US 20030093920A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2003/0093920 Al
Greene et al. (43) Pub. Date: May 22,2003
(54) FOOTWEAR WITH REMOVABLE FOOT-SUPPORTING MEMBER
(75) Inventors: Pamela S. Greene, Portland, OR (US);
Kevin W. Hotter, Portland, OR (US);
Sergio G. Lozano, Beaverton, OR
(US); Michael Martindale, Portland,
OR (US); Gordon A. Valiant,
Beaverton, OR (US)
Correspondence Address:
BANNER & WITCOFF
1001 G STREET N W
SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON, DC 20001 (US)
(73) Assignee: NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR
(21) Appl. No.: 09/990,100
(22) Filed: Nov. 21, 2001
Publication Classification (51) Int. CI.7 A43B 13/00; A43B 13/18
An article ol footwear is disclosed having an upper, a foot-supporting member, and a sole structure. The footsupporting member includes a heel region located at a greater elevation than a forefoot region, thereby defining a recess under the heel region. The sole structure includes a midsole that forms a protrusion on the interior of the footwear. The protrusion mates with the recess to provide support for the heel region. The foot-supporting member may also incorporate pronation control characteristics, including a downward cant from a medial to a lateral side of the foot-supporting member and a region of reduced support generally underlying the first metatarsal. To further reduce the rate of pronation, the sole structure includes a region in the rear-lateral corner that is more compressible than other areas of the sole structure.
