Article of footwear with modifiable sole

Abstract

An article of footwear is provided with a modifiable sole having raised projections and/or drain guides. The raised projections are capable of receiving a threaded screw to increase the traction between the sole and an underlying ground surface. Information-conveying indicial markings can be provided on the base surface and associated with the raised projections, the indicial markings conveying information regarding the type of threaded screw that can be received by the raised projections and where to attach a threaded screw to the sole. The drain guides indicate where drain holes can be formed in the sole to enhance drainage

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper adapted to receive a foot;   a sole joined with the upper and adapted to provide traction between the foot and an underlying ground surface, the sole comprising:
 a base surface; 
 a plurality of guard lugs extending from the base surface, each of the plurality of guard lugs having a distal end forming at least a portion of a ground-engaging surface and a lug height defined by the distance between the base surface and the distal end; 
 a plurality of raised projections capable of receiving threaded screws to increase the traction between the sole and the underlying ground surface, each of the plurality of raised projections extending from the base surface to a screw-receiving surface adapted to confront a screw head of the threaded screw and having a projection height defined by the distance between the base surface and the screw-receiving surface, the projection height being less than the lug height; and 
 information-conveying indicial markings provided on at least one of the base surface and the plurality of raised projections, the indicial markings conveying information regarding at least one of the type of threaded screw that can be received by the plurality of raised projections and where to install a threaded screw in each of the plurality of projections. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of guard lugs project farther from the base surface than the indicial markings. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the indicial markings comprise shapes on the base surface comprising at least one of letters, numbers, and symbols. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3  wherein the indicial markings comprise one or more raised elements molded on the base surface. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 3 , comprising pilot holes on the screw-receiving surface of each of the plurality of raised projections. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 5 , comprising X-shaped formations on the screw-receiving surface of each of the plurality of raised projections, with the pilot holes disposed at a center of each of the X-shaped formations. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole comprises a plurality of drain guides indicating where drain holes can be formed in the sole to enhance drainage. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of drain guides comprise a raised rim extending from the base surface and a drillable surface disposed within a boundary defined by the raised rim. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 7 , wherein the sole comprises information-conveying indicial markings provided on the base surface and associated with the plurality of drain guides, the indicial markings conveying information regarding how to modify the sole for enhanced drainage. 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the sole comprises a forefoot region, an arch region, and a heel region;   the plurality of guard lugs and the plurality of raised projections are disposed in the forefoot and heel regions; and   the plurality of drain guides are disposed in the forefoot region.   
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of raised projections are non-threaded and the screw-receiving surfaces comprise closed ground-facing surfaces. 
     
     
         12 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , comprising at least one screw having a threaded shaft and a head, the at least one screw receivable on one of the plurality of raised projections with the head of the screw meeting the screw-receiving surface of the one of the plurality of raised projections, wherein the at least one screw forms at least a portion of the ground-engaging surface when received on the one of the plurality of raised projections. 
     
     
         13 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the base surface is bounded by a peripheral edge comprising a medial edge, a lateral edge, a toe edge, and a heel edge;   the plurality of raised projections comprise medial projections provided along the medial edge and lateral projections provided along the lateral edge; and   the medial and lateral projections are longitudinally offset from each other with respect to a direction generally extending along the length of the footwear between the toe edge, and a heel edge.   
     
     
         14 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole comprises an outsole and a midsole positioned between the upper and the outsole, the outsole comprising the base surface. 
     
     
         15 . The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of guard lugs are chevron-shaped and have a first V-shaped surface defining an outer vertex and a second V-shaped surface defining an inner vertex; and   each of the plurality of raised projections are cylindrical and are nested in the second V-shaped surface of one of the plurality of guard lugs.   
     
     
         16 . A sole for an article of footwear comprising:
 a midsole;   an outsole joined to the midsole, said outsole including a forefoot portion, an arch portion and a heel portion, the outsole comprising:
 a base surface; 
 a plurality of guard lugs extending from the base surface, each of the plurality of guard lugs having a distal end forming at least a portion of a ground-engaging surface and a lug height defined by the distance between the base surface and the distal end; 
 a plurality of raised projections capable of receiving a threaded screw to increase the traction between the sole and the underlying ground surface, each of the plurality of raised projections extending from the base to a screw-receiving surface adapted to confront a screw head of a threaded screw and having a projection height defined by the distance between the base surface and the screw-receiving surface, the projection height being less than the lug height; and 
 information-conveying indicial markings provided on the base surface or the plurality of raised projections, the indicial markings conveying information regarding the type of threaded screw that can be received by the plurality of raised projections or where to attach a threaded screw to the sole. 
   
     
     
         17 . The sole of  claim 16 , wherein the indicial markings comprise one or more raised elements molded on the base surface, and the plurality of guard lugs project farther from the base surface than the one or more raised elements. 
     
     
         18 . The sole of  claim 16 , comprising a plurality of drain guides indicating where drain holes can be formed through the outsole and midsole to enhance drainage. 
     
     
         19 . The sole of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of drain guides comprise a raised rim extending from the base surface and a drillable surface disposed within a boundary defined by the raised rim. 
     
     
         20 . The sole of  claim 19 , comprising information-conveying indicial markings provided on the base surface and associated with the plurality of drain guides, the indicial markings conveying information regarding how to modify the sole for enhanced drainage.