Abstract:
Tread cradles for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the tread cradles comprising bases having first and second sides, treads disposed on the first side of the bases, and disposed on the second side of the base, means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle. Covering the sole prevents mud, grass, and other debris from sloughing off, protects the sole from abrasive surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt, protects flooring surfaces, and may cushion the article of footwear for greater user comfort.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/923,876 filed Jan. 6, 2014, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Certain types of athletic footwear, particularly those with aggressive tread, such as soccer cleats and football cleats, tend to collect mud, grass, and other debris. If subsequently worn indoors, the mud, grass, and other debris slough off, leaving waffle-like clumps. Moreover, abrasive surfaces such as concrete and asphalt quickly wear down the aggressive tread, reducing their efficacy and eventually requiring replacement of the entire footwear article. Conversely, aggressive tread can damage or disfigure flooring surfaces, leading to scuffs, scratches, or digs. 
         [0003]    While these foregoing problems can be avoided by only wearing the footwear article on the field of play, in practice, this is usually inconvenient and at times impossible, such as for last minute field changes or other overlapping scheduling. Accordingly, what is needed is a device to prevent previously collected mud, grass, and other debris in the tread of athletic footwear from sloughing off while a user moves, and to protect the tread from contact with abrasive surfaces. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Tread cradles for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the tread cradles comprising bases having first and second sides, treads disposed on the first side of the bases, and disposed on the second side of the base, means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle. 
         [0005]    Methods for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the method comprising providing a tread cradle having a base and means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle. 
         [0006]    Methods for manufacturing a tread cradle for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the methods comprising determining the position of the at least one cleat on the footwear, and providing a receptacle on the tread cradle in a position corresponding to the position of the at least one cleat on the footwear, the receptacle being capable of reversibly securing the cleat in the receptacle, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with a removeably attachable tread cradle. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with a removeable tread cover according to the prior art. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with a removeable tread cover according to the prior art. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 5   a - 5   d  are bottom plan views of articles of athletic footwear. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view through a receptacle. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view through an alternative receptacle. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9   a  is a top plan view of an alternative receptacle. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9   b  is a cross sectional view through a receptacle of  FIG. 9   a.    
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an alternative removeably attachable tread cradle. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another alternative removeably attachable tread cradle. 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view through a cleat removeably engaged in a receptacle. 
           [0020]      FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view through a cleat removeably engaged in yet another receptacle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear  100 . The footwear  100  may be designed for a specific sport, such as for soccer, American football, or baseball. The footwear  100  comprises an upper  102 , the upper having a heel region  102   a , a middle region  102   b , and a toe region  102   c . The upper  102  may be of materials that are man-made or natural, or a combination thereof. A tongue  104  and laces  106  are disposed in the upper  102  in order to provide a secure fit for a user&#39;s foot (not depicted). 
         [0022]    The footwear  100  comprises a sole  108  connected to the upper  102 . The sole  108  has cleats  110 , which provide an aggressive tread for playing field surfaces, and may have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d . The footwear  100  may have a lining, an insole, and a midsole disposed between the upper  102  and the sole  108 , although such features are not depicted for simplicity of illustration. 
         [0023]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , a tread cradle  200  is removeably attached to the footwear  100  to form an assembly  210 . The footwear  100  may be a conventional athletic shoe, or, alternatively, it may be an athletic shoe specially adapted to cooperate with the tread cradle  200  and sold together as an assembly  210  or a kit. 
         [0024]    “Removeably attached” means that the tread cradle  200  and footwear  100  engage in a manner that is reversibly secure, in other words, capable of being repeatedly attached, separated, and reattached without undue effort or damage. Consistent with the understanding of those skilled in the art, removeably attached refers to being attached, separated, and reattached by the user of the footwear, and is not intended to be limited to steps taken during manufacture. The tread cradle  200  has means (not depicted in  FIG. 2 ) to engage the cleats  110  in a manner that allows the tread cradle to be removeably attached to the footwear  100 . 
         [0025]    The tread cradle  200  comprises a base  212 . The base  212  may comprise polymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or a combination thereof. The base  212  may provide support, used interchangeably herein with cushioning, such that the cushioning provided by the combination of the tread cradle  200  and footwear  100  is greater than the cushioning provided by the footwear by itself. As such, this may be advantageous for athletes recovering from injury who require more cushioning during, for example, warm-ups, but who wish to be ready for play without having to change footwear. In yet another example, the base may provide the ability to convert the footwear from use on one surface to another (e.g., grass turf to artificial turf, grass turf to court) or from a sport specific tread to another sport specific tread (e.g., soccer to futsal, soccer to tennis, or soccer to basketball). 
         [0026]    Sidewalls  214  extend relatively upward from the base  212 . The sidewall  214  has an area  214   a  that may comprise information, indicia of origin, decorative features, or structural features. Examples of information and/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos, sport-specific representations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number (such as a shoe size). Examples of decorative and/or structural features include springs, viewing windows, and bladders. 
         [0027]    Treads  216  extend relatively downward from the base  212 . The treads  216  may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combination thereof. The treads  216  may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwise adapted to confer fraction comparable to that provided by a running shoe. The tread cradle  200  may be designed to look like the midsole and outsole of a running shoe. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the prior art, a previous method for preventing collected mud, grass, and other debris (not depicted) from sloughing from the tread of athletic footwear  300  employed a cover  302  that resembled clogs or galoshes. The cover  302  engages the perimeter of the footwear  300  to remain in place. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in the prior art, a previous method for preventing collected mud, grass, and other debris (not depicted) from sloughing from the tread of athletic footwear  400  employs a cover  402  that resembles a hospital shoe cover. The cover  402  engages the perimeter of the footwear  400  to remain in place. 
         [0030]    As mentioned with respect to  FIG. 2 , the tread cradle  200  has means to engage the cleats  110  in a manner that allows the tread cradle to be removeably attached to the footwear  100 . Such an approach is more complex than simple perimeter engagement discussed above. For example, turning to  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d , bottom plan views of articles of athletic footwear  500   a ,  500   b ,  500   c ,  500   d  illustrate that athletic footwear cleats may comprise large studs  510 , small studs  520  (also known as nubs), blades  530 , or a combination of studs and blades. Cleats may be molded integral to the footwear, or replaceable, such as by being engaged by threaded interaction (e.g., screwed in). As will be discussed, cleat engagement may be advantageously achieved by the present tread cradles by employing mirror image engagement ( FIG. 6 ), reference point engagement ( FIG. 10 ), or key engagement ( FIG. 11 ). 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , an exploded perspective view of an assembly substantially similar to the assembly  210  of  FIG. 2 , and using the same reference numerals, is illustrated. The footwear  100 , with upper  102 , tongue  104 , laces  106 , sole  108 , and cleats  110 , removeably attaches to the tread cradle  200 . A receptacle  630  extends relatively upward from the base  212  of the tread cradle  200 . The receptacle  630  engages the cleat  110  in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, the footwear  100  may have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as described with reference to  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the number and position of receptacles  630  may correspond to the number and position of cleats  110  in substantially a mirror image. Also as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the cleats  110  are the large stud type. However, it will be appreciated that the embodiments described herein using receptacles  630  adapted to large stud cleats can be modified to accommodate a variety of patterns and cleat types. 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view through a receptacle  730 , which may be an example of a receptacle  630  ( FIG. 6 ). The receptacle  730  extends from a base  712  of the tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle  730  comprises walls  732  defining an opening  734 . A lip  736  is disposed adjacent to the opening  734 . The lip  736  may be deformable and sufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass through the opening  734 . The lip  736  may stretch to surround the cleat (not depicted), thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted). 
         [0033]    The walls  732  further define a receptacle floor  738 . The receptacle floor  738  may be the same material as the base  712 . The receptacle floor  738  may contribute no additional thickness to the base  712 , or the receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additional cushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (not depicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base. Although not depicted, the receptacle floor  738  may be bored out, making the base  712  thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. The receptacle floor  738  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat. It is understood that throughout this specification, “pressure-sensitive adhesive” is understood to be a composition for increasing the tack of coated surfaces, but not to permanently bond them. 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view through a receptacle  830 , which may be an example of a receptacle  630  ( FIG. 6 ). The receptacle  830  extends from a base  812  of the tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle  830  comprises walls  832  defining an opening  834 . A lip  836  is disposed adjacent to the opening  834 . The lip  836  may be deformable and sufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass through the opening  834 . The lip  836  may stretch to surround the cleat (not depicted), thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted). 
         [0035]    The walls  832  further define a receptacle floor  838 . The receptacle floor  838  may be the same material as the base  812 . The receptacle floor  838  may contribute no additional thickness to the base  812 , or the receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additional cushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (not depicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base. Although not depicted, the receptacle floor  838  may be bored out, making the base  812  thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. The receptacle floor  838  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat. 
         [0036]    A rib  840  extends from the wall  832  below the lip  836 . The rib  840  is sufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass by, and the rib may stretch to surround the cleat, in addition to the lip  836 , thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted). 
         [0037]      FIGS. 9   a  &amp;  9   b  illustrate a receptacle  930 , which may be an example of a receptacle  630  ( FIG. 6 ). The receptacle  930  extends from a base  912  of the tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle  930  comprises walls  932  defining an opening  934 . The walls  932  further define a receptacle floor  938 . The receptacle floor  938  may be the same material as the base  912 . The receptacle floor  938  may contribute no additional thickness to the base  912 , or the receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additional cushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (not depicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base. Although not depicted, the receptacle floor  938  may be bored out, making the base  912  thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. The receptacle floor  938  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat. 
         [0038]    A plurality of splines  950  extend radially from the wall  932 . The splines  950  may be deformable and sufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) passing through the opening  934  to bend the splines around the cleat, thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted). The splines  950  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat. 
         [0039]    Turning to  FIG. 10 , an alternative tread cradle  1000  is illustrated. The tread cradle  1000  comprises a base  1012 . The base  1012  may comprise polymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or a combination thereof. The base  1012  may provide cushioning, such that the cushioning provided by the combination of the tread cradle  1000  and footwear (not depicted) is greater than the cushioning provided by the footwear by itself. As such, this may be advantageous for athletes recovering from injury who require more cushioning during, for example, warm-ups, but who wish to be ready for play without having to change footwear. 
         [0040]    The base  1012  may have a zone  1012   a . The zone  1012   a  may be of memory foam, EVA, or combination thereof. The zone  1012   a  may be treated with pressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone  1012   a  may provide additional reversible securing, such as by impressions in memory foam or the pressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone  1012   a  may provide additional cushioning, so that the tread cradle  1000  may be used for long runs. 
         [0041]    Sidewalls  1014  extend relatively upward from the base  1012 . The sidewall  1014  has an area  1014   a  that may comprise information, indicia of origin, decorative features, or structural features. Examples of information and/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos, sport-specific representations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number (such as a shoe size). Examples of decorative and/or structural features include springs, viewing windows, and bladders. 
         [0042]    Treads  1016  extend relatively downward from the base  1012 . The treads  1016  may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combination thereof. The treads  1016  may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwise adapted to confer fraction comparable to that provided by a running shoe. The tread cradle  1000  may be designed to look like the midsole and outsole of a running shoe. 
         [0043]    A receptacle  1030  extends relatively upward from the base  1012  of the tread cradle  1000 . The receptacle  1030  engages the cleat (not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, the footwear may have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as described with reference to  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d . The tread cradle  1000  need not have substantially a mirror image correlation between the number and position of receptacles and the number and position of cleats. Rather, the number and position of receptacles  1030  correspond to a subset of reference cleats in preselected positions, allowing the receptacles to engage the reference cleat (not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure. Cleats that do not have corresponding receptacles interact with the zone  1012   a . The reference cleats may be pre-selected based on mold continuities among certain brands, or mold continuities among certain sizes, or mold continuities due to process standardization. For example, in  FIG. 10 , the reference cleats are in the toe and heel regions. 
         [0044]    Turning to  FIG. 11 , an alternative tread cradle  1100  is illustrated. The tread cradle  1100  comprises a base  1112 . The base  1112  may comprise polymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or a combination thereof. The base  1112  may provide cushioning, such that the cushioning provided by the combination of the tread cradle  1100  and footwear (not depicted) is greater than the cushioning provided by the footwear by itself. As such, this may be advantageous for athletes recovering from injury who require more cushioning during, for example, warm-ups, but who wish to be ready for play without having to change footwear. 
         [0045]    The base  1112  may have a zone  1112   a . The zone  1112   a  may be of memory foam, EVA, or combination thereof. The zone  1112   a  may be treated with pressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone  1112   a  may provide additional reversible securing, such as by impressions in memory foam or the pressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone  1112   a  may provide additional cushioning, so that the tread cradle  1100  may be used for long runs. 
         [0046]    Sidewalls  1114  extend relatively upward from the base  1112 . The sidewall  1114  has an area  1114   a  that may comprise information, indicia of origin, decorative features, or structural features. Examples of information and/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos, sport-specific representations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number (such as a shoe size). Examples of decorative and/or structural features include springs, viewing windows, and bladders. 
         [0047]    Treads  1116  extend relatively downward from the base  1112 . The treads  1116  may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combination thereof. The treads  1116  may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwise adapted to confer fraction comparable to that provided by a running shoe. The tread cradle  1100  may be designed to look like the midsole and outsole of a running shoe. 
         [0048]    A receptacle  1130  extends relatively upward from the base  1112  of the tread cradle  1100 . The receptacle  1130  engages the cleat (not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, the footwear may have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as described with reference to  FIGS. 5   a - 5   d . The tread cradle  1100  need not have substantially a mirror image correlation between the number and position of receptacles and the number and position of cleats. Rather, the number and position of the receptacle  1130  corresponds to a key cleat in a preselected position, allowing the receptacle to engage the key cleat (not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure. Cleats that do not have corresponding receptacles interact with the zone  1112   a . The key cleat may be pre-selected based on mold continuities among certain brands, or mold continuities among certain sizes, or mold continuities due to process standardization. For example, in  FIG. 10 , the key cleat is in the metatarsal region. Though not depicted, in footwear systems with replaceable cleats, the key cleat may be a specially adapted cleat that may be screwed in to provide a secure interaction with the receptacle, such as by a ball and detent engagement between the cleat and receptacle. 
         [0049]    In operation, a tread cradle and footwear are removeably attached through a removably secure interaction between a cleat and a receptacle. Referring now to  FIG. 12 , a cleat  1210  of athletic footwear (not depicted) having a wear region  1210   a  of abrasion resistant material is inserted into a receptacle  1230 , which extends from a base  1212  of a tread cradle (not depicted, but similar to that depicted in  FIG. 6 , or in  FIG. 10 , or in  FIG. 11 ). The receptacle  1230  comprises walls  1232  defining an opening  1234 . 
         [0050]    A lip  1236  is disposed adjacent to the opening  1234 . The lip  1236  is deformable and sufficiently elastic to allow the cleat  1210  to pass through the opening  1234 . The lip  1236  may stretch to surround the cleat, thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted). 
         [0051]    The walls  1232  further define a receptacle floor  1238 . The receptacle floor  1238  may be the same material as the base  1212 . The receptacle floor  1238  may contribute no additional thickness to the base  1212 , or the receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additional cushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (not depicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base. Although not depicted, the receptacle floor  1238  may be bored out, making the base  1212  thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. The receptacle floor  1238  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat  1210 . As depicted, there is a small gap between the receptacle floor  1238  and the cleat  1210 , such that if the walls  1232  are shaped to fit tightly with the cleat, and the cleat forced into the cradle by the weight of a user, a vacuum may develop in the gap, and thus suction forces may help to reversibly secure the cleat in the receptacle in addition to friction forces. 
         [0052]    Referring now to  FIG. 13 , a cleat  1310  of athletic footwear (not depicted) having a wear region  1310   a  of abrasion resistant material is inserted into an alternative tread cradle (not depicted, but similar to that depicted in  FIG. 6 , except that this embodiment lacks uniquely-shaped receptacles, and thus may be used with a variety of cleat patterns and sizes). The tread cradle comprises a base  1312 , sidewalls (not depicted, but similar to those of  FIG. 6 ), and treads (not depicted, but similar to those of  FIG. 6 ). The base  1312  may comprise polymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or a combination thereof. A plurality of rods  1360  extend relatively upwards from the base  1312 . The rods  1360  are depicted as evenly spaced, however, alternatively, the rods may be concentrated in areas corresponding to positions where cleats are traditionally found. The rods  1360  may be the same material as the base  1312 . The rods  1360  engage the cleat  1310  in a frictional fit according to the stiffness of the rods and their surface composition, thus reversibly securing the cleat. The rods  1360  may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, to help secure the cleat  1310 . Additionally, the rods  1360  that are bent under the cleat  1310  may contribute additional cushioning. 
         [0053]    Although not depicted, in footwear systems with replaceable cleats, the cleats may all be removed before engagement with the receptacle, thereby allowing a smaller gap between the footwear and the receptacle and/or to allow minor features become relatively more prominent once the cleats are removed. For example, a key feature (similar to that described in  FIG. 11 ) may be provided on the footwear that is relatively shorter than the replaceable cleats, but still sufficiently long to engage the receptacle and secure the base once the replaceable cleats are removed. 
         [0054]    Yet another tread cradle is contemplated (not depicted). This tread cradle may use any, or a combination, of the foregoing methods for engaging the cleats. However, once removed from the footwear, the tread cradle may be used as a shinguard. The receptacles or rods may be minimized to prevent discomfort to the user, while the treads would be nonaggressive patterns consistent with the exterior surfaces of a conventional shinguard.