GB2060351A - Sports boot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide for a greater area of contact between boot and ball, so that more accurate and more powerful kicking can be achieved a sports boot 10 comprises a forwardly-facing planar or concave kicking surface 14 which extends rearwardly from its toe end 15 at a slight, upwardly inclined angle. Alternatively, the kicking surface may be disposed at the instep or heel 25 of the boot 10. Also, the kicking surface may be provided by a toe cap of the boot. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sports boots This invention concerns sports boots, which term, as used in this specification, is intended to mean boots worn by participants in games wherein a ball is kicked, for example, football boots and rugby boots.

Conventionally, sports boots are shaped, at their toe, so as to be externally convex. Accordingly, when a ball is kicked by a player wearing such boots, the essential basic contact between ball and boot is over a relatively small contact area arising from a convex surface on the boot encountering the convex outer surface of the ball. As a result, considerable skill is required to achieve accurate direction of shot and to ensure proper transmission of force between the boot and the ball. Often, players prefer two kick with the curved upper part of the boot behind the toe and above the instep, or with the side of the foot in the region of the instep, because this permits better ball control. However, less power is transmitted to the ball when kicking in this way.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sports boot which is so constructed that kicking involves a larger contact area between boot and ball, so that more accurate and more powerful kicking can be achieved than has hitherto been possible.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a sports boot characterised in that it comprises a kicking surface, at its toe, or disposed in the region of the curved upper part of the boot, and/or above or alongside the instep, and/or above the heel, which kicking surface is either planar or concave.

Such a planar or concave kicking surface, which may be forwardly-facing, rearwardly-facing or laterally-facing depending on its disposition on the boot, permits more-accurate kicking of a ball than has been possible with the hitherto-known boot constructions so that the wearer, making use of the said surface, can achieve more-powerful and more accurate shots.

In the case where. the kicking surface is provided at the toe of a boot, said kicking surface may be provided by a toe cap of the boot, this being made of leather, rubber, plastics or like material appropriately-shaped (e.g. by pressing or moulding) and incorporated into the boot in the manner of a conventional toe cap, e.g. by being seamed to adjacent components of the boot, or by being integrally moulded as part of the boot.

The kicking surface may, however, be provided by a thickened component incorporated into the boot so as to be disposed in the region of the curved upper part of the boot, either as an integral component of the boot or a separate attachment.

Alternatively the kicking surface may be provided by a separate attachment (made, for example, of leather, rubber, plastics) shaped to fit to a conventionally-shaped toe, and its adjacent treat surface and upper part, or heel, and its adjacent tread surface, of the boot and adapted for securement to the boot so as to overlie its toe or its heel.

This attachment may, for example, be sewn or riveted in position or have one or more straps so that it can be strapped to the boot.

Two of such attachments may be provided, of which one is strapped to the boot so as to overlie the toe, and the other of which overlies the heel of the boot and is held in place by one or more straps which extend between the two attachments.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a first em bodiment of the sports boot of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the sports boot of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a second embodiment of the sports boot of the invention; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a third embodiment of the sports boot of the invention; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the sports boot of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation illustrating a conventional sports boot adapted to conform to the present invention.

Referringfirstlyto Figs. 1 and 2, illustrated therein is a first embodiment ofthe sports boot 10, in the form of a football or rugby boot, conforming to the invention. The boot 10, constructed in a similar manner and from similar parts as conventional boots, is made, for example by moulding, from any suitable resilient material such as leather, rubber or plastics. It differs from conventional boots in the form of its upper part 11. In conventional boots this part is curved, whereas in the boot 10 said upper part 11 is formed with a kicking surface provided by a relatively thick component 12, compared with the rest of the boot 10, integrally incorporated into the boot 10.The thickness of this component 12 is such that its side facing the boot's interior 13 has a concave surface, ensuring that the boot 10 hugs a wearer's foot, whilst its side to the boot's exterior has a forwardly-facing planar kicking surface 14 which extends rearwardly from said boot's toe end 15 towards its heel 19, at a slight, upwardly inclined angle to the plane of said boot's underneath or tread surfaces 16 and 17, which are disposed adjacent the toe end 15 and heel 19 respectively.

The component 12, providing the kicking surface 14, has a cut-out 18 of elongate U-shape extending longitudinally, from that end of the component 12 which is remote from the toe end 15, toward said toe end 15 and terminating adjacent thereto. The cut-out 18 enables the boot 10 to be pulled on or off the wearer's foot easily and without discomfort. The component 12, has adjacent each edge of the cut-out 18, a plurality of lace holes 20 through which a lace 21 is threaded. Secured to that side of the component 12 facing the interior 13 ofthe boot 10, by being sewn or glued thereto during orafterthe making of the rest of the boot 10, is a substantially rectangular tongue 22 part of which extends rearwardly beyond the component 12.The tongue 22 is made ofthe same or similar material as the rest of the boot 10 and provides a smooth backing surfaceforthe cut out 18. The lace 20 can be tied, as tightly as may be desired, against the tongue 22 without discomfort to the wearer of the boot 10.

The tread surfaces 16,17 of the boot 10 are provided with studs 23. These studs 23 can either be attached separately either by glueing, or by being of the screw-in variety in which case appropriate threaded holes are provided in the tread surfaces 16, 17. Where the studs 23 are glued on or screwed in they can, of course, be made of material different from the rest of the boot 10.

At the heel 19 ofthe boot 10 there is a further kicking surface which, like the kicking surface 14, is provided by a relatively thick component 24 which is integral with the rest of the boot 10. The thickness of this component 24 is such that its side facing the interior 13 of the boot 10 has a concave surface, whilst its side to the exterior of the boot 10 has a rearwardly-facing planar kicking surface 25 which is oval and which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the tread surface 17.

A wearer of a pair of boots 10 so constructed can kick more accurately than with conventional boots since not only does each boot 10 afford a considerably increased area of contact between the boot and a ball (not shown), but they do not require the same degree of accuracy of the point of contact of the boot with the ball. With conventional boots, accuracy of shot can be obtained only with contact of the ball against a very small area of a convex surface of the usual upper part or toe; in contrast, with the boot of the invention accuracy of shot is achieved with the ball contacting any region of the planar kicking surface 14 which is of considerably extended area compared with the area which is available with conventional boots. In addition, the planar kicking surface 25 also provides for more accurate 'back-heel' of the ball.

Part of a second embodiment of the sports boot of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3. This embodiment of the boot, designated generally by the reference numeral 30, is constructed in a similar manner to and from similar parts to those of the first preferred embodiment ofthe sports boot 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The boot 30 differs from the boot 10 in that the toe end 15 of boot 30 is formed with a further forwardly-facing planar kicking surface 27 which, in this case, extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the tread surface 16.

Part of a third embodiment ofthe sports boot of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. This embodiment ofthe boot, designated generally by the reference numeral 40, is similar to the embodiment of Fig. 3. However, the toe end 15 ofthe boot 40 is formed with its further kicking surface as a forwardly-facing concave kicking surface 29 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the tread surface 16.

Part of a fourth embodiment of the sports boot of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5. This embodiment of the boot, designated generally by the reference numeral 50, comprises a toe cap 31 incorporated into the rest of the boot 50 by being seamed to adjacent parts of the boot 50. This toe cap 31 provides a forwardly4acing kicking surface 33 which extends substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the tread surface 16.

The boots 30, 40 and 50 all have the same advantages, of course, as those previously discussed in relation to the boot 10.

Ilustrated in dot-dash outline in Fig. 6 is a conventional sports boot adapted to conform to the present invention and designated generally by the reference numeral 60. The boot 60 is adapted by being provided with two separately-formed attachments, namely a first attachment 34 which fits to andover- lies the toe end and upper part of the boot 50, these parts of course not being visible in Fig. 6, and a second attachment 35 which fits to and overlies the heel of the boot 60. Again these parts are not visible in Fig. 6. The attachments 34, 35 are each in the form of a shaped rubber or plastics moulded body, the interior surface of which is shaped to fit snugly to a respective part of the boot 60, and the exterior surface of which is shaped to provide forwardly-facing kicking surfaces 36, 37 and a rearwardly-facing kicking surface 38 respectively.These kicking surfaces 36,37,38 may be planar or slightly concave as desired. The attachment 34 is strapped to the boot 60 by means of a strap 39 which is tied underneath the boot's instep 41. The attachment 29 overlies the heel of the boot 60 and is held in place by means of straps 42, only one of which is shown, it being understood that the other strap 42 is in a similar position on the other side of the boot 60.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing examples, of course. For instance, the kicking surfaces of the first, second and third described embodiments of the boot of the invention may be provided by components which are detachably secured to the rest of the boot, e.g. by a strap or press-stud arrangement, whereby they are replaceable, if desired. Where the boot is made of leather, the components providing the kicking surfaces can be sewn thereon separately. In all ofthe illustrated embodiments of the boot, the kicking surfaces may be planar or concave as desired, and may be substantially perpendicularto the tread of the boot or at a slight angle relative thereto. Where the kicking surfaces are provided by attachments, the attachment which overlies the toe end of the boot may be rounded in a similarfasion to the toe end of the boot 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Claims (15)

1. A sports boot characterised in that it comprises a kicking surface, at its toe, or disposed in the region of the curved upper part of the boot, and/or above or alongside the instep, and/or above the heel, which kicking surface is either planar or concave.

2. A sports boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said kicking surface is provided by a toe cap of the boot.

3. A sports boot as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the toe cap is incorporated into the boot by its edges being seamed to adjacent components of the boot.

4. A sports boot as claimed in claims 1,2 or 3 wherein the toe cap is integrally moulded as part of the boot.

5. A sports boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the kicking surface is provided by a thickened component incorporated into the boot so as to be disposed in the region of the curved upper part of the boot.

6. A sports boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the component is an integral component of the boot.

7. A sports boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the component is a separate attachment.

8. A sports boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the kicking surface is provided by a separate attachment shaped to fit to and adapted for securement to the boot.

9. A sports boot as claimed in claim 8 wherein the attachment overlies the toe, or the heel of the boot.

10. A sports boot as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the attachment is sewn or riveted in position.

11. A sports boot as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the attachment is strapped to the boot.

12. a sports boot as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11 wherein two said attachments are provided, of which one is strapped to the boot so as to overlie the toe and the other of which overlies the heel of the boot.

13. A sports boot as claimed in claim 11 wherein said other attachment is held in place by one or more straps which extend between the two attachments.

14. A sports boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the component has a cut-out of elongate U-shape extending longitudinally, from that end of the component which is remote from the toe, towards said toe and terminating adjacent thereto.

15. A sports boot substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs.

1 and 2, or in Fig. 3, or in Fig. 4, orin Fig. 5, or in Fig.6 of the accompanying drawings.