Cleated shoe having a molded sole with separate sections

Abstract

A molded sole structure for a cleated athletic shoe has a number of hard outsole sections separately attached to a softer midsole. Each outsole section extends substantially across the width of the sole structure and includes at least one ground penetrating traction element on the lateral side of the sole structure and at least one ground penetrating traction element on the medial side of the sole structure. Each outsole section is attached to the midsole in series from the heel to the toe of the sole structure.

1 . A sole structure for a cleated athletic shoe, comprising:
 a soft midsole; and   a plurality of hard outsole sections affixed to the midsole and arranged adjacent to each other along a longitudinal axis of the sole structure, each outsole section extending laterally across a width of the sole structure.   
     
     
         2 . The sole structure of  claim 1 , wherein the outsole sections are coupled together at a plurality of lateral break lines such that the sole structure can be flexed at each break line about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . A sole structure for a cleated athletic shoe, comprising:
 a midsole; and   a plurality of outsole sections each separately attached to the midsole in series from a heel region to a toe region, each outsole section being formed of a harder material than the midsole.   
     
     
         4 . The sole structure of  claim 3 , wherein each outsole section extends across a width of the sole structure. 
     
     
         5 . The sole structure of  claim 4 , wherein each outsole section extends across a portion of the width of the sole structure, the portion being adequate to provide torsional rigidity to restrict lateral movement. 
     
     
         6 . The sole structure of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the outsole sections is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the sole structure. 
     
     
         7 . The sole structure of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the outsole sections is asymmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the sole structure. 
     
     
         8 . The sole structure of  claim 6 , each outsole section further comprising at least a pair of ground penetrating traction elements affixed to a bottom side of the outsole section, with a first one of the ground penetrating traction elements affixed on a lateral side of the sole structure and a second one of the ground penetrating traction elements affixed on a medial side of the sole structure. 
     
     
         9 . The sole structure of  claim 3 , the midsole further comprising a plurality of recessed areas formed laterally across the midsole in between each of the outsole sections. 
     
     
         10 . The sole structure of  claim 3 , the midsole formed of a soft foam material and each of the outsole sections formed of a hard plastic material. 
     
     
         11 . A sole structure for a cleated athletic shoe, comprising:
 a midsole formed of a first material having a first hardness; and   a plurality of outsole sections each formed of a second material having a second hardness, the second hardness is greater than the first hardness, each outsole section separately attached to the midsole.   
     
     
         12 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , wherein each outsole section is separately attached to the midsole in series from a heel region to a toe region of the sole structure. 
     
     
         13 . The sole structure of  claim 12 , wherein each outsole section extends across a width of the sole structure. 
     
     
         14 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , wherein at last one of the outsole sections is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the sole structure. 
     
     
         15 . The sole structure of  claim 13 , wherein at last one of the outsole sections is asymmetrical about a longitudinal axis of the sole structure. 
     
     
         16 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , each outsole section further comprising at least a pair of ground penetrating traction elements affixed to a bottom side of the outsole section, with a first one of the ground penetrating traction elements affixed on a lateral side of the sole structure and a second one of the ground penetrating traction elements affixed on a medial side of the sole structure. 
     
     
         17 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , the midsole further comprising a plurality of recessed areas formed laterally across the midsole in between each of the outsole sections. 
     
     
         18 . The sole structure of  claim 11 , the first material is a soft foam material and the second material is a hard plastic material.