Method Of Customized Cleat Arrangement

• US 20100235258A1
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike USA (Nike, Inc.)
• Inventors: Langvin, Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/001 Golf shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/16 Studs or cleats for football or like boots
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for producing articles of footwear with customized cleat arrangements is disclosed. The method includes a step of designing a customized cleat arrangement using a graphical interface system; a step of drilling holes into an outer plate according to the designed customized cleat arrangement; a step of inserting receiving members into the holes; a step of attaching the outer plate to an upper; and a step of associating a plurality of cleats with the receiving members.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a cleat arrangement for an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical interface system for designing a customized cleat arrangement;

receiving a design including a customized cleat arrangement;

forming holes in an outer plate corresponding to the locations of the cleats in the customized cleat arrangement;

attaching the outer plate to a footwear upper and forming an assembled article of footwear;

associating a set of cleats with the assembled article of footwear; and

shipping the assembled article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphical interface system includes a set of graphics tools.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving members include flanges.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the flanges of the receiving members are disposed against an upper side of the outer plate.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of forming holes is followed by a step of inserting receiving members into the holes of the outer plate.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the receiving members include hollow threaded cores configured to receive cleats.

7. A method for ordering a customized cleat arrangement for an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:

interacting with a graphical interface system;

modifying an outer plate representation;

selecting a graphics tool from a set of graphics tools;

using the graphics tool to create a customized cleat arrangement; and

submitting a finalized design including an outer plate representation with a customized cleat arrangement, and ordering the article of footwear.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the set of graphics tools includes a pointer tool.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein there is a step of selecting the location of a cleat using the pointer tool.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein there is a grid line tool.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein there is a step of selecting a cleat size.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein there is a large cleat size, a medium cleat size and a small cleat size.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the graphical interface system is available through a website.

14. A method for producing a customized cleat representation for an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical interface system;

providing a set of graphics tools;

receiving information related to an outer plate representation including a customized cleat arrangement; and

producing an article of footwear with a customized cleat arrangement based on the outer plate representation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the graphical interface system is accessible via a network.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the network is the Internet.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of producing the article of footwear includes a step of drilling holes into an outer plate.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of producing the article of footwear includes a step of inserting receiving members into the holes of the outer plate.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of producing the article of footwear includes a step of associating a set of cleats with the receiving members of the outer plate.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the number of cleats comprising the set of cleats is equal to the number of receiving members.

21. A method for producing an article of footwear with a customized cleat arrangement, comprising the steps of:

receiving a customized cleat arrangement from a customer;

forming holes in an outer plate corresponding to the locations of the cleats in the customized cleat arrangement;

inserting receiving members into the holes of the outer plate;

attaching the outer plate to a footwear upper and forming an assembled article of footwear;

associating a set of cleats with the assembled article of footwear; and

shipping the assembled article of footwear to a pre-designated shipping address.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the step of receiving the customized cleat arrangement from the customer includes a step of accessing the Internet.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the customized cleat arrangement is received by mail or fax.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the holes in the outer plate are formed by a drill.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the drill is automated.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the drill is controlled by a computer.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the drill is controlled manually.

28. A method of customizing cleat arrangements for a pair of complementary articles of footwear, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical interface system for designing a customized cleat arrangement;

receiving a design including a customized cleat arrangement;

associating the customized cleat arrangement with a first article of footwear;

including an option within the graphical interface system for duplicating the customized cleat arrangement to be associated with a second article of footwear that is complementary to the first article of footwear; and

producing a pair of complementary articles of footwear with customized cleat arrangements.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the option is a button.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein there is a step of selecting a pre-designed customized cleat arrangement from a group of pre-customized cleat arrangements.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein there is a step of modifying the pre-designed customized cleat arrangement within the graphical interface system.

32. A method of customizing cleat arrangements for a pair of complementary articles of footwear, comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical interface system for designing a first customized cleat arrangement and a second customized cleat arrangement;

receiving a design including a first customized cleat arrangement and a second customized cleat arrangement;

associating the first customized cleat arrangement with a first article of footwear and the second customized cleat arrangement with a second article of footwear that is complementary to the first; and

producing a pair of complementary articles of footwear with customized cleat arrangements.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the first customized cleat arrangement is distinct from the second customized cleat arrangement.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the first customized cleat arrangement is substantially identical to the second customized cleat arrangement.