Golf shoes with lace tightening system for closure and comfortable fit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12167777-B2
Application number	US-202117355390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to golf shoes having a lace tightening system. The shoe includes an upper, midsole, and outsole. The upper includes various lace guides that are separated by gaps. The lace is threaded through these guides and the lace can be tightened or loosened by a rotary dial mounted on the shoe. The lace tightening system can be used to close the instep region around the foot to secure the shoe and provide a comfortable fit. The midsole provides cushioning to the shoe. The outsole preferably contains multiple traction members to provide good stability and ground contact. The shoes of this invention help provide the golfer with stability and balance.

First claim

We claim:

1. A golf shoe, comprising:
an upper;
an outsole;
a midsole connected to the upper and outsole, the upper, midsole, and outsole each having forefoot, mid-foot, and rear-foot regions and lateral and medial sides;
a lace tightening system, the lace tightening system comprising a lace and a lace tightening assembly;
the upper comprising:
an instep region with a throat opening for allowing a foot to be inserted into the upper, the instep region having a member; a power shroud overlying the member; a termination plate attached to a lateral side edge of the power shroud, wherein the termination plate is positioned entirely within an upper portion of the power shroud; a lower chip extending upwardly along the lateral side of the upper; and a plurality of lace guides comprising a first upper lace guide; a second upper lace guide; a first lower lace guide; and a second lower lace guide, the first and second upper lace guides being attached to the power shroud and the first and second lower lace guides being attached to the lower chip, wherein the termination plate is separated from the plurality of lace guides; and
a lateral lace channel extending from the rear-foot region along the lateral side of the upper, the lace passing outwardly from the lateral lace channel and through the lace guides such that the lace forms a loop between the power shroud and the lower chip so that when the lace is tightened, the power shroud is pulled towards the lower chip and the shoe is tightened around the foot, wherein the lace comprises (i) a first end coupled to the lace tightening assembly, (ii) a second end coupled to the termination plate so that a path of the lace ends at the termination plate, and (iii) a plurality of criss-crossing lace segments extending between the first and second upper lace guides and the first and second lower lace guides, wherein the second end of the lace is positioned between the plurality of criss-crossing lace segments and the throat opening.

2. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace passes from the lateral lace channel to the first upper lace guide and then downwardly to the second lower lace guide; and then upwardly to the second upper lace guide and then downwardly to the first lower lace guide.

3. The golf shoe of claim 2 , wherein the lace passes from the first lower lace guide to the termination plate attached to the power shroud.

4. The golf shoe of claim 3 , wherein the lace crosses over itself in two criss-crossing zones as it passes from the lateral lace channel to the termination plate.

5. The golf shoe of claim 2 , wherein the lace passes from the lateral lace channel through an eyelet guide to the first upper lace guide.

6. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace tightening assembly is mounted on the rear-foot region of the upper.

7. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace guides are oriented at an angle so that when the lace is tightened, an angled downward force is applied to the power shroud.

8. The golf shoe of claim 7 , wherein the upper lace guides are substantially parallel to the lower lace guides.

9. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the termination plate is attached to the power shroud at a location that is adjacent to an upper edge portion of the power shroud.

10. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the power shroud has a Y-shaped structure.

11. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace extends along only one side of the upper.

12. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace tightening assembly is disposed on the member.

13. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the lace comprises a lace segment extending upwardly from the first lower lace guide to the second end coupled to the termination plate.

14. The golf shoe of claim 13 , wherein said lace segment is configured to cross over another lace segment extending between the lateral lace channel and the first upper lace guide.

15. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of the termination plate is positioned between the plurality of criss-crossing lace segments and the throat opening.

16. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the lace is positioned between the first upper lace guide and the throat opening.

17. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lace guides are detached or decoupled from the termination plate.

18. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the termination plate and the plurality of lace guides are positioned along or separately attached to different portions or sections of the power shroud.

19. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the termination plate is separated or spaced apart from the plurality of lace guides by one or more gaps.

20. The golf shoe of claim 1 , wherein the termination plate is entirely separated from the plurality of lace guides.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Bidal Jean-Marie
• Teeter Paul O

Classifications

• A43B5/001 Primary

  Golf shoes · CPC title

• A43C11/004

  Fastenings fixed along the upper edges of the uppers · CPC title

• A43C1/06

  tightened by draw-strings · CPC title

• A43C9/00

  Laces; Laces in general for garments made of textiles, leather, or plastics · CPC title

• A43B23/0245

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title