Footwear having a heel and heel breast

1. Footwear comprising:

an outsole;

a heel having a distal end and a centerline passing through the distal end;

an insole;

a heel pad;

a heel breast projecting forward from the heel;

the heel breast being sized and shaped for receiving a majority of the heel pad forward of the heel centerline.

2. Footwear as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heel breast is sized and shaped for receiving at least three-fourths of the heel pad forward of the heel centerline.

3. Footwear as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heel pad has a volume, the heel breast being sized and shaped for receiving a majority of said volume forward of the heel centerline.

4. Footwear as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heel pad has a length dimension, the heel breast being sized and shaped for receiving a majority of said length dimension forward of the heel centerline.

5. Footwear as set forth in claim 1 wherein the heel includes a substantially planar bottom surface at its distal end and a forward edge, a majority of the heel pad being located forward of a plane oriented perpendicular to the bottom surface and containing said forward edge.

6. A shoe comprising:

an upper shaped to define a volume for receiving a foot therein and having an opening for passage of the foot into the volume; and

a sole comprising,

an outsole,

a heel,

an insole,

a heel pad,

a heel breast projecting forward from the heel,

the heel breast being sized and shaped for receiving at least a portion of the heel pad.

7. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 wherein the heel breast is formed with a depression for receiving said heel pad portion.

8. A shoe as set forth in claim 7 wherein the depression in the heel breast is generally U-shaped in cross section.

9. A shoe as set forth in claim 8 wherein the heel includes a cavity sized and shaped for receiving a portion of the heel pad.

10. A shoe as set forth in claim 9 wherein the depression in the heel breast converges with the cavity in the heel.

11. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 further comprising an insole cushion sized and shaped for underlying the foot, the heel pad being attached to the insole cushion.

12. A shoe as set forth in claim 11 wherein the insole includes a cup sized and shaped for being received in the cavity of the heel, and the insole cushion comprises the heel pad sized and shaped for being received in the cup of the insole.

13. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a sockliner overlying the insole cushion.

14. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 wherein the heel breast intersects the heel above a bottom of the heel.

15. A shoe as set forth in claim 14 wherein the heel breast includes a bottom surface forming an angle with the heel.

16. A shoe as set forth in claim 6 wherein the insole comprises a rigid heel portion having at least one reinforcing rib extending through an instep region of the rigid heel portion.

17. A shoe comprising:

an upper shaped to define a volume for receiving a foot therein and having an opening for passage of the foot into the volume; and

a sole comprising,

an outsole,

a heel,

an insole including a rigid heel portion sized and shaped for underlying the heel and instep of a wearer of the shoe, the rigid heel portion having reinforcing structure formed as one piece with the heel portion, the reinforcing structure comprising at least one rib.

18. A shoe as set forth in claim 17 wherein the insole includes plural ribs extending generally lengthwise of the insole and spaced apart laterally of the insole.

19. A shoe as set forth in claim 17 wherein the ribs are located generally in a region corresponding to the instep of the wearer.

20. A shoe as set forth in claim 17 wherein the insole, heel portion, and at least one rib are formed from nonmetallic material.