Patent ID: 8505219
Filing Date: 2013-08-13
Classification: A43B

Abstract:
1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole structure comprising a flexible material and including a longitudinal direction associated with a length of the sole structure and the sole structure including a lateral direction associated with a width of the sole structure; a first longitudinal flex groove and a second longitudinal flex groove extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the second longitudinal flex groove is disposed adjacent to the first longitudinal flex groove with no other longitudinal flex groove disposed between the first longitudinal flex groove and the second longitudinal flex groove, and wherein the first longitudinal flex groove is disposed towards a lateral edge of the sole structure and the second longitudinal flex groove is disposed towards a medial edge of the sole structure; a lateral flex groove set including a first lateral flex groove, a second lateral flex groove, a third lateral flex groove, a fourth lateral flex groove and a fifth lateral flex groove, wherein the second lateral flex groove, the third lateral flex groove, the fourth lateral flex groove and the fifth lateral flex groove extend in the lateral direction from a lateral edge of the sole structure to a medial edge of the sole structure, wherein the lateral flex groove set is disposed in a forefoot portion of the sole structure and intersects the first longitudinal flex groove and the second longitudinal flex groove at a plurality of intersections, and wherein: a first diagonal flex groove set being oriented in a direction between the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and including a plurality of first diagonal flex grooves having medial end portions disposed closer to the toe end portion and lateral end portions disposed closer to the heel end portion; a second diagonal flex groove set being oriented in a direction between the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction and including a plurality of second diagonal flex grooves having lateral end portions disposed closer to the toe end portion and medial end portions disposed closer to the heel end portion; the first diagonal flex groove set configured to intersect with the second diagonal flex groove set in an approximately rectilinear manner at midpoints of each segment in the first group of segments, the second group of segments and the third group of segments, and wherein the plurality of first diagonal flex grooves and the plurality of second diagonal flex grooves intersect each segment in the first group of segments, the second group of segments and the third group of segments at each of the four corners.