Athletic sports shoe with cleated scaffold that dissociates from the underside of the shoe to reduce/prevent knee injury

Abstract

Footwear, such as a sports shoe, that has a cleated scaffold that attaches to an underside of a sole of the shoe body of footwear because of an attachment mechanism. The mechanism has cooperative components arranged to engage each other when in alignment to allow the cleated scaffold and shoe body to move in unison and in the absence of a critical pivoting force. When a critical pivoting force arises, such as when the cleats remain fixed in position in a manner that resists their movement in unison with the shoe body, the scaffold dissociates from the shoe body in order to reduce/prevent knee injury.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Footwear having a detachable cleated scaffold, comprising:
 a shoe;   a scaffold having cleats;   a mechanism with pairs of cooperative components that are movable between operative and non-operative positions;   wherein with the pairs of the cooperative components being in the operative position, the scaffold tends to move in unison with the shoe;   wherein with the pairs of the cooperative components moving from the operative position to the non-operative position, the scaffold dissociates from the shoe; and   wherein the pairs of the cooperative components move into the non-operative position from the operative position because of exertion of a pivoting force onto the cooperative components as the scaffold becomes planted to resist moving in unison with the shoe, the pivoting force emanating from the shoe.   
     
     
         2 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism are fabric hooks and pile that interlock with each other to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         3 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism are magnets and magnetic contacts that attract each other under magnetic force to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         4 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism are snaps and pins that interlock with each other to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         5 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism are curved strips and curved recesses that engage each other in a sliding manner and a pin and snap that interlocks to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         6 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism include a spring as one of the cooperative components that exerts a spring force against another of the cooperative components to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         7 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the cooperative components of the mechanism include a grooved rim and a wavy shaped rim to allow the shoe and scaffold to move in unison with each other and that separate from each other to dissociate the scaffold from the shoe. 
     
     
         8 . The footwear of  claim 1  in combination with a testing apparatus configured to test the mechanism for making a determination as to whether the scaffold dissociates from the shoe from exertion of the pivoting force so that adjusting the cooperative components of the mechanism as a result of the determination finding that the scaffold fails to dissociate from exertion of the pivoting force enables the scaffold to dissociate from the shoe from exertion of the pivoting force. 
     
     
         9 . The footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the scaffold is selected from a set of at least three scaffolds each having a differing amount of the cooperative components from that of each other so as to differ from each other with respect to an amount of the pivoting force necessary to cause the selected scaffold to dissociate from the shoe. 
     
     
         10 . A method of forming footwear having a detachable cleated scaffold, comprising the steps of:
 moving pairs of cooperative components of a mechanism between an operative position and a non-operative position;   wherein a scaffold moves in unison with a shoe provided the pairs of the cooperative components remain in the operative position;   wherein the scaffold dissociates from the shoe as the cooperative components move from the operative position to the non-operative position; and   wherein an exertion of a pivoting force that emanates from the shoe as the scaffold remains stationary causes the moving of the pairs of the cooperating components from the operative position to the non-operative position, the scaffold remaining stationary because cleats of the scaffold become planted to resist moving the scaffold in unison with the shoe.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising
 testing the mechanism with a testing apparatus to make a determination as to whether the scaffold dissociates from the shoe from exertion of the pivoting force and adjusting the cooperative components of the mechanism as a result of the determination finding that the scaffold fails to dissociate from exertion of the pivoting force so as to thereafter enable the scaffold to dissociate from the shoe from exertion of the pivoting force.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 selecting the scaffold from a set of at least three scaffolds each having a differing amount of the cooperative components from that of each other so as to differ from each other with respect to an amount of the pivoting force necessary to cause the selected scaffold to dissociate from the shoe.