Patent Publication Number: US-9839254-B2

Title: Article of footwear with a ball contacting surface

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,171, currently U.S. application Ser. No. 12/755,694, entitled “Article Of Footwear With A Ball Contacting Surface”, filed on Apr. 7, 2010, and allowed on Jun. 25, 2014, the disclosure of which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates generally to an article of footwear, and more particularly to an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface. 
     There are many sports activities that include kicking a ball. Examples of such sports include soccer, football, rugby, Australian-rules football, and kickball. Conventional sports shoes that are available for these sports typically have an upper not very different from the uppers of other athletic shoes. 
     Features to optimize contact between the ball and shoe have been previously proposed. Hyde (U.S. Pat. No. 2,661,547) teaches a concave attachment to a shoe providing a pocket on the top of the foot to receive a football when it is kicked. Hannah (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,422,249 and 4,617,746) and Gerrand (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,421,936 and 6,637,132, and WO 2005/107508 A1) teach shoes having surfaces to optimize kicking of a ball. 
     Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an article of footwear that provides a ball contacting surface and allows the wearer to exhibit a degree of control over a kicked ball. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a forefoot region, a heel region and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the heel region; a ball contacting surface disposed on the upper of the article of footwear, the ball contacting surface including a raised peak member having a first height; wherein the raised peak member diminishes to a second height along the longitudinal axis in the direction of the forefoot region; and wherein the raised peak member diminishes to a third height along the lateral axis in the direction of a medial side of the article of footwear. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a ball contacting surface disposed over a portion of the upper; the ball contacting surface comprising a vamp portion including a raised peak member and a medial side portion; and wherein the ball contacting surface is formed by a substantially continuous raised overlay material extending between the medial side portion and the vamp portion. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides an article of footwear, comprising: an upper; a ball contacting surface disposed over a portion of a medial side of the upper; the ball contacting surface comprising a raised overlay material and a lower substrate material; the lower substrate material forming hollows between portions of the raised overlay material; and wherein the ball contacting surface includes a plurality of gripping members disposed in the hollows. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the following claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 3  is a lateral side view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 4  is a medial side view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 5  is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface with a raised peak member; 
         FIG. 6  is a representative view of the contours of an exemplary embodiment of a raised peak member of a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 7  is a view of an exemplary embodiment of a raised peak of a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a ball contacting surface in contact with a ball; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a medial side of a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 10  is a close up view of an exemplary embodiment of a medial side of a ball contacting surface including gripping members; 
         FIG. 11  is a plan view of an arrangement of gripping members on a medial side of a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a ball contacting surface in contact with a ball; 
         FIG. 13  is a top view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 14  is an isometric view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear with a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 15  is a lateral side view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 16  is a medial side view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface with a raised peak member; 
         FIG. 18  is a view of an alternate exemplary embodiment of a raised peak member of a ball contacting surface; and 
         FIG. 19  is a top view of an alternate embodiment of a shoe fastening system for an article of footwear including a ball contacting surface. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 5  illustrate views of an exemplary embodiment of article of footwear  100 . For clarity, the following detailed description discusses an embodiment, in the form of a shoe for indoor soccer, but it should be noted that the present invention could take the form of any article of footwear including, but not limited to, soccer shoes, football shoes, rugby shoes, as well as other kinds of shoes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , for purposes of reference, article of footwear  100 , also referred to as simply article  100 , may be divided into forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12  and heel region  14 . Forefoot region  10  may be generally associated with the toes and joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot region  12  may be generally associated with the arch of a foot. Likewise, heel region  14  may be generally associated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone. In addition, article  100  may include medial side  16  and lateral side  18 . In particular, medial side  16  and lateral side  18  may be opposing sides of article  100 . Furthermore, both medial side  16  and lateral side  18  may extend through forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12  and heel region  14 . 
     It will be understood that forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12  and heel region  14  are only intended for purposes of description and are not intended to demarcate precise regions of article  100 . Likewise, medial side  16  and lateral side  18  are intended to represent generally two sides of an article, rather than precisely demarcating article  100  into two halves. In addition, forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12  and heel region  14 , as well as medial side  16  and lateral side  18 , can also be applied to individual components of an article, such as a sole structure and/or an upper. 
     For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives are employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. The term “longitudinal” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a direction extending a length of an article. In some cases, the longitudinal direction may extend from a forefoot region to a heel region of the article. Also, the term “lateral” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a direction extending a width of an article. In other words, the lateral direction may extend between a medial side and a lateral side of an article. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of an article, such as an upper and/or a sole structure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , article of footwear  100  may include a longitudinal axis  20  extending the length of article of footwear  100  from forefoot region  10  to heel region  14 . Article of footwear  100  also may include a lateral axis  30  extending the width of article of footwear  100  between medial side  16  and lateral side  18 . 
     Article of footwear  100  may include upper  102 . Generally, upper  102  may be any type of upper. In particular, upper  102  may have any design, shape, size and/or color. For example, in embodiments where article  100  is a basketball shoe, upper  102  could be a high top upper that is shaped to provide high support on an ankle. In embodiments where article  100  is a running shoe, upper  102  could be a low top upper. Generally, upper  102  may be made from any suitable material, including but not limited to, for example, nylon, natural leather, synthetic leather, natural rubber, or synthetic rubber. In some cases, upper  102  can be made of any suitable knitted, woven or non-woven material. 
     In some embodiments, article  100  may include vamp portion  104 . The term “vamp portion” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims generally refers to a portion of upper  102  extending through midfoot region  12 . Vamp portion  104  may extend to entry hole  110  of upper  102 . In some embodiments, vamp portion  104  may include a ball contacting surface  106 . In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may be used to enhance the ability to contact and control the ball when kicked. Generally, ball contacting surface  106  may be associated with any portion of upper  102 . In some cases, ball contacting surface  106  may be associated with midfoot region  12  of upper  102 . In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may extend from medial side  16  to the top of upper  102 . In an exemplary embodiment, ball contacting surface  106  extends substantially continuously from medial side  16  to the top of upper  102 . Furthermore, in some cases, ball contacting surface  106  may be disposed on a portion of upper  102  directly above the instep, or top, of a foot. In other cases, ball contacting surface  106  may extend into portions of forefoot region  10  and/or heel region  14 . 
     Generally, any materials may be used for ball contacting surface  106 . Examples of different materials include, but are not limited to, roughened leathers, rubbers, silastics, or any synthetic or natural elastomeric material such as styrene-butadiene, or polyurethane. In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may be made from a combination of one or more of such materials. 
     In some cases, article of footwear  100  also may include textured surface  108 . In this embodiment, textured surface  108  is generally located in forefoot region  10  on medial side  16  of article  100 . In other embodiments, textured surface  108  may extend into a portion of midfoot region  12 . In some embodiments, textured surface  108  may further enhance ball control. In an exemplary embodiment, textured surface  108  may increase the grip of upper  102 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , article of footwear  100  may include provisions for lowering the trajectory of a kicked ball. In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may provide a portion of ball contacting surface  106  that is substantially inclined with respect to an outer portion of upper  102  where a ball may contact article  100  during various types of kicks. In one exemplary embodiment, article  100  can include a raised peak member  220  that provides a relatively steep angle for contact with a ball. This configuration may be useful in indoor soccer where the top of the goal is lower than the top of the goal in outdoor soccer, requiring lower trajectories for kicks. In some embodiments, raised peak member  220  may be wedge shaped. In other embodiments, raised peak member  220  may be other shapes, including, but not limited to: pyramidal, trapezoidal, conical, and other geometric and non-geometric shapes. 
     In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may provide a portion of ball contacting surface  106  that includes provisions for enhancing the ability to contact and control the ball when kicked. In some cases, ball contacting surface  106  may include a plurality of gripping members  200 . Gripping members  200  may be any member disposed on ball contacting surface  106  that are configured to come in contact with a ball during various types of kicks. In an exemplary embodiment, gripping members  200  may include raised portions of ball contacting surface  106 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, gripping members  200  may have a similar height as ball contacting surface  106  so that ball contacting surface  106  and gripping members  200  are substantially flush with each other. In some embodiments, gripping members  200  may be designed to make initial contact with a ball before ball contacting surface  106 . 
     Generally, gripping members  200  may be associated with any portion of ball contacting surface  106  on upper  102 . In some embodiments, gripping members  200  may be arranged on medial side  16  of article  100 . In some embodiments, gripping members  200  additionally may be associated with a portion of midfoot region  12  of article  100 . In an exemplary embodiment, gripping members  200  may be disposed on a portion of ball contacting surface  106  associated with the instep of a foot on medial side  16 . In other embodiments, gripping members  200  may be associated with one or more portions of forefoot region  10  and/or heel region  14 . In further embodiments, gripping members  200  may be arranged on lateral side  18  and/or medial side  16  in any of forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12 , and/or heel region  14 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates lateral side  18  of an exemplary embodiment of article of footwear  100  including ball contacting surface  106 . In this embodiment, raised peak member  220  is visible in profile rising above the surface of upper  102 . In this embodiment, lateral side  18  of upper  102  does not include ball contacting surface  106 . In other embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may extend to lateral side  18  of upper  102 . 
     In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may include shoe fastening system  300 . Shoe fastening system  300  may be used to tighten upper  102  to a foot. Examples of shoe fastening systems include, but are not limited to, laces, buckles, hook and loop fasteners (such as Velcro®) as well as any other types of fastening systems. In one embodiment, shoe fastening system  300  includes tongue  302  and lace  304 . Additionally, shoe fastening system  300  may include tongue opening  306 . Tongue opening  306  may be a gap or opening in upper  102  that extends from entry hole  110  into forefoot region  10 . In this embodiment, lace  304  may be configured to change the size of tongue opening  306 , which may further adjust the size of upper  102 . In some embodiments, tongue opening  306  may be spaced from the center of article  100 . In one exemplary embodiment, tongue opening  306  may be spaced offset to lateral side  18  of article  100 . Using this laterally spaced lacing configuration, shoe fastening system  300  is designed to avoid interference with a ball that may be kicked using vamp portion  104  of upper  102 . 
     Article of footwear  100  may include sole structure  310 . In some embodiments, sole structure  310  may be configured to provide traction for article  100 . In addition to providing traction, sole structure  310  may attenuate ground reaction forces when compressed between the foot and the ground during walking, running or other ambulatory activities. The configuration of sole structure  310  may vary significantly in different embodiments to include a variety of conventional or non-conventional structures. In some cases, the configuration of sole structure  310  can be configured according to one or more types of ground surfaces on which sole structure  310  may be used. Examples of ground surfaces include, but are not limited to: natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, as well as other surfaces. 
     Sole structure  310  is secured to upper  102  and extends between the foot and the ground when article  100  is worn. In different embodiments, sole structure  310  may include different components. For example, sole structure  310  may include an outsole, a midsole, and/or an insole. In some cases, one or more of these components may be optional. Sole structure  310  may be made from any suitable material, including but not limited to elastomers, siloxanes, natural rubber, other synthetic rubbers, aluminum, steel, natural leather, synthetic leather, or plastics. 
     In some embodiments, sole structure  310  may include cleat members  312  that can enhance traction with the ground. In one embodiment, sole structure  310  includes cleat members  310  that are incorporated into sole structure  310 . However, other embodiments may include removable cleat members. In one embodiment, sole structure  310  may use one or more features described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,746 to Auger et al, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference. In one embodiment, the cleat assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,746 is used in combination with article  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , medial side  16  of article  100  including ball contacting surface  106  is illustrated. In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may be formed by an overlay  400  disposed over a substrate  402 . In one exemplary embodiment, overlay  400  may be formed by a raised material disposed over substrate  402 . In some embodiments, overlay  400  may be made of a rigid material. In different embodiments, overlay  400  may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to: polyurethane, other elastomers, siloxanes, natural rubber, other synthetic rubbers, natural leather, synthetic leather, or plastics. In some embodiments, substrate  402  may be made of a tactile material that provides grip to a ball. In other embodiments, substrate  402  may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to similar materials used to make upper  102  as described above. 
     In some embodiments, overlay  400  may be arranged over ball contacting surface  106  in a geometric pattern. In one exemplary embodiment, overlay  400  is arranged in a hexagonal or honeycomb pattern. With this arrangement, article  100  may exhibit consistent ball control properties across the majority of ball contacting surface  106 . In other embodiments, overlay  400  may be arranged over ball contacting surface  106  in any geometric-shaped pattern, regular pattern, or irregular pattern. In some embodiments, gripping members  200  may be disposed on substrate  402  between portions of overlay  400 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, overlay  400  may be varied in thickness. In different embodiments, overlay  400  may be varied in thickness at varying portions of ball contacting surface  106 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 5 , overlay  400  forms raised peak member  220  near the top of vamp portion  104 . In this embodiment, raised peak member  220  is formed by a graduated increase in thickness of overlay  400 . In this embodiment, shoe fastening system  300  is spaced offset to lateral side  18  of article  100  to avoid interference with a ball that may be hit by raised peak member  220 . 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a close up view of the geometry of ball contacting surface  106  including raised peak member  220 . In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  106  may be curved along longitudinal axis  20  and/or lateral axis  30 . In other words, the thickness of overlay  400  of ball contacting surface  106  may vary in a nonlinear manner in the longitudinal and/or lateral directions. In some cases, vamp portion  104  of ball contacting surface  106  may have a substantially concave shape along longitudinal axis  20  and/or lateral axis  30  in a manner that corresponds to the natural curvature of a ball. In other cases, one or more portions of ball contacting surface may have a substantially convex shape along longitudinal axis  20  and/or lateral axis  30 . 
     In different embodiments, the geometry of raised peak member  220  can vary. In some cases, raised peak member  220  has a wedge-like shape that provides an angled surface for contacting a ball during a kick. In particular,  FIG. 6  illustrates a representative view of the contours of an exemplary embodiment of raised peak member  220 . In this embodiment, raised peak member  220  may be contoured in at least two directions. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a first contoured surface  600  extends from a height on vertical axis  60  generally along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards forefoot region  10 . Similarly, a second contoured surface  602  extends from a height on vertical axis  60  generally along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards medial side  16 . In some embodiments, raised peak member also may include a third contoured surface  604  that extends from a height on vertical axis  60  generally along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards heel region  14 . It should be understood that first contoured surface  600 , second contoured surface  602 , and/or third contoured surface  604  may extend along any portion of longitudinal axis  20 , lateral axis  30 , and/or vertical axis  60 , or any combination thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , raised peak member  220  of ball contacting surface  106  is depicted conforming to the geometry of contours illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In some embodiments, raised peak member  220  may be formed by varying the thickness of overlay  400  of ball contacting surface  106 . In this embodiment, the thickness of overlay  400  may vary from a first height H 1  at the apex of raised peak member  220  to a second height H 2  of ball contacting surface  106  along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards forefoot region  10 . Similarly, the thickness of overlay  400  may vary from first height H 1  at the apex of raised peak member  220  to a third height H 3  of ball contacting surface  106  along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards medial side  16 . Moreover, first height H 1  may be substantially greater than second height H 2  and/or third height H 3 . In different embodiments, overlay  400  also may vary in height from first height H 1  along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards heel region  14  and/or along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards lateral side  18 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, first height H 1  of raised peak member  220  diminishes in height to second height H 2  to form first contoured surface  600  along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards forefoot region  10 . Similarly, first height H 1  of raised peak member  220  diminishes in height to third height H 3  to form second contoured surface  602  along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards medial side  16 . In other embodiments, raised peak member  220  also may diminish in height along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards heel region  14  to form third contoured surface  604 . In different embodiments, raised peak member  220  may diminish in height in varying amounts to form varied contoured surfaces along any portion of longitudinal axis  20 , lateral axis  30 , and/or vertical axis  60 , or any combination thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , article of footwear  100  worn on a foot  800  is illustrated making contact with a ball  802 . In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may provide a portion of ball contacting surface  106  that is substantially inclined with respect to an outer portion of upper  102  where ball  800  may contact article  100  during various types of kicks. In an exemplary embodiment, ball contacting surface  106  may include raised peak member  220  for lowering the trajectory of a kicked ball. In this embodiment, raised peak member  220  may provide a relatively steep angle for contact with ball  800 . In some embodiments, raised peak member  220  may be wedge-shaped. In other embodiments, raised peak member  220  may be other shapes, including, but not limited to: pyramidal, trapezoidal, conical, and other geometric and non-geometric shapes. 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of gripping members  200  disposed on ball contacting surface  106 . In this embodiment, gripping members  200  may be arranged on medial side  16  of article  100 . In some cases, gripping members  200  may be generally associated with a portion of midfoot region  12  of article  100 . In other cases, gripping members  200  may be disposed on a portion of ball contacting surface  106  associated with the instep of a foot. 
     In different embodiments, gripping members  200  provided on ball contacting surface  106  may be made of varying materials including any of the materials used for ball contacting surface  106 . In some cases, gripping members  200  may be made of a substantially similar material as ball contacting surface  106 . In other cases, gripping members  200  may be made of a substantially different material than ball contacting surface  106 . In some embodiments, materials that enhance gripping in wet conditions may be used with ball contacting surface  106  and/or gripping members  200 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , in some embodiments, overlay  400  may be disposed over substrate  402  in a pattern forming a plurality of hollows  1000  over ball contacting surface  106 . A first set of gripping members  1002  and/or a second set of gripping members  1004  may be disposed on substrate  402  within hollows  1000 . It will also be understood that gripping members may be optional on all or portions of ball contacting surface  106 . 
     In some embodiments, first set of gripping members  1002  may be disposed on a portion of ball contacting surface  106 . In some cases, first set of gripping members  1002  may be distributed uniformly on ball contacting surface  106 . In other cases, first set of gripping members  1002  may be distributed in a non-uniform manner on ball contacting surface  106 . In this exemplary embodiment, first set of gripping members  1002  generally have a first size D 1 . In some embodiments, second set of gripping members  1004  also may be disposed on a portion of ball contacting surface  106 . In some cases, second set of gripping members  1004  may be distributed uniformly on ball contacting surface  106 . In other cases, second set of gripping members  1004  may be distributed in a non-uniform manner on ball contacting surface  106 . In this exemplary embodiment, second set of gripping members  1004  generally have a second size D 2 . In an exemplary embodiment, first size D 1  of first set of gripping members  1002  is larger than second size D 2  of second set of gripping members  1004 . In other embodiments, first size D 1  may be smaller than second size D 2 . In yet other embodiments, first size D 1  and second size D 2  may be generally the same size. 
     In different embodiments, first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  may vary in size, height, and/or shape. First set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  may be formed in various shapes, including but not limited to hexagons, circles, squares, rectangles, diamonds, ovals, stars, as well as other shapes. Generally, first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  may be any desired size and may be spaced apart by intervals of varying distances. In some cases, first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  may be sized and located so that the contact area between first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  and a ball may be optimized. 
     In different embodiments, the number of gripping members in first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  can vary. In some cases, first set of gripping members  1002  may comprise between 1 and 20 gripping members. In other cases, first set of gripping members  1002  can include more than 20 gripping members. In the current embodiment, first set of gripping members  1002  includes 19 gripping members. Also, in some cases, second set of gripping members  1004  can include between 1 and 40 gripping members. In other cases, second set of gripping members  1004  can include more than 40 gripping members. In the current embodiment, second set of gripping members  1004  includes 35 gripping members. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 11 , in different embodiments, first set of gripping members  1002  and/or second set of gripping members  1004  may be arranged in patterns on ball contacting surface  106 . In an exemplary embodiment, first set of gripping members  1002  may be arranged in a first pattern  1100 . In some embodiments, first pattern  1100  of first set of gripping members  1002  may be disposed on a central portion of ball contacting surface  106  on medial side  16  of article  100 . In other embodiments, first pattern  1100  may be disposed on various portions of ball contacting surface  106 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, second set of gripping members  1004  may be arranged in a second pattern  1104 . In an exemplary embodiment, second pattern  1104  of second set of gripping members  1004  may be disposed on an outer portion of ball contacting surface  106 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 11 , the outer portion is disposed around the central portion, such that second pattern  1104  surrounds the periphery  1102  of first pattern  1100  of first set of gripping members  1002 . In other embodiments, second pattern  1104  may be disposed on various portions of ball contacting surface  106 . In some embodiments, the arrangement of first pattern  1100  and/or second pattern may be sized and located so that the contact area with a ball may be optimized. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , article of footwear  100  worn on a foot  800  is illustrated making contact with ball  802  along medial side  16 . In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may provide a portion of ball contacting surface  106  that is configured to come in contact with ball  802  during various types of kicks. In an exemplary embodiment, ball contacting surface  106  may include gripping members  200  for enhancing the ability to contact and control the ball when kicked. In an exemplary embodiment, gripping members  200  may be disposed along medial side  16  of article  100 . In some embodiments, gripping members  200  may be designed to make initial contact with ball  802  before ball contacting surface  106 . In other embodiments, gripping members  200  may be designed to make contact with ball  802  at substantially the same time as ball contacting surface  106 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , gripping members  200  have a similar height as the surrounding overlay  400  so as to be substantially flush with ball contacting surface  106 . 
     In some embodiments, gripping members  200  may include provisions that provide the wearer with the ability to apply different types of spin to ball  802 . In some embodiments, article of footwear  100  may include gripping members  200  with multiple surface orientations. Generally, elevated gripping members  200  may be provided with surface orientations that maximize the contact area between gripping members  200  and ball  802 . In some cases, these gripping member surfaces may be oriented to provide enhanced control of spin of ball  820  during kicking. In particular, multiple surface orientations may be provided for enhanced control of spin of ball  820  with each surface orientation associated with a certain type of kick or spin. 
       FIGS. 13 through 18  illustrate views of an alternate exemplary embodiment of article of footwear  1300 . Referring now to  FIG. 13 , in this case, article  1300  may be substantially similar to the embodiment of article  100  discussed previously. In this embodiment, article  1300  may include upper  1302  and vamp portion  1304 . Upper  1302  and vamp portion  1304  may be substantially similar to the embodiments of upper  102  and vamp portion  104  discussed previously. Furthermore, in this embodiment, article  1300  includes ball contacting surface  1306 . Ball contacting surface  1306  may be used to enhance the ability to contact and control the ball when kicked. Generally, ball contacting surface  1306  may be associated with any portion of upper  1302 . In some cases, ball contacting surface  1306  may be associated with midfoot region  12  of upper  1302 . In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  1306  may extend from medial side  16  to the top of upper  1302 . In an exemplary embodiment, ball contacting surface  1306  extends substantially continuously from medial side  16  to the top of upper  1302 . Furthermore, in some cases, ball contacting surface  1306  may be disposed on a portion of upper  1302  directly above the instep, or top, of a foot. In other cases, ball contacting surface  1306  may extend into portions of forefoot region  10  and/or heel region  14 . 
     Generally, any materials discussed previously in regard to ball contacting surface  106  may be used for ball contacting surface  1306 . Examples of different materials include, but are not limited to, roughened leathers, rubbers, silastics, or any synthetic or natural elastomeric material such as styrene-butadiene, or polyurethane. In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  1306  may be made from a combination of one or more of such materials. In one embodiment, ball contacting surface  1306  may include a first portion located generally on top of upper  1302  that is made of padded natural or synthetic leather. Ball contacting surface  1306  also may include a second portion located generally on medial side  16  of upper  1302  that is made of a screen printed or applied layer of tactile material. Generally, any suitable tactile material may be used, including, but not limited to: rubbers, silastics, or any synthetic or natural elastomeric material. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 14 , in some cases, article of footwear  1300  also may include textured surface  1308 . In this embodiment, textured surface is generally located in forefoot region  10  on medial side  16  of article  1300 . In other embodiments, textured surface may extend into a portion of midfoot region  12 . In some embodiments, textured surface  1308  may further enhance ball control. In an exemplary embodiment, textured surface  1308  may increase the grip of upper  1302 . In some embodiments, textured surface  1308  may be formed integrally with a portion of ball contacting surface  1306 . In different embodiments, textured surface  1308  may be formed from any of the materials used to form ball contacting surface  1306 . In some embodiments, textured surface  1308  may have a different amount of grip or tackiness than ball contacting surface  1306 . In some cases, textured surface  1308  may have more or less grip than ball contacting surface  1306 . In other cases, textured surface  1308  and ball contacting surface  1306  may have substantially similar amounts of grip. In one exemplary embodiment, textured surface  1308  may be a rougher surface than ball contacting surface  1306 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , a portion of ball contacting surface  1306  may include a plurality of gripping members  1400  disposed on medial side  16  of upper  1302 . In some embodiments, gripping members  1400  additionally may be associated with a portion of midfoot region  12  of article  1300 . In an exemplary embodiment, gripping members  1400  may be disposed on a portion of ball contacting surface  1306  associated with the instep of a foot on medial side  16 . In other embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be associated with one or more portions of forefoot region  10  and/or heel region  14 . In further embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be arranged on lateral side  18  and/or medial side  16  in any of forefoot region  10 , midfoot region  12 , and/or heel region  14 . 
     In some embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be made from a screen printed or applied layer of tactile material. Generally, any suitable tactile material may be used, including, but not limited to: rubbers, silastics, or any synthetic or natural elastomeric material. In other embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be made from any material used to make upper  1302 . Gripping members  1400  may be formed in various shapes, including but not limited to hexagons, circles, squares, rectangles, diamonds, ovals, stars, as well as other shapes. 
     Generally, gripping members  1400  may be any desired size and may be spaced apart by intervals of varying distances. In some cases, gripping members  1400  may be sized and located so that the contact area with a ball may be optimized. In other embodiments, gripping members  1400  may include one or more different sets of gripping members that are disposed on various portions of ball contacting surface  1306 . In some embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be disposed over ball contacting surface  1306  in a geometric pattern. In one exemplary embodiment, gripping members  1400  are arranged in a hexagonal or honeycomb pattern. With this arrangement, article  1300  may exhibit consistent ball control properties across the majority of ball contacting surface  1306 . In other embodiments, gripping members  1400  may be arranged over ball contacting surface  1306  in any geometric-shaped pattern, regular pattern, or irregular pattern. It will also be understood that gripping members  1400  may be optional on all or portions of ball contacting surface  1306 . 
       FIG. 15  illustrates lateral side  18  of an alternate exemplary embodiment of article of footwear  1300  including ball contacting surface  1306 . In this embodiment, raised peak member  1520  is visible in profile rising above the surface of upper  1302 . In this embodiment, lateral side  18  of upper  1302  does not include ball contacting surface  106 . In other embodiments, ball contacting surface  1306  may extend to lateral side  18  of upper  1302 . In some embodiments, article of footwear  1300  may include shoe fastening system  300  and/or sole structure  310 , discussed previously. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 16 , medial side  16  of article  1300  including ball contacting surface  1306  is illustrated. In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  1306  may include a plurality of padded members  1604  disposed over a first portion of vamp portion  1304  located generally on top of upper  1302 . Padded members  1604  may be made of any material used for ball contacting surface  1306  and/or upper  1302 . In some embodiments, padded members  1604  may be made of natural or synthetic leather. In an exemplary embodiment, padded members  1604  also may include foam or other suitable padding material disposed under natural or synthetic leather. In other embodiments, padded members  1604  may be formed by an overlay disposed over a substrate material. 
     In some embodiments, padded members  1604  may form a raised peak member  1520  that provides a relatively steep angle for contact with a ball. This configuration may be useful in indoor soccer where the top of the goal is lower than the top of the goal in outdoor soccer, requiring lower trajectories for kicks. In some embodiments, raised peak member  1520  may be wedge shaped. In other embodiments, raised peak member  1520  may be other shapes, including, but not limited to: pyramidal, trapezoidal, conical, and other geometric and non-geometric shapes. 
     In some embodiments, ball contacting surface  1306  also may include a second portion located generally on medial side  16  of upper  1302  that contains the plurality of gripping members  1400 . In one exemplary embodiment, gripping members  1400  may be formed by a printed tactile material disposed over a substrate  1602 . In some embodiments, substrate  1602  may be made of a smooth material. In other embodiments, substrate  1602  may be made of a tactile material. In different embodiments, substrate  1602  may have a different amount of grip or tackiness than gripping members  1400 . In some cases, substrate  1602  may have less grip than gripping members  1400 . In other cases, substrate  1602  and gripping members  1400  may have substantially similar amounts of grip. In other embodiments, substrate  1602  may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to similar materials used to make upper  1302  as described above. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 17 , in some embodiments, padded members  1604  may be varied in thickness. In different embodiments, padded members  1604  may be varied in thickness at varying portions of ball contacting surface  1306 . In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 17 , padded members  1604  form raised peak member  1520  near the top of vamp portion  1304 . In this embodiment, raised peak member  1520  is formed by a graduated increase in thickness of padded members  1604 . In this embodiment, shoe fastening system  300  is spaced offset to lateral side  18  of article  1300  to avoid interference with a ball that may be hit by raised peak member  1520 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 18 , raised peak member  1520  of ball contacting surface  1306  is depicted conforming to the geometry of contours illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In some embodiments, raised peak member  1520  may be formed by varying the thickness of padded members  1604  disposed over ball contacting surface  1306 . In this embodiment, the thickness of padded members  1604  may vary from a fourth height H 4  at the apex of raised peak member  1520  to a fifth height H 5  along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards medial side  16 . Similarly, the thickness of padded members  1604  may vary from fourth height H 4  at the apex of raised peak member  1520  to a sixth height H 6  along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards forefoot region  10 . Moreover, fourth height H 4  may be substantially greater than fifth height H 5  and/or sixth height H 6 . In different embodiments, padded members  1604  also may vary in height along longitudinal axis  20  in a direction towards heel region  14  and/or along lateral axis  30  in a direction towards lateral side  18 . In different embodiments, raised peak member  1520  may diminish in height in varying amounts to form varied contoured surfaces along any portion of longitudinal axis  20 , lateral axis  30 , and/or vertical axis  60 , or any combination thereof, as previously discussed with regard to the embodiment of raised peak member  220 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 19 , an alternate embodiment of shoe fastening system  300  is illustrated for use with article of footwear  100  including ball contacting surface  106 . In some embodiments, shoe fastening system  300  may include provisions to tighten article  100  around a foot, including, but not limited to, one or more of: laces, buckles, hook and loop fasteners (such as Velcro®) as well as any other types of fastening systems. In an exemplary embodiment, shoe fastening system  300  may include tongue  302 , lace  304 , and tongue opening  306 , as discussed above in regard to  FIG. 3 . 
     In some embodiments, shoe fastening system  300  may be configured to attach to one or more portions of ball contacting surface  106 . In one embodiment, shoe fastening system  300  may include one or more eyelets disposed in ball contacting surface  106 . The term “eyelet” as used throughout this detailed description and in the claims refers to a structure configured to receive a lace in an article of footwear. In some embodiments, an eyelet may be a small hole or perforation. In some cases, an eyelet may be a hole that is reinforced with a material, including but not limited to: metal, cord, fabric or leather. In other embodiments, an eyelet may be an opening formed by a loop of material including but not limited to: fabric, cord, leather or metal. 
     In one embodiment, a first eyelet  1900  may be disposed in substrate  402  of ball contacting surface  106  between portions of overlay  400 . In this embodiment, a second eyelet  1902  also may be disposed in substrate  402  of ball contacting surface  106 . With this arrangement, shoe fastening system  300  may secure ball contacting portion  106  to article  100  using lace  304  disposed through one or more of first eyelet  1900  and second eyelet  1902 . 
     In some embodiments, one or more of the eyelets disposed on ball contacting surface  106  may be arranged so that lace  304  does not interfere with ball contacting surface  106  when contacting a ball. In one embodiment, one or more of first eyelet  1900  and second eyelet  1902  may be arranged near an outer periphery of ball contacting surface  106 . In an exemplary embodiment, second eyelet  1902  may be located behind raised peak member  220 . With this arrangement, lace  304  may be disposed through first eyelet  1900  and/or second eyelet  1902  and may be used to tighten shoe fastening system  300  to ball contacting surface  106 . In other embodiments, additional eyelets may be included on portions of ball contacting surface  106 . Additionally, one or more eyelets may be used with any of the embodiments of ball contacting surface described herein, including ball contacting surface  1306  on article  1300  described above. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.