Sole for athletic shoe

• US 4,574,498 A
• Filed: 02/01/1983
• Issued: 03/11/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New Balance Athletic Shoe Incorporated (New Balance Athletics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: New Balance Athletic Shoe Incorporated (New Balance Athletics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smotrycz, Zenon O., Norton, Edward J., Clay, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Mary A.
• Application Number:
  US06/462,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 36/114, 36/126, 36/127, 36/128, 36/129, 36/130, 36/67 A, 36/67 R, 36/67 D, 36/67 B
• US Class Current: 36/114
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/17 made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby

Abstract

Footwear including an upper and a sole with a plurality of cleats extending from the sole arranged in groupings of cleats adapting the footwear to field sports. A control device extends upwardly of the sole around the heel, a pair of spines extend along the sole between cleats of a grouping of cleats within the region of the ball and heel of the foot, and a flex area is provided in the sole in the general off-center alignment of the heads of the metatarsal bones.

Claims

1. Footwear including an upper, a sole, and a plurality of cleats mounted on the sole and extending downwardly from the sole adapting the footwear to field sports, and wherein the improvement comprises a sole including a base layer and an outer layer, said outer layer providing a surface for mounting each cleat and comprised of two separate sections, one extending from the heel portion along a lateral and medial side of the arch and the other extending from the toe portion of the sole to an area of said sole of reduced thickness, said area of reduced thickness being disposed between opposing regions of said sections and extending to the lateral and medial sides to follow generally an off-center alignment of the heads of the metatarsal bones in the front of the ankle and arch of the foot, thereby imparting to said sole along said off-center alignment a capability of flex with less resistance, a pair of spines, each spine extending between a cleat in said heel portion and a cleat in the forefoot at the ball portion, along one of the medial and lateral sides of the sole to introduce a flex and torsional rigidity to the longitudinal arch and full instep of the foot, and a control device within a region extending from the heel portion upwardly of the sole and forwardly toward the toe portion along the lateral and medial sides of the sole, said control device formed as a wall having a height throughout its length sufficient to confine the heel, provide support and rigidity of the foot in a neutral plane throughout a normal range of motion of the foot and provide a surface at least for partial securement of said upper to said sole.

2. The footwear of claim 1 wherein said control device is an integral part of said sole.

3. The footwear of claim 1 wherein said control device extends forwardly toward said toe to about the region of said arch.

4. The footwear of claim 3 wherein said control device tapers from a maximum height in the region of said arch toward said sole.

5. A sole for footwear of the type used in field sports, and wherein the improvement in said sole comprises a base layer and an outer layer, said outer layer providing a surface adapted for mounting a plurality of cleats, and comprised of two separate sections, one extending from the heel portion along a lateral and medial side of the arch and the other extending from the toe portion of the sole to an area of said sole of reduced thickness, said area of reduced thickness being disposed between opposing regions of said sections and extending to the lateral and medial sides to follow generally an off-center alignment of the heads of the metatarsal bones in the front of the ankle and arch of the foot, thereby imparting to said sole along said off-center alignment a capability of flex with less resistance, a pair of spines, each spine extending between a cleat in said heel portion and a cleat in the forefoot at the ball portion, along one of the medial and lateral sides of the sole to introduce a flex and torsional rigidity to the longitudinal arch and full instep of the foot, and a control device within a region extending from the heel portion upwardly of the sole and forwardly toward the toe portion along the lateral and medial sides of the sole, said control device formed as a wall having a height throughout its length sufficient to confine the heel, provide support and rigidity of the foot in a neutral plane throughout a normal range of motion of the foot and provide a surface at least for partial securement of said upper to said sole.

6. Footwear including an upper, a sole, and a pluraity of cleats mounted on the sole and extending downwardly from the sole adapting the footwear to field sports, and wherein the improvement comprises a sole including a base layer and an outer layer, said outer layer providing a surface for mounting each cleat and comprised of two separate sections, one extending from the heel portion along a lateral and medial side of the arch and the other extending from the toe portion of the sole toward an area of said sole of reduced thickness, said area being disposed between opposing regions of said sections and extending to the lateral and medial sides to follow generally an off-center alignment of the heads of the metatarsal bones in the front of the ankle and arch of the foot, thereby imparting to said sole along said off-center alignment a capability of flex with less resistance, a pair of spines, each spine providing a mounting for a cleat in the heel portion and extending between said cleat in said heel portion and a cleat in the forefoot at the ball portion, along one of the medial and lateral sides of the sole to introduce a flex and torsional rigidity to the longitudinal arch and full instep of the foot, and each said spine decreasing in height along said extension from a maximum height at a respective cleat in said heel portion to substantially zero height at said grouping of cleats at said ball portion of said sole, and a control device within a region extending from the heel portion upwardly of the sole and forwardly toward the toe portion along the lateral and medial sides of the sole, said control device formed as a wall having a height throughout its length sufficient to confine the heel, provide support and rigidity of the foot in a neutral plane throughout a normal range of motion of the foot and provide a surface at least for partial securement of said upper to said sole.