Article of footwear with forefoot secondary studs

• US 9,072,333 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Droege, John, Eder, Collin K., Wilken, Doug D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kavanaugh, Ted
• Application Number:
  US13/228,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 36/59.R, 36/59.C, 361/28, 361/26, 361/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/26 projecting beyond the sole surface
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/00 Footwear for sporting purposes non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/02 Football boots or shoes, i.e. for soccer, football or rugby
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/161 characterised by the attachment to the sole
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 15/162 characterised by the shape

Abstract

An article of footwear that provides friction between the playing surface and the player'"'"'s foot is disclosed. In some embodiments, the article footwear includes a sole may have a plurality of wedge-shaped studs in the forefoot region that extend beyond the perimeter of the sole. The article can also include a plurality of elongated studs on a bottom surface region of the sole. The wedge-shaped studs help provide leverage for removing the elongated studs from the ground during cutting.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure having a forefoot region and a heel region, wherein the sole structure includes a bottom surface, and a side surface that is connected to the bottom surface, wherein the side surface is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, wherein an outermost surface of the side surface forms an outer peripheral edge;

a plurality of wedge-shaped studs extending from the side surface in the forefoot region, the plurality of wedge-shaped studs extending beyond the outer peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole;

each of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs having a first height, a first length, and a first width, wherein the first length is larger than the first height, wherein the first length is larger than the first width, and wherein the first width is smaller than the first height;

each of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs including an angled surface and a downward facing surface that loin to form an outermost edge, wherein the angled surface and the downward facing surface extend beyond the outer peripheral edge, wherein the downward facing surface extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface;

each of the wedge-shaped studs including a substantially smooth outer edge where the angled surface meets the downward facing surface;

wherein each of the wedge-shaped studs includes a substantially smooth angled surface and a substantially smooth downward facing surface; and

a plurality of elongated studs extending from the bottom surface of the sole in the forefoot region, wherein the axis of elongation of each of the plurality of elongated studs is elongated in a direction substantially parallel to the outer peripheral edge.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

one wedge-shaped stud of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs is a front tip stud extending from a front tip portion of the side surface associated with the forefoot of the sole;

wherein at least one wedge-shaped stud of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs corresponds to at least one elongated stud of the plurality of elongated studs so that the at least one wedge-shaped stud is aligned with the at least one elongated stud;

wherein each of the plurality of elongated studs are located in an inward direction relative to each of the wedge-shaped studs;

the forefoot region further including a central longitudinal axis disposed along the midline of the sole structure in a longitudinal direction; and

a transverse elongated stud disposed between two of the elongated studs proximate a central axis in the forefoot region, wherein the transverse elongated stud is elongated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of elongation of the plurality of elongated studs.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs does not extend beyond the outer peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of elongated studs is located in an inward direction relative to each of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs corresponding to at least one of the plurality of elongated studs, so that the at least one wedge-shaped stud is aligned with the at least one elongated stud.

6. The article of footwear according to 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of wedge-shaped studs and the plurality of elongated studs are molded onto the surface of the sole structure.

7. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure having a forefoot region and heel region, wherein the sole structure includes a bottom surface, a medial side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, a lateral side surface that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, wherein the outermost surface of the medial side surface forms an outer medial peripheral edge, wherein the outermost surface of the lateral side surface forms an outer lateral peripheral edge;

a first plurality of wedge-shaped studs extending from the medial side surface of the forefoot region of the sole structure, wherein the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs extends beyond a medial peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole, wherein at least one surface of the each stud in the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the sole;

a second plurality of wedge-shaped studs extending from the lateral side surface of the forefoot region of the sole structure, wherein the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs extends beyond an outer lateral peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole, wherein at least one surface of the each stud in the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the sole;

a first plurality of elongated studs extending from the bottom surface of the sole adjacent to the medial side surface in the forefoot region, wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the elongated studs runs in substantially the same direction as the medial side surface;

a second plurality of elongated studs extending from the bottom surface of the sole adjacent to the lateral side surface in the forefoot region, wherein a longitudinal axis of each of the elongated studs runs in substantially the same direction as the lateral side surface;

each of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs and each of the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs having a first height, a first length, and a first width, wherein the first length is larger than the first height, wherein the first length is larger than the first width, and wherein the first width is smaller than the first height;

each of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs and each of the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs including an angled surface and a downward facing surface, wherein the angled surface and the downward facing surface extend beyond the outer peripheral edge, wherein the downward facing surface extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface;

each of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs and each of the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs including a substantially smooth outer edge where the angled surface meets the downward facing surface; and

each of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs and each of the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs including a substantially smooth angled surface and a substantially smooth downward facing surface.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs includes a first wedge-shaped stud and a second wedge-shaped stud, and wherein the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs includes a third wedge-shaped stud and a fourth wedge-shaped stud.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 7, further comprising:

a transverse elongated stud extending from the bottom surface of the sole in the forefoot region, wherein the longitudinal axis of the transverse elongated stud extends substantially from the medial side surface of the forefoot to the lateral side surface of the forefoot.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 7,

wherein at least one of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs corresponds to at least one of the first plurality of elongated studs, so that the at least one wedge-shaped stud is aligned with the at least one elongated stud, and wherein each of the first plurality of elongated studs are located in an inward direction relative to each of the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third plurality of front-tip studs extending from the front tip portion of the forefoot of the sole.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the front-tip studs do not extend beyond the outer medial peripheral edge or the outer lateral peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole.

13. The article of footwear according to 7, wherein the first plurality of wedge-shaped studs and the second plurality of wedge-shaped studs are molded onto the surface of the sole.

14. An article of footwear, comprising:

a sole structure having a forefoot region, a heel region, and a bottom surface, wherein the forefoot region includes a front tip region, wherein the sole structure includes a medial side and a lateral side, wherein an outermost surface of the medial side forms an outer medial peripheral edge, wherein an outermost surface of the lateral side forms an outer lateral peripheral edge, wherein the sole structure includes a transition region along an outer perimeter of the forefoot region;

a first wedge-shaped stud extending from the medial side of the forefoot region of the sole structure, wherein the first wedge-shaped stud extends beyond the outer medial peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole;

the first wedge-shaped stud having a first height, a first length, and a first width, wherein the first length is larger than the first height, wherein the first length is larger than the first width, and wherein the first width is smaller than the first height;

a second wedge-shaped stud extending from the lateral side of the forefoot region of the sole structure, wherein the second wedge-shaped stud extends beyond the outer lateral peripheral edge of the forefoot of the sole;

the second wedge-shaped stud having a second height, a second length, and a second width, wherein the second length is larger than the second height, wherein the second length is larger than the second width, and wherein the second width is smaller than the second height;

the first wedge-shaped stud and the second wedge-shaped stud each including an angled surface and a downward facing surface that join to form an outermost edge, wherein the angled surface and the downward facing surface extend beyond the outer peripheral edge, wherein the downward facing surface extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface;

the first wedge-shaped stud and the second wedge-shaped stud each including a substantially smooth outer edge where the angled surface meets the downward facing surface;

the first wedge-shaped stud and the second wedge-shaped stud each including a substantially smooth angled surface and a substantially smooth downward facing surface; and

a third wedge-shaped stud extending from the bottom surface in the front tip region, wherein the third wedge-shaped stud is disposed adjacent to the transition region;

a first plurality of elongated studs located along the medial side of the forefoot region, wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the studs in the first plurality of elongated studs runs parallel to the outer medial peripheral edge of the forefoot; and

a second plurality of elongated studs located along the lateral side of the forefoot region, wherein the longitudinal axis of each of the studs in the second plurality of elongated studs runs parallel to the outer lateral peripheral edge of the forefoot.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 14, further comprising:

a transverse elongated stud extending from the forefoot, wherein a longitudinal axis of the transverse elongated stud runs in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the outer medial peripheral edge or the outer lateral peripheral edge.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15, the first wedge-shaped stud and the second wedge-shaped stud are molded onto the sole structure.