US-12622486-B2 - Sole and shoe including the sole

US12622486B2US 12622486 B2US12622486 B2US 12622486B2US-12622486-B2

Abstract

Provided are a sole capable of increasing a repulsive force supplementing a force with which a wearer moves their foot during a kick, and a shoe including the sole. The front foot portion includes a first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion that is a range A 1 overlapping with a placement portion on which a foot of the wearer is placed and includes at least a part of a range A 2 overlapping with the thenar portion of the wearer and a first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion that is the range A 1 and includes at least a part of a range A 3 overlapping with the hypothenar portion of the wearer when viewed in the top-bottom direction. The first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion is at least partially curved and projects in a downward direction, and is thicker than the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion on an imaginary line L 1 passing through the thenar portion and the hypothenar portion of the wearer.

Inventors

Shingo Masumoto
Arthur KILINKON

Assignees

ASICS CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240401
Priority Date: 20230413

Claims (16)

1 . A sole for a shoe, the sole being composed of an elastic body, wherein the sole includes a front foot portion extending in at least a range from a front end to a thenar portion and a hypothenar portion of a wearer wearing the shoe, the front foot portion includes a first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in a range overlapping with a placement portion on which a foot of the wearer is placed, the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in at least a part of a range overlapping with the thenar portion of the wearer, when viewed in a top-bottom direction, and a first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion that overlaps with the placement portion, the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion extending in at least a part of a range overlapping with the hypothenar portion of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction, the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion is at least partially curved and projects in a downward direction from an upper surface of the front foot portion to a lower surface of the front foot portion, such that the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion is thicker than the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion in the downward direction on an imaginary line passing through the thenar portion and the hypothenar portion of the wearer, and the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion includes a projection having a curved surface extending convexly in the downward direction, the projection being curved in a foot length direction and in a foot width direction such that a thickness of the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion from the upper surface to the lower surface of the front foot portion increases toward an apex of the projection.
2 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the front foot portion further includes a second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in a range overlapping with the placement portion, the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in at least a part of a range overlapping with a distal phalanx portion of a thumb of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction, and a second-outer-foot-side-stepping portion extending in a range overlapping with the placement portion, the second-outer-foot-side-stepping portion extending in at least a part of a range overlapping with a distal phalanx portion of a little finger of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction, and the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion is at least partially curved and projects in the downward direction, and is thicker than the second-outer-foot-side-stepping portion on an imaginary line connecting the distal phalanx portion of the thumb and the distal phalanx portion of the little finger of the wearer.
3 . The sole according to claim 2 , wherein the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion includes a projection having a curved surface that is curved in a foot length direction and in a foot width direction.
4 . The sole according to claim 2 , wherein a fourth groove extending in a foot width direction is located forward of the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion and rearward of the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion.
5 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the front foot portion further includes a center stepping portion located on an outer foot side of the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion and on an inner foot side of the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion, when viewed in the top-bottom direction, and the center stepping portion is at least partially curved and projects in the downward direction, and is thicker than the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion on the imaginary line connecting the thenar and the hypothenar of the wearer.
6 . The sole according to claim 5 , wherein a first groove extending in a foot length direction is located on an outer foot side of the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion and on an inner foot side of the center stepping portion.
7 . The sole according to claim 6 , wherein a second groove extending in the foot length direction is located on an outer foot side of a second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in a range overlapping with the placement portion, the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion extending in at least a part of a range overlapping with a distal phalanx portion of a thumb of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction and on the inner foot side of the center stepping portion.
8 . The sole according to claim 7 , wherein the first groove and the second groove are connected to each other.
9 . The sole according to claim 6 , wherein a third groove extending in the foot length direction is located on an outer foot side of the center stepping portion and on an inner foot side of the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion.
10 . The sole according to claim 9 , wherein the first groove and the third groove are connected to each other.
11 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the front foot portion is a midsole, and an outsole is located below the midsole.
12 . The sole according to claim 11 , wherein the outsole includes an inner-foot-side-stepping-portion outsole overlapping with at least a part of the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion when viewed in the top-bottom direction.
13 . The sole according to claim 12 , wherein the inner-foot-side-stepping-portion outsole is separated from an outsole located rearward of the inner-foot-side-stepping-portion outsole and on an outer foot side of the inner-foot-side-stepping-portion outsole.
14 . The sole according to claim 13 , wherein the inner-foot-side-stepping-portion outsole overlaps at least a part of a second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion that is a range overlapping with the placement portion, the second-inner-foot-side-stepping portion including at least a part of a range overlapping with a distal phalanx portion of a thumb of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction.
15 . The sole according to claim 1 , wherein the front foot portion is composed of a foamed body.
16 . A shoe comprising: the sole according to claim 1 ; and an upper covering the sole.

Description

BACKGROUND Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-065511 filed Apr. 13, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present teaching relates to soles and shoes including the soles. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Shoes used for sports such as running shoes are required not only to provide a wearer with a comfortable fit but also to support the wearer's movements such as running and stopping. Therefore, the soles of the shoes are enhanced in terms of shock absorption, repulsive force, grip, flexibility, and so forth through combinations of various materials and shapes. In shoes with such high functionalities, shoes that provide the wearer with a sense of lightness through enhanced grip and reduced weight are known (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a shoe including a midsole and an outsole. The ground contact side of the midsole is covered with the outsole composed of an elastomer sheet. The outsole has a substantially flat ground contact surface in order to enhance grip and reduce the weight of the shoe. That is, the ground contact area of the outsole is larger than the ground contact area of the outsole having a complicated uneven shape. This enhances grip by the outsole to thereby provide the wearer with a sense of lightness CITATION LIST Patent Document Patent Document 1: WO2019/073600 SUMMARY The midsole and the outsole of the shoe described in Patent Document 1 have substantially the same thickness on an imaginary line passing through the thenar and the hypothenar of the wearer. That is, the midsole and the outsole of the shoe are shaped on the assumption that the midsole and the outsole of the shoe contacts the ground substantially uniformly. On the other hand, in the midsole and the outsole of the shoe, upon landing, pressure from the wearer concentrates on a portion overlapping with the thenar of the wearer during running (hereinafter referred to as an inner-foot-side-stepping portion”). Thus, in the shoe of Patent Document 1, in a portion supporting the thenar of the wearer, there have been cases where it is impossible to obtain a repulsive force supplementing a force with which the wearer moves their foot during a kick, in response to a pressure applied to the inner foot side stepping portion upon landing. It is therefore an object of the present teaching to provide a sole capable of increasing a repulsive force supplementing a force with which a wearer moves their foot during a kick, and a shoe including the sole. Inventors of the present teaching have studied a sole capable of increasing a repulsive force supplementing a force with which a wearer moves their foot during a kick in a portion supporting the thenar of the wearer, and a shoe including the sole. Through an intensive study, the inventors arrived at the following configuration. A sole according to one embodiment of the present teaching is a sole for a shoe composed of an elastic body. The sole includes a front foot portion that is a range including at least a range from a front end to a thenar portion and a hypothenar portion of a wearer wearing the shoe. The front foot portion includes a first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion that is a range overlapping with a placement portion on which a foot of the wearer is placed, the first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion including at least a part of a range overlapping with the thenar portion of the wearer, when viewed in a top-bottom direction, and a first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion that is a range overlapping with the placement portion, the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion including at least a part of a range overlapping with the hypothenar portion of the wearer, when viewed in the top-bottom direction. The first-inner-foot-side-stepping portion is at least partially curved and projects in a downward direction, and is thicker than the first-outer-foot-side-stepping portion on an imaginary line passing through the thenar portion and the hypothenar portion of the wearer. One embodiment of the present teaching can increase a repulsive force supplementing a force with which a wearer moves their foot during a kick. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sole according to a first embodiment of the present teaching. FIG. 2 is a side view of the sole according to the first embodiment of the present teaching. FIG. 3 is an X-X cross-sectional view in FIG. 1 illustrating the sole according to the first embodiment of the present teaching. FIG. 4 shows schematic views illustrating a repulsive force of the sole according to the first embodiment of the present teaching while a wearer is walking or running in the forward direction. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a sole according to a first variation of the first embodiment of the present teaching. FIG. 6 is a side view of the sole according to the first variation of the first embodiment of th