US20130074370A1

US20130074370A1 - Bowling shoes

Info

Publication number: US20130074370A1
Application number: US13/611,576
Authority: US
Inventors: Jong Woo Park
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-23
Filing date: 2012-09-12
Publication date: 2013-03-28
Also published as: JP5431554B2; KR101167702B1; JP2013066709A

Abstract

A bowling shoe according to the present invention comprises an upper (40), an insole (30) joined to a lower edge of the upper (40) by stitching, and an outsole (10) attached to a lower surface of the insole (30), further comprising: an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole (10) and is provided on a front part of a lower surface thereof with a plurality of grooves (11 a) for allowing the outsole body to bend easily; and a front pad that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body (11) and is formed as an integrated body without being divided into several parts, and is provided with a plurality of weak portions for allowing the front pad to bend easily.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to bowling shoes that are worn by a player while playing a game of bowling and, more particularly, to bowling shoes which are configured in such a way that, when a player plays a game of bowling, the bowling shoes can efficiently absorb shock that may be applied to the feet of the player by the weight of the player, can prevent an outsole from slipping over the floor of a bowling lane, can improve the flexibility of the outsole, thereby allowing the player to efficiently roll a bowling ball at pins as desired by the player in a state in which the player feels comfortable wearing the shoes, and can allow the player to naturally recover his/her normal posture although the player does not excessively force his/her strength on the toes after throwing the bowling ball down the lane.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the game of bowling is the game involving bowling balls in which a player rolls a bowling ball from one end of a bowling lane having a predetermined length at ten bowling pins set up at the opposite end with regular intervals defined between the pins so as to knock the pins down. The game of bowling is a very simple, interesting and healthy game, so that the bowling game is loved by people of all ages and both sexes.
As described above, the game of bowling is a leisure sport that can be easily practiced and enjoyed by people. In the game of bowling, each player must precisely roll a bowling ball so as to effectively knock down as many of the pins as possible that have been set up in a lane. To knock as many of the bowling pins down as possible, the player should precisely roll his/her bowling ball down the lane which is straight.
Hereinbelow, the motion of a player who rolls a bowling ball down a bowling lane during a game of bowling will be described in detail. To roll the bowling ball down the lane, the player steps forwards on the lane while appropriately stooping his/her body down forwards in a state in which he/she holds the bowling ball with two hands, and, at the same time, the player stretches an arm holding the bowling ball backwards and throws the bowling ball forwards into the lane using the resilience of the arm by fully stretching the arm forwards.
In the above state, to throw the bowling ball from a secure posture, if the player is a right-handed person, the player's left foot that finally steps forwards on the lane and is loaded with the weight of the player should slide over the lane, but the right foot that is placed in a back position should not slip over the lane but the front part thereof should appropriately bend to allow the player to apply his/her force on the front part of the foot. Here, if the player is a left-handed person, the right foot steps forwards and the left foot is placed in the back position.
Here, to prevent the player's feet from slipping when in the lane and to protect the lane while playing a game of bowling, each player should wear bowling shoes. In recent years, a variety of bowling shoes having various shapes that are suitable for the game of bowling are used. It is appreciated that bowling shoes that are designed to allow the player to play the game of bowling for a lengthy period of time in a comfortable state without feeling like pressure is being applied to the feet are good shoes.
The inventor of the present invention developed bowling shoes which have a good cushion, prevent the right foot of a player from slipping over the lane when the player plays the game of bowling, and allow the front part of the right foot to efficiently bend and, at the same time, allow the heel of the right foot to be naturally raised up at the time that the player initially rolls the bowling ball at pins. The inventor applied the technique to a Utility Model (refer to Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2010-0011952).
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in each of the bowling shoes disclosed in the Korean Utility Model application, the lower edge of an upper 40 and the edge of an insole 30 of the bowling shoe are joined together by stitching, a midsole 50 is attached to the rear part of the lower surface of the insole 30, and an outsole 60 is attached both to the front part of the lower surface of the insole 30 and to the lower surface of the midsole 50. Here, the outsole 60 includes a cushion outsole body 61, a front pad 62 that is made of an anti-slip material and is attached to the front part of outsole body 61, a heel 63 that is attached to the rear part of the outsole body 61, and a pad front tap 64 that is made of an abrasion resistant material and is attached to the front part of the front pad 62 so as to protect the front part of the front pad 62 from abrasion.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of reversed V-shaped grooves 60 a are transversely formed in the lower surfaces of both the outsole body 61 and the front pad 62 in such a way that the grooves 60 a are cut into the outsole body 61.
In the bowling shoes, because the outsole body 61 is made of a cushioning material, the outsole body 61 can absorb shock, thereby attenuating the shock applied to a player and improving the feeling of wearing the shoes. Further, the front pad 62 made of the anti-slip material is attached to the outsole body 61 so that the shoes are less likely to slip over the lane.
Further, the front part of the outsole 60 having the reversed V-shaped grooves 60 a can bend flexibly due to the grooves 60 a so that the player can easily throw the bowling ball from a comfortable state without the soles of the feet receiving shock or being put under pressure. Further, at the time the player throws the bowling ball into the lane, the front part of the right foot that is placed in a back position can flexibly bend and allows the player to apply his/her strength onto the front part of the foot, thereby allowing the player to throw the bowling ball over the desired course from a desired bowling posture.
However, the bowling shoes disclosed in the Korean Utility Model application are problematic in that the front part of each of the shoes easily and excessively bends due to the reversed V-shaped grooves 60 a that are formed in the front part of the outsole 60 so that the restoring force of the bent front part is too weak. Due to the demerits caused by the fact that the restoring force of the bent front part of the outsole 60 is too weak, the player should excessively apply his/her strength on the front part of the foot so that, when the player plays a game of bowling for a lengthy period of time, the player feels pressure and feels pain in the toes.

DOCUMENTS OF RELATED ART

(Patent Document 1) Korean Utility Model Application No. 20-2010-0011952.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the outsoles of the conventional bowling shoes, and the present invention is intended to propose a bowling shoe, the front part of the outsole of which can resiliently bend and which has a good restoring force so that the shoe can efficiently be restored to its original shape after bending although a player does not excessively apply his/her strength on the toes and, accordingly, the shoe can allow the player to easily play a bowling game while in a comfortable state without feeling pain in the toes.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bowling shoe including: an upper, an insole joined to a lower edge of the upper by stitching, and an outsole attached to a lower surface of the insole, further comprising: an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole and is provided on a front part of a lower surface thereof with a plurality of grooves for allowing the outsole body to bend easily; and a front pad that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body and is formed as an integrated body without being divided into several parts, and is provided with a plurality of weak portions for allowing the front pad to bend easily.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad comprise a plurality of slots that are formed through the front pad.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad comprise a plurality of grooves that are formed in a lower surface of the front pad by grooving, or a plurality of grooves that are formed in an upper surface of the front pad by grooving.
Furthermore, the front pad is divided into an integrated edge part and a central part, in which the central part of the front pad is provided with the plurality of weak portions for allowing the front pad to bend easily.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad are inclinedly formed in such a way that inside ends thereof are placed at lower positions and outside ends thereof are placed at higher positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad are formed in such a way that centers thereof are placed at higher positions and inside and outside ends thereof are placed at lower positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof, so that each of the weak portions forms a reversed V-shaped appearance.
Furthermore, the weak portions of the front pad are formed exclusively in a portion corresponding to a big toe of a foot.
Furthermore, the central part of the front pad is attached to the outsole by separated pieces of Velcro.
Furthermore, in order to allow the front pad to be detachably attached to the outsole body, opposing pieces of Velcro are attached to the front pad and to the outsole body, in which each of the opposing pieces of Velcro is separated into several parts by lines corresponding both to the transverse grooves of the outsole body and to the weak portions of the front pad.
Furthermore, in order to allow the front pad to be detachably attached to the outsole body, opposing pieces of Velcro are attached to the front pad and to the outsole body, in which each of the opposing pieces of Velcro is an integrated body having slots that are partially formed through the piece of Velcro at positions corresponding both to the transverse grooves of the outsole body and to the weak portions of the front pad.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bowling shoe including: an upper, an insole joined to a lower edge of the upper by stitching, and an outsole attached to a lower surface of the insole, further comprising: an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole and has no groove which allows the outsole body to bend easily; and a front pad that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body and is formed as an integrated body without being divided into several parts, and is provided with a plurality of slots which are formed through the front pad or with a plurality of grooves which are formed in an upper surface of the front pad, the slots or grooves allowing the front pad to bend easily.
According to further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bowling shoe including: an upper, an insole joined to a lower edge of the upper by stitching, and an outsole attached to a lower surface of the insole, further comprising: an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole; and a front pad that is attached to a front part of a lower surface of the outsole body and is divided into several parts by a plurality of cut lines so as to bend easily, the cut lines being formed in angled directions within a range over a width of the front pad in such a way that, when the front pad is viewed from a lower surface thereof, inside ends of the cut lines are placed at lower positions, but outside ends are placed at higher positions.
In the bowling shoes according to the present invention, slots or grooves are formed both in the outsole body and in the front pad so that the front parts of the shoes can be resiliently bent, and the slots or the long grooves of the front pad do not completely divide the front pad so that the front pad has the desired amount of restoring force and, accordingly, when the bowling shoe is restored to its original shape after having been bent, the shoe can effectively be restored to its original shape although the player does not excessively apply his/her strength to the toes.
Further, even when the front pad is fabricated with a plurality of pads that are divided from each other and are formed as long pads installed at an angle relative to the width of the shoe, the front pad exhibits the desired restoring force in the lengthwise direction of the shoe so that the bent front pad can be restored to its original shape although the player does not excessively apply his/her strength on the toes.
Because the bowling shoes of the present invention do not compel the player to excessively apply his/her strength on the toes, the player can enjoy a game of bowling while in a comfortable state without feeling pain in the toes even when the player plays the game of bowling for a lengthy period of time.
Further, when the front pad is configured to be detachably attached to the outsole using Velcro, the front pad can be changed with a new one when the front pad has been abraded, so that the shoes can be used for a desired lengthy period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and further advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional bowling shoe;

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the utility of the conventional bowling shoe;

FIG. 3A is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3D is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3E is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3F is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3G is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3H is a bottom perspective view of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a side view illustrating the utility of a bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a side view illustrating the utility of a bowling shoe according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6C is a side view illustrating the utility of a bowling shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6D is a side view illustrating the utility of a bowling shoe according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view illustrating the utility of a front pad of a bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a bowling shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of Velcro used in a bowling shoe according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a side view of a bowling shoe using the Velcro of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinbelow, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, a bowling shoe according to the present invention includes an upper 40, an insole 30 that is joined to the lower edge of the upper 40 by stitching, and an outsole 10 that is attached to the lower surface of the insole 30. Here, a midsole 50 shown in FIG. 1 may be interposed between the insole 30 and the outsole 10.
The bowling shoe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outsole body 11 that forms a part of the outsole 10, and a front pad 12 that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body 11.
The outsole body 11 is made of a cushion material, while the front pad 12 that is attached to the front part of the outsole body 11 is made of an anti-slip material. Described in detail, the outsole body 11 is made of a cushion material, such as a material of EVA sponge or Phylon sponge, while the front pad 12 is made of crude rubber that can easily cling to the floor of a bowling lane, thereby being less likely to slip over the floor.
Further, a heel 13 that is produced using an anti-slip material separately from the outsole body 11 is attached to the rear part of the outsole body 11. Here, it is preferred that the heel 13 be made of Hycar rubber which allows the heel to be less likely to slip on the floor.
Further, the lower surface of each of the front pad 12 and the heel 13 may be configured to form an uneven surface having a variety of shapes capable of preventing both the front pad 12 and the heel 13 a from slipping on the floor.
As shown in FIG. 4, the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body 11 is provided with a plurality of long grooves 11 a that allow the outsole body 11 to be easily bent. Here, the long grooves 11 a of the outsole body 11 may be transversely formed as shown in the drawing or may be formed at an angle relative to a lengthwise direction of the shoe although the angled grooves are not shown in the drawing.
As shown in FIGS. 3A through 3D, the front pad 12 of the outsole 10 is provided with a plurality of long weak portions for allowing the outsole 10 to bend easily. Here, in the embodiments of FIGS. 3A and 3C, no weak portion is formed in the edge of the front pad 12 so that the front pad 12 is not divided into several parts but is formed as an integrated part and, accordingly, the restoring force of the bent front pad can be increased. In the embodiments of FIGS. 3B and 3D, the front pad 12 is divided into several parts by a plurality of cut lines 12 d. However, in the embodiments, the cut lines 12 d are angled relative to an axial direction of the outsole 10 so that the front pad 12 has the desired elasticity in the axial direction and, accordingly, the bent front pad 12 has the desired restoring force.
The weak portions of the front pad 12 may be formed by a plurality of long slots 12 a that are formed in the front pad 12 by cutting the front pad 12 from the lower surface to the upper surface of the pad 12, as shown in FIG. 6A. Further, the weak portions of the front pad 12 may be formed by a plurality of long grooves 12 b or 12 c that are formed to a shallow depth in the lower surface or in the upper surface of the front pad 12, as shown in FIG. 6B or 6C. Alternatively, in the present invention, the cut lines form the weak portions of the front pad 12. FIGS. 3A and 3C show embodiments in which the weak portions of the front pad 12 are formed by the slots 12 a that are formed by the cut lines 12 d. FIGS. 3B and 3D show embodiments in which the weak portions of the front pad 12 are formed by the cut lines 12 d extending in respective angled directions relative to the axial direction of the shoe. Further, the weak portions of the front pad 12 may be formed by long grooves 12 b, 12 c instead of the slots 12 a or the cut lines 12 d.
In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the cut lines 12 d of the front pad 12 form an angle relative to the axial direction of the shoe in such a way that, when the front pad 12 is viewed from underneath from the lower surface thereof, the inside ends of the cut lines 12 d (in the case of a right bowling shoe, the left side ends) are placed at lower positions, but the outside ends (in the case of the right bowling shoe, the right side ends) are placed at higher positions. In the embodiment of FIG. 3D, when the front pad 12 is viewed upwards from the lower surface thereof, the centers of the cut lines 12 d are placed at higher positions, but inside and outside ends thereof are placed at lower positions, so that each of the cut lines 12 d forms a reversed V-shaped appearance.
In embodiments of FIGS. 3F through 3H, the front pad 120 of the present invention is divided into an integrated edge part 121 and a central part 122, in which the central part 122 of the front pad 120 is provided with a plurality of long weak portions for allowing the front pad 120 to bend easily.
In these embodiments, the weak portions may be formed by the slots 12 a, the cut lines or the long grooves, as shown in FIG. 6A through FIG. 6D.
The bowling shoe shown in the drawings is a left bowling shoe. However, it should be understood that a right bowling shoe can be configured in such a way that it is a mirror image of the left bowling shoe.
In the above-mentioned embodiments, the weak portions of the front pad may be formed in such a way that, when the front pad is viewed from underneath from the lower surface of the front pad, the weak portions transversely extend relative to the axial direction of the shoe, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3F. Alternatively, the weak portions may be formed in such a way that, when the front pad is viewed upwards from the lower surface thereof, the inside ends of the weak portions (in the case of a right bowling shoe, the left side ends) are placed at lower positions, but the outside ends (in the case of the right bowling shoe, the right side ends) are placed at higher positions, as shown in FIGS. 3B, 3C, 3G and 3H. As another alternative, the weak portions may be formed in such a way that, when the front pad is viewed from underneath from the lower surface, the centers of the weak portions are placed at higher positions, but inside and outside ends thereof are placed at lower positions, as shown in FIG. 3D, so that each of the weak portions forms a reversed V-shaped appearance.
Further, the weak portions of the front pad may be formed exclusively in a portion corresponding to the big toe of a foot, as shown in FIGS. 3E and 3G.
In further embodiments of the present invention, opposing pieces of Velcro 20 or 20′ may be mounted to the front pad 12 and to the outsole body 11, as shown in FIGS. 8 through 10, so as to allow the front pad 12 to be detachably attached to the outsole body 11.
As shown in FIG. 8, Velcro 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is cut into several parts at positions corresponding both to the transverse grooves 11 a of the outsole body 11 and to the weak portions of the front pad 12. Here, the Velcro 20 is divided into the several parts in such a way that the Velcro covers neither the transverse grooves 11 a of the outsole body 11 nor the slots 12 a of the front pad 12. In the above state, the pile pieces 21 of the Velcro 20 are mounted to the outsole body 11, while the hook pieces 22 of the Velcro 20 are mounted to the front pad 12.
In the present invention, the central part 122 of the front pad 120 shown in FIGS. 3F and 3H may be detachably attached to the outsole body 11 using the divided pieces of the Velcro 20 of FIG. 8, while the edge part 121 may be directly and permanently mounted to the outsole body 11.
As shown in FIG. 6D, a bowling shoe according to a further embodiment of the present invention may be configured in such a way that no groove is formed in the outsole body 11, but a variety of slots 12 a or long grooves 12 c may be formed exclusively in the front pad 12 so as to allow the outsole body 11 to bend easily. In this case, because no groove is formed in the outsole body 11, the restoring force of the outsole body 11 increases.
The bowling shoes according to the embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in that, although the front pad 12 is divided into several parts, the weak portions that are formed by the cut lines 12 form an angle relative to the axial direction of the shoe, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D, so that the restoring force of the bent front part of the outsole can be increased.
The operational effect of the bowling shoes having the above-mentioned construction according to the present invention will be described hereinbelow.
In the bowling shoes according to the present invention, the outsole body 11 is made of a cushion material so that the outsole body 11 can efficiently absorb shock, thereby protecting a player from the shock caused by the impact of his/her weight while playing a game of bowling. Further, the front pad 12, 12′ is made of a material that can easily grip the floor of a bowling lane, so that, when a player runs forwards in the lane so as to throw a bowling ball, the front pad prevents the player from slipping over the floor and allows the player to nimbly run along the lane.
Further, in a final step prior to throwing the bowling ball into a lane, the front part of the outsole 10 of the right bowling shoe that is placed in a back position is bent, as shown in FIGS. 6A through 6D. In the above state, the long grooves 11 a of the outsole body 11, the slots 12 a, the long grooves 12 b, 12 c or the cut lines 12 d that form the weak portions of the front pad 12, 120 make it so that the front part of the bowling shoe can bend easily. Therefore, the player can naturally move the right foot of the player and can naturally throw the bowling ball, thereby throwing the bowling ball along the desired course. Particularly, the player applies his/her strength on the right foot due to the anti-slip front pad 12, thereby realizing the desired bowling posture and precisely throwing the bowling ball along the desired course.
As described above, in the bowling shoe according to the present invention, the outsole body 11 is made of a cushioning material and efficiently absorbs shock so that the shoe can protect a player from such shock and improve the feeling of the shoes when they are being worn. Further, the front pad 12 that is made of an anti-slip material is attached to the front part of the outsole body 11, thereby preventing a player from slipping on the floor of a bowling lane.
Further, in the bowling shoes of the present invention, when the front part of the outsole 10 is bent, it can be resiliently bent. In other words, when the outsole body 11 has the long grooves 11 a, the front part of the outsole 10 can be resiliently bent because the slots 12 a or the long grooves 12 b, 12 c that form the weak portions of the front pad 12 do not completely divide the front pad 12 into several parts, but connect the parts of the front pad to each other. Further, the front pad 120 that is fabricated with the integrated edge part 121 and the central part 122 can be resiliently bent by the integrated edge part 121.
In the bowling shoes according to the above-mentioned embodiments, the front pad 12 is not completely divided into several parts, but is configured as an integrated body, so that the front pad maintains the desired resilience and has the desired amount of restoring force.
Further, in the embodiment in which the outsole body 11 has no long groove 11 a but slots 12 a are formed exclusively in the front pad 12, the outsole body 11 has an increased resilience and, accordingly, the front part of the outsole 10 can have the desired restoring force.
Further, in the embodiments in which the angled cut lines 12 d are formed in the front pad 12 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D, the outsole can have the desired resilience in an axial direction thereof, so that the front part of the outsole 10 can have the desired restoring force.
Accordingly, when the front part of the bowling shoe restores its original shape after being bent as shown in FIGS. 6A through 6D, the bent front part of the bowling shoe can resiliently be restored to its original shape even when a player does not apply an excessive amount of force onto the toes of his/her foot. Therefore, the bowling shoes of the present invention can allow a player to play the game of bowling for a lengthy period of time in a comfortable state without applying pressure to the toes of the feet.
Further, in the embodiments in which the front pad 12 is detachably attached to the outsole body 11 using a Velcro 20, 20′, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is possible to change an existing abraded front pad 12 with a new one so that these embodiments realize an economical advantage. The Velcro 20 of FIG. 8 is divided into several parts, but the Velcro 20′ of FIG. 9 is provided with slots 23 that are formed in a part of the Velcro. Here, the Velcro 20, 20′ does not reduce the bending flexibility of the front part of the bowling shoe.
Further, unlike conventional bowling shoes in which the front part of the outsole 10 can only be bent forwards, the bowling shoes of the present invention can bend in directions toward the big toes. In other words, in the present invention, the front part of the outsole 10 can bend in a diagonal direction at a position corresponding to the big toe so that when angled weak portions of the front pad are formed exclusively in a portion corresponding to the big toe as shown in FIGS. 3E and 3G, or when the weak portions of the front pad are inclinedly formed as shown in FIGS. 3B, 3D and 3H, the bowling shoes can make a player feel comfortable. In these embodiments, the front part of the outsole has the desired resilience relative to the axial direction of the shoe so that the shoe has the desired amount of restoring force.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A bowling shoe comprising an upper (40), an insole (30) joined to a lower edge of the upper (40) by stitching, and an outsole (10) attached to a lower surface of the insole (30), further comprising:

an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole (10) and is provided on a front part of a lower surface thereof with a plurality of grooves (11 a) for allowing the outsole body to bend easily; and

a front pad that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body (11) and is formed as an integrated body without being divided into several parts, and is provided with a plurality of weak portions for allowing the front pad to bend easily.

2. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein the weak portions of the front pad comprise a plurality of slots (12 a) that are formed through the front pad.

3. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein the weak portions of the front pad comprise a plurality of grooves (12 b) that are formed in a lower surface of the front pad by grooving, or a plurality of grooves (12 c) that are formed in an upper surface of the front pad by grooving.

4. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein the front pad is divided into an integrated edge part and a central part, in which the central part of the front pad is provided with the plurality of weak portions for allowing the front pad to bend easily.

5. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

6. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are inclinedly formed in such a way that inside ends thereof are placed at lower positions and outside ends thereof are placed at higher positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

7. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are formed in such a way that centers thereof are placed at higher positions and inside and outside ends thereof are placed at lower positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof, so that each of the weak portions forms a reversed V-shaped appearance.

8. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 2, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are formed exclusively in a portion corresponding to a big toe of a foot.

9. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 4, wherein the central part of the front pad is attached to the outsole by separated pieces of Velcro.

10. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in order to allow the front pad to be detachably attached to the outsole body (11), opposing pieces of Velcro (20) are attached to the front pad (12) and to the outsole body (11), in which each of the opposing pieces of Velcro is separated into several parts by lines corresponding both to the transverse grooves (11 a) of the outsole body (11) and to the weak portions of the front pad (12).

11. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in order to allow the front pad to be detachably attached to the outsole body (11), opposing pieces of Velcro (20′) are attached to the front pad (12) and to the outsole body (11), in which each of the opposing pieces of Velcro is an integrated body having slots (23) that are partially formed through the piece of Velcro at positions corresponding both to the transverse grooves (11 a) of the outsole body (11) and to the weak portions of the front pad (12).

12. A bowling shoe comprising an upper (40), an insole (30) joined to a lower edge of the upper (40) by stitching, and an outsole (10) attached to a lower surface of the insole (30), further comprising:

an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole (10) and has no groove which allows the outsole body to bend easily; and

a front pad that is attached to the front part of the lower surface of the outsole body and is formed as an integrated body without being divided into several parts, and is provided with a plurality of slots (12 a) which are formed through the front pad or with a plurality of grooves (12 c) which are formed in an upper surface of the front pad, the slots or grooves allowing the front pad to bend easily.

13. A bowling shoe comprising an upper (40), an insole (30) joined to a lower edge of the upper (40) by stitching, and an outsole (10) attached to a lower surface of the insole (30), further comprising:

an outsole body that forms a part of the outsole (10); and

a front pad that is attached to a front part of a lower surface of the outsole body and is divided into several parts by a plurality of cut lines so as to bend easily, the cut lines being formed in angled directions within a range over a width of the front pad in such a way that, when the front pad is viewed from a lower surface thereof, inside ends of the cut lines are placed at lower positions, but outside ends are placed at higher positions.

14. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 3, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

15. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 4, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

16. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 3, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

17. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 4, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are transversely formed when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

18. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 3, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are inclinedly formed in such a way that inside ends thereof are placed at lower positions and outside ends thereof are placed at higher positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

19. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 4, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are inclinedly formed in such a way that inside ends thereof are placed at lower positions and outside ends thereof are placed at higher positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof.

20. The bowling shoe as set forth in claim 3, wherein the weak portions of the front pad are formed in such a way that centers thereof are placed at higher positions and inside and outside ends thereof are placed at lower positions when the front pad is viewed from the lower surface thereof, so that each of the weak portions forms a reversed V-shaped appearance.