Football Shoe and Method Therefor

1. Field of Invention

The invention generally relates to a football shoe and method therefor, and in particular the invention relates to a football shoe and method therefor having break-away cleats.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art football shoe includes a vertical portion, a sole, and a plurality of cleats, that are fixedly connected to the sole.

One problem with the prior art football shoe is that a leg injury is sometimes caused by a torque applied to a leg of a wearer because the cleats prevent the shoe from turning.

According to the present invention, a football shoe and method therefor is provided. This shoe preferably comprises a vertical (foot or ankle support) portion, a sole, and a plurality of cleats attached to the bottom surface of the sole. In one embodiment, each cleat has an adhesive layer that is fixedly connected to both the cleat and to the sole. By using the adhesive layer that is fixedly connected to both the cleat and to the sole, the problem of leg injuries is minimized because the cleat will break away from the sole when the cleat is subjected to a shear force equal to or above a preselected value.

In another embodiment, each cleat is attached to the bottom of the sole by means of a break-away (non-adhesive) portion so that each cleat so connected to the sole can be broken-away when subjected to a torque or shear force above a pre-selected minimum value below which each cleat would function in a normal useable manner.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a football shoe according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 a bottom view taken along the 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6a is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cleat shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6b is a front view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 6a.

As shown in FIG. 1, a football shoe 10 is provided. Shoe 10, which is a left shoe, has a vertical (foot and/or ankle support) portion 12 having a plurality of eyelets 14 for a shoelace 16. Shoe 10 also has a sole 18, which has a heel portion 20. Shoe 10 also has a top portion 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, sole 18 has, for example, ten cleats 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42. Some of the cleats such as, for example, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 38, 40 and 42 have a substantially rectangular configuration while the cleats such as, for example, 34 and 36 have a substantial cylindrical configuration. It should be understood that the invention is applicable to cleats of any desired configuration. Sole 18 also has a lower surface 44 to which the ten cleats are attached. Typical cleat 24, which is substantially identical (other than the configuration thereof) to the other nine cleats 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, has a bottom face 46 and a top face 48 (see FIG. 4). The top face 48 has an adhesive layer 50, which is bonded thereto. Adhesive layer 50 is also bonded to a portion of the lower surface 44 of the sole 18 which is designated by sole portion 52. Sole 18, heel 20, upper portion 12, top portion 22, cleat 24, and the other nine cleats 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 40, 42, are preferably composed of a leather and/or plastic type material.

In use, a twisting of the leg of a football player, or wearer, causes an applied torque 54 about an axis 56 (see FIG. 1). Applied torque 54 (see FIG. 1) causes a diagonal shear force on portion 52 (see FIG. 4) which is transmitted to cleat 24 (see FIG. 2) and the transmitted to the ground 59 (see FIG. 1).

The ground is assumed to be muddy, or relatively soft, so that the cleat 24 is sunken therein. Most of the other nine cleats receive respective shear forces, like shear force 58 (see FIG. 3), but of different value, due to differences in distances from area 56 (see FIG. 2), and other reasons.

Diagonal shear force 58 has an X-component 60, and a Y-component 62, as shown in FIG. 3. Diagonal shear 58, which is disposed normal to a radial line from axis 56 (see FIG. 2), causes a shear stress in adhesive layer 50. Adhesive layer 50 has a preselected failure stress level, which permits a separation of cleat 24 from sole 18 when the shear force on the cleat 24 (from turning the shoe because of, for example, impact from another player, etc.) exceeds the preselected failure stress level.

As an alternative embodiment to the use of the adhesive layer 50, the cleat 24 can have a neck portion 80 (such as part of a screw or attachment type mechanism for insertion into a corresponding hole in the sole 18, as shown in FIG. 6a and 6b). The thickness 70 of the neck portion 80 is preselected so as to break upon exposure to a certain diagonal force 58.

Cleat 24 is a break-away cleat, and separates from sole 18 at a preselected value of diagonal shear force 58, when the applied force is such as to cause adhesive layer 50 to fail to maintain attachment of the cleat 24 to the sole 18. The same situation applies to the embodiment of FIGS. 6a and 6b. Corresponding shear forces on some of the other nine cleats cause similar separation of such cleats from the sole 18.

Many leg injuries, such as injuries to the knee and ankle, can now be avoided by the use of shoe 10. The breaking away of some or all of the ten cleats permits a natural turning of shoe 10 by applied torque 54, thus avoiding a leg injury.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects. For example, cleats 24, 26, 28, 32, 36, 38, 40, 42 and sole 18 can be composed of a rubber material, or rubber - like material.