In an anti-slipping device for a shoe sole having an anti-slipping or anti-sliding component such as nails or spikes which are not secured to the sole but are secured on support elements which can be overturned to be hidden in slots made on the sole itself, each overturning support element is hinged at its ends on cubic blocks which are anchored to the sole due to a mushroom-shaped coupling element which is molded in once piece to the cubic block itself, made of the same thermo-polyurethane material as the support elements and which is snap-fitted in its seat arranged in the sole next to the slot where the overturning support element is accommodated after the overturning, without interfering with the integrity of the sole itself and thus allowing the replacement thereof without difficulty. Also included is a mechanism for avoiding the accidental loss of the support element when walking.

A sole designed for attachment to an article of footwear, made of a hard polymer outsole connection plate affixed to a flexible polymer outsole that has a series of threaded imbed anchors housed therein for the attachment of various designs of interchangeable cleats. The cleats reside in detents formed on planar channels across the width of the outsole and extend above a series of tapered raised pads formed on the bottom face of the outsole.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing spikes for sports shoes, the method comprising: a primary injection-molding step for fixing a plurality of spike pin heads to one surface of a first fixed plate when injection-molding the first fixed plate such that the tip ends of the plurality of spike pins are exposed through the surface of the first fixed plate; a secondary injection-molding step for fixing a plurality of first fixed plates to one surface of a second fixed plate when injection-molding the second fixed plate, wherein the surfaces of the first fixed plates that are opposite to the surfaces to which the spike pines are fixed to the second fixed plate; and a second-fixed-plate fixing step for fixing, to the bottom of an outsole, the surface of the second fixed plate opposite to the surface to which the first fixed plates are fixed.

Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component; and (b) an inner perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an inner perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein an open space is defined between a lateral side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim and a medial side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim.

Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface opposite the upper-facing surface, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an open space at least at a forefoot support area of the ground-engaging component, and wherein a rearmost extent of the outer perimeter boundary rim is located within one of: an arch support area or a forward heel support area of the ground-engaging component (and/or at these areas of an overall sole structure); and (b) a support structure extending from the outer perimeter boundary rim and into or at least partially across the open space.

Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component; (b) an inner perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an inner perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein a first open space is defined between the outer perimeter boundary rim and the inner perimeter boundary rim, and wherein a second open space is defined between a lateral side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim and a medial side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim; and (c) a support structure extending from the outer perimeter boundary rim to the inner perimeter boundary rim and across the first open space.

Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an open space at least at a forefoot support area of the ground-engaging component, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim is shaped such that the outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component tapers or curves inward moving from a forefoot support area to an arch support area, and wherein a narrowest dimension from a lateral side edge to a medial side edge of the outer perimeter boundary rim (across the open space) is located in a heel support area of the ground-engaging component; and (b) a support structure extending into or at least partially across the open space. The ground-engaging component may have a narrower width dimension in a central heel or rear heel support area than in the arch support area.

An article of footwear may include an upper, an outsole, and a spring plate. The spring plate may be located above at least a portion of the outsole and may extend through at least medial forefoot and medial midfoot regions. The spring plate may have an unloaded shape in which a front portion of the spring plate in a forefoot region is downwardly bent relative to a rear portion of the spring plate located rearward of the front portion. The spring plate may comprise an open central region defined by a surrounding band and may be nondestructively removable from and replaceable into the upper. The article may further include at least one inner sole member shaped to rest securely within a void defined at least in part by the upper. The at least one inner sole member may be compressible in at least first and fifth metatarsophalangeal joint regions.

A traction stud comprises: a carrier comprising a post, a hollow defined by the post that opens at a distal end of the post, and a multi-pronged flange at a proximal end of the post; and a tip bonded in the hollow and extending past the distal end of the post. The carrier may be metal and/or the tip is ceramic. The multi-pronged flange may comprise two or more prongs, each prong having a first face, a second face, a thickness, and one or more holes extending from the first face to the second face, wherein the first and second faces are substantially perpendicular to the post. Outsoles comprise the traction studs and boots and/or overshoes comprise the outsoles. The traction studs are securely retained by polymeric material of the outsoles. The studs penetrate and/or grip slippery surfaces such as ice and packed snow.

The present invention is directed toward a crampon for use with a shoe to provide enhanced traction with the ground. The crampon comprises at least one sole member removably interconnected to the shoe and disposed adjacent a sole thereof. The sole member comprises at least one cavity extending at least partially therethrough. At least one traction element for gripping the ground is removably interconnected to the sole member.