| US 7,555,852 B2 | ||
| Snowshoe binding with contoured base | ||
| Daniel T. Emerson, Berkeley, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to K-2 Corporation, Seattle, Wash. (US) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 18, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/335,179. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0163152 A1, Jul. 19, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. A43B 5/04 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 36—124 | 3 Claims |

| 1. A snowshoe binding having a molded base, comprising:
a molded base formed of a semi-rigid strong plastic material,
a pair of control wings integrally molded with the base and extending integrally and abruptly upward from the base at each
of inner and outer sides of the binding, the control wings being elongated and extending through the arch region of a user's
foot and shoe and being semi-rigid, the control wing at the inner side being angled to form a prominent indentation at the
arch of the user's foot and shoe and being configured to contour to the arch region at the inner side, the two control wings
being asymmetrical and different in configuration so as to conform to the respective inner and outer sides of the foot and
shoe of a user,
a pair of toe stops at the forward end of the base, at inner and outer positions on the base, each toe stop integrally molded
with the base and extending upwardly from the base, each toe stop being semi-rigid and providing an abrupt, fixed stop position
for the toe end of a user's shoe, the two toe stops being at asymmetrical positions on the binding, with the inner toe stop
being farther forward on the base than the outer toe stop, and
the asymmetrical configurations of the control wings and the asymmetrical positions of the toe stops being dedicated particularly
to a left foot or a right foot,
whereby a user's shoe can be held firmly and stably in the binding and in proper alignment with a snowshoe to which the binding
is attached, against movement or relative rotation of the foot with a snowshoe, and with increased comfort to the user.
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