US 12,268,276 B2
Cushioning for shoe sole
Prasad Reddy, Argyle, TX (US); and Tuan Le, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to Twisted X, Inc., Decatur, TX (US)
Filed by Twisted X, Inc., Decatur, TX (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/718,861.
Application 17/718,861 is a division of application No. 16/407,972, filed on May 9, 2019, granted, now 11,330,863.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/671,085, filed on May 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0232928 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. A43B 13/18 (2006.01); A43B 1/00 (2006.01); A43B 13/12 (2006.01); A43B 13/42 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 13/187 (2013.01) [A43B 1/0072 (2013.01); A43B 13/125 (2013.01); A43B 13/42 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
a) An upper configured to engage with a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn on the wearer's foot;
b) A sole having a heel portion and a forefoot portion, the upper connected to the sole, the sole having at least one cavity located in an upper surface of the sole and in the heel portion or the forefoot portion;
c) A cushion located in the cavity, the cushion comprising resilient balls located in a resilient matrix material, the balls having a first Shore C hardness and the matrix material having a second Shore C hardness that is different from the first Shore C hardness;
d) An upper cover, the upper cover being positioned over the cushion;
e) The sole further comprising a lower cavity in a lower surface of the sole;
f) Balls located in the lower cavity;
g) A retainer positioned below the lower cavity, the retainer retaining the balls in the lower cavity and being at least translucent to provide a visual indication of the balls in the lower cavity, the retainer exposed to an exterior of the footwear;
h) A protective tread member positioned below the lower cavity retainer, the protective tread member comprising legs extending diagonally across the retainer to opposite corners of the retainer.