Protective articles having a plurality of core members

Abstract

A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person includes a conformable substrate and a plurality of core members disposed adjacent to a surface of the conformable substrate. The plurality of core members are arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members. A flexible fabric membrane comprised of natural or synthetic fibers is positioned adjacent to at least one of the conformable substrate and the plurality of core members.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an outsole including a core including a plurality of plates, wherein a first one of the plurality of plates is hingedly attached, at one or more edges of the first plate, to one or more substantially adjacent other plates in the plurality of plates,   wherein each hinge hingedly attaching an edge of the first plate to another plate joins less than the entire respective hingedly attached edge to a corresponding one of the one or more substantially adjacent other plates and is integrally connected to the first plate and the other plate.