Article of footwear, elements thereof, and related methods of manufacturing

Abstract

A shank for an article of footwear including a substantially planar base portion extending within a first plane in the longitudinal and lateral directions and a substantially planar ramp portion designed to absorb footwear loads in a vertical direction, the ramp portion extending, in an uncompressed state, within a second plane that is oblique to the first plane. The base portion and the ramp portion are arranged such that they do not overlap in the vertical direction. A sole assembly is also described and includes an outsole divided into a first portion located at a forefoot portion of the sole assembly and a second portion located at an arch portion of the sole assembly. The second portion is designed to contact the midsole in a compressed state and form a gap between when a load is removed. Related methods of manufacturing are also described.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising a shank providing a resilient member for the footwear, the shank extending in a longitudinal, lateral, and vertical direction, the shank comprising: a substantially planar base portion extending within a first plane in the longitudinal and lateral directions in an uncompressed state; and a substantially planar ramp portion designed to absorb footwear loads in a vertical direction, the ramp portion extending, in the uncompressed state, within a second plane that is oblique to the first plane, wherein the article of footwear further includes a midsole and an outsole; wherein the outsole comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is located at a forefoot portion of the outsole, and wherein the second portion extends rearwardly from the first portion to a location spaced from a heel portion of the article of footwear such that the second portion terminates at the location spaced from the heel portion, and further wherein said heel portion is configured to contact a ground surface without said second portion extending between the heel portion and the ground surface; wherein at least part of the base portion of the shank is coupled to the second portion of the outsole so that a load applied to the outsole moves the base portion of the shank relative to the ramp portion so that the shank is in a compressed state; wherein when the shank is in the uncompressed state, a first location of the second portion of the outsole is spaced from the midsole to form a gap between the midsole and the first location of the second portion of the outsole; and wherein when the shank is in the compressed state, said first location of the second portion of the outsole contacts the midsole.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein in the compressed state the ramp portion is substantially coplanar to the base portion.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the ramp portion is designed to substantially return to the uncompressed state when a footwear load is removed, and further wherein said second portion terminates at said first location which is in an arch region of said article of footwear, such that said second portion extends rearwardly from said first portion and said second portion terminates in said arch region.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion includes a neck portion that connects the ramp portion to the base portion, the neck portion being designed to flex to allow the ramp portion to deform from the uncompressed state to the compressed state.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a substantially planar shank arm that is laterally offset from the ramp portion and extends within the first plane towards a longitudinal distal direction.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the base portion includes a second substantially planar shank arm that is laterally offset from the ramp portion and extends within the first plane towards a longitudinal distal direction, wherein the second shank arm is located on an opposite lateral side of the ramp portion from the first shank arm.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6, wherein the first shank arm and the second shank arm are sized and positioned to reduce pronation of the article of footwear during use.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion includes a lateral shank flap portion and a medial shank flap portion extending substantially in the vertical and longitudinal directions, wherein the lateral shank flap portion is positioned to correspond to a lateral side of a user's foot, and the medial shank flap portion is positioned to correspond to a medial side of the user's foot.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the base portion and ramp portion are a single piece of material.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising: a landing portion extending from the ramp portion, wherein the landing portion extends in the second plane in an uncompressed state.

11. An article of footwear as recited in claim 1, further comprising: an upper designed to receive an upper portion of a user's foot.

12. A sole assembly for an article of footwear, the sole assembly comprising: an outsole designed to engage with a ground surface; and a midsole designed to receive a bottom portion of a wearer's foot, wherein the outsole comprises a first portion located at a forefoot portion of the sole assembly and a second portion located at an arch portion of the sole assembly, the first portion being affixed to the midsole and the second portion being detached from the midsole at the arch portion of the sole assembly, and wherein the second portion extends from the first portion to a location spaced from a heel portion of the article of footwear such that the second portion terminates at the location spaced from the heel portion, and further wherein said heel portion is configured to contact a ground surface without said second portion extending between the heel portion and the ground surface; and wherein the second portion is designed to contact the midsole at the arch portion of the sole assembly in a compressed state due to an absorbed footwear load, and is designed to form a gap between the second portion and the midsole in an uncompressed state at the arch portion of the sole assembly when the absorbed footwear load is removed, wherein the second portion contacts the midsole at a first location of the second portion in the compressed state, and further wherein the gap between the second portion and the midsole in the uncompressed state is a gap between said first location of said second portion and a portion of the midsole directly above the first location of the second portion; the sole assembly further comprising a shank providing a resilient member for the sole assembly, said shank including a base portion and a ramp portion, wherein the base portion is movable relative to the ramp portion as the sole assembly is changed from the compressed state to the uncompressed state; and wherein at least part of the base portion is coupled to the second portion of the outsole and moves with the outsole as the sole assembly is changed from the compressed state to the uncompressed state, and further wherein said second portion terminates at said first location which is in an arch region of said article, such that said second portion extends rearwardly from said first portion and said second portion terminates in said arch region.

13. The sole assembly of claim 12, wherein the outsole is made of a soft material for cushioning the article of footwear, and the resilient member is made of a rigid material that is designed to elastically flex at a single hinge portion.

14. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the article of footwear is balanced such that in an uncompressed state, the article of footwear is biased to lean forward with the heel portion lifted in the air.

15. The article of footwear of claim 14, wherein a forefoot portion of the outsole includes a curved bottom surface, and wherein the article of footwear is weighted such that in an uncompressed state, the article of footwear is able to balance on a support surface by contact with only the curved bottom surface of the forefoot portion and without support from an arch portion or a heel portion.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the ramp portion is coupled to the midsole.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein with respect to a vertical direction, the ramp portion is positioned above the base portion.

18. The sole assembly of claim 12, wherein the ramp portion is coupled to the midsole.

19. The sole assembly of claim 18, wherein with respect to a vertical direction, the ramp portion is positioned above the base portion.

20. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein said gap is located at an exterior of the shoe such that said gap is exposed to outside of the shoe.

21. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the gap is present at at least one of a medial side of the shoe or a lateral side of the shoe.

22. The article of footwear of claim 20, wherein the gap between the midsole and the first location of the second portion of the outsole is a first gap, and wherein said first gap is present on a medial side of the shoe, and further wherein when the shank is in the uncompressed state a second gap is formed between the midsole and a second location of the second portion of the outsole, and wherein the second gap is present on a lateral side of the shoe.

23. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the gap is present at at least one of a lateral side of the shoe or a medial side of the shoe.

24. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein said gap is located at an exterior of the shoe such that said gap is exposed to outside of the shoe.

25. An article of footwear, comprising a shank providing a resilient member for the footwear, the shank extending in a longitudinal, lateral, and vertical direction, the shank comprising: a substantially planar base portion extending within a first plane in the longitudinal and lateral directions in an uncompressed state; and a substantially planar ramp portion designed to absorb footwear loads in a vertical direction, the ramp portion extending, in the uncompressed state, within a second plane that is oblique to the first plane, wherein the article of footwear further includes an outsole; wherein the outsole comprises a first portion and a second portion, with said first portion located at a forefoot portion of the outsole, and wherein the second portion extends rearwardly from the first portion to a location spaced from a heel portion of the article of footwear such that the second portion terminates at the location spaced from the heel portion, and further wherein said heel portion is configured to contact a ground surface without said second portion extending between the heel portion and the ground surface; wherein at least part of the base portion of the shank is coupled to the second portion of the outsole so that a load applied to the outsole moves the base portion of the shank relative to the ramp portion so that the shank is in a compressed state; wherein when the shank is in the uncompressed state, at a first location of the second portion of the outsole, the second portion of the outsole is spaced from a portion of the shoe directly above said first location to form at least one gap between the first location of said second portion of the outsole and said portion of the shoe directly above said first location of said second portion of the outsole; wherein said at least one gap is located at an exterior of the shoe such that said gap is exposed to outside of the shoe; wherein compression of the shank causes said first location of said second portion of the outsole to move toward said portion of the shoe directly above said first location of the second portion of the outsole; wherein said second portion terminates at said first location which is in an arch region of said article of footwear, such that said second portion extends rearwardly from said first portion and said second portion terminates in said arch region; and wherein said second portion of the outsole includes a lateral outsole arm and a medial outsole arm, wherein said lateral and medial outsole arms are spaced from each other in a lateral direction, wherein the at least one gap includes a first gap and a second gap, and wherein the first gap is above the medial outsole arm and the second gap is above the lateral outsole arm.

26. The article of footwear of claim 25, wherein the portion of the shoe directly above said first location is a portion of a midsole of the shoe.

27. The article of footwear according to claim 12, wherein the gap between the first location and the portion of the shoe directly above the first location is a first gap, and wherein the first gap is present on a medial side of the shoe, and further wherein when the shank is in an uncompressed state a second gap is formed between a second location of the second portion of the outsole and another portion of the shoe directly above said second location, and wherein said second gap is present on a lateral side of the shoe; and wherein said second portion of the outsole includes a lateral outsole arm and a medial outsole arm, wherein said lateral and medial outsole arms are spaced from each other in a lateral direction, wherein the first gap is above the medial outsole arm and the second gap is above the lateral outsole arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood from reading the description which follows and from examining the accompanying figures. These are provided solely as non-limiting examples of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of footwear according to an embodiment.

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shank for the footwear of FIG. 1 in an uncompressed state according to an embodiment.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shank of FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of the shank of FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view of the shank of FIG. 2.

(7) FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the footwear of FIG. 1.

(8) FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an outsole for the footwear of FIG. 1.

(9) FIG. 8 is a lateral side view of a sole assembly for the footwear of FIG. 1.

(10) FIG. 9 is a medial side view of the sole assembly of FIG. 8.

(11) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the sole assembly of FIG. 8 along line 10-10 of FIG. 6.

(12) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the sole assembly of FIG. 8 along line 11-11 of FIG. 6.

(13) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the sole assembly of FIG. 8 along line 12-12 of FIG. 6.

(14) FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the sole assembly of FIG. 8 along line 13-13 of FIG. 6.

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a shank according to another embodiment.

(16) FIG. 15 is a flowchart for a method of manufacturing footwear according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(17) Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

(18) FIG. 1 is a side view of footwear 10 according to an embodiment. Footwear 10 can, for example, be in the form of an athletic shoe, such as a shoe designed for tennis, running, walking, basketball, or other activities. In some embodiments, footwear 10 can be in the form of a dress shoe, sandal, or another type of footwear.

(19) Footwear 10 can extend in a longitudinal direction 12, lateral direction 14, and vertical direction 16, and can be divided into several portions, such as a heel portion 18, arch portion 20, forefoot portion 22, and toe portion 24, which corresponds to the portion of the wearer's foot within footwear 10. As described further herein, footwear 10 can be assembled from various pieces, such as an upper 26, and a sole assembly 28 that can include a midsole 30, an outsole 32, and a shank 34. The various parts of footwear 10 are described in further detail below.

(20) Upper 26 can be designed to receive and secure an upper portion of a user's foot. Upper 26 can be attached directly or indirectly to one or more pieces of footwear 10, such as midsole 30 and/or outsole 32, and can be fabricated from various suitable materials, such as stitched fabric, leather, canvas, nylon, and/or other types of suitable natural or synthetic materials. Upper 26 can be made from a single material or a combination of materials. In some embodiments, upper 26 can include a lightweight and breathable engineered synthetic mesh. Upper 26 can additionally include a seam-free material that is welded to the breathable mesh to provide additional strength.

(21) The particular activity for which the footwear is designed for can impact the material or materials used to construct upper 26. For example, a basketball shoe upper, a heavier material such as leather may be used, which in some cases can provide improved support to a wearer's foot and ankle than canvas or nylon. A running shoe upper, for example, might be formed of certain synthetic materials that are relatively lightweight, breathable, and/or easy to clean.

(22) In some embodiments, upper 26 can further include one or more reflective patches or other reflective elements. In some embodiments, upper 26 can include one or more logos or other similar elements, which can for example be protected with a cover, such as a transparent or non-transparent thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) cover.

(23) Upper 26 can include laces to allow a wear to removably secure their foot within the footwear. In some embodiments, upper 26 can additionally or alternatively include latches, straps, or one or more other suitable fasteners.

(24) Midsole 30 can be designed to cushion and/or receive a lower portion of a user's foot. In some embodiments, a foot receiving surface of midsole 30 can be substantially planar or can be contoured to the shape of a wearer's foot. Midsole 30 can, for example, be attached directly or indirectly to one or more pieces of footwear 10, such as upper 26, shank 34, and/or outsole 32, and can be made from a foam, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyester ethyl vinyl acetate (PEEVA), compression molded ethyl vinyl acetate (CMEVA), polyurethane, rubber, foamed rubber, or another suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments, footwear 10 can include a soft inner sole member, such as a sock liner, positioned between midsole 30 and the wearer's foot.

(25) Outsole 32 can be designed to cushion a user's foot and/or engage with a ground surface 46. Outsole 32 can, for example, be directly or indirectly attached to one or more pieces of footwear 10, such as upper 26, shank 34, and/or midsole 30 and can be made from an abrasive-resistant material, such as a hard rubber. Outsole 32 can include a lateral outsole arm 38, a medial outsole arm 40 (shown, for example, in FIG. 7), and an outsole ramp portion 42 (shown, for example, in FIG. 7), which corresponds to and covers various components of shank 34 illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 and described in detail below.

(26) As shown for example in FIG. 1, footwear 10 can balanced in an uncompressed state to lean forward with heel portion 18 lifted in the air. In some embodiments, this can be accomplished by including a curved bottom surface 44 of outsole 32 at forefoot portion 22. Footwear 10 can be weighted through a combination of elements such that footwear 10 is able to balance on a support surface, such as for example ground surface 46, by contact with a contact point 47 of curved bottom surface 44 of forefoot portion 22. This may present a visually appealing display at a retail location, for example, and can also serve to encourage a wearer to strike the footwear at a midfoot portion instead of at a heel portion. The midfoot portion is designed to be the lowest point of outsole 32 and therefore the first portion to strike. Due to shank 34 or another resilient member embedded in outsole 32, outsole 32 can compress and rebound back, thrusting the wearer forward into the forefoot, toe-off position. As such, outsole 32 can be designed to land in the midfoot portion and be assisted by outsole 32 into the toe-off position. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of curved bottom surface 44 of outsole 32 is approximately 225 mm. The curved bottom outsole surface can extend an entire length of a forefoot portion and toe portion, or can only extend a portion thereof.

(27) In such a balanced and uncompressed configuration, a gap 48 can be formed between heel portion 18 of outsole 32 and ground surface 46 to allow footwear 10 to rotate to or from heel portion 18 during a step. In some embodiments, gap 48 can be approximately 25 mm. Another gap 50 can be formed between a distal end of outsole arm 38 and ground surface 46 to allow outsole arm 38 to rotate along curved bottom surface 44 while keeping contact with ground surface 46 during a step. Another gap 52 can be formed between the distal end of outsole arm 38 and midsole 30 to allow outsole arm 38 to flex towards midsole 30 during a step. In some embodiments, gap 52 can be greater than 10 mm. In some embodiments, gap 52 is approximately 11 mm. Another gap 54 can be formed between the distal end of outsole arm 38 and outsole ramp portion 42 to allow outsole arm to flex towards outsole ramp portion 42 during a step. Another gap 56 can be formed between toe portion 24 and ground surface 46 to allow footwear 10 to rotate to or from toe portion 24 during a step.

(28) In some embodiments, outsole 32 can be divided into a first portion located at forefoot portion 22 of sole assembly 28 and a second portion (which can, for example, correspond to lateral outsole arm 38 and medial outsole arm 40) located at arch portion 20 of sole assembly 28. As shown for example in FIG. 1, the first portion is affixed to midsole 30 and the second portion is detached from midsole 30. The second portion can be designed to contact midsole 30 in a compressed state due to an absorbed footwear load, and can be designed to form a gap (such as gap 52, described above) between the second portion and midsole 30 when the absorbed footwear load is removed. In some embodiments, the second portion is able to elastically flex through the use of a resilient member (such as for example one or more of the shanks described herein) that is disposed between outsole 32 and midsole 30.

(29) FIGS. 2-5 illustrate several views of shank 34 for footwear 10. In particular, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of shank 34 in an uncompressed state, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of shank 34 in a compressed state, FIG. 4 is a top view of shank 34, and FIG. 5 is a side view of shank 34. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a gap 77 can be formed between shank arms 72 and 74 and ramp portion 60 in a vertical direction 16 in an uncompressed state.

(30) In some embodiments, shank 34 can be designed to elastically absorb footwear loads, provide a propulsive spring energy when compressed, and/or provide structural rigidity to footwear 10. Shank 34 can include a plurality of substantially planar portions, some or all of the portions having a uniform thickness. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of one or more portions of shank 34 can be approximately 1.5 mm.

(31) Shank 34 can be designed to elastically deform under absorbed footwear loads. For example, in some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-5, shank 34 is designed such that it exhibits a spring effect in the longitudinal and vertical directions (12, 16) to facilitate forward movement. In some embodiments, shank 34 can be designed such that it provides exhibit a spring effect in the lateral and vertical directions (14, 16) to facilitate side-to-side movement, which can be desirable for activities requiring a lot of side-to-side movement, such as tennis for example.

(32) As shown for example in the embodiment of FIG. 2, shank 34 can include a substantially planar base portion 58 extending within a first plane in the longitudinal and lateral directions (12, 14). Shank 34 further includes a substantially planar ramp portion 60 designed to absorb footwear loads in vertical direction 16. Ramp portion 60 is arranged to extend, in an uncompressed state (shown for example in FIG. 2), within a second plane that is oblique to the plane formed by lateral shank arm 72, medial shank arm 74, and other portions of base portion 58. The second plane can, for example, be a rotated version of the first plane around an axis in one of the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions (12, 14, 16) extending from a hinge portion, such as neck portion 78. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the second plane of shank 34 is a rotated version of the first plane around an axis in lateral direction 14 extending from neck portion 78.

(33) Base portion 58 can be positioned within footwear 10 at a corresponding forefoot portion 22 such that ramp portion 60 is positioned at a corresponding arch portion 20 of footwear 10. Such a configuration can serve to encourage a mid-foot strike by the wearer and in some embodiments can allow footwear 10 to balance with heel portion 18 raised above ground surface 46, as shown for example in FIG. 1.

(34) In some embodiments, base portion 58 can include a first substantially planar shank arm 72 and a second substantially planar medial shank arm 74, which can respectively correspond to a lateral side and medial side of footwear 10. Both shank arms 72 and 74 can be laterally offset from ramp portion 60 and can extend within a plane formed by base portion 58 towards a longitudinal distal direction away from base portion 58. In some embodiments, first shank arm 72 can be located on an lateral side of ramp portion 60 opposite from second shank arm 74. Such a configuration can, for example, provide improved stability for shank 34 and footwear 10 and/or can reduce pronation of footwear 10 during use.

(35) Base portion 58 and ramp portion 60 can be arranged such that they do not overlap in vertical direction 16. For example, as shown in the top view of shank 34 in FIG. 4, lateral shank arm 72 and medial shank arm 74 are laterally offset to form a gap 76 therebetween. Ramp portion 60 is disposed within gap 76 such that base portion 58 (including lateral shank arm 72 and medial shank arm 74), does not overlap with ramp portion 60 in vertical direction 16. In some embodiments, and as shown for example in FIG. 3, ramp portion 60 can be designed to deform into a compressed state (shown for example in FIG. 3) due to absorbed footwear loads such that ramp portion 60 is substantially coplanar to base portion 58. In some embodiments, ramp portion 60 can be designed to substantially return to the uncompressed state when the footwear load is removed.

(36) Shank 34 can include a neck portion 78 connecting ramp portion 60 to base portion 58. Neck portion 78 can, for example, be designed to flex to allow ramp portion 60 to deform from the uncompressed state to the compressed state. As such, neck portion 78 can serve as a flexure hinge for shank 34.

(37) In some embodiments, shank 34 can include a flared landing portion 62 extending from a distal end of ramp portion 60. Landing portion 62 can include a lateral flap portion 64 extending from bend 66 and a medial flap portion 68 extending from bend 70. Lateral flap portion 64 and medial flap portion 68 can extend substantially in longitudinal and vertical directions (12, 16). Lateral flap portion 64 can be positioned to correspond to a lateral side of a user's foot, and medial flap portion 68 can be positioned to correspond to a medial side of the user's foot, one or both flap portions 64, and 68 can be designed to provide lateral support to footwear 10 or another function.

(38) Shank 34 can be made of a suitable carbon fiber, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or another suitable material. In some embodiments, shank 34 is made of multiple different materials, such as, for example, a first material overlaying a second material, or a first portion of shank 34 being a first material and a second portion of shank 34 being a second material. One or more portions of shank 34 can be made of a single piece of material or multiple pieces of materials. For example, base portion 58, ramp portion 60, neck portion 78, lateral shank arm 72, and medial shank arm 74 can all be a single unitary piece of material.

(39) FIGS. 6-8 illustrate bottom views of footwear 10. In particular, FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of sole assembly 28 including outsole 32 and midsole 30, and FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of outsole 32 with midsole 30 removed for clarity. Shank 34 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 6 to indicate its location within sole assembly 28.

(40) To provide a desired traction for footwear 10, outsole 32 can include geometries of protrusions and/or recessions designed to increase friction between outsole 32 and ground surface 46. Such geometries can, for example, be chosen based on the particular activities that footwear 10 is designed or expected to be used for. For example, outsole 32 can include one or more treads 92 protruding therefrom. Treads 92 can for example be formed from die-cut blown rubber, carbon rubber, or other suitable materials. As shown in FIG. 6, outsole 32 includes an outsole neck portion 94 corresponding to shank neck portion 96, an outsole ramp portion 98 corresponding to shank ramp portion 60, and a flared outsole landing portion 100 corresponding to landing portion 62 of shank 34.

(41) Outsole 32 can further include one or more grooves for improved traction, ornamentation, weight reduction, ventilation, or other purposes. For example, outsole 32 can include groove 102 formed within outsole ramp portion 98. In some embodiments, groove 102 can be formed within outsole 32 such that groove 102 reveals a bottom surface of shank 34 (as shown for example in FIG. 6) or another piece of sole assembly 28. Outsole 32 can include one or more distinct pieces such as an outsole heel portion 104 separated from the rest of outsole 32 by a groove 106. Groove 106 can be formed within outsole 32 such that groove 106 reveals a bottom surface of midsole 30.

(42) FIGS. 8-13 illustrate various partially transparent and sectional views of sole assembly 28. In particular, FIG. 8 is a lateral side view of sole assembly 28 with a portion of outsole 32 illustrated as partially transparent, FIG. 9 is a medial side view of sole assembly 28, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of forefoot portion 22 of sole assembly 28 along line 10-10 of FIG. 6, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of arch portion 20 of sole assembly 28 along line 11-11 of FIG. 6, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of heel portion 18 of sole assembly 28 along line 13-13 of FIG. 6.

(43) As shown for example in FIGS. 12-14, midsole 30 can include one or more peripheral ridges 108. Ridges 108 can extend upwards in a vertical direction from midsole 30 and can, for example, be designed to provide lateral improved support for footwear 10, an improved attachment surface for upper 26, and/or other functions. The height of ridge 108 can vary in longitudinal direction 12. As shown for example in FIG. 12, one or more portions of shank 34, such as ramp portion 60, can be substantially planar but with a slight curvature due to absorbed footwear loads or can be designed to have a slight curvature in an uncompressed state. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, in compression, elements 32 of the outsole shown in FIG. 12 move toward and then contact midsole 30 to have a relationship similar to that illustrated in FIG. 11.

(44) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a shank 80. Shank 80 includes a base portion 82 including a lateral shank arm 84 and medial shank arm 86. Shank 80 includes ramp portion 88 extending at an oblique angle to base portion 82. Unlike shank 34 shown in FIG. 2, shank 80 does not include lateral and medial shank flap portions. As shown for example in FIG. 6, a landing portion 90 formed in ramp portion 88 can be curved from the angle of ramp portion 88 to provide a flat and substantially horizontal surface for receiving a wearer's foot. Shank 80 can include a neck portion 91 connecting ramp portion 88 to base portion 82.

(45) FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a method 110 of manufacturing footwear, with reference to the pieces of footwear 10 described herein. Method 110 can include positioning shank 34 on top of outsole 32 (step 112). Next, midsole 30 is positioned on top of shank 34 and outsole 32 (step 114). Next, midsole 30 is secured to outsole 32 such that shank 34 is secured between midsole 30 and outsole 32 to form sole assembly 28 (step 116). Next, sole assembly 28 is secured to upper 26 (step 118). The steps of securing one or more components of footwear 10 can be performed using adhesives, heat and pressure cycles and operations, and/or other suitable attachment processes. In some embodiments, method 110 can include forming ramp portion 60 of shank 34 using a pressing operation. In some embodiments, shank flap portions 64 and 68 can be formed using a single pressing operation that also forms ramp portion 60, or can be formed using a second pressing operation, or another suitable operation. The steps described herein can be performed in any suitable order, and additional or equivalent steps can be included before, during, or after the steps described herein. For example, in some embodiments, upper 26 can be secured to midsole 30 before securing shank between midsole 30 and outsole 32.

(46) The choice of materials for the parts described herein can be informed by the requirements of cost, aesthetics, mechanical properties, temperature sensitivity, biocompatibility, moldability properties, or any other factor apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, one or more parts of footwear 10 can be made of a polymer, gel structure, foam structure, and/or a stiffer support structure, such as carbon fiber that provides desired softness, flexibility and shock absorbing properties.

(47) Further, it should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments of the invention are not limited to the exemplary footwear shown and described herein. Although this invention has been described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments outlined herein, various alternatives, modifications, variations and/or improvements, whether known or that are, or may be, presently unforeseen, may become apparent. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the footwear, described herein are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. The various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(48) The drawings and the foregoing description are not intended to represent the only form of the invention in regard to the details of its construction and manner of operation. In fact, it will be evident to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Changes in form and in the proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalents, are contemplated as circumstances may suggest or render expedient; and although specific terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being delineated in the following claim set.

(49) Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way.