Athletic shoe having an improved cleat configuration

Abstract

An athletic shoe having an improved cleat configuration is provided. Various cleats are positioned for improved heel to toe transition and cleat pressure distribution as well as improved take-off and braking and side to side control for a wide variety of sports.

1 . An athletic shoe comprising: 
 an outsole, said outsole having a perimeter, a medial side, and a lateral side, said outsole having a forefoot region and a midfoot region;    a plurality of forefoot cleats, said forefoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said forefoot cleat having a base with a front end and a rear end, said forefoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said forefoot region, each said forefoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding forefoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located forefoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends; and    a plurality of midfoot cleats, said midfoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said midfoot cleat having a base with a front end and a rear end, said midfoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said midfoot region, each said midfoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding midfoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located midfoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends.    
   
   
       2 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of mud separator cleats, said mud separator cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said mud separator cleats positioned adjacent to said forefoot cleats and midfoot cleats such that they are located along said forefoot region and said midfoot region.  
   
   
       3 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said forefoot cleats and said midfoot cleats are equal in size.  
   
   
       4 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said outsole is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       5 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said forefoot cleats and midfoot cleats have substantially flat ground engaging surfaces.  
   
   
       6 . A cleat configuration for an outsole, said outsole having a perimeter, a medial side, and a lateral side, said outsole including a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region, said outsole comprising: 
 a plurality of forefoot cleats, said forefoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said forefoot cleat having a base with a front end and a rear end, said forefoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said forefoot region, each said forefoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding forefoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located forefoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends; and    a plurality of midfoot cleats, said midfoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said midfoot cleat having a base with a front end and a rear end, said midfoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said midfoot region, each said midfoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding midfoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located midfoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends;    a plurality of mud separator cleats, said mud separator cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said mud separator cleats positioned adjacent to said forefoot cleats and midfoot cleats such that they are located along said forefoot region and said midfoot region; and    a plurality of heel cleats, said heel cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said heel cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said heel region.    
   
   
       7 . A cleat configuration for an outsole as set forth in  claim 6 , further comprising a sole plate, said sole plate extending from said heel region through said midfoot region to said forefoot region, said sole plate formed from the same material as said outsole, said sole plate positioned so as to be at the base of said heel cleats, said midfoot cleats, and said forefoot cleats.  
   
   
       8 . A cleat configuration for an outsole as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, said mud separator cleats, and said heel cleats are molded from thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       9 . A cleat configuration for an outsole as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said outsole is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       10 . A cleat configuration for an outsole as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, said mud separator cleats, and said heel cleats have substantially flat ground engaging surfaces.  
   
   
       11 . An athletic shoe comprising: 
 an outsole, said outsole having a perimeter, a medial side, a lateral side, a front end, a rear end, a forefoot region, a midfoot region and a heel region;    a toe cleat, said toe cleat configured from material projecting from said outsole, said toe cleat positioned at said front end of said outsole;    a plurality of forefoot cleats, said forefoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said forefoot cleat being equal in size and having a base with a front end and a rear end, said forefoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said forefoot region, each said forefoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding forefoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located forefoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends, said adjacently located forefoot cleats each being positioned approximately the same distance from said front end of said outsole;    a plurality of midfoot cleats, said midfoot cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, each said midfoot cleat being equal in size and having a base with a front end and a rear end, said midfoot cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said midfoot region, each said midfoot cleat located on said medial side of said outsole having a corresponding midfoot cleat being adjacently located on said lateral side of said outsole with said front ends of each adjacently located midfoot cleat being angled towards one another such that the distance between said front ends is less than the distance between said rear ends, said adjacently located midfoot cleats being angled towards one another less than said adjacently located forefoot cleats;    a plurality of mud separator cleats, said mud separator cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said mud separator cleats positioned adjacent to said forefoot cleats and said midfoot cleats such that they are located along said forefoot region and said midfoot region; and    a pair of heel cleats, said heel cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said heel cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said heel region.    
   
   
       12 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising a second pair of heel cleats, said heel cleats configured from material projecting from said outsole, said heel cleats positioned along the shared area of said perimeter of said outsole and said heel region.  
   
   
       13 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said toe cleat, said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, and said heel cleats each have generally parallelogram shaped ground-engaging surfaces.  
   
   
       14 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said mud separator cleats have generally parallelogram shaped ground-engaging surfaces.  
   
   
       15 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising a sole plate, said sole plate extending from said heel region through said midfoot region to said forefoot region, said sole plate formed from the same material as said outsole, said sole plate positioned so as to be at the base of said heel cleats, said midfoot cleats, and said forefoot cleats.  
   
   
       16 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the ground-engaging surfaces of said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, said heel cleats, and said mud separator cleats are a color different from the color of said sole plate.  
   
   
       17 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said outsole is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       18 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said toe cleat, said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, said heel cleats, and said mud separator cleats are formed from thermoplastic polyurethane.  
   
   
       19 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said toe cleat, said forefoot cleats, said midfoot cleats, said heel cleats, and said mud separator cleats are formed from metal.  
   
   
       20 . An athletic shoe as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein said soleplate is formed from rubber.