Sole for cross-country ski shoe

Claim 2

An outer sole for a cross-country ski shoe comprising a sole plate member having a toe section, a forefoot section, an arch section, a heel section, an upper surface for attachment to a shoe upper and a lower surface adapted to contact a ski, said lower surface having a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side walls defining between them a longitudinally extending groove, said groove having a width sufficient for receiving the ski so that said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of the ski, said groove extending through at least said forefoot, arch and heel sections.

Claim 3

An outer sole in accordance with claim I wherein said groove extends into the toe section of the sole.

Claim 4

An outer sole in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said sole plate member includes a toe extension adapted to be coupled to a binding on the ski.

Claim 5

An outer sole in accordance with claim 3 wherein said groove extends into said toe extension.

Claim 6

An outer sole in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said sole plate member includes a lateral extension portion along the medial side of the sole, said lateral extension portion extending outward past the medial side edge of the ski to which the sole is to be attached and through the arch section of the sole.

Claim 7

An outer sole for a cross-country ski shoe comprising a sole plate member having a toe section, a forefoot section, an arch section, a heel section, a toe extension adapted to be coupled to a binding on a ski, an upper surface for attachment to a shoe upper, a lower surface adapted to contact the ski, and a lateral extension portion on the medial side of said arch section, said lateral extension portion extending ast the medial side edge of the ski and through the entire arch section, said lower surface of said sole plate member having a pair of transversly spaced, longitudinally extending side walls defining between them a longitudinally extending groove, said groove having a width sufficient for receiving the ski so that said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of the groove, said groove extending from said toe section, and through said forefoot, arch and heel sections so that in normal cross-country skiing motions some portion of said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of ski to provide lateral stability.

Claim 8

An outer sole for a cross-country ski shoe comprising a sole plate member having a toe section, a forefoot section, an arch section, a heel section, a toe extension adapted to be coupled to a binding on a ski, an upper surface for attachment to a shoe upper, a lower surface adapted to contact the ski, and a lateral extension portion on the medial side of said arch section, said lateral extension portion extending ast the medial side edge of the ski and through the entire arch section, said lower surface of said sole plate member having a pair of transversly spaced, longitudinally extending side walls defining between them a longitudinally extending groove, said groove having a width sufficient for receiving the ski so that said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of the groove, said groove extending from said toe section, and through said forefoot, arch and heel sections so that in normal cross-country skiing motions some portion of said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of ski to provide lateral stability.

Claim 9

An outer sole in accordance with claim 6 wherein said side walls of said groove have a depth from the bottom surface of the groove between approximately 4 and 7 mm.

Claim 10

An outer sole in accordance with claim 6 or 7 wherein the bottom surface of said groove is substantially flat through substantially its entire extent.

Claim 11

A cross-country ski shoe comprising a shoe upper and an outer sole, said outer sole including a sole plate member having a toe section, a forefoot section, an arch section, a heel section, a toe extension adapted to be coupled to a binding on a ski, an upper surface attached to said shoe upper, a lower surface adapted to contact a ski, and a lateral extension portion on the medial side of said arch section, said lateral extension portion extending past the medial side edge of the ski and through the entire arch section, said lower surface of said sole plate member having a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side walls defining between them a longitudinally extending groove, said groove having a width sufficient for receiving the ski so that said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of the ski, said groove extending from said toe section and through said forefoot, arch and heel sections so that in normal cross-country skiing motions some portion of said side walls of said groove extends about the side walls of ski to provide lateral stability.

Claim 12

A cross-country ski shoe comprising a shoe upper and an outer sole, said outer sole including a sole plate member having a toe section, a forefoot section, an arch section, a heel section, a toe extension adapted to be coupled to a binding on a ski, an upper surface attached to said shoe upper, a lower surface adapted to contact a ski, and a lateral extension portion on the medial side of said arch section, said lateral extension portion extending past the medial side edge of the ski and through the entire arch section, said lower surface of said sole plate member having a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending side walls defining between them a longitudinally extending groove, said groove having a width sufficient for receiving the ski so that said side walls of said groove extend about the side walls of the ski, said groove extending from said toe section and through said forefoot, arch and heel sections so that in normal cross-country skiing motions some portion of said side walls of said groove extends about the side walls of ski to provide lateral stability.

Claim 13

A toe binding for coupling a cross-country ski shoe to a ski comprising a plate member adapted to be fixed to the ski, a clamp adapted to contact a toe extension of the ski shoe and a releaseable clamp retainer, said plate member having flat side edges to permit portions of the toe extension to extend downward about the side edges of the ski.

Claim 14

A toe binding for coupling a cross-country ski shoe to a ski comprising a plate member adapted to be fixed to the ski, a clamp adapted to contact a toe extension of the ski shoe and a releaseable clamp retainer, said plate member having flat side edges to permit portions of the toe extension to extend downward about the side edges of the ski.

Claim 15

A toe binding in accordance with claim 10 wherein said clamp includes downwardly extending side walls adapted to extend over side walls of the toe extension.