A soccer shoe includes an upper and a cleat assembly coupled to the upper. The cleat assembly further includes a medial support bar located on the medial side and a lateral support bar located on the lateral side. A portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the medial support bar is stiffer than a portion of the cleat assembly located near a midfoot section of the lateral support bar. The medial support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of a properly fitted wearer to approximately the head of the first metatarsal of the wearer. The lateral support bar extends approximately from a region corresponding to the rear of the calcaneous of the wearer to approximately the head of the fifth metatarsal of the wearer. The cleat assembly is bonded to a cushioning midsole formed from heated and compressed ethylene vinyl acetate foam. The upper lacks a full-length lasting board and is bonded directly to the cushioning midsole. A lining covers a padded collar and extends inside a foot-receiving region of the shoe, with a portion of the foot-receiving region around a wearer's heel being substantially free of discontinuities.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/626,841, filed Jul. 25, 2003 now U.S Pat. No. 6,973,746 and titled "Soccer Shoe Having Independently Supported Lateral and Medial Sides." Said application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
