Footwear with improved sole assembly

Abstract

An article of footwear including an outer sole assembly and an upper, the outer sole assembly extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end, and widthwise between a lateral side and a medial edge, the outer sole assembly having a surface for contact with the ground. The contact surface has a first strip, the first strip having an alternation of projections and recesses. The contact surface has a second strip, the second strip having an alternation of projections and recesses. The projections and recesses of the first strip are arranged alternately with respect to the projections and recesses of the second strip.

1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an outer sole assembly and an upper;   the outer sole assembly extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end and widthwise between a lateral side and a medial side;   the outer sole assembly comprising a ground-contacting side;   the ground-contacting side comprises:
 a first strip having an alternation of projections and recesses; 
 a second strip having an alternation of projections and recesses; 
 the projections and recesses of the first strip being arranged alternately with respect to the projections and recesses of the second strip. 
   
     
     
         2 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first strip includes a reference section having a projection and a recess;   the second strip includes a reference section having a projection and a recess;   the projection of the reference section of the first strip is next to the recess of the reference section of the second strip;   the recess of the reference section of the first strip is next to the projection of the reference section of the second strip.   
     
     
         3 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the ground-contacting side of the outer sole assembly includes a third strip;   the third strip includes a reference section having a projection and a recess;   the projection of the reference section of the second strip is next to the recess of the reference section of the third strip;   the recess of the reference section of the second strip is next to the projection of the reference section of the third strip.   
     
     
         4 . An article of footwear according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first strip, the second strip, and the third strip are oriented along a length of the article of footwear.   
     
     
         5 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first strip is lateral;   the second strip is central;   the third strip is medial.   
     
     
         6 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first strip includes a plurality of sections;   the second strip includes a plurality of sections;   the third strip includes a plurality of sections.   
     
     
         7 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first strip has five recesses;   the second strip has six recesses;   the third strip has five recesses.   
     
     
         8 . An article of footwear according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the recess of the first strip are transversely aligned with the respective ones of the recesses of the third strip.   
     
     
         9 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first strip has a width in a range of between 5% and 30% of a width of the sole assembly;   the second strip has a width in a range of between 20% and 80% of the width of the sole assembly;   the third strip has a width in a range of between 5% and 30% of the width of the sole assembly.   
     
     
         10 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 each of the first, second, and third strips has a length in a range between 50% and 100% of a length of the outer sole assembly.   
     
     
         11 . An article of footwear according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the ground-contacting side of the outer sole assembly has a fourth strip;   the fourth strip has an alternation of projections and recesses;   the ground-contacting side of the outer sole assembly has a fifth strip;   the fifth strip has an alternation of projections and recesses;   the projections and recesses of each of the strips are arranged alternately with respect to the projections and recesses of a contiguous strip.   
     
     
         12 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein;
 the first strip, the second strip, the third strip, the fourth strip, and the fifth strip are oriented along a length of the article of footwear.   
     
     
         13 . An article of footwear according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first strip is lateral;   the second strip, the third strip, and the fourth strip are central;   the fifth strip is medial.   
     
     
         14 . An article of footwear according to  claim 11 , wherein;
 the first strip has four recesses;   the second strip has three recesses;   the third strip has four recesses;   the fourth strip has three recesses;   the fifth strip has four recesses.   
     
     
         15 . An article of footwear according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the lateral strip and the medial strip are co-extensive in an area of the rear end and/or in an area of the front end of the outer sole assembly.   
     
     
         16 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 substantially all of the projections have smooth surfaces.   
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 substantially all of the projections have asperities.   
     
     
         18 . An article of footwear according  claim 1 , wherein:
 substantially all of the recesses have smooth surfaces.   
     
     
         19 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 one or more recesses are split.   
     
     
         20 . An article of footwear according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 along a transverse cross section along a width of the ground-contacting side of the outer sole assembly apexes of the projections are in a common plane.   
     
     
         21 . An article of footwear according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 respective apexes of all of the projections are within a uniform rolling surface of the ground-contacting surface of the outer sole assembly.   
     
     
         22 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the outer sole assembly includes a wear layer having a thickness in a range between 0.5 mm and 5 mm.   
     
     
         23 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the outer sole assembly includes a wear layer having a generally constant thickness.   
     
     
         24 . An article of footwear according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a majority of the recesses have a rounded shape.