Patent ID: 9609915
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: A43B,A43C

Claim:
1. An article of footwear including a sole structure comprising an outsole, the outsole comprising: a first flexure zone extending widthwise from a lateral side to a medial side of the outsole; a second flexure zone intersecting the first flexure zone and extending lengthwise from at least a toe region to at least a midfoot region of the outsole; and intersecting hindfoot flexure zones that divide a hindfoot region into a forward lateral heel region, a forward medial heel region, a rear lateral heel region, and a rear medial heel region; wherein the first and second flexure zones define, together with medial or lateral outer edges of the outsole, at least a lateral toe region, a medial toe region, a forward lateral forefoot region, and a forward medial forefoot region, wherein at least two of the lateral toe region, the medial toe region, the forward lateral forefoot region, and the forefoot medial forefoot region include a plurality of fin traction elements, wherein the article of footwear comprises adjacent, first and second side-extending fin traction elements extending beyond an outer edge of the outsole that defines a first same region selected from the group consisting of the lateral toe region, the medial toe region, the forward lateral forefoot region, the forward medial forefoot region, the forward lateral heel region, the forward medial heel region, the rear lateral heel region, the rear medial heel region, a rear lateral forefoot region, and a rear medial forefoot region, wherein the first and second side-extending fin traction elements protrude outwardly from an exposed medial or lateral side surface of the outsole, do not include the bottom of the outsole, and are configured to contact the ground only if the article of footwear is subjected to a lateral-medial rolling motion, and wherein the first and second side-extending fin traction elements each extend in a toe-heel length direction, the toe-heel length direction being their longest dimension, and wherein a central section of each of the first and second side-extending fin traction elements along said toe-heel length direction protrudes outward to a greater extent, relative to outer length sections of each of the first and second side-extending fin traction elements along said toe-heel length direction, from said exposed medial or lateral side surface of the outsole.