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Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8127469 | Footwear sole with a removable heel insert The invention relates to an article of footwear having a hollow heel cavity that is adapted to receive a heel insert. A user can interchange heel inserts of varying thicknesses based on their activity, and is not required to change their footwear when undertaking a ... | 03/06/2012 |
| 7937854 | Article of footwear having force attenuation membrane An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly including a midsole. A cavity is formed in the midsole and has a cavity wall, with a groove formed in the cavity wall. A membrane is received in the groove and extends across the cavity. An upper member is... | 05/10/2011 |
| 7757411 | Shock absorbing footwear construction A footwear sole includes a plurality of shock absorbing elements that extend from upper and lower plates. In one embodiment, the shock absorbing elements include a plurality of receptacles extending from the lower plate and a plurality of protrusions extending from ... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7334351 | Shoe apparatus with improved efficiency A shoe is provided for improving use efficiency through reduction of neuromuscular fatigue. The shoe includes an upper having a generally horizontal bottom wall. The bottom wall includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper comprises a forward region havi... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331124 | Plate support for athletic shoe A plate support for supporting a wearer's foot. The heel support includes a flexible central plate joined at its periphery to one or more tubular portions. The heel support provides cushioning without the need for an air-tight enclosure in the rear sole of a shoe. | 02/19/2008 |
| 7254907 | Midsole including cushioning structure A midsole includes a thick plate-shaped or column-shaped cushioning portion. A plurality of grooves is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cushioning portion. The respective grooves are helically formed around a substantially vertical line. The respective g... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7243443 | Footwear sole component with a single sealed chamber A sole component for footwear combining the desirable response characteristics of a fluid filled chamber and an elastomeric material. The chamber can be formed as a single bladder chamber in contact with an elastomeric midsole, or a single chamber formed by a sealin... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7244483 | Bladder with inverted edge seam and method of making the bladder The invention is a bladder formed of multiple layers of barrier film to provide multiple pressurized layers of cushioning fluid or gas when the bladder is filled. The sidewalls of the bladder can be constructed with an inverted seam construction to eliminate finishi... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7228648 | Heel cushion structure for a sneaker The present invention relates to a heel cushion structure for a sneaker capable of adjusting the characteristic of the sneaker flexibly. The main body of the heel cushion structure is provided with plural separable elastic elements, so that the wearer is able to sel... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7174658 | Shoe sole structures Footwear, particularly athletic shoes, that has a sole structure copying support, stability and cushioning structures of the human foot. Still more particularly, this invention relates to the use of the shoe upper portion to envelop one or more portions of the shoe ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7168188 | Article footwear with removable heel pad An article of footwear includes a sole assembly, an upper secured to the sole assembly, a heel counter secured to the upper, and a heel pad removably attached to an inner surface of the heel counter. ... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7165773 | Heeling apparatus and method A heeling apparatus includes a shoe with a unique feature in the heel that allows one to walk, run, or roll seamlessly. The appearance is that of normal footwear because of the covert wheel assembly. The stealth wheel in the heel gives one the ability to roll or sli... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7165774 | External wheeled heeling apparatus and method An external wheeled heeling apparatus for walking and running and transitioning to rolling on a surface is provided. The apparatus includes a sole having a forefoot, an arch and a heel portion provided with a first side of the heel portion and a second side of the h... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7159259 | Gelatinous elastomer compositions and articles Novel gelatinous compositions and articles are formed from an intimate melt blend admixture of one or more of a selected block SEEPS copolymers in combination with one or more polymers of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene)n, poly(sty... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7155844 | Shock-absorbing shoe structure having adjustable elasticity A shock-absorbing shoe structure having adjustable elasticity is disclosed. The shoe structure includes a buffering mechanism having a bottom holding plate, a buffering module, and a top holding plate. The buffering module includes a base seat, an elastic tube body,... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7152339 | Cushion cell for shoes A cushion cell for shoes includes a casing with an hour-glass-shaped compressible member received therein which is composed of a spiral wire extending in a vertical direction. The compressible member includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the spiral wire of ... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7152341 | Footwear having a heel and heel breast Footwear including an outsole, an insole having a heel pad located at a heel portion of the insole and a heel having a cavity sized and shaped for receiving the heel pad. A heel breast projects forward from the heel and is sized and shaped for receiving a portion of... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7131218 | Fluid-filled bladder incorporating a foam tensile member A fluid-filled bladder is disclosed that may be incorporated into footwear or other products. The bladder includes a sealed outer barrier, a foam tensile member, and a fluid. The tensile member is located within the barrier and bonded to opposite sides of the barrie... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7124518 | Orthotic assembly having stationary heel post and separate orthotic plate An orthotic insert assembly having a stationary heel post with a guide slot and an unattached rigid plate member with a depending peg that is received in the slot. The peg cooperates with the guide slot to control and direct a medial-to-lateral rocking movement of t... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7114269 | Athletic shoe with improved sole A shoe has an upper, a foot support region positioned below at least a portion of the upper to support the bottom of a user's foot, a sole secured below the foot support region, and a flexible member positioned below at least a portion of the foot support region and... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7107235 | Method of conducting business including making and selling a custom article of footwear The present invention teaches a method of conducting retail and Internet business including making and delivering a custom article of footwear. The article of footwear taught in the present invention includes a spring element that can provide improved cushioning, st... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7100309 | Track shoe with heel plate and support columns An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes an outsole secured to the upper and a plurality of gripping elements extending outwardly from the outsole. A heel plate extends downwardly and rearwardly ... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7082699 | Midsole including cushioning structure A midsole includes a thick plate-shaped or column-shaped cushioning portion. A plurality of grooves is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cushioning portion. The respective grooves are helically formed around a substantially vertical line. The respective g... | 08/01/2006 |
| 7080468 | Expandable shoe and shoe assemblies An improved expandable shoe and inner assembly are disclosed. The expandable shoe includes an outer shell and an adjustable inner assembly is disposed within the outer shell. The inner assembly has a first board portion and a second board portion in overlapping enga... | 07/25/2006 |
| 7073276 | Footwear sole component with a single sealed chamber A sole component for footwear combining the desirable response characteristics of a fluid filled chamber and an elastomeric material. The chamber can be formed as a single bladder chamber in contact with an elastomeric midsole, or a single chamber formed by a sealin... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7063336 | External wheeled heeling apparatus and method An external wheeled heeling apparatus for walking and running and transitioning to rolling on a surface is provided. The apparatus includes a sole having a forefoot, an arch and a heel portion provided with a first side of the heel portion and a second side of the h... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7056299 | Device for heel shock absorption, swelling, and pain treatment An orthotic device for absorption of heel shock, treating edema and swelling and for lessening pain. It is comprised of an elastic sleeve adapted to fit over the foot and heel of a person. The sleeve includes a shock absorbing heel pad inside of the sleeve in a posi... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7043857 | Athletic shoe having cushioning A shoe including a plate capable of being deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe, an arch bridge integral with the plate, and a substantially air-tight enclosure having an interior chamber with a variable hori... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7040041 | Athletic shoe with plate A shoe including a plate and at least one inflated cushion. In one embodiment, the inflated cushion is spaced apart from the plate during the entire walking gait cycle of the wearer, during the entire running gait cycle of the wearer, when the shoe is in an unloaded... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7037571 | Disposable shoe liner A disposable shoe liner that is formed from a first substrate, a second substrate, and discrete regions of a functional material sandwiched therebetween is provided. In particular, the first and second substrates contain are fused together at certain portions such t... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7020988 | Footwear with enhanced impact protection Footwear providing enhanced protection against extreme landing impacts includes a sole having an elastomeric mid-sole with elastomeric pads combined in a heel recess thereof such that the pads act in series with each other and in parallel with the mid-sole during co... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7016867 | Method of conducting business including making and selling a custom article of footwear The article of footwear taught in the present invention includes a spring element that can provide improved cushioning, stability, and running economy. Unlike the conventional foam materials presently being used by the footwear industry, a preferred spring element i... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7000334 | Shoe outsole A shoe outsole includes a member having an upper surface, a lower surface and a heel section, the member further having at least one aperture in the heel section extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. A resilient, flexible cushion is disposed on the ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6996923 | Shock absorbing athletic shoe A shoe including a plate, an arch bridge integral with the plate, and at least one inflated cushion having an exterior sidewall that is curved along the majority of the height of the cushion. In another embodiment, the shoe includes a plate and at least one inflated... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6979003 | Heeling apparatus and method A heeling apparatus includes a shoe with a unique feature in the heel that allows one to walk, run, or roll seamlessly. The appearance is that of normal footwear because of the covert wheel assembly. The stealth wheel in the heel gives one the ability to roll or sli... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6968636 | Footwear sole with a stiffness adjustment mechanism The invention is an article of footwear having a sole comprised of one or more support elements formed of a resilient, compressible material. The support elements are designed such that the positions of one or more bands that encircle the exterior surface of the sup... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6966129 | Cushioning for athletic shoe A shoe including a plate capable of being deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe, an arch bridge integral with the plate and a substantially air-tight enclosure having at least two portions that converge towar... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6966130 | Plate for athletic shoe A shoe including a plate capable of being deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe. The plate includes at least one rib integral with at least a portion of the lower surface of the plate. A portion of the rib is... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6962009 | Bottom surface configuration for athletic shoe A shoe including a plate capable of being deflected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major longitudinal axis of the shoe, an arch bridge integral with the plate, and a rear sole having a bottom surface with a ground-engaging portion including at lea... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6948263 | Shoe having a multilayered insole The invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a shoe with a footbed, an insole having a first layer and a second layer, where the first layer includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and a hole extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. T... | 09/27/2005 |
