Article of footwear incorporating an impact absorber and having an upper decoupled from its sole in a midfoot region

摘要

An article of footwear includes an upper, a sole attached to the upper, and an impact absorber attached to the upper at least along a midfoot region of the upper and capable of absorbing a portion of a lateral impact when the impact absorber is moved into contact with a top surface of the sole. The impact absorber is be integrally formed with the sole and has a width that varies along a length of the impact absorber. The width of the impact absorber decreases in a forefoot region and a heel region. The upper rolls to contact the top surface of the sole upon lateral impact. The sole and the upper may be attached asymmetrically.

主权项

1. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper having an outermost wall that provides an exterior surface of the upper; a sole having a top surface attached to the upper and a bottom surface disposed opposite of the top surface, the bottom surface being configured to contact a ground surface, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the sole extend continuously along a length of the article of footwear from a heel region to a forefoot region; wherein the top surface of the sole is continuously attached to a center portion of the outermost wall of the upper extending along a longitudinal direction between the heel region and the forefoot region; wherein the top surface of the sole is further attached to the outermost wall of the upper at a boundary area disposed in a midfoot region, the boundary area being spaced inwards from a peripheral edge of the sole in a lateral direction; wherein the outermost wall of the upper is coupled to the top surface of the sole along a periphery of the sole in both the forefoot region and the heel region; an impact absorber disposed separately from the sole, the impact absorber being attached to the exterior surface of the outermost wall of the upper at least along the midfoot region of the upper adjacent to the boundary area and extending outward towards the peripheral edge of the sole along the lateral direction, wherein the impact absorber is configured to absorb a portion of a lateral impact when the impact absorber is moved into contact with the top surface of the sole from an initial position that is spaced apart from the top surface of the sole; wherein the impact absorber is attached to a rolling portion of the outermost wall of the upper; and wherein, through the midfoot region, the inward spacing of the boundary area allows at least a lower portion of the rolling portion to move between the initial position in which the at least a lower portion of the rolling portion and at least a lower portion of the impact absorber extend generally vertically away from the top surface of the sole and a subsequent position in which the at least a lower portion of the rolling portion and the at least a lower portion of the impact absorber extend generally horizontally over the top surface of the sole and cover an area of the top surface between the boundary area and the peripheral edge that is greater than in the initial position, with the at least a lower portion of the impact absorber contacting the top surface of the sole.