Patent Application
20100083539
The present invention relates to athletic shoes, and particularly to outsoles for golf shoes.
In many sports or athletic games, the player wears specialized shoes having a construction, especially an outsole, which is adapted to support the player in the particular movement characteristic of that sport or game. For the game of golf, the shoes should remain in contact with the ground throughout the swinging of the club, but during such swing, the weight distribution shifts dramatically, and portions of the shoe lift off the ground. A well designed and well fitting golf shoe not only conforms to the shape of the foot, but also supports the regions of the foot that remain grounded during the swing.
For many years, the outsoles of golf shoes have included projecting spikes or cleats to prevent slippage during the swing. More recently, the foresole, arch and heel regions have been partially decoupled, to improve the flexure of the shoe during the swing. Grooves or channels in the foresole further enhance flexibility.
Such efforts to improve flexibility have focused on the shoe, without regard to the detailed anatomy of the foot.
The present invention is directed to an outsole having features that more closely integrate the support and flexure of the shoe with the dynamic anatomical characteristics of the foot during athletic movements.
One embodiment is directed to an outsole for a golf shoe, having a perimeter outlining a wearer's foot of given size, an inner surface providing a foot bed and an outer surface having cleats for engaging the ground. A normal foot has a heel, a medial arch, a lateral arch, two medial phalanges (#1 and #2), a center phalange (#3), and two lateral phalanges (#4 and #5). The outsole comprises a substantially planar outer foresole region, a substantially planar outer heel region, and an outer arch region recessed from the foresole and heel regions, each of these regions having medial and lateral sides. A plurality of lateral and medial cleats are spaced apart longitudinally adjacent the perimeter on each of the lateral and medial sides of the outer foresole region, respectively, and project from the plane of the foresole region. At least one cleat is situated adjacent the perimeter on each of the lateral and medial sides of the outer heel region and project from the plane of the heel region. According to one feature of the present disclosure, a flex groove runs longitudinally through the outer foresole region between medial and lateral cleats, in a substantially vertical registry with a region of the foot defined by the center phalange (#3) and the medial and lateral phalanges (#2 and #4) adjacent the center phalange.
Preferably, the groove is in substantially vertical registry with a region of the foot defined between the medial phalange (#2) and the closer lateral phalange (#4), from the toes to the lateral arch of the foot. Ideally, the groove is in a substantially vertical registry with a region of the foot defined by the center phalange (#3) and the #4 lateral phalange, from the toes to the arch of the foot.
Many golf instructors believe that during the most important parts of the golf swing, the golfer's weight should be supported in the medial regions of the foot. During the back swing, the weight shifts from a substantially even 50-50 per cent distribution on the front and back feet, to an 80-20 per cent distribution on the back foot. At the top of the backswing and during the transition to the downswing, the 80 per cent on the back foot is split 80-20 per cent favoring the medial side of the back foot. After impact and during release of the club, the weight shifts to an 80-20 per cent distribution on the front foot, with the 80 per cent on the front split 80-20 per cent favoring the medial side of the front foot.
The natural bend line of the foot for implementing this movement extends longitudinally from the junction of the medial and lateral arch, forwardly between the medial phalange (#2) and the closer lateral phalange (#4). A corresponding longitudinal groove in the outsole reduces a lever angle effect and promotes a substantially flat contact with the ground on the medial side while the lateral side can lift off the ground. In practice, the groove on the outer foresole can still be more effective than conventional grooves, even if not perfectly aligned between the medial (#2) phalange and the closer lateral phalange (#4)
In a further preference, another, transverse groove extends between the lateral and media sides of the outer foresole region, having an inverted “V” shape with the apex of the “V” directed forwardly and intersecting the longitudinal groove. The transverse groove should ideally lie in substantially vertical registry with all of the five phalange joints that lie midway between the toes and the arches of the foot, at the natural flex points of the foot (i.e., the metatarsal heads).
This V groove provides improved front/back flexure, in a synergistic combination with the lateral bend line provided by the longitudinal groove.
In yet another feature, the outsole includes a raised pad at the medial side of the outer arch region. During the critical parts of the swing when weight is shifting from the medial side of the back foot to the medial side of the front foot, only about half of the foresole and heel on the outsole support the weight shift. Conventionally, the arch is not a weight bearing region. Locating a raised, textured pad in the medial arch increases the contact area with the ground and thus increases the margin to slippage. Furthermore, the pad in the arch can provide an unaccustomed sensation felt through the shoe to the arch of the foot, indicating that the weight has been properly shifted to the medial sides from the top of the backswing through release after impact.
Although the longitudinal groove and the arch pad provide distinct advantages, they are best employed together. The longitudinal groove enhances the lateral bend, whereby more weight can be shifted with confidence to the medial side of the outsole, and the raised pad in the medial arch region improves the player's confidence that the shoe will remain in stable, supportive contact with the ground during the further weight shift toward the front foot.
Various embodiments will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
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According to one feature of the present disclosure, the longitudinal groove 28, 104, 204 as shown in
Preferably, the groove such as 28, 104, 204 is in substantially vertical registry with a region of the foot defined by the center phalange 408 and the adjacent lateral phalange 412. In this case, as shown in
As shown in
This V groove provides improved front/back flexure, in a synergistic combination with the lateral bend line provided by the longitudinal groove.
In yet another optional but preferred feature, the outsole 10, 100, 200, 300 includes a raised pad 38, 110, 210, 310 at the medial side of the arch region. The pad such as 38 can have texture surface, for example inwardly (laterally) directed pyramids, wedges or cones 40 that will engage the ground and help stabilize the medial side of the shoe during weight transfer in the swing. For example, this height can be at or above the plane of the foresole and the heel, and approximately the same as the height of the base portion of the cleats. This stabilization, coupled with the greater flexibility for lateral bending about bend line B1, should improve the pivot action of the golf swing.
