Variable surface sole for bowling and other shoes

Abstract

For virtually any kind of shoe, regions at the front and/or back of the heel and/or forsesole can be raised or lowered relative to the remainder of that bottom surface. In this manner, one or both of a friction or pronation adjustment can be made at the front, back, or lateral side of the foresole or heel. An adjustment device is operatively associated with one region in one of a first (foresole) or second (heel) weight bearing bottom surface, for raising and lowering the region relative to the bottom surface surrounding the region, thereby adjusting the overall texture of the weight bearing bottom surface.

1 . A shoe having an adjustable weight bearing bottom surface, comprising: 
 an upper supported by a sole extending generally along a longitudinal centerline, said sole having an arch, a foresole defining a first, weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally forward of the arch, and a heel defining a second weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally behind the arch, each of said first and second weight bearing bottom surfaces formed by contiguous regions which collectively establish an overall texture, respectively, for each of said first and second weight bearing bottom surfaces; and    an adjustment device operatively associated with one of said regions in one of said first or second weight bearing bottom surfaces, for raising and lowering said one region relative to the bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby adjusting the overall texture of said one weight bearing bottom surface.    
     
     
         2 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said adjustment device has a drive member at least partially embedded in the sole and operatively associated with said one region, and an actuator connected to the drive member and accessible when the shoe is held in one hand, such that manual adjustment of said actuator raises or lowers said one region relative to the bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby adjusting the overall texture of said one bottom weight bearing surface.  
     
     
         3 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said one region is a distinct pad and the adjustment device selectively raises or lowers the pad.  
     
     
         4 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the pad comprises at least one cleat.  
     
     
         5 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the shoe is a bowling shoe and the pad is in the heel.  
     
     
         6 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the shoe is a bowling shoe and the pad is in the foresole.  
     
     
         7 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein at least one pad is in each of the heel and the foresole.  
     
     
         8 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the adjustment device selectively raises or lowers the entire pad the same distance.  
     
     
         9 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein the pad is substantially centered on the centerline and comprises a plurality of cleats at least some of which are situated laterally of the centerline.  
     
     
         10 . The shoe of  claim 3 , wherein a drive member is embedded in the foresole on each lateral side of the centerline such that respective pads can each be adjusted individually.  
     
     
         11 . The shoe of  claim 2 , wherein 
 said sole includes an exterior outsole having said bottom weight bearing surfaces and a midsole between the upper and the outsole;    said drive member spans said mid sole and outsole; and    said actuator selectively expands or contracts said drive member to push or pull said one region away from or toward the midsole.    
     
     
         12 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said one region comprises ripples having a nominal amplitude, and said adjustment varies the amplitude.  
     
     
         13 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said one region is a distinct pad having ripples of nominal amplitude, and said adjustment varies the amplitude.  
     
     
         14 . The shoe of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said adjustment devices with respective regions distributed as distinct pads that can be raised or lowered, on the foresole.  
     
     
         15 . The shoe of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said adjustment devices with respective regions distributed as distinct pads that can be raised or lowered, on the heel.  
     
     
         16 . The shoe of  claim 14 , wherein at least one pad is situated on each side of the centerline.  
     
     
         17 . The shoe of  claim 15 , wherein at least one pad is situated on each side of the centerline.  
     
     
         18 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein said one region has an exposed surface of one type of material and the bottom surface surrounding the adjustable region is a different material.  
     
     
         19 . The shoe of  claim 18 , wherein one material is leather and the other material is synthetic.  
     
     
         20 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is a bowling shoe.  
     
     
         21 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is a driving shoe.  
     
     
         22 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is a court shoe.  
     
     
         23 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is a hiking shoe.  
     
     
         24 . The shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe is a field game shoe.  
     
     
         25 . A shoe having a sole extending generally along a longitudinal centerline, said sole having an arch, a foresole defining a first, weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally forward of the arch, and a heel defining a second weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally behind the arch, said first weight bearing surface having an overall nominal texture, wherein the improvement comprises: 
 said first weight bearing surface having at least one distinct region that is adjustable to a plurality of fixed positions relative to the first bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby altering the overall nominal texture of said first bottom surface.    
     
     
         26 . The shoe of  claim 25 , comprising: 
 an adjustment device having a drive member at least partially embedded in the foresole and operatively associated with said one region, and    an actuator connected to the drive member and accessible when the shoe is held in one hand, such that manual adjustment of said actuator raises or lowers said one region to one of said fixed positions relative to the first bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby altering the overall nominal texture of said first bottom surface.    
     
     
         27 . The shoe of  claim 26 , wherein the manual adjustment raises or lowers said one region the same distance.  
     
     
         28 . The shoe of  claim 26 , wherein the manual adjustment raises or lowers said one region with a bowed profile.  
     
     
         29 . A shoe having a sole extending generally along a longitudinal centerline, said sole having an arch, a foresole defining a first, weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally forward of the arch, and a heel defining a second weight bearing bottom surface longitudinally behind the arch, said second weight bearing surface having an overall nominal texture, wherein the improvement comprises: 
 said second weight bearing surface having at least one distinct region that is adjustable to a plurality of fixed positions into and out of the second bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby altering the overall nominal texture of said second bottom surface.    
     
     
         30 . The shoe of  claim 29 , comprising: 
 an adjustment device having a drive member at least partially embedded in the heel and operatively associated with said one region, and    an actuator connected to the drive member and accessible when the shoe is held in one hand, such that manual adjustment of said actuator raises or lowers said one region to one of said fixed positions relative to the second bottom surface surrounding said one region, thereby altering the overall nominal texture of said second bottom surface.    
     
     
         31 . The shoe of  claim 30 , wherein the manual adjustment raises or lowers said one region the same distance.  
     
     
         32 . The shoe of  claim 30 , wherein the manual adjustment raises or lowers said one region with a bowed profile.