Abstract:
The golf shoe outsole of the invention has a generally flexible forward section and a generally hard heel section, each section having a plurality of pod sections molded thereupon, each pod section having at least one cleat attached thereto. and an outer edge or perimeter that is flared quite significantly to provide a greater degree of flexibility and traction with turf, and therefore greater stability and balance to the user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a golf shoe. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a golf shoe utilizing flared stability pods to enable greater flexibility, balance, and traction for the golfer. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Historically, people first wore shoes to protect their feet. Over the centuries, footwear evolved into many different types that were specific to particular activities. Thus, the protection offered by a cold-weather work boot is highly different from that offered by a running shoe. In addition to protecting the feet, athletic footwear has further developed to offer specific functions dependent on the particular sport. Soccer shoes, for instance, have spikes for traction, whereas cycling shoes have very stiff soles with mounting plates for cleats to engage the pedal. In this manner, golf shoes have evolved to provide the wearer with good traction on grass, comfort while walking, and a stable platform for hitting the ball. Typical golf shoes have had a relatively stiff sole with metal spikes or plastic cleats. 
     A stiff sole, while providing a stable platform, can nonetheless cause discomfort because there is a balance between how the foot should be allowed to move versus how it should be supported. An example of this is the fact that during walking and at the start and finish of the golf swing, the foot bends at the metatarsal joints (the ball). Aside from the physical effort needed to flex a very stiff sole (which would tend to cause a ‘clunky’ gait as when wearing clogs), sole stiffness tends to cause the heel of the foot to slide up and down in the heel cup, potentially causing blisters. Thus, golf shoes have evolved to have soles that flex across the ball area to allow this movement without compromising the lateral stability of a good hitting platform. 
     However, relatively recent studies in biomechanics have sought to better quantify how the 26 bones of the foot move relative to each other during human movements. One particular motion that has been identified is a torsional movement about the long axis of the foot. In effect, the forefoot and rear foot twist relative to each other. It is thought that this movement smoothes the contact between foot and ground, decreasing impacts with the ground as well as providing better ground contact. This observation has led to the development of a golf shoe sole to allow this natural movement. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,597 discloses a device that facilitates the natural rolling action of the foot during movement by providing a flat construction with front and rear main lifting sections rigidly connected to a resilient intermediate section that is twisted into the form of a flat torsion spring. The device applies a yieldable torsion action during use that is applied to the foot by the lifting sections, whereby the heel of the foot is urged upwardly at the inner side and the forefoot is raised upwardly at the outer side, producing a torsion action similar to the natural torsion action of the foot. 
     Another construction intended to provide greater support to the wearer of the shoe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,974 to Friton. The Friton shoe has a sole that is not designed for golf, but for hiking. It discloses the use of pods and lugs for traction elements that in combination provide greater traction or irregular ground conditions. However, the teachings of this patent are atypical of what is required for a golf shoe. Patent &#39;974 discloses a plurality of pods that are relatively soft, such that they may fan out and serve as compression cushions therein increasing the area of ground contact to improve traction, much the way the hoofs of a mountain goat react. The present invention utilizes relatively hard pods for an entirely different type of terrain. 
     There remains a need for an improved outsole for a golf shoe that enables an individual movement of the foot, particularly, the rotation between the rear foot and the forefoot, flexing across the foot of the wearer, and also the ability of the shoe to provide flexibility not just across but longitudinally along the metatarsal area of the foot. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a golf shoe outsole that comprises a generally flexible forward section and a generally hard heel section, each section having a plurality of pod sections molded thereupon, preferably there are eight separate pod sections, each having at least one cleat attached thereto. Each pod section has an outer edge or perimeter that is flared quite significantly from any shoe seen in the art. The purpose of the dramatic flare angles is that the attached golf shoe will have a greater degree of flexibility and traction with turf, and therefore greater stability and balance to the user. 
     One embodiment has an outsole exhibiting a 0.375 width to length ratio at the metatarsal area of the outsole. At the C 1 -C 2  cross-section of the outsole the ration is 0.365 and at the D 1 -D 2  cross-section the ration is still 0.333. 
     An embodiment of the invention provides for the outsole to flare up to 52° from vertical on the outer edges of the pods. The pods are relatively hard with a minimum Shore A hardness of 95 and extend a minimum of 6.3 mm from the bottom surface of the outsole. The forward portion of the outsole is made from a relatively flexible thermoplastic polyurethane having a hardness between 75 to 85 Shore A. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, the following drawings have been provided wherein 
         FIG. 1  is an elevated right side view of the outsole of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom, plan view of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view showing width to length ratios of the outsole of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom pictorial view of the outsole; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom pictorial view of the outsole; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section of the outsole taken across B 1 -B 2  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section of the outsole taken across C 1 -C 2  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section of the outsole taken across D 1 -D 2  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , is a golf outsole  30 . Not shown are the other portions of a golf shoe usually includes an upper portion, and a mid-sole that is sandwiched between the upper and the outsole. Golf shoes usually have cleats which can be metal or non-metal, but in discussing the present invention it is to be assumed that only non-metal cleats will be employed. Golf shoe upper portions usually are formed from a suitable upper material, such as leather or the like. The mid-sole provides cushioning to the wearer, and is usually formed of a material such as an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA). Mid-soles may be formed on and about outsole  30 , but can be formed separately from the outsole  30  and joined thereto such as by adhesive. The outsole  30  forms a substantial portion of the bottom of a golf shoe. The upper portion of the shoe is preferably secured to the mid-sole with cement or other adhesives using an insole board and conventional techniques as known by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
     An embodiment of the invention has an improved outsole  30  which includes relatively hard thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) pod sections  31   a - 31   e  molded to a relatively soft and flexible TPU forward portion  32 . Pod sections  31   g - 31   h  are molded to the heel portion  35  of the shoe. The pod sections and foot portions are shown in  FIGS. 2-5 . Each pod section contains a receptacle  33  for inserting or removing a turf gripping cleat (not shown). The cleat receptacle only requires a 45° clockwise twist turn to attach the cleat, and a 45° reverse turn to release it. Turf gripping cleats provide increased traction and balance for the golfer especially when the golfer executes a golf shot. The number of pods and cleats are a function of the shoe style but preferably the number of pods on each shoe is between seven and nine, preferably nine as shown in the drawings herein, with five on the forward portion  32  and four on the rear section. Cleats are preferably non-metallic as most golf courses now make that a requirement for course play. An arch support shank section  34  extends from the arch to the rear  36  of the outsole  30 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the forward portion  32  may be formed of flexible plastic material such as thermoplastic polyurethane as manufactured by URE-TECH CO, LTD located in Taiwan under the name Utechllan UTY-75A-85A with a durometer of about 75 to 85 Shore A hardness. The pod sections  31   a - h  are made of a relatively hard, wear resistant polyurethane material manufactured by Ure-Tech and have a hardness of at least 95 A. The outer ends of each pod section  31   a - h  extend a minimum distance of at least 6.3 mm from the bottom surface of the forward or rear portions  32 ,  35 . Pod sections  31   a - h , as best shown on  FIGS. 2-6 , are of varying dimensions, and are spaced to allow the forward portion  32  the ability to flex across the metatarsal region. As previously stated, each pod has a cleat attached in a releasing manner that provides a measure of traction, which is supplemented by a multitude of relatively hard projections  36  protruding from the bottom surface of each pod. The arch support shank  34  is made of a hard plastic having a hardness of at least 95. 
     The creative improvement of the present invention is found in the novel construction of the pod sections  31   a - h , specifically in the way their exterior surfaces are flared away from what would be a normal contour of the outsole. This allows the pod sections  31   a - h  to provide greater stability and support during the golf swing. This is especially relevant when the ground conditions are wet or soft. The purpose is to allow the golfer to be more connected to the ground and prevent “roll over” on the outside of the right foot. (All comments made to the swing assume a right-handed golfer.) The present invention provides greater stability for golfers who have a tendency to sway on the backswing, and this also allows a more stable transition of the golfer&#39;s weight from the right side to the left side, therein more balance all the way to the completion of the follow through. The width of the shoe in relationship to the overall length is one of the critical parameters for providing stability during the golf swing. The shoe of the present invention exhibits great width to depth ratios at all the key positions of the outsole  30 .  FIGS. 2-3  illustrate the extent in which extra width is provided to the outsole by the pod sections flaring in an outward direction. For a typical 9.5 M size shoe, as shown in  FIGS. 2-3  and  6 - 8 , the length L of the shoe is 304.8 mm, and the width XB across section B 1 -B 2  is 114.3 mm for an X/L ratio of 0.375. The width XC across the shoe at section C 1 -C 2  is 111.1 mm for an X/L ratio of 0.365, and at section D 1 -D 2  the width XD is 101.6 mm for an X/L ratio of 0.333. The ratio being greater at the metatarsal area of the shoe which is where stability during the golf swing is most critical. 
     To achieve stability in the golf shoe of the present invention the outsole comprises pod sections  31   a - h  which have their outer perimeters flared from vertical as best shown in  FIGS. 6-8 . In  FIG. 6 , the pod section  31   b  is flared at 52° from vertical with a vertical height of 9.1 mm, while the pod section  31   c  flares about 51° from vertical with a height of 10.8 mm. In  FIG. 7  pod section  31   d  exhibits a flare of 33° from vertical at a vertical height of 11.4 mm, while pod section  31   e  has an outer edge flaring about 44° from vertical at a height of 11.2 mm.  FIG. 8  depicts pod section  31   f  flaring 24° from vertical with a vertical height of 22.1 mm, while pod section  31   g  flares 34° from vertical with a height of 22 mm. While it is known that some athletic shoes exhibit a slight flare, these shoes have generally restricted the flaring to the heel area and never from a pod section or any flare angles approaching the flare angles of the present invention. 
     While it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. For example, the outsole  30  and other features thereof discussed above may be used with other types of shoes, not just golf shoes. The appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.