Sole for footwear or footwear attachment having multilevel cleats for indicating wear and providing enhanced traction and flexibility

Abstract

A ground engaging portion of an article of footwear for enhancing the traction and flexibility of the ground engaging portion has a plurality of multilevel cleats. The multilevel cleats include a plurality of cleat base elements extending upwardly from a surface thereof to define a first level of the multilevel cleats. A plurality of cleat top elements extend upwardly from a surface of a selected cleat base element to define a second level. The cleat base elements are arranged upon the surface of the ground engaging portion to define both longitudinal and transverse base element grooves therebetween. The cleat top elements are disposed upon a cleat base element to define both longitudinal and transverse top element grooves therebetween.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A ground engaging portion of an article of footwear having longitudinal and transverse axes for enhancing the traction and flexibility of said ground engaging portion, said ground engaging portion having a plurality of multilevel cleats, the multilevel cleats of said plurality of multilevel cleats including a plurality of cleat base elements extending upwardly from a surface of said ground engaging portion and defining a first level of said multilevel cleats and a plurality of cleat top elements extending upwardly from a surface of a selected cleat base element and defining a second level of said multilevel cleats, the cleat base elements being disposed in a spaced apart arrangement upon said surface of said ground engaging portion to define between said spaced apart cleat base elements both a longitudinal base element flexing groove along said longitudinal axis and a transverse base element flexing groove along said transverse axis, said cleat top elements being disposed in a spaced apart arrangement upon a surface of said selected cleat base element to define between said cleat top elements both a longitudinal top element groove and a transverse top element groove.  
     
     
         2 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein a selected cleat top element of said plurality of cleat top elements has a starting length prior to said ground engaging portion being used by a user and the length of said selected cleat top element decreases as said user uses said ground engaging portion in accordance with the use of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         3 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 2 , wherein a remaining length of said selected cleat top element is representative of the remaining usefulness of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         4 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal base element groove is adapted to be a flexing groove for increasing the flexibility of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         5 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 4 , wherein said transverse base element groove is adapted to be a flexing groove for increasing the flexibility of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         6 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 5 , wherein said longitudinal and transverse top element grooves are adapted to be flexing grooves for increasing the flexibility of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         7 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 6 , wherein said top cleat elements are disposed in a spaced apart arrangement upon the surfaces of a plurality of said cleat base elements.  
     
     
         8 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 7 , comprising: 
 (a) a first longitudinal base element groove portion disposed between a first pair of transversely adjacent cleat base elements;    (b) a second longitudinal base element groove portion disposed between a second pair of transversely adjacent cleat base elements; and    (c) said first and second longitudinal base element groove portions being aligned with each other to permit cooperative flexing of said first and second longitudinal base element groove portions and increase the flexibility of said ground engaging portion.    
     
     
         9 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of said longitudinal base element groove portions are aligned with each other and said plurality of said longitudinal base element groove portions extends over substantially an entire longitudinal dimension of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         10 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of said longitudinal base element groove portions extends continuously over substantially an entire longitudinal dimension of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         11 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 8 , comprising: 
 (a) a first transverse base element groove portion disposed between a first pair of longitudinally adjacent cleat base elements;    (b) a second transverse base element groove portion disposed between a second pair of longitudinally adjacent cleat base elements; and    (c) said first and second transverse base element groove portions being aligned with each other to permit cooperative flexing of said first and second transverse base element groove portions and increase the flexibility of said ground engaging portion.    
     
     
         12 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of said transverse base element groove portions are aligned with each other and said plurality of said transverse base element groove portions extends over substantially an entire transverse dimension of said ground engaging portion.  
     
     
         13 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein said ground engaging portion comprises an article of primary footwear.  
     
     
         14 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein said ground engaging portion comprises an attachment device for mounting said attachment device upon an article of primary footwear.  
     
     
         15 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein two top elements extend upwardly from said surface of said selected cleat base element.  
     
     
         16 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein four top elements extend upwardly from said surface of said selected cleat base element.  
     
     
         17 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein said surface of said ground engaging portion, said cleat base elements, and said cleat top elements are formed as an integral unit.  
     
     
         18 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 17 , wherein said integral unit is formed of a resilient material.  
     
     
         19 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cleat base elements or said cleat top elements is formed in a square shape.  
     
     
         20 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cleat base elements or said cleat top elements is formed in a round shape.  
     
     
         21 . The ground engaging portion of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said cleat base elements or said cleat top elements is formed in a triangular shape.