ARTICLES OF FOOTWEAR HAVING LINES OF FLEXION

摘要

The invention herein is directed toward footwear containing a central flex zone comprised of a novel combination of a central flex channel with a central flex element that imparts either bidirectional or multi-directional flexion to the shoe, according to various embodiments, thereby allowing more natural flexibility and allowing all surface contacting members to independently engage and disengage from the contact surface of the user as the wearer's weight shifts. The flex zones also naturally adapt to the amount of stress put on the sole from ground elements, such as rocks or branches that the sole encounters during wear and to adjust to different terrain due thereby being particularly useful in applications such as construction boots and athletic footwear.

主权项

1. An article of footwear having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, a heel region, a lateral region, a medial region, an upper structure and a sole structure, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole positioned along the longitudinal length of the downward-facing surface of the upper structure and connected thereto; and a shock absorbing cushion integrally connected to the downward-facing surface of the midsole; and an outsole integrally connected to the downward-facing surface of the shock absorbing cushion, said outsole comprising at least one flex channel in the form of an aperture in the outsole; and wherein the shock absorbing cushion extends downward and protrudes through and along said flex channel of the outsole forming a corresponding flex element.