Outsole lugs aligned with metatarsal bones

Abstract

A running shoe includes an upper, a foot cavity defined in part by the upper and having a foot cavity length starting at a rearmost heel surface and ending at a frontmost toe surface of the foot cavity. The running shoe further includes an outsole including one or more metatarsal lugs, and a midsole. The metatarsal lug is disposed on the outsole under a corresponding metatarsal bone of a user when the user is wearing the running shoe and has a center disposed at a center point corresponding to a location between 65% and 67% of the foot cavity length.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A running shoe, comprising:
 an upper;   a foot cavity defined at least in part by an inside surface of the upper, including a frontmost toe surface, a rearmost heel surface, and a foot cavity length starting at the rearmost heel surface and ending at the frontmost toe surface;   a midsole; and   an outsole, including a first metatarsal lug located on an exterior of the outsole to be located under a first metatarsal bone of a user when the user is wearing the shoe, the first metatarsal lug having a center disposed at a center point corresponding to a first location between 65% and 67% of the foot cavity length.   
     
     
         2 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug further comprises a toe-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a second location between 71% and 73% of the foot cavity length. 
     
     
         3 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug further comprises a heel-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a third location between 61% and 63% of the foot cavity length. 
     
     
         4 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , wherein an edge of the first metatarsal lug defines, in part, a flexure recess defined in the outsole, the flexure recess being transversely orientated with respect to the foot cavity length. 
     
     
         5 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the first metatarsal lug is located adjacent to a second metatarsal lug that is mechanically isolated and separated from the first metatarsal lug along a second flexure recess defined in the outsole;
 wherein the second flexure recess is aligned with the foot cavity length.   
     
     
         6 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , wherein the outsole further comprises:
 a first phalange lug disposed substantially adjacent to a toe-facing edge of the first metatarsal lug and disposed under a first phalange bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe;   a third flexure recess between a toe-facing edge of the first metatarsal lug and the first phalange lug; and   wherein the first metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated from the first phalange lug.   
     
     
         7 . The running shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising a second metatarsal lug disposed under a second metatarsal bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe, comprising:
 a center disposed at a center point corresponding to a fourth location between 65% and 67% of the foot cavity length;   a toe-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a fifth location between 71% and 73% of the foot cavity length; and   a heel-facing edge disposed at an edge point corresponding to a sixth location between 61% and 63% of the foot cavity length.   
     
     
         8 . The running shoe of  claim 7 , further comprising a third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal lug, wherein one of each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal lugs corresponds to each metatarsal bone of the user's foot. 
     
     
         9 . The running shoe of  claim 8 , wherein the outsole further comprises:
 a second phalange lug disposed substantially adjacent to the toe-facing edge of the second metatarsal lug and disposed under a second phalange bone of the user when the user is wearing the shoe; and   a fourth flexure recess between the toe-facing edge of the second metatarsal lug and the second phalange lug;   wherein the second metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated relative to the second phalange lug and the metatarsal lug.   
     
     
         10 . The running shoe of  claim 6 , wherein the outsole further comprises a fifth flexure recess between the first metatarsal lug and the second metatarsal lug; and
 wherein the first metatarsal lug is mechanically isolated relative to the second metatarsal lug.