Footwear with Enhanced Cleats

• US 20110167676A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Position Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Position Tech LLC
• Inventors: Pickard, David, Benz, Erek, Nicholson, Daniel T., Anderson, Christian D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,332,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/134
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/162 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/164 having a circular cross section
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/167 frusto-conical or cylindrical

Abstract

A shoe includes a sole having a plurality of cleats thereon at spaced apart locations. The cleats are configured to enhance the performance of the shoe based upon the specific characteristics of movement of the user. The cleats may include differently configured first and second cleats. Each first cleat includes at least one first directional pattern and each second cleat includes at least one second directional pattern. Individual cleats and methods of assembling and designing a shoe are also provided.

Claims

1. A shoe with cleats comprising:

a sole;

a plurality of generally frusto-conical first cleats on the sole, each first cleat having a first cleat central axis and being rotationally asymmetrical about the first cleat central axis; and

a plurality of generally frusto-conical second cleats on the sole, each second cleat having a second cleat central axis and being rotationally asymmetrical about the second cleat central axis, the first and second cleats being differently configured.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole has a plurality of spaced apart cleat receiving receptacles for detachably mounting the cleats to the sole.

3. The shoe of claim 2, wherein each cleat includes a central bore extending generally along the central cleat axis of the cleat and a fastening member extending through the bore and being removably secured to the sole.

4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein each cleat has a generally circular base with a base central axis and a generally circular end surface with an end surface central axis, the base and end surface central axes being generally coincident to define a cleat central axis.

5. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the cleats are permanently mounted to the sole.

6. A shoe with cleats comprising:

a sole; and

a plurality of cleats located on the sole, each cleat having;

a generally arcuate base generally adjacent the sole,

a generally arcuate end surface spaced from the sole, the base being larger than the end surface;

an outer generally arcuate engaging surface extending between the base and the end surface; and

the outer generally arcuate engaging surface including a first directional pattern and a second directional pattern, the first directional pattern being generally symmetrically configured relative to a bisecting plane extending through the base and the end surface of each cleat, the first directional pattern having at least one first recess, and the second directional pattern being generally symmetrically configured relative to the bisecting plane and having at least one second recess, the first and second recesses being differently shaped.

7. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the first and second directional patterns have different arcuate lengths extending around the outer generally arcuate engaging surface approximately midway between the base and the end surface.

8. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the sole is generally elongated and has a longitudinal axis, and the bisecting planes of the cleats extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sole.

9. The shoe of claim 6, wherein each cleat has a central axis generally extending through both the arcuate base and the arcuate end surface, each cleat being asymmetrical about its central axis.

10. The shoe of claim 9, wherein each cleat includes a central bore extending generally along its central axis and a fastening member extending through the bore and being removably secured to the sole.

11. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the first recess extends generally from the base to the end surface, the second recess extends generally from the base to the end surface and the first and second recesses face in opposite directions.

12. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the bisecting plane of each cleat defines first and second cleat halves and the first and second cleat halves are a mirror image of each other.

13. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the sole has a plurality of spaced apart cleat receiving receptacles for detachably mounting the cleats to the sole.

14. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the cleats are permanently mounted to the sole.

15. A shoe with cleats comprising:

a sole having a plurality of cleats thereon at spaced apart locations;

each cleat having a base generally adjacent the sole and an end surface spaced from the sole, a path between the base and the end surface defining a cleat envelope between the base and the end surface; and

each cleat being chosen from a group including a first set of first cleats and a second set of second cleats, the first set of first cleats being configured differently from the second set of second cleats, each first cleat including at least one first directional pattern in the cleat envelope thereof and each second cleat including at least one second directional pattern in the cleat envelope thereof.

16. The shoe of claim 15, wherein each cleat has a central axis generally extending through both the base and the end surface, each cleat being asymmetrical about its central axis.

17. The shoe of claim 15, wherein each cleat has a bisecting plane and being generally symmetrically configured relative to the bisecting plane.

18. The shoe of claim 15, wherein the first directional pattern includes at least one first recess and the second directional pattern includes at least one second recess, the first and second recesses being differently shaped.

19. The shoe of claim 15, wherein the cleats are permanently mounted to the sole.

20. The shoe of claim 15, wherein the sole has a plurality of spaced apart cleat receiving receptacles for detachably mounting the cleats to the sole.

21-72. -72. (canceled)