Patent ID: 8074381

Claim:
A bicycle shoe for releasably attaching to a bicycle pedal to hold a bicycle rider's foot attached to the bicycle pedal, said shoe comprising: a pedal gripping arrangement having a pedal gripping cavity configured for engaging said pedal, which pedal includes a pedal longitudinal axis around which the pedal is rotatable and a partially spherical portion including an outer spherical surface with the partially spherical portion of the pedal being located along the pedal longitudinal axis such that the pedal has a radially symmetrical cross sectional shape along the pedal longitudinal axis, said pedal gripping cavity having a shape that is defined by at least a portion of a spherical surface area such that the pedal gripping cavity directly engages at least portions of the outer spherical surface of the partially spherical portion of the pedal when the shoe is attached to the pedal, the pedal gripping cavity configured to engage the partially spherical portion of the pedal for connection of the shoe with the pedal in any position without regard for the rotational position of the shoe about the pedal longitudinal axis, the pedal gripping cavity also configured to at least partially surround the partially spherical portion of the pedal while remaining free to swivel in various directions about the partially spherical portion of the pedal to at least a predetermined degree when the shoe is attached to the pedal, the various directions including directions in addition to rotation about the pedal longitudinal axis, and wherein the pedal gripping arrangement is made from a pliable material that allows a rider to disconnect the shoe from the pedal by bending their toes up out of a natural relaxed position causing the pedal gripping arrangement to flex thereby expanding the pedal gripping cavity and causing the pedal gripping cavity to disconnect from the pedal.