A footwear which includes a support member having an inner sole and an upper surface attachable to a foot, and two bulbous protuberances protruding from a lower surface of the support member on opposite sides of a latitudinal midline, is provided.

Described are shoes, particularly a sports shoe, having an upper and at least one of an outer sole and a midsole connected to the upper. As examples, the outer sole is knitted in a unitary fashion with the upper. As further examples, an insert is positioned within the one-piece knitwear, wherein the insert comprises a profile that increases traction of the outer sole.

A modular article of footwear has a shock absorbing insert placed between the insole and the outsole thereof, for example at the heel. The insert includes a spring carrier having upper and lower portions, each having a plurality seats for receiving a respective ends of respective coil springs. Each of the springs extends between said upper and lower portions and is captured therebetween. A pair of opposed permanent magnets generates a separating force which supplements the supporting force of the mechanical springs. The insert may also contain a device for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy.

A reusable, customizable shoe-insole having an encased viscoelastic material disposed on base of an insole and configured to assume an arch support structure in accordance with sole geometries of each additional user.

A grid for selecting an appropriate embodiment of an athletic shoe having an upper and a multiple part sole forming an interior volume for receiving an individual's foot. The multiple part sole comprises an inner sole for engaging the plantar surface of the foot, a midsole attached to the exterior of the inner sole and substantially coextensive with the inner sole, and an outer sole attached to the midsole. The outer sole has a first portion extending from the toe of the shoe to a position beneath the foot selected according to the intended use of the shoe, and has a second contiguous portion extending from the selected position to the heel of the shoe, the first portion providing a landing surface for the shoe and the second portion being relatively thin as compared to the first portion thereby promoting proper posture and gait of the wearer.

A sole structure may include a damping pad. The damping pad may include a chamber, a foam element located within the chamber, particles located within the chamber and at least partially filling cavities in the foam element, and a set of electrodes positioned to create, in response to a voltage across the electrodes, an electrical field in at least a portion of the particles.

A ball-of-foot type shoe insert has two regions with different compressibility characteristics, illustratively created by using polyurethane foam of difference densities, in a front region which, when the insert is positioned in a shoe, will underlie the toes of a wearer, and a rear region which, when positioned in a shoe, will underlie the ball of the foot. The front region is less compressible so that the toes in combination with the insert fill-up the toe box, thereby preventing the foot from sliding forward so that the anatomical heel of the wearer fits naturally in the heel of a shoe that is too big for the wearer.

A shoe support structure comprising a hard rubber-like material and a gel material. The rubber-like material is constructed so that it has a change in thickness beginning at the arch, where it slopes down, leveling out at a thickness of about 1¼ inches. This change in thickness creates a frontal recess, leaving a bead of rubber at the outer edge. This cavity holds a thick cushion of about 1¾ inches of highly viscous gel material held in place by the rubber lip and adhered to the elastic material. This creates a cushion when the foot applies weight. The front of the sole and the back of the heel are equal in height, giving the entire surface equal height planes for balance. The two materials are one rubber like, one gel like and slope toward each other at the arch in identical angles.

An adjustable multiple bladder system for an article of footwear is disclosed. The bladder system includes an outer bladder that may be inflated using an external pump. A valve member is disposed within the outer bladder and divides the outer bladder into two distinct inflation chambers. The inflation chambers may be inflated separately.

A shoe (A) provided with an internal side (LI) and an external side (LE) and comprising a sole (I), an intermediate sole (3) and a reinforcement insert (4) joined with the intermediate sole (3) and comprising at least one lateral wing (42,43) which is inclined and disposed on the internal side (LI) or the external side (LE) of the shoe (A).