Article of footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper. The sole structure includes a zoned plate with stability areas and flexure areas. The sole structure may further include a two-part midsole including a low recovery foam and a high recovery foam. In another embodiment, the sole structure includes reinforcing plate placed at a selected location between the zoned plate and a midsole. With this configuration, the sole structure encourages proper foot placement along the sole structure during a golf swing, thereby increasing shoe contact time with the ground and/or golf swing mechanics.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An article of footwear defining a hindfoot region, a forefoot region, a lateral side, and a medial side, the article of footwear comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole structure including:
 a cleat plate comprising a plurality of traction elements, at least one stability zone, at least one flexure zone, wherein the cleat plate is thinner in the at least one flexure zone than in the at least one stability zone, the plurality of traction elements including at least one first cleat structure coupled to the at least one stability zone and at least one second cleat structure coupled to the at least one flexure zone, wherein the first cleat structure is differently configured than the second cleat structure; and 
 a midsole arranged between the upper and the cleat plate. 
   
     
     
         2 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the first cleat structure includes at least one softer leg comprised of a first material having first durometer and at least one harder leg comprised of a second material having a second durometer that is greater than the first durometer. 
     
     
         3 . The article of footwear of  claim 2  wherein the at least one softer leg includes a first leg arranged on a first half of the cleat and at least two second legs arranged on an opposite second half of the cleat, said first material extending continuously from the first leg to the at least two second legs. 
     
     
         4 . The article of footwear of  claim 3  wherein the at least one harder leg is arranged on the first half of the cleat. 
     
     
         5 . The article of footwear of  claim 4  wherein the first leg and the at least two second legs are formed in a fanned configuration. 
     
     
         6 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the at least one stability zone is arranged on a lateral side of the sole structure and the at least one flexure zone is arranged on a medial side of the sole structure. 
     
     
         7 . The article of footwear of  claim 6  further comprising a groove positioned between the at least one stability zone and the at least one flexure zone. 
     
     
         8 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the upper comprises a lockdown system including a lockdown band extending from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear, the lockdown band having less than 5% stretch. 
     
     
         9 . The article of footwear of  claim 1  wherein the midsole includes:
 a first midsole component extending from the hindfoot region to the forefoot region, wherein the first midsole component is comprised of a first foam having a first recovery value; and 
 a second midsole component extending from the hindfoot region to the forefoot region, wherein the second midsole component is comprised of a second foam having a second recovery value, the second recovery value being greater than the first recovery value. 
 
     
     
         10 . The article of footwear of  claim 9  wherein the second midsole component is nested and confined within a cavity of the first midsole component in the hindfoot region, and wherein the second midsole component is laterally adjacent to and abuts the first midsole component along a seam in the forefoot region, the seam extending through the midsole from an upper surface to a lower surface of the midsole. 
     
     
         11 . The article of footwear of  claim 10  wherein the first midsole component is exposed to an upper surface of the cleat plate in the stability zone of the cleat plate, and wherein the second midsole component is exposed to the upper surface of the cleat plate in the flexure zone. 
     
     
         12 . A cleat for an article of footwear comprising:
 a first material having first durometer, said first material forming a first leg on the first half of the cleat and at least two second legs on the second half of the cleat, said first material extending continuously from the first leg to the at least two second legs;   a second material having second durometer that is greater than the first durometer, said second material forming at least one third leg on the first half of the cleat,   wherein the first leg and the at least two second legs are formed in a fanned configuration.   
     
     
         13 . The cleat of  claim 12 , wherein the first half is an inner half of the cleat and the second half is an outer half of the cleat. 
     
     
         14 . The cleat of  claim 13 , wherein each of the at least two second legs is spaced apart from adjacent second legs of the at least two second legs by a gap. 
     
     
         15 . The cleat of  claim 14 , wherein the at least two second legs includes four second legs, each of the four second legs being spaced apart from adjacent second legs by a respective gap. 
     
     
         16 . The cleat of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one third leg includes two third legs that are circumferentially separated from one another by the first leg. 
     
     
         17 . An article of footwear comprising:
 an upper; and   a sole structure including:
 a plate comprising at least one first zone having a first thickness, and at least one second zone having a second thickness that is different than the first thickness, and 
 a plurality of cleats coupled to the plate, the plurality of cleats including a first cleat type and a second cleat type, wherein a majority of the plurality of cleats in the first zone are the first cleat type and a majority of the cleats in the second zone are the second cleat type. 
   
     
     
         18 . The article of footwear of  claim 17  further comprising a midsole positioned between the upper and the sole structure, the midsole comprising a first foam portion that extends of the first zone of the plate and a second foam portion that extends over the second zone of the plate, wherein the first foam has a first recovery value and the second foam has a second recovery value that is different than the first recovery value. 
     
     
         19 . The article of footwear of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a midsole positioned between the upper and the sole structure; and 
 a shank positioned between the midsole and the sole structure. 
 
     
     
         20 . The article of footwear of  claim 17  wherein the first cleat type includes at least one softer leg comprised of a first material having first durometer and at least one harder leg comprised of a second material having a second durometer that is greater than the first durometer.