Footwear sole

Abstract

A shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud clusters extending therefrom is provided, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements, wherein, to optimise the manner in which the stud clusters deal with forces applied to them during ground contact, each stud cluster is oriented in accordance with a predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster and each stud cluster is dimensioned in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact.

1 . A shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud clusters extending therefrom, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements, wherein each stud cluster is oriented in accordance with a predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster.  
   
   
       2 . The shoe sole of  claim 1 , wherein the stud clusters comprise a primary stud and one or more secondary studs, and wherein the primary stud is larger than the secondary studs.  
   
   
       3 . The shoe sole of  claim 2 , wherein the stud clusters are V-shaped, the primary stud being located at the apex of the V-shape and being connected by two connection elements to two secondary studs located, respectively, at the two ends of the V-shape  
   
   
       4 . The shoe sole of  claim 3 , wherein the secondary studs trail the primary stud in the direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster.  
   
   
       5 . The shoe sole of  claim 3 , wherein the secondary studs lie either side of an axis parallel to the predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster, which extends through the primary stud.  
   
   
       6 . The shoe sole of  claim 2 , wherein the stud clusters comprise a tertiary stud connected to the primary stud via a further connection element and which leads the primary stud in the predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster.  
   
   
       7 . The shoe sole of  claim 2 , wherein, in each stud cluster, the primary stud is positioned substantially forward of the secondary studs on the bottom surface of the shoe sole.  
   
   
       8 . The shoe sole of  claim 2 , wherein, in each stud cluster at the toe end of the sole, the primary stud is substantially forward of the secondary studs, and, in each stud cluster at the heel region of the sole, the primary stud is positioned substantially sideways of the secondary studs.  
   
   
       9 . The shoe sole of  claim 2 , wherein, in each stud cluster at the toe end of the sole, the primary stud is substantially backward of the secondary studs and in each stud cluster at the heel end of the sole, the primary stud is substantially forward of the secondary studs.  
   
   
       10 . The shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the studs have a cross-sectional shape which is elliptical, circular, square, rectangular, triangular, or diamond-shaped.  
   
   
       11 . The shoe sole according to  claim 1 , wherein the stud clusters are dimensioned in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact.  
   
   
       12 . The shoe sole according to  claim 11 , wherein the stud clusters are dimensioned in proportion with the peak or average forces applied to the region of the sole at which they are located during ground contact.  
   
   
       13 . A method of manufacturing a shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud clusters extending therefrom, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements 
 comprising the steps of:    providing a shoe sole    determining a direction of gross shear motion during ground contact for each of a plurality of stud clusters to be located on the shoe sole; and    orienting each stud cluster on the bottom surface of the shoe sole in accordance with the direction of gross shear motion of the stud cluster.    
   
   
       14 . A sole for a shoe having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud formations extending therefrom, 
 wherein the stud formations are dimensioned in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact.    
   
   
       15 . The sole of  claim 14 , wherein the stud formations are dimensioned in proportion with the peak or average forces applied to the region of the sole at which they are located, during ground contact.  
   
   
       16 . The sole of  claim 14 , wherein the stud formations are individual studs or stud clusters, each stud cluster comprising at least two studs connected via one or more connection elements.  
   
   
       17 . The sole of  claim 4 , wherein the stud formations located at regions of the sole which are subject to higher forces during ground contact are larger than the stud formations located at regions of the sole subject to lower forces during ground contact.  
   
   
       18 . The sole of  claim 17 , wherein the stud formations located at the central area of the sole have larger dimension than the stud formations located at the periphery of the sole.  
   
   
       19 . The sole of  claim 17 , wherein the stud formations are similar or identical in dimension at the central region and periphery of the sole.  
   
   
       20 . The sole of  claim 14 , wherein the stud formations are oriented in accordance with a predetermined direction of gross shear motion of the stud formation.  
   
   
       21 . A method of manufacturing a shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud formations extending therefrom, 
 comprising the steps of:    providing a shoe sole    determining the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact; and    forming stud formations on a bottom surface of the shoe sole which are dimensioned in accordance with the distribution of forces applied to the sole during ground contact.    
   
   
       22 . A shoe sole having a bottom surface with a plurality of stud clusters extending therefrom, each stud cluster comprising a primary stud connected via one or more connection elements to one or more secondary studs, wherein the primary stud is larger than the secondary studs.