Outsole with anti-slip tread

Abstract

A footwear outsole has a generally planar outwardly facing contact surface which has a plurality of spaced-apart conduits passing through it. The conduits have opposed ends which open through the sidewall of the outsole. The conduits open to the contact surface of the outsole through slots which have a width at their intersection with the contact surface which is less than the maximum width of the conduits.

1 . A footwear tread comprising: 
 (a) a sole piece having an outwardly facing contact surface and a side surface which extends around the periphery of said contact surface;    (b) a plurality of spaced-apart conduits which pass through said sole piece, said conduits having opposed ends which open through said side surface;    (c) a plurality of spaced-apart slots which extend across said contact surface, said slots being in one to one fluid communication with said conduits;    (d) said slots having a slot width at their intersection with said contact surface and said conduits having a maximum width which is greater than said slot width.    
     
     
         2 . The footwear tread of  claim 1  wherein there is one slot for each conduit.  
     
     
         3 . The footwear tread of  claim 2  wherein each slot is immediately above its associated conduit.  
     
     
         4 . The footwear tread of  claim 1  wherein said slots extend laterally across said sole piece.  
     
     
         5 . The footwear tread of  claim 4  wherein said slots are substantially straight.  
     
     
         6 . The footwear tread of  claim 5  wherein said slots are parallel to one another.  
     
     
         7 . The footwear tread of  claim 1  wherein said conduits are egg-shaped in cross-section.  
     
     
         8 . The footwear tread of  claim 1  wherein said contact surface is planar.  
     
     
         9 . A footwear tread comprising: 
 (a) a sole piece having a generally planer outwardly facing contact surface and a side surface which extends around the periphery of said contact surface;    (b) a plurality of spaced-apart conduits which pass through said sole piece, said conduits having opposed ends which open through said side surface;    (c) a plurality of spaced-apart slots which extend across said contact surface, said slots being in one to one fluid communication with said conduits;    (d) said slots being spaced apart from one another by a first predetermined distance; and    (e) said conduits being spaced apart from one another by a second predetermined distance which is greater than said first predetermined distance.    
     
     
         10 . A footwear tread comprising: 
 (a) a sole piece having a generally planer outwardly facing contact surface and a side surface which extends around the periphery of said contact surface;    (b) a plurality of spaced-apart conduits which pass through said sole piece, said conduits having opposed ends which open through said side surface;    (c) a plurality of spaced-apart slots which extend across said contact surface; said slots being in one to one fluid communication with said conduits;    (d) wherein said conduits and slots are configured such that when said contact surface is urged downwardly on a floor having liquid on it, said conduits are capable of flowing said liquid out of said opposed ends at least as quickly as said fluid can be admitted into said conduits through said slots.