Adjustable footwear for playing football

Abstract

A football shoe or football boot includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a central region and one or more protuberances at each side of the central region. The one or more protuberances on each side define a crest alongside the central region, such that the crests and the central region define a ball control region. The protuberances are formed by incorporation of fluid material with the upper, in direct contact with the upper.

Claims

1. A football shoe or football boot including: a sole; and an upper, the upper including a ball control region including a central region and one or more protuberances at each side of the central region, the one or more protuberances on each side defining a single crest along each side of the central region, the crests arranged substantially parallel or arranged to converge inwardly towards a forward direction of the football shoe or boot in at least the unoccupied configuration of the shoe or boot, said crests arranged substantially symmetrically about the central region, the central region between the crests being of convex shape, such that in at least the occupied configuration of the shoe or boot, at least an apex of the central region is raised above the crests, wherein the upper includes a throat region provided by flexible material of the upper, said throat region being that part of the upper that is generally rearward of a toebox and rearward of a throat line and forward of a wearer's ankle, and wherein the crests at each side of the central region lie within the throat region, and wherein the central region and the crests of the ball control region are contactable with a ball when the shoe or boot is worn by the wearer.

2. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material defining the crests is more rigid or harder than the upper.

3. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shoe or boot also includes an inner upper of flexible material which is relatively softer than an outer upper.

4. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the central region between the crests includes a fastening mechanism and the crests lie outwardly of the fastening mechanism.

5. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner upper is elastomeric, stretchable or extensible material, which stretches to accommodate a user's foot when places in the shoe.

6. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inner upper is extensible material such that the spacing between the crests is variable.

7. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 6, wherein the inner upper incorporates a tongue and/or collar around the heel.

8. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible material is of a lower rigidity than the protuberances.

9. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, the central region is defined by the absence of a material associated with or forming the protuberances.

10. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 9, wherein the material associated with or forming the protuberances lies only laterally of the central region.

11. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the occupied configuration the upper takes on a shape whereby it defines a top portion and two substantially upright side portions, wherein the crests are disposed at the transition between the top portion and a respective side portion.

12. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball control region includes a single linear protuberance at each side of the central region, said single linear protuberance defining said single crest.

13. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central region corresponds to an instep region of the shoe or boot.

14. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apex is a single point or a ridge line down the centre of the central region between the adjacent crests on each side.

15. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 14, wherein the apex is the ridge line, wherein at each point along the ridge line, the apex point is raised above the adjacent crest point.

16. The football shoe or football boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the crests at each side of the central region each extend longitudinally between the toebox and the wearer's ankle when the shoe or boot is worn by the wearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A and 1B are side views showing the football boot or shoe according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with foot and without foot;

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B are front views of the preferred shoe with and without foot;

(4) FIGS. 3A and 3B are the alternative side views of the preferred form of shoe with and without foot;

(5) FIGS. 4A and 4B are rear views of the preferred form of the shoe with and without foot;

(6) FIGS. 5A and 5B are 45 degree views from the rear of the preferred shoe, with and without foot;

(7) FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views of the preferred form the shoe with and without foot;

(8) FIGS. 7A and 7B are transverse cross-sectional views of the preferred form of the shoe with and without foot;

(9) FIG. 8 is a transverse cross sectional view of the preferred form of the shoe, with foot, showing impact with a standard round football;

(10) FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of a shoe in accordance with another embodiment of the invention with and without a foot;

(11) FIG. 10 is a front view of the shoe of FIGS. 9A and 9B.

(12) FIG. 11 is a transverse cross sectional view of a preferred form of the shoe, with foot;

(13) FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective views of a shoe in accordance with another embodiment of the invention with and without a foot;

(14) FIG. 13 is a front view of the shoe of FIGS. 12A and 12B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(15) The illustrated embodiment of a football shoe 100 is designed especially for the form of football also known in some countries as soccer. In a first embodiment, the football shoe 10 includes a sole 12, and an upper 14. The upper 14 is comprised of an outer layer 16 and an inner upper 18 as can be best seen in FIG. 7. The outer layer 16 is fashioned in a suitable highly flexible leather or polymer material as is typical in the art. The outer layer 16 includes opposed lateral edges 20 which define a longitudinally extending lace-up opening 22 with lacing 24 extending between the opposing lateral edges 20 as is conventional. The opening may be bordered and reinforced by a placket 23 which extends, on each side, from the opening to a short distance beyond the associated crest 40 or crests when there are multiple crests on each side.

(16) The inner upper 18 (see FIG. 7) is of neoprene material and defines a unitary overlay 26, tongue 28 and collar 30 (see FIG. 3). The neoprene is resiliently flexible to stretch when the user's foot is inserted into the shoe 10 to comfortably accommodate the user's foot. The neoprene also has a compressible, sponge-like quality providing an added layer of comfort for the user's foot. The inner upper 18 which defines the unitary overlay 26, tongue 28 and low profile collar (see FIG. 3) is received within the outer layer 16 but is exposed in the central lace-up opening 22, in the form of the tongue 28. Additionally, the low-profile collar 30 projects above the outer layer 16 around the whole of the ankle. The low-profile collar 30 is contiguous with the tongue 28 as can be seen from FIG. 3. The inner upper 18 may be stitched to the outer layer 16 around the collar 30.

(17) As can be best seen from FIG. 7, the shoe 10 also includes crests 40 on either side of the central lace-up region. Each crest is formed from plastics material which is injected between the outer layer 16 and the placket 23 and then allowed to set to form relatively rigid crests.

(18) The cross section of the inserts 42 may be substantially triangular. However, other forms are also included within the scope of the invention and a more preferred form is a rounded form as shown like a speed-hump. The cross sectional shape may be uniform along the length of the insert 42. However, it is possible that the insert may be of non-uniform cross section, for example, being progressively flatter in the forward direction. Thus, the insert 42 may taper in height, especially at each end. However, the form of an insert 42 is not limited to being lineal nor is it limited to being straight and curved crests are also possible. Furthermore, each crest 40 may not be defined by a single linear insert 42. Instead, the crest may be made up of a series of spaced protuberances.

(19) While only one crest 40 is shown either side of the central lace-up region 22, there may be two or more substantially parallel extending rows of crests (not shown) on each side of the central lace-up region 22. The adjacent crests may vary in height, preferably diminishing in height, extending outwardly.

(20) As best shown in FIG. 6, the two crests 40 may be arranged substantially parallel when the shoe is in the unworn configuration as shown in FIG. 6B. However, as shown in FIG. 6A, the stretch permitted by the elastomeric inner upper 18 enables a widening of the central lace-up region and a widening of the lace-up opening 22. This widening is not uniform over the length of the opening 22. Rather, there is a greater increase in the width of the gap towards the rearward direction. Accordingly, in the worn configuration, the crests 40 are splayed outwardly from front to back.

(21) As is best seen from an understanding of FIG. 7, the benefits of the inserts 42 is three-fold. Firstly, the insert 42 is under the surface of the outer layer 16 and its presence will be less detectable and result in a more seamless appearance of the outer layer 16. Secondly, the existence of the insert 42 between the outer layer 16 and the strengthening placket 23 means that only one additional piece, that being the insert 42 itself is required to establish the presence of the crest 40. This reduces the need for additional pieces to hold the insert in place and therefore keeps the weight addition to a minimum. Thirdly, when the insert 42 is injected this will lead to manufacturing efficiency and also self-adhere the insert 42 into position.

(22) The shoe 10 is made according to conventional shoe manufacturing techniques, except for the injected inserts 42. The inner and outer layers 18, 16 and placket 23 are die or laser cut according to a pattern from sheets of suitable material. The necessary stitching and gluing is then carried out including joining the placket 23 and the outer layer 16. The holes and any reinforcing required for the laces are then made through the outer layer 16 and the placket 23. The inserts 42 are injected between the outer layer 16 and the placket 23. The inner and outer layers 16, 18 of the upper may then be joined and the upper 14 is then moulded around the last and the sole plate is glued to the upper 14. While the crests 40 are injected, in accordance with some aspects of the invention, they could also be stitched on or inserted as preformed inserts into pockets. Rigid crests formed of expanded plastics material such as rigid foam are also possible. Such crests would be rigid but lightweight. Desirably, the crests are hard enough to have effect but not so hard as to be uncomfortable.

(23) From a study of FIGS. 7 and 8, the change in form from the unworn configuration to the worn configuration and on impact with a ball 50 can be seen. As can be seen from FIG. 7B, the central region between the crests 40 is convex in transverse cross section in the unworn configuration and an apex 41 of the central region is raised above the corresponding adjacent crest points 43. FIG. 7B is mirrored in this respect. However, the dotted line indicates the location of the apex 41 and this will be understood from consideration of the side profile shown in FIG. 1B. This convexity may change when the user's foot is inserted into the shoe 10 as can be seen from FIG. 7A. As already explained in connection with FIG. 6, insertion of the user's foot will create a widening of the central lace-up region 22 with a more pronounced widening rearwardly of the shoe. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7A, the insertion of the user's foot brings about a decrease in the transverse convexity. However, this change in convexity may vary extending rearwardly of the shoe. The change in convexity may also be dependent upon the profile of the user's foot, particularly the instep area. With a high instep, the central region will present a relatively convex transverse profile compared to a user who has a flatter foot with a lower instep. In such a case, the transverse convexity will remain but it will not be as great.

(24) It can be also seen in FIG. 7A that when the user's foot is inserted, the shoe upper 14 takes on a shape whereby it defines a top portion and two substantially upright side portions. In such a configuration, it can be seen that the crests 40 are disposed at the transition between the top portion and a respective side portion. This spacing of the crests 40 is important for reasons which will be discussed.

(25) When the user strikes the ball 50 lightly, the impacts on the top of the user's foot in the central region (otherwise known as the “catchment area”) will be unlikely to contact the crests 40, given the spacing of the crests and the convexity. Thus, for low power impacts, the ball will, to the extent that it impacts in the central region, will make contact with the convex surface wholly within the central region. However, on a relatively higher impact with the ball 50, the crests 40 will make contact with the ball as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, the relatively harder/more rigid nature of the crests 40 will impart greater velocity and/or accuracy to the rebounding ball 50. It can be also seen from study of FIG. 8 that the impact of the ball 50 may act to spread the crests 40 further apart, thereby leading to a further decrease in transverse convexity in the central region.

(26) FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of football shoe 10′, wherein crests 40′ are distributed between eyelets of the lacing and a boundary of central lace-up opening 22′. The crests 40′ may include a plurality of spaced crests, or may be formed of a single crest, having slits therein to allow for the lacing to sit within. It will be appreciated from the earlier description that this embodiment includes many of the features earlier discussed as indicated by the repeated reference numerals.

(27) As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the football shoe 100 includes a sole 112, and an upper 114. A fastening mechanism 120, in the form of a lacing mechanism as known in the art, is provided in order for a wearer to secure the football shoe 100 to their foot. The upper 112 includes a canopy 130, defined somewhat by its position relative to a fastening region 140 that is associated with the fastening mechanism 120 and a lower upper 116. The fastening region is to be understood as defining a region of the upper that contains, underlies, or overlies one or more components of the fastening mechanism 120.

(28) Otherwise, the canopy can be defined by reference to a throat region 125 which is part of the vamp (generally unified with the quarter in a sports shoe) behind the toe box or toe cap 121 and generally over the instep of the wearer. The throat region defines a boundary 123 of the flexible material of the lower upper 116. The canopy 130 and the lower upper 116 can be secured together in any suitable manner known in the art, including stitching and welding.

(29) The canopy extends to form a collar portion 127 around the wearer's ankle.

(30) As will be appreciated from FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10, part of the fastening mechanism 120, in this case a foremost portion and a rearward portion of the fastening mechanism 120, has laces that are visible from the outside of the football shoe 100. Conversely, the portion between the foremost portion and the rearward portion, has laces that are not visible from the outside of the football shoe 100. The laces that are not visible lay beneath the canopy 130.

(31) The canopy 130 is comprised of a first material that includes an outer surface 118 and an inner surface (not shown). As best seen in FIG. 10, the canopy 130 includes a central portion 132 comprised primarily of the first material, and protuberances 122 formed between the outer surface 118 and the inner surface of the canopy 130 laterally of the central portion 132. The protuberances are formed of a second material that is of greater rigidity and/or hardness than the first material. The provision of protuberances 122 at canopy 130 define a ball control region which provides the wearer the ability to kick a ball with greater power and accuracy when the protuberances contact a football in the act of kicking. Further, the provision of the relatively less rigid central portion 132 will also provide the wearer improved ball feel when kicking the ball, as the wearer will not experience the same level of dampened ball feel that would otherwise be experienced by having a more rigid material in the central portion 132.

(32) In the embodiment of FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10, the protuberances 122 are in the form of upwardly extending crests 124. The crests 122 extend linearly from a relatively rearward section of the fastening region 140 towards a forward section of the fastening region 140 in an inwardly converging fashion, thereby forming a substantially V-shaped protuberance with a junction 134 at which the crests may join. In this form, the protuberances 122 allow a wearer to cup the ball when kicking, thereby providing a ‘sweet spot’ without the addition of material at the central portion, leading to improved ball feel and less additional weight. Whilst the figures depict two protuberances, one on each side of the central portion 132, there may be any number of protuberances on either side of the central portion. The protuberances may be of any size and shape, and in some embodiments may be formed between portions of the fastening mechanism 120.

(33) It is preferred that protuberances 122, in particular crests 124, do not directly contact any components of the fastening mechanism 120. This ensures that the fastening mechanism does not interfere with protuberances 122 and thereby limit any of the kicking benefits provided by the protuberances 122. In this embodiment, the protuberances 122 are formed by injecting a suitable fluid material between the outer surface 118 and the inner surface. The material when set will be of greater rigidity than the first material of the canopy 130. In other embodiments, the protuberances 122 can be formed on an upper surface of canopy 130. In yet another embodiment, the protuberances 122 can be formed on the underside of canopy 130.

(34) Football shoe 100 may include a tongue (not shown) underlying the canopy 130. In such an embodiment, the tongue provides a layer of material between the wearer's foot or sock, and the fastening mechanism 120. This ensures that, in this case, the lacing does not sit on top of the wearer's foot or sock and cause discomfort.

(35) In an alternative embodiment, rather than having canopy 130, the football shoe 100 may include a conventional tongue as is known in the art. In such an embodiment, the protuberances are disposed on the tongue. For example, the protuberances may be disposed between an inner and outer surface of the tongue, on an underside surface of the tongue, or on an upper surface of the tongue.

(36) The foregoing defines only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.