WO1987007479A1

WO1987007479A1 - Sports shoe soles

Info

Publication number: WO1987007479A1
Application number: PCT/AU1987/000151
Authority: WO
Inventors: Keith Raymond Sutherland
Original assignee: Keith Raymond Sutherland
Priority date: 1986-06-02
Filing date: 1987-05-27
Publication date: 1987-12-17

Abstract

A sports shoe sole particularly for use by golfers to assist in the correct placement of the feet relative to the ball, the club face, the hole and the intended direction of travel of the ball. The sole extends outwardly beyond the shoe upper and has a front toe edge (1) extending at a right angle to the longitudinal centre line of the shoe and side edges (5, 7) extending at right angles to the front edge (1) and parallel to the centre line of the shoe.

Description

The invention relates to the shape of the soles of sports shoes and the application of the shape as an aid to players of the games of golf, bowls, croquet and the like but specifically related to the game of golf. The object is to provide the player a precise and repetitious method to ensure the correct placement of the feet relative to the ball, the club and club face, the hole or target and the intended line of the ball.

The periphery of the lower soles of the shoes are shaped to allow for a prominent welt to be clearly visible to the player when standing in an upright position so as to have straight toe line edges perpendicular to the centre line of the shoes and the inner and outer straight edges of the soles parallel to each other and the centre line of the shoes and at right angles to the toe lines. The length of the straight edges of the toe lines and the straight inner and outer edges is determined according to the shape and size of the upper sole of the shoes. Whether the upper sole shape and size is of rounded, oval or of pointed configuration, the welt will remain prominent in the area of the straight edges but where the upper sole shape allows the welt to be overly prominent, the welt is reduced in area by a connecting edge from the straight parallel inner and outer edges to the straight toe line edges or by a rounded edge, or part straight and part rounded edge.

The already known golf shoe sole is shaped similar to that of the ordinary street shoe of rounded, oval or pointed configuration. This outline offers minimal help to the player to co-ordinate foot placement with the ball, the club and club face, the hole or target and the intended line of direction of the ball. When the shape of the known sole is replaced with a clearly defined welt of straight edges perpendicular to and parallel to each other, the player is provided with visual sighting points to more precisely position the feet for correct alignment, which sighting points are not obvious from the known sole shape.

The invention is described with reference to the drawings in which Fig. 1 is the plan of the soles with

SUBSTITUTESHEET rounded upper sole. Fig. 2, plan of the soles with oval upper sole. Fig. 3, plan of the soles with pointed upper sole. Fig. 4, rear perspective, Fig. 5, front perspective and Fig. 6, plan of the soles with edges extended. The lower sole of the left shoe, Fig. 1 , has a straight toe line 1 perpendicular to the centre line of the shoe 8 and a straight inner edge 5 and a straight outer edge 7 parallel to each other and the centre line of the shoe 8, both edges 5 and 7 being at right angles to the toe line 1. The inner sole edge 5 and the outer sole edge 7 are joined to the toe line 1 by either straight edges 2 and 3 or rounded edges or part straight and part rounded edges. The length of the toe line 1 and the length of the inner edge 5 and the outer edge 7 is determined according to the size and shape of the upper sole perimeter 6 so as to maintain the welt in reasonable proportion to the overall welt. The heel line of the sole 9 conforms to the shape and size of the upper sole 6.

When the upper sole shape is of oval configuration. Fig. 2, the straight edges 1, 5 and 7 will allow a prominent welt 4 and the edges 2 and 3 angled to the toe line 1 so as to maintain the welt area in reasonable proportion to the overall welt. The edges 2 and 3 could be of a rounded shape or a combination of straight and rounded edges.

When the upper sole shape is of pointed configuration. Fig. 3, the straight edges 1, 5 and 7 will allow a similar prominent welt 4 as in Figs. 1 and 2 and the edges 2 and 3 similarly joined to the toe line in order to maintain a proportional welt area. The heel lines of the soles conform to the shape and size of the upper sole 6.

The actual sole would be made from materials newused in the manufacture of golf shoes or other sporting shoes and would permit the fitting of spikes and like non slip devices. The sole shape could be cut by hand from the selected material, shaped according to a template, stamped with cutting knives or by injection molding in appropriate sized dies. Metal dies would ensure

SUBSTITUTE SHEE uniformity in a complete range of sizes and permit precise positioning of the upper sole to the bottom sole by having an indentation on the upper part of the lower sole to accept the exact shape of the upper sole and permit a decorative and or a marked welt during the process.

SUBSTITUTE SHξET

Claims

CLAIMS .

1. The lower soles of sports shoes so made as to have straight toe line edges perpendicular to the centre line of the shoes and with inner and outer straight sole edges parallel to each other and the centre line of the shoes and at right angles to the straight toe line edges.

2. The peripheral of the lower sole, as distinct from the heel area, is larger than the peripheral of the upper sole allowing the welt to be clearly visible in all shoe sizes irrespective of the style, shape or design of the upper sole.

3. Where the style, shape or design of the upper sole allows the welt area to be excessive, this area is reduced with a straight or rounded edge or part straight and part rounded edge from the parallel inner and outer straight edges to the straight edges of the toe lines.

4. When the left and right shoes of similar sizes are placed together, the straight toe sole edges or the continuation of these toe edges would form a straight line, and this line would be perpendicular to the centre line of each shoe and be at right angles to the parallel inner and outer straight edges of each sole or the continuation of these parallel edges so as to form an identical rectangular shape for each shoe sole.

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