Improvements in Football Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Football Boots and Shoes.
I, FRANK KENNELL of The Belgrave Rubber Co., Brain Street, Belgrave in the
County Borough of Leicester, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to boots and shoes to be used for football purposes and
embodies an improvement thereto specially designed to facilitate what is known to
players as "dribbling" but which is applicable also for other kinds of kicking.
My invention consists in construoting the sole of a boot or shoe so that the toe
portion thereof projects outward beyond the edge of the other part of the sole
and has a roughened, corrugated or serrated edge to prevent the ball slipping
away at the moment of contact with the players boot
This projecting portion is by preference made of india-rubber and while it may
be connected to the sole in any convenient manner, one convenient method consists
in making it wedge-shape so that it may be let into the front part of the sole.
The said india-rubber insertion may be inserted between the sole and the upper or
part of the thickness of the sole removed to admit the rubber insertion or the latter
may be employed in substitution of the toe part of the sole and secured in position
by any suitable means.
The india-rubber insertion may extend a further distance along the edge of the
sole on the inner side of the boot or shoe i.e. on the sides of the boot which are
adjacent to each other in wear than on the opposite edge of the sole and a
similar projecting portion or india-rubber insertion may be let into or combined with
the heel.
Dated 16
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Football Boots and Shoes.
I, FRANK KENNELL of The Belgrave Rubber Co., Bruin Street, Belgrave in the
County Borough of Leicester, Boot and Shoe Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to boots and shoes to be used for football purposes and
embodies an improvement thereto specially designed to facilitate what is known to
players as "dribbling" but which is applicable also for other kinds of kicking.
My invention consists in constructing the sole of a boot or shoe so that the toe
portion thereof projects outwardly beyond the edge of the other part of the sole
and has a roughened, corrugated or serrated edge to prevent the ball slipping away at
the moment of contact with the player's boot.

page_text: This projecting portion is by preference made of india-rubber and while it may be
connected to the sole in any convenient manner, one convenient method consists in
making it wedge-shape so that it may be let into the front part of the sole.
The said india-rubber insertion may be inserted between the sole and the upper or
part of the thickness of the sole removed to admit the rubber insertion or the latter
may be employed in substitution of the toe part of the sole and secured in position
by any suitable means.
The india-rubber insertion may extend a further distance along the edge of the sole
on the inner side of the boot or shoe (ie. on the sides of the boot which are adjacent
to each other in wear) than on the opposite edge of the sole and a similar projecting
portion or india-rubber insertion may be let into or combined with the heel."
Referring to the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a football boot constructed in accordance with this
invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of same.
Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 a transverse section of the toe piece per se.
A represents the india-rubber sole extension or flange which as shown most clearly
in Figures 2 and 3 is preferably longer on that side A' located on the inner side
of the boot or shoe which is more frequently used for dribbling purposes.
This sole extension may be connected to the ordinary sole B in several different
ways, one of the most preferable, as shown in Figure 2, consists in cutting away part
of the thickness of the marginal edge of the sole B round the toe part, so that the
said extension A may fit therein and be fixed in position by an overlaid toe piece O
preferably of leather through which a series of rivets ( pass.
The said rivets also penetrate the said extension and the sole B.
Or in addition the extension may be connected to the sole B by stitches D or any
other suitable moans and inay be of any other shape than that shown so long as it
projects beyond the edge of the sole as illustrated.
The edge of the extension as will be observed is furnished with a sories of
corrugations A2 or serrations, or it may be otherwise equivalently roughened to
insure greater frictional contact with the ball and enable a player to kiok a ball with
greater precision than would be otherwise possible.
To facilitate back kicking the heel E may also have a similar projecting piece or
flange F thereon, provided with corrugations F.
The contour of the flange F is the same as that of the heel and said flange may be
fixed in position in somewhat the same manner as that described with reference to the
toe extension.
In actual practice a portion of the curved marginal edge of the top lift is either
omitted or cut away to make room for the inner edge of the extension piece and
then the top piece & is laid over it and the whole connected by heel pins G¹ in the
well known manner.
By preference the extension pieces A Fare made wedge shaped, that is declining
in thickness towards the inner edge as shown in Figure 4.
As an alternative it is obvious that the complete sole may itself be shaped so that
the toe portion thereof projects beyond the edge of the other part of the sole and also
that the top lift or the top piece G of the heel might be similarly constructed in one
piece with a projecting edge, but for obvious reasons it is preferable to make tho
extension pieces as described so that if either should by accident become detached
from the sole or heel a further one could be inserted in its placo, for which purpose
it is desirable to make the said heel and toe extensions wedge shape as before
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
(1) A football boot or shen the too mention
"

page_text: a greater distance than the other part of the sole substantially in the manner and
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) A football boot or shoe part of the thickness of the heel of which projects
beyond the other part thereof substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
or
(3) A football boot or shoe having heel toe extension flanges such as A and F
respectively the edges of which are corrugated or otherwise roughened substantially
as for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(4) In a football boot or shoe the use or employment of toe and heel extension
flanges such as AF substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated thus 22nd day of October 1896.
Witness
E. N. LEWIS,
Berridge Street Chambers, Leicester.
FRANK KENNELL.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.