US3807061A

US3807061A - Athletic shoe

Info

Publication number: US3807061A
Application number: US00224478A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Krus; G Quinn; U Jordan
Original assignee: Three Line Research and Development Co Inc
Current assignee: Three Line Research and Development Co Inc
Priority date: 1972-02-08
Filing date: 1972-02-08
Publication date: 1974-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-30

Abstract

An athletic shoe adapted for use in a plurality of different sports. The shoe includes an upper constituted to meet the usage requirements of each of the different sports. An outsole constituted as a separate part from the upper has traction means on its bottom adapted for use in one of the sports and means are provided for securely but removably fastening the outsole to the bottom of the upper. Thus, the outsole may be removed and another outsole having different traction means may be fastened to the upper.

Description

United States Patent [191 Krus et a1.

[ Apr. 30, 1974 1 ATHLETIC SHOE [75] Inventors: Jerome J. Krus, East Alton;

Governor V. Quinn; Ulice A. Jordan, both of East St. Louis, all of 111.

[73] Assignee: Three-Line Research and Development Co., Inc., Granite City, 111.

[22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 224,478

[52] U.S. C1. 36/2.5 R, 36/30 R [51] Int. Cl A43b 13/12 [58] Field of Search 36/25 R, 2.5 C, 2.5 W,

36/25 A, 41, 59 R, 62; 2/DIG. 6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,318,025 5/1967 Antelo 36/30 R 3,099,884 8/1963 Kixmiller et a1. 2/D1G. 6 631,821 8/1899 Riemer 36/25 W 3,012,341 12/1961 Schaefer 36/25 C Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Attorney, Agent, or Firm--l(oenig, Senniger, Powers and Leavitt [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ATHLETIC SHOE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the field of athletic equipment and, more particularly, to a novel athletic shoe adapted for use in a plurality of sports.

Many athletes, particularly those of younger age, participate in a number of different sports. One individual, for example, may participate in each of the sports of football, basketball and baseball in the course of a given year. Participation in each of these sports requires the wearing of shoes adapted for that sport. The construction of a shoe adapted for a particular sport generally varies somewhat from the constructions of shoes adapted for other sports, especially with respect to the traction means provided on the sole of the shoe. Thus, spikes of one type are used for baseball, cleats of another design are used in football, and suction cups or similar gripping devices are incorporated in the sole of a basketball shoe.

Where an athlete participates in a number of sports, he is thus forced to purchase and wear a number of separate pairs of athletic shoes. For any athlete, but particularly for a schoolboy with growing feet, the expense of buying several different pairs of shoes for several different sports can be substantial.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a novel athletic shoe adapted for use in a number of different sports. It is a further object of the invention to provide a shoe which is convertible to a form useful in a particular sport and fully equivalent in design and performance to a conventional shoe designed specifically for that particular sport. It is also an object of the invention to provide a shoe which may be quickly and easily converted from a form adapted for use in one sport to a form adapted for use in another sport.

In its fundamental aspect, therefore, the present invention is directed to an athletic shoe adapted for use in a plurality of different sports. The shoe comprises an upper constructed to meet the usage requirements of each of said sports and having a bottom. The shoe further comprises an outsole constituted as a separate part from the upper having traction means on its bottom adapted for use in one of said sports. Means are included for securely but removably fastening said outsole to the bottom of the upper whereby said outsole may be removed and another outsole having different traction means fastened to said upper. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe of the invention showing an outsole having football cleats attached to an upper;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the embodiment wherein the outsole carrying football cleats is attached to the upper by means of a Velcro-type hook and pile fastener system;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating an embodiment in which the outsole includes baseball spikes and is attached to an integral sole portion of the upper by means ofscrews;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 in which the detachable outsole has been removed and the shoe adapted for use in basketball with plugs screwed into the tapped holes in the integral sole;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a plug which may be inserted in the tapped holes in the integral sole of the upper of FIG. 4 to provide traction means for basketball or tenms;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The athletic shoe of the invention allows an athlete to participate in a variety of sports without the necessity of purchasing a separate pair of shoes for each of these sports. The substantial expense associated with thepurchase of a pair of shoes for each sport is consequently avoided. This advantage may be of particular value to the schoolboy, or to a school system supplying shoes for schoolboys, since an athlete with growing feet may well outgrow a particular pair of shoes before the shoes wear-out. Such premature obsolescence of shoes worn by younger athletes further compounds the expense associated with the use of conventional shoes. Where the convertible shoe of the invention is utilized,

however, the upper portion of the shoe is worn essentially year-around, allowing a young athlete to derive the benefit of a greater portion of the useful life of the shoe before it is outgrown.

While providing substantial economies in the expenses associated with purchase of athletic shoes, the shoe of the invention is also adapted to perform in a manner fully equivalent to a conventional shoe specifically designed for a particular sport. Moreover, the shoe is quickly and easily converted from a form adapted for use in one sport to a form adapted for use in another sport. Further advantages accrue from the fact that should either the upper or one of the detachable outsoles become damaged in use, it can be replaced without replacing or repairing the entire shoe.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled shoe of the invention showing an upper l constructed to meet the usage requirements of each of the sports in which it isused, and an outsole 3. Typically, the upper may be constructed of lightweight leather or synthetic material which is sufficiently strong and rugged to meet the demands of sports such as football and baseball, yet light enough to serve in the play of sports such as basketball or tennis.

As shown in FIG. 2, the outsole 3 is detachable, being securely but removably fastened tothe upper. The upper 1 has an insole 5 and a bottom 7 to which one component 9 of a fabric fastening material is attached by means of an adhesive 1 l, for example, glue. Detachable outsole 3 has a second and complementary component 13 of the fabric fastening material adhered to its upper surface by means of adhesive layer 15.

Components

9 and 13, respectively, cover major proportions of bottom 7 and the uppersurface of outsole 3.

The fabric fastening material is commercially available under the trade designation Velcro and is similar to the material shown in de Mestral US. Pat. No. 2,717,437. One of the components of the fastening material has a multiplicity of hook-like pile elements which project outwardly from the surface to which the component is attached and the other component of the fastening material has a plush-like loop pile surface for interengagement with the hook-like pile elements of the first component. For purposes of secure attachment, it is immaterial whether component 9 is constituted by the hook-like elements and component 13 by the pile-like elements or vice versa. To minimize any possibility of damage to the fastening surface should the wearer walk wearing the shoe without the outsole, however, it is preferred that component 9 be made up of the plush-like elements and component 13 of the hook-like elements.

Detachable outsole 3 and its traction means, for example, football spikes 17 (FIG. 2), or baseball spikes 19 (FIG. 3), are preferably molded as a single unit of rubber or a suitableplastic material. An upwardly projecting flange 21 extends substantially around the pe; riphery of the outsole to prevent foreign objects from coming between the components of the fastening system. The presence of this flange further assists in alignment of outsole 3 and upper 1 during assembly of the complete shoe. FIG. 7 shows a further modification involving the provision of a narrow lip 22 extending inwardly from the top of flange 21. The presence of lip 22 further protects against entry of foreign objects and also helps to stabilize flange 21 against excessive flexure when the shoe is in use.

To securely fasten outsole 3 to upper 1, the mating surfaces of

components

9 and 13 are simply placed in facing relation and pressed together. Removal of outsole 3 is readily accomplished by peeling the components of the fabric fastening material away from each other.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention wherein the detachable outsole is fastened by screws to the upper. Shown at 1 is an upper having an insole and a permanently attached integral sole 23 in which there are tapped holes 25. The detachable outsole or plate 3' carrying traction means, for example, baseball spikes 19, on the bottom thereof, includes counterbored or recessed holes 27. Outsole or plate 3' is fastened to the bottom of integral sole 23 by means of headed screws 29, which are receivable in holes 27 and engageable in tapped holes 25.

FIG. 4 shows the same embodiment as FIG. 3 but with the shoe adapted for use in a sport such as basketball or tennis. Threaded plugs 31 having concavities 33 and slots 35 in their outer ends are screwed into tapped holes 25. The length of each plug 31 is less than the depth of the hole into which it is threaded. Thus, a void exists between the outer end of each plug and the plane of the bottom of outsole 23 in the region of each plug. Together with the surrounding sole wall and plug end, this void provides a suction cup which provides traction means for the shoe.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An athletic shoe adapted for use in a plurality of different sports, said shoe comprising an upper constructed to meet the usage requirements of each of said sports and having a bottom, an outsole constituted as a separate part from the upper having traction means on its bottom adapted for use in one of said sports, and means for securely but removably fastening said outsole to the bottom of the upper, whereby said outsole may be removed and another outsole having different traction means fastened to said upper, said fastening means comprising a first component attached to and covering a major proportion of the bottom of said upper and a second and complementary component attached to and covering a major proportion of the upper surface of said outsole, one of said components comprising a multiplicity of hook-like pile elements projecting outwardly from the surface to which they are attached and the other of said components comprising a plush-like loop pile surface for interengagement with said hook-like pile elements, said outsole including an upwardly projecting flange extending substantially around the periphery thereof for preventing foreign objects from coming between the components of said fastening means.

2. An athletic shoe as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a narrow lip extending inwardly from the top of said flange.

3. An athletic shoe as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first component comprises said plush-like loop pile surface.

4. An athletic shoe adapted for use in tennis and indoor sports comprising an upper, a sole permanently attached to said upper and having tapped holes therein and plugs threaded in said tapped holes, the length of each plug being less than the depth of the hole into which it is threaded so that a void exists between the outer end of each plug and the plane of the bottom of said sole in the region of said plug, said void and the surrounding sole wall and plug end constituting traction means for said shoe.