Abstract:
The invention relates to a sole for footwear having a structure for minimising injury to the wearer from twisting or turning movements which may occur during sporting activities, and/or for enhancing performance by assisting rotational movement of the foot. A first invention is a shoe sole (2) comprising a turntable (6) within the sole and connected thereto by a resilient web (30) which provides a seal between the periphery of the turntable and sole. The web is resiliently deformable in response to rotation of the turntable in either direction from a rest position to apply resilient bias to restore the turntable towards its rest position. There may be additional biaising means. There are ten further disclosures of the turntable involving: using glue to fix the turntable and to provide the seal and resilient bias; a separate turntable habing a wiper seal with the sole and addtional biasing means; means for limiting the extent of the rotational movement; coil and leaf springs and interengaging portions of the sole and turntable to provide the resilient bias; a circular race of ball bearings to support the turntable; multiple turntables; means for fixing cleats or studs to the turntable. A second invention is a sole having annular rows of deformable fins which permit limited rotation of the sole.
Abstract:
An improved golf shoe (10) which incorporates a spike socket spine frame system (50) that extends throughout the shoe sole for receiving all of the spike receptacles and is embedded in the outsole. The spine frame (50) provides improved shoe performance and spike location and is made of a material that is stiffer than the outsole material. More particularly, the shoe sole is comprised of a spike socket spine having seventeen spike socket locations (40): three spike sockets in the toe section (40a-40c), six spike sockets in the metatarsal section (40d-40i), four spike sockets in the shank section (40j-40m) and four spike sockets in the heel section (40n-40q), for receiving the posts (42) of the golf spikes.
Abstract:
A shoe pocket (14) for storing articles such as keys, change, etc. when engaging in athletic activities. The shoe pocket (14) has a pocket section (16) with an open end (36) formed with front (18) and back (20) sides. A flexible loop (26) is attached to the back side (20) for passing between a shoe (10) and its laces (12) and close the open end (36) of the pocket (14). There is also removable fastening means (40) secured to the back side (20) which removably fastens to the laces (12) to prevent movement of the shoe pocket (14) when jogging and engaging in other activities.
Abstract:
A sport shoe is disclosed which provides a highly flexible, yet supportive shoe which enhances both wearer comfort and shoe performance, and virtually eliminates shoe break-in time. The shoe includes a two-piece sole system, each sole (30 and 40) having a plurality of flex areas which provide optimum flexibility in the metatarsal (34 and 41) phalanges (35 and 42) regions of the wearer's foot during walking or running activities. The shoe further includes a three-point support system (80) about (i) an adjustable heel counter (60), (ii) the arch region of the wearer's foot (83), and (iii) the lace (72) region of the shoe, providing balanced support about the wearer's foot.
Abstract:
An improved golf shoe (10) includes an upper portion (12) and a sole portion (20) having one or more flexible grooves or channels (22, 23, 24, 25) formed laterally to bend or flex about the ball of a user's foot when walking to provide for flexibility. The sole (20) also includes one or more slots (76) laterally formed therethrough to receive corresponding slides (40), each of which have one or more golf spikes (42) formed therein. The slides (40) can easily be removed from the shoe (10) to facilitate changing of spikes (42) when the slide (40) is inserted into the slot (76) and a clamping engagement is formed so as to provide for lateral support when a golfer is swinging a golf club while providing great flexibility when walking.
Abstract:
A spike shoe construction including a socket (17-23) carrying ribbed insert mounted on and spaced from an outer sole (36) with each socket (17-23) carrying reusable lock means (41) for locking spikes (26) installed in the socket (17-23). Each spike (26) in turn carries a lock means (33) which is non-reusable in that it is so distorted or broken when removed to render it inoperative.
Abstract:
This lacing assembly is for use with an article of footwear (10) and includes lower and upper vamp sections (26 and 30) connected by a single continuous lace (36). The lower vamp section (26) includes opposed vamp portions (28) having lace-receiving eyelets (42) including opposed upper end locking eyelets (44). The upper vamp section (30) includes opposed vamp portions (32) having lace receiving eyelets (46) including opposed lower end locking eyelets (48). The locking eyelets (44 and 48) include a locking member (50) having an eyelet opening (54) and a communicating slit (60) which receives the lace (36) in locked relation. The locking eyelets (44 and 48) permit the fit of the lower vamp section (26) to be adjusted selectively and independently of the upper vamp section (30).
Abstract:
Golf shoes characterized by having differential inward beveling (14) on the edges of their soles to promote a proper golf swing to be improved by the incorporation into each shoe of a rigidly mounted substantially non-deformable heel counter (16). The heel counter (16) can grip the golfer's heel and allows the shoes to more completely proximate the proper golf swing. It is also disclosed that such golf shoes can employ an external heel counter support (17) adhered to the sole and to the upper of the shoe to provide further support in this area. It is also disclosed that the outer portions of the sole of the right shoe for the right-handed golfer (or left for the left-handed golfer) can be cantilevered and/or flaired (20) outward for additional resistance to swaying and/or pivoting in that direction during the golf backswing. In this embodiment, the placement of the spikes or cleats (23, 23a) on the flaired shoe can advantageously be wider than the placement of the spikes or cleats on the unflaired shoe.
Abstract:
A new construction of protective sole (11) or spikes (17) on golf shoes; made of a light and flexible material, on one of the surfaces of the sole, it has a number of cylindrical projections (12); each one of these cylindrical projections encompasses a central perforation (13) and mounting of same is done through a mechanical system of pressure.
Abstract:
A structural chassis includes a structural chassis and a foam chassis or sock liner sandwiched together to form an assembly that can be inserted into and substantially occupy a footbed of a shoe upper. Discrete sole elements are attached to a bottom side of the upper so as to expose certain portions of the bottom side therebetween. This absence of outsole material in those areas makes the upper collapsible about those areas since the outsole provides no support in those areas. Instead, the structure is provided by the chassis of the chassis, which is customized to the user's foot by placing one or more notches in strategic locations along the chassis where the foot naturally flexes. One such notch is located on the chassis in a position that allows the chassis to flex about a forward push-off axis of the foot that runs through the first and second MTP joints. Two collinear notches are formed on the chassis to allow the structural chassis shoe to flex about a lateral push-off axis that runs through the third, fourth and fifth MTP joints.