An article of footwear is provided having an elevated plate structure incorporated in the sole structure and optionally including a fluid-filled chamber. The elevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality of legs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs can engage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure can form a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chamber substantially disposed therein. The elevated plate structure can further include a lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can form a lower portion of the cage region. Portions of the legs can be integrated with impact-attenuating members in the heel region in various configurations and can provide features for the impact-attenuating members, such as support, impact-attenuation and adjustable impact-attenuation features.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

A method and apparatus for dynamically altering a height of a sole assembly of an article of footwear uses an actuator having a retraction assembly and a traction assembly. A wedge is moved to different positions within a groove formed in the sole assembly. A user evaluates the performance of the footwear with the wedge at different positions while performing an activity. The user evaluations help determine an optimal height of the sole assembly.

Therapeutic devices and methods stretching the Achilles tendon. Each device includes base and wedge portions. The wedge portion has heel and toe ends, inside-foot and outside-foot edges, and an upper surface that includes a planar surface portion that lies in a wedge plane and an arcuate surface portion defined by a projection that extends out of the wedge plane. The wedge plane has a nonuniform elevation relative to the base portion as a result of the wedge portion having a fore-aft taper in the fore-aft direction and a lateral taper in the lateral direction. The fore-aft taper and the lateral taper are sufficient so that placement of a user's foot on the upper surface of the wedge portion causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex, while the arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion.

Articles of footwear having both interior and exterior midsole components may include: (a) an upper that at least in part defines an interior chamber; (b) an interior midsole component within the interior chamber, wherein, at a forefoot region, the interior midsole component includes a longitudinal flexion line and a plurality of transverse flexion lines; and (c) an exterior sole structure engaged with the upper. This exterior sole structure may include: (a) an exterior midsole component in a heel region of the article of footwear that does not extend under the forefoot region of the article of footwear and (b) an outsole component that extends under the forefoot region. If desired, the outsole component may extend under the exterior midsole component in the rearfoot region. The interior midsole component may include a plurality of pod elements separated from one another by the flexion lines.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

A midsole for a running shoe is described, which shoe comprises a rear foot area (150) with a bottom heel portion (20) and an upper heel portion (142). The upper heel portion (142) is molded in one piece with the bottom heel portion and extended vertically to cover the tuberosity (68) of the calcaneus (69). According to the invention, the upper heel portion (142) is asymmetric about a vertical axis (B-B) dividing the midsole (1) into two halves wherein the area of midsole material supporting the heel on the medial side (143) of the upper heel portion (142) is larger than the supporting area of the midsole material on the lateral side (151) of the upper heel portion. This design stabilizes the foot during motion, and contributes to lowering the risk of injury during running.

An article of footwear is provided having an elevated plate structure incorporated in the sole structure and optionally including a fluid-filled chamber. The elevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality of legs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs can engage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure can form a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chamber substantially disposed therein. The elevated plate structure can further include a lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can form a lower portion of the cage region. Portions of the legs can be integrated with impact-attenuating members in the heel region in various configurations and can provide features for the impact-attenuating members, such as support, impact-attenuation and adjustable impact-attenuation features.

A baseball shoe includes an upper section and a sole section. The sole section includes a sole and a plurality of cleats. The sole includes a cleat pattern section and a no-cleat section, wherein the no-cleat section is positioned at a mid toe section of the sole. The cleats are attached to the sole within the cleat pattern section and are grouped into three groups: a heel group of cleats, an outer mid foot-to-toe group of cleats, and an inner mid foot-to-toe group of cleats. The inner mid foot-to-toe group of cleats and/or the outer mid foot-to-toe group of cleats are substantially aligned, such that, when a pitcher wears the baseball shoe, the inner mid foot-to-toe group of cleats or the outer mid foot-to-toe group of cleats engages a pitching rubber.

An apparatus includes a heel section, a mid-foot section, and a toe section. The heel section, the mid-foot section, and the toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the heel section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to an outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.