Outsole

• US 4,380,878 A
• Filed: 09/26/1980
• Issued: 04/26/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The KEDS Corporation (Wolverine World Wide Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The KEDS Corporation (Wolverine World Wide Inc.)
• Inventors: Skaja, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scanlan, Jr., Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/191,265
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 36/67 D, 36/59 A, 36/59 B, 36/59 C, 36/67 R, 36/32 R, 36/128, 36/129, 36/134
• US Class Current: 36/67.00D
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes

Abstract

An outsole for an athletic shoe features an integrally molded sole unit having outwardly extending receptacles located in the ball and heel area, and replaceable wear plugs mounted in the receptacles.

Claims

1. An outsole for an athletic shoe comprising:

a flexible integrally molded sole unit,

said sole unit having multiplicity of outwardly extending receptacles integrally molded at the ball and heel portions of said sole unit, said receptacles having integral wall portions,

plugs demountably held by said receptacles, said plugs having surfaces in contact with and held by said wall portions,

said sole unit having an outwardly extending bar unit around the perimeter thereof, and

said perimeter bar being discontinuous and tapered in height in the region adjacent the toe of said shoe.

2. The outsole of claim 1 wherein there are three of said receptacles positioned in a triangular configuration in the ball portion of said sole unit.

3. The outsole of claim 2 wherein one of said three receptacles is positioned adjacent the medial edge of said sole unit, and the other two of said three receptacles are positioned adjacent the lateral edge of said sole unit, leaving the middle metatarsal area thereof free.

4. The outsole of claim 1 wherein there is a pair of said receptacles positioned laterally opposed one another in the heel portion of said sole unit.

5. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer end of each of said plugs has a circumferential lip portion, and each of said receptacles has a corresponding circumferential rim portion which extends outwardly beyond said lip portion when a plug is inserted therein, whereby said rim acts to prevent edge lift of said plug.

6. The outsole of claim 9 wherein each of said receptacles is flared at the end connected to the sole unit.

7. The outsole of claim 1 wherein the outer ends of said plugs extend beyond the outer end of said perimeter bar by an amount effective to permit the perimeter bar to contact the ground but not bear any significant load when said shoe is subjected to the weight of the user.

8. The outsole of claim 7 wherein said sole unit has a multiplicity of studs positioned adjacent said receptacles, said studs extending outwardly from said sole unit the same distance as said perimeter bar.

9. The outsole of claim 1 wherein said sole unit has a multiplicity of outwardly extending studs positioned adjacent said receptacles.

10. The outsole of claim 9 wherein the longitudinal axis of each of said studs is transverse to the longitudinal axis of said outsole.

11. The outsole of claim 9 wherein said studs are triangular in transverse section.

12. The outsole of claim 9 wherein said plugs are varied in height by predetermined amounts.

13. The outsole of claim 12 wherein said plugs are selectively varied compressive materials.

14. The outsole of claim 9 wherein said plugs are materials with selectively varied frictional characteristics.

15. The outsole of claim 9 wherein said plugs are synthetic rubber with a hardness range of 50 to 60 on the Shore A scale.

16. The outsole of claim 9 wherein said sole unit is on the order of 0.060 inch thick polyester polyurethane with a hardness range of 50 to 90 on the Shore A scale.