Monolithic cycling shoe sole

Abstract

A monolithic sole for a road cycling shoe with a front cleat and a rear cleat suitable for cooperating with an automatic pedal. The monolithic sole includes, on its bottom face, a front cavity and a rear cavity located respectively in the front and rear of the zone of contact with the pedal and substantially in the middle of the width of the sole. The rear cavity opens onto the inner side of the sole. The front and rear cleats are placed respectively within the front and rear cavities such that they do not project from the sole, thus allowing the user to walk easily without the cleats causing discomfort, unlike conventional road cycling shoes equipped with standard cleats.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . An assembly composed of a monolithic sole made from plastic or from composite material of a cycling shoe, a front cleat and a rear cleat;
 wherein the monolithic sole is a rigid monolithic sole and defines a front recess and a rear recess;   wherein the monolithic sole defines a contact area, the contact area being an area where the monolithic sole is designed to contact the clipless pedal so as to transmit forces directly to clipless pedal, the contact area being situated at a middle of a width of the monolithic sole;   wherein the front cleat comprises a front connection means designed to collaborate with a front attachment device of a clipless pedal;   wherein the rear cleat comprises a rear connection means designed to collaborate with a rear attachment device of the clipless pedal, the front cleat and the rear cleats being fixed to an underside of said monolithic sole;   wherein the front recess is positioned between a front end of the monolithic sole and the contact area, the front recess being dimensioned to receive the front attachment device and to receive the front cleat; and   wherein the rear recess is positioned in a middle of a length and in a middle of the width of the monolithic sole and the rear recess emerges onto at least one lateral side, the rear recess being dimensioned to receive the rear attachment device of the clipless pedal and to receive the rear cleat;   wherein front cleats and the rear cleat are totally integrated in a depth of the front and rear recesses.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the front cleat is in contact with a rear edge of the front recess and wherein the front connection means of the front cleat is directed towards the front end of the monolithic sole. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the rear cleat is in contact with a front edge of the rear recess and wherein the rear connection means of the rear cleat is directed towards the rear end of the monolithic sole. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the front recess and the rear recess each comprise at least one hole passing through a thickness of the monolithic sole, the at least one hole being designed to collaborate with a securing part. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein a front edge of the rear recess comprises a protuberance salient in the rear recess and situated between the rear cleat and a lateral side of the monolithic sole into which the rear recess emerges, the protuberance being designed to push the rear attachment device of the clipless pedal towards the rear end of the monolithic sole during a detachment phase of the shoe. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the underside of the monolithic sole is covered by an anti-slip and abrasion-resistant coating except for the front recess, the rear recess and the contact area. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the monolithic sole defines a metatarsal region designed to face metatarsals of a user's foot, the front recess and the rear recess are separated by the metatarsal region, an underside of the metatarsal region forming the contact area, and wherein metatarsal region does not comprise securing means designed for securing the front cleat and of the rear cleat respectively with the front connection means and rear connection means, a thickness of the metatarsal region being less than or equal to 4 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the monolithic sole defines a metatarsal region designed to face metatarsals of a user's foot, a bottom surface of the front cleat and a bottom surface of the rear cleat are flush with an underside face of the metatarsal region, or do not protrude from the underside of the monolithic sole and wherein the front cleat and the rear cleat are separated by the metatarsal region, the metatarsal region forming the contact area. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the front recess is designed to be facing metatarsals of a user's foot and in that the rear recess is designed to be facing an arch of a user's foot. 
     
     
         23 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the front recess and the rear recess respectively form a first protuberance and a second protuberance on the upper surface of the sole, the first protuberance being designed to be facing phalanges of a user's foot and the second protuberance being designed to be facing an arch of a user's foot. 
     
     
         24 . The assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the metatarsal region presents a thickness between the upper surface and the underside that is smaller than or equal to the depth of the rear recess. 
     
     
         25 . A kit comprising a clipless pedal and an assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the front recess and the rear recess respectively receive the front attachment device and the rear attachment device of the clipless pedal, the clipless pedal having a support area arranged between the front attachment device and the rear attachment device and facing a rotation shaft of the clipless pedal, the contact area being pressing on the support area. 
     
     
         26 . The method for securing an assembly according to  claim 14  with a clipless pedal having a support area arranged between a front attachment device and a rear attachment device and facing a rotation shaft of the clipless pedal, the method comprising the following steps:
 providing the assembly and the clipless pedal, 
 fixing the front cleat with the front attachment device, 
 fixing the rear cleat with the rear attachment device, the metatarsal region of the sole being pressing directly on the support area of the clipless pedal.