Articulated shoe sole with universal supportive wheel

Claim 1

In combination, a shoe including an upper and an underlying flexible sole having front and rear toe and heel portions, a first body attached to and underlying the under surface of said toe portion and including front and rear marginal portions, a second body including front and rear marginal portions underlying said heel portion for abutment therewith, attaching means removably stationarily attaching said first body to said toe portion, pivot means pivotally attaching the front marginal portion of said second body to the rear marginal portion of the first body for limited pivotal movement of said second body relative to said first body about a fixed horizontal transverse axis, spring means connected between said bodies yieldingly urging said second body, in an angular direction relative to said first body, to swing said second body, rearward of said axis, upwardly into abutting engagement with said heel portion, said first body including a single downwardly facing bearing member journaled from said first body for rotation about a horizontal axis as well as an upstanding axis, said second body including at least a rear undersurface portion adapted for movement braking frictional engagement with a horizontal surface upon which said bearing member is disposed and being free of direct attachment to said shoe, whereby said shoe sole heel portion may be elevated above the upper limit of swinging movement of the rear portion of said second body.