Spikeless Golf Shoe

Abstract

A shoe comprising a sole and an upper. The sole comprises a midsole and an outsole comprising a forefoot outsole member, a midfoot outsole member, and a heel outsole member. Lateral and medial side peripheries of the forefoot outsole member are respectively spaced laterally and medially inward from midsole forefoot lateral and medial side peripheral edge portions. Lateral and medial side peripheries of the midfoot outsole member are respectively spaced laterally and medially outward from midsole midfoot lateral and medial side peripheral edge portions. Lateral and medial side peripheries of the heel outsole member are respectively spaced laterally and medially inward from midsole heel lateral and medial side peripheral edge portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A shoe comprising a sole and an upper operatively secured to the sole, the sole including a sole forefoot region, a sole midfoot region, a sole heel region, a medial side, and a lateral side, the sole comprising a midsole and an outsole,
 the outsole comprising a forefoot outsole member, a midfoot outsole member, and a heel outsole member, each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members having a lateral side periphery and a medial side periphery,   the midsole having a midsole forefoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole forefoot medial side peripheral edge portion, a midsole midfoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole midfoot medial side peripheral edge portion, a midsole heel lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole heel medial side peripheral edge portion,   the lateral side periphery of the forefoot outsole member being spaced laterally inward from the midsole forefoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, the medial side periphery of the forefoot outsole member being spaced medially inward from the midsole forefoot medial side peripheral edge portion,   the lateral side periphery of the midfoot outsole member being spaced laterally outward from the midsole midfoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, the medial side periphery of the midfoot outsole member being spaced medially outward from the midsole midfoot medial side peripheral edge portion,   the lateral side periphery of the heel outsole member being spaced laterally inward from the midsole heel lateral side peripheral edge portion, the medial side periphery of the heel outsole member being spaced medially inward from the midsole heel medial side peripheral edge portion,   the midsole being of a midsole material, the forefoot outsole member being of a first outsole material, the midfoot outsole member being of a second outsole material, the heel outsole member being of a third outsole material, the midsole material being different from the first, second, and third outsole materials.   
     
     
         2 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the first outsole material is the same as the second and third outsole materials. 
     
     
         3 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the midfoot outsole member includes a transverse sipe extending from the lateral side periphery of the midfoot outsole member to the medial side periphery of the midfoot outsole member. 
     
     
         4 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the midfoot outsole member includes a plurality of transverse sipes, each of the plurality of transverse sipes extending from the lateral side periphery of the midfoot outsole member to the medial side periphery of the midfoot outsole member. 
     
     
         5 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the midsole includes a recess in the sole midfoot region, the midfoot outsole member being in the recess of the midsole. 
     
     
         6 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the forefoot outsole member is spaced longitudinally from the midfoot outsole member. 
     
     
         7 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 6  wherein the heel outsole member is spaced longitudinally from the midfoot outsole member. 
     
     
         8 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the heel outsole member constitutes a first heel outsole member, and wherein the outsole further comprises a second heel outsole member. 
     
     
         9 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the first heel outsole member is spaced longitudinally from the second heel outsole member. 
     
     
         10 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 9  wherein the midsole includes a transverse sipe between the first and second heel outsole members. 
     
     
         11 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 10  wherein the transverse sipe extends from the midsole heel lateral side peripheral edge portion to the midsole heel medial side peripheral edge portion. 
     
     
         12 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the first, second, and third outsole materials are of a first durometer hardness and the midsole material is of a second durometer hardness, the first durometer hardness being greater than the second durometer hardness. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the midsole material comprises ethylene-vinyl-acetate. 
     
     
         14 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the outsole further comprises: a plurality of forefoot lugs projecting downwardly from the forefoot outsole member, a plurality of midfoot lugs projecting downwardly from the midfoot outsole member, and a plurality of heel lugs projecting downwardly from the heel outsole member. 
     
     
         15 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 14  wherein each of the plurality of forefoot, midfoot, and heel lugs includes a generally cylindrical body and a plurality of tines projecting radially from the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         16 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 14  wherein the plurality of forefoot lugs are of the first outsole material, the plurality of midfoot lugs are of the second outsole material, and the plurality of heel lugs are of the third outsole material. 
     
     
         17 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 16  wherein each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members comprises a top surface, each of the plurality of forefoot lugs comprises a ground-engageable forefoot lug surface, each of the plurality of midfoot lugs comprises a ground-engageable midfoot lug surface, each of the plurality of heel lugs comprises a ground-engageable heel lug surface, each of the forefoot ground-engageable lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the forefoot outsole member by a forefoot lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the forefoot ground-engageable lug surfaces and the top surface of the forefoot outsole member, each of the ground-engageable midfoot lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the midfoot outsole member by a midfoot lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the ground-engageable midfoot lug surfaces and the top surface of the midfoot outsole member, each of the ground-engageable heel lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the heel outsole member by a heel lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the ground-engageable heel lug surfaces and the top surface of the heel outsole member, each of the midfoot lug distances being greater than each of the forefoot lug distances, each of the midfoot lug distances being greater than each of the heel lug distances. 
     
     
         18 . A shoe as set forth in in  claim 1  wherein each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the forefoot outsole member having a first maximum thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the forefoot outsole member, the midfoot outsole member having a second maximum thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the midfoot outsole member, the heel outsole member having a third maximum thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the heel outsole member, the second maximum thickness being thicker than the first and third maximum thicknesses. 
     
     
         19 . A shoe as set forth in in  claim 1  wherein each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the forefoot outsole member having a first mean average thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the forefoot outsole member, the midfoot outsole member having a second mean average thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the midfoot outsole member, the heel outsole member having a third mean average thickness defined by the top and bottom surfaces of the heel outsole member, the second mean average thickness being thicker than the first and third mean average thicknesses. 
     
     
         20 . A shoe comprising a sole and an upper operatively secured to the sole, the sole including a sole forefoot region, a sole midfoot region, a sole heel region, a medial side, and a lateral side, the sole comprising a midsole and an outsole,
 the outsole comprising a forefoot outsole member, a midfoot outsole member, a heel outsole member, a plurality of forefoot lugs projecting downwardly from the forefoot outsole member, a plurality of midfoot lugs projecting downwardly from the midfoot outsole member, and a plurality of heel lugs projecting downwardly from the heel outsole member,   each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members comprising a top surface, each of the plurality of forefoot lugs comprising a ground-engageable forefoot lug surface, each of the plurality of midfoot lugs comprising a ground-engageable midfoot lug surface, each of the plurality of heel lugs comprising a ground-engageable heel lug surface, each of the forefoot ground-engageable lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the forefoot outsole member by a forefoot lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the forefoot ground-engageable lug surfaces and the top surface of the forefoot outsole member, each of the ground-engageable midfoot lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the midfoot outsole member by a midfoot lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the ground-engageable midfoot lug surfaces and the top surface of the midfoot outsole member, each of the ground-engageable heel lug surfaces being spaced from the top surface of the heel outsole member by a heel lug distance defined as the shortest distance between said each of the ground-engageable heel lug surfaces and the top surface of the heel outsole member, each of the midfoot lug distances being greater than each of the forefoot lug distances, each of the midfoot lug distances being greater than each of the heel lug distances,   the midsole being of a midsole material, the forefoot outsole member being of a first outsole material, the midfoot outsole member being of a second outsole material, the heel outsole member being of a third outsole material, the midsole material being different from the first, second, and third outsole materials.   
     
     
         21 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the only lugs projecting downwardly from the forefoot outsole member are the plurality of forefoot lugs. 
     
     
         22 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the only lugs projecting downwardly from the heel outsole member are the plurality of heel lugs. 
     
     
         23 . A shoe sole as set forth in  claim 20  wherein the only lugs projecting downwardly from the midfoot outsole member are the plurality of midfoot outsole members. 
     
     
         24 . A shoe sole as set forth in  claim 23  wherein the only lugs projecting downwardly from the forefoot outsole member are the plurality of forefoot lugs, and the only lugs projecting downwardly from the heel outsole member are the plurality of heel lugs. 
     
     
         25 . A shoe sole as set forth in  claim 20  wherein each of the plurality of forefoot, midfoot, and heel lugs includes a generally cylindrical body and a plurality of tines projecting radially from the cylindrical body. 
     
     
         26 . A shoe sole as set forth in  claim 25  wherein the plurality of forefoot lugs are of the first outsole material, the plurality of midfoot lugs are of the second outsole material, and the plurality of heel lugs are of the third outsole material. 
     
     
         27 . A shoe comprising a sole and an upper operatively secured to the sole, the sole including a sole forefoot region, a sole midfoot region, a sole heel region, a medial side, and a lateral side, the sole comprising a midsole and an outsole,
 the outsole comprising a forefoot outsole member, a midfoot outsole member, a heel outsole member, a plurality of forefoot lugs projecting downwardly from the forefoot outsole member, a plurality of midfoot lugs projecting downwardly from the midfoot outsole member, and a plurality of heel lugs projecting downwardly from the heel outsole member, each of the forefoot, midfoot, and heel outsole members having a lateral side periphery and a medial side periphery,   the midsole having a midsole forefoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole forefoot medial side peripheral edge portion, a midsole midfoot lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole midfoot medial side peripheral edge portion, a midsole heel lateral side peripheral edge portion, a midsole heel medial side peripheral edge portion,   the midfoot outsole member including a midfoot outsole sipe extending transversely from the lateral side periphery of the midfoot outsole member to the medial side periphery of the midfoot outsole member,   the sole including a sole sipe between the forefoot outsole member and the midfoot outsole member, the sole sipe extending transversely from the lateral side of the sole to the medial side of the sole,   the midsole being of a midsole material, the forefoot outsole member being of a first outsole material, the midfoot outsole member being of a second outsole material, the heel outsole member being of a third outsole material, the midsole material being different from the first, second, and third outsole materials.   
     
     
         28 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 27  wherein the sole sipe is defined in part by the midsole and in part by the forefoot outsole member. 
     
     
         29 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 27  wherein the midfoot outsole member is devoid of any longitudinal sipes. 
     
     
         30 . A shoe as set forth in  claim 27  wherein the sole is devoid of any longitudinal sipes.