US20160270480A1 - Article of Footwear With a Marking System - Google Patents
Article of Footwear With a Marking System Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20160270480A1 US20160270480A1 US15/081,214 US201615081214A US2016270480A1 US 20160270480 A1 US20160270480 A1 US 20160270480A1 US 201615081214 A US201615081214 A US 201615081214A US 2016270480 A1 US2016270480 A1 US 2016270480A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- marking
- article
- markings
- foot
- footwear
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
- A43B23/02—Uppers; Boot legs
- A43B23/0245—Uppers; Boot legs characterised by the constructive form
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
- A43B23/02—Uppers; Boot legs
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
- A43B3/0036—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design
- A43B3/0052—X-shaped or cross-shaped
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
- A43B3/0036—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design
- A43B3/0078—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use characterised by a special shape or design provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B5/00—Footwear for sporting purposes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B71/00—Games or sports accessories not covered in groups A63B1/00 - A63B69/00
- A63B71/06—Indicating or scoring devices for games or players, or for other sports activities
- A63B71/0605—Decision makers and devices using detection means facilitating arbitration
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
- A43B1/0027—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially from a material having special colours
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B24/00—Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
- A63B24/0021—Tracking a path or terminating locations
- A63B2024/0025—Tracking the path or location of one or more users, e.g. players of a game
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
- A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
- A63B2220/00—Measuring of physical parameters relating to sporting activity
- A63B2220/80—Special sensors, transducers or devices therefor
- A63B2220/803—Motion sensors
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an article of footwear, and in particular to an article of footwear with a marking system.
- Cox U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,3357 teaches footwear with changeable stripes.
- Cox teaches a shoe that can have a stripe located within a recess upon the back counter or rear heel portion of the shoe, where the stripe may extend further thereunder, during application.
- the stripe may be located within the recess, or it may be removed, and reversed, and relocated therein.
- Such a stripe can be fabricated of a luminescent material, in order to furnish some glowing, during the evening or night, to furnish safety to the footwear when worn.
- Cox fails to teach provisions for facilitating locating one or more portions of a foot for training purposes. Cox also fails to teach provisions for training an athlete using one or more markings. There is a need in the art for a design that overcomes these shortcomings.
- the invention discloses an article of footwear with a marking system.
- the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a first portion and a second portion; the second portion being disposed between the first portion and a sole system of the article of footwear; a marking system associated with the upper, the marking system including a set of markings; each marking of the marking system extending through the first portion; and wherein the marking system is configured to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot.
- the marking system includes a first marking disposed in a toe portion of the upper.
- the marking system includes a second marking disposed in a lateral portion of the upper.
- the marking system includes a third marking disposed in a heel portion of the upper.
- the marking system includes a fourth marking disposed in a medial portion of the upper.
- At least one marking of the set of markings extends to an outsole of the sole system.
- the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a marking system associated with the upper, the marking system including a set of markings; the marking system including a first marking and a third marking that define a longitudinal axis along a length of the sole system; the marking system including a second marking and a fourth marking that define a lateral axis along a width of the sole system; and where the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot.
- the upper includes a first portion and a second portion disposed between the first portion and a sole system and wherein the marking set is disposed in the first portion.
- the marking set extends through the first portion and the second portion.
- the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a forefoot portion of the upper.
- the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a portion of the upper that corresponds to a ball of a foot.
- the marking set has a cross-hair configuration.
- a portion of the marking system is visible when the article of footwear is planted on the ground.
- the invention provides a method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of: observing the location of a plurality of markings associated with a marking system on an upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of a sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portion is disposed on the upper.
- the predetermined portion is a portion of the upper corresponding to a ball of a foot.
- the plurality of markings are visible on a side peripheral portion of the upper.
- the step of determining the relative location of the predetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis with the plurality of markings.
- the step of associating the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step of determining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.
- the article of footwear can be used to train an athlete.
- the motion of the article of footwear as a wearer moves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a video display system.
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of an article of footwear
- FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of an article of footwear
- FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of an article of footwear
- FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a training system
- FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear
- FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a heel portion of an article of footwear.
- FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear.
- FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of article of footwear 100 .
- FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of article of footwear 100
- FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of article of footwear 100
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of article of footwear 100 .
- the following detailed description discusses an embodiment, in the form of a sneaker, but it should be noted that the present invention could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to soccer shoes, football shoes, rugby shoes, baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes.
- FIGS. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of article of footwear 100
- FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of article of footwear 100
- FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of article of footwear 100 .
- the present invention could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to soccer shoes,
- article of footwear 100 also referred to simply as article 100 , is intended to be used with a right foot; however, it should be understood that the following discussion may equally apply to a mirror image of article of footwear 100 that is intended for use with a left foot.
- Article of footwear 100 preferably includes upper 102 .
- upper 102 may be any type of upper.
- upper 102 could have any design, shape, size and/or color.
- upper 102 could be a high top upper that is shaped to provide high support for an ankle.
- upper 102 could be a low top upper.
- upper 102 is configured to receive a foot of a wearer.
- upper 102 includes entry hole 103 configured to receive a foot of a wearer.
- entry hole 103 allows a foot to be inserted into an interior of upper 102 .
- upper 102 may also include medial portion 106 .
- upper 102 may include lateral portion 107 disposed opposite medial portion 106 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 .
- medial portion 106 may be associated with an inside of a foot.
- lateral portion 107 may be associated with an outside of a foot.
- Upper 102 may include toe portion 113 that is associated with the toes of a foot. Also, upper 102 may include heel portion 114 that is associated with a heel of a foot, as illustrated in FIG. 3 . Upper 102 may also include middle portion 115 that is disposed between toe portion 113 and heel portion 114 . In some cases, middle portion 115 is associated with a midfoot, including an arch of the foot and a top of the foot.
- upper 102 may include other provisions that are known in the art for an upper of an article of footwear.
- upper 102 may include a fastening system to secure upper 102 to a foot inserted within article 100 .
- upper 102 may be configured with provisions to increase the stability of a foot inserted within article 100 .
- upper 102 may be associated with sole system 105 .
- Sole system 105 may comprise multiple components.
- sole system 105 may include an outsole.
- sole system 105 may include a midsole.
- sole system 105 may include an insole.
- sole system 105 may include an outsole, a midsole and an insole.
- sole system 105 includes lower surface 125 .
- Lower surface 125 is configured to contact a ground surface.
- sole system 105 may include other provisions.
- lower surface 125 can be provided with one or more tread elements.
- lower surface 125 can include one or more cleats that are configured to penetrate through a ground surface such as grass.
- upper 102 may comprise first portion 131 and second portion 132 .
- first portion 131 may be associated with a top portion of upper 102 .
- second portion 132 may be associated with a peripheral edge of upper 102 .
- Second portion 132 can be disposed adjacent to sole system 105 .
- second portion 132 is disposed between first portion 131 and sole system 105 .
- first portion 131 and second portion 132 are separated by boundary 133 in FIGS. 1-3 .
- each component of article of footwear 100 may be constructed of any material.
- Sole system 105 may be constructed from any suitable material, including but not limited to elastomers, siloxanes, natural rubber, other synthetic rubbers, aluminum, steel, natural leather, synthetic leather, or plastics.
- upper 102 may be made from any suitable material, including but not limited to, nylon, natural leather, synthetic leather, natural rubber, or synthetic rubber.
- an article of footwear may include provisions to help a trainer accurately determine the location of one or more portions of a foot of the athlete.
- one or more markings may be provided on an article of footwear in order to enable a trainer to properly locate one or more portions of the foot.
- a marking system may be provided on an upper of an article of footwear to enable a trainer to accurately locate one or more portions of a foot.
- upper 102 of article 100 includes marking system 410 .
- marking system 410 may be disposed on any portion of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 may extend through first portion 131 and second portion 132 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 can be disposed in second portion 132 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 extends through first portion 131 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 includes a set of markings to help locate one or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete.
- a set of markings can include less than four markings.
- a set of markings can include more than four markings.
- a set of markings can include four markings.
- marking system 410 includes first marking 411 , second marking 412 , third marking 413 and fourth marking 414 .
- marking system 410 may vary within first portion 131 .
- marking system 410 may be disposed on toe portion 113 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 may be disposed on middle portion 115 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 may be disposed on heel portion 114 of upper 102 .
- marking system 410 is disposed in toe portion 113 , middle portion 115 and heel portion 114 to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot.
- first marking 411 is disposed on toe portion 113 .
- second marking 412 is disposed on lateral portion 107 of middle portion 115 .
- fourth marking 414 is disposed on medial portion 106 of middle portion 115 .
- third marking 413 is disposed on heel portion 114 of upper 102 .
- third marking 413 may be disposed in various locations on first portion 131 of heel portion 114 in order to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot.
- first portion 131 of heel portion 114 can include first end portion 201 disposed adjacent to entry hole 103 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- first portion 131 of heel portion 114 can include second end portion 202 disposed adjacent to second portion 132 .
- first portion 131 of heel portion 114 can include intermediate portion 203 disposed between first end portion 201 and second end portion 202 .
- third marking 413 may be disposed on first end portion 201 of first portion 131 .
- third marking 413 can be disposed on second end portion 202 of first portion 131 . In still other cases, third marking 413 may be disposed on intermediate portion 203 of first portion 131 . It is also possible that third marking 413 can extend through any or all portions of first portion 131 of heel portion 114 . In this embodiment, third marking 413 is disposed on first end portion 201 of heel portion 114 .
- first marking 411 extends from toe portion 113 of upper 102 towards heel portion 114 .
- third marking 413 extends from heel portion 114 towards toe portion 113 .
- first marking 411 and third marking 413 may be substantially co-linear.
- first marking 411 and third marking 413 may be aligned with longitudinal axis 420 .
- longitudinal axis refers to an axis that extends in a longitudinal direction, which is a direction extending the length of article 100 , including sole system 105 and upper 102 .
- second marking 412 may extend from lateral portion 107 towards medial portion 106 .
- fourth marking 414 may extend from medial portion 106 towards lateral portion 107 .
- second marking 412 and fourth marking 414 may be substantially co-linear.
- second marking 412 and fourth marking 414 may be aligned with lateral axis 421 , as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
- the term “lateral axis” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to an axis that extends in a lateral direction, which is a direction running a width of article 100 , including sole system 105 and upper 102 . With this arrangement, marking system 410 may be used to implicitly define longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 .
- marking system 410 can indicate an intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 that corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot.
- marking system 410 may include a marking to indicate the intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 .
- marking system 410 may implicitly indicate the intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 .
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 may be configured to intersect in any portion of upper 102 in order to indicate a portion or feature of a foot.
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 are configured to intersect in a forefoot portion of upper 102 .
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 can intersect in a portion of upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of a foot.
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 can intersect in an arch portion of upper 102 to help a trainer accurately locate the arch of a foot during a training session.
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 could correspond with one or more bones in a foot, including, but not limited to, phalanges, metatarsals, cuniforms and the calcaneus, as well as other bones.
- the intersection of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 could be associated with a particular muscle in a foot.
- longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 intersect at ball portion 425 .
- ball portion 425 is a location disposed on upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of a foot inserted within article 100 during the use of article 100 .
- ball portion 425 is disposed just above the ball of the foot of an athlete.
- marking system 410 a trainer may accurately determine the location of ball portion 425 by knowing the locations of at least two markings of marking system 410 that implicitly define longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 . This allows the trainer to determine the location of ball portion 425 by finding the intersection point of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 that is associated with marking system 410 .
- each marking of a marking system can vary.
- each marking can be a straight line with a generally constant thickness.
- each marking can be a straight line with varying thickness.
- each marking can have another shape, including, but not limited to, triangular shapes, rectangular shapes, elliptical shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as other types of shapes.
- a marking system can be applied to an upper in any manner.
- a marking system may be painted onto an upper using a durable paint.
- a marking system can comprise portions of a distinct material that is applied to the upper. Examples of materials that could be used for a marking system include, but are not limited to, plastic, rubber, leather, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, metal as well as other types of materials.
- a marking system may be applied to an upper using an adhesive of some kind. In other cases, a marking system may be applied to an upper using some type of stitching.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of training system 500 for an athlete.
- training system 500 is associated with practice field 504 .
- practice field refers to any type of field, court, or generally open space that may be used for training activities. Examples of practice fields include, but are not limited to football fields, soccer pitches or fields, lacrosse fields, basketball courts, as well as other types of fields and/or courts. Additionally, any open space that may be used for training activities such as those described throughout this detailed description may also be considered a practice field.
- training system 500 includes athlete 502 .
- athlete is intended to include both professional athletes and amateur athletes.
- athlete 502 may be any person wishing to take part in an athletic training activity. Therefore, the term “athlete”, as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims, refers to any user of training system 500 .
- an article of footwear used with training system 500 includes provisions for training an athlete with respect to various athletic skills that are important for a strong performance in many sports.
- these athletic skills include, but are not limited to stride length, forefoot planting technique, linear speed, lateral speed, left turning speed, right turning speed, starting acceleration, mid-stride acceleration, deceleration as well as other capabilities.
- stride length forefoot planting technique
- linear speed linear speed
- lateral speed left turning speed
- right turning speed starting acceleration
- mid-stride acceleration deceleration
- deceleration as well as other capabilities.
- a running back in football must have good lateral speed in order to avoid tackles. Therefore, it may be important to have a training system with special emphasis placed on one or more of these athletic skills.
- practice field 504 may include provisions to assist in accurately locating athlete 502 on practice field 504 .
- practice field 504 includes grid 505 .
- grid 505 can be any type of grid.
- grid 505 can include any size spacing.
- the size of grid 505 can be selected to allow for accurate measurements of the locations of a portion of a foot during a training session.
- a training system can include provisions such as a monitoring device to capture the movements of a foot of an athlete during a training session.
- Monitoring devices include, but are not limited to camera, video cameras as well as other devices configured to capture the movement of an athlete.
- a monitoring device may be associated with one or more provisions for receiving information about the performance of an athlete during a training session.
- a monitoring device may be communication with a computer.
- the term “computer” refers to any device including a central processing unit, some kind of memory, a user interface and mechanisms for input/output.
- a monitoring device may be in communication with a video display system.
- video display system refers to any system that includes provisions for displaying one or more video images received from a monitoring device.
- a monitoring device and other associated devices such as a computer and video display system are not shown with training system 500 .
- a trainer may utilize these devices with a training system as described in embodiments in the Marking System Case.
- training system 500 includes provisions for assisting a trainer in accurately determining the location of one or more portions of foot 520 , such as the ball of foot 520 .
- athlete 502 is wearing article 100 as seen in the enlarged view in FIG. 5 .
- article 100 is configured with marking system 410 .
- marking system 410 includes first marking 411 , second marking 412 , third marking 413 , and fourth marking 414 .
- first marking 411 and fourth marking 414 may be visible on upper 102 . In other words, due to the positioning of foot 520 , a trainer can only see first marking 411 and fourth marking 414 .
- a trainer may utilize marking system 410 .
- the trainer may observe the location of a plurality of markings of marking system 410 to determine the location of ball portion 425 .
- the trainer may observe the location of first marking 411 by inspecting article 100 .
- the trainer may determine the location of fourth marking 414 in a similar manner.
- the trainer may associate longitudinal axis 420 with first marking 411 and lateral axis 421 with fourth marking 414 . In some cases, this can be accomplished with a graphical program of some kind that may be associated with a computer. In other cases, a trainer can mentally estimate the locations of longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 .
- the trainer may then proceed to determine where longitudinal axis 420 and lateral axis 421 may intersect. The point of intersection then allows the trainer to identify the location of ball portion 425 . Furthermore, using grid 505 , the trainer can accurately determine the location of a ball of foot 520 with respect to practice field 404 . In some cases, a trainer can repeat these steps to determine the location of ball portion 425 throughout a particular time interval of the training session as previously discussed in the Marking System Case.
- training system 500 can be used to monitor and accurately study both feet of athlete 502 including an associated pair of footwear.
- a marking system for an article of footwear can be used to accurately locate other portions of a foot, such as a toe portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, as well as other portions.
- multiple marking systems can be used on an article of footwear for simultaneous location of multiple portions of a foot.
- FIGS. 6 and 7 are isometric views of an alternative embodiment of article of footwear 600 .
- FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view with an enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of article of footwear 600 .
- FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a heel portion of article of footwear 600 .
- article 600 includes upper 602 .
- upper 602 may be any type of upper.
- upper 602 could have any design, shape, size and/or color.
- upper 602 includes medial portion 606 and lateral portion 607 , disposed opposite of medial portion 606 .
- upper 602 is configured with middle portion 615 that is disposed between toe portion 623 and heel portion 624 of upper 602 .
- upper 602 is associated with sole system 605 .
- Sole system 605 may comprise multiple components.
- sole system 605 can include an outsole, midsole and/or an insole.
- sole system 605 may be associated with outer peripheral portion 622 .
- outer peripheral portion 622 is a side edge of sole system 605 .
- outer peripheral portion 622 may be visible in a side view of article 600 .
- outer peripheral portion 622 may be configured with a straight edge as outer peripheral portion 622 joins upper 602 .
- outer peripheral portion 622 is configured with a contoured edge as outer peripheral portion 622 joins upper 602 .
- upper 602 includes first portion 631 and second portion 632 .
- second portion 632 is disposed between first portion 631 and sole system 605 .
- first portion 631 is separated from second portion 632 by boundary 633 in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- a marking system may be disposed in a second portion of an upper to facilitate accurately locating one or more portions of a foot.
- a marking system may be disposed in a second portion of an upper without extending into a first portion of an upper. In other cases, a marking system may extend through both a first portion and a second portion of an upper.
- upper 602 includes marking system 610 . Similar to the previous embodiment of marking system 410 illustrated in FIG. 4 , marking system 610 includes first marking 611 , second marking 612 , third marking 613 and fourth marking 614 . However, in this embodiment, marking system 610 is disposed in both first portion 631 and second portion 632 of upper 602 . In particular, first marking 611 extends through both first portion 631 and second portion 632 on toe portion 623 . Similarly, second marking 612 extends through first portion 631 and second portion 632 on lateral portion 607 of middle portion 615 .
- first marking 611 includes first end portion 651 and second end portion 652 on toe portion 623 .
- First end portion 651 is disposed in first portion 631 of upper 602 .
- second end portion 652 is disposed in second portion 632 of upper 602 .
- second end portion 652 is disposed adjacent to outer peripheral portion 622 of sole system 605 .
- second end portion 652 does not contact sole system 605 .
- first marking 611 extends through first portion 631 and second portion 632 .
- second marking 612 is configured with first end portion 661 and second end portion 662 .
- First end portion 661 is disposed in first portion 631 of upper 602 .
- second end portion 662 is disposed in second portion 632 of upper 602 .
- second end portion 662 is disposed adjacent to outer peripheral portion 622 without contacting outer peripheral portion 622 .
- second end portion 662 may extend into second portion 632 and be spaced apart from sole system 605 .
- fourth marking 614 is disposed on medial portion 606 in a substantially similar manner.
- third marking 613 of marking system 610 is disposed on heel portion 624 .
- Third marking 613 extends between first end portion 671 and second end portion 672 .
- First end portion 671 is disposed in first portion 631 .
- first end portion 671 is disposed adjacent to entry hole 603 of upper 602 .
- second end portion 672 is disposed in second portion 632 .
- second end portion 672 is disposed adjacent to sole system 605 .
- third marking 613 does not contact sole system 605 as third marking 613 extends through first portion 631 and second portion 632 .
- an upper extends to an outsole of a sole system
- a marking system on the upper may be disposed adjacent to the outsole.
- an upper may cover a midsole of a sole system as the upper extends to an outsole.
- an upper may extend to an outsole of a sole system that is configured without a midsole.
- an upper that extends to an outsole can be provided with a marking system that enables a trainer to accurately locate one or more portions of a foot.
- FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of article of footwear 800 .
- article of footwear 800 includes upper 802 and sole system 805 .
- Upper 802 includes toe portion 823 and heel portion 824 .
- upper 802 includes middle portion 825 disposed between toe portion 823 and heel portion 824 .
- upper 802 includes first portion 831 and second portion 832 disposed between first portion 831 and sole system 805 .
- boundary 833 is shown between first portion 831 and second portion 832 .
- sole system 805 includes outsole 806 and midsole 807 .
- Sole system 805 may also include an insole not visible in this Figure.
- outsole 806 is configured to contact a ground surface.
- Midsole 807 is disposed above outsole 806 .
- upper 802 extends to outsole 806 and covers midsole 807 .
- second portion 832 of upper 802 covers midsole 807 .
- midsole 807 is illustrated with a dashed line on upper 802 .
- upper 802 is configured with marking system 810 to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot inserted within upper 802 .
- Marking system 810 is substantially similar to marking system 410 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 .
- marking system 810 includes first marking 811 , second marking 812 , third marking 813 and fourth marking 814 .
- marking system 810 may not extend through both first portion 831 and second portion 832 of upper 802 .
- markings of marking system 810 extend through first portion 831 and second portion 832 of upper 802 .
- marking system 810 may be disposed on a portion of upper 802 that covers midsole 807 .
- first marking 811 includes first end portion 851 and second end portion 852 on toe portion 823 .
- First end portion 851 is disposed in first portion 831 of upper 802 .
- second end portion 852 is disposed in second portion 832 of upper 802 .
- second end portion 852 is disposed adjacent to outsole 806 of sole system 805 .
- This arrangement allows first marking 811 to extend through first portion 831 and into second portion 832 as second portion 832 covers midsole 807 . With this arrangement, first marking 811 is disposed adjacent to outsole 806 .
- second marking 812 is configured with first end portion 861 and second end portion 862 .
- First end portion 861 is disposed in first portion 831 of upper 802 .
- second end portion 862 is disposed in second portion 832 of upper 802 .
- second end portion 862 is disposed adjacent to outsole 806 .
- second end portion 862 may extend into second portion 832 as second portion 832 covers midsole 807 .
- second marking 812 may extend through first portion 831 and second portion 832 of upper 802 .
- fourth marking 814 is disposed on medial portion 816 of upper 802 in a substantially similar manner as second marking 812 on lateral portion 817 .
- third marking 813 may be disposed on heel portion 824 of upper 802 in a manner substantially similar to the previous embodiment of marking system 610 illustrated in FIG. 7 .
- third marking 813 may extend into second portion 832 as second portion 832 covers midsole 807 .
- a portion of third marking 813 may be disposed adjacent to outsole 806 .
- This configuration of marking system 810 preferably allows a trainer to accurately locate one or more predetermined portions of a foot.
Abstract
An article of footwear with a marking system is disclosed. The marking system is configured to help locate one or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete. The marking system includes markings disposed on an upper of an article of footwear.
Description
- This application is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No. ______, currently U.S. application Ser. No. 12/129,216, entitled “Article of Footwear With a Marking System” (referred to herein as “the Marking System Case”), filed on May 29, 2008, and is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an article of footwear, and in particular to an article of footwear with a marking system.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- Articles of footwear with stripes or markings have been previously proposed. Cox (U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,337) teaches footwear with changeable stripes. Cox teaches a shoe that can have a stripe located within a recess upon the back counter or rear heel portion of the shoe, where the stripe may extend further thereunder, during application. Thus, the stripe may be located within the recess, or it may be removed, and reversed, and relocated therein. Such a stripe can be fabricated of a luminescent material, in order to furnish some glowing, during the evening or night, to furnish safety to the footwear when worn.
- Cox fails to teach provisions for facilitating locating one or more portions of a foot for training purposes. Cox also fails to teach provisions for training an athlete using one or more markings. There is a need in the art for a design that overcomes these shortcomings.
- The invention discloses an article of footwear with a marking system. In one aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a first portion and a second portion; the second portion being disposed between the first portion and a sole system of the article of footwear; a marking system associated with the upper, the marking system including a set of markings; each marking of the marking system extending through the first portion; and wherein the marking system is configured to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot.
- In another aspect, the marking system includes a first marking disposed in a toe portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, the marking system includes a second marking disposed in a lateral portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, the marking system includes a third marking disposed in a heel portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, the marking system includes a fourth marking disposed in a medial portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, at least one marking of the set of markings extends to an outsole of the sole system.
- In another aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a marking system associated with the upper, the marking system including a set of markings; the marking system including a first marking and a third marking that define a longitudinal axis along a length of the sole system; the marking system including a second marking and a fourth marking that define a lateral axis along a width of the sole system; and where the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot.
- In another aspect, the upper includes a first portion and a second portion disposed between the first portion and a sole system and wherein the marking set is disposed in the first portion.
- In another aspect, the marking set extends through the first portion and the second portion.
- In another aspect, the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a forefoot portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a portion of the upper that corresponds to a ball of a foot.
- In another aspect, the marking set has a cross-hair configuration.
- In another aspect, a portion of the marking system is visible when the article of footwear is planted on the ground.
- In another aspect, the invention provides a method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of: observing the location of a plurality of markings associated with a marking system on an upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of a sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portion is disposed on the upper.
- In another aspect, the predetermined portion is a portion of the upper corresponding to a ball of a foot.
- In another aspect, the plurality of markings are visible on a side peripheral portion of the upper.
- In another aspect, the step of determining the relative location of the predetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis with the plurality of markings.
- In another aspect, the step of associating the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step of determining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.
- In another aspect, the article of footwear can be used to train an athlete.
- In another aspect, the motion of the article of footwear as a wearer moves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a video display system.
- Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims.
- The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
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FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of an article of footwear; -
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear; -
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of an article of footwear; -
FIG. 4 is a top view of an embodiment of an article of footwear; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a training system; -
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear; -
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a heel portion of an article of footwear; and -
FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of an article of footwear. -
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of article offootwear 100. In particular,FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a medial portion of article offootwear 100 andFIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a lateral portion of article offootwear 100.FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a heel portion of article offootwear 100. For clarity, the following detailed description discusses an embodiment, in the form of a sneaker, but it should be noted that the present invention could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to soccer shoes, football shoes, rugby shoes, baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes. As shown inFIGS. 1-3 , article offootwear 100, also referred to simply asarticle 100, is intended to be used with a right foot; however, it should be understood that the following discussion may equally apply to a mirror image of article offootwear 100 that is intended for use with a left foot. - Article of
footwear 100 preferably includes upper 102. Generally, upper 102 may be any type of upper. In particular, upper 102 could have any design, shape, size and/or color. For example, in embodiments where upper 102 is a basketball shoe, upper 102 could be a high top upper that is shaped to provide high support for an ankle. In embodiments where upper 102 is a running shoe, upper 102 could be a low top upper. - Preferably, upper 102 is configured to receive a foot of a wearer. In some embodiments, upper 102 includes
entry hole 103 configured to receive a foot of a wearer. Typically,entry hole 103 allows a foot to be inserted into an interior of upper 102. - Referring to
FIG. 1 , upper 102 may also includemedial portion 106. Also, upper 102 may includelateral portion 107 disposed oppositemedial portion 106, as illustrated inFIG. 2 . Preferably,medial portion 106 may be associated with an inside of a foot. Similarly,lateral portion 107 may be associated with an outside of a foot. -
Upper 102 may includetoe portion 113 that is associated with the toes of a foot. Also, upper 102 may includeheel portion 114 that is associated with a heel of a foot, as illustrated inFIG. 3 .Upper 102 may also includemiddle portion 115 that is disposed betweentoe portion 113 andheel portion 114. In some cases,middle portion 115 is associated with a midfoot, including an arch of the foot and a top of the foot. - For purposes of clarity, only some portions of upper 102 are discussed in this embodiment. It should be understood that upper 102 may include other provisions that are known in the art for an upper of an article of footwear. For example, upper 102 may include a fastening system to secure upper 102 to a foot inserted within
article 100. Also, in some cases, upper 102 may be configured with provisions to increase the stability of a foot inserted withinarticle 100. - In some embodiments, upper 102 may be associated with
sole system 105.Sole system 105 may comprise multiple components. In some cases,sole system 105 may include an outsole. In other cases,sole system 105 may include a midsole. In still other cases,sole system 105 may include an insole. In one embodiment,sole system 105 may include an outsole, a midsole and an insole. - In an embodiment,
sole system 105 includeslower surface 125.Lower surface 125 is configured to contact a ground surface. For clarity, only some portions ofsole system 105 are discussed in this embodiment. It should be understood thatsole system 105 may include other provisions. For example, in some embodiments,lower surface 125 can be provided with one or more tread elements. In other embodiments,lower surface 125 can include one or more cleats that are configured to penetrate through a ground surface such as grass. - In some embodiments, upper 102 may comprise
first portion 131 andsecond portion 132. In some cases,first portion 131 may be associated with a top portion of upper 102. Similarly,second portion 132 may be associated with a peripheral edge of upper 102.Second portion 132 can be disposed adjacent tosole system 105. In particular,second portion 132 is disposed betweenfirst portion 131 andsole system 105. For illustrative purposes,first portion 131 andsecond portion 132 are separated byboundary 133 inFIGS. 1-3 . - Generally, each component of article of
footwear 100 may be constructed of any material.Sole system 105 may be constructed from any suitable material, including but not limited to elastomers, siloxanes, natural rubber, other synthetic rubbers, aluminum, steel, natural leather, synthetic leather, or plastics. Also, upper 102 may be made from any suitable material, including but not limited to, nylon, natural leather, synthetic leather, natural rubber, or synthetic rubber. - In order to effectively train an athlete, a trainer may be required to accurately study the positioning of a foot of the athlete during various athletic drills. In embodiments where the motions of the foot of an athlete may be accurately studied, an article of footwear may include provisions to help a trainer accurately determine the location of one or more portions of a foot of the athlete. In some embodiments, one or more markings may be provided on an article of footwear in order to enable a trainer to properly locate one or more portions of the foot. In some cases, a marking system may be provided on an upper of an article of footwear to enable a trainer to accurately locate one or more portions of a foot.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1-4 , upper 102 ofarticle 100 includes markingsystem 410. Generally, markingsystem 410 may be disposed on any portion of upper 102. In some cases, markingsystem 410 may extend throughfirst portion 131 andsecond portion 132 of upper 102. In other cases, markingsystem 410 can be disposed insecond portion 132 of upper 102. In this embodiment, markingsystem 410 extends throughfirst portion 131 of upper 102. - Generally, marking
system 410 includes a set of markings to help locate one or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete. In some embodiments, a set of markings can include less than four markings. In other embodiments, a set of markings can include more than four markings. In an embodiment, a set of markings can include four markings. In particular, markingsystem 410 includes first marking 411,second marking 412,third marking 413 andfourth marking 414. - In different embodiments, the location of marking
system 410 may vary withinfirst portion 131. In some embodiments, markingsystem 410 may be disposed ontoe portion 113 of upper 102. In other embodiments, markingsystem 410 may be disposed onmiddle portion 115 of upper 102. In still other embodiments, markingsystem 410 may be disposed onheel portion 114 of upper 102. In this embodiment, markingsystem 410 is disposed intoe portion 113,middle portion 115 andheel portion 114 to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot. Specifically, first marking 411 is disposed ontoe portion 113. In addition, second marking 412 is disposed onlateral portion 107 ofmiddle portion 115. Similarly, fourth marking 414 is disposed onmedial portion 106 ofmiddle portion 115. Finally,third marking 413 is disposed onheel portion 114 of upper 102. - Referring to
FIG. 3 ,third marking 413 may be disposed in various locations onfirst portion 131 ofheel portion 114 in order to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot. In some embodiments,first portion 131 ofheel portion 114 can includefirst end portion 201 disposed adjacent toentry hole 103, as illustrated inFIG. 3 . Similarly,first portion 131 ofheel portion 114 can includesecond end portion 202 disposed adjacent tosecond portion 132. Also,first portion 131 ofheel portion 114 can includeintermediate portion 203 disposed betweenfirst end portion 201 andsecond end portion 202. In some cases,third marking 413 may be disposed onfirst end portion 201 offirst portion 131. In other cases, third marking 413 can be disposed onsecond end portion 202 offirst portion 131. In still other cases,third marking 413 may be disposed onintermediate portion 203 offirst portion 131. It is also possible thatthird marking 413 can extend through any or all portions offirst portion 131 ofheel portion 114. In this embodiment,third marking 413 is disposed onfirst end portion 201 ofheel portion 114. - As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, which has already been incorporated herein by reference, a marking system may be used to implicitly define a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis to assist in locating a predetermined portion of a foot. Referring to
FIG. 4 , first marking 411 extends fromtoe portion 113 of upper 102 towardsheel portion 114. Likewise,third marking 413 extends fromheel portion 114 towardstoe portion 113. In an embodiment, first marking 411 andthird marking 413 may be substantially co-linear. In particular, first marking 411 andthird marking 413 may be aligned withlongitudinal axis 420. The term “longitudinal axis” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to an axis that extends in a longitudinal direction, which is a direction extending the length ofarticle 100, includingsole system 105 and upper 102. - In a similar manner, second marking 412 may extend from
lateral portion 107 towardsmedial portion 106. Likewise, fourth marking 414 may extend frommedial portion 106 towardslateral portion 107. In an embodiment,second marking 412 andfourth marking 414 may be substantially co-linear. In particular,second marking 412 andfourth marking 414 may be aligned withlateral axis 421, as illustrated inFIG. 4 . The term “lateral axis” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to an axis that extends in a lateral direction, which is a direction running a width ofarticle 100, includingsole system 105 and upper 102. With this arrangement, markingsystem 410 may be used to implicitly definelongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. - By defining
longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421, markingsystem 410 can indicate an intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 that corresponds to a predetermined portion of a foot. In some cases, markingsystem 410 may include a marking to indicate the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. In other cases, markingsystem 410 may implicitly indicate the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. - Generally,
longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 may be configured to intersect in any portion of upper 102 in order to indicate a portion or feature of a foot. In some embodiments,longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 are configured to intersect in a forefoot portion of upper 102. In some cases,longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 can intersect in a portion of upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of a foot. In other cases,longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 can intersect in an arch portion of upper 102 to help a trainer accurately locate the arch of a foot during a training session. Likewise, in other embodiments, the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 could correspond with one or more bones in a foot, including, but not limited to, phalanges, metatarsals, cuniforms and the calcaneus, as well as other bones. In still other embodiments, the intersection oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 could be associated with a particular muscle in a foot. - In this embodiment,
longitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 intersect atball portion 425. Preferably,ball portion 425 is a location disposed on upper 102 that corresponds to a ball of a foot inserted withinarticle 100 during the use ofarticle 100. In other words,ball portion 425 is disposed just above the ball of the foot of an athlete. With this configuration for markingsystem 410, a trainer may accurately determine the location ofball portion 425 by knowing the locations of at least two markings of markingsystem 410 that implicitly definelongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. This allows the trainer to determine the location ofball portion 425 by finding the intersection point oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 that is associated with markingsystem 410. - As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, in different embodiments, the shape of each marking of a marking system can vary. In some embodiments, each marking can be a straight line with a generally constant thickness. In other embodiments, each marking can be a straight line with varying thickness. In still other embodiments, each marking can have another shape, including, but not limited to, triangular shapes, rectangular shapes, elliptical shapes, regular shapes, irregular shapes as well as other types of shapes.
- A marking system can be applied to an upper in any manner. For example, in one embodiment, a marking system may be painted onto an upper using a durable paint. In another example, a marking system can comprise portions of a distinct material that is applied to the upper. Examples of materials that could be used for a marking system include, but are not limited to, plastic, rubber, leather, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, metal as well as other types of materials. In some cases, a marking system may be applied to an upper using an adhesive of some kind. In other cases, a marking system may be applied to an upper using some type of stitching.
- In some cases, a trainer of an athlete may monitor the movement of a foot of an athlete while using a training system.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment oftraining system 500 for an athlete. In this case,training system 500 is associated withpractice field 504. The term “practice field”, as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to any type of field, court, or generally open space that may be used for training activities. Examples of practice fields include, but are not limited to football fields, soccer pitches or fields, lacrosse fields, basketball courts, as well as other types of fields and/or courts. Additionally, any open space that may be used for training activities such as those described throughout this detailed description may also be considered a practice field. - Preferably,
training system 500 includesathlete 502. Referring to the Marking System Case, the term “athlete” is intended to include both professional athletes and amateur athletes. Generally,athlete 502 may be any person wishing to take part in an athletic training activity. Therefore, the term “athlete”, as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims, refers to any user oftraining system 500. - Preferably, an article of footwear used with
training system 500 includes provisions for training an athlete with respect to various athletic skills that are important for a strong performance in many sports. Examples of these athletic skills include, but are not limited to stride length, forefoot planting technique, linear speed, lateral speed, left turning speed, right turning speed, starting acceleration, mid-stride acceleration, deceleration as well as other capabilities. For example, a running back in football must have good lateral speed in order to avoid tackles. Therefore, it may be important to have a training system with special emphasis placed on one or more of these athletic skills. - In some cases,
practice field 504 may include provisions to assist in accurately locatingathlete 502 onpractice field 504. For example, in this embodiment,practice field 504 includesgrid 505. Generally,grid 505 can be any type of grid. Furthermore,grid 505 can include any size spacing. In this embodiment, the size ofgrid 505 can be selected to allow for accurate measurements of the locations of a portion of a foot during a training session. - As previously discussed in the Marking System Case, a training system can include provisions such as a monitoring device to capture the movements of a foot of an athlete during a training session. Monitoring devices include, but are not limited to camera, video cameras as well as other devices configured to capture the movement of an athlete. Furthermore, a monitoring device may be associated with one or more provisions for receiving information about the performance of an athlete during a training session. In some cases, a monitoring device may be communication with a computer. The term “computer” refers to any device including a central processing unit, some kind of memory, a user interface and mechanisms for input/output. In addition, a monitoring device may be in communication with a video display system. The term “video display system” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to any system that includes provisions for displaying one or more video images received from a monitoring device. For purposes of clarity, a monitoring device and other associated devices such as a computer and video display system are not shown with
training system 500. However, it should be understood that a trainer may utilize these devices with a training system as described in embodiments in the Marking System Case. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , asathlete 502 moves onpractice field 504, a trainer may determine the motion offoot 520 during a portion of the training session. For example, the trainer may wish to determine the exact location of the ball offoot 520 during a particular athletic maneuver in order to determine ifathlete 502 is performing the maneuver correctly. Preferably,training system 500 includes provisions for assisting a trainer in accurately determining the location of one or more portions offoot 520, such as the ball offoot 520. - In this embodiment,
athlete 502 is wearingarticle 100 as seen in the enlarged view inFIG. 5 . As previously discussed,article 100 is configured with markingsystem 410. Furthermore, markingsystem 410 includes first marking 411,second marking 412,third marking 413, andfourth marking 414. However, only first marking 411 andfourth marking 414 may be visible on upper 102. In other words, due to the positioning offoot 520, a trainer can only see first marking 411 andfourth marking 414. - In order to accurately determine the location of
ball portion 425, a trainer may utilize markingsystem 410. Preferably, the trainer may observe the location of a plurality of markings of markingsystem 410 to determine the location ofball portion 425. In this case, the trainer may observe the location offirst marking 411 by inspectingarticle 100. Also, the trainer may determine the location offourth marking 414 in a similar manner. At this point, the trainer may associatelongitudinal axis 420 withfirst marking 411 andlateral axis 421 withfourth marking 414. In some cases, this can be accomplished with a graphical program of some kind that may be associated with a computer. In other cases, a trainer can mentally estimate the locations oflongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421. Preferably, the trainer may then proceed to determine wherelongitudinal axis 420 andlateral axis 421 may intersect. The point of intersection then allows the trainer to identify the location ofball portion 425. Furthermore, usinggrid 505, the trainer can accurately determine the location of a ball offoot 520 with respect to practice field 404. In some cases, a trainer can repeat these steps to determine the location ofball portion 425 throughout a particular time interval of the training session as previously discussed in the Marking System Case. - Although the current embodiment discusses a single foot with a single article of footwear, it should be understood that
training system 500 can be used to monitor and accurately study both feet ofathlete 502 including an associated pair of footwear. Furthermore, although the current embodiment is used for determining the accurate location of a ball of a foot, in other embodiments, a marking system for an article of footwear can be used to accurately locate other portions of a foot, such as a toe portion, an arch portion, a heel portion, as well as other portions. In addition, in some embodiments, multiple marking systems can be used on an article of footwear for simultaneous location of multiple portions of a foot. -
FIGS. 6 and 7 are isometric views of an alternative embodiment of article offootwear 600.FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric view with an enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of article offootwear 600.FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a heel portion of article offootwear 600. - Referring to
FIGS. 6 and 7 ,article 600 includes upper 602. Generally, upper 602 may be any type of upper. In particular, upper 602 could have any design, shape, size and/or color. In addition, upper 602 includesmedial portion 606 andlateral portion 607, disposed opposite ofmedial portion 606. Also, upper 602 is configured withmiddle portion 615 that is disposed betweentoe portion 623 andheel portion 624 of upper 602. - In this embodiment, upper 602 is associated with
sole system 605.Sole system 605 may comprise multiple components. In particular,sole system 605 can include an outsole, midsole and/or an insole. Furthermore,sole system 605 may be associated with outerperipheral portion 622. Preferably, outerperipheral portion 622 is a side edge ofsole system 605. In other words, outerperipheral portion 622 may be visible in a side view ofarticle 600. In some cases, outerperipheral portion 622 may be configured with a straight edge as outerperipheral portion 622 joins upper 602. In this embodiment, outerperipheral portion 622 is configured with a contoured edge as outerperipheral portion 622 joins upper 602. - Similar to the previous embodiment of upper 102 illustrated in
FIGS. 1-4 , upper 602 includesfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632. As previously described,second portion 632 is disposed betweenfirst portion 631 andsole system 605. For illustrative purposes,first portion 631 is separated fromsecond portion 632 byboundary 633 inFIGS. 6 and 7 . - In embodiments where a trainer may have difficulty viewing a first portion of an upper, a marking system may be disposed in a second portion of an upper to facilitate accurately locating one or more portions of a foot. In some cases, a marking system may be disposed in a second portion of an upper without extending into a first portion of an upper. In other cases, a marking system may extend through both a first portion and a second portion of an upper.
- In this alternative embodiment, upper 602 includes marking
system 610. Similar to the previous embodiment of markingsystem 410 illustrated inFIG. 4 , markingsystem 610 includes first marking 611,second marking 612,third marking 613 andfourth marking 614. However, in this embodiment, markingsystem 610 is disposed in bothfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632 of upper 602. In particular, first marking 611 extends through bothfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632 ontoe portion 623. Similarly, second marking 612 extends throughfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632 onlateral portion 607 ofmiddle portion 615. - As seen in the enlarged view, first marking 611 includes
first end portion 651 andsecond end portion 652 ontoe portion 623.First end portion 651 is disposed infirst portion 631 of upper 602. Likewise,second end portion 652 is disposed insecond portion 632 of upper 602. Furthermore,second end portion 652 is disposed adjacent to outerperipheral portion 622 ofsole system 605. However,second end portion 652 does not contactsole system 605. With this arrangement, first marking 611 extends throughfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632. - In a similar manner, second marking 612 is configured with
first end portion 661 andsecond end portion 662.First end portion 661 is disposed infirst portion 631 of upper 602. Similarly,second end portion 662 is disposed insecond portion 632 of upper 602. In particular,second end portion 662 is disposed adjacent to outerperipheral portion 622 without contacting outerperipheral portion 622. In other words,second end portion 662 may extend intosecond portion 632 and be spaced apart fromsole system 605. Preferably, fourth marking 614 is disposed onmedial portion 606 in a substantially similar manner. - Referring to
FIG. 7 ,third marking 613 of markingsystem 610 is disposed onheel portion 624. Third marking 613 extends betweenfirst end portion 671 andsecond end portion 672.First end portion 671 is disposed infirst portion 631. Specifically,first end portion 671 is disposed adjacent toentry hole 603 of upper 602. Similarly,second end portion 672 is disposed insecond portion 632. In particular,second end portion 672 is disposed adjacent tosole system 605. However, like the other markings of markingsystem 610,third marking 613 does not contactsole system 605 asthird marking 613 extends throughfirst portion 631 andsecond portion 632. With this arrangement of markingsystem 610, a trainer can observe the markings of markingsystem 610 when eitherfirst portion 631 orsecond portion 632 of upper 602 is obscured. - In embodiments where an upper extends to an outsole of a sole system, a marking system on the upper may be disposed adjacent to the outsole. In some cases, an upper may cover a midsole of a sole system as the upper extends to an outsole. In other cases, an upper may extend to an outsole of a sole system that is configured without a midsole. Preferably, an upper that extends to an outsole can be provided with a marking system that enables a trainer to accurately locate one or more portions of a foot.
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FIG. 8 illustrates an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a lateral portion of article offootwear 800. In this embodiment, article offootwear 800 includes upper 802 andsole system 805.Upper 802 includestoe portion 823 andheel portion 824. Also, upper 802 includesmiddle portion 825 disposed betweentoe portion 823 andheel portion 824. Furthermore, in a similar manner to previous embodiments, upper 802 includesfirst portion 831 andsecond portion 832 disposed betweenfirst portion 831 andsole system 805. For illustrative purposes,boundary 833 is shown betweenfirst portion 831 andsecond portion 832. - In this embodiment,
sole system 805 includesoutsole 806 andmidsole 807.Sole system 805 may also include an insole not visible in this Figure. Preferably,outsole 806 is configured to contact a ground surface.Midsole 807 is disposed aboveoutsole 806. However, in this alternative embodiment, upper 802 extends to outsole 806 and coversmidsole 807. Specifically,second portion 832 of upper 802 coversmidsole 807. For illustrative purposes,midsole 807 is illustrated with a dashed line on upper 802. - In this alternative embodiment, upper 802 is configured with marking
system 810 to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of a foot inserted within upper 802.Marking system 810 is substantially similar to markingsystem 410 illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 . In particular, markingsystem 810 includes first marking 811,second marking 812,third marking 813 andfourth marking 814. In some cases, markingsystem 810 may not extend through bothfirst portion 831 andsecond portion 832 of upper 802. In this embodiment, markings of markingsystem 810 extend throughfirst portion 831 andsecond portion 832 of upper 802. With this configuration, markingsystem 810 may be disposed on a portion of upper 802 that coversmidsole 807. - As seen in the enlarged view, first marking 811 includes
first end portion 851 andsecond end portion 852 ontoe portion 823.First end portion 851 is disposed infirst portion 831 of upper 802. Likewise,second end portion 852 is disposed insecond portion 832 of upper 802. In particular,second end portion 852 is disposed adjacent to outsole 806 ofsole system 805. This arrangement allows first marking 811 to extend throughfirst portion 831 and intosecond portion 832 assecond portion 832 coversmidsole 807. With this arrangement, first marking 811 is disposed adjacent tooutsole 806. - In a similar manner, second marking 812 is configured with
first end portion 861 andsecond end portion 862.First end portion 861 is disposed infirst portion 831 of upper 802. Similarly,second end portion 862 is disposed insecond portion 832 of upper 802. In particular,second end portion 862 is disposed adjacent tooutsole 806. In other words,second end portion 862 may extend intosecond portion 832 assecond portion 832 coversmidsole 807. Using this arrangement, second marking 812 may extend throughfirst portion 831 andsecond portion 832 of upper 802. - Preferably, fourth marking 814 is disposed on
medial portion 816 of upper 802 in a substantially similar manner assecond marking 812 onlateral portion 817. Additionally,third marking 813 may be disposed onheel portion 824 of upper 802 in a manner substantially similar to the previous embodiment of markingsystem 610 illustrated inFIG. 7 . However, in this embodiment,third marking 813 may extend intosecond portion 832 assecond portion 832 coversmidsole 807. With this arrangement, a portion ofthird marking 813 may be disposed adjacent tooutsole 806. This configuration of markingsystem 810 preferably allows a trainer to accurately locate one or more predetermined portions of a foot. - While various embodiments of the invention have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
Claims (21)
1-13. (canceled)
14. A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:
observing the location of a plurality of markings associated with a marking system on an upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of a sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and
determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portion is disposed on the upper.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined portion is a portion of the upper corresponding to a ball of a foot.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of markings are visible on a side peripheral portion of the upper.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the step of determining the relative location of the predetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis with the plurality of markings.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of associating the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step of determining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis.
19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the article of footwear can be used to train an athlete.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the motion of the article of footwear as a wearer moves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a video display system.
21. A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:
providing an article of footwear including:
a forefoot portion corresponding with a forefoot region of a foot of a wearer, a middle portion corresponding with a midfoot region of a foot of a wearer, and a heel portion corresponding with a heel region of a foot of a wearer;
a sole system having an outer peripheral portion forming a side edge of the sole system that is visible in a side view of the article of footwear, the outer peripheral portion including a contoured edge defining a recess in the sole system extending in a downward direction from a top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system, the recess being disposed in the forefoot portion of the article of footwear and being substantially smaller than the forefoot portion;
an upper attached to the sole system, the upper including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the upper being defined by the contoured edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system and being located below the top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system, wherein the first portion of the upper is exposed in the recess in the sole system, and wherein the second portion of the upper is located above the top edge of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system; and
a plurality of markings on the upper, each marking of the plurality of markings having a different appearance than adjacent portions of the upper;
the plurality of markings including a marking system including a set of markings arranged in alignment with one or more portions of the article of footwear corresponding with at least one predetermined portion of a foot of a wearer;
wherein an end portion of a first marking of the plurality of markings extends into the first portion of the upper in the recess defined by the outer peripheral portion;
wherein all markings adjacent to the first marking and perpendicular to the first marking are disposed entirely in the second portion of the upper; and
wherein the first marking extends in a lateral direction in alignment with a first axis that corresponds with a ball of a foot of a wearer;
observing the location of the plurality of markings on the upper of the article of footwear when a lower surface of the sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and
determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the end portion of the marking extending into the recess is disposed in a medial portion of the upper.
23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the end portion of the marking extending into the recess is disposed in a lateral portion of the upper.
24. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the plurality of markings are aligned with axes that intersect at a portion of the upper that corresponds with the predetermined portion of the foot.
25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the predetermined portion of the foot is a ball of the foot.
26. The method of claim 21 , wherein the upper includes an unmarked portion between the sole system and the end portion of the marking extending into the recess.
27. The method according to claim 21 , wherein a second marking adjacent to the first marking is disposed entirely in the second portion of the upper.
28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the marking system includes a first marking and a third marking that define a longitudinal axis along a length of the sole system;
the marking system further including a second marking and a fourth marking that define a lateral axis along a width of the sole system; and
wherein the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined bone of the foot; and
wherein the intersection is located laterally off center along the width of the sole system.
29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis intersect in a forefoot portion of the upper.
30. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the set of markings has a cross-hair configuration.
31. The method according to claim 28 , wherein a portion of the marking system is visible when the article of footwear is planted on the ground.
32. The method of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of markings are aligned with axes that intersect at a portion of the upper that corresponds with the predetermined portion of the foot;
wherein the plurality of markings includes at least one heel marking located on the upper in a heel region of the article of footwear;
wherein the heel marking has a first end portion located adjacent an entry hole of the upper, the heel marking extending from the first end portion toward the sole system to a second end portion of the heel marking; and
wherein the upper includes an unmarked portion between the sole system and the second end portion of the heel marking.
33. The method according to claim 32 , wherein the marking system includes a marking disposed in a toe portion of the upper that is aligned with the heel marking.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US15/081,214 US20160270480A1 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2016-03-25 | Article of Footwear With a Marking System |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
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US12/129,216 US9451809B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-05-29 | Article of footwear with a marking system |
US12/211,402 US9408432B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-09-16 | Article of footwear with a marking system |
US15/081,214 US20160270480A1 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2016-03-25 | Article of Footwear With a Marking System |
Related Parent Applications (1)
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US12/211,402 Division US9408432B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-09-16 | Article of footwear with a marking system |
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US20160270480A1 true US20160270480A1 (en) | 2016-09-22 |
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US15/081,214 Abandoned US20160270480A1 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2016-03-25 | Article of Footwear With a Marking System |
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US12/211,402 Active 2030-03-22 US9408432B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-09-16 | Article of footwear with a marking system |
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EP (1) | EP2299858A4 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102112017B (en) |
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US9451809B2 (en) * | 2008-05-29 | 2016-09-27 | Nike, Inc. | Article of footwear with a marking system |
US20100275463A1 (en) * | 2009-05-01 | 2010-11-04 | Paul Gallagher | Soccer shoe ball contacting zones training aid |
US20140013625A1 (en) * | 2012-07-11 | 2014-01-16 | Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. | Golf shoe |
US11445779B2 (en) * | 2016-07-21 | 2022-09-20 | Nike, Inc. | Article of footwear with multiple layers, retention system for an article of footwear, and methods of manufacture |
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- 2009-05-28 EP EP09755721.9A patent/EP2299858A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2009-05-28 WO PCT/US2009/045439 patent/WO2009146360A1/en active Application Filing
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CN102112017B (en) | 2012-09-05 |
WO2009146360A1 (en) | 2009-12-03 |
EP2299858A1 (en) | 2011-03-30 |
CN102112017A (en) | 2011-06-29 |
US9408432B2 (en) | 2016-08-09 |
US20090293316A1 (en) | 2009-12-03 |
EP2299858A4 (en) | 2014-01-01 |
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