CN114190648A

CN114190648A - Golf shoe having midsole structure for both a studded outsole and a studless outsole

Info

Publication number: CN114190648A
Application number: CN202111091148.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 珍-玛利亚·比达尔; 罗伯特·S·本托
Original assignee: Acushnet Co
Current assignee: Acushnet Co
Priority date: 2020-09-17
Filing date: 2021-09-17
Publication date: 2022-03-18
Also published as: KR102570029B1; KR20220037378A; JP2022050341A; US20220079295A1; KR20230124877A

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to golf shoes having a structured midsole. The shoe includes an upper, a midsole, and an outsole. The structured midsole may accommodate both a studded outsole and a studless outsole. The bottom surface of the midsole includes recesses for interlocking with complementary protruding segments located on the upper surface of the outsole. The midsole is secured to the outsole when the protruding section of the outsole is disposed within the recess of the midsole. The midsole may be used to form a midsole/outsole assembly, wherein the outsole is nailed or nailless, and this provides cost savings.

Description

Golf shoe having midsole structure for both a studded outsole and a studless outsole

Cross reference to related applicationsFork lift

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/079,792, filed 9, 17, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to footwear, and more particularly to golf shoes having an improved midsole structure. The structured midsole may accommodate both a studded outsole and a studless outsole.

Background

Today, professional and amateur golfers use specially designed golf shoes. In general, a golf shoe includes an upper portion and an outsole portion, and a midsole connecting the upper to the outsole. The upper has a conventional shape for receiving the foot of a user to cover and protect the foot within the footwear. The upper is designed to provide a comfortable fit around the contours of the foot. The midsole is relatively lightweight and provides cushioning to the footwear. The outsole is designed to provide stability and traction for the golfer. The bottom surface of the outsole may include spikes or cleats designed to engage the ground surface by contacting and penetrating the ground. These elements help provide the golfer with better foot stability and traction while walking and playing.

In general, the terms "cleat" and "cleat" are used interchangeably in the golf industry. Some golfers use the term "cleats" because cleats are more commonly associated with other sports such as baseball, football, and soccer. Other golfers use the term "cleats" because cleats are more commonly associated with non-turf activities such as racing or cycling. In the following description, the term "stud" will be used for convenience. The golf shoe spikes may be made of metal or plastic material. One problem with metal studs, however, is that they are generally elongate members having a downwardly extending tip that can penetrate the surface of the green, leaving a hole and causing other damage. These metal spikes can also cause damage to other ground surfaces on the golf course (e.g., carpet and floors in club houses). Today, most golf courses require the use of non-metallic spikes by golfers.

In recent years, "hobby" or "non-cleated" shoes have become more popular. These outsoles contain rubber or plastic traction members, but do not have spikes or cleats. The traction members protrude from a bottom surface of the outsole to contact the ground. Shoes are designed for use on and off golf courses. That is, the shoe provides good stability and traction for golfers playing on a course (including tee boxes, fairways, and greens). In addition, the shoe is lightweight, comfortable, and may be used outside of a golf course. The shoe can be comfortably worn outside of clubs, offices, homes and other courts.

In conventional shoe making operations, the midsole may be attached to the upper by applying an adhesive, and the outsole may be molded directly to the bottom surface of the midsole, or may be secured to the midsole by an adhesive. One midsole mold is used to form a midsole for a studded outsole, while a different midsole mold is used to form a midsole for a studless outsole. Midsoles for studders generally have a greater thickness than midsoles for studless outsoles. Changing the midsole mold back and forth to be able to manufacture different midsoles for both a studded outsole and a studless outsole is a time consuming and cumbersome process.

Shoe manufacturers are constantly looking for different manufacturing methods that are more cost effective and efficient. There is a need for an improved midsole/outsole manufacturing system. Shoe manufacturers should have systems that provide greater flexibility so that spiked and spikeless shoes can be manufactured in a quick and cost-effective manner. A shoe manufacturer should be able to quickly transition from producing shoes with a studless outsole to producing shoes with a studless outsole, and vice versa. There is also a need for an improved midsole/outsole assembly wherein the fastened outsole may be a spiked or non-spiked outsole. The present invention provides such a manufacturing system and footwear with an improved midsole/outsole assembly, as well as other advantageous features and benefits.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides a golf shoe including a structured midsole. This shoes include: i) a shoe upper; ii) a midsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface including a recess for interlocking with a complementary protruding section located on the upper surface of the outsole; and iii) an outsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface. The upper surface of the outsole includes a protruding section for interlocking with a recess on the bottom surface of the midsole, wherein the protruding section is disposed in the recess such that the midsole is secured to the outsole. The upper, midsole, and outsole each have forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions and a lateral side and a medial side.

In a preferred embodiment, the protruding section is disc-shaped and has a thickness in the range of about 1.5 to about 4.0 mm. Preferably, the diameter of the protruding section is in the range of about 18.0 to about 23.0 mm. Preferably, there are at least three protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and at least three recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole. In one example, there are six protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and six recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole. More particularly, there may be four protruding sections in the forefoot region of the outsole and two protruding sections in the rearfoot region of the outsole, four recesses in the forefoot region of the midsole and two recesses in the rearfoot region of the midsole. In another example, there are nine protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and nine recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole. More particularly, there may be five projections in the forefoot region of the outsole and four projections in the rearfoot region of the outsole, five recesses in the forefoot region of the midsole and four recesses in the rearfoot region of the midsole.

In one embodiment, the bottom surface of the outsole includes at least two cleat receptacles for receiving two cleats. For example, the bottom surface of the outsole may include at least six cleat receptacles for receiving six cleats. In another example, the bottom surface of the outsole includes at least nine cleat receptacles for receiving nine cleats.

In another embodiment, the bottom surface of the outsole includes a plurality of protruding traction members. The bottom surface of the outsole may include a tile, as described further below. The plurality of tiles may include a traction member, wherein the plurality of tiles includes a first protruding traction member, an opposing second protruding traction member, and a non-protruding section disposed between the first and second traction members, and wherein the tiles, the first and second protruding traction members, and the non-protruding section comprise the same material and form a unitary piece. For example, the shingles, the first and second traction members, and the non-projecting section comprise a rubber or thermoplastic polyurethane material.

Drawings

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The preferred embodiments of the invention, however, as well as further objectives and attendant advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a golf shoe of the present invention showing the upper in detail;

FIG. 1A is a bottom view of the golf shoe shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the outsole in detail;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the manufacture of a midsole/outsole assembly having a spiked outsole and a non-spiked outsole in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the golf shoe of the present invention, showing in detail a spiked outsole;

FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the golf shoe of the present invention, showing the studless outsole in detail;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the midsole of the present invention, showing six recesses in detail;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the outsole of the present invention showing six protruding sections in detail;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the midsole of the present invention, showing nine recesses in detail;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the outsole of the present invention, showing nine protruding sections in detail;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the midsole/outsole assembly of the invention, wherein the outsole is a spiked outsole;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of the midsole of the present invention, showing six recesses in detail;

FIG. 10 is a lateral elevational view of an embodiment of a midsole of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a medial elevational view of an embodiment of the midsole of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of a golf shoe of the present invention, showing in detail a spiked outsole with cleat receptacles and traction members;

FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of one embodiment of a golf shoe of the present invention, showing in detail a studless outsole with traction members;

FIG. 14 is a lateral elevational view of one embodiment of a golf shoe of the invention, showing the upper in detail;

FIG. 14A is a top plan view of the golf shoe shown in FIG. 14, showing the upper in detail;

FIG. 15 is a lateral elevational view of one embodiment of a golf shoe of the invention, showing the upper in detail; and

fig. 15A is a top plan view of the golf shoe shown in fig. 15, showing the upper in detail.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers are used to refer to like elements, and particularly to FIG. 1, one embodiment of a golf shoe (10) of the present invention is shown. The shoe (10) includes an upper portion (12) and an outsole portion (16) and a midsole (14) connecting the upper (12) to the outsole (16). The view shown in the figures is of a right shoe and it will be understood that the components for the left shoe will be a mirror image of the right shoe. It should also be understood that the footwear may be manufactured in a variety of sizes, and thus the size of the footwear components may be adjusted according to the size of the footwear.

The upper (12) has a conventional shape and is made from standard upper materials, such as natural leather, synthetic leather, non-woven materials, natural textiles, and synthetic textiles. For example, breathable webs and synthetic fabrics made from nylon, polyester, polyolefin, polyurethane, rubber, and combinations thereof may be used. The materials used to construct the upper are selected based upon the desired properties, such as air-permeability, durability, flexibility, and comfort. In a preferred example, the upper (12) is made of an engineered mesh material. The upper material is stitched or bonded together to form an upper structure. The upper (12) generally includes an instep region (18) having an opening (20) for inserting a foot. The upper includes a vamp (19) that covers a forefoot of the foot. The instep region includes a tongue member (22). In general, a lace (24) is used to tighten the shoe around the contours of the foot. However, other lacing systems may be used, including a metal cable (lace) lacing assembly that includes a turntable, a spool, a housing, and a locking mechanism for locking the cable in place. For example, such lace lacing assemblies are available from boer technologies, inc (Denver, co (usa)). It should be understood that the above-described upper (12) shown in fig. 1 represents only one example of an upper design that may be used in the shoe construction of the present invention, and that other upper designs may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, referring to fig. 14, 14A, 15 and 15A, other examples of suitable uppers (12) that may be made according to the present invention are shown.

The midsole (14) is preferably formed from a polymer foam material, such as Polyurethane (PU), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), rubber, or silicone. The midsole (14) may be constructed by any suitable method, such as, for example, compression molding, injection molding, open-ended casting, or the like. In one example, the midsole (14) may be formed by an injection molding process that includes injecting a foamed material, such as EVA, into a mold and allowing the foamed material to cure and harden onto the upper (12). The foamed material may penetrate through fibers of the upper (12). The midsole (14) may be attached to the upper (12) by applying an adhesive. Alternatively, the midsole (14) may be attached directly to the upper (16) during the injection step by positioning the upper (12) on the mold during the injection of the foamed material. A last may be inserted into the upper (12) to provide a structural framework for the upper during the injection process. The last may be in a mechanical form having a structure similar to a foot, and is constructed of a rigid material such as wood, metal, or high-density plastic. The midsole (14) may be attached to the outsole (16) using the unique midsole/outsole assembly system of the present invention, as described in further detail below.

The outsole (16) is designed to provide stability and traction for the shoe. The bottom surface (23) of outsole (16) includes a plurality of traction members (25) to help provide traction between shoes and a golf course (on a field) or other surface, such as a club house, street, office, home, etc. The bottom surface of outsole (16) and traction members (25) may be made of any suitable material, such as rubber or plastic and combinations thereof. Thermoplastics such as nylon, polyester, polyolefin and polyurethane may be used. Suitable rubber materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, ethylene propylene rubber ("EPR"), ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber ("EPDM"), styrene butadiene rubber ("sbr"), and the like, as well as blends of two or more thereof. In fig. 1A, outsole (16) includes traction members (25) and cleats (cleats) (21). The studs (21) are typically made of a plastics material. The bottom surface of the outsole (16) includes molded receptacles for securing studs (21) to the shoe, as described further below. The structure and function of the outsole (16) of the present invention will be described in further detail below.

In general, the anatomy of the foot can be divided into three bony regions. The hindfoot region typically includes the ankle (talus) and heel (calcaneus). The midfoot region includes the cuboid, cuneiform and navicular bones that form the longitudinal arch of the foot. The forefoot region includes the metatarsals and toes. Referring back to fig. 1, outsole (16) has a top surface (not shown) and a bottom surface (23). The midsole (14) is attached to a top surface of the outsole (16), as discussed in further detail below. The upper (12) may be attached to the midsole (14) as described above.

Turning to FIG. 1A, outsole (16) generally includes a forefoot region (26) for supporting the forefoot region; for supporting a midfoot region (28) including an arch region; and a hindfoot region (30) for supporting the hindfoot region including the heel. Generally, the forefoot region (26) includes portions of the outsole corresponding to the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. The midfoot region (28) generally includes portions of the outsole that correspond with the arch area of the foot. The hindfoot region (30) generally includes the portion of the outsole corresponding with the rear of the foot, including the calcaneus bone.

The outsole further comprises a lateral side (31) and a medial side (32). A lateral side (31) and a medial side (32) extend through each foot region (26, 28, and 30) and correspond with opposite sides of the outsole. The lateral side or edge (31) of the outsole corresponds with an outer region of the wearer's foot. The outer edge (31) is the side of the wearer's foot that is generally furthest from the other foot of the wearer (i.e., it is the side closer to the fifth toe). A medial side or edge (32) of the outsole corresponds with an interior region of the foot of a wearer. The inner edge (32) is the side of the wearer's foot that is generally closest to the other foot of the wearer (i.e., the side closer to the big toe).

More particularly, lateral side (31) and medial side (32) extend around a perimeter or periphery of outsole (16) from a forward end (27) to a rearward end (29) of the outsole. The forward end (27) is the portion of the outsole corresponding to the toe region and the rearward end (29) is the portion corresponding to the heel region. The regions, sides and areas of the outsole described above are not intended to demarcate precise areas of the outsole. Rather, these regions, sides, and areas are intended to represent general areas of the outsole. The upper (12) and midsole (14) also have such regions, sides, and areas. Each zone, side, and region may also include a front portion and a back portion.

Referring to fig. 2-7, in a preferred embodiment, the top surface (33) of the outsole includes a nub or protruding section (40) for interlocking with a recessed area or recess (44) on the bottom surface (35) of the midsole (14). The complementary projection (40) and recess (44) join together to form a locked midsole/outsole assembly. An adhesive is also applied to the bottom surface (35) of the midsole (14) and/or the top surface (33) of the outsole (60, 62) to bond and enhance the attachment of the midsole to the outsole. In fig. 2, the recess (44) is shown as a cut-away portion in the midsole (14) having a vertical sidewall surface (50) and a horizontal upper wall surface (52). The protruding section (40) has respective vertical sidewall surfaces (54) and horizontal upper wall surfaces (56) that mate with the sidewall surfaces (50) and upper wall surfaces (52) of the recess (44) when the outsole and midsole are coupled together.

In fig. 2, two examples of outsole structures (60, 62) that may be used in accordance with the present invention are shown. In one example, the outsole (60) contains studs (cleats) (66) and may be referred to as a studded outsole; while in alternative examples, outsole (62) does not contain studs and may be referred to as a studless outsole. The studless outsole (62) preferably includes a traction member, generally indicated at (70).

More specifically, in one embodiment, a "spiked" or "cleated" outsole (60) is manufactured using the midsole (14) of the present invention. Most golf courses require the golfer to use non-metallic spikes on their shoes. The bottom surface (65) of the outsole (60) contains molded receptacles (receptacles) (68) for securing studs (66) to the shoe. Plastic studs (66) are commonly used, they usually have a circular base (71) with a central stud on one face of the base. A radial arm (72) having a pulling projection (74) is provided on the other surface of the circular base (71). Threads are spaced around the stud on the stud (66) for insertion into the threaded receptacle (68). These plastic studs (66) can be easily secured and subsequently removed from the locking receptacles (68), which tends to damage greens and club floor surfaces less than metal studs.

The shoe spike (66) is preferably removably secured to a receptacle (68) in the outsole (60). The studs (66) can be easily inserted into and removed from the receptacles (68). Typically, the stud (66) may be secured in the receptacle (68) by inserting it and then twisting it slightly in a clockwise direction. To remove the stud (66) from the receptacle (68), it may be twisted slightly in a counterclockwise direction.

In fig. 2, one example of a cross-section of a spiked outsole (60) is shown. Fig. 3A shows in more detail a full shoe studded outsole (60) with a total of six cleats (66). As described above, the midsole (14) and the studded outsole structure (60) are coupled and locked to one another to form a durable midsole/studded outsole assembly. An adhesive is also applied to a bottom surface (35) of the midsole (14) and/or a top surface (33) of the outsole (62) such that the midsole is tightly secured to the outsole. The protruding lugs (40) of the studded outsole (60) snap into the recesses (44) of the midsole. The shoe (10) also includes an upper (not shown in these views).

In an alternative outsole embodiment, a "studless" or "studless" outsole (62) is manufactured using the midsole (14) mold of the present invention. These outsoles (62) have bottom surfaces (41) that contain rubber or plastic traction members (70) but no cleats or cleats (66). The traction members (70) protrude from the bottom surface (41) of the outsole to contact the ground. Referring back to FIG. 2, one example of a cross-section of a studless outsole (62) is shown. An all-in-one studless outsole (62) having a plurality of traction members (70) is shown in more detail in fig. 3B. As noted above, in this example, the midsole (14) and studless outsole structures (62) are connected and locked to one another to form a midsole/studless outsole assembly. The shoe also contains an upper (not shown in this view). These studless shoes with traction members (70) are designed for use on and off golf courses. That is, these shoes provide good stability and traction for golfers playing on a course (including tee boxes, fairways, and greens). In addition, the shoe is lightweight, comfortable, and may be used outside of a golf course. The shoe may be comfortably worn at a club house, office, home, or other location outside of the court.

Turning to fig. 4 through 7, various embodiments of the structured midsole (14) and outsole (60, 62) are shown. In fig. 4, the bottom surface of the midsole (14) includes six recesses (44) adapted to receive protruding sections (40) on the top surface of a spiked or non-spiked outsole structure (60, 62). In turn, as shown in fig. 5, the outsole (60, 62) includes six protruding sections (40) for insertion into six recesses (44) of the midsole. In this manner, the complementary midsole (14) and outsole structures (60, 62) are locked and secured together. The upper surface (33) of the outsole has a configuration that mates with the bottom surface (35) of the midsole. That is, the upper surface (33) of the outsole includes a protruding section (40) that extends upward and interlocks with a recess (44) in the bottom surface (35) of the midsole. Thus, the protruding section (40) is disposed within the recess (44) when the midsole is attached to the outsole. The protruding section (40) cooperates with the recess (44) to secure the midsole (14) to a studded or studless outsole structure (60, 62). In fig. 6 and 7, a midsole structure (14) comprising nine recesses (44) and complementary outsoles (60, 62) comprising nine protruding segments (40) for snapping into the recesses (44) are shown.

In a preferred embodiment, the midsole (14) is made of an Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) material and the outsole (16) is made of a rubber material. As shown in FIG. 8, the rubber protruding section (40) overlies the cleat receptacle (68). The rubber nose section (40) preferably has a disc-like shape with a thickness (generally indicated as "a") in the range of about 1.5mm to about 4.0 mm. More preferably, the protruding section (40) has a thickness in the range of about 2.0mm to about 2.5 mm. The flat surface (generally indicated by "B") of the section (40) preferably has a diameter in the range of about 18.0 to about 23.0 mm. More preferably, the protruding section (40) has a diameter in the range of about 21.0mm to about 22.0 mm. The full width of the EVA midsole (generally indicated as "C") is preferably in the range of about 35 to about 45 mm.

The protruding sections (40) provided on the outsole may have different shapes and sizes, so long as they interlock with the recesses (44) on the midsole. For example, the protruding section (40) may have a rectangular, triangular, square, spherical, star-shaped, diamond-shaped, pyramidal, arrow-shaped, rod-shaped, or conical shape, etc. The shape and size of the protruding sections (40) correspond to the shape and size of the recesses (44) so that they can interlock with each other. In this manner, the outsole structures (60, 62) are coupled and locked to the midsole structure (14).

It should also be appreciated that any number of protruding segments (40) may be disposed on the top surface of the outsole and any number of recesses (44) may be disposed on the bottom surface of the midsole. In fig. 4 and 5, the midsole (14) includes six recesses (44) adapted to receive six protruding segments (40) of a studded or studless outsole structure (60, 62). In fig. 6 and 7, the midsole (14) includes nine recesses (44) adapted to receive the nine protruding segments (40) of the outsole (60, 62). However, the midsole/outsole assemblies shown in FIGS. 4-5 and 6-7 are merely examples, and it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these examples.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3A-3B and as described above, one advantage of the structured midsole (14) of the present invention is that it can accommodate both: i) an outsole containing studs ("studded" outsole), and ii) an outsole not containing studs ("studless" outsole); and these outsoles will be described in further detail below. Thus, the same midsole (14) mold may be used to manufacture either a studded outsole (60) or a studless outsole (62). Both spiked and non-spiked outsoles (60, 62) are interchangeable for the same midsole. Significant cost savings are realized because the shoe manufacturer only needs to open one midsole mold to make a shoe with or without a spiked outsole according to the present invention. This manufacturing method, in which only one midsole mold is used to secure the midsole to a different outsole, is more efficient and economically advantageous than a method using multiple midsole molds. Shoe manufacturers have greater flexibility with the midsole mold of the present invention-the mold can be used to manufacture studded or studless outsoles in a quick and efficient manner.

The present invention also includes a method for manufacturing a shoe, wherein a midsole mold is provided for manufacturing a midsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the midsole including a recess. The method also includes providing an upper and an outsole, wherein the outsole has an upper surface and a bottom surface. The upper surface of the outsole includes a protruding section for interlocking with a recess on the bottom surface of the midsole so that the midsole is secured to the outsole. The upper also has a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface of the upper is secured to the midsole by an adhesive or other suitable fastening means. The upper, midsole, and outsole each have forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions and a lateral side and a medial side.

Outsole with nails

The studded outsole (60) may contain any number of cleat receptacles (68) and cleats (66), and the receptacles and cleats may be arranged in a variety of patterns as discussed further below.

For example, referring back to fig. 3A, outsole (60) contains a total of six (6) cleats (66); there are four studs (66) in the forefoot region and two studs (66) in the hindfoot region. In other embodiments, the outsole (60) contains a total of nine (9) studs (66); there are five studs (66) in the forefoot region and four studs (66) in the hindfoot region. Preferably, the studded outsole (62) contains a total number of studs in the range of five (5) to nine (9) studs. These studs (66) may be arranged in various patterns on the forefoot, midfoot and/or hindfoot regions. Also, the protruding section (40) covering the cleat receptacle (68) may be located in multiple locations on the top surface (33) of the studded outsole (60). That is, these protruding sections (40) may be arranged in various patterns on the forefoot, midfoot and/or hindfoot regions so that they may interlock with complementary recesses located in the midsole.

As shown in fig. 9-12, outsole (60) includes a total of six (6) studs; there are four spikes in the forefoot region and two spikes in the hindfoot region. In fig. 9, a bottom view of a midsole (14) with six complementary recesses (44) for six protruding segments (40) of an outsole is shown. In fig. 10 and 11, a lateral side view (31) and a medial side view (32) of midsole structure (14) are shown. Turning to FIG. 12, an outsole is shown having six cleat receptacles (68) for receiving six cleats (66). As shown in fig. 12, the outsole contains cleat receptacles (68) for cleats (66) and traction members (70). Such outsoles containing cleats (66) and traction members (70) are considered spiked outsoles.

The studded outsole (60) is configured to contact the ground during a golf game. The studs (66) may have various shapes and sizes. The studs (66) are designed to engage the ground and provide increased contact area with the ground. This helps to provide the golfer with better traction of the foot on the turf as he/she walks through the course and makes the return. It should be understood that the above-described studded outsole (60) shown in fig. 12 represents only one example of a studded outsole that may be used in the shoe construction of the present invention, and that other outsole designs may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Non-nail outsole

The studless outsole structure (62) may contain any number of traction members (70), and the traction members may be arranged in a variety of patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, studless outsole (62) does not contain any studs; instead, only the traction member (70) is present. In a manner similar to the midsole structure (14) shown in fig. 9-12 described above, the top surface of the outsole (62) may contain six protruding segments (40) for snapping into six complementary recesses (44) in the bottom surface of the midsole (14). An adhesive is also applied to a bottom surface (35) of the midsole (14) and/or a top surface (33) of the outsole (62) such that the midsole is tightly secured to the outsole. In this manner, the midsole is used to secure a studless outsole (62) to form a midsole/studless outsole assembly.

The studless outsole (62) shown in fig. 13 is configured to provide traction on and off the golf course. That is, the shoe provides good stability and traction for golfers playing on a course (including tee boxes, fairways, and greens). These surfaces are referred to as "on-field" surfaces. But also outside the golf course. The shoe can be comfortably worn in a club house, office or other common place. These surfaces may be referred to as "off-site" surfaces. Such shoes may be worn when performing many different activities on many different surfaces, such as tennis, squash, racquetball, street hockey, softball, football, rugby and nautical. The shoe provides traction and grip on hard and soft surfaces. These shoes have a multi-surface traction (MST) outsole structure. The traction lugs (70) may have various shapes and sizes. The traction members (70) may be any suitable shape including, but not limited to, rectangular, triangular, square, spherical, star-shaped, diamond-shaped, pyramid-shaped, arrow-shaped, rod-shaped, or conical. Also, the height and area of the traction members (70) may be the same or different. The traction members (70) are designed to engage a ground surface and provide an increased contact area with the ground.

As noted above, the above-described studded and studless outsole structures (60, 62) shown in FIGS. 1-15A represent only a few examples of outsoles that may be used in the shoe construction of the present invention, and other studded and studless outsoles may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, other suitable outsoles include the structures described in U.S. patent application publication 2020/0077734-A1 and US 2020/0146389-A1 and US-2020-0146389-A1 to Bidal, U.S. patent application publication 2020/0046072-A1 to Bento, and U.S. patent application publication 9,999,275 and 10,595,585 to Bacon, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outsole has a geometry such that the bottom surface of the outsole comprises a first set of spiral channels (a), each spiral channel having a starting point from which a plurality of spiral segments radiate, wherein each segment has a different degree of curvature and comprises sub-segments; and a second set of helical paths (B), each having a starting point from which a plurality of helical segments radiate, and wherein each segment has a different degree of curvature and comprises sub-segments. The first set of spiral paths (a) is normal and the second set of spiral paths (B) is reversed from the first set of spiral paths so that when the spiral paths overlap each other, the sub-sections from the spiral sections of set (a) and the sub-sections from the spiral sections of set (B) form four-sided tile members on the surface of the outsole. As described above, these tiles include a traction member, wherein the plurality of tiles includes a first protruding traction member, an opposing second protruding traction member, and a non-protruding section disposed between the first and second traction members, and wherein the tiles, the first and second protruding traction members, and the non-protruding section comprise the same material and form a unitary piece. Preferably, the unitary piece is made of a rubber material.

When numerical lower limits and numerical upper limits are set forth herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values can be used. Other than in the operating examples, or unless otherwise expressly stated, all numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages, such as those for amounts of material and other numerical values in the specification, may be read as if prefaced by the word "about", even though the term "about" may not expressly appear with the value, amount or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention.

It should also be understood that the terms "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "downward," "upward," "right," "left," "outer," "inner," "front," "rear," and the like are any terms used to refer to a position of an element based on a perspective and should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention.

It is understood that the shoe materials, designs and structures described and illustrated herein represent only some embodiments of the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that various changes and additions in material, design and construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All of these embodiments are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A golf shoe, comprising:

a shoe upper;

a midsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface including a recess for interlocking with a complementary protruding section located on the upper surface of the outsole; and

an outsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the upper surface including a protruding section for interlocking with the recess on the bottom surface of the midsole, wherein the protruding section is disposed in the recess such that the midsole is secured to the outsole, the upper, midsole, and outsole each having forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions and a lateral side and a medial side.

2. A golf shoe according to claim 1, wherein the protruding section is disc-shaped and has a thickness in the range of about 1.5mm to about 4.0 mm.

3. A golf shoe according to claim 2, wherein the protruding section has a diameter in the range of about 18.0mm to about 23.0 mm.

4. A golf shoe according to claim 1, wherein there are at least three protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and at least three recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole.

5. A golf shoe according to claim 4, wherein there are six protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and six recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole.

6. A golf shoe according to claim 5, wherein there are four protruding sections in the forefoot region of the outsole and two protruding sections in the rearfoot region of the outsole, and four recesses in the forefoot region of the midsole and two recesses in the rearfoot region of the midsole.

7. A golf shoe according to claim 4, wherein there are nine protruding sections on the upper surface of the outsole and nine recesses on the bottom surface of the midsole.

8. A golf shoe according to claim 7, wherein there are five protruding sections in the forefoot region of the outsole and four protruding sections in the rearfoot region of the outsole, and five recesses in the forefoot region of the midsole and four recesses in the rearfoot region of the midsole.

9. A golf shoe, comprising:

a shoe upper;

an outsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the upper surface including a protruding section for interlocking with the recess on the bottom surface of the midsole, wherein the protruding section is disposed in the recess such that the midsole is secured to the outsole;

the upper, midsole, and outsole each having a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a rearfoot region, and a lateral side and a medial side; and wherein the bottom surface of the outsole comprises at least two cleat receptacles.

10. A golf shoe according to claim 9, wherein the bottom surface of the outsole includes at least six cleat receptacles.

11. A golf shoe according to claim 9, wherein the bottom surface of the outsole includes at least nine cleat receptacles.

12. A golf shoe, comprising:

a shoe upper;

an outsole having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the upper surface including a protruding section for interlocking with the recess on the bottom surface of the midsole, wherein the protruding section is disposed in the recess such that the midsole is secured to the outsole, the upper, midsole, and outsole each having forefoot, midfoot, and hindfoot regions and a lateral side and a medial side; and wherein the bottom surface of the outsole includes a plurality of protruding traction members.

13. A golf shoe according to claim 12, wherein the bottom surface of the outsole comprises a first set of spiral paths (a), each spiral path having a starting point, wherein a plurality of spiral segments radiate from the starting point, and wherein each segment has a different degree of curvature and comprises sub-segments;

a second set of helical paths (B), each helical path having a starting point, wherein a plurality of helical segments radiate from the starting point, and wherein each segment has a different degree of curvature and comprises sub-segments; and

the first set of spiral paths (a) is normal and the second set of spiral paths (B) is reversed from the first set of spiral paths such that when the spiral paths overlap each other, subsections from spiral sections of set (a) and subsections from spiral sections of set (B) form four-sided tiles on the surface of the outsole, the tiles containing traction members, wherein a plurality of tiles comprise a first protruding traction member, an opposing second protruding traction member, and a non-protruding section disposed between the first and second traction members, and wherein the tiles, the first and second protruding traction members, and the non-protruding section comprise the same material and form a single piece.

14. A golf shoe according to claim 13, wherein the tile, the first and second traction members, and the non-protruding section comprise a rubber material.

15. A golf shoe according to claim 13, wherein the tile, the first traction member, and the second traction member comprise a thermoplastic polyurethane composition.