each comprise a medial portion and a lateral portion, wherein the medial portions of the front and heel outsoles are integrally formed with one another and the lateral portions of the front and heel outsoles are integrally formed with one another.

6. The shoe of claim 5 , wherein the medial portions of the front and heel outsoles comprise a plurality a holes therein for allowing respective portions of the front and heel midsoles to expand there through.

7. The shoe of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of traction elements located on bottom surfaces of the front and heel outsoles.

8. The shoe of claim 1 , further comprising:
an arch midsole made from the first material and disposed between the front and heel midsoles; and
an arch midsole reinforcement structure made from the third material and disposed between the front and heel midsole reinforcement structures, wherein the arch midsole reinforcement structure reinforces at least a portion of the arch midsole.

9. The shoe of claim 8 , further comprising:
a reel assembly coupled to the tongue;
at least one wire lace coupled to the reel assembly and opposing edges of the closure such that when the reel assembly is turned in a first direction, the at least one wire lace pulls the opposing edges of the closure closer together and, when the reel assembly is turned in a second direction, the at least one wire lace releases and allows the opposing edges to move away from each other; and
a wrap-around saddle assembly comprising a saddle and at least one saddle wire coupled to the saddle, wherein the saddle wraps around an arch portion of the upper located between the front and heel sole portions and the at least one saddle wire is coupled to the at least one wire lace such that when the reel assembly is turned in the first direction, the at least one saddle wire tightens the saddle around the arch portion of the upper and when the reel assembly is turned in the second direction, the at least one saddle wire loosens the saddle around the arch portion of the upper, and wherein the window is formed between a top surface of the torsion control bridge and a bottom surface of the saddle.

10. A golf shoe, comprising:
an upper configured to receive therein a foot of a wearer of the shoe, the upper comprising a closure and a tongue configured to cover a top portion of the foot;
a front sole portion attached to a front portion of a bottom surface of the upper, the front sole portion comprising a front midsole comprising a first material and a front outsole comprising a second material that is more rigid than the first material,
a front midsole reinforcement structure comprising a third material that is more rigid than the first material, the front midsole being at least partially contained by the front midsole reinforcement structure and the front outsole;
a heel sole portion attached to a heel portion of the bottom surface of the upper, the heel sole portion comprising a heel midsole comprising the first material and a heel outsole comprising the second material;
a heel midsole reinforcement structure comprising the third material, the heel midsole being at least partially contained by the heel midsole reinforcement structure and the heel outsole;
an arch outsole comprising the second material and connecting the front and heel outsoles, wherein a window is formed between the arch outsole and a portion of the bottom surface of the upper located between the front and heel sole portions; and
a plurality of traction elements disposed on bottom surfaces of the front and heel outsoles.

11. The golf shoe of claim 10 , further comprising an arch midsole made from the first material and disposed between the front and heel midsoles.

12. The golf shoe of claim 11 , further comprising:
an arch midsole reinforcement structure comprising the third material and disposed between the front and heel midsole reinforcement structures, wherein the arch midsole reinforcement structure reinforces at least a portion of the arch midsole.

13. The golf shoe of claim 10 , wherein the second and third materials have different compositions from one another.

14. The golf shoe of claim 10 , wherein the first material comprises an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (eTPU).

15. The golf shoe of claim 10 , wherein the arch outsole is integrally formed with the front and heel outsoles.

16. The golf shoe of claim 15 , wherein the front and heel outsoles each comprise a medial portion and a lateral portion, wherein the medial portions of the front and heel outsoles are integrally formed with one another and the lateral portions of the front and heel outsoles are integrally formed with one another.

17. The golf shoe of claim 16 , wherein the medial portions of the front and heel outsoles comprise a plurality of holes therein for allowing respective portions of the front and heel midsoles to expand there through.

18. The golf shoe of claim 10 , further comprising:
a reel assembly coupled to the tongue;
at least one wire lace coupled to the reel assembly and opposing edges of the closure such that when the reel assembly is turned in a first direction, the at least one wire lace pulls the opposing edges of the closure closer together and, when the reel assembly is turned in a second direction, the at least one wire lace releases and allows the opposing edges to move away from each other; and
a wrap-around saddle assembly comprising a saddle and at least one saddle wire coupled to the saddle, wherein the saddle wraps around an arch portion of the upper located between the front and heel sole portions and the at least one saddle wire is coupled to the at least one wire lace such that when the reel assembly is turned in the first direction, the at least one saddle wire tigh

Assignees

• Taylor Made Golf Co

Inventors

• Hesterberg Michael
• Tulowitzki Sven

Classifications

• A43B5/001

  Golf shoes · CPC title

• A43B7/1495

  with arch-supports of the bracelet type · CPC title

• A43C11/165

  characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation · CPC title

• A43B13/223

  Profiled soles · CPC title

• A43B13/16 Primary

  Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) · CPC title