IP Library Granted Patent US 7,225,564
Granted Patent B1
US 7,225,564 · App. 09/458,415 · Granted Jun 5, 2007

Shoe outsole

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,225,564
App. No.
09/458,415
Granted
Jun 5, 2007
Kind
B1
Abstract

A shoe outsole includes an outer member with an inner heel region. An inner member is located in the inner heel region and includes a ground-contacting surface. The inner member has a softer durometer than the outer member. The inner member contains a liquid or gas. The outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane. A plurality of grooves are defined in a lower forefoot region and an upper forefoot region of the shoe outsole. The lower forefoot region includes a plurality of ridges interdigitated with the grooves. At least one of the grooves extends toward a front edge of the shoe outsole beyond a ground-engaging portion of the lower forefoot region when flatfooted.

Claims (54)

1. A shoe outsole for a baby shoe, comprising:

an outer member including an inner heel region;

an inner member located in the inner heel region and including a ground contacting surface, the inner member having a softer durometer than the outer member;

and wherein the outer member includes an intermediate region, an intermediate member being located in the intermediate region of the outer member, between the outer member and the inner member, wherein the intermediate member spans substantially the length of the outer member and has a softer durometer than the outer member;

the shoe outsole being dimensioned for use in a baby shoe, and the inner member being positioned and dimensioned to fit under a baby's heel during use of the baby shoe.

2. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the inner member contains a liquid.

3. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the inner member contains a gas.

4. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the inner member extends to within about 2 mm of a back edge of the outer member.

5. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the intermediate member extends to within about 1.5 mm of a front edge of the outer member.

6. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the intermediate member extends to within about 2 mm of a back edge of the outer member.

7. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

8. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer member includes a lower forefoot region, and an upper surface including an opposite, upper forefoot region, there being a plurality of grooves defined in the lower forefoot region and a plurality of grooves defined in the upper forefoot region.

9. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the grooves in the lower forefoot region are substantially parallel.

10. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the grooves in the upper forefoot region are substantially parallel.

11. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the grooves in the lower forefoot region are generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

12. The shoe outsole of claim 11 wherein the grooves in the lower forefoot region are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

13. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the grooves in the upper forefoot region are generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

14. The shoe outsole of claim 13 wherein the grooves in the upper forefoot region are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

15. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein at least some of the grooves in the lower forefoot region extend to both side edges of the shoe outsole.

16. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the grooves in the lower forefoot region extend toward a front edge of the shoe outsole beyond a ground engaging portion of the lower forefoot region when flat footed.

17. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the lower forefoot region includes a plurality of ridges.

18. The shoe outsole of claim 17 wherein at least some of the ridges are interdigitated with the grooves in the lower forefoot region.

19. The shoe outsole of claim 8 wherein the outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

20. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer member has a ground contacting surface including a toe region, there being a plurality of grooves defined in the toe region, at least one of the grooves extending toward a front edge of the shoe outsole beyond a ground engaging portion of the toe region when flat footed.

21. The shoe outsole of claim 20 wherein the grooves are substantially parallel.

22. The shoe outsole of claim 20 wherein the grooves extend toward side edges of the shoe outsole.

23. The shoe outsole of claim 20 wherein the grooves are generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

24. The shoe outsole of claim 23 wherein the grooves are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

25. The shoe outsole of claim 20 wherein the outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

26. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer member includes a forefoot region, there being a plurality of substantially parallel grooves located in the forefoot region, and a plurality of substantially parallel ridges, at least some of the ridges being interdigitated with the grooves.

27. The shoe outsole of claim 26 wherein the ridges are located at ground contacting regions of the forefoot region.

28. The shoe outsole of claim 26 wherein the grooves and the ridges are substantially parallel to each other.

29. The shoe outsole of claim 26 wherein the grooves are generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

30. The shoe outsole of claim 29 wherein the grooves are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

31. The shoe outsole of claim 26 wherein the ridges are generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

32. The shoe outsole of claim 31 wherein the ridges are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shoe outsole.

33. The shoe outsole of claim 26 wherein the outer member includes a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

34. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer member has a ground contacting surface, an upper surface, and a side wall joining the ground contacting surface and the upper surface, the side wall including a back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

35. The shoe outsole of claim 1 wherein the ground contacting surface further includes an intermediate member, between the inner member and the outer member, having a softer durometer than the outer member, the durometer of the inner member being softer than the durometer of the intermediate member.

36. A shoe outsole for a baby shoe, comprising:

an outer member;

an inner member, located in an inner heel region of the shoe outsole; and

an intermediate member located in an intermediate region of the shoe outsole, between the outer member and the inner member,

the intermediate member having a softer durometer than the outer member, and including a plurality of ridges, and

the inner member including a ground contacting surface, and having a softer durometer than the outer member;

the shoe outsole being dimensioned for use in a baby shoe, and the inner member being positioned and dimensioned to fit under a baby's heel during use of the baby shoe.

37. A shoe outsole for a baby shoe, comprising:

an outer member including, a lower forefoot region, an opposite upper forefoot region, and a back wall, the back wall having a rounded contour extending smoothly between a horizontal plane and a vertical plane;

wherein the outer member includes an intermediate region, an intermediate member being located in the intermediate region and wherein the intermediate member spans substantially the length of the outer member and has a softer durometer than the outer member;

an inner member located in an inner heel region of the shoe outsole, and including a ground contacting surface, the inner member having a softer durometer than the outer member;

a plurality of substantially parallel grooves defined in the lower forefoot region, at least one of the plurality of grooves extending toward a front edge of the shoe outsole beyond a ground engaging portion of the lower forefoot region when flat footed;

a plurality of substantially parallel ridges included in the lower forefoot region, at least some of the ridges being interdigitated with the grooves in the lower forefoot region; and

a plurality of substantially parallel grooves defined in the upper forefoot region;

the shoe outsole being dimensioned for use in a baby shoe, and the inner member being positioned and dimensioned to fit under a baby's heel during use of the baby shoe.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 19, 2016
From: SRL, INC.
To: SRL, LLC
Reel/Frame 037867/0313 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 31, 2012
From: SRL, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 029227/0171 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 020083/0830 Recorded Oct 9, 2012
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (A SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC)
To: PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.; PAYLESS SHOESOURCE WORLDWIDE, INC.; SAUCONY, INC.; SRL, INC.; THE KEDS CORPORATION; SPERRY TOP-SIDER, INC.; SAN JOSE ACQUISITION CORP.
Reel/Frame 029100/0351 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 020845/0889 Recorded Oct 9, 2012
From: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: COLLECTIVE LICENSING INTERNATIONAL, LLC; PAYLESS SHOESOURCE WORLDWIDE, INC.; SAUCONY, INC.; SRL, INC.; THE KEDS CORPORATION; SR HOLDINGS INC.; SAN JOSE ACQUISITION CORP.
Reel/Frame 029100/0383 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2008
From: COLLECTIVE LICENSING INTERNATIONAL, LLC; PAYLESS SHOESOURCE WORLDWIDE, INC.; SAUCONY, INC.; S R HOLDINGS INC.; SRL, INC.; SAN JOSE ACQUISITION CORP.; THE KEDS CORPORATION
To: CITICORP NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 020845/0889 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2007
From: PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.; PAYLESS SHOESOURCE WORLDWIDE, INC.; SAUCONY, INC.; SRL, INC.; KEDS CORPORATION, THE; SPERRY TOP-SIDER, INC.; SAN JOSE ACQUISITION CORP.
To: WELLS FARGO RETAIL FINANCE, LLC, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 020083/0830 →