Sole and Footwear Having the Sole

This application claims the benefit and priority to Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 202521367537.1, filed on Jun. 30, 2025, entitled “SOLE AND FOOTWEAR HAVING THE SOLE”, and the content of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference.

The subject matter relates to a technical field of daily necessities, and in particular to a sole and a footwear having the sole.

Shoes are indispensable daily necessities for human beings, especially for those who love outdoor activities, who have higher requirements for shoes. Since they walk or stand for a longer time during outdoor activities, it is often very important to choose a pair of comfortable shoes.

How to improve the comfort of the shoes is thus problematic.

The present disclosure provides a sole, including a rearfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an arch portion connecting the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion. The forefoot portion, the arch portion and the rearfoot portion are arranged in sequence along a front-back direction. The sole further includes a plurality of holes spaced apart in the front-back direction. Each of the plurality of holes extends from a side surface of the sole in a left-right direction of the sole, the front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction, the plurality of holes are distributed in the rearfoot portion and the forefoot portion of the sole except for the arch portion.

The present disclosure further provides a footwear, including an upper and the above sole. The sole is connected to the upper.

Other aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure are also expected. The above summary and the following detailed description are not intended to limit the present disclosure to any particular embodiment, but are merely intended to describe some embodiments of the present disclosure.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure.

Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of embodiments, with reference to the above figures. The embodiments are obviously a portion but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in the present disclosure are for describing specific embodiments but not intended to limit the scope of present disclosure. In addition, technical features involved in different embodiments of this application that are described below may be combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

Referring to, a footwearis provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The footwearincludes a soleand an upper. The upperis connected to the sole.

Referring to, the soleincludes a rearfoot portion, a forefoot portion, and an arch portionconnecting the rearfoot portionand the forefoot portion. The solefurther includes a plurality of holesspaced apart in a front-back direction X. The forefoot portion, the arch portion, and the rearfoot portionare arranged along the front-back direction X. Each of the plurality of holesextends from a side surfaceof the solein a left-right direction Y of the sole. The plurality of holesare distributed in the rearfoot portionand the forefoot portionof the soleexcept for the arch portion. It can be understood that the front-back direction X is perpendicular to the left-right direction Y.

In some embodiments, the plurality of holesinclude a plurality of first holesdistributed in the rearfoot portionand a plurality of second holesdistributed in the forefoot portion.

In the above footwear, firstly, due to the existence of the plurality of holesin the sole, a weight of the solecan be reduced, thereby allowing the overall weight of the footwearto be lighter, which is beneficial to improving the comfort of the footwearand also helps to reduce the cost of materials. Moreover, the multi-holes design can also improve the breathability of the sole. Secondly, the existence of the plurality of holesenables the soleto absorb part of the impact when the user steps down, thereby providing cushioning and protection for the foot. At the same time, the existence of the multiple holesis also beneficial to improving the rebound performance of the sole. The absence of holesin the arch portionis beneficial to improving the support effect of the sole. In summary, the existence and distribution of the plurality of holesare beneficial to improving the comfort of the sole.

It can be understood that the rearfoot portionhas a first main force-bearing regionand a first secondary force-bearing regionconnected to the first main force-bearing regionin the front-back direction X, and the forefoot portionhas a second main force-bearing regionand a second secondary force-bearing regionconnected to the second main force-bearing regionin the front-back direction X. In some embodiments, a volume of the plurality of first holeslocated in the first main force-bearing regionmay be greater than a volume of the plurality of first holeslocated in the first secondary force-bearing region, and a volume of the plurality of second holeslocated in the second main force-bearing regionmay be greater than a volume of the plurality of second holeslocated in the second secondary force-bearing region. The larger the holes in the main force-bearing region, the better the absorption effect of the impact, and thus the better the cushioning effect of the main force-bearing region, combined with the relatively smaller holes in the secondary force-bearing region, which is beneficial to improving the cushioning effect while ensuring the overall support effect of the sole.

In some embodiments, referring to, on a cross-section of the solealong a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, each of the plurality of holesmay be in a shape of an acute triangle. Due to the edges and corners of the triangular structure, the pressure exerted on the solecan be directed to multiple directions, thereby dispersing the pressure and reducing the concentration of local stress, so that the cushioning effect of the solecan be enhanced while reducing damage to the sole. Secondly, the stability of the triangular structure can also enhance the controllable deformation of the soleduring compression. For example, when the foot touches the ground, the distribution of the plurality of triangular holes in the front-back direction X can extend a pressure absorption time through an orderly deformation formed by sequential compression and rebound, which is conducive to further dispersing the pressure and further improving the cushioning effect. Moreover, the high geometric stability of the triangular structure can reduce the twisting deformation of the sole when subjected to lateral force, enhancing the dynamic support of the soleduring use, such as when running. Additionally, the triangular structure can accelerate the recovery speed after deformation under force and improve the continuity of energy conversion of the shoe, thereby achieving a more sensitive rebound response.

It can be understood that each of the corners of each of the plurality of holesin the shape of an acute triangle includes a baseand a top angle α that is opposite to the basein an up-down direction Z.

In some embodiments, the corners of the plurality of holesin the shape of an acute triangle can be rounded, which is beneficial for further reducing the risk of local stress concentration, thereby reducing the fatigue risk of the soleand extending its service life.

In some embodiments, the top angle α of each of the plurality of first holeslocated in the first main force-bearing regionmay face a lower surfaceof the sole, and the baseof each of the plurality of first holeslocated in the first main force-bearing regionmay face an upper surfaceof the sole; the top angle α of each of the plurality of second holeslocated in the second main force-bearing regionmay face the lower surfaceof the sole, and the baseof each of the plurality of second holeslocated in the second main force-bearing regionmay face the upper surfaceof the sole. When the soleis subjected to impact, a structure of each of the triangular holes in the corresponding main force-bearing regions (and) with the top angle facing down and the base facing up can provide better cushioning effect through a larger deformation space at the beginning, and provide better support force through the top angle in the subsequent process to achieve a better rebound effect, thereby improving the comfort of the footwear.

In some embodiments, referring to, centers of the plurality of first holesmay be distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction X, and centers of the plurality of second holesmay also be distributed in a wavy structure along the front-back direction X. The above specific distribution of the plurality of first holesand the plurality of second holeshas a certain guiding effect on the force when subjected to impact, which is conducive to enhancing the cushioning effect, and improving the rebound effect after cushioning. When running outdoors and touching the ground, the front-to-back wavy design has a better rolling transition effect (i.e., smoother rolling) when the front and back of the sole alternately touch the ground, thereby enhancing the user's experience.

In some embodiments, each of the first holesand the second holeslocated at wave peaks of the wavy structure may satisfy the top angle α facing the lower surfaceof the soleand the basefacing the upper surfaceof the sole, while each of the first holesand second holeslocated at wave troughs of the wavy structure may satisfy the top angle α facing the upper surfaceof the soleand the basefacing the lower surfaceof the sole. The top angle of the hole closer to the foot points downward and the base of the hole closer to the foot points upward, while the top angle of the hole closer to the ground points upward and the base of the hole closer to the ground points downward, which is conducive to providing better cushioning and rebound effects for the sole while offering better support, thereby further enhancing the comfort of the sole.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of holesmay satisfy that the top angle α points towards the lower surfaceand the basepoints towards the upper surface, or may satisfy that the top angle α points towards the upper surfaceand the basepoints towards the lower surface. Further, the solemay have more holeswith the top angle α pointing towards the lower surfaceand the basepointing towards the upper surfacethan holeswith the top angle α pointing towards the upper surfaceand the basepointing towards the lower surface, which is conducive to further enhancing the cushioning effect of the soleand thus better protecting the user's feet.

In some embodiments, on the cross-section of the solealong the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, the cross-section of each of the plurality of holesmay be of other shapes, for example, as shown in, the cross-section of each of the plurality of holesmay be, but not limited to, in a shape of a rhombus.

Referring to, each of the plurality of holesis defined by an inner surface, a chamfer may be further formed between an outer end of the inner surfaceand the side surfaceof the sole, which is conducive to allowing the deformation of the holesto be smoother when the soleis subjected to force, thereby further enhancing the cushioning effect of the sole.

The plurality of holesmay be blind holes or through holes. In at least one embodiment, each of the plurality of holesis a through hole that penetrates the solealong the left-right direction Y, which is conducive to enhancing the overall cushioning effect and the overall rebound effect of the sole. Specifically, each of the plurality of first holesand each of the plurality of second holesare through holes.

In some embodiments, an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holescloser to the side surfacemay be greater than an area of a cross-section of each of the plurality of holesfurther away from the side surface, both the cross-section of each of the plurality of holescloser to the side surfaceand the cross-section of each of the plurality of holesfurther away from the side surfaceare perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, which improves the overall stability of the solewhile providing a buffering effect, thereby better protecting the user's foot and enhancing the comfort.

In some embodiments, from the side surfaceof the soleto an interior of the sole, each of the plurality of holesmay be a stepped hole, and include at least two regions. An area of a cross-section of a region of the at least two regions closer to the side surfaceof the soleperpendicular to the left-right direction Y is greater than an area of a cross-section of a region of the at least two regions further away from the side surfaceperpendicular to the left-right direction Y. That is, from the side surfaceof the soleto the interior of the sole, the areas of the cross-sections of the at least two regions of each of the plurality of holesperpendicular to the left-right direction Y gradually decrease in a stepped manner.

In some embodiments, areas of cross-sections of each of the plurality of holesperpendicular to the left-right direction Y, from the side surfaceof the soleto the interior of the sole, may be decrease linearly.

Referring to, a ring-shaped protrusionmay be arranged along and connected to an outer periphery of the upper surfaceof the sole. The protrusionand the upper surfacecooperate to form a spacefor accommodating the foot. To enhance the fit and the comfort with the foot, a surfaceof the protrusionfacing the spacemay be an inclined surface. In at least one embodiment, an end of the inclined surface away from the upper surfacetilts away from a center axis O of the space. In some embodiments, a shape of the inclined surface may be roughly designed to match a shape of a corresponding area of the foot, thereby further enhancing the support effect and the comfort.

The above-mentioned footwearof this application, due to the existence of the plurality of holesin the sole, a weight of the solecan be reduced, thereby allowing the overall weight of the footwearto be lighter, which is beneficial to improving the comfort of the footwearand also helps to reduce the cost of materials. Moreover, the multi-holes design can also improve the breathability of the sole. Secondly, the existence of the plurality of holesenables the soleto absorb part of the impact when the user steps down, thereby providing cushioning and protection for the foot. At the same time, the existence of the multiple holesis also beneficial to improving the rebound performance of the sole. The absence of holesin the arch portionis beneficial to improving the support effect of the sole. In summary, the existence and distribution of the plurality of holesare beneficial to improving the comfort of the sole.

Even though information and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the present embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present embodiments to the full extent indicated by the plain meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.