Article of footwear with walled cleat system

• US 7,954,258 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Gerber, Clifford B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US11/873,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 36/67.R, 36/59.R, 36/67.A, 36/59.C, 36127-129, 361/34, 361/14
• US Class Current: 36/59.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/223 Profiled soles
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/162 characterised by the shape

Abstract

An article of footwear with primary cleats and secondary cleats is disclosed. The primary and secondary cleats are preferably disposed on an outer peripheral zone of a forefoot portion of a sole and present a walled cleat system on a portion of the outer peripheral zone. The article of footwear also includes bladed toe cleats.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole including a forefoot portion and a forward tip portion, wherein a central axis runs longitudinally along a central region of the forefoot portion;

a plurality of primary cleats disposed in an outer peripheral zone of the forefoot portion;

a plurality of secondary cleats disposed in the outer peripheral zone, the plurality of secondary cleats having a different shape than the plurality of primary cleats; and

wherein there is at least one secondary cleat disposed between two adjacent primary cleats;

at least one toe cleat disposed in the outer peripheral zone adjacent to the forward tip portion, the toe cleat having a first end, the first end having a first width, wherein the first end is located adjacent to the central axis, wherein the toe cleat extending from the first end away from the central axis towards a second end, the second end having a second width, wherein the first width is greater than the second width.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein two or more secondary cleats are disposed between the two adjacent primary cleats.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein at least one secondary cleat is disposed between substantially every two adjacent primary cleats.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of primary cleats and the plurality of secondary cleats and the at least one toe cleat collectively fills a substantial entirety of a portion of the outer peripheral zone in the forefoot portion.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole includes a first toe cleat and a second toe cleat disposed in the outer peripheral zone adjacent to the forward tip portion, wherein the first toe cleat and the second toe cleat form mirror images of one another with respect to the central axis.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising multiple central traction elements disposed in a line along a central region of the forefoot portion.

7. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole including a forefoot portion;

a plurality of primary cleats disposed in an outer peripheral zone of the forefoot portion;

a plurality of secondary cleats disposed in the outer peripheral zone, wherein the plurality of secondary cleats have a different shape than the plurality of primary cleats;

wherein each secondary cleat has a substantially oblong shape, wherein each secondary cleat having a sidewall portion facing an outer peripheral edge of the forefoot portion, wherein each secondary cleat is positioned closer to the outer peripheral edge than each primary cleat.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the sidewall portion of each secondary cleat abuts the outer peripheral edge of the forefoot portion.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein two or more secondary cleats are disposed between two adjacent primary cleats.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 7, further comprising at least one central traction element disposed in a central region of the forefoot portion.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein at least one secondary cleat is disposed between two adjacent primary cleats.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of primary cleats have an average height H1 and the plurality of secondary cleats have an average height H2, wherein average height H2 is less than average height H1.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of primary cleats have a conical shape including a flattened ground engaging tip.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole including a forefoot portion;

a plurality of primary cleats disposed on an outer peripheral zone of the forefoot portion, wherein each primary cleat is located some distance from the outer peripheral edge of the forefoot portion;

a forward tip portion of the forefoot portion, the forward tip portion being disposed furthest from a heel portion of the sole;

a plurality of secondary cleats disposed in the outer peripheral zone, wherein the plurality of primary cleats having a different shape than the plurality of secondary cleats, each secondary cleat having a substantially oblong shape, each secondary cleat abuts an outer peripheral edge of the forefoot portion; and

a first toe cleat and a second first toe cleat disposed adjacent to one another on the forward tip portion.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the width of the first toe cleat tapers as the first toe cleat extends away from a central region of the forward tip portion, and the width of the second toe cleat tapers as the second toe cleat extends away from the central region of the forward tip portion.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15, wherein the first toe cleat and the second toe cleat each include a first rounded portion with a first angle of inclination and a second rounded portion with a second angle of inclination that is different from the first angle of inclination.

17. The article of footwear according to claim 14, wherein the first toe cleat and the second toe cleat are disposed between adjacent primary cleats.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 17, wherein the first toe cleat and the second toe cleat collectively fills a substantial entirety of the portion of the outer peripheral zone on the forward tip portion.

19. The article of footwear according to claim 16, wherein the first and second toe cleat are shaped as mirror-images of each other across a central axis of the article of footwear.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 14, further comprising multiple central traction elements disposed in a line along a central region of the forefoot portion.