IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,478,135
Granted Patent B2
US 12,478,135 · App. 18/046,102 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Sole and shoe

Inventors: Keita Ozawa (Kobe, JP); Hisanori Fujita (Kobe, JP); Yousuke Atarashi (Kobe, JP); Kota Miyoshi (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: ASICS CORPORATION
A43B13/186A43B7/144A43B7/148A43B13/188
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,478,135
App. No.
18/046,102
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sole includes a midsole body and a buffer member made of a material having hardness lower than that of a material constituting the midsole body. A mounting portion that mounts the buffer member is formed on a surface of a rearfoot region of the midsole body. The buffer member is mounted on the mounting portion in a non-adhesive state. One of the mounting portion and the buffer member includes a reference surface and a protrusion. The other of the mounting portion and the buffer member includes a recess. The recess includes a surrounding wall having a shape that entirely surrounds a periphery of the protrusion.

Claims (39)

1 . A sole for use in a shoe, the sole comprising:

a midsole body having a surface; and

a buffer member including a material having a hardness lower than a hardness of a material of the midsole body,

wherein the midsole body includes:

a forefoot region configured to overlap with a forefoot portion of a wearer of the shoe in a thickness direction of the sole;

a midfoot region configured to overlap with a midfoot portion of the wearer of the shoe in the thickness direction of the sole; and

a rearfoot region configured to overlap with a rearfoot portion of the wearer of the shoe in the thickness direction of the sole,

a mounting portion configured to mount with the buffer member, the mounting portion is disposed on the surface of the midsole body in the rearfoot region,

the buffer member is mounted on the mounting portion in a non-adhesive state,

the mounting portion includes a reference surface and a plurality of protrusions that protrude from the reference surface toward the buffer member, the plurality of protrusions have shapes protruding from portions separated from each other on the reference surface,

the buffer member includes a plurality of recesses, each of the plurality of recesses is configured to receive a respective protrusion of the plurality of protrusions, and

a recess of the plurality of recesses is defined by a surrounding wall having a shape that entirely surrounds a periphery of a base of a protrusion of the plurality of protrusions at a level of the reference surface and is spaced away from the entire periphery of the base of the protrusion of the plurality of protrusions.

2 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein

a space is between each of the plurality of protrusions and each of the plurality of recesses.

3 . The sole according to claim 2 , wherein

each of the plurality of protrusions includes:

a front side surface at a front portion in a foot length direction; and

a rear side surface at a rear portion in the foot length direction,

each of the plurality of recesses includes:

a front opposing surface that is opposed to the front side surface in the foot length direction; and

a rear opposing surface that is opposite to the rear side surface in the foot length direction, and

a gap between the rear side surface and the rear opposing surface in the foot length direction is larger than a gap between the front side surface and the front opposing surface in the foot length direction.

4 . The sole according to claim 3 , wherein

an angle defined by the reference surface and the rear side surface is larger than an angle defined by the reference surface and the front side surface.

5 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein

a thickness of the surrounding wall surrounding the protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is larger than a thickness of the protrusion of the plurality of protrusions.

6 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein

a thickness of the surrounding wall decreases toward a front in a foot length direction.

7 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein

the surrounding wall is connected to an adjacent surrounding wall of an adjacent recess of the plurality of recesses.

8 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein

the recess of the plurality of recesses further includes a top wall that closes an upper portion of the surrounding wall, and

a thickness of the top wall is smaller than a thickness of the surrounding wall.

9 . The sole according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a holding member that holds the buffer member in a state of being mounted on the mounting portion,

wherein the holding member has a shape straddling a boundary portion between the surface of the midsole body and the surface of the buffer member and is bonded to the surface of the midsole body.

10 . A shoe comprising:

the sole according to claim 1 ; and

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

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2022
From: OZAWA, KEITA; FUJITA, HISANORI; ATARASHI, YOUSUKE; MIYOSHI, KOTA
To: ASICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061400/0703 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-169800 · Oct 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230123675A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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