An athletic shoe, particularly a tennis shoe, with wear-resistant parts provided in the area of the outsole to increase the wear resistance of the sole material. The wear resistance of the outsole, particularly in the toe area or in other peripheral areas of the outsole, is significantly increased and yet a sufficient braking effect is maintained by the material of the outsole or of the edge of the outsole. This is achieved by molding parts made of one of such materials as an oxide ceramic, metal carbide, metal nitride or hard metal into the outsole in an upwardly directed edge (3) of toe area (4) of outsole (2) or by subsequently inserting them into the outsole in such a way that the outer surface of the parts ends approximately flush with an outer side of the edge surface of outsole.

A shoe patch device and method of preserving and repairing shoes is disclosed wherein a patch member fabricated of a thin, flexible and durable material is formed to be rapidly adhered to the sole and/or upper of the shoe. The patch member is formed in a suitable configuration and includes a plurality of V-shaped notches extending inwardly from its edges to permit the patch member to readily accommodate all shoe sizes and be positioned at differing locations upon the shoe. Due to the lightweight and flexible properties of the patch member, the function and wear characteristics of the shoe are not altered or impaired, nor is it necessary to disturb the original construction of the shoe to effectuate repair or preservation of the shoe.

A primary pivot pad (28) is positioned on the sole (12) of a shoe (10) below the ball region of the user's foot. A secondary pivot pad (30) is positioned on the sole (12) forwardly of the primary pivot pad (28). A second secondary pivot pad (20, 20') is positioned on the sole (12) both rearwardly and laterally inwardly from the primary pivot pad (28). The secondary pivot pad (20) may be positioned primarily rearwardly and somewhat laterally (FIG. 2) or may be positioned primarily laterally and only slightly rearwardly (FIG. 13). Each pivot pad presents a downwardly directed pivot surface having a pivot center. The primary pivot pad (28) extends into each secondary pivot pad (20, 20', 30) and truncates each secondary pivot pad (20, 20', 30).

An athletic shoe particularly adapted for use in sports where sudden turns, starts, stops and lateral movements are involved, in which the sole 14 includes a lengthwise concavity 46 for gripping action; the medial aspect 54 of the sole is linear and rouned off from about the first metatarsal extension up to and including the heel; the sole includes a two-tiered construction from the first metatarsal phalangal joint to distal at 58 to the fifth metatarsal head at 60 so a lowered area at 64 casts the user's weight forwardly to assist in sudden starts; the lateral edge 52 of the sole comprises a projecting wing 90 from the generally vertical side of the shoe; the heel is flared on the lateral edge and a projecting wing 72 is provided from behind the fifth metatarsal to just below the malleolus and around the heel to meet the aforementioned medial wing; and the posterior aspect of the sole is beveled; the shoe having a wrapped around construction on the exterior affording support for the user's foot.

A shoe for rehabilitation purposes, particularly for wear in connection with foot injuries and/or after foot surgery is designed such that patients with foot injuries or after foot surgery can remove rigid supports like plaster casts, orthotics, or the like, in a short time, enabling them to walk again as soon as possible without fear of additional damage or subsequent injuries. To this end, a shoe is provided with an outsole 6 with a front part 8 that extends from the shoe tip 7, which it upwardly embraces, to approximately the toe base joint. The front part 8 consists of an unprofiled material with a low coefficient of friction and is followed by a profiled outsole part 10 comprised of an abrasion-resistant flexible material. The separation line 11 between the two profiled sections 8, 10 extends diagonally rearward from the medial side of the shoe in front of the big toe ball area to the lateral side of the shoe in front of the small toe ball area. The wedge-like midsole 5 consists of a continuous midsole 3 and a wedge 4 which extends from the heel to the narrowing midfoot area. The midsole 3 has a higher cushioning coefficient (lower hardness) than the wedge 4. Finally, the wedge 4 is longer on the medial side of the foot than on the lateral side thereof.