IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,490,799
Granted Patent B2
US 12,490,799 · App. 17/663,795 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Plate, sole, and shoe

Inventors: Kenta Tateno (Kobe, JP); Kenji Hirata (Kobe, JP); Hiroaki Nishimura (Kobe, JP); Takayuki Kogure (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: ASICS CORPORATION
A43B13/125A43B13/127A43B13/186
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,490,799
App. No.
17/663,795
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A plate is used for a sole that forms a part of a shoe. The plate includes a mid- and rear-foot support portion in a shape extending from a position superimposed on a rear end portion of a metatarsal bone of a wearer of the shoe in a thickness direction of the sole to a position superimposed on a heel bone of the wearer, the mid- and rear-foot support portion supporting a midfoot portion and a rear foot portion of the wearer. The mid- and rear-foot support portion is in a shape convex upward in a cross-section in a foot width direction.

Claims (53)

1 . A sole that forms a part of a shoe, comprising:

a plate including a mid- and rear-foot support portion in a shape extending from a position configured to be superimposed on a rear end portion of a metatarsal bone of a wearer of the shoe in a thickness direction of the sole to a position configured to be superimposed on a heel bone of the wearer, the mid- and rear-foot support portion configured to support a midfoot portion and a rear foot portion of the wearer;

the plate further including a forefoot support portion extending forward from the mid- and rear-foot support portion and configured to support a forefoot portion of the wearer, wherein the forefoot support portion includes a shape convex downward in a cross-section along a foot length direction; and

a midsole including a lower midsole and an upper midsole connected to the lower midsole, the entire forefoot support portion and the mid-and rear-foot support portion positioned between the lower midsole and the upper midsole;

wherein the mid- and rear-foot support portion is in a shape convex upward in a cross-section along an entire width of the plate in a foot width direction at the position configured to be superimposed on the heel bone of the wearer; and

wherein the upper midsole has a greater width than the mid- and rear-foot support portion of the plate in the foot width direction.

2 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein:

the mid- and rear-foot support portion includes a top portion located at a position highest in the thickness direction, and

the top portion is located at a position configured to overlap with a heel center of the wearer in the thickness direction.

3 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein:

the mid- and rear-foot support portion includes a top portion located at a position highest in the thickness direction, and

the top portion is located on an inner side in the foot width direction relative to a heel center of the wearer.

4 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein:

the mid-and rear-foot support portion includes a top portion located at a position highest in the thickness direction; and

the top portion is located on an outer side in the foot width direction relative to a heel center of the wearer.

5 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the forefoot support portion is in a shape convex upward in a cross-section in the foot width direction.

6 . The sole according to claim 5 , wherein:

the forefoot support portion includes a peak portion; and

the peak portion is located on a straight line that connects an intersection between a front end portion of the forefoot support portion and a shoe center to a front end portion of the mid- and rear-foot support portion.

7 . The sole according to claim 5 , wherein:

the forefoot support portion includes a peak portion; and

the peak portion is located on an inner side in the foot width direction relative to a straight line that connects an intersection between a front end portion of the forefoot support portion and a shoe center to a front end portion of the mid- and rear-foot support portion.

8 . The sole according to claim 5 , wherein:

the forefoot support portion includes a peak portion; and

the peak portion is located on an outer side in the foot width direction relative to a straight line that connects an intersection between a front end portion of the forefoot support portion and a shoe center to a front end portion of the mid-and rear-foot support portion.

9 . The sole according to claim 5 , the midsole including an accommodation portion that defines a space where the plate is accommodated.

10 . The sole according to claim 9 , wherein the accommodation portion includes:

a bonded portion bonded to the forefoot support portion; and

a non-bonded portion formed at a position adjacent to the bonded portion in the foot width direction and not bonded to the forefoot support portion.

11 . The sole according to claim 10 , wherein the accommodation portion includes:

a contact portion in contact with the forefoot support portion; and

a recess portion in a shape recessed from the contact portion in a direction away from the forefoot support portion in the thickness direction.

12 . The sole according to claim 9 , wherein:

the accommodation portion includes an opposing portion opposed to the forefoot support portion in the foot width direction; and

the opposing portion is distant from the forefoot support portion in the foot width direction while a load is not applied to the forefoot support portion.

13 . The sole according to claim 9 , wherein the accommodation portion includes:

a contact portion in contact with the forefoot support portion; and

a recess portion in a shape recessed from the contact portion in a direction away from the forefoot support portion in the thickness direction.

14 . A shoe comprising:

the sole according to claim 9 ; and

an upper connected to the sole and located above the sole.

15 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein:

the lower midsole includes a lower heel region configured to be superimposed on a heel portion of the wearer in the thickness direction;

the upper midsole includes an upper heel region configured to be superimposed on the heel portion of the wearer in the thickness direction;

a thickness of the lower heel region is larger than a thickness of the upper heel region; and

when viewed in cross section in a foot width direction, the mid- and rear-foot support portion has a width that is less than that of the lower midsole.

16 . A shoe comprising:

the sole according to claim 15 ; and

an upper connected to the sole and located above the sole.

17 . The shoe of claim 16 , wherein the forefoot support portion includes a flat shape in a cross-section in the foot width direction.

18 . The sole of claim 15 , wherein the forefoot support portion includes a flat shape in a cross-section in the foot width direction.

19 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the forefoot support portion includes a flat shape in a cross-section in the foot width direction.

20 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the mid-and rear-foot support portion is in a shape convex upward in a cross-section in a foot width direction throughout an entire area from a position configured to be superimposed on a rear end portion of the metatarsal bone of the wearer in the thickness direction to a position configured to be superimposed on a rear end portion of a heel bone of the wearer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2022
From: TATENTO, KENTA; HIRATA, KENJI; NISHIMURA, HIROAKI; KOGURE, TAKAYUKI
To: ASICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060104/0928 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-088499 · May 26, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220378145A1 · Dec 1, 2022
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