Article of Footwear With a Marking System

Abstract

An article of footwear with a marking system is disclosed. The marking system is configured to help locate one or more portions of a foot during training of an athlete. The marking system includes markings that extend from a lower surface of a sole system to an outer peripheral portion of a sole system.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:
 observing the location of a plurality of markings associated with a marking system on a sole system of the article of footwear when a lower surface of the sole system is in contact with a ground surface; and   determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a sole system according to the location of the plurality of markings, wherein the predetermined portion is disposed on the lower surface.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined portion is a portion of the sole system corresponding to a ball of a foot. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of markings are visible on an outer peripheral portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the step of determining the relative location of the predetermined portion includes a step of associating a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis with the plurality of markings. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the step of associating the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis with the plurality of markings is followed by a step of determining the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the article of footwear can be used to train an athlete. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the motion of the article of footwear as a wearer moves can be recorded with a monitoring device and analyzed on a video display system. 
     
     
         21 . A method of using a monitoring system, comprising:
 providing an article of footwear including:
 a sole system including a lower surface configured to contact a ground surface; 
 the sole system further including an outer peripheral portion that is angled with respect to the lower surface; 
 a corner portion that is disposed between the outer peripheral portion and the lower surface; and 
 a plurality of markings on the sole system; 
 the plurality of markings including a marking system associated with the sole system, the marking system including a set of markings; 
 each marking of the marking system extending through portions of the lower surface, the corner portion and the outer peripheral edge; 
 wherein the marking system is configured to facilitate locating a predetermined portion of the lower surface; and 
 wherein two or more markings of the marking system are disposed in orientations such that the two or more markings are configured to be aligned with the same anatomical feature of the foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer; and 
   capturing movements of the foot of a wearer of the article of footwear by locating the markings of the marking system using a monitoring device including a machine.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the marking system further includes a central marking portion that corresponds to a ball of a foot. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the set of markings includes a first marking that extends from the central marking portion to a toe portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the set of markings includes a marking that extends from the central marking portion to a lateral portion of the sole system and a marking that extends from the central marking portion to a medial portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the set of markings includes a marking that extends from the central marking portion to a heel portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the markings of the plurality of markings intersect at an intersection of a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, the intersection corresponding with the central marking portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         27 . A method of using an article of footwear, comprising the steps of:
 providing an article of footwear including:
 a sole system including a lower surface configured to contact a ground surface; 
 the sole system further including an outer peripheral portion that is angled with respect to the lower surface; 
 a corner portion that is disposed between the outer peripheral portion and the lower surface; and 
 a marking system associated with the sole system, the marking system including a set of markings; 
 the marking system including a first marking and a third marking extending from the lower surface to the outer peripheral portion and wherein the first marking and the third marking define a longitudinal axis along a length of the sole system; 
 the marking system including a second marking and a fourth marking extending from the lower surface to the outer peripheral portion and wherein the second marking and the fourth marking define a lateral axis along a width of the sole system; 
 wherein the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis corresponds to a predetermined portion on the lower surface of the sole system; 
 the marking system further including a ring-shaped central marking portion associated with the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis; 
 wherein the predetermined portion on the lower surface of the sole system is disposed in a location that corresponds with a ball of a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer; 
 wherein the intersection of the longitudinal axis and the lateral axis is located at a center of the ring-shaped central marking; 
 wherein, from all angles about the article of footwear, at least two of the first marking, the second marking, the third marking, and the fourth marking are visible; 
 wherein the outer peripheral portion of the sole system includes an outer-most surface; and 
 wherein at least one of the first marking, the second marking, the third marking, and the fourth marking protrudes from the outer-most surface of the outer peripheral portion of the sole system; and 
 wherein at least one of the first marking, the second marking, and the fourth marking extends, continuously in alignment with the longitudinal axis or the lateral axis, from the ring-shaped central marking to the outer peripheral portion of the sole system; 
   observing the location of the markings of the marking system; and   determining the relative location of a predetermined portion of a foot disposed in the upper according to the location of the plurality of markings.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein observing the location of the markings includes observing the markings when the lower surface of the sole system is in contact with a ground surface. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27  wherein at least one of the first marking, the second marking, the third marking, and the fourth marking extends from the lower surface of the sole system through the corner portion into the outer peripheral portion of the sole system. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the first marking, the second marking, the third marking, and the fourth marking all extend from the lower surface of the sole system through the corner portion into the outer peripheral portion of the sole system; and
 wherein portions of the first marking, the second marking, the third marking, and the fourth marking extending into the outer peripheral portion of the sole system are visible when the lower surface of the sole system of the article of footwear is disposed against a ground surface.   
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the markings is disposed in a location that is configured to be associated with one or more bones or muscles of a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the third marking extends from the central marking portion to the outer peripheral portion of the sole system in a heel region of the article of footwear; and
 wherein the third marking is discontinuous.   
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the marking system has an approximately cross hair shape.