Patent ID: 7101604

Claim:
An ergonomic gripping or traction surface of an article comprising: a base surface with at least one projecting portion extending beyond the base surface, wherein each of the at least one projecting portion has a gripping or traction textured pattern, wherein said gripping or traction textured pattern has a proportion, configuration, and arrangement that emulates non-uniform anatomical features of at least a portion of a footprint of a foot of a human being, and wherein the textured pattern is comprised of a plurality of ridges that look and perform similarly to dermal ridges of the human skin on the sole of the foot; wherein said ergonomic gripping or traction surface is a laminate, where the laminate is comprised of at least two layers, a flexible outer layer and a stiffer inner layer, wherein the flexible outer layer and the stiffer inner layer are combined such that the combination imparts a desired degree of flex and tactility to the ergonomic gripping or traction surface.