Rocker footwear
A shoe may comprise an upper ( 5 ) and a comfort sole ( 9 ) attached to an outsole ( 7 ), the comfort sole having a radius of curvature at any point of a line from a heel (C) to a toe (D) and interfacing with outsole ( 7 ), wherein the lowest point of comfort sole ( 9 ) and outsole ( 7 ), called the center of mass or balance point of the sole or natural balance point of the shoe, when placed on a substantially horizontal reference plane (H) defines a transition zone (Z 1 ) of the roll of the foot having the highest radius of the comfort sole and the outsole, and in that the center of mass is behind point (B) of the metatarsals.
1 . A shoe comprising:
an upper and a comfort sole attached to an outsole;
the comfort sole having a varying radius of curvature at two or more points of a line extending from a heel area of the comfort sole to a toe area of the comfort sole and interfacing with the outsole, the comfort sole comprising;
a centrally located center of mass zone, wherein the lowest point of the comfort sole and the outsole corresponds to a center of mass of the shoe, such that, when placed on a horizontal reference plane, the center of mass zone defines a transition of the roll of the foot having a highest sole radius of the comfort sole and the outsole, wherein the center of mass zone is positioned behind a metatarsal region of the comfort sole corresponding to a metatarsal region of a foot, and wherein the radius of curvature of the center of mass zone is between 350 mm and 3000 mm;
a transition zone positioned adjacent to the center of mass zone toward the heel area of the comfort sole, the transition zone having a smaller sole radius than the center of mass zone;
a first unrolling zone positioned forward of the center of mass zone in the metatarsal region of the comfort sole, the first unrolling zone having a sole radius that is smaller than the sole radius of the center of mass zone;
a second unrolling zone positioned forward of the first unrolling zone having a sole radius that is greater than the sole radius of the first unrolling zone; and
an impact zone at the heel having a sole radius smaller than the radius of the transition zone;
wherein the transition zone and the impact zone each have a sole radius less than the sole radius of the center of mass zone.
2 . The shoe of claim 1 , further comprising a rigid shell disposed between the upper and the comfort sole, wherein the shell is positioned above the comfort sole and affixed over an entire top surface of the comfort sole, and wherein the shell is configured to act as a constraint device for the comfort sole and the center of mass zone such that the shell provides a static and a dynamic phase during a roll of the shoe to prevent an arch of the foot from being pushed towards a top of the foot.
3 . The shoe of claim 2 , wherein the shell comprises a shell bottom and a shell side which forms an edge around at least a portion of the shell bottom.
4 . The shoe of claim 3 , wherein one or more openings are disposed through the shell bottom.
5 . The shoe of claim 4 , wherein the one or more openings comprise an opening disposed through on the shell bottom at or adjacent the heel area of the comfort sole.
6 . The shoe of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more openings are placed on the shell bottom along the outer contour of the shell bottom.
7 . The shoe of claim 4 , wherein the one or more openings comprise one or more longitudinal openings disposed on the shell bottom between the heel area of the comfort sole and the toe area of the comfort sole.
8 . The shoe of claim 2 , wherein the shell side comprises notches formed therein.
9 . The shoe of claim 8 , wherein the notches are disposed in opposition on first and second transverse lines.
10 . The shoe of claim 9 , wherein the first transverse line is perpendicular to a first longitudinal line passing through the heel area of the comfort sole and a first point located in an area corresponding with a first region of the toe area of the comfort sole, and the second transverse line is perpendicular to a second longitudinal line passing through the heel area of the comfort sole and a second point located at the front of the shell in a second region of the toe area spaced apart from the first region.
11 . The shoe of claim 1 , wherein a lower part of the comfort sole, adjacent the outsole, has a radius of curvature at any point on a line from the heel area of the comfort sole to the toe area of the comfort sole, such that the outsole remains in contact with the ground in a first phase of impact and during the entire phase of a roll of the foot, independent of where the foot is placed, without generating a second impact.