Article of footwear for running and cycling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9907355-B2
Application number	US-201414559403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

An article of footwear may include a sole and a stability element. The sole may have a receiving channel extending from a sole bottom surface toward a sole top surface. The receiving channel may have a first groove at an outer perimeter of the receiving channel and a second groove at an inner perimeter of the receiving channel. The stability element may have a first tongue protruding from an outer perimeter of a body of the stability element and a second tongue protruding from an inner perimeter of the body of the stability element. In an exemplary aspect, the first groove of the receiving channel is configured to receive the first tongue of the stability element, and the second groove of the receiving channel is configured to receive the second tongue of the stability element as the stability element is maintained, at least in part, within the receiving channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole having a ground contacting surface, a top surface opposite the ground contacting surface, and a continuous receiving channel extending through the ground contacting surface toward the top surface and separating an outer portion of the ground contacting surface from an inner portion of the ground contacting surface, the continuous receiving channel having a first groove at an outer perimeter of the continuous receiving channel and a second groove at an inner perimeter of the continuous receiving channel; and
a stability element, the stability element having a first tongue protruding from an outer perimeter of a body of the stability element and a second tongue protruding from an inner perimeter of the body of the stability element,
wherein the first groove of the continuous receiving channel is configured to receive the first tongue of the stability element and the second groove of the continuous receiving channel is configured to receive the second tongue of the stability element as the stability element is maintained, at least in part, within the continuous receiving channel,
wherein the stability element is configured to permit at least a first portion of the outer portion of the ground contacting surface and at least a second portion of the inner portion of the ground contacting surface to contact a ground surface when the stability element is received within the continuous receiving channel and the article of footwear is in an as-worn position.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first groove comprises a first groove bottom surface, a first groove recessed surface, and a first groove top surface, wherein the first groove recessed surface is recessed from the outer perimeter of the continuous receiving channel, between an upper portion of the outer perimeter of the continuous receiving channel and a lower portion of the outer perimeter of the continuous receiving channel, by a first groove width.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the first tongue comprises a first tongue bottom surface, a first tongue protruded surface, and a first tongue top surface, wherein the first tongue protruded surface protrudes from the outer perimeter of the body of the stability element, between an upper portion of the outer perimeter of the body of the stability element and a lower portion of the outer perimeter of the body of the stability element, by a first tongue width.

4. The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein a first groove height is equal to or less than a first tongue height to effectively apply a compressive force on to the first tongue when maintained.

5. The article of footwear of claim 3 , wherein the first groove width is greater than the first tongue width.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 , wherein the second groove comprises a second groove bottom surface, a second groove recessed surface, and a second groove top surface, wherein the second groove recessed surface is recessed from the inner perimeter of the continuous receiving channel, between an upper portion of the inner perimeter of the continuous receiving channel and a lower portion of the inner perimeter of the continuous receiving channel, by a second groove width.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein the second tongue comprises a second tongue bottom surface, a second tongue protruded surface, and a second tongue top surface, wherein the second tongue protruded surface protrudes from the inner perimeter of the body of the stability element, between an upper portion of the inner perimeter of the body of the stability element and a lower portion of the inner perimeter of the body of the stability element, by a second tongue width.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein a second groove height is equal to or less than a second tongue height.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the second groove width is greater than the second tongue width.

10. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole comprising:
a sole toe end opposite a sole heel end,
a ground contacting surface having an outer portion surrounding an inner portion, and
an elongated receiving channel extending into the sole through the ground contacting surface and separating the outer portion from the inner portion,
the elongated receiving channel comprising:
a receiving channel toe end portion disposed at the sole toe end;
a receiving channel heel end portion disposed at the sole heel end;
a receiving channel outer edge including a first groove; and
a receiving channel inner edge including a second groove; and
an elongated stability element comprising:
a stability element body having a stability element toe end portion, a stability element heel end portion, and a clip receiving portion, and
a first tongue protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the stability element body and a second tongue protruding from an inner peripheral surface of the stability element body,
wherein the elongated receiving channel is configured to receive the stability element body such that the stability element toe end portion is disposed at the receiving channel toe end portion and the stability element heel end portion is disposed at the receiving channel heel end portion,
wherein the first groove of the receiving channel outer edge is configured to receive the first tongue protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the stability element body and the second groove of the receiving channel inner edge is configured to receive the second tongue protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the stability element body, and
wherein when the stability element body is fully received within the elongated receiving channel only the clip receiving portion extends out of the continuous receiving channel beyond the ground contacting surface.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the elongated receiving channel receives the stability element body from the ground contacting surface of the sole inward, toward a top surface of the sole.

12. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole having a top surface opposite of a ground contacting surface, a heel end and an opposite toe end, a medial side and an opposite lateral side, the sole comprising:
a continuous receiving channel extending into the sole through the ground contacting surface, separating an outer portion of the ground contacting surface from an inner portion of the ground contacting surface, and extending between the toe end and the heel end and between the medial side and the lateral side,
the continuous receiving channel comprising a body portion and an outer perimeter groove, the outer perimeter groove extending closer to the sole lateral side and the sole medial side than the body portion extends to the sole lateral side and the sole medial side; and
a stability element having a body with a toe end and an opposite heel end, a medial side and an opposite lateral side, and a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the stability element comprising:
a clip receiving portion extending from the body between the toe end and the heel end at the bottom surface of the stability element body, and
an outer tongue protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the stability element body between the top surface and the bottom surface of the stability element body, the outer tongue is configured to be received in the outer perimeter groove when the stability element is coupled with the sole at the continuous receiving channel,
wherein when the stability element is received within the continuous receiving channel, only the clip receiving portion extends out of the continuous receivin

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Barnes Elizabeth
• Lawless Deborah L
• Leedy Gregory R

Classifications

• A43B3/246 Primary

  characterised by the sole · CPC title

• A43B13/16 Primary

  Pieced soles (with several layers of different material A43B13/12) · CPC title

• A43B13/36

  Easily-exchangeable soles (protecting-soles A43C13/12) · CPC title

• A43B5/14

  Shoes for cyclists · CPC title