| US 7,543,399 B2 | ||
| Footwear including replaceable outsole members | ||
| Bruce J. Kilgore, Lake Oswego, Oreg. (US); Thomas Berend, Beaverton, Oreg. (US); Anthony Carl Dean, Sherwood, Oreg. (US); Anthony P. Daversa, Beaverton, Oreg. (US); and Lawrence P. Eisenbach, Beaverton, Oreg. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Nike, Inc., Beaverton, Oreg. (US) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 12, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/986,166. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0101671 A1, May 18, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. A43B 13/00 (2006.01); A43B 13/26 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 36—101 [36/15] | 46 Claims |

| 1. A piece of footwear, comprising:
an upper member including a closure system;
a midsole member fixedly engaged with the upper member and having a side region, wherein an exterior major surface of the
midsole member includes at least a first engagement element, and wherein at least a major portion of the exterior major surface
is not designed for performance use in direct contact with a ground surface; and
an outsole member removably attachable over at least the major portion of the exterior major surface of the midsole member,
the outsole member covering a first portion of the side region of the midsole while exposing a second portion of the side
region of the midsole, wherein the exposed portion of the side region extends from an edge contacting the upper to a bottom
edge of the side region of the midsole,
wherein an interior major surface of the outsole member includes at least a second engagement element that engages with the
first engagement element of the midsole member,
wherein an exterior major surface of the outsole member is designed for performance use in direct contact with the ground
surface, and
wherein the outsole member further includes an upper containing region that extends over and partially contains the upper
member, wherein the upper containing region at least partially covers the closure system.
|